Overgrowth takes place in the savage world of Lugaru where rabbits, wolves and other animals are forced to use paws, claws and medieval weaponry to engage each other in battle. Combining 3rd person adventure platforming with intricate melee combat, Overgrowth achieves a unique feel. Overgrowth also benefits from Wolfire's brand new Phoenix Engine which has been built from the ground up to allow the use of cutting edge graphics, animation, and physics. Add to these exciting features Overgrowth’s realistic artificial intelligence and streamlined control system and the result is an astoundingly immersive experience.

Lead artist, Aubrey Serr, has been emphasizing versatility with his building assets so that using only a small variety of parts, he can create a wide range of detailed structures. The new screenshots also allude to the functionality of Wolfire developer, Phillip Isola's map editing system which was used to arrange these in-engine scenes. Phillip's editor is rumored to be as intuitive as it is powerful because he has been carefully monitoring the observations made by Wolfire's alpha testers.

This is a huge milestone for the Wolfire team because it is the first major demonstration of how Overgrowth's building assets will integrate with the Phoenix Engine's terrain system. Although Wolfire still plans to improve many parts of Overgrowth's engine, fans now have a much better understanding of the look and feel that will be captured by the final version of the game.

Key Features :

• Streamlined Combat Controls: Overgrowth uses combat contextual controls to eliminate the need for button mashing, combo memorization, and elaborate flight-sim inputs. With only one designated attack button and a multi-purpose grab button, Overgrowth allows players to execute dozens of intuitive combat maneuvers.
• Combat Strategy: Overgrowth levels present players with an environment and a set of objectives. However, beyond this initial setting, players are given complete freedom to determine when, where and how they should attack. There are multiple logical solutions for each level meaning players can adopt thinking patterns most suited to them.
• Realistic AI: The computer controlled characters in Overgrowth are self interested creatures. Ego can drive enemies to attack the player singlehandedly, but if it becomes clear that fighting the player head to head is going to kill them, they will turn and run for help. Unlike the bad guys in most Hollywood action movies, the Overgrowth AI has no qualms about making fights unfair by attacking savagely and simultaneously.
• Realistic Movement: Overgrowth's movement is contextual, procedural, and physics based. The result is a real-time, player-controlled parkour performance that avoids the pitfalls of motion capturing.
• Mod Support: The editors that the Wolfire developers use to make Overgrowth are included with the game. Players are thus able to create custom campaigns, cut-scenes, levels, costumes and items. Player-created content is supported by Wolfire's site so that modifications can be observed, ranked and shared online throughout the Overgrowth community.
• Cooperative Multiplayer: Players can team up against the computer in online cooperative battles.

Wolfire Games' Overgrowth is in develoopment for PC ($29.95) and consoles, scheduled for release Q1 2009.