This is Energy Hook, one of the first Xbox One indie games
From successful Kickstarter to Microsoft's console.
This is Happion Labs' Energy Hook - one of the first indie games to be released on Xbox One.
Developer Jamie Fristrom will self-publish the game on Microsoft's console after being approved for the ID@Xbox program (Microsoft today unveiled a list of developers who are down to self-publish on its console).
Fristrom worked at Activision on Spider-Man 2 and Tony Hawk before going indie, and Energy Hook, built using the Unity game engine, combines elements of both. It uses the much-loved swinging mechanic from Spider-Man 2 (which Fristrom created) and a trick mechanic in a sci-fi world.
He launched a Kickstarter for Energy Hook and in June 2013 it was funded - raising just over $40,000. Now it's coming to Xbox One and PC early in 2014. It's also looking for votes on Valve's Steam Greenlight program. You can buy access to the alpha from the Energy Hook website.
Fristrom told Eurogamer he intends for Energy Hook to be a "showcase of different artists".
"Instead of trying to 'art direct' and forcing some kind of draconian consistency on the artists (who are all volunteers, devoting spare time to the project) - they basically have free reign to come up with their own looks for their own levels," he said.
He provided Eurogamer some examples.
These levels will be included in the next build of the game, which, according to Fristrom, has been delayed due to issues with game engine Unity but will be released soon.
