Cristofer Sundberg and Liquid Swords’ new game draws from the past while clearly looking toward the future.
Liquid Swords has published an in-depth Q&A detailing what players can expect from Samson. Since the studio was founded by Avalanche Studios co-founder Cristofer Sundberg, the team has confirmed that the game will feature elements inspired by two of Avalanche’s most iconic titles, Mad Max and Just Cause. Fans of Just Cause will recognize the strong emphasis on physics, momentum, and the interaction between emerging systems, although Samson deliberately avoids spectacle and chaos for their own sake in favor of a more grounded approach.
The influence of Mad Max is also evident, particularly in the game’s heavy, personal melee combat and vehicle-based encounters, even if the setting introduces clear differences. Whether on foot or behind the wheel, Samson’s combat rejects stylization in favor of functional, purposeful violence. Instead of relying on predefined weapons, players make use of environmental tools such as wrenches, tires, or piles of bricks, improvising to gain the upper hand.
A variety of melee weapons can be stored in a vehicle’s trunk for tactical preparation, but the environment always provides immediate alternatives. Damage has both visual and mechanical consequences: collisions leave their mark on the world and visibly affect both the player character and enemies.
Driving plays a central role in Samson. Liquid Swords emphasized that vehicle handling focuses on weight, impact, and physical feedback, with intentional distinctions between vehicle types. Players can drive any vehicle they come across, although the developers noted that, unlike in Grand Theft Auto, civilians cannot simply be removed from vehicles. This suggests a different approach to vehicle theft, though details have yet to be confirmed.
Theft naturally triggers a response from law enforcement that escalates based on player actions, while other NPCs also react dynamically, either fighting back or fleeing. Priced at $25, Samson is designed with a relatively concise main story, following the protagonist’s attempt to repay a debt while time works against him. The core narrative takes around 10 hours to complete, expanding to roughly 25 hours with side content.
Side activities include vehicle-focused missions, high-stakes operations, illegal races, daring escapes, as well as thefts, melee encounters, and tracking missions. Completing these contributes to a progression system offering abilities and perks tailored to different play styles. There are no difficulty settings, meaning players face the challenges exactly as intended by the developers. Liquid Swords acknowledged that optimizing an open-world game is demanding, but stressed that this has been a priority from the start, with support from Epic Games, as Samson runs on Unreal Engine 5.
The current plan is to release the game on PC in early 2026, with console versions following later due to the relatively small size of the development team.
