Rifter’s soundtrack alone is enough to drop you headlong into a kickass ’80s movie training sequence. Or, if you’re of a certain age, back to the golden age of synth-pop, when bands like Japan, Depeche Mode and Visage lit up the school disco strobes.
This speedy, acrobatic platform game comes from solo indie developer Maximilian Csuk (aka IMakeGames,) who cites ’80s-themed top-down shooter Hotline Miami as a major inspiration, at least in terms of visual style.
He says the ’80s aesthetic works for him at a practical level. “I’m a programmer,” he told Polygon. “I don’t have much experience doing visual art. But I was able to study the style well because it has a distinct color palette. This allowed me to use strong colors like green and magenta for signaling, without them feeling out of place. And with a game this fast-paced, communicating with the player in a clear fashion is really important.”
Rifter is coming to Linux, Mac and Windows PC in July.
