Hype Check: January 2021
The opening for these Hype Check pieces are meant to serve as a reflection on what is happening in the month we’re looking forward to, and given the circumstances, it’s hard to do so with a smile on my face. Let’s be real for a moment. While we didn’t expect 2020’s problems to be washed away at the stroke of midnight on January 1st, this year hasn’t kicked off in the most positive fashion. We witnessed a historical attack of domestic terrorism led by a systemically racist individual, one who we hope by the time you are reading this is impeached. Hatred still continues to not only flood our industry, but the world as a whole. We are here to discuss about our passion of indie games, but gaming doesn’t exist without talking about current events and politics. We refuse to “shut up and talk about games.” We will get to the games, but we will not do so without taking a stand against all permutations of hate.
We at Six One Indie denounce homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, racism, sexism, and hatred of all shapes and sizes. We denounce white supremacy. Black Lives Matter, now and forever, and nazi lives absolutely do not. We support the LGBTQ+ community and are proud to call ourselves allies. Trans Right are human rights, full stop. Women are not only the future of gaming, but the future of our existence in this universe. If you do not agree with any of these statements: leave, unfollow, and unsubscribe. You have no place in our community.
Now that we scared the cowards away, let’s talk about indie games.
2021 is shaping up to be a massive year for the indie gaming scene. January not only holds the release of two highly anticipated titles for Six One Indie, but the return of an adored classic. It’s a month that oddly marks a potential renaissance for side scrolling beat ‘em ups, and one that delivers a killer app for the Xbox Series X. Let’s dig into what we are looking forward to playing this month to kick off a hopefully more positive year for us all.
Iris.Fall (NEXT Studio)
PS4, XBO
January 8th
Solve clever puzzles and uncover an intriguing story full of mystery and wonder. With “light and shadow” as a core concept, Iris.Fall takes players on a monochrome adventure unlike any other. After awakening from a dream, Iris follows a black cat into a dilapidated theater, traveling back and forth through a strange labyrinth of light and shadow. As the story unfolds, Iris begins to realise that everything in this theater seems to have some kind of hidden connection to herself.
Hype Check
There is no denying Iris.Fall’s staggering first impression; a design mirroring a glance inside Tim Burton’s mind as he dreams of a potential MC Escher-inspired animated film. The art direction and vibe alone is enough for us to get excited to delved into this simplistic 3-4 hour puzzle adventure to kick off the year.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World: Complete Edition (Ubisoft)
PS4, XBO, Switch, PC
January 14th
Rediscover the beloved 2D arcade-style beat 'em up inspired by the iconic comic book series and movie, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
Hype Check
We know. This falls in that weird grey area of “indie-like” that’s not truly indie, but we have to mention Scott’s return. This remarkably delightful side-scrolling beat ‘em up is finally back for fans both returning and new to rediscover (and potentially break controllers over). The video game adaptation masterfully captures the spirit of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s world and Edgar Wright’s vision on all fronts thanks to striking visuals and a killer score thanks to chip tune pop rock band, Anamanaguchi. We cannot wait to dig back in.
Rhythm Fighter (Echo Games, Coconut Island Games)
Switch, PC, Mac
January 14
In Rhythm Fighter, players must follow the beat to take down enemies. After Commander Chaos uses dark Beat Energy to turn Earth’s vegetables into evil minions, it’s up to the planet’s heroes to save the world by following the beat! Choose from a variety of characters, each with their own weapons, skills and style, and move, roll and attack in time to the music. With hundreds of cards to choose from, including items from a collaboration with the indie rhythm game MUSYNX, the fun never ends! Just remember though: you’ve only got one life!
Hype Check
Brace Yourself Games introduced a brilliant new wave of rhythm-based combat games with Crypt of The Necrodancer and Cadence of Hyrule. While those games blend dungeon crawling with music, Rhythm Fighter is introducing their own spin on side scrolling beat ‘em up. Echo Games and Coconut Island Games seems to be checking all of the boxes; great music, tight combat mechanics, and an adorable cast of Aggretsuko-like characters.
