When all’s said and done, it’s tough to beat feeling cool in a videogame. At Gamescom 2024, I sat down for a hands-off demonstration of Spine, the upcoming gun-fu adventure from animation experts Nekki, and while it’s tough to estimate exactly how it feels without having the controller in my hands, what I saw definitely sparked my interest.
Indeed, the initial showings of the flowing action and gorgeous cyberpunk world of Spine caught some rather notable attention. The reveal so perfectly encapsulated the thrill created by the best action games that game director Dmitry Pimenov says the team was contacted by John Wick composer and DJ Dylan ‘Le Castle Vania’ Eiland, who was eager to make the music for its newest trailer. Blending the fast-paced street parkour of Mirror’s Edge, the intricate combat of Sifu, and the sprawling high-rise environments of Cyberpunk 2077, it’s certainly a treat to look at.
In Spine, you are in the shoes of Redline, a street artist battling against a dominant AI regime called Tensor. Assisting her is the titular Spine – a sentient AI that provides an AR interface capable of delivering on-the-fly information that makes her a deadly threat in combat. It also has a lot to say, something Redline wasn’t expecting. That constant chatter quickly begins to drive her up the wall metaphorically, even as she’s doing the same thing in a literal sense.
The full story of Spine will encompass about 20 missions and last for approximately 15 hours, but what I get to see is its third level, along with a brief glimpse at a later boss fight. Pimenov emphasizes that variety is extremely important for the team – no two encounters should feel quite the same. In one section, the camera even shifts briefly to a fixed side-on view, delivering a sequence reminiscent of the famous Oldboy corridor fight scene.
Redline fights in a way you really have to see for yourself to get the full sense of, utilizing acrobatics, parkour, and close-up martial arts in combination. She can wrench guns from her enemies’ hands and wield them herself to great effect – although most come with a fairly limited ammo supply. She also brings her spray cans into action to blind or disorient enemies, leaving streaks of paint across the environments as she twirls gracefully about the battlefield.
Combat in Spine is designed to be fun first, Pimenov tells me – he compares it to performing on a piano. It’s less about the individual moves and more about the overall tactical decisions you make in a fight. Typically, if you stay on the move, you’ll be relatively safe, and you’ll even hear your foes exclaiming in awe at your almost supernatural ability to avoid everything they’re throwing at you.
Another area that Nekki has worked hard on is its camera, which is smart enough to direct itself towards incoming threats while also showing the best possible view of the action. Pimenov notes that he doesn’t want to take control out of the players hands so you’ll be able to make adjustments yourself if you want to, but he hopes that most people will leave the camera entirely to its own devices.
In a twist on proceedings, that later boss fight takes place in an underground experimental laboratory, where Redline is faced with a ninja who is also in possession of a Spine. This means their attacks are far more precise and deadly, and you’ll have to make smart use of cover and distance, picking your moment to attack. Early on, the ninja keeps their distance where possible, but as the fight progresses they’ll get increasingly up close and personal, your troubles only further exacerbated by an encroaching swarm of robot spiders that explode if they get too close.
There’s a progression tree to snag additional skills and even ultimate abilities as you get deeper in, and you’ll also unlock a range of alternate looks for Redline to fit the fashion of the world. Spine also boasts one of the most delightful twists on a hardcore mode yet. With the focus on having fun, the team didn’t want to enforce a full-game restart if you die – so instead, Redline will begin the game wearing a pair of sunglasses. Get hit even once, and they’re lost forever.
As I mentioned, it’s tough to get an exact read on Spine until I can play it for myself. In the hands of community lead Artur Ovchinnikov, it looks fantastic – but he’s obviously very well-practiced with it. If it manages to strike the balance between approachability and depth, Nekki could have a real winner on its hands. It’ll still be quite some time before the Spine release date actually arrives, however, but for now you can wishlist it on Steam.
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