Serious Sam: Shatterverse – A Brand New Take On A Classic

Developer Behaviour Interactive has announced Serious Sam: Shatterverse, a fresh take on the classic shooter franchise published by Devolver Digital. The project began when Behaviour Interactive eagerly seized the opportunity to develop a new entry, driven by the team's fond memories of playing Serious Sam: The First Encounter from the early 2000s. The developers aimed to honor the legacy of Croteam's original work while creating a distinct experience that could appeal to both longtime fans and a younger audience unfamiliar with the series.

To establish the foundation of Shatterverse, the development team recreated the signature feel of Serious Sam within Unreal Engine. This process involved modernizing and redesigning the franchise's classic gunplay, backpedaling mechanics, and iconic enemies. The team drew their primary inspiration from The First Encounter and The Second Encounter, aiming to make the new game feel like a celebration of the franchise's upcoming 25th anniversary. This meant preserving high-octane action, massive enemy waves, and grand boss battles designed to serve as major set pieces.

While the game successfully captured the look and feel of the original titles, the developers felt it initially lacked its own unique identity. To address this, they focused on two core design goals: recreating the urge to replay missions for high scores and secrets, and capturing the unpredictable feeling of having the deck stacked against the player. These goals led the team to adopt the first-person shooter roguelite genre, which they felt was the perfect fit to deliver these experiences.

Recognizing that roguelite shooters can often feel niche and difficult to approach, Behaviour Interactive designed Shatterverse to be highly accessible. The game features systems that are easy to grasp for newcomers, including those who have never played a Serious Sam game, an FPS, or a roguelite, while still offering depth for players seeking mastery. This philosophy also influenced the game's multiplayer structure; the developers chose peer-to-peer multiplayer and included an offline solo mode to ensure the game remains playable for decades without relying on dedicated servers that could eventually be shut down.

Shatterverse is launching as a complete, standalone game priced at $19.99 (with an initial discount to $17.99) rather than relying on a live-service model. However, the game has been built to support future expansions and downloadable content to expand the experience if players desire more. The developers noted that multiple rounds of beta playtests and community feedback have been instrumental in polishing the game, with the core audience appreciating the ability to easily share their love of the franchise with new players.

In terms of story and gameplay, Shatterverse features Serious Sam Stone teaming up with alternate versions of himself from across the multiverse. Players join the Serious Program, a multidimensional force fighting against Uber Mental, whose machinations have fractured reality. To succeed, players must defeat five of Mental's formidable lieutenants across shifting universes. The game combines classic and brand-new weapons, unlockable boons, permanent upgrades, and run modifiers, delivering high-adrenaline, run-and-gun arena chaos across procedurally shifting runs.