Rendered in a film noir style, the stories are set in late 1950s America. All of the characters are anthropomorphic animals whose species reflects their personality, character type and role in the story. Animal stereotypes are often used: for example, nearly all of the policemen are canids, such as German Shepherds, Bloodhounds, and foxes, while underworld characters are often reptiles or amphibians. Female characters are often much more human looking than their male counterparts.

Players experience a brand-new adventure of the charismatic black cat and private detective, John Blacksad.

For the first time, players will be able to see their hero John Blacksad in 3D, along with some of the game’s settings: the boxing club where his investigation begins or an alley in the city of New York, as imagined by Pendulo Studios and YS Interactive.

The 50s, New York City: Joe Dunn, owner of a boxing club, is found dead. Meanwhile, rising star Bobby Yale, due to take to the ring for the most important fight of his career, has mysteriously disappeared. Sonia Dunn, Joe’s daughter, takes over the gym and must deal with its financial woes. She hires private detective John Blacksad to investigate Yale’s disappearance.

With its anthropomorphic characters and its incredible 1950s feel, Blacksad: Under the Skin delivers all the eerily dark adventure of a detective novel, just like the eponymous comic book series. While embodying detective John Blacksad, players will have to conduct this adventure in their own way. Depending on their decisions, players will influence the relationships between Blacksad and the other characters as well as the very end of the investigation.

Originally scheduled for September 27, then pushed until Nov. 5, Blacksad: Under the Skin will now be released another few weeks later.

Europe

• November 14th: Limited Edition (PC, Xbox One and PS4) and Collector Edition (PS4 and Xbox One).
• November 28th: Nintendo Switch Limited and Collector’s edition and digital version on the Nintendo Eshop.

North America

• December 10th: All digital and physical versions on PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

The comic attempts to reflect a dirty-realist outlook and a dark cinematic style through fairly clean, realistic lines. Detailed watercolor drawings, including real-life places and cities, also contribute to the realistic feel of the series, despite the fact that characters are animals. The style of drawing has evolved throughout the series, with later issues displaying sharper, higher-quality color and fewer grainy lines.

The main characters are:

• John Blacksad – hardboiled private investigator. A black cat, Blacksad was raised in a poor neighborhood and spent much of his youth running from the police. This and his service in World War II likely account for his above-average marksmanship and fighting skills. He also spent a year in college as a history major before being expelled. Like other hardboiled detectives, Blacksad narrates his stories, adding cynical commentary on the evils of the world around him. Unlucky in love, he never seems to be able to form a lasting relationship, often due to circumstances beyond his control. He usually wears a dark suit and trench coat, and uses the alias John H. Blackmore on several fake IDs, including debt collector, FBI agent and customs officer.
• Weekly – Blacksad's occasional sidekick. A brown least weasel who does not like soap and water and has an odor problem, he has a near-constant optimistic attitude, working as a muckraker for a tabloid called the What's News.
• Smirnov – Police commissioner and friend of Blacksad. A brown German Shepherd, Smirnov sometimes helps Blacksad to reach the rich and powerful which he himself cannot touch due to 'pressure upstairs'.

Key Features:

• Investigation phases and deduction: As the story progresses, players will be able to explore the game areas (with more or less freedom depending on the situation), in order to find clues and question potential witnesses.  Blacksad must analyze the clues gathered to draw conclusions. This deduction system enables players to link up various elements (clues, observations, etc.) in order to come up with theories and open up new leads. If the association work matches up, the detective will come to a conclusion. If the deduction fails, the clues will remain available for a new attempt.
• Multiple choice dialogue: Dialogue scenes offer players the chance to move the conversation in different directions. They will need to choose the options they think will be the most useful to their investigation. These choices will decide Blacksad’s development and relationships, as well as future opportunities. Players will have the option to remain silent during certain exchanges, directly affecting his profile, unique to each player.
• Cat senses: Being a cat gives Blacksad several significant advantages. His sharp feline senses like his vision, smell and hearing will help analyze certain situations with more depth. By doing so, players will be able to identify previously inaccessible details.
• Quick Time Events: QTEs can be related to various actions or action scenes and must be completed in order to progress through the game (all failed attempts will have to be replayed). Players will face two types of QTE: pressing a given button at the right time or filling a bar by repeatedly pressing a button.

Blacksad: Under the Skin will be released for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC/Mac on Dec. 10, 2019 (Nov 14 in Europe). The game will be fully dubbed in English, French and Spanish. Blacksad: Under the Skin will also includes subtitles in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Dutch.