There's neigh wrong with this art style.

Gorilla Press Games has announced that it will shortly commence a Kickstarter campaign for a new non-linear Metroidvania-styled game called Legend of the Lancer.

Currently planned for PC, the development studio is hoping to also bring the game to Wii U — provided a stretch goal is met, of course. The game will follow the adventures of protagonist Sam Drexel, a young chap on a quest to enter a master jousting tournament. Playing as Sam, players will explore a number of towns across the world of Umber and must compete in qualifiers in each town in order to reach the Legendary Tournament. Towns will contain a number of quests and items, and only by defeating a town's leader can Sam earn his entry into its qualifying tournament.

Legend of the Lancer's biggest selling point is found in its non-linear gameplay. Players are only required to complete three towns in order to reach the final tournament. However, by taking more paths and defeating multiple bosses, players are able to unlock a number of different endings. The game also draws inspiration from Super Mario World, in that its world map changes to reflect the player's progress. Developer Paul Emanuel gave an example of this, stating:

If you defeat the Beast that guards the tower, then it [the tower] will fall. If you defeat the Necromancer in the graveyard, then it will be covered in flowers and beauty.

Players will also be able to summon a horse during gameplay, which when used by the game's main character will turn into a biped horse — the inspiration here clearly being taken from Mega Man X's Ride Armor. The game sports both gameplay and visuals that are highly reminiscent of the SNES era.

The Kickstarter campaign for Legend of the Lancer commences on 11th October, and if you want to see the game make an appearance on Wii U then be sure to pledge some funds.

Many thanks to John Polson for the news tip!

[source indiegames.com]