BOOT | The Path To Die

The Path To Die is no stranger to us here at Big Boss Battle, with us following it from when it was still looking for votes on Steam Greenlight, and then we had a nosey at the alpha trailer the games developer, Cat Logic Games released not long ago. Well now it has arriving on Kickstarter looking to raise funds. The target sits at $30,000, and the crowdfunding process ends on the 17th of June 2017.

With a target of $30,000, the developer has already managed to raise $1,771 at the time of writing this and the backer count sits at 58 backers. The game successfully made its way onto Steam, and looks to bring a 2D action adventure game with pixel art themes. The game will be set in a top down perspective and takes place in Japan, but the main focus it seems is the innovative control system.

What’s the story about?

Well, the story is about a samurai warrior in Feudal Japan, wandering around the outskirts of the Imperial Palace. Players will be on the hunt for keys and various objects in order to progress as well as battling enemies. There will be cemeteries, pagodas, villas, large gardens, and lakes that players will need to infiltrate and take down enemies that are guarding something. Oooh, mysterious!

What’s this about “innovative combat”?

The combat is, in an easy way to describe it, similar to EA’s SKATE titles. Instead of button mashing controller buttons, you use the right analog stick to fluidly perform a move. Push the stick up, stab, down vertical cut, left and right, horizontal cuts, rotate it 360 degrees and perform a 360 cut. It seems like a simple design and I like the idea of it, although am sure in the heat of battle I’ll just end up mashing directions, but it’s still a fantastic idea. This does of course mean that it is designed for controller support, but the GIF’s on the Kickstarter page show off mouse movements so it isn’t limited to just controller exclusivity.

What about everything else?

Scattered around the top-down world are save points inspired by the Resident Evil system, and they’re signified by a Japanese Calligraphy folios. While the player can explore the world to their will, new areas are unlocked by progressing through the story, bringing more buildings and areas to explore, and with hidden loot and roads to find players will find themselves on an adventure. The world isn’t too kind though, and sometimes elements work against the player and wounds need tending to as soon as possible.

Enemies are randomly generated, and the stats are randomly decided so that players are always unaware what skills they’re being set up against. Thankfully, as Samurai, the player takes hold of their trusty Katana, and their Yumi, a Japanese bow for those unaware. The items are colour coded with purple items signifying health regeneration, blue regenerate strength, and red ones for offensive items, such as sharpening stones to keep the Katana in tip-top condition, and bombs, or bandages to cease blood loss. There are also objects to find that help with gathering treasures or objects, and bombs to destroy walls. A large collection of keys and notes will help aid progression throughout the game.

Any stretch goals?

Yes! Starting at the target $30,000 that will see the game to completion, and then another goal at $33,000 that will bring the soundtrack to the title.That is it for now though, with more being revealed should the targets be hit.

The Path To Die will launch possibly by the end of the year on PC, with possible Switch, PS4, and Xbox One ports being introduced depending on Stretch Goals.

You can view the rest of the Kickstarter page by going over here.