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Essays 17 August 2019, 18:09

author: Jakub Mirowski

Not Only Cyberpunk – The Polish Invasion at gamescom

The enormous progress that Polish gamedev's made since the release of The Witcher 3 is astonishing, even for the skeptical ones. Gamescom is an opportunity for Polish developers to showcase their projects to a wider audience.

Table of Contents

Brassheart

Brassheart looks like an adventure game from the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries – which is by no means an accusation. - Not only Cyberpunk 2077 - Polish games worth waiting for - dokument - 2019-08-17
Brassheart looks like an adventure game from the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries – which is by no means an accusation.
  1. Release date: 2019
  2. Platform: PC
  3. In a nutshell: cute point'n 'click with interesting story

There's something in Brassheart' diesel-punk inspired design that automatically makes you like it – and even for people who doesn't really like point and click adventure games. You will play the role of Pola, who like every child of a famous eccentric inventor must gather up and find a way to save her father from the oppression of a super machine that he has created. However, intrigue is only a part of this title's charming stylistic design – the presented world in this game seems to be very attracting as it combines the political 20' of the last century with inventions that even the masters of science fiction literature would not be ashamed of. Interaction with makeshift robots and driving vehicles that look like they're going to fall apart at the first use sounds encouraging enough.

Gatewalkers

  1. Release date: 2020 (Early Access)
  2. Platform: PC
  3. In a nutshell: co-op survival RPG and exploration of procedurally generated worlds

Exploration of one world in modern RPG is definitely not enough. Therefore, in Gatewalkers you will visit them all the time – because even if you find a similar climate, the map will be generated procedurally. And this is only one of the obstacles presented to players by the developers of this title – after all, the survival patch speaks of itself. Depending on where you end up, you will have to face toxic atmospheres, extreme drought or lack of light – not to mention the monsters that lives in other realities. The key to survival here is to use your equipment wisely, which in a sense will define the usefulness of your character. Close cooperation and sharing of responsibilities with friends will also be crucial. It's best to play Gatewalkers in a party, although whoever tried to play in co-op in any network survival knows that all skepticism is most desirable.

Survive the Blackout

In the reality of post-apocalypse, every dose of empathy can end drastically to your whole group. - Not only Cyberpunk 2077 - Polish games worth waiting for - dokument - 2019-08-17
In the reality of post-apocalypse, every dose of empathy can end drastically to your whole group.
  1. Release date: 2020
  2. Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch
  3. In a nutshell: post-apocalyptic survival with a decent storyline

Polish indie game scene loves survival. Whoever visits gamescom will have a full basis to draw such a conclusion. But Survive the Blackout is not a classic representative of the genre, because instead of constantly collecting useful items and raw materials, it has a decent storyline. Of course, there will be no shortage of the abovementioned features – it's still a post-apocalyptic world (in this scenario caused by a long power outage) and from time to time you have to eat or warm your character – but the developers decided to put everything on a grim story, in which players will witness a slow disintegration of foundations of the civilized world. As a leader guiding a group of survivors to a safe harbor, you will make many difficult decisions here, form completely unexpected alliances and learn about personal experiences of many people.

Shing!

In Shing!, each new enemy is simply an opportunity to experiment with new combinations of deadly punches. - Not only Cyberpunk 2077 - Polish games worth waiting for - dokument - 2019-08-17
In Shing!, each new enemy is simply an opportunity to experiment with new combinations of deadly punches.
  1. Release date: Q1 2020
  2. Platform: PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
  3. In a nutshell: ninja platformer with an extensive combat system, including cooperation mode

Arcade fighting genre has slowly become a thing of the past in recent years, but this is not a reason to completely ignore this kind of interactive entertainment. Especially if, like Shing! – advertises itself as having the "most awesome combat system" in the genre. And as much as it might be an exaggeration, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that it looked very nice. From simple blows to whole combos and special attacks that leave your opponents with their arms and legs scattered at the extreme ends of the stages – being a ninja looks like a bloody but extremely rewarding job. And since there are several playable characters in the game, and each of them can be changed at any time, nothing stands in the way of starting a fight with one hero and inflicting the final blows with a totally different fighter. There will be many ways to improvise in this game.

