Japanese developer Skeleton Crew has returned after dropping one of 2021’s most unique and underrated indie bangers, Olija, and is once again teaming up with Devolver Digital for its next title – Forestrike.
Billed as a “tactical kung fu” game, Forestrike casts players as a martial artist named Yu who possesses a special meditative technique that allows him to overcome any combat situation by playing it out in his head over and over until he comes up with the perfect sequence of movements. Yu will use this ability to set out on a journey to save his country’s Emperor from an evil force, learning the techniques of a series of five Masters along the way and using the Foresight to survive long enough to get stronger.
It’s quite the novel concept, and will no doubt speak to anyone like myself who thrives on playing every interaction with another human being out in their head 100 times before it actually happens – although hopefully Yu fares a bit better when it comes time to do the thing for real.
I was actually able to sample a demo of Forestrike ahead of the game’s announcement, the concept is potentially even more exciting in reality than it sounds on paper. Being able to practice each tense fight as many times as you need to figure out the perfect sequence is almost like choreographing a kung fu fight scene – and then having just one take to finally get it right on film. It has all the hallmarks of a good martial arts movie, too, like being able to pick up tables as shields, huck brooms across the room at enemies or dodge a charging foe and watch them barrel into another. With multiple fighting styles to unlock it seems like there’ll be a lot of room for player expression, and you get a sick replay at the end of fights to add even more payoff.
The game also carries a similarly striking, lo-fi pixel art style to Olija, which you can see in action in the Reveal Trailer below. Forestrike is slated to launch in 2025 for the Nintendo Switch and PC.
