Spate is an artistic platformer set in a steampunk world that brings players into the mind of a being struggling with addiction.
Playing as Detective Bluth, a man mourning the tragic loss of his daughter, you are brought into a futuristic steampunk world where nothing is quite as it seems. As a platforming game, you can expect tried-and-true platforming mechanics throughout, however what differentiates Spate is not the fact that it is a platformer, but rather its thought-provoking motifs. Battling emotional turmoil and substance addiction, you venture off to investigate mysterious disappearances occurring on an offshore island nearby. The detective’s experiences on the island do not do much to bring closure to the loss of his daughter, as memories continuously haunt him bringing you deeper and deeper into darkness.
While its somber and emotional story will engage you intellectually, it’ll be Spate’s incredible visual design that will most certainly draw you deep into its world. The visual design of the game is simply fantastic, as creatively-inspired environments are the norm within this dark world. The strong sense of atmosphere helps drive the story forward, as it brings the entire world to life. A unique mechanic in Spate is that the player can drink absinthe in order to gain a boost in speed and jumping, however it has the side effect of causing you to hallucinate which distorts your perception of the world around you. Spate’s emotional premise and unique visual design make it a game that’s worth following.