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights (Binary Haze Interactive)
PS4, XBO, Switch, PC
January 21
Lily, the last surviving priestess in a land devastated by an endless and oppressive rain turning people undead, awakens in a church with no memory of recent events. As she explores beyond the relative safety of the sanctuary, Lily will summon the spirits of purified undead to protect her on a journey to find the source of the rain twisting her home into a haunted shadow of itself.
Hype Check
Dark Souls sparked an entire new genre of action games, and now Hollow Knight appears to be taking that mantle for an entirely new generation of developers if Ender Lilies is any indication. Binary Haze Interactive’s darkly set 2D souls-like action platformer appears to be a love letter to Hollow Knight with is own voice. If you’re still holding your breath for Silksong, this may be the perfect way to scratch that itch as you wait for the highly anticipated sequel.
Bladed Fury (NEXT Studio)
PS4, XBO, Switch (2021), PC (2018)
January 22
Bladed Fury is a classic 2D action game, based on Chinese mythology with an accompanying traditional art style and sound design, but with a dash of surrealism added to the mix. Featuring a fluid combat experience, a high-octane combo system, and a plethora of ancient enemies and deities to destroy, Bladed Fury is a truly addictive action game.
Hype Check
January is a big month for NEXT Studio! To accompany the release of Iris.Fall this month, the team is also porting over their positively received 2018 action platformer to console as well. Vibrant visuals paired with a 2D spin on the high action gameplay akin to Bayonetta or Devil May Cry may open the door, but the surrealistic take on Chinese mythology is what intrigues us the most. This will be a must play this month.
Cyber Shadow (Mechanical Head Studios, Yacht Club Games)
PS4, XBO, Switch, PC
January 26
The world has been taken over by synthetic lifeforms. A desperate plea for help sets Shadow on a journey to uncover what started the path to perpetual ruin. Slash through the techno hordes, leap past traps, and nimbly navigate the ruins of Mekacity. Only you can unlock the secrets to your clan’s ancient powers in Cyber Shadow, the quintessential Ninja Action game.
Hype Check
Upon Cyber Shadow’s initial reveal, I admittedly thought it was quite old for a studio to tackle a pixel-art ninja game so soon after The Messenger’s release and echo chamber of adoration. Judging by the footage, you may pass this off as a simple Messenger clone. Ironically, it’s something inherently Yacht Club. Though Yacht Club is only publishing Cyber Shadow, Mechanical Head Studios captures Shovel Knight’s spirit of pay homage to classic games. Cyber Shadow feels like a love letter to Mega Man. Challenging action platforming stages climax into a Mega Man inspired boss showdown resulting in being rewarded with a weapon sharing attributes from that boss. Cyber Shadow was always appealing, but after our time with the game at PAX East, it has become one our most anticipated titles this year.
Olija (Skeleton Crew, Devolver Digital)
PS4, XBO, Switch, PC
January 28
Olija is a game about Faraday's quest, a man shipwrecked then trapped in the mysterious country of Terraphage. Armed with a legendary harpoon, he and other castaways try to leave this hostile country to return to their homelands.
Hype Check
Devolver kicks off 2021 with another one of Six One Indie’s most anticipated titles of the year. Olija is another beautiful pixel art action platformer, but one with a unique mechanic that helps it stand on its own; the harpoon. Wielding the harpoon is engaging and addictive. Olija allows you to toss and recall the weapon similar to God of War’s Leviathan Axe with just as much satisfaction, as well as utilize it like Spider-Man’s webs to propel yourself to an enemy to attack in the blink of an eye. After our hands on time late last year, we’re already confident Olija will land in our game of the year conversations.
