And now for something almost completely different. Fledgling social games maker HourBlast Games looks to craft something different from the lot of popular social games on Facebook and target a different type of social gamer this coming March (We know we've heard that somewhere before.) Billed as a fantasy role-playing game with strategy elements, Dueling Blades looks more like one simply adorable, medieval take on Street Fighter with social play. "Dueling Blades is not your usual social game," HourBlast COO Joseph Cooper explained to Inside Social Games. "It is a 'core' game with a strong multiplayer experience, and we believe our game will grow organically with the viral marketing channels already present on Facebook." (In other words, HourBlast belongs in the same camp as start-ups like Seismic Games, Rumble Games, U4iA, Row Sham Bow ... we could go on.)
That said, Dueling Blades--built using the Unity Player, which has become less of a barrier these days--does charm at first sight. The fantasy fighting game employs some impressive, shiny visuals and anime cartoon-like characters. According to ISG, the fighter employs "simultaneous turn-based strategy," allowing players to duke it out in real time, but avoiding the potential networking disasters of complete real time.
Based on these early images, we're getting more an impression of games like Shadow Fight, but again, with engrossing visuals and cutesy characters wielding blades (and sticks). HourBlast will soon start a Kickstarter fund for the game, according to ISG, but also wants to attract larger publishers to help Dueling Blades reach critical mass. The game launches in March, and you can read more of Cooper's musings on the game here.
[Image Credit: HourBlast Games]
Are you impressed by the premise of the game and how it looks so far? What do you think of this growing trend of social game makers looking to shake things up? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.