Hey, you love your pet, right? Of course you do. And you’d love to see your pet immortalized in a video game, right? Of course you would (don’t lie). Well, it just so happens that there’s a new game in development that could help make that wish a reality.
Buck is a 2D action title with hand-drawn graphics currently in development by Wave Interactive Games. The brainchild of game designer and founder, Gal Kfir, the game is an homage to his own dog who he promised to make a game about one day. Buck the real dog has since passed on, but Kfir is staying true to his promise.
Buck follows the much-adored Metroidvania style of gameplay, allowing players to freely explore the world of the Cordova Desert. Buck is not just the best fighter in Cordova, but also the best mechanic. Using junk found in the desert, Buck will be able to upgrade his weapons to give him an edge as he punches and shoots his way through the many bandits and other ne’er-do-wells that he happens upon throughout his adventures.
I personally became aware of Buck after finding that British game reviewer James “Caddicarus” Caddick is lending his voice for the character Nibbler the Salvager.
The campaign for Buck is looking for $75,000 AUD. While donating to the Kickstarter campaign yields many of the usual perks expected from a game, like physical copies or concept art, probably the most exciting aspect of investing here is that certain tiers will allow you to get own dog or cat into the game, either as a simple photo, sketch, or even character! At the $45 level, your pet’s photo and a black-and-white sketch of him/her will be included in the end credits as Buck’s Kickstarter Pal. At $200, your pet will be fully realized into Buck’s world as a non-interactable background character. At the $250 level, your pet could have been an enemy for Buck to fight, but, sadly, this tier is now closed. However, there’s still a chance. If you up your donation to $300, you can get your pet into the game, as well as a poster of Buck and your pet into the midst of a fight. Act quickly, though, because, at the time of this writing, there’s only one more spot open at this level. Moving on, though, if you give at the $350 level, your pet can be bumped up to interactable NPC. While having no actual bearing to the story, Buck will be able to speak with your pet, who will hopefully give some kind of delightful one-liner. This is all detailed more in-depth on Kickstarter page. I’m seriously considering what my Corgi might be able to bring to this game if it reaches fruition.
Still $65,000 AUD away from the desired amount, it’s a pretty lofty goal, especially with only 20 days to go. But I don’t hear any fat ladies singing yet. Even without the pet bonuses to go with it, Buck looks like a promising Metroidvania project. Seeing your pet drawn into the game is just the icing on the cake.