The Medium (Bloober Team)
XSX, PC
January 28
Become a medium living in two different worlds: the real one and the spirit one. Haunted by the vision of a child’s murder, you travel to an abandoned hotel resort, which many years ago became the stage of an unthinkable tragedy. There you begin your search for difficult answers. As a medium with access to both worlds, you have a wider perspective and can see more clearly that there’s no one simple truth to what others perceive. Nothing is what it seems, everything has another side.
Hype Check
The Medium is the first killer app for the Xbox Series X. Bloober Team has cemented their place as the premier horror studio with their previous titles. The Medium holds the promise to be the next stage of the studio’s potential and forward-thinking vision of horror. Backed by a haunting score from the legendary composer Akira Yamaoka and featuring a gloom-ridden world, The Medium feels like an authentic successor to Silent Hill. But the star of the show is its “dual world” system. This impressive feature runs both the “light” and “dark” worlds simultaneously with the help of the Series’ SSD. If executed as promised, this system is one that may propel the horror genre exponentially in this new generation of gaming.
Heaven’s Vault (Inkle)
Switch (2021), PS4, PC, Mac (2019)
January 28
Explore the lost ruins of the Nebula, read ancient inscriptions, and uncover a forgotten past in this narrative archaeological science-fiction adventure game from the creators of 80 Days.
Hype Check
Heaven’s Vault execution of the puzzle adventure genre is unlike anything we have seen before. Semi-translucent hand drawn characters brought to life with staggering frame-by-frame animations compliment the contrasting visuals of Nebula in a pairing that should clash in theory, but it is stunning. Blending archeology and sci-fi feels foreign in games and, if executed properly, can be quite impactful for the space. As we missed its initial release in 2019, we are grateful Heaven’s Vault is getting a second life on Switch this year for a new audience.
The Pedestrian (Skooklum Arts)
PS4, PC, Mac
January 29
The Pedestrian is a 2.5D puzzle platformer that takes “puzzle platforming” literally. You play as The Pedestrian (aka the male bathroom symbol) who works in a restroom sign standing beside his Beloved (the female symbol). When she disappears, you must escape your day job and embark on a perilous journey where you progress by piecing the “sign world” back together in search of the one you love.
Hype Check
The Pedestrian holds one of the those concepts that you cannot believe has not be tackled before in gaming. While the game itself looks utterly delightful, what please us the most is PlayStation’s support on the title. The Pedestrian was a part of the PS5 reveal, arguable on of the biggest gaming events of 2020. As the PS4 Pro launched, it seems like PlayStation abandoned indies. Everything was still coming to the platform, of course, but you wouldn’t see any showcased on stage. Appointing Shuhei Yoshida as head of PlayStation Indie was a sign of promise. The PS5 reveal fulfilled that promise by showcasing primarily independent titles including The Pedestrian, the debut game for Skooklum Arts, alongside Horizon, Miles Morales, and God of War. We’re excited to play this charming puzzle platformer this month, and even more so to see PlayStation continuing to support indies in this manner throughout the generation and beyond.
Colossus Down (Mango Protocol)
PS4, XBO, Switch, PC
January 2021
Colossus Down is a beat 'em up with a mixture of brute force delivery with lots of fantastic environments that lead the player to plenty of hilarious situations through a narrative driven adventure. Strategic destruction, puzzle solving, decision making and a spicy plot come together in this one of a kind action game.
Hype Check
Yes, we have one more beat ‘em up to highlight this month. Colossus Down caught our attention with its pure teenage attitude. The game sets you on a very tongue in cheek adventure to destroy everything Nika (the protagonist) hates in a colorful Adventure Time-meets-Cyanide And Happiness inspired aesthetic. Thanks to an angsty vibe and tributes towards gaming industry giants “AntiVision” and “Electronic Farts,” we are eagerly anticipating Nika’s adventure later this month.
How do you plan on kicking off 2021? Did we miss anything notable that you’ve had your eyes on? Be sure to let us know on Twitter, and share your impressions with us once you play!
Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Punch a nazi. We love you.
Written by Mike Towndrow