I demoed a few games at Summer Game Fest in Los Angeles, but one that stuck with me the most was SPINE, coming in 2026 from Nekki, a 100-person studio from Cyprus. I sat at the booth to play SPINE after having earmarked it ahead of the event as one of those games that I was very curious about, and I’m glad I did.
In SPINE, players assume control of Redline, a capable and agile combatant with a ‘SPINE’ augmentation that gives her remarkable powers, allowing her to bounce around the screen delivering intense ‘gun-fu’ sequences.
Meet Redline
Redline has already won me over as a protagonist. She’s easy on the eye and has already become a favourite amongst prospective fans. I was advised by the devs at Summer Game Fest that the community rushing to form behind the game has already borne the fruits of a couple of decent cosplays replicating Redline.
The segment I played from SPINE was a little ways into the game, which I found out will stretch to around 10 – 15 hours for average gamers. I was pitted against scores of minions, faced off against challenging boss characters, and explored a few minutes of the story, which takes on a small-but-mighty form in SPINE.
The order of the day in SPINE is rapid combat mechanics that are reminiscent of the Batman: Arkham series. Players familiar with that line-up of titles will feel right at home with the controls and fundamental features of SPINE, which is designed to be dramatically accessible to all comers.
If you took Batman, put him in the body of an intriguing redhead, and dropped him into a gritty, cyberpunk world teeming with bad guys armed to the teeth, you’d have SPINE.
Nekki has done a fantastic job of ensuring the dynamic camera fuses perfectly with the sublime combat choreography to keep the action flowing at all times. The gun-fu mechanics are sweet, and everything from the finishing moves to ad-hoc perspective changes keeps things moving at a pace that might set your head spinning if you’re not careful.
SPINE is set to be released on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series XS in 2026, but I learned from the developers that it could be ready by the end of this year. I also learned that the team is working on a Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game, given how powerful the new console is.
Does SPINE look like your kind of game? Let me know what you think on the Insider Gaming forum.
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Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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