Longterm Games and Enjoy Studio have announced that their 2.5D platformer Space Tail: Every Journey Leads Home will release on Nintendo Switch.
Promising to deliver “a story about self-discovery and our understanding of the world around us,” the experience follows Bea, a dog who has been sent on an epic adventure into space.
Set to appeal to those that enjoyed games such as Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition, Inside and Limbo, you will meet friendly – and perhaps not so friendly – creatures from outer space.
The developer has taken inspiration from real-world events, from when many animals helped to pave the way for humans to find a way to explore the stars. However, in this game, Bea is the only animal to have survived such a journey.
The gameplay is based around three mechanics, which the developer has explained as below:
- Senses: Bea is not a superdog. She doesn’t have any superhuman – or to be precise: superdog – powers. Like any other dog, she can only rely on her senses: smell, sight, and hearing. These are the basics of “detective mode”, which will help her reach destinations and protect her from danger. In unknown environments, she can only rely on her instinct.
- Companions: While travelling across different worlds, Bea will befriend two entities: Comet Rose and the robot 8088Y. They will accompany her through most of the game, helping her solve puzzles and protect her – they will also influence the game’s ending. Each companion has unique abilities, which the player will have to use at the right moments throughout the game.
- Relationships: During her journey, Bea will meet many extra-terrestrials. Some of them will be friendly, others will treat Bea as a threat. Players can interact with the creatures and communicate through the dialogue system. This is based on the behaviour of dogs – to create a bond, find a common language and help each other. However, you need to take care because every action will have consequences.
“Space Tail should be fun, in the first place, but also make players think, because it’s not a simple story about a dog in space. It’s our homage to every animal who leads our way to the stars and our journey to times, where every one of us played retro platformers,” explains Longterm Games executive producer Robert Ogłodziński.
Space Tail: Every Journey Leads Home will release digitally on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch worldwide in Autumn 2022.
