The current trending topic when it comes to dinosaur conversations is: “Yeah, but did you know that they weren't all lizard-like, but covered in feathers?” You might also want to add that chickens are basically dinosaurs because they have “Triassic Flanges” on their feet, a (made-up) term that makes you sound authoritative. But if you really want to showcase your knowledge, you might want to point out that dinosaurs may have fought with large swords clamped between their teeth. The dinoblade proves it! And no, they haven't discovered swords alongside dinosaur fossils yet because paleontologists have been unlucky so far. “Soon,” you tell them.
Jean Nguyen, a senior game animator at Sucker Punch, started working on the Dinoblade side project in 2023. And I'm grateful, because it looks like a lot of fun. Obviously, a lot of it is still a work in progress, but the premise is that you're a dinosaur, you have a sword, and you have to fight another dinosaur that also has a sword. But the fights aren't like two giraffes slashing each other in the neck and head. Oh my. There's parries, power shots, and blades that blast spectral missiles.
Most of the footage is featured on Nguyen's Xwitter, showcasing the little tangos between the dinos Nguyen worked on with himself, fellow animator Randy Nguyen, and composer Samuele Vona. Check them out:
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It reminds me a bit of Mushiking: The King Of Beetles, which was a Japanese arcade game that I remember seeing a lot in Japanese arcades or stores when I was a kid – if I remember correctly, it even had trading cards? It's not like Mushiking is Soulsy like Dinoblade, it's more of a rock-paper-scissors brawler but I dunno. It brings back some memories of two monsters fighting which is nice.
You can follow Dinoblade's development on Nguyen's Xwitter page or on Dinoblade's official Facebook page.