If there is one thing that Blendo Games founder and chief developer Brendon Chung knows how to do, it is how to create unique indie games. Whether he is telling short-form stories with games like Gravity Bone and Thirty Flights of Loving, or delivering the delightful 20th-century cyberpunk adventure Quadrilateral Cowboy, Blendo Games always creates something different, in the best way.
Now, Blendo Games' upcoming release aims to take that unique style and produce an immersive shooter. In Skin Deep, players take on the role of an insurance agent trapped aboard a spaceship piloted by cats that have been attacked by space pirates. Equal parts funny, mechanically interesting, and stylish, Skin Deep aims to create a truly original sandbox space adventure.
In Skin Deep, players awake aboard the FNS Drop Shadow, a ship with seven souls aboard who all happen to be felines. The crew consists of adorable block-headed cats with names like First Mate Chu Chu, Chief Engineer Jingle and fearless Captain Palanka. However, all is lost when the Drop Shadow comes under attack from dastardly space pirates and the feline crew finds itself in danger. Although, the four-legged starship crew has one last hope: the insurance company that covers the starship.
In order to properly insure a ship's valuables, all starships stow a frozen insurance agent aboard just in case. When the pirates trip the silent alarm, the agent is thawed out and tasked with taking control away from the pirates by any means necessary. Outgunned, outnumbered, and without shoes, players must use equipment and clever tactics to recapture the FNS Drop Shadow and rescue the kitty crew.
Skin Deep is a sandbox world that features both a humorous tone and unique gameplay as players explore the non-linear corridors of the massive starship. Skin Deep is a first-person shooter, but players will have to contend with more than just the pirates. The agent exits the cryo pod sans shoes, which means that any broken glass or hazards on the floor will be a threat to the well-being of the protagonist. Activities like crawling through a dusty ventilation system can backfire as the environment causes the agent to sneeze, alerting enemies in the vicinity. Skin Deep looks to constantly challenge players to sneak, sabotage and subvert the mechanics of its sandbox world deliberately.
Luckily, players will have a plethora of gadgets and weapons to use when navigating the dangerous corridors of Skin Deep's environments. The most recent trailer showcased a wall of equipment that the agent can leverage. More traditional weaponry like a compact shotgun and auto-pistol can be used alongside more confusing items like common black pepper and a teapot. Players will also have some more fantastical gear, as the game features items like a Heartbeat Sonar device, a pink, orb-shaped mech and a large device known as the Gamma Pup, whose capabilities are unknown. Hopefully, the sandbox nature of Skin Deep will encourage players to use all of these items in a variety of strange and humorous ways.
Visually, Skin Deep keeps within the signature style that Blendo Games has built over the years. Blocky cats are juxtaposed with more realistic human designs for the pirates and the protagonist. The game world itself is colorful and full of evident stylistic choices. The mechanics and storyline of the game presented in Wes Anderson-style "figure" slides from a retro projector presentation. The starship environments themselves look grounded but also have a classic science-fiction aesthetic, giving Skin Deep a lighthearted and unique feel.
Ultimately, for fans of previous Blendo Games, Skin Deep looks like a no-brainer. It's yet another weird, eclectic experience coming from the independent developer that gives players the freedom to experiment in a humorous and colorful world. Skin Deep doesn't have a release date just yet. Still, fans of sandbox shooters should keep an eye out for this space adventure when it eventually comes to Steam sometime in the future.