This morning, Rachel and I ventured over to the Autumn Games booth in the Expo Hall here at PAX East. Mike Z., David, and Rachel from the indie gaming company talked with us about two of the company’s forthcoming games: Skull Girls — a fighter with an art style reminiscent of Scott Pilgrim — and Jimmie Johnson’s Anything With An Engine — a racer developed with consultant and NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson. I got to demo both games and learn some more about what Autumn Games has in store for this summer and the future of independent gaming. Reviews follow; check back later for video footage of the interviews and demos!
Skull Girls
I couldn’t help but be enamored by the effusive art style (complete with Scott Pilgrim-esque saturation) and smooth gameplay. Mike Z. and I fought a few rounds using the sticks provided at Autumn Games’ booth; the controls are strikingly similar to most fighters (i.e. down, forward, light punch = fireball, etc.; essentially, if you’ve got Street Fighter IV down, you’re good).
You can choose from several champions to compete in girl-on-girl street combat, each with her own skills and fighter class. For instance, Cerebella (pictured, left) is a heavy fighter whose skills reside in slow-moving, bruisery. Filia (pictured, right), however, is a quick and dextrous fighter.
The game is not just another simple fighter, though. It follows a unique story, in which these female fighters become possessed and fight with demonic presences attached to them (see: Vice Versa, the dual-fisted mean-machine attached to Cerebella’s headgear). The demonic presences are punishments for girls that are not pure of heart; they are then pitted against each other in alley warfare. There is no sparing of details, as — as you can see above — the game is a 2D fighter rendered in a 3D world (the light changes and shapes the characters depending on time of day, proximity to light fixtures, etc.). Beautiful and engaging, Skull Girls is set to release this summer.
Jimmie Johnson’s Anything With An Engine
Fans of NASCAR unite! Autumn Games is set to release a racer inspired and consulted by an actual NASCAR driver: Jimmie Johnson. David from Autumn let us know that Jimmie Johnson had a huge hand in the development of this racer, as he and his crew — being 36 weeks on the road — loved racing games but wanted something a little different. Rumor has it they thoroughly enjoyed Mario Kart but wanted their own game with its own unique gimicks and fun, essentially a racer, in which you could race, well, anything. Thus, Jimmie Johnson’s Anything With An Engine.
Looking to the left, you can see that, indeed, any player can even race an atomic bomb. As long as the nuclear device is outfitted with an engine, you’re good to go. The game plays very similarly to Mario Kart (as heavily influenced by the Johnson crew); main button boosts, bumpers and triggers fire weapons and defenses, and so forth. However, the game’s courses twist and turn insidiously, and you have the option of racing “Matador” style, in which you and your opponent(s) start at opposite ends of the map and race toward each other. Weapons and rewards abound on each track, as well as Pit Stops, in which you activate a mini-game of button mashing to quickly repair your damaged “vehicle.”
The game is quirky and exciting but systematically smooth, as the vehicles handle extremely well. David informed us that this was one element, the quality of which Jimmie Johnson frequently oversaw and ensured. The game is in its final stages of development and is set to release within the near future. Check back for more details on both great games from the team at Autumn Games!