Lunark, a sci-fi platformer developed by Canari Games and published by WayForward, is set to launch this year.
Lunark takes place in a future where “Earth’s moon has been transformed into a vessel for humanity’s survival.” Yes, you read that right. Humanity has messed things up so profoundly that their only remaining option is to strap engines to the Moon and turn it into some massive lifeboat.
However, wild (and faintly depressing) as that concept is, it’s not the coolest thing about Lunark. What’s really got our attention is the way it channels 1992’s Flashback which was itself, a spiritual sequel to Another World. Aside from the fact you’re battling a tyrannical force, the pixel graphics and rotoscope-style platform hopping featured in the trailer takes us right back.
Sure, Flashback did get a sequel, Fade to Black, but making it 3D never really worked for us. And the remake lost a lot of its charm by going for a more “realistic” graphical style. We have our fingers crossed that Lunark, while it’s not an official sequel or even by the same developer, will give us the Flashback fix we’ve been craving.
Aside from roaming a forest, Lunark will also see your protagonist, Leo, exploring alien ruins, a massive metropolis and more, featuring antagonists who are more than happy to divorce your head from your shoulders. You can check out the above trailer for a taste of this peril.
Partly-funded via Kickstarter, Lunark is set to land on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Mac later in 2022.
