Metroidvania SHADE Protocol showcases new trailer and Kickstarter campaign

If you read this site enough you'll see that we love indie games - probably because they produce a lot of games in the style of classic 16 and 32-bit pixel-art style that tug those nostalgic strings. Whether it's Deedlit's Labrynth or Hyke, if it's old-skool, we're interested.

So as you might imagine our ears pricked up when we heard about upcoming Metroidvania SHADE Protocol. Firstly, the promo art is utterly gorgeous so that's an instant win as far as we're concerned. The trailer also looks very interesting, with the ability to slice the screen and open pathways being a unique gameplay mechanic that looks very intriguing. See for yourself:

Trailer:

From the Press Release:

In the last months, the studio has been hard at work on several improvements, one of them has been applied to one of the game's most exciting features; cutting the world in half. They want players not only to cut the world, but also to cut enemies, environments, projectiles, and more.

"Since revealing SHADE Protocol a few months ago, the game has become one of the most wishlisted games in the world, showing us that we have something special in our hands and that we need to aim higher to deliver on the power fantasy that players expect. While we aim to make SHADE Protocol a reality no matter what, your support would go a long way to keeping our creative autonomy and craft the best game we can." - Kendall Quinones, Game Director.

Discover a world where music, code, and combat collide. Swap between DAWN and SHADE forms to unleash devastating abilities, wield Instruments as weapons, and rewrite reality itself in a world on the brink of annihilation by the SHADE Protocol. The game introduces an interesting mechanic: the Protocols, thanks to them you will be able to encode your own playstyle, combining protocols and specialized code fragments, to alter your attacks, defenses, and abilities, but also recode enemies at your will, changing how they behave to allow you overcome the most dangerous threats.

Seamlessly switch between DAWN and SHADE modes, altering combat styles and gameplay dynamics. Wield Instruments, powerful code-based weaponry inspired by music, each serving a unique role in battle and exploration. Engage in high-speed, skill-based combat, parrying and countering enemies in a world that demands mastery. Explore vast, interconnected Bastions, where every discovery alters the fate of the war between SHADEs and Xaviors, and the all-consuming SHADE Protocol.

Key Features:

• Dynamic Combat System – Mix precision melee combat with specialized Instruments, executing devastating combos, parries, and counters. Swap between DAWN and SHADE modes to adapt to different playstyles in real-time.
  
  
• UNISON System – Rewrite Reality – The world of SHADE Protocol exists as code. Wield it to manipulate events, relive key moments, and choose their ultimate outcome, shaping the fate of entire factions.
  
  
• Unique Defensive Mechanics – Perfectly timed parries and counters restore Echo, a vital energy source for powerful Instrument attacks and defensive maneuvers.
  
  
• Instruments – Weapons That Sing – Wield an arsenal of musical weapons, including the Twilight Spear, Sunrise Great Axe, and Midnight Chakram, each with distinct combat and exploration abilities.

You can be notified of the campaign launch by signing up on the official SHADE Protocol Kickstarter page.