We\’re back again with another exclusive Wii U indie game reveal. Monday’s reveal was 5-player co-op strategy game, Hex Heroes, and today’s reveal is first-person-adventure, Sync by Dead Pixel Entertainment. It seems that indies are the ones really taking most advantage of the Wii U’s core audience and unique characteristics.

Dead Pixel have only been working on Sync for two weeks, so the screenshot below is from an early prototype of the game engine up and running. Dead Pixel made sure to emphasize that this is just an announcement reveal. The gameplay footage reveal and gameplay surprises will take place a little later on Nintendo Enthusiast, once the game reaches a more polished state.

You\’ve been working for a while on Star Beast. How long has Sync been in development?

It has been in development for about 2 weeks.

Wow, that’s pretty incredible what you guys have managed to accomplish in just two weeks.

I know, right? I\’m pretty shocked too! The game would be done by the end of April, BUT one of our team members had to tend to an emergency overseas, so development has slowed down a lot. 🙁

Can you tell us more about Dead Pixel? Where are you located? How many members are there in the team? And what type of games do you hope to make?

Dead Pixel is a game development company created in 2013 with its sole purpose to make games that replicate AAA game development at a low cost. We consider making games an art, and we want to prove that anyone with vision and dedication can do it. We are located in Fremont, which is right in the middle of the bay area in California. Currently, we have six extremely passionate and talented team members.

The types of games we plan to make are very artistic in design, also very innovation in mechanics. With Sync (Starbeast and our other games planned) we asked ourselves a very important question: How can we innovate an otherwise dull genre? After finding an answer to that question, we build upon our ideas until we find something unique and fresh then move into production. When it comes to designing games, a lot of people in the industry try and follow trends… we are aiming to create them.

How did you decide upon Wii U as the platform for your games?

Nintendo has always been a entity we respect. They saved the gaming industry back in 1985. Since then, Nintendo’s name is synonymous with some of the most iconic characters every created. Regardless of the sales figures, I believe that Nintendo is a force to reckon with. I\’m confident Nintendo will find a way to turn around and surprise everyone.

We chose the Wii U for that reason exactly. The visuals are fantastic. Control options are limitless. It has the Nintendo Seal of Quality. We believe our games will benefit from the Wii U more so than they will from the PS4 or the XB-ONE.

Can you tell us a bit more about Sync?

Sync is a first person adventure game that focuses on exploration and discovery. Players are thrown into a world with little to no direction. As they play, they will find out something is terribly wrong in this world, and it is up to them to save it!

We are aiming to create a game that doesn\’t hold the players hand. We believe humans are smart enough to figure things out for themselves, so instead of bombarding them with tutorials and linear gameplay, we created a world simple enough to navigate with a compass.

What made you decide to create a game similar to Metroid Prime?

Metroid Prime is an extremely immersive first person adventure. It also happens to be considered one of the best games ever made. While we were doing research, tying to figure out just exactly how we can make a unique, fun, immersive first person game, we found out there haven\’t been many games similar to Metroid Prime. So, we set out to create an immersive world for players to explore and item for players to collect.

What contrasts are there between Sync and Metroid Prime? In what ways does it stand on its own?

Sync is clearly inspired by Metroid Prime, however the game is very different as well. The biggest difference is the kind of immersion Sync will make players feel. Metroid Prime did a GREAT job at making players feel like they were on an alien planet, destroying alien scum. Sync is actually the opposite. Players will be exploring a world devoid of life. Everything is clean and organized. Enemy characters move through specific paths, etc. The control scheme of game is also very different. The game will follow the regular dual analog first person shooter scheme rather than Metroid Prime’s \”stop, scan, lock, shoot\” method.

How large is the game?

We are hoping to make the game packed to the brim. We are currently fine tuning level aspects of the game, so unfortunately, we don\’t have an exact answer just yet.

Is it eShop only? When do you estimate a release and how much will it cost?

Sync will be available on the Nintendo eShop (hopefully) by the end of this year. We can\’t talk price specifics, but gamers will be pleasantly surprised!

Can you tell us about Star Beast? We had an early teaser image, but that’s about it. What is the genre of the game and what updates can you give us about it?

Starbeast is a horizontal shooter. I currently can\’t give too much formation about the project just yet, however, we are currently working on it along side Sync. We have EXTREMELY talented writers, voice actors and musicians signed on to the project. I\’m looking forward to share for information as it comes.

What message can you leave our readers with about Sync?

Sync is a Sci Fi First Person Adventure similar to the Metroid Prime series. We, at Dead Pixel, believe anyone who loves the Prime series will love Sync for it’s open world gameplay and unique item collection. Players are thrown into a mechanical world where robots have become the dominant species. Players are tasked with locating data stations and uploading a deadly virus to destroy Sync, a computer system, from the inside. Given orders from an unknown group that calls itself Gensys. The player must focus his/her efforts on finding these terminals with little direction to complete their mission.

More Star Beast Teaser Art