Blacksad: Under the Skin
A 3D adventure game adapting the Blacksad comic series.
Blacksad: Under the Skin is a 2019 adventure game developed by Pendulo Studios and published by Microïds. It is an adaptation of the Spanish comic series Blacksad by Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido, and follows John Blacksad as he investigates the suspicious death of a boxing club owner. The game is notable as Pendulo Studios' first licensed project and its first to use fully 3D graphics.
- developer
- Pendulo Studios
- publisher
- Microïds
- release_date
- 14 November 2019 (PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One); 10 December 2019 (Nintendo Switch)
- genre
- Adventure game
- platforms
- PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- based_on
- Blacksad comic series by Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido
Lore & Background
Blacksad: Under the Skin is set in New York City during the 1950s, chronologically between Blacksad: Arctic Nation and Red Soul. The story begins when protagonist John Blacksad is approached by Sonia Dunn, daughter of boxing club owner Joe Dunn who has died suspiciously. She asks Blacksad to investigate and locate the club's star fighter Bobby Yale, who has been missing since Dunn's death. The game contains 30 unique characters and five from the Blacksad comic series: John Blacksad, Commissioner Smirnov, Jake Ostiombe, Paulie, and Weekly. It features six possible endings.
Reader's Guide
Blacksad: Under the Skin represents a significant shift for Pendulo Studios, moving from point-and-click interfaces to direct character control and fully 3D graphics. Its gameplay, compared to Telltale Games' work, L.A. Noire, and Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter, is choice-based and alters the player character's alignment with other characters. The game's development began in late 2016 at Microïds' suggestion, and Pendulo collaborated closely with the comic's creators. The game received mixed reviews from critics, and its release was marred by a technical error that caused an unfinished version to launch in Europe on 5 November 2019, before the planned 14 November release. Patches followed to fix bugs and instabilities. The game is officially considered non-canonical to the comic series.
Did You Know?
- Blacksad: Under the Skin is Pendulo Studios' first game based on a license and its first to use fully 3D graphics.
- A technical error caused an unfinished version of the game to launch in Europe on 5 November 2019, nine days before the official release.
- The game contains six possible endings.
- John Blacksad's heightened feline senses allow the player to slow down time and perceive visual clues.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Blacksad: Under the Skin?
It is a 2019 adventure game developed by Pendulo Studios and published by Microïds, built as a video-game adaptation of the Spanish noir comic series Blacksad created by Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido.
Who is the protagonist and what is his role in the game?
You play as John Blacksad, a half-wolf, half-cat private detective in a rain-soaked, animal-populated city. His job in this story is to dig into the suspicious death of a boxing-club owner and uncover who really pulled the trigger.
How does the story in Blacksad: Under the Skin end?
Blacksad pieces together the conspiracy surrounding the boxing-club owner's murder and brings the truth to light, closing the case in a manner consistent with the noir tone of the source comics.
Why is Blacksad: Under the Skin considered a milestone for Pendulo Studios?
It marked the studio's first-ever licensed project and was also their first title rendered in fully three-dimensional graphics, a notable shift from their earlier 2D adventure work.
On which platforms can I play Blacksad: Under the Skin?
The game launched on PlayStation 4, Windows PC, and Xbox One on 14 November 2019, followed by a Nintendo Switch version on 10 December 2019.
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