Tribetoy and Beep Games, Inc. have announced that Bartlow’s Dread Machine, the old-timey arcade shooter based on early 20th-century parlour game cabinets, will officially launch on September 29th. This will be the first time the full adventure is available on Steam, where Bartlow’s Dread Machine is currently in Early Access. It will also serve as the game’s Xbox One debut.
Leading up to the launch, Beep and Tribetoy have today updated Bartlow’s Dread Machine‘s Early Access version to include featuring a new chapter of the pulp adventure and two more unlockable characters. The Canal Zone is the penultimate world in Bartlow’s Dread Machine and offers players another unforgettable scenario for our intrepid adventurer. Our hero will journey through dense Central American jungles to reach Teddy Roosevelt’s pet project: the as-yet-unfinished Panama Canal. There, our agent discovers that the excavation has uncovered a mysterious structure, containing untold horrors and dark magic. Our villain is waiting and serves up his most dreadful creations yet as our hero contends with both monsters and a series of disturbing visions! Will our hero be able to shoot their way out of this one…? There’s only one way to find out!
In addition to this suspense-filled yarn, Early Access players will now have the opportunity to unlock two more classic characters from the past:
Mary Fields, the pioneering mail coach driver and her deadly Hand Carronade weapon
Nicola Tesla, the iconic inventor extraordinaire and his shocking Lightning Precipitator weapon
Working up to the climax of our adventure in Bartlow’s Dread Machine, The Canal Zone really brings the heat. This chapter of the story really throws all sorts of twists and turns at the player both from a story, visual and gameplay perspective. Expect the unexpected.
Matthew Hoseterey Co-Founder and Director of Design at Tribetoy
Set entirely within the confines of this titular relic from the dawn of the Electric Age, Bartlow’s Dread Machine casts one to two players as government agents in a series of escapades through New York, San Francisco, and all across the continent as they seek to rescue the kidnapped President Roosevelt from the forces of evil. But beware, sinister forces are at work!
Bound to the clockwork gizmos running this contraption, agents are mere metal figurines roving around on rails. But these aren’t any ordinary tin toys as they have free rein on how to navigate these forking networks of tracks. Think Pac-Man if he were made of metal, wore a cool peacoat, and was packing some serious heat! Sets made of wood and tin unfold around you in real-time as you navigate this immersive puppet show. Encounter a cast of improbable monsters and historical characters as you traverse the high seas and beyond using trains, ships and even a newfangled automobile!
The final game will feature a wealth of content with 6 worlds, 52 guns, and all manner of outfits to deck out your gumshoe. Unlock unique spins on historical characters, like Zombie General Custer and Annie Oakley. Plus the drop-in / drop-out couch co-op contains per-player difficulty, allowing each player to set the challenge level to their preference.
Available now on Steam Early Access for PC, Bartlow’s Dread Machine is priced at $14.99 USD and will be available in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
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