The Crowd-fund Funstravaganza: Hero-U is not on Wii U.

We gamers have had a bit of a tumultuous relationship with Kickstarter and other crowd-funding sites and we are likely to continue to do so for a while. Whether you think they are a scam, destroying gaming or the greatest thing to ever happen to gaming, there are plenty of excellent sounding concepts in the works and its time we took a look at them. Naturally of course, just because I mention something doesn't mean we endorse it, or have played it, or know any more about it than you do, unless specifically noted otherwise.

Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption




Kicking things off we have Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption, a game being developed by Lori and Corey Cole - the wife and husband game designers behind the ever-popular Quest for Glory series of Adventure/RPG titles. Taking place in the Heroes University Hero-U, you play Shawn O'Conner. Failing his thieves' guild initiation, he is given a choice - Hero-U or prison. Naturally, he chooses Hero-U and your adventure begins.

The main focus of Hero-U is choice, which the Coles have permeating every aspect of the game. The relationships you have with other characters in the game will change how the story plays out and the various puzzles of the game will be solvable in a variety of ways. Like the Quest for Glory games, Hero-U will be a blend of Adventure and RPG genres, with Shawn having stats which are increased through use and turn-based combat.

If you're looking at jumping on Hero-U, you'll have to do so very soon - the project closes up in 41 hours. It's currently at $339,231 of its $400,000 goal, but with a little luck, it will make it. A $20 pledge will get you a DRM-Free copy of the game upon release (estimated October 2013) and a $50 pledge will get you the game plus a key for either MacGuffin's Curse or Jolly Rover on Steam or the 5 Quest for Glory games on Gog.com. $65 will get you Hero-U, a key and beta access in January 2013 - in my mind a little too expensive for beta access, but you might feel differently. If you'd like to learn more, you can check out the official website.

Sui Generis




Sui Generis is an interesting new Action-RPG being developed by a small indie developer called Bare Mettle. In development for the past year, they have joined Kickstarter in an attempt to raise funds as they continue to create the game. The story follows the fairly generic 'villager-with-a-secret' path and is set in a Dark Fantasy world filled with murder and wickedness - but it isn't the story which draws me in.

Instead it's the gameplay. Sui Generis is open world and it sounds brutal. While you can play entirely alone, you can also recruit followers - and unlike most games these days, when your followers die, that is it. The developer hints at bringing them back in some other form, but not as they were. The physics engine Bare Mettle have designed for the game looks intriguing too - you're best off watching the Kickstarter Pitch video to see it in action, but needless to say it is rather intricate.

Sui Generis is currently only at £61,632 of its £150,000 goal, with 10 days to go - though it seems if they don't succeed they will accept donations via paypal. The game is expected to launch in May 2014 and you can get a copy of it for just £10 - though do note that's Pounds, not Dollars (they are a British outfit.) £20 will get you into the beta, along with getting the full game upon release and £40 will get you into the Alpha as well. You can learn more about Sui Generis via the official Bare Mettle website.

Montas




We have talked a fair bit about Montas here on GameArena - I explained some of the themes of the game here and you can check out my interview with Garth Robertson, the man behind the game here. If you just want a quick refresher, it is a First Person Horror game in which the alcoholic protagonist must uncover the secret of Montas while avoiding the dangers presented by enemies and the environment itself. It will also use the Oculus Rift, the virtual reality headset which went through Kickstarter earlier in the year, to increase immersion and scare the bejesus out of us.

As Garth is an Australian, he has used indiegogo instead of Kickstarter, which no doubt has something to do with why Montas has so far only raised $1665 of its $30,000 goal. Indiegogo's Flexible Funding has probably scared away some as well - while Kickstarter projects don't take any money unless the goal is met, Flexible Funding means you will be paying however much you pledge whether the goal is met or not.

I would say that given Garth plans on making Montas whether he meets the goal or not means this situation makes Flexible Funding ok, but I can understand if some don't feel that way. Regardless, $10 down will get you a copy of Montas on release, $50 will get you two Montas shirts, plus the game and soundtrack and $180 will get you the above plus a Montas themed skateboard deck. Because what do you think of when you think 'immersive first person horror game'? That's right - skateboard. You can learn more about Montas via the official Welcome to the Opera website.

LA Game Space




Here's something a little different. A lot of people are confused by the idea of Kickstarter - is it an investment, is it pre-ordering? Some people defend the idea of someone not coming through on their Kickstarter project after being given a half million dollars by saying 'it's an investment, sometimes investments fail' but that is an infant's view of investments - in reality, particularly if you give a pass or defend those who fail to meet their stated objectives, Kickstarter is more like gambling.

But if you would prefer to view the world through less cynical eyes (and I do) then the LA Game Space is looking to be a very worthwhile investment. As anyone outside Los Angeles is unlikely to benefit from the LA Game Space itself, instead they have done something different - pay $15 and get 30 experimental games. Games by awesome indie developers like Cactus (most recently known for Hotline Miami, plus about a billion other games), Bennett Foddy (QWOP and GIRP and CLOP), Ben Esposito (who worked on the only game leighh has given 10/10 - The Unfinished Swan) and Mark Essen (better known as Messhof, of Nidhogg fame.)

If you pay $25 you get the games along with 24 hours of non-stop music by someone or something called Dublab. $55 will get you the games, the music, a t-shirt, a zine and a massive poster. The LA Game Space still has 18 days to go, and is currently at $35,429 of its $250,000 goal.

Interstellar Marines: Prologue




To wrap things up today, we have something for you action fans out there - though action games don't always do so well on Kickstarter. Interstellar Marines: Prologue is a FPS with RPG elements and co-op, set in a future with shark-dogs. I don't know if they are called shark dogs, but they are sharks that run about on four legs, and that is what I am calling them.

The pitch video describes Interstellar Marines as a combination of Half-Life, System Shock 2 and Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield - and if that doesn't make you hyperventilate then I don't think we can be friends any more. The game is being developed by Zero Point Software - two guys who have previously worked on titles like Crysis and Deus Ex - and there is a trilogy set in the Interstellar Marines series due once Prologue is finished.

The Prologue seems to take place inside a training facility and will focus on different situations thrown up by the facilities AI - SARA. SARA can change situations on the fly - making your standard hostage rescue harder by making it storm, or by changing the rules of engagement. This means missions will be different each time you play, which should make things very interesting.

Interstellar Marines is currently at $111,832 of its $600,000 goal with 9 days to go, so it seems like it might not make it. All pledge tiers come with beta access - and $20 will get you the full game upon release, both on Steam and a DRM free variety. $30 will get you Alpha access as well, along with 'Open Door Development' - which is a fancy way of saying that the developers will listen to your feedback. $60 will get you all of the above, plus a copy of the first game in the trilogy - First Contact. If you want to learn more about Interstellar Marines and play through the prototypes of the game (available for free until the end of the Kickstarter) check out the official site!

Are there any projects you've seen on Kickstarter or indiegogo which you think others should check out? Let us know in the comments below!