In the upcoming action game Spine, I follow protagonist Redline as she engages in a close quarters fight against an imposing enemy wielding a shotgun. A neon-tinted market street serves as the backdrop to the battle; vibrant pops of color and a futuristic edge show off the area's distinct cyberpunk aesthetic. Redline spins out of the way of incoming blast with fluid ease before landing a kick and priming her dual pistols to shoot back in kind. Her movement looks every bit as smooth as John Wick's, never stopping for a moment to ensure she dodges each hit. Once her opponent is down, the shotgun is hers for the taking, and the timing couldn't be better. As more foes enter the fray, I watch as the shotgun's impactful blow up close propels them back and sends each one crashing into the market stalls.
Once the weapon is out of bullets, Redline is once again surrounded, which is where her spraycan comes in handy. Twirling on the spot fills the air with a burst of blue paint, opening up a window to throw some punches and put some distance between herself and her combatants. Just like the encounters that came before it, this fight is fast-paced,frenetic, and shows first-hand how Spine from developer Nekki wears its movie inspirations – which range from Bullet Train and The Matrix, to the aforementioned John Wick –on its sleeve.
