I walked into SPINE at Summer Game Fest 2025 with high expectations. The neon-soaked streets of Tensor City seemed to offer a rich, vibrant world, and developer Nekki provided a glimpse of what it’s like to play as Redline—a graffiti artist turned revolutionary—in their upcoming cyberpunk action game. And I’m intrigued. After spending 20 minutes with this stylish gun-fu brawler, I walked away thinking Nekki has crafted something special—a game that doesn’t just pay homage to John Wick’s balletic violence but elevates it into an interactive art form.
SPINE places players in control of Redline, a red-haired artist whose life is turned upside down when she receives a sentient spinal implant. This isn’t just any cybernetic enhancement—the implant, simply called Spine, becomes her combat companion in the fight against the oppressive Tensor AI regime that controls her city. The premise immediately evokes The Matrix and Neo’s journey, but Redline’s story feels distinctly her own, rooted in street art culture and urban rebellion, with a visual flair reminiscent of Hong Kong and other Asian metropolises.
The combat system is the game’s biggest selling point, seamlessly blending martial arts with firearms in what the developers call gun-fu. It reminded me of what audiences saw in Equilibrium back in the early 2000s. During the SPINE demo, controlling Redline as she cut her way through hordes of enemies felt incredibly cinematic. She springs around opponents with fluid motion, delivering devastating kicks and punches before seamlessly transitioning into weapon-based takedowns—and let me tell you, it’s glorious. SPINE feels designed to empower players to experiment and explore the full potential of its combat, rather than struggle with each new encounter, allowing them to star in their very own action movie.
But as you can tell by this point, SPINE is a bit different from your typical action game. What sets it apart is its commitment to delivering a unique cinematic experience. The third-person camera maintains a letterboxed, film-like quality throughout most encounters, keeping Redline’s bombastic fighting style and striking red outfit front and centre against the cyberpunk backdrop.
“During the SPINE demo, controlling Redline as she cut her way through hordes of enemies felt incredibly cinematic.”
Of course, raw hand-to-hand combat is only one aspect of this gun-fu action game, and SPINE brings a fair share of options to take down enemies. The weapon system adds tactical depth without overwhelming complexity. Redline starts each encounter with a basic handgun and a can of spray paint—the latter used to temporarily blind approaching enemies. Weapons scattered throughout each level include shotguns and other firearms. Still, ammunition runs out quickly, forcing players to rely on melee combat and environmental takedowns if they want to push forward. This scarcity creates tension and encourages creative problem-solving, whether that means hurling enemies off rooftops or stealing their weapons mid-combat.
I was told during my demo that the studio developed its own animation engine, called Cascadeur, which pairs with Unreal Engine 5 to create those seamless, movie-quality takedown sequences. The result is combat that flows without awkward pauses or jarring transitions. Finisher moves blend naturally into the action, creating moments that genuinely make players want to cheer. One particularly memorable sequence showed Redline stealing an opponent’s shotgun before immediately using it to deliver a brutal finishing blow—pure cinematic gold.
“For action game enthusiasts who’ve been waiting for a true John Wick–style experience, SPINE appears ready to deliver that fantasy…”
While the combat is a key aspect, it’s the game’s overall visual flair that elevates the experience, embracing its cyberpunk setting without falling into tired clichés. Neon graffiti flourishes add personality to combat encounters, while Tensor City’s oppressive architecture provides the perfect backdrop for rebellion. The art direction reinforces the game’s narrative themes, with Redline’s artistic background influencing both the world design and her combat animations.
The boss encounter that concluded the demo provided a glimpse of SPINE’s challenge scaling. Facing an enemy with similar cybernetic enhancements created a noticeable spike in difficulty, requiring more strategic thinking and precise timing. I’ll admit—I failed several times in my quest to take down this fellow Spine user. Yet I love how it all works and how the developer structured the experience, helping the player feel powerful while not being afraid to test their newly acquired skills against worthy opponents.
SPINE is scheduled for release sometime in 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. While still in early alpha, the game already shows remarkable potential. For action game enthusiasts who’ve been waiting for a true John Wick–style experience, SPINE appears ready to deliver that fantasy, with style, substance and a healthy dose of cyberpunk rebellion. I can’t wait to return to the city and once again test Redline’s skills in more gun-fu action.
