Headcannon, the studio behind Sonic Mania and the mobile ports of Sonics 1 and 2, has just launched a Kickstarter campaign for its newest project and first original IP: Vertebreaker.

Retro is the name of the game for Headcanon’s upcoming release. With a graphical style similar to that of Sonic Mania, Vetrebreaker could fit in seamlessly alongside the Sega Genesis projects from which it seems to draw significant inspiration. It even features a soundtrack to match from composer Michael Staple, who has already posted previews of his original compositions for the game to his Soundcloud account. Going a step further in authenticity, the score even utilizes the YM2612 sound chip found in Genesis consoles.

Vertebreaker makes use of Headcannon’s own proprietary engine, called “Methyl.” While Vertebreaker will be the first game to make use of it, the engine is essentially a new iteration on the long-existing Headcannon Game Engine that has been kicking around in one form or another since 1997. While its history may not date back all the way to the Sega Genesis era, it nonetheless suggests a level of polish to match its lengthy development.

The protagonist of Vertebreaker is a skeleton equipped with a whip made from a demon’s spinal cord. Players are tasked with navigating the heroic skeleton through a dark-ish medieval world and battling undead foes. Thankfully, anyone who enjoyed the critically-acclaimed Sonic Mania will find that it appears Headcamnon has incorporated certain elements from 2D Sonic games into its new title.

The skeleton’s whip acts as both a weapon and a means of quickly traversing game environments. Levels appear similar to those in 2D Sonic games in that they feature multiple, vertically-ordered paths through them, requiring mastery of its quick and kinetic gameplay to access harder-to-reach areas.

Funding for Vertebreaker’s Kickstarter campaign will end on November 30th. So far, the game has raised about 4% of its $275,000 goal. Given Headcannon’s pedigree, that will likely change soon. If/when the game is released, it will include multiple endings and alternate game modes across a campaign featuring six large stages.

Vertebreaker will be available for PC, Mac, and Linux when it does release. A demo is currently available through the Kickstarter page.

Source: Kickstarter