Devolver digital unleashes a multiversal mayhem in new serious sam
Forget quiet contemplation; Devolver Digital just detonated a fresh wave of chaotic fun at the Xbox Partner Showcase. The studio, known for its delightfully irreverent approach to publishing, has handed the reins of the Serious Sam franchise to Behaviour Interactive, the studio behind Dead by Daylight, for Serious Sam: Shatterverse, a co-op first-person shooter promising a ludicrous amount of ordnance and interdimensional shenanigans.
A legacy reimagined, a blast zone expanded
While veteran developer Croteam has historically been the driving force behind the Serious Samseries, spinoffs have occasionally ventured beyond their established formula. Serious Sam: Tormental, a 2022 rogue-lite, demonstrated this willingness to experiment, albeit with mixed results. Behaviour Interactive, however, arrives with a pedigree of successful IP expansions, including work on Fallout Shelter and the intriguing Silent Hill: Ascension. Their experience in crafting compelling co-operative experiences, exemplified by the juggernaut that is Dead by Daylight, suggests they're uniquely positioned to inject fresh energy into Sam Stone’s relentless rampage.
Serious Sam: Shatterverse envisions teams of five players – each embodying a variant of the iconic Sam from different dimensions – tasked with repairing a fractured reality. The premise is simple: blast everything that moves while navigating unstable anomalies and wielding an “arsenal of weapons, mixing classic Serious Sam guns and all-new toys plucked from the Shatterverse.” The press release’s description of a “big, loud, stupid and frankly irresponsible” arsenal alone is enough to send shivers down the spines of horde-loving gamers.
The game’s features, as detailed by Devolver, emphasize the series’ signature run-and-gun intensity, amplified by procedurally generated runs through hand-crafted arenas. Expect “high-adrenaline combat,” “non-stop pressure,” and “perfectly timed one-liners when everything’s on fire.” The promise of unlocking upgrades and modifiers that permanently expand your possibilities hints at a deeper progression system than previously seen in the franchise. The sheer number of enemies – a mix of old favorites and new horrors – ensures a constant barrage of bullets and explosions.
Nic Duchesne, Behaviour Interactive’s representative, emphasized the studio’s commitment to honoring the franchise’s heritage. “Our main goal was to respect Serious Sam’s rich legacy while presenting it in a fresh, contemporary way unlike anything seen before in the series,” he stated. Devolver’s reputation for prioritizing game quality and fostering creative freedom further bolsters expectations for this ambitious project.
Serious Sam: Shatterverse is slated for release later this year on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC. Whether Behaviour Interactive can successfully navigate this blast zone and deliver a worthy addition to the Serious Sam canon remains to be seen, but the initial signs are undeniably promising.