Game development doesn't always go as planned, and Shu is an example of that. After some big delays, the independent 2.5D platformer will be launching in just a few weeks.
Originally Shu was supposed to launch last year for the PlayStation 3, 4, and Vita. However, developers Coatsink looked at their game and felt that they could do better, so they brought it back to the drawing board to work on it more. Literally the drawing board at times, as one of the improvements they felt they needed to make was work on a better art style, especially for the Storm that follows the main character through levels. The extra development time has also led them to realize that a mechanic that saw you losing powers for messing up wasn't actually very fun, and so they ditched it from the game and reworked Shu into a more speedrun platforming sort of thing. Finally, the extra development time also allowed them to add in a time trial game mode and leaderboards.
In Shu you play as a young boy named Shu who is trying to save his village from an endless storm that is destroying and consuming everything. Every time you come across villagers they begin to follow you, and each villager gives you new powers to get through a level. The game is focused on moving fast, constantly keeping ahead of the storm that is always chasing you. The developers site games like Sonic, Rayman, and Klonoa as inspiration for Shu.
Developers Coatsink have developed a pair of VR games called Esper, and an isometric puzzle game called Chip. They are also currently working on porting Gang Beasts to VR devices, and on an adventure game called Superglad.
Shu launches on both the PlayStation 4 and PC on October 4th for $11.99. A PlayStation Vita version is slated to come out before the end of the year.
