Outland – A brand new downloadable game from Ubisoft

Dead Nation’s and Stardust HD developers Housemarque are developing a brand new PSN & Xbox Live Arcade title. Known as Outland, it’s action platformer to be unveiled this weekend at PAX. The gameplay mechanics of the game are chiefly borrowed from the 2001 arcade game Ikaruga. Described as a cross between retro platformers like Prince of Persia or out of this world and the color-switching mechanics of Ikaruga. It’s a 2D side scrolling game but with great depth of background and great animation.

Controlling an acrobatic protagonist who explores a lush dense jungle, he has an unique ability to change forms or colours, between light and dark. Just like in Ikaruga, the polarity gameplay will come into play as the player will take damage from opposite-colored bullets but will be impervious to those of the same polarity. So if there is a platform you want to get to but it’s being blocked by a stream of white bullets, just change to white and you can pass through unharmed.

When it comes to battling enemies, you can only harm those of the opposite color. So you’ll need to be white in order to defeat a black spider. Weapons include an energy sword with abilities like a slide attack and an uppercut to be learnt later. Development won’t be complete until a year and the game comes out in 2011. This is def looking to be another solid 2D platformer. It’s been good days for platformers of late ( cough…LBP 2…cough). We will keep you updated when new info emerges.