First look: Overgrowth

If you were thinking that the madder half of crime fighting duo Sam and Max was the only hyperkinetic-bunny-thing to grace gaming, then you would be wrong. Just plain wrong.

Overgrowth is the latest project from Wolfire Games. It's been in development for around three years now and I seem to drift across further coverage of it every couple of months. Each time I see it, I can't help but feel the need to kick some rabbits to death. Ha! I was playing on that whole 'games affecting perceptions of reality' thing that is so incredibly current affairs...

Anyway, look here - fighting lagomorphs!


Wolfire claim it to be the spiritual sequel to Lugaru, released in 2005, which was in the same vain but happened to be rather difficult to control from what I can remember. Regardless, with Overgrowth, the developer is promising 'better graphics, better physics, more characters, more moves, great mod support, and co-operative multiplay' in comparison to their previous offering.

I'll vouch for the graphics at least. The above video and every other piece of footage showing ongoing additions to the alpha build just look staggeringly good. The impact of fat feet upon fur seems to have been nicely realised and the dynamic reanimation every time an animal receives a solid kick in the head is strangely satisfying to watch.

I'm going to try to get my hand on the alpha build as soon as I'm able.

Worth noting: As with many other indie developments at the moment, those who pre-purchase receive updated playable previews until the game receives full release. If you don't want to foot the $29.95 to do so then the least you can do is check out - and salivate over - Wolfire's YouTube channel which details the individual updates of each weekly release.

Overgrowth has no solid release date yet.

First Look: Voxatron

Do you remember when voxels were declared to be the next step in the rendering of expansive 3D environments? You do? And then do you remember, very shortly after, when they weren't? Me too. They looked terrible, didn't they? They made every game seem slightly out of focus, as if smudged by any number of artless, godless hands.

Video gaming nostalgia often denies games you once held dear from looking any good when viewed from a modern perspective (with the obvious exception of Deus Ex, which looked just as awful back in 2000 as it does now).

But look at this! Voxels weren't all that bad!


Voxatron by Lexaloffle Games brings voxel tech back into the limelight, sticking it through the retro filtration machine that all good indie games must go through on their way to becoming lovable cult hits.

Featuring both action and adventure combined with fully destructible environments it really does look very pretty in motion, if slightly dizzying with all those lights and colours.


As you see there, the alpha is to be released shortly and looks to be a nice little psychadelic romp. Plus, those tunes are BANGING. Is that right, how I said that? Well, never mind.