Overgrowth

Overgrowth is an action-adventure video game from Wolfire Games. The game was announced on September 17, 2008. for all three major computer platforms: Mac OS X, Windows and Linux. The game released on October 16, 2017 after 9 years of development.

The game plays as a 3D third-person brawler, set in a dystopian medieval world of anthropomorphic fighter rabbits, wolves, dogs, cats and rats. The game design is led by David Rosen, mainly known in the Mac game development community for having won the game development contest uDevGames three years in a row. No release date is available yet. Wolfire recently completed basic animation and movement systems, and have begun work on the combat system.

Features
Overgrowth will be based on a new game engine called Phoenix. The engine includes a number of advanced features, most prominently physics-based animation. It will also feature an enhanced movement engine in which run/jump/roll/rotate transitions will be handled smoothly, as well as having all characters' stances and animations depend on environment, mood, and even personality. The game environments will be affected by conditions such as weather and trees growing more rapidly in sunlight.

Other features include a modular armor system, realistic vegetation growth, a wide array of sharp weapons, and an editor for user-made maps and scenarios. Unconfirmed features include online high-scores and replays, multiplayer (likely co-operative, unconfirmed), RPG elements, and procedural cities.

Gameplay
Few details are available at this point; however Overgrowth will likely build on the gameplay of its predecessor Lugaru. If so, its fighting system will be based around context-sensitive attacks, reversals, high mobility and reliance on environment. A few posts in the game development blog also hint at a wide array of sharp weapons that vary between in-game species and classes.

In Lugaru, context-sensitivity meant that, for example, standing up after ducking a spin-kick would have the player grab their opponent's leg and reverse their attack, or that the player could tap jump to lightly dodge an opponent's sweep. Every attack depends on the player's pace and position.

Another system highly likely to be included in Overgrowth is the reversal system. Every attack can be reversed by tapping a specific button at the right time. There are no invincible attacks. Reversals themselves can be counter-reversed to re-establish the status quo.

Use of environment has been alluded to on the official blog, with such scenarios as grabbing a staff from a tree to defend oneself, or using a river to foil the scent of hunting wolves—also hinting at survival elements.

Setting and plot
Official statements are again scarce, but a few aspects of the story and setting are well established.

Overgrowth picks up where Lugaru left off, with the world in a state of de facto anarchy. After killing the corrupted king, Turner, the main character, refused to take his place, instead choosing to leave the monarchy headless and wander the island in search of some new purpose.

Overgrowth's setting appears to build on that premise, as concept art shows a chaotic world with tall structures overrun by vegetation, and inhabited by fierce fighter rabbits, wolves, rats and dogs, trying to survive with simple weapons and makeshift armors. Some concept art shows a city with an organic layout.

An interview with Wolfire Games by British video gaming website zConnection revealed some more details regarding the game's storyline and plot. What is the plot or storyline of Lugaru's sequel, Overgrowth?

Well, I'm not supposed to reveal too much on this front. David is still ironing out the final details on the path of Overgrowth. We're pretty sure that we want Turner, the star of Lugaru, to be the protagonist of Overgrowth. Overgrowth will occur in the same world, some years after Lugaru ended. We believe veterans of Lugaru will have a more flavored understanding of Overgrowth's atmosphere but we will definitely make Overgrowth its own stand alone game. New species are now in the world. So far we've announced cats and rats and we've worked out the cultural and physical differences of each species. I'm not supposed to leak the actual plot line yet but I can say that it will guide the player through all the exciting aspects of the Overgrowth universe.

It has been revealed that the title "Overgrowth" has at least four meanings that apply to the plot of the game.

Reception
Numerous press outlets have relayed the announcement of the game around the world, especially in the Mac and Linux communities, where Overgrowth's predecessor, Lugaru, has been an underground success.