Honourbound – Samurai and Demons Make for One Hell of an Adrenaline Ride

While browsing around on The Indie Game Magazine I came across an article for Honourbound by BatCat Games (not to be confused with a game of similar name and different spelling). I watched the trailer video shown on Vimeo, and was blown away by some of the best animation I’ve seen in a long time.

In Honourbound, you take on the role of Jiro, a samurai who must fight his way through a swath of demonic forces conjured by Yomi, the Japanese underworld, before they break into the world of the living. It’s a fast-paced, 2D action side scrolling beat ‘em up set in fantasy feudal Japan with a focus around real time combat.

The game is being developed for PC and plays best with its controller integration. The trailer does state it’s coming to both PC and console, though no other specifics are known at this time other than an expected release at the end of 2014, early 2015.

Jiro

The graphics are impeccable, as I stated earlier–some of the best animation I’ve seen in a long time, with an attention to detail that’s top notch.

According to Nick C. over at The Indie Game Magazine, he says,

“From the distorted, high energy guitar riffs, to the fast paced sword play, to the giant eyeball-bellied demons walking casually through the background, one thing is certain throughout every moment of this game: You are in for a white knuckled, combo-filled violent ride as you try to repel the forces of the underworld.”

“The use of silhouette and color through every level feels purposeful, and highlights the action perfectly; it’s almost as much of a pleasure beating a level to see what other cool vistas you’re going to see, as it is a testament to your skill as a player.”

Concept Art for Samurai Tank

BatCat Games is an independent games development company based in Dublin and is comprised of a bunch of thirty-somethings who found themselves lacking the time required to play today’s Triple-A offerings, and wanting something more engaging than the casual market, according to their website. Andrea Magnorsky and Andrew O’Connor are the Co-founders of this creative team.