After its initial reveal last summer, Inti Creates has officially announced that the feline-themed side-scrolling adventure, Umbraclaw, will make its way to home consoles and PC on May 30th.
The side-scrolling action game developed by Inti Creates is set to release on various platforms, including Sony PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox ONE, and Series consoles, as well as on PC via Steam.
Inti Creates is one of my preferred game developers still in the business, given how they continually strive to make games that their niche customer base actually wants. Void of any sort of ESG-centered policies or censorship which is a rarity in this day and age.
What really allowed Inti Creates to win my heart over was how they handled the release of Gal Gun Returns, a remastered version of the original rail shooter which released back in 2011 for the XBOX 360.
Inti Creates originally intended for Gal Gun Returns to release on Microsoft’s XBOX ONE home console alongside the Nintendo Switch and PC, with no PlayStation variant being announced on launch more than likely due to the nature of Sony in terms of imposing censorship upon Japanese developers when it comes to risque themes and fanservice.
However, Microsoft also wished to impose censorship upon Gal Gun Returns which depicts dress break mechanics upon shooting female characters with pheromone arrows.
In an official announcement on the Gal Gun Twitter account, Inti Creates revealed the cancellation of Gal Gun Returns for Xbox consoles. The statement highlighted the developer’s intention to maintain the remaster’s faithfulness to their original design rather than listen to what Western bigwigs had to say on the matter.
Nevertheless, the statement acknowledged that, following constructive talks with Microsoft, ensuring a consistent experience across all platforms seemed unattainable, rather than releasing the game in a censored state Inti Creates simply took their bags and went home, the game eventually released on Nintendo Switch and PC to niche fanfare.
That’s why I’ve always held Inti Creates in a very high regard, they are amongst the minority of game developers still producing content in the world, they simply understand the sort of customer who “butters their bread” and seemingly refuses to fall for the vises of ESG.
I may have shilled them before once or twice with their lovely pixelated 2D side-scroller Yohane the Parhelion: BLAZE in the DEEPBLUE.
Umbraclaw, helmed by Satoru Nishizawa, the director behind the Blaster Master Zero series, narrates the tale of Kuon, a domestic cat reawakening in the Soulplane, a realm of the dead. Players guide Kuon in her quest to unlock the “Boundary” to the mortal realm, endeavoring to find her way back home.
The unique twist lies in the fact that a single hit to the diminutive house cat results in immediate death. Paradoxically, it also signifies a fresh opportunity. Kuon possesses the extraordinary ability called “Anima Revive,” resurrecting her with a new skill each time, aiding her advancement in the game.
These abilities encompass, among others, “Elephant,” which provides a trunk to intercept enemy projectiles mid-air; “Crow,” essentially enabling a double jump; and “Tyrannosaurus,” delivering a potent shock wave attack. In the event of Kuon’s repeated demise, she acquires a “human’s soul,” leading to significant impacts on both gameplay and narrative. Depending on the player’s decisions and actions, various endings may unfold.
Beyond its high-stakes 2D action, Umbraclaw pledges a poignant narrative and a visually captivating “dark and stunning underworld,” crafted in hand-drawn art reminiscent of paper cut-outs.
For those eager to get a preview of the game, a demo will be accessible during the Steam Next Fest in February 2024.
In a final teaser, Inti Creates hinted at a completely separate and unannounced project, as indicated by the screenshot below. Unlike most of the studio’s endeavors, typically 2D action-platformers, this upcoming title appears to be a card-based tactics game, bearing some resemblance to the Mega Man Battle Network series.
Additional details about the enigmatic game, along with an opportunity to experience a playable demo, will be unveiled at PAX East 2024 in March.
