Phantom Hellcat puts a theatrical spin on the golden age of slashers

Slasher-platformer Phantom Hellcat just got a new trailer along with some developer commentary during the Future Games Show at Gamescom Powered by Mana.

Introduced by Norman Lenda, creative director at developer Ironbird Creations (and their furry friend), Phantom Hellcat takes protagonist Jolene across three intricately-crafted, theatrically-inspired 2.5D worlds before going fully 3D for some seriously stylish slasher combat.

Those three worlds differ significantly. You'll take on sets inspired by the likes of modern mythological figures like Dracula, but each stage is tied together by the story behind the theatre. Imprisoned within those illustrious boards is a demonic threat, and when the beasts escape and take their prison guard - Jolene's mother - with them to another dimension, it's up to you to fight to save your family.

Jolene won't just have her theatrical training to fall back on. As well as a deadly sword (and presumably a lot of stage combat ) and a banging personal soundtrack to help set the rhythm, she'll be able to draw from the powers of different magical masks. Each disguise can be upgraded as you progress through the game (and the skill tree), letting you approach each stage and battle however you like.

Lenda says Phantom Hellcat is a "love letter to the golden age of slashers." While there's no release date on show just yet, the game will be coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC via Steam, where you can wishlist it right now.

If you’re looking for more excellent games from today's Future Games Show, have a look at our official Steam page.

Ali Jones
News Editor

I'm GamesRadar's news editor, working with the team to deliver breaking news from across the industry. I started my journalistic career while getting my degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick, where I also worked as Games Editor on the student newspaper, The Boar. Since then, I've run the news sections at PCGamesN and Kotaku UK, and also regularly contributed to PC Gamer. As you might be able to tell, PC is my platform of choice, so you can regularly find me playing League of Legends or Steam's latest indie hit.