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Look, I'm a simple man. When somebody utters the names 'Mad World' and 'Fist of the North Star' in close proximity to one another, I immediately stop what I'm doing and take notice.
That's what indie developer Dennis Opel just did, and, true to form, my attention was instantly captured.
Opel has shown off some very early test footage of a game called Aint Dead Yet, which he describes as "a Mad World, Fist of the North Star and Grasshopper-inspired beat em up." CHING!
The footage might be a bit rough around the edges (and it has a GenAI character portrait, which Opel insists is merely a placeholder and will be supplanted by human-made artwork in the final game), but it shows promise; the combat is wince-inducing at points, with punches and kicks possessing genuine weight and impact.
Opel is also working on Enter The Labyrinth, a project which appears to have stalled since it was first announced, but is one he wants to give "the funding, attention, and execution it deserves."
Perhaps the surge of interest in his latest venture will allow Opel to finish Enter The Labyrinth, which was shaping up to be just as compelling.