Secret Ponchos Launch Trailer, Details On Combat

Secret Ponchos was finally available today on PlayStation 4. To celebrate their first release, developers Switchblade Monkeys revealed the launch trailer for Secret Ponchos:

The launch trailer features the beautiful character design and the unique, fast action twitchy combat that Secret Ponchos boasts. A western themed competitive online shooter, Secret Ponchos is an unusual entry into the shooter genre. It pulls influences from an eclectic mix of games including Street Fighter II, Team Fortress and League of Legends.

Switchblade Monkeys President and the Creative Director of Secret Ponchos, Yousuf Mapara wrote a post for PlayStation Blog to explore the creative process behind their unique take on combat in Secret Ponchos.

With regard to quick, twitchy combat, Yousuf Mapara wrote, “We wanted to keep the quick-twitch style of more traditional fighting game combat, allowing you to see what your opponent is doing and react in fractions of a second to either escape or counter attack. Elements such as maneuvering into the right position to land a strike, precisely timing your attacks to hit your opponent when they are vulnerable, and aiming mechanics that rely on precision instead of point and click combat. We also wanted players to be able to use the environment to hide or take cover, to strategize team formations, and even use line of site mechanics to set up ambushes or escape a heated shootout.”

On ensuring that every action was a strategic choice with real consequences Mapara explained, “We knew early in development was that we wanted to avoid making a “spammy” game where it’s chaotic unloading of attacks at each other until someone randomly dies. The solution was creating a set of benefits and consequences for each move. This way, everything you do becomes a strategic choice. When you first start playing you make choices intuitively, but as you get better you become more aware of their consequences and become more strategic in your play. You can recklessly run in guns blazing, but when you hear that dreadful “click” of an empty chamber, you realize you’ve made yourself an easy target. A good opponent will be aware of it too, often counting your shots and playing evasively to make you waste your rounds into the ground and walls.”

To learn more about the importance of controlling your space, attack types and gang fights in Secret Ponchos, head over to Switchblade Monkeys’ Presisdent Yousuf Mapara’s post on PlayStation Blog. Secret Ponchos is out today on PlayStation 4 and is free for PlayStation plus subscribers. Check it out and let us know what you think about this stylish and unique take on western shooters.