A new video game in development should capture the interest of Maritime gamers and history buffs.

Developed by Sytrax StudiosButton Man is set in fictional Halifax during the Prohibition era. The game follows Bruce McKenzie, who is the Button Man to the most powerful man in town. After his boss is murdered, Bruce McKenzie must find out who did it and protect the city from dangerous factions.

Styrax Studios CEO Ron Ismach says the game is an ode to the games he grew up playing.

“Button Man is a bit of a call to the past, it’s based on games I played as a kid, like adventure games, beat ’em ups, and I always wanted to create one of those games, those are the games that I remember very well,” Ismach said in an interview with CTV’s Crystal Garrett on Monday.

Although the game is a beat ’em up, Ismach says the violence is rather low and the game focuses much more on storytelling.

“I didn’t want to create something violent, something that was really unappealing to people who want to experience the history of a place, and I think Nova Scotia is the perfect place to experience it.”

Ismach said there was also a focus on keeping the game accessible to as many people as possible.

“The experience should be familiar to people who have played games of the past, you move left and right, you fight certain people, you talk to people, you make choices. This part of the game was very comfortable for people, we don’t want it to be too unique and people need too many adjustments,” he said.

Button Man is supposed to look like a retro comic book. Ismach said a lot of work went into creating a unique look for the game.

“Our artist took inspiration from comics like Tintin and Smiling Jack, and all those comics to really create this style that we’re very proud of, very crisp, very fluid and very unique animation even for the video game scene .”

The game is intended to be a love letter to Halifax, a place Ismach has fallen in love with since his arrival in the city.

“Moving here and settling in Halifax, opening my business, I couldn’t think of a better place to host this game than Nova Scotia itself,” Ismach said.

“I am a person who is always trying to find my place in the world, a home. I am a person who moved with my family about seven times to my home country, then to Toronto, a few times to Toronto then to Halifax, a few times to Halifax, then we finally settled into a house, and since my When I arrived here, I felt at home,” he added.

Ismach said Halifax’s rich history and landscape was what made him choose the city as the setting for Button Man.

“Especially the views, my office is right across the street from the Waterfront and I see that Waterfront every day and I think about this game that I wanted to play that obviously takes place in the past, and the more I looked at it, the more I “I saw the connection between the mafia in the United States and our own province, especially during these times, and the story came naturally,” he said.

Button Man is expected to release around September next year, but those impatient enough can play the demo now, which is available now on the Steam platform.

With files from CTV’s Crystal Garrett.

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