Breakpoint, a “twin-stick slasher where your weapons explode” from Studio Aesthesia, is coming to Nintendo Switch and Steam on September 24.
Breakpoint puts a twist on the classic twin-stick shooter formula by focusing entirely on melee attacks, with no ranged weapons whatsoever. Instead, you use a variety of different physical attacks and upgradeable weapons to fight off the swarms of enemies that attack you. Weapons can also break, but they go out with a bang—an explosion that, when well-timed, can be a big tactical advantage. Stringing together big combos and chasing high scores are a big part of the appeal, and you’ll be able to watch replays of the highest-scoring runs on the global leaderboards.
Breakpoint channels Asteroids in its wireframe-based art style, but with a lot more bright colours, flashing lights, and particle effects than Asteroids could ever dream of. It’s also got Corsair iCUE RGB integration, allowing Corsair RGB products to sync with the game for custom animations and illumination effects.
“With Breakpoint, we wanted to make a game that feels intensely satisfying to play,” said Ed Lu from Studio Aesthesia. “We love games with great moment-to-moment gameplay; we’re unabashedly influenced by titles with great game-feel like Nuclear Throne from Vlambeer, and we’re highly influenced by games like Geometry Wars or Devil Daggers, where the player can turn a tense predicament into a huge comeback with knowledge and skill. We really enjoy those moments, and we think players will too.”
Here are Breakpoint‘s key features, as outlined by its creators:
– A �?twin stick slasher,’ classic retro gameplay with intense melee combat
– Break your weapons to clear the battlefield with massive explosions
– Global leaderboards, chase the highest score, and compete with your friends
– Watch replays directly from the leaderboard to get the edge over other players
– Corsair iCUE integration to synchronize RGB light effects
Studio Aesthesia is Seattle-based indie studio founded by Ed Lu and Nick Amlag, focused on “developing games with punchy, kinetic gameplay intertwined with unique mechanics.” Breakpoint is being published by The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild, an indie publisher behind the likes of Tumblestone, The Bridge, Gurgamoth, and more recently, Deleveled.
Breakpoint launches September 24 on Nintendo Switch and PC.