Dinoblade

I first discovered this game from seeing short clips by an animator depicting various dinosaurs wielding medieval weaponry and even stuff from popular media. It just seemed like a fun concept at first; what really got me interested in Jean Nguyen’s work was the Zoro Raptor. I soon found out, however, that there was an entire game based around the concept eventually coming to Steam. For months I waited; and some months back a demo released during the last Steam Fest along with some other games I’m now following. The game follows a Spinosaurus taking a large, Berserk-esque blade as its weapon of choice; and everything no matter how large or insignificant is looking to trade steel.

The demo content is simple and mostly linear, but from the actual meat of it it’s easy to tell what the game is pitching. For what seems to be a single starting area of the game there’s a surprising amount of enemy variety, and not just in designs. Enemy behavior can be different if you pay attention: some dogpile you to starve your stamina if you can’t stop the onslaught by parrying, others can defend against your ranged attack, and there were some pachys that could even parry spino.

The demo covered three bosses, and I don’t think a written explanation of them would do them enough justice. They’re on the easy side compared to what I’m used to with the genre, but it can be refreshing playing a game like this that demands less of you in favor of looking cool. Each of them grants ample opportunity to apply the lessons of the game’s tutorial, and the final boss of the demo gives you something to look forward to for the game’s full release.

I’ve been highly anticipating this game for a long while since it entered my wishlist, and the demo didn’t disappoint. What the developers sacrificed in genre-defining difficulty was made up for in cathartic fun that I’ve only ever felt with the likes of Black Myth. It truly did feel like I was a hulking reptile looking for its next meal. It’s clear to me that Jean is having fun turning his short animations from years ago into a full-fledged title and I look forward to seeing where it goes.

© Team Spino LLC