Snatcher Devs Launch Steampunk Adventure Kickstarter
Snatch and grab
The main reason to watch the pitch video for Blackmore - a steampunk adventure game - is for a rare glimpse of the unironic use of the phrase "You might know me from..." And that really is the main reason for watching the first half of the video before they finally remember to talk about the game. Fortunately they eventually do, and while it's not stunningly original, an adventure game set in a steampunk Victorian London rarely sounds like a bad idea. The main character is Emma Blackmore, accompanied by a robot called Descartes, and they are, inevitably, investigating a serial killer.
Jeremy Blaustein may be a name you're familiar with. He certainly seems to hope so, as we watch him vacantly stare at various parts of Japan for two and a half incomprehensible minutes, incorporating as a quick look through his childhood photo album. Seriously, I really need to start up my Kickstarter advisory business, because apparently barely anyone's going to think of "TALK ABOUT THE GAME YOU WANT MONEY FOR AT THE VERY START" without my screaming it into their faces for £150 an hour.
He's the man who did the localisation on Snatcher, which is the currency they hope will pay here. He's picked a team of known Japanese artists and musicians, as well as David "Solid Snake" Hayter to do voice work. Clearly they don't have even concept art yet to fill out their pitch video, which I imagine is going to hurt the fundraising.
Clearly there is going to be a strong contingent of Konami fans who will recognise the names, especially if they can surf the kudos Snatcher still enjoys. They're after $200,000, which is a low sum for a big project, aiming to finish by March next year. A copy of the game, should they complete it, comes at $20 for the first 2000, then $25, which is higher than the norm. Which is all to say, I think this one could have been handled better, but I remain intrigued to see what they might create.