Today we have yet another Kickstarter for a new take on an old game, coming to Steam, Wii U, and if you’re lucky, Xbox One and Playstation 4. Introducing action / strategy gameHive Jump, by Graphite Lab.
In Hive Jump, you are a member (or members, there is coop) of the J.U.M.P. Corps, mankind’s latest only hope of survival against the alien menace. You take out that menace hive by hive, taking on hordes of aliens, collecting items, avoiding traps, until you can take out the alien queen.
So, the action part is somewhat obvious. It is classic run-and-gun 2D platforming, and the now stereotypical pixelated look is enhanced by dynamic lighting, thanks to the new tech Sprite Lamp. Hives are procedurally generated and the AI is fierce.
While each hive is procedurally generated when you enter it, the hives themselves are positioned in a way that you can strategically take each level out. It’s a unique design riff on what could have otherwise been just another Metroidvania.
To add to that strategy, you can lose in a hive and survive, so long as your transponder backpack, your mobile respawn point, stays intact. There are also upgrades for your weapons, so you can assume Mega Manlike dilemmas in choosing where to go next.
The studio’s base goal is $ 50,000, with Xbox One and PS4 set as distant stretch goals, possible smart choices to coerce more fans to fund. Its chances seem pretty good; it's already been greelit by the community on Steam, and raised almost $ 8000. You can fund the game here and check out the pitch trailer below.
