All of our kaiju in BeastLink are inspired by animals in nature that have a strange or powerful trait that we find super cool to use as a foundation for a monster. The Horned Lizard was one of the easiest creatures for us to imagine at kaiju scale due to it being covered in spikes that create natural armor, and one of the most bizarre defense mechanisms in the animal kingdom: the ability to shoot blood from its eyes.
For BeastLink, we had to consider how to push those traits into a full battlefield brawler. We evolved the Horned Lizard to walk on two legs, giving her better mobility and more reach in close combat. We also chose to emphasize her tail, giving an additional destructive power to clear streets and buildings, smash vehicles, and destroy anything in her path. Instead of shooting blood from her eyes, she shoots high-intensity laser beams, destroying the city and killing anything that dares to get close.
But of all her mutations, the most terrifying and engaging may be her tongue, we knew it had the potential to create exciting gameplay. The Horned Lizard can launch her exceptionally long tongue across the battlefield, snatching humans and even vehicles from a distance and reeling them back into her mouth for a very tasty snack! One moment she’s stomping through the city like a tank, and the next she’s plucking targets out of the destruction and chaos with horrifying precision.
Corneal Beam - Adapt and overcome with the Horned Lizard. Create distance between you and your enemies with devastating concussive laser eye beams, which also melt any building or brute like BUTTER.
Tail Smack - When enemies close the gap, the Horned Lizard responds with force. She spins her body into a powerful tail strike that delivers a heavy hit and can disrupt her opponents.
Camouflage - Become a hulking behemoth of sneak using active camouflage on the battlefield. Opponent Beasts will be baffled at the Horned Lizards ability to cloak and perform a sneak attack... or a quick retreat to devour some humans and refuel!
Tongue Whip - The Horned Lizard digs her feet in for a devastating tongue slice that leaves your opponent not only wetter but damaged and humiliated as well.
Kangaroo Kick - Using the might of her massive tail, the Horned Lizard will propel herself into her opponent with a debilitating double-footed kick.
Power Spit - The Horned Lizard tongue has evolved to eat almost anything with life force or serum! Spitting a vehicle out will deal double damage against Beast opponents.
Dirty Shot - Sometimes being an apex predator requires a less than honorable strategy. When a successful block has occurred, the Horned Lizard will fire off a quick corneal beam attack to establish dominance.
Focused Shot - The penultimate corneal beam attack, with the biggest beam the Lizard can muster for a huge blast of Beast and Building damage.