Announced by developer Dark Lord and publisher Daedalic Entertainment back in January, Glitchpunk looks to be an expansive new sci-fi experience heavily inspired by Grand Theft Auto 2. However, while the Polish developer is very open about its love for Rockstar's 1999 classic, the upcoming shooter appears to be much more than a simple imitation of its inspiration.
In a presentation attended by Game Rant, Dark Lord showed off exactly what made Glitchpunk tick, revealing details about its open-world action, creative hacking, branching moral choices, and rich, socially relevant story. There looks to be a lot more to the shooter than meets the eye, although its developer still aims to deliver a satisfying, open-world action game for those who want it.
In terms of the latter, Glitchpunk has a lot up its sleeve. Dark Lord made it clear that it intends to build extensively upon the mechanics first established by the second Grand Theft Auto title, seemingly paying homage to the sense of arcadey fun that made Rockstar's work so iconic while still bringing plenty of fresh ideas to the table. There are more destructible objects and wanted levels than in the early GTA games, as well as a modern save system, enhanced item management, numerous street vendors, and garages to park vehicles. Glitchpunk generally aims to offer an interactive cityscape filled with things to see and do.
Combat also wears its influences on its sleeve while adding several sci-fi heavy features, the biggest of which being a hacking mechanic that allows players to possess their foes. That means turning enemies on their allies, sending them running into oncoming traffic, making them defenseless to attacks, or even activating their handbrakes when they're in pursuit in a vehicle. These abilities can be buffed through the use of modules, which add additional hacking skills or stat buffs.
These combat mechanics will revolve around an involving story, which Dark Lord claims is a tale about "failure, regrets, and toxic relationships." Unlike Grand Theft Auto's more sardonic tone, Glitchpunk is a narrative that reflects on the darker realities of its dystopian world, whether that's musing on climate change, nuclear war, or the rise of autonomous AI. Players will be able to influence this story frequently throughout the campaign, with the climactic moments of each chapter forcing them to side with one of the several gangs patrolling Glitchpunk's streets. These meaningful choices will allegedly have tragic consequences for the game's dystopian world and its protagonist, with the narrative's conclusion offering multiple endings.
Glitchpunk will debut on Steam in early access later this year, with further content set to hit the game after its launch. It already looks to be an intriguing reimagining of the Grand Theft Auto series' revered first entries and one that will no doubt boast an engrossing story for sci-fi aficionados to get stuck into.
Glitchpunk is coming to PC in 2021.