Resonator has just launched the Kickstarter campaign for Anew: The Distant Light, an open world action title inspired by classics such as Metroid, Cave Story and Dark Souls. The development team is asking for a rather modest sum (US$ 30,000) and the crowdfunding drive will last until March 20th. The game is also up on Steam Greenlight, so if everything goes according to plan, backers will be able to request Steam keys at launch.
Created by a two-man team with extensive experience on AAA productions (including classics such as the BioShock, Borderlands, Star Wars, Uncharted, Lord of the Rings, and Saints Row franchises) Anew: The Distant Light lets gamers control a kid stranded in a remote alien moon, as he tries to accomplish a mission of critical importance to the future of the human race. Players will have to explore the environment, solve challenging puzzles and acquire gameplay altering upgrades to open new paths, in classic metroidvania fashion.
Official features list:
Huge, Open Game World – Explore and unlock an unknown alien moon to discover your origins and your mission. Your adventure will take you above and below the surface of the moon, across rocky landscapes, towering spires, deep frozen lakes, and more.
Classic Metroidvania Structure – Discover new tools, abilities and weapons which allow you to unlock new areas in the game world. Environments play differently as you evolve, making it fun to explore familiar territory for previously unreachable items and access to new realms.
Deep Gameplay – Every weapon and piece of gear is a game-changer. Situational advantages from gear choices ensure that nothing becomes obsolete. Upgrade and customize your weapons to suit your play style. Diverse and meaningful interactions with other characters and the environment make exploring your equipment as fun as exploring the game world.
Upgradeable Home Ship – The ship you’ve traveled to the alien moon on is a playable level in itself. Find hidden power cells in the game world, and return them to your ship to unlock rooms. Each new room in the ship offers new and exciting gameplay options. Your ship grows with you as you master the game world.
Pilot Powerful Machines and Vehicles – Pilot massive mechs, tanks, shuttles, and a variety of other awesome weaponized vehicles. Hop in and out at-will to explore on foot, or collect items and upgrades. Take on hordes of enemy soldiers with ease!
Dynamic Environment – A day and night cycle with changing atmospheric conditions, weather effects, and a burning-hot sun modify gameplay in interesting ways that affect pacing and tactical decisions (40x time lapse below).
Mysterious Story – Discover the fate of your missing co-pilot, and find out who you are and why you’ve been sent 20 light years into space to a hostile alien environment.
Reward tiers go all the way from US$ 1 to US$ 2,500, with a special tier reserved to early birds who want to snag the open world action title for a discounted price of US$ 14 (limited to the first 200 backers who choose this specific reward tier) As usual with Kickstarter campaigns, a host of different rewards is available, ranging from digital copies of the game and its soundtrack (composed by Wilbert Roget II, a games industry veteran with an impressive résumé) to physical items and different development related perks.
