In the world of indie games, few studios are as inventive and brave as SteamWorld series creators Image & Form. This small developer has release refused to rest on its laurels, instead continually delivering a variety genres, gameplay experiences and casts of characters with each Steamworld title. These games have defied expectations, covering the tower defense, Metroidvania, turn-based strategy and deckbuilding RPG genres.
With its most recent announcement, Image & Form once again plans to take SteamWorld in another exciting direction with its most ambitious game to date. Announced during the Thunderful Games Showcase, SteamWorld Headhunter will be a fully 3D cooperative action-adventure that looks to be the series' biggest game yet. This new avenue could not only bring the colorful and hilarious universe to a wider audience, but once again showcase just how innovative Image & Form truly is as a developer.
Announced via a tantalizingly short cinematic trailer, SteamWorld Headhunter takes place in a Wild West setting comprised entirely of robot cowboy characters. Like the other games in the series, it exists in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has disappeared and the civilization is run by a cast of quirky robots. Headhunter's trailer features a humorous duel between two robots, with one seemingly shooting the other down, only to realize too late the "head-popping" twist mechanic that Headhunter will include. With this, the defeated robot's head can attack its assailant after it leaves its damaged body behind.
Image & Form has always used its steampunk robot world to explore a variety of gameplay ideas. Even when the studio found huge success with the SteamWorld Dig game, it didn't immediately deliver a sequel. Instead Dig, was followed by SteamWorld Heist, an excellent turn-based tactics heist game featuring an entirely different setting and cast of characters. When the studio did finally release a sequel in 2017's SteamWorld Dig 2, the studio continued to innovate and created what many fans of the genre held as one of the year's best games.
This jump from the sidescrolling 2D affair of the previous games into full 3D with Headhunter sees Image & Form continue to push itself with regards to innovation, and experimentation. Although the SteamWorld series has featured many different genres, it is yet to produce a pure action-adventure game, let alone a fully cooperative experience. This has the potential to continue the series' success. Moving around the desert wasteland as a robotic bounty hunter, taking down targets and collecting their metal heads could provide a humorous romp and a memorable gameplay experience -- which is exactly what SteamWorld is known for.
Plus, although Headhunter will chart a new course for the SteamWorld series, it will not be the first time the studio develops a 3D adventure. Image & Form is set to release The Gunk on December 16, and the developer's work on that title is such to help it deliver on SteamWorld Headhunter's promise.
Image & Form has earned a positive reputation for being able to innovate and try new things, particularly when it comes to the SteamWorld franchise. The series has been to space, the underutilized Wild West and even into a steampunk fantasy world with no signs of stopping. With the upcoming Headhunter taking the series in yet another new direction, fans have every reason to look forward to a brand new way to play in this charming, quirky, robot-filled world.