Meet Aztez, the Aztec-themed brawler with impeccable style

Trends and fads come and go in gaming, just like they do everywhere else. First came the Zombies, then came the roguelikes, then, well… zombies again. If Aztez , an Aztec-themed brawler, is part of a new trend in historic side-scrollers with incredible art styles, then it is a trend I heartily endorse.

We saw something similar with Apotheon , a Greek-themed side-scroller, but Aztez looks more bloody and chaotic—or maybe the black-and-white color scheme just makes the blood pop. Either way, the devs at Team Colorblind have built a real stunner of a trailer for Aztez. The game will bounce between turn-based strategy and side scrolling beat-em-up sequences as you work to expand the Aztec empire. As an Aztez, an elite warrior, you'll be sent in to “squash revolts, curb plagues,eliminate political opponents, coerce powerful neighbors, protect allies, and more.” Sounds like a busy job, doing the dirty work for an entire empire, but it looks like fun.

There's also a real weight to the attacks, sending characters flying around the place. Get a load of the heft of this club:

Beautiful. Head to the Aztez website and the devblog for more details and to follow along. Aztez will be released this year on Steam.