Sonic-esque speedrunning platformer Action Henk release date set
Butt-slides out of Early Access in May.
Action Henk appears to mix Sonic's 2D platforming with Joe Danger's plastic toy aesthetic and Speedrunner's grappling hook. If that sounds like your jam then look forward to 11th May, when Action Henk sees an official release on Steam and the Humble Store.
You can already snag it on Steam Early Access for £6.99 / $9.99, though it's going to go up a few quid upon its official release where it will cost £10.99 / $14.99. Or you can get the Deluxe Edition with the soundtrack for £13.99 / $19.99.
Action Henk began when Dutch game developer Rage Squid created a prototype for an event called Game in the City in late 2013. The prototype, which you can try here, received such good reception that Rage Squid spent the next 18 months fleshing it out into a commercial product.
I rather enjoyed the little I played of Action Henk's Early Access build, which had a nice Runner2 meets Trials vibe to it where its easy to grasp but difficult to master as there's all sorts of micro-second saving techniques to learn. It's been getting good buzz lately with a 103 positive Steam user reviews compared to only one negative.
Action Henk tasks players with completing over 45 time trials as quickly as they can for various medals. From there you can challenge your friends' ghost runs on the leaderboards, unlock new characters and costumes, and even create your own stages in a level editor.
Here's a video demonstrating how Action Henk has developed over the course of a year-and-a-half:
