Government-Approved Programming coming to Nintendo Switch and Steam later in 2019
BOWLING GREEN, Kentucky – Hitcents (1/30/2019):
ATTENTION VALUED CITIZENS: the benevolent Leader has gifted our beautiful nation with exciting new government-approved programming. Please tune in and enjoy. Enjoyment is mandatory.
Trailer:
Or on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_cM3lKUK9Q
Ministry of Broadcast is a 2D pixel-crafted cinematic platformer that follows the plight of an unnamed ginger-headed protagonist. Set in a country divided seemingly overnight by the construction of The Wall, an absurd totalitarian government known as the Regime has taken root. Separated from his family by this barricade, our protagonist must compete on, and win, The Wall Show—a mysterious reality TV show aired only in the free lands on the other side of the barrier. Participating in a government-organised contest to escape a deceptively-charming dystopia is already cause for unease, but, much to his chagrin, our ill-fortuned protagonist has also lost his only pair of boots.
Inspired by games such as Prince of Persia (1989) and Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus, Ministry of Broadcast revives the spirit of classic cinematic platformers where players need nimble run-and-jump reflexes as well as a healthy aversion to falling from precarious heights.
To reach freedom and family, you must lead the protagonist through each of the Arenas while under the ever-watchful mechanical eye of the Regime. The variety of hazardous, dilapidated environments hold an array of obstacles for you to manage—leg-shattering drops (scared of heights?), flaming barrels of garbage (extra-smelly, extra-flamey), inconveniently-placed spike pits (of course), hanging steel beams (so much rust)—but none of this is to speak of the fates of those you meet along the way.
Game Features:
- Cinematic platformer: Run, jump, crash, and climb your way through each Arena as the narrative unfolds around you. Much of the story is unveiled via smoothly integrated animation sequences, within the environment, or from NPCs muttering bits of dialogue as you dive and dodge around them.
- Environmental HUD: Rather than having a screen cluttered with overlaid indicators, HP bars, and minimaps, any information the player will need is incorporated into the environment. Hints and clues are meshed into the game’s art, subtle and specific, players will need a keen eye if they want to survive each Arena without breaking their legs.
- Puzzle-solving: Use your wits, and at times a dash of ruthlessness, to advance through the Arenas. You’ll have to interact with the environment itself to solve most of the puzzles: use the protagonist’s momentum to move platforms, flip the occasional lever, and sometimes you might have to sacrifice an NPC or two to cross a particularly spiky pit.
- Story and Personality: Featuring lots of impish humor, Grade A sarcasm, and comic mischief, all balanced perfectly with the dark, heavy themes presented in this dystopian world.