Vertebreaker is a stylish retro action platformer from one of the creators of Sonic Mania, where you take control of a skeleton who uses a bungee grappling hook to propel himself around the game world.
Vertebreaker is a new IP from Headcannon, co-creator of Sonic Mania and creator of the remastered editions of Sonic 1 & 2 on iOS and Android. It maintains a Sonic-esque 16-bit visual style, but instead of a speedy blue hedgehog, Vertebreaker features a nimble little skeleton who is on a mission to stop the forces of the dead from wiping out the living.
The current build of Vertebreaker is a small tech demo that gives you a large area to test out your skills, kill enemies and collect bones. The graveyard setting is quite different from the vibrant colors of the Sonic games, but the movement and sense of momentum feels very similar. You can’t roll, but you do have the ability to use a nifty grappling hook with a stretchy bungee line. This can be used to propel you high up into the air and pull you towards your enemies, which you can then dispatch by beating them up.
Vertebreaker does feel very derivative of the Sonic games, but that’s not a bad thing and it has enough of its own ideas to make things interesting. Horizontal travel can feel a little on the slow side at times but once you get used to the bungie grapple controls you can have a lot of fun flinging yourself through the air. A fast, fun retro action platformer with a lot of promise.
Check Out a Gameplay Video Here
Download The Vertebreaker Tech Demo Here (Windows)