E3 2013: Studio Japan Spent a Year Perfecting Puppeteer's Jump Mechanic

Puppeteer is truly shaping up to be something of a dark horse. The moody Studio Japan platformer has been patiently sitting just outside of the spotlight since its announcement at GamesCom last year, but it looks like it’s finally ready to take centre stage. And judging by this live GameSpot demonstration, it’s poised to be something of a star performer.

The video includes footage of a lengthy boss sequence – one of a whopping thirteen in the full game. In it, protagonist Kutaro is shown chopping a papercraft dragon to pieces, using a pair of scissors that set on fire. The presentation is apparently inspired by everything from Tim Burton to Monty Python, and it definitely shows.

But it’s the gameplay that’s drawing our attention. Throughout the video, the hero is shown using his scissors to chop up tissue paper clouds and grind across string rails. And according to creative director Gavin Moore, the studio spent about a year nailing the feel of the actual platforming.

“We spent a long time on these mechanics,” he says. “The jump took over a year to get it the way that we wanted, and that’s because of the speed of the character and the way that the backgrounds change. So, we spent a long time refining that. We had one guy just working on the jump for a year.”

We bet that that was a fun year, huh? Still, it looks like the effort has definitely paid off – the game looks absolutely fantastic. Is this on your radar, or are you willing to wait in the wings until you've read a few reviews? Let us know in the comments section below.