An update on the indie SEGA Dreamcast game SLaVE – why is it taking so long?

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Back in September of 2014 SLaVE, a Dreamcast game by indie developer Isotope and GOAT Store Publishing, was announced. The game was to combine the game design sensibilities and aesthetics of 80s arcade shooters with old school first person shooters like Doom and Wolfenstein. At the time of the games announcement, it looked as though the release was just around the corner with Goat Store taking pre-orders for a Limited Edition and a Limited Limited Edition. Since then, however, little has been said about the game aside from a mention in April 2015 of a “final bug test” and the cover art reveal.

And then? Nothing, at least until this week when Isotope developer Coraline released the following statement.

SLaVE announced for SEGA Dreamcast

The Dreamcast’s life-after-death continues with yet another new game from the indie scene: Jay Townsend’s SLaVE. This new game is considerably different from most other indie projects the Dreamcast has received over the last few years. Neither a sh’mup nor an old school RPG, SLaVE is instead a colorful first person shooter built around an enhanced Doom engine called 3DGE.

Jay Townsend is making this game in collaboration with indie developer Isotope and GOAT Store Publishing. Only 484 copies of the game will be produced, including 400 limited edition copies and 84 “Limited Limited” edition copies, which will be sold for $20.84 and $30.84 respectively. You can pre-order them here. Production is slated to begin in April 2015.

SLaVE is supposed to combine the game design sensibilities and aesthetics of 80s arcade shooters with old school first person shooters like Doom and Wolfenstein. The game was originally revealed for the PC and is not currently slated for any other platforms besides the Dreamcast.

This isn’t the only Dreamcast project GOAT Store and Isotope are working on. Earlier this year GOAT Store revealed that it would be publishing another Isotope project running on the same technology, Hypertension: Harmony of Darkness. Check out a developers diary for SLaVE and a trailer for Hypertension below the fold. Check out the official press release here.

Check out the trailer for ‘Hypertension: Harmony of Darkness’ – an upcoming indie SEGA Dreamcast game

For those who have had their fill of shmups, comes an indie SEGA Dreamcast game that dares to be a first person shooter. Hypertension: Harmony of Darkness is a bloody shooter inspired by the likes of MS-DOS games like Blood and Shadow Warrior. Featuring an engine built on Doom, Hypertension features 3D enemies and environments and is to feature both single player and multi-player modes. Also, interestingly enough, is an appearance from the flash cartoon character Salad Fingers. Yup, Salad Fingers and SEGA Dreamcast, together at last.

Goat Store Publishing and the game’s developer, Isotope Studios and TDGMods, plan to release the game to disc later this year. In the meantime, check out the creepy trailer above.