Private Division and Take-Two Interactive announced Penny’s Big Breakaway from Evening Star at today’s Nintendo Direct. Evening Star is Christian Whitehead’s studio, which previously worked on Sonic Mania.
“At Evening Star, we have a deep passion for expressive, character-driven games focusing on a concise and satisfying move-set. For our debut title, we challenged ourselves to bring that approach into not only a new IP, but to an entire 3D world,” said Christian Whitehead, Creative Director at Evening Star. “Penny’s Big Breakaway has been a wonderful opportunity for our team to grow creatively and technically as a studio, and we can’t wait for players to perform plenty of slick tricks with Penny and Yo-Yo!”
Penny’s Big Breakaway is built in the proprietary Star Engine, where you attempt to escape an impending penguin horde in each level. Penguins come at Penny from all corners, including the walls and cliffs. Thankfully, Penny is agile as an aerialist and can spin, jump, and ride over terrain. Every obstacle allows Penny to build her speed and gain some room away from the oncoming Penguins. The developers mention a Story Mode is coming in addition to a Time Attack Mode.
With her trusty partner Yo-Yo being the main reason for them being in this mess, Yo-Yo can get them out of their mess. Each level features treats for Yo-Yo to consume, adding temporary power-ups like increased movement, a shield, and more. Penny’s yo-yo can pick up various single-use tools, like busting down doors to reveal new areas or pull in collectibles.
“Evening Star are experts in the platforming genre, having been entrusted with an iconic gaming franchise, and delivered one of the best platforming experiences in recent years,” said Michael Worosz, Chief Strategy Officer, Take-Two Interactive, and Head of Private Division. “Penny’s Big Breakaway is an exciting debut title that brings an all-new protagonist to life in a memorable world, and it has an enormous opportunity to be a smashing success due to its broad appeal.”
Penny’s Big Breakaway will be released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC early next year.
