Numskull Games has revealed SuperEpic, a satirical Metroidvania-style game headed to Switch this December.
Seemingly a perfect fit for anyone who hates the not-so-lovely elements of modern video game development (yes, we're talking about microtransactions), SuperEpic has players heading out on a quest to save games as we know them. You'll be smashing your way through the headquarters of an evil game development company that controls society by addicting citizens to their free games.
The humour doesn't end with just that core idea, though, oh no. For starters, the protagonists of this story are a raccoon and a llama, and continuing the satirical theme on micro-transactions, all levelling and powering up in the game is based on a pretend, in-game economy system.
Features:
- Two game modes – play a classic single-player story mode with handcrafted levels, or a roguelike mode which procedurally generates the game map to make each run completely different
- Cross-media experience – hidden QR codes launch mini-games to play on your mobile when scanned, uncovering secrets in the main game
- 8 hours of gameplay – a first run on the story mode will take roughly 8 hours, but the procedural mode provides endless fun
- 16-bit era graphics – super fluid animations and spectacular bosses, all represented in gorgeous ‘Neo-Geo’-esque 16-bit pixel art
- Original storyline & soundtrack – a story featuring unique, strong characters with plenty of humour and personality, and a soundtrack from SonoTrigger (‘Rise & Shine’, ‘Blue & Bullets’, ‘Supermagical’)
- Completionists – tons of achievements & secrets to unlock for completionists
- Micro-transaction satire – satirises modern gaming practices, with a huge enterprise run by greedy business-pigs which has gradually replaced all the fun in video games with adaptative and addictive algorithms to control people’s minds
As noted above, the game will be appearing on Switch and other platforms this December. Will you be keeping an eye out for more on this one? Tell us below.
Comments 29
Might pick this up off the premise alone. Love what We've seen, and I am a sucker for metroidvanias.
Blaming "addictive algorythms" for controlling the minds already controlled by fanship is a trite misconception, but exaggerated goofy fiction outclasses hypocritical fanminded publicistics any day. And speaking of addictive algorythms, how many people can resist a metroidvania starring a raccoon and a lama?
@nhSnork There's a significant difference between fanbase tribalism and gambling conditioning.
Just like there's a difference between a household that spends way too much on sporting event tickets and merchandise even to the point of memorizing pointless trivia and a household that gambles unsafe amounts of money on sports outcomes.
The description made me laugh.
That main character reminds me of the Coon (Carmen's lame superhero gimmick) from South Park.
No more Metroidvanias please
Plot twist: The game contains microtransactions.
I can never get enough Metroidvanias, so will def. check this out!
Llamas, capitalist pigs, QR code tie-in, Count me In!
Final Boss: EA
As much as people complain about microtransactions, rightfully so, they are another great example of something that should be used for good and could have been a great improvement for videogames, but it was abused.
A free game needs to get money from somewhere, and also, it's thanks to the few players that pay for expensive clothes and painted weapons, that all players can have the content that matters.
But that system was abused, with Pay-2-Win mechanics, with Loot Boxes that are just like gambling, with a confusing system made to addict players, and the whales, games like this are made to suck money out of crippled addicts that pay thousands of dollars in one single game, and of course, stuff like this also came to games that already cost 60 dollars.
Smartphone required? Eww. Interesting otherwise but eww.
Another "metroidvania" eh. This just seems like a meme in game form to me..
What a concept for a game!
You had me at the headline alone.
@retro_player_22
You mean Cartman. RESPECT HIS AUTHORITAH!
imagine wanting to replay this game in the future many years from now but the QR mini games don't work anymore
@victordamazio Whales are getting addicted to mtx games now? What is happening?!
@xshinox literally was about to question that part!
@retro_player_22 Just finished binging what they had on Netflix again, great show, so many layers of jokes on media, culture and societal double standards. XD
@Jayofmaya Whales is a term given to a top costumer, few people with a lot of money who will give a business most of their profits.
This term is mostly used with casinos, addicted players that spend hundreds or thousands of dollars everyday, and eventually, it moved to games, addicted players that spend the price of a console, or even a car, in a free game that shouldn't cost even 50 cents, most of the money from the mobile gaming industry comes from these people.
@victordamazio Ahh, I never really looked into it so never heard the term, but I've known and met people like that! Thanks for the info. Sadly, some (probably most) publishers are just as many big business owners and will put money before anything else, even when public image starts to become negative, they don't care as long as the cash flow is growing.
This looks neat, I just hope that the final game can make the QR code mini-games optional, or embedded into the game.
They look to be dependant on another service running, and if that service goes down the game may be unplayable.
It could be like Metal Gear Solid and needing to look at the back of the CD case. If you don't have that resource you at least need the static code from somewhere.
@SusieHaltmann
Final Boss: EA
Lol lol 😂
Might be a little too blatant with that social commentary. Though I don't disagree. The more profitable the games industry becomes, the more big business warps it to squeeze yet more profit out of it.
Maybe it's something of a double standard, but I don't blame developers for wanting to make "the next Mario, the next Fortnite the next Pokemon, etc..." I do blame the business side for pushing developers to include micro-transactions.
@retro_player_22 Glad it's not just me!
It would be the ultimate irony if you had to download Microtransactions and DLC in order to destroy them. Lol.
@Yodalovesu Just don't play them. Plenty of people that love the genre. Go play Fifa or whatever nonsense you consider fun.
@JayMac83 Metroidvania is one of my favorite genres. What I dont like is that every other indie these days calls itself a Metroidvania. It takes more than a single connected map to make a game a true Metroidvania
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