Wulverblade (side scrolling beat ’em up) announced for the Nintendo Switch

Wulverblade is one of the games announced for the Nintendo Switch during today’s Nindies Summer Showcase presentation. For those who never heard of the game before, it takes place in 120AD, with the Roman army controlling the south of Britannia. Their goal is to march north and conquer the rest of the island. Naturally, they’re not planning to do so peacefully: the conquest is to be brutal, and bloody… yet efficient!

You get to play as Caradoc, a guardian of the northern tribes, who has prepared a nasty surprise for the 9th Legion (5000 soldiers). He’s rallied the war bands, and is ready to make the Romans pay. The thing is, he also bares a “gift” he’s not even aware of it, and the poor 9th Legion is the one that will first disover its true power!

Wulverblade offers “classic side-scrolling” gameplay, and is described the developers as a “visceral, cinematic, side scrolling beatem-up, bringing a modern twist to the classic gameplay style of the 1990’s arcade scene”. The game throws you straight into the action, allowing to start beating some romans the second you turn the game on… well, not literally of course!

The game is also presented as a “truly cinematic experience”, with a deep history tale told through the gameplay, but also “dramatic cut-scenes”, and motion picture-like soundtrack.

Here’s what the developers had to say about that history:

Draped in the Rich History & lore of ancient Britain

Ancient British history is rich in incredible stories that can inspire the imagination beyond belief. When you combine this depth of history with some of Britain’s lost lore you can imagine just how powerful a story can be told.

Real people, Real places

Extensive research has been put into both the historical accuracy and the use of real locations from the time. Countless days have been spent walking the ancient sites, ruins and paths of the ancient Britons. The game features not only real locations, but even real people from the time. Even sound sampling has been taken from within the remains of old Roman forts and from the running streams that fed the Romans and tribesmen alike to create an atmosphere so rich you can almost taste it.

As you can see for yourself, the developers are trying to create an authentic an experience as possible, both gameplay-wise and (hi)story-wise!

Finally, the developers mention the visuals, “meticulously crafted” at 1080p, in order to make sure the final end results looks as stunning as possible. After all, if you’re going to beat Romans by the dozens, you have to make sure you do it in full HD! Beating romans is always better in full HD. Trust us.

Here’s a trailer for the game:

Here’s the key features:

• Old school arcade, side scrolling beat-em-up action
• 8 beautiful levels spanning ancient forests, thundering rivers, torchlit woodlands & Roman forts. All based on real locations
• Stunning 1080p HD artwork & cell animated characters
• Atmospheric soundtrack fit for a blockbuster movie
• An engrossing story that combines ancient British history with native tales of lore
• Amazing unlockable features that leave you eager to play again!

If you’re wondering how far along the game is, the answer is… it’s almost complete! Right now, the game is going through one last round of bug testing, before being sent to Nintendo for lotcheck.

Wulverblade (Switch – eShop) will be released this Fall in Europe and North America. The Upcoming Games page has been updated!

Source: official website