The sequel to the indie game "Nidhogg" will be coming out towards the end of the summer. It will veer away from the original title's pixelated design and will enter a new visual form.
It was initially reported that "Nidhogg 2" would be available for PlayStation 4 only but Gamespot has confirmed that it will be coming to the PC as well this August.
The game will be different from its predecessor which had a "chunky, featureless" design. Mark Essen, the creative director and co-founder of game developer Messhof, explained in a PlayStation blog, "We were pushing the limits of old-school aesthetics, after all. What many people didn't realize was that 'Nidhogg's' style actually grew out of practicality more than some daring vision."
Essen reasoned that the first game was about fast reactions and precision. He wanted to be able to draw freely and make sure that movements were fluid. If adjustments needed to be made, he didn't want to have to worry about the design elements between frames.
This approach gave rise to the clunky design of the original which fans embraced. Eurogamer declared it a favorite and called it "a local multiplayer swashbuckler, which has earned a legendary reputation at indie game parties."
Now, Essen has taken a new approach to "Nidhogg 2" where he will be animating separate body parts instead of drawing the entire character sprites. He expressed, "This makes it infinitely easier to combine things like fencing footwork, various upper-body stances, and weapon types. Plus, it means you can swap out the sprites without breaking the animation."
With this method, he will be able animate faces, outfits, hairstyles and other things altogether and go beyond that to create different environments.
"We think you'll enjoy this lively new world with all its visual absurdity and fun character possibilities," he concluded.
"Nidhogg 2" will launch on Aug. 15. Pre-orders will start on July 18.
