In our second round of new PS4 indie titles, we’ll be taking a look at Spelunky, Nidhogg, Escape Goat 2, and Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-a-Fide Edition:
Spelunky (PS4) – TBA
Already available on PS3 and PS Vita, the PS4 version of Spelunky from Blitworks will include 1080p visuals, the ability to upload replays to the leaderboards, more social features to the Daily Challenge, the pro HUD (this will be patched into the PS3 and PS Vita versions) and will take advantage of the PS4’s unique hardware.
The best part about Spelunky on PS4? It will include Cross Buy, so anyone who owns the PS3 and PS Vita version gets the PS4 version for free.
Nidhogg (PS4) – TBA
Originally created by Messhof, developer Code Mystics will be bringing Nidhogg to the PS4, with Messhof saying, “The game has always been best played with gamepads” and “we have the most fun playing Nidhogg in front of our TV with friends. Sharing a TV and controllers is way more comfortable than crowding around someone’s desk and sharing a keyboard.”
Including a PS4 exclusive feature that has the DualShock 4’s light bar indicating your fencer’s color, Nidhogg allows for tournaments at home, a single player training mode with many AI personalities, and you can play with your friends online. They are also open to a PS Vita version, Cross Buy, and Cross Play, but nothing’s set in stone.
Escape Goat 2 (PS4) – TBA
Originally a PC title, Ian Stocker has announced that Escape Goat 2 will be coming to the PS4. If you’re wondering where Escape Goat 1 is, Stocker said, “No plans for EG1 just yet [on PS4], but it’s totally possible from a technical standpoint, since EG2 is much more sophisticated.”
Marked in history as the first ever “Double Fine Presents” game, Escape Goat 2 sees you playing as a goat on a mission to rescue his sheep friends because a strange force is keeping them asleep, and our hero must venture into the eight branches of the Stronghold of Toragos to wake them.
Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-a-Fide Edition (PS4) – “Coming Soon”
Including a 10-hour single player campaign Skulls of the Shogun is a fast-paced, turn-based strategy game designed as a love letter to Advance Wars, but there’s a twist – there’s no grid. Instead, each unit has a movement radius, and forms an impenetrable spirit wall when placed next to other friendly units. There’s also a physics engine in place – each enemy can be knocked back, knocked into hazards, or shoved off cliffs.
While Skulls of the Shogun may be available on other platforms, 17-BIT is bringing the Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-a-Fide Edition to PS4, which adds a brand new single-player episode (bringing the total number of missions to 24), where you play as a new visitor to the Shores of the Dead who’s determined to take down General Akamoto (the main character you play as). This new episode also features persistent units, allowing players to build their army and bring them into each new level.
Also in the Bone-a-Fide Edition is the brand-new Tanuki Monk, a magical trickster unit with special skills in teleportation and distracting units with his bells. As well, there’s a batch of new multiplayer maps based on the new episode, bringing the final multiplayer map count to 36 – and every map is specifically built for 2, 3, or 4-player skirmishes.
Speaking of the multiplayer, Skulls of the Shogun supports async multiplayer, so you can battle friends and foes alike, taking turns at your leisure. There’s also Team Deathmatch modes with the Deadly Alliance feature, which lets you team up with another general… until one of you winds up stabbing the other in the back.
When asked about a possible PS Vita version, 17-BIT said, “We think Skulls would be awesome on Vita! And…we’re exploring that possibility :).”
Which of these four games do you want to play the most? Let everyone know in the comments below.