AIDA

  1. Release date: Q1 2020
  2. Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
  3. In a nutshell: interactive movie-game, non-linear storyline

Actually, we know almost nothing about AIDA – a game developed by Punch Punk Warsaw studio. The developers describe this project more like a hybrid of a game and a movie than a full-fledged video game – the whole setting combines three-dimensional elements with classical videos. In addition, there will be a non-linear script structure and solutions borrowed directly from stealth games. This sounds rather cloudy for now and will probably remain so until we get more information about the project. As for the plot itself, it is supposed to tell the story of a ten-year-old girl – the title Aida, who grows up in African country of the future. Developers took on a rather heavy task, because not only did they commit themselves to write an interesting scenario, but they want to address serious issues related to current social and geopolitical problems.

TOHU

You can fall in love with TOHU visuals from the first sight! - Not only Cyberpunk 2077 - Polish games worth waiting for - dokument - 2019-08-17
You can fall in love with TOHU visuals from the first sight!
  1. Release date: Q2 2020
  2. Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS
  3. In a nutshell: point'n'click game, interesting world

I don't know if TOHU developers have interesting ideas for unconventional puzzles or nice crafting system, but they would have to really put a lot of effort into spoiling these elements so that they would obscure the wonderful miraculous nature of the presented world. This is one of those point-and-click adventures where you can stop and stare at your screen like in a painting (in a museum), because literally everything – backgrounds, bizarre creatures, falling objects – are so creatively designed that it's hard not to be delighted. In addition, with a soundtrack composed by the sound designer of Hollow Knight, TOHU promises to become an audiovisual wonder – a game which eccentric setting is charming (without overdosing level of sweetness or cuteness), and the world fascinates from very beginning to the end. I only hope that a decent plot and the foundations of the game will go hand in hand – so players will not be able to take their eyes off the screen.

Jet Kave Adventure

When you have the technology of extraterrestrial civilizations at your disposal, you can even hunt a mammoth. - Not only Cyberpunk 2077 - Polish games worth waiting for - dokument - 2019-08-17
When you have the technology of extraterrestrial civilizations at your disposal, you can even hunt a mammoth.
  1. Release date: 2019
  2. Platform: Nintendo Switch
  3. In a nutshell: platformer in the prehistoric Era... with a jetpack?!

Jet Kave Adventure will finally answer the question that has been haunting many for years: What happens if you give a jet pack to a Neanderthal? As a primitive being, you will come into possession of extraterrestrial technology, with the help of which you will try to regain your lost position in the tribe and experience a truly bizarre adventure. However, this completely absurd idea for a story may turn out to be a hit when it comes to the gameplay aspects – all gameplay videos reveal a lot of "platforming" fun. Player will use a jetpack to perform all sorts of stunts, avoid opponents' blows, make sudden hoover jumps and attack enemies with incredible force from the air. It looks really cool – anyway, come on, what other game will allow you to use a jetpack to go forward and hit the pterodactyl in the head with a wooden club?

  1. More about Jet Kave Adventure

Children of Morta

Are you tired of pixel-art? Well, we're not! - Not only Cyberpunk 2077 - Polish games worth waiting for - dokument - 2019-08-17
Are you tired of pixel-art? Well, we're not!
  1. Release date: 2019
  2. Platform: PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
  3. In a nutshell: hack'n'slash, roguelike, RPG, pixel-art, interesting story

Games like the Children of Morta will probably never get bored. Age-proof pixel-art graphics, fast and effective hack'n'slash combat system, solid RPG basis and of course ruthless roguelike convention. For Dead Mage studio, this production could be a breakthrough in their career.

But maybe not all of these features listed above are the main advantages in this case. Children of Morta has an extensive lore of the world and fantastic story, just like in other games published by 11 bit studios. We play the role of individual members of the Bergson family (each person with different skills) and quickly discover that each individual member has his or her own history, character and emotions that we will have to bear with. A roguelike game with a good storyline and a rich game world are always welcome!

  1. More about Children of Morta
This article has been written in cooperation with Indie Games Poland Foundation. All games mentioned in this essay can be checked at gamescom trade fair - Indie Games Poland Foundation stand (Hall 4.1 Stand: A071).

Jakub Mirowski

Jakub Mirowski

Associated with Gamepressure.com since 2012: he worked in news, editorials, columns, technology, and tvgry departments. Currently specializes in ambitious topics. Wrote both reviews of three installments of the FIFA series, and an article about a low-tech African refrigerator. Apart from GRYOnline.pl, his articles on refugees, migration, and climate change were published in, among others, Krytyka Polityczna, OKO.press, and Nowa Europa Wschodnia. When it comes to games, his scope of interest is a bit more narrow and is limited to whatever FromSoftware throws out, the more intriguing indie games and party-type titles.

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