Once, way back, Size Five Games’ Ben-and-Dan ’em up Lair of the Clockwork God was gunning for a Summer 2019 launch. But final July, Size Five pushed the release back into late 2019, maybe even 2020. There was a little bit of last-minute tuning to do, positive – however greater than that, Dan was nervous his plucky platformer may battle for air. Last 12 months had a number of bangers – and beneath the likes of Death Stranding, Call of Duty, Jedi: Fallen Order n’ that, who’d take note of a foolish little puzzle-platformer?
But whether or not they’re assured in subsequent month’s lack of competitors, or just determined they will’t maintain sitting on Clockwork God ceaselessly, the pair have settled on a concrete launch date – with a brand new trailer revealing a February 21st debut for Ben and Dan’s subsequent journey.
Here’s the inside track: Ben and Dan (builders Ben Ward and Dan Marshall, creating but extra fanfiction of themselves) can’t agree on what hip style their subsequent game ought to be. Ben, the traditional journey buff, needs some good ol’ pointing and clicking adventures – whereas Dan’s sure it’s nonetheless 2013, and indie platformers are one of the best path to a fast buck.
Rather than compromise, Clockwork God reckons it will probably do each. You’ll be dashing via sidescrolling tracks, punctuated by moments of traditional 90s pixel-hunting and puzzle-solving, “in a race-against-time effort to stop all the Apocalypses happening simultaneously by teaching an old computer about feelings.”
Now, I thoughts Ben There, Dan That! and Time Gentlemen, Please! being not possible to keep away from again within the day. Why, you couldn’t transfer for quirky British antics in Steam gross sales and Humble bundles – the newest trailer even admits as such, noting that they’re “already definitely in your Steam library, even if you can’t quite remember how”.
But it’s been nearly half a decade since Ben and Dan’s final journey, and puzzle-platforming-with-a-twist simply ain’t the draw it was once. Kids lately, they’re all into 100-player deathmatches or completely obtuse games of wizard-chess. If Clockwork God goes to realize “indie classic” standing (and Dan very a lot needs it to), it’ll want each benefit it will probably get.
With February’s lineup wanting fairly barren proper now, Size Five are taking their probabilities. Lair of the Clockwork God will launch on Steam on February 21st – simply ignore that the shop web page nonetheless claims it’s all TBD.
Disclosure: Our Alice O appears to know these Ben and Dan blokes fairly a bit. Not that I can test – it’s the weekend, and she or he’s most likely a mile out to sea by now.
