Flying Wild Hog, the developer behind the Shadow Warrior franchise and Hard Reset, is ready to unveil one of its currently in-development projects. That project is named Space Punks and it's a clear fusion between Borderlands and ARPGs like Diablo, built on a twin-stick shooter foundation. Flying Wild Hog is partnering with RuneScape developer Jagex to get Space Punks published, with plans to release the game on PC on July 14 in Early Access with a console release in 2022.
Jagex describes Space Punks as a co-op action RPG with over-the-top action and an irreverent sci-fi setting. Anyone who has ever played Borderlands will see Space Punks' more direct influences, though. Not only does Space Punks ape Borderlands' unique spin on cel-shaded graphics, but it takes the looter shooter's style and humor, too. Protagonist Duke is even listed as "The Handsome One," which seems like quite the coincidence given their recognizable connection to Borderlands' Handsome Jack.
And while Space Punks' gameplay is a world apart from Borderlands' first-person shooting, Flying Wild Hog has clearly gone a long way to convert the Borderlands experience into an isometric action game. Players use a variety of weapons to take on waves of robots, aliens, and bosses, mixing in a selection of character-specific abilities. Defeated enemies also appear to be loot pinatas, though the loot looks more like multi-colored currencies rather than individual items. In fact, the lack of any mention of loot is perhaps the most notable difference from Borderlands.
Much remains to be revealed about Space Punks' gameplay, naturally. There's no clear hint at what kind of RPG system Space Punks uses for progression and skills, for example. Calling the game an action RPG like Diablo hints that there's more to it, however, as otherwise, it appears to be a straightforward twin-stick shooter. Players are clearly shown running and gunning omnidirectional, entirely independent of each other, so it may not be quite the Diablo-like implied.
Those interested in playing Space Punks will get their chance in 2021. Not only is Space Punks launching in early access on PC starting July 14, but an open beta is tentatively planned for winter 2021. It'll be a great opportunity to try the game out with friends as it gets closer to its final launch.
Flying Wild Hog is made up of multiple studios and is working on several different games. Shadow Warrior 3 and Evil West are both currently on track to release in 2021 while the recently announced Trek to Yomi is targeted for 2022. Space Punks will be Flying Wild Hog's fourth announced game in development.
Space Punks releases July 14 on PC in early access, with a console release planned for 2022.