It seems like every day a new Kickstarter project starts up, but it's not every day that one from the creators of the classic adventure game Snatcher begins. That's why we're keeping an eye out for Blackmore, a steampunk adventure game from much of the talent behind that cult classic. The project is being headed by Jeremy Blaustein, who worked at localizing Snatcher, Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill and many, many other games. He's joined by artist Satoshi Yoshioka (Snatcher, Policenauts) and composer Motoaki Furukawa (Gradius, Snatcher) to do the music.
Snatcher is a legend among gamers, a cyberpunk-themed graphic adventure game directed by Hideo Kokima of Metal Gear fame. Only a couple of thousand units were sold in North America and that's mostly because it was released for the ill-fated Sega CD add-on for the Sega Genesis. It's this reason that it's become one of the rarest games on the platform, with copies for going over $200 on eBay. It's a cult classic for a good reason- everyone who's played it has gushed about how unique it is, a mature and thrilling story unlike any other- but its rarity has allowed it to become a legend.
According to the Kickstarter "Blackmore is a Japanese adventure game that takes the best of the classic adventure genre, including awesome Japanese art, clever puzzles and great storytelling and combines them into an all-new game in a rich, immersive isometric environment that will keep players on the edge of their seats."
David Hayter, voice of Solid Snake, will play Jonas Blackmore, the 25-year old head of the Blackmore family. His sister Emma Hona-Blackmore is the heroine of the game, a medical doctor "serving the poor and needy in the slums of Easy London" The game is set in an alternate 1888 London, the year were both Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper got their start. The Whitechapel Murders will be directly referenced in the game, as Emma will run across the first murder and make it her quest to find the culprit.
Pledging $20 to the project will get you a DRM-free digital copy of Blackmore, but if you want more, including a physical copy, expansion, or to even appear in the game as a shopkeeper, you can pledge more. They're looking to release the game in the spring of 2015 if all goes well. Help them along by checking out the Kickstarter here. As of this writing they've raised 14k of the $200,000 they need for this project to be successful, with 28 days to go..
For now, can we please get a Snatcher rerelease or remaster for current systems? It's been twenty years, people! The world needs it!
