After a lengthy development period, Studio Nekki has provided specific details about the release of its firearms project Spine as part of its future games showcase at Gamescom. The cinematic single-player shooter is scheduled to officially launch in summer 2027 on PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is also planned, but will only be released after the main announcement. The newly released gameplay trailer gives you a closer look at the intense combat, game world, and protagonist’s backstory.
The plot of Spine takes you to the dark dystopia of Tensor City – a technocratic megacity controlled by an authoritarian artificial intelligence regime. You play the role of Redline, a rebellious street artist from the slums of downtown. When her brother disappears without a trace after a failed mafia hit, she sets out to find him. In order to survive the superior strength of her enemies, she implanted herself with an intelligent combat implant called the “Spine”, which has its own consciousness and gives her superhuman reflexes.
The core feature of the game is a combat system that the developers call “Gun-Fu”, which combines smooth melee combat with rapid use of firearms. This system allows you to dodge enemy fire in tight spaces, disarm attackers and attack them directly with their weapons. You can also parry, counter, and finish enemy attacks with brutal finishing animations. The environment can also be dynamically integrated into combat.
The developers put a lot of emphasis on cinematic presentation based on modern action blockbusters. Specially developed camera movements stay close to the red line during combat to capture the dynamics of an action movie without stripping you of direct control of your character. The game is developed based on Unreal Engine 5 using Nekki’s own animation software Cascadeur.
In addition to the regular AI government foot soldiers and mafia henchmen, you’ll face powerful boss opponents again and again throughout the game. These include the “Tensorsons” – elite warriors with their own combat implants who demand everything from you in combat. Clash will take you through different locations, from the shabby streets of the old city to the shiny facades of high society.
