A few years ago, Disney Animation Studios had an idea for an animated film in which a family of humans wants to explore the dangerous world they live in. That film was called Strange World, and although we're not sure if it was a source of inspiration for Shellbound, we'd put our money on it.
Shellbound, one of the recent reveals at the Kinetic Publishing Showcase, is a 2D Metroidvania in which you play as a parasite travelling on the back of a giant snail, exploring a living world full of tiny life forms, where the snail's organs form biomes and labyrinths shaped by the animal's own anatomy. The parasite has special powers that allow it to take possession of creatures - both allies and enemies - as well as NPCs.
There's no doubt that with this premise, there could be a very interesting game here, but it will still be quite some time before we can see it for ourselves. Shellbound is scheduled for release in the summer of 2028 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch 2, and to make the wait more enjoyable, here's the game's main artwork and a gallery of screenshots.
What do you think?
