BLACKWOOD is a third-person action thriller that blends smooth, responsive combat with a grounded, story-driven experience. Set in Brooklyn, 2012, you play as Anton Blackwood, a quiet DVD store owner by day, and a contract killer drawn into the city’s criminal underworld by night. At its core, BLACKWOOD features a dynamic contextual takedown system, allowing players to finish enemies in multiple ways depending on the surroundings. The combat is fast-paced and tactical, giving players the ability to dive, roll, and use the environment to their advantage in cinematic yet challenging encounters. The story of BLACKWOOD is told through a grounded lens, focusing on flawed characters living in a detailed recreation of New York City. Every poster, ad, and tattoo adds meaning to the world, while each mission takes you deeper into Anton’s story and the people tied to his double life.
We’ve been truly grateful for the positive response since BLACKWOOD’s reveal. The wishlists, comments, and community discussions mean a lot to us, and we wanted to address a few things we’ve seen mentioned:
Visual Style: The look of BLACKWOOD reflects our studio’s chosen art direction. It’s part of the identity we have built, slightly stylized, close to realism, and intentionally distinct.
Facial Animation: We did face some challenges with facial motion capture early on, but the system is now properly functional. All previously shown cutscenes will be updated before release to reflect these improvements.
We’ve also uploaded three new devlogs that offer a glimpse into the development process of BLACKWOOD, focusing on how we created the game’s characters, animations and gameplay.
When it came to the characters, we focused on making every detail matter. From clothing and scars to tattoos, each element helps tell each character’s story visually. This includes Anton’s own look, where even his hairstyle carries meaning tied to his past and personality.
For the animation process, we worked with real stunt performers who have experience in film and action choreography. Every takedown and movement seen in the game was performed by an actual stunt actor, with no exaggerated or fabricated animations. This allowed us to capture the weight and realism of each action, staying true to the grounded tone we want BLACKWOOD to have.
Close-quarters combat is a core pillar of BLACKWOOD. From brutal, contextual takedowns to a responsive cover system, every move is crafted to feel sharp, heavy, and grounded. Amid the action, Anton’s quieter moments in the DVD store bring balance and depth, making the world feel truly lived-in.
We appreciate every Wishlist and the support you’ve shown so far. BLACKWOOD is something we’ve been passionate about creating, and we can’t wait to show you more as development continues.