tech
Pony Island 2 Panda Circus: gallop out of hell in this phantasmagorical follow-up to 2016’s indie hit
Daniel Mullins explains how he plans to follow up his quirky classic without losing what made it stand out in the first place
TL;DR
- Pony Island 2: Panda Circus is in development by Daniel Mullins, the creator of Inscryption and Pony Island.
- The game promises a more complex and multifaceted gameplay experience than its predecessor, incorporating 3D landscapes, pixel art JRPG sequences, and mechanics similar to The Case of the Golden Idol.
- The narrative follows a historical warrior damned to hell and tormented by a video game-making Lucifer, with a new crusader protagonist.
- Gameplay elements include top-down exploration akin to 'Oregon Trail through medieval China,' with hunger and thirst bars, and torment from the Chinese god of death, King Yan.
- The game features a three-dimensional hub called the Earth Prison, from which players access different chapters.
- Mullins describes the project as having an 'unmanageable number of bespoke, one-off game systems' and being 'too big to fit in my mind'.
- Composer Jonah Senzel, a long-time collaborator, is also involved in the project.
- Panda Circus is in its 'final stretch' phase of development, undergoing private beta, with the release date to be announced soon.
- The game is expected to feature bombastic boss battles, an ARG for fans, and meta-commentary.
- Pony Island 2: Panda Circus is planned for PC, with Linux/Mac releases to follow.