Shwip

Overview

Shwip is the first game developed and published by Jamhammer Games Inc. The gameplay is very similar to classics like Geometry Wars 2, but where Shwip differs is in the amount of weapons and abilities to master. Shwip takes the genre back to its arcade roots by offering pure skill-based gameplay rather than rely on upgrade paths and loot drops to advance. Players will know exactly where they stand via global leaderboards and extensive stat tracking.

Players control the ship in typical twin-stick fashion, where the left and right sticks control movement and aim direction respectively. The game offers a standard slew of weapons including the cannon and mines, but Shwip extends this further with the short-ranged Whip, seeking missiles, enemy disabling magnets, and a powerful dash mechanic for getting out of tight situations. Players can also opt to remove themselves from the game-field in order to re-evaluate their situation and approach enemies from an entirely new direction.

The gameplay modes range from a timed score rush in Arcade, where players grab the highest score in a three minute window. Minefield mode puts players in an active minefield with a disabled weapon system. Players will maneuver around mines in order to gain points by hitting checkpoints, all while avoiding various enemies chasing you. Style mode gives players a list of tasks to complete. As the mode progresses, the tasks become more complicated. Players will have to learn how to combine attacks and abilities in order to complete these tasks and fill their turbo-meter. Once the turbo-meter is full, players will be able to then unleash an incredibly powerful turbo ability all while completing turbo-specific tasks. Finally, a multiplayer-only mode named shwip-ball combines air-hockey with the aforementioned whip mechanic to give players a competitive and mayhem inducing mode to play with their friends.

Shwip features local-multiplayer for up to 4 players. Each of the above modes except Style can be played competitively or co-operatively.

Shwip is available on Steam and is coming soon to Xbox One.