This has to be one of the craziest looking games I’ve seen in awhile. When they say inspired by 1970’s album covers and sci-fi visuals, they definitely mean it. Check out all the information below.
Null Games, the developer-friendly indie publisher of modern retro games that put the player first, today unveiled ChainStaff, a brutal action-platformer, with a dazzling art style and hand-crafted levels inspired by psychedelic 1970’s album and sci-fi covers. ChainStaff will be coming to Steam in 2025 – additional platforms to be announced later.
Developed by Mommy’s Best Games, ChainStaff comes from the incomparable mind of industry veteran Nathan Fouts (POSTAL 2, Ratchet and Clank ToD, Resistance Fall of Man) and features a distorted world to save, as players swing, shoot, and spear their way through hordes of vile, mutating monstrosities. ChainStaff will also feature epic boss battles that blend massive scale with precision projectile-dodging, frenetic shooting action.
An alien invasion has taken over part of Earth, by organisms called Star Spores, causing the animals and plants around them to mutate. The player is a soldier who must utilize a mysterious alien device called the ChainStaff, as Earth’s last hope in fighting back. The ChainStaff can stab, swing, block, and more with just a single button, and players will need to master it to survive. But survival comes at a moral cost, where players must decide between rescuing soldiers to develop new weapons or alternatively, eating their hearts/brains to help increase the power of their weapons. Will you help or consume your fellow soldiers?
“Contra and Bionic Commando have been some of my favorite series since my childhood. I love the run ‘n’ gun formula and wanted to add something new to it with ChainStaff, by having a transforming grappling hook. And come on–grappling hooks are the bacon of video games, they improve everything” said Nathan Fouts, Founder of Mommy’s Best Games.
“For me Mega Man X has a great world structure. It’s level-based, but the game is tough, and there’s reasons to come back and explore,” said Fouts. “Using the ChainStaff, the bigger levels are tough at first, but once you learn them you can swing around quickly and look for new powers you missed to give you an edge.”
ChainStaff features unique visuals inspired by 1970s progressive rock album covers, with its surreal and fantastical hand-painted art detailing the 10 jaw-dropping levels, each complete with a terrifyingly twisted boss. This inspiration continues into its original score, with the soundtrack evoking a mix of heavy metal, classic rock, and progressive rock, paying homage to great bands such as Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Rush, and Led Zeppelin. The soundtrack comes from Deon van Heerden, award-winning musician known for games such as Broforce and Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef.
