Let me just preface this Kickstarter Pick by telling you that the original Mega Man on NES is what got me into gaming, and that Shadow of the Colossus was one of the finest video game experiences I’ve ever had to date. That’s why most of us here at Gamezebo couldn’t be more excited about Artizens, an upcoming indie game for PC and Mac that’s currently seeking funding on Kickstarter. It’s like a sidescrolling Shadow of the Colossus that you can play with your friends. Do I really need to say anything more?
Let me just preface this Kickstarter Pick by telling you that the original Mega Man on NES is what got me into gaming, and that Shadow of the Colossus was one of the finest video game experiences I’ve ever had to date. That’s why most of us here at Gamezebo couldn’t be more excited about Artizens, an upcoming indie game for PC and Mac that’s currently seeking funding on Kickstarter. It’s like a sidescrolling Shadow of the Colossus that you can play with your friends. Do I really need to say anything more?
The game world of Artizens is centered on a hub of village-based docks and trading posts, where you can venture off to hunt giant monsters in wilderness locations that include forests, deserts, mountains, volcanos, and a few other surprises. With major influences cited as Monster Hunter, Mega Man, and Magic: The Gathering, it’s clear from the gameplay trailer that Artizens seeks to take the best parts of each of these franchises and blend them together in a near-flawless presentation. Seriously, this game looks incredible so far. You have the massive monster fights, the skill-based combat, and the harvesting aspect of the Monster Hunter series; the classic Mega Man mechanic of utilizing a defeated monster’s ability to craft a weapon of similar power; and the immense customization of Magic: The Gathering.
But wait, just listen to the insane amount of special features the developers have in store for us. In the final build of Artizens, you’ll be able to team up with three other players online and work together on bringing down some of the smartest and challenging monsters the game has to offer. You can also literally draw your own gear, or choose from any number of uploaded photos by other online users in a sort of Scribblenauts Unlimited fashion: “everything from sword and shield and bow and arrow to rocket legs and even pets.”
The game has already been in development for over a year, with all of the core programming components in place, and there’s a projected release of summer 2013 if all goes well for the project’s funding. With 20 days left to go in its Kickstarter period, Artizens has already achieved $22,312 of its $30,000 goal, but that doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. They are looking for one final push now from the fans, as the plan is for Artizens to become an ongoing project, with constant new content updates and a dedicated player community.
If you visit the game’s Kickstarter page, you can get a whole wealth of other information about Artizens, as well as stream the game’s soothing and tranquil soundtrack. But most importantly, you can see this game in all its monster-slaying action! Reward tiers for donations include getting the full game and all future expansions as soon as they’re released; earning a specially made set of equipment with custom art and modifications; and if you’re really feeling generous and want to pledge $5,000 or more, you can design an entire mission scenario with the Artizens team.
I could go on and on talking about this promising game, but I guess I’ll stop now so I can actually go make a pledge for Artizens, and take a picture of my dog to upload into the game.
Kickstarter Picks is a series on Gamezebo that profiles Kickstarter projects in the world of video games. We’re doing this in the hopes of calling attention to interesting projects in need of funding, so please, if a game looks like something you’d want to play, don’t hesitate to lend it your support!
