Hover is a parkour-based spiritual successor to Jet Set Radio
Successful Kickstarter set for PS4, Xbox One and Steam.
Three-person french indie outfit Midgar Studios is really onto something with its upcoming open-world parkour game Hover: Revolt of Gamers. How else to explain it nearly doubling its $38K Kickstarter goal after only one week?
So what makes Hover so special, you ask? It's not one single innovation, but rather a smart blend of already established mechanics bundled together in a thrilling package. On the surface, Hover combines Mirror's Edge's parkour with Jet Set Radio's bright, futuristic open-world and Tony Hawk's trick system. That already sounds pretty fantastic, but Midgar went the extra mile by deciding to include both co-op and competitive drop-in/drop-out multliplayer, allowing players to race or chase one another in cops & robbers scenarios, or work together as a gang pulling off a heist and passing their bounty to one another since whoever is carrying it is slowed down by its weight. Neat!
The actual story of Hover is a little goofy, but has some pluckish charm. You're in a world where video games are outlawed and you play as various rebels set on freeing the consoles and bringing them to the people. It sounds pretty simple, but there are various characters to choose from with different perks, and different clans to join. You'll be able to customise your character's appearance too, which is always fun.
Adding an extra layer of Jet Set Radio-inspired glee, a "Graffiti Mode" stretch goal has been reached, allowing players to tag the terrain in their steed, while Jet Set Radio composer Hideki Naganuma is on board to supply some sweet tunes too.
"It was love at first sight. Hover has hot graphics and a cool worldview. At first glance, I felt like I'd love to make music for Hover," the famed musician said. "This feeling's been a long time since Jet Set Radio Future."
Hover is already greenlit on Steam for PC, Mac and Linux with Oculus support on its way, and it's also set for PS4 and Xbox One. A Wii U version featuring local multiplayer modes and asymmetrical gameplay will be made if the Kicksarter campaign reaches its $100K stretch goal, which is almost definitely will.
Players can reserve a digital copy of Hover for $15, or spend an extra $10 to get an early alpha build. The game is set for a spring 2015 release.
So far Hover has raised $62,771 with 23 days left before its 22nd May Deadline.
See how Hover looks in action in its Kickstarter pitch below. Bear in mind that this prototype was built in a scant four months by a team of three. Just imagine how it'll look after another year.