Developed by Australian-based studio – Its Got Stealth – Samurai Unicorn is an upcoming animated series that uses PS1-style graphics to tell its story set within a cyberpunk world.
The goal of the PS1-style graphics is to “evoke a feeling of late-90s video game aesthetics while creating a new and unique voice of its own,” according to Its Got Stealth’s description of the game. Even the intro of the trailer features the iconic sound of the first PlayStation console.
The story of Samurai Unicorn certainly hits all the right notes for the cyberpunk genre, which is set in a corrupt city (is there any other kind in cyberpunk stories?) that is run by a megacorporation named Goliath. The series – which will take place over the arcs of 3 episodes along with a prologue short film – will follow Klo, a young detective in the Sydney3 Police Force, and her guardian, the titular Samurai Unicorn, as they fight against parasitic creatures that have invaded the lower levels of the city, while navigating and fighting against Goliath and the police force’s internal corruption.
Samurai Unicorn is funded by Patreon supporters, which means that the first episode won’t actually go into production until the studio’s goal of $2,000 per month is met – every dollar of which goes towards supporting the team of artists behind the show. Depending on the selected tier, backers can expect to receive behind-the-scenes access, exclusive art prints, and unique background characters that are based on backers’ likeness.
At the time of this writing, the goal is only 28% met, so if you’re hoping to get more nostalgic PS1-era action, now is the time to back the project.
