Ontario-based video game developer Big Blue Bubble is known mostly for their ventures in the mobile market. While games like My Singing Monsters and Zombie Bloxx are solid mobile titles, their upcoming project serves as a nice breath of fresh air.

Big Blue Bubble’s Marketing Director Karen Chalmers shared that their new project – Foregone – is something that the studio wanted to create after looking at all of the assets they had under their belt. Their goal is a lofty one – to deliver a unique IP to the industry. Chalmers admitted that Foregone pulls influence from some of gaming’s most recent success stories, including Dead Cells and Dark Souls, but the team is determined to deliver a product with its own flavor.

If my time with the game’s demo is any indication, they’re certainly moving in the right direction.

Foregone is a 2D-platformer that puts you in the knee-high boots of The Arbiter, a warrior whose homeland was destroyed by malevolent forces that have resurfaced with the intent of continuing in their evil ways.

In the build I played, the 10-minute demo covered the game’s controls and primary combat system. The super soldier’s control scheme initially overwhelmed me with the amount of variation and options available, but I eventually got a sturdy grasp on how to play the more I had the controller in my hand. Bouncing from standard attacks to tactically-timed slides and primed shots made the combat slick like a baby seal.

The Arbiter is also given a handful of different abilities to use that add to the complexity of the game’s combat, including a dash attack, protective shield, and a heal feature, which can be filled from downed enemies. The Arbiter’s abilities are complemented by an intricate and rewarding weapon system. Much like Dead Cells, progression will net you better loot for both melee weapons and side arms.

Chalmers made sure to point out that the demo was meant to showcase the core gameplay, and that other innovative features will be added later in development. Some planned additions include a skill tree for upgrading weapons and a narrative for The Arbiter that follows “her story and plot twists that will unravel later in the game.”

One feature that felt like would be a natural fit in Foregone is a mechanic such as leaderboards for a speedrun-specific mode. Chalmers clarified that this wasn’t part part of the current plan, but could potentially be added later in the game’s development.

While I certainly see similarities to Foregone‘s inspirations, my hands-on demo revealed that the game does differentiate itself enough to be considered a reinvention, as opposed to a carbon copy.

Foregone is currently scheduled to arrive in Winter 2020 for PC with other platforms to follow thereafter. You can add the game to your wishlist by visiting the game’s Steam page.