During all the hustle and bustle of C2E2, we did manage to get some time to chat with Mike Kennedy, the creator and producer of Unbound Saga, as well as get a little hands-on time with the game. Unbound Saga is a 3-D brawler set within a gorgeously illustrated 2-D comic book world. 1995′s Comix Zone was a clear inspiration here as characters jump in and out of panels, and a penciller’s hand even comes into frame to draw new enemies. The aesthetic here is something to behold for comic fans and should dazzle any other players as well.
The game centers around muscle-head Rick Ajax and his siren of a side-kick, Lori Machete. As far as the story goes, Rick is a self-aware comic hero who wants to have a word with The Maker. Think Matt Hazard but with a comic book character. The dialogue comes fast and furious with a healthy dose of off-kilter, tongue-in-cheek humor.
The brawling focuses on a basic three-buton combo system. Players will be accumulate skill points that they can then apply to their character’s skill tree in order to expand abilities and combos. Mr. Kennedy told us that players would not be able to max out their attributes in one play-through, leaving definite room for repeat play.
We got a chance to play through the first episode (there are 10 total in the campaign) in co-op multiplayer mode, and we both had a good time with the game. Use of the right analog stick to make quick depth-of-field jumps kept the speed of the game lightning quick. We got a few good laughs out of the dialogue and were really impressed with how much style oozes from the game. However, there were some moments when the fighting and movement felt a little stiff. Also, at times it seemed as though there were maybe too many enemies on screen, which made it difficult to see who was punching what or if the hit detection was as tight as it should be. But, keep in mind that it was a demo build of the game, and we did walk away from it eager to see and play the final game.
Unbound Saga is set to hit the Xbox Live Arcade this summer (we were told hopefully July) with a handful of modes, online and local co-op and leaderboards. Until then, head on over to the official website for more info.