A man with one life torn between two worlds. By day, Anton runs a DVD store. By night, he works as a hitman. Keeping the darkness of the night from bleeding into the light of day is where things get complicated.
Blackwood is an independent third-person action game from Attrito M7 Productions built around an unusual premise that combines the mundane routine of running a video store with violent, John Wick-inspired firefights. Released today, Blackwood is the kind of game that immediately stands out because of how confidently it blends two worlds that shouldn’t naturally fit together.
Two Lives, One Problem
The interesting part of Blackwood isn’t simply that Anton has two jobs. It’s about how he balances those two lives without allowing one to contaminate the other. He struggles to keep the darkness out of the day and the light out of the night. It’s this duality that the developers explore throughout the world of Blackwood.
Within Blackwood, gamers will get to explore two different worlds:
Day
During the day, Anton lives a relatively normal life. He has a DVD store to manage, customers to deal with, and a business to maintain. Players will also have to manage Anton’s health and wellness, along with the personal relationships he has cultivated.
Night
When night falls, however, Anton’s world completely changes. The bustle of the store and its customers are replaced with contracts and jobs for some of the most dangerous entities in NYC. His once-quiet routine at the store gives way to violence.
The development team behind Blackwood built the game’s identity around that contrast. Anton can’t simply be a hitman; he has to maintain the appearance of being an ordinary business owner. The two sides of his life are constantly threatening to collide, creating the central tension that drives the game.
The Gameplay Loop
Blackwood’s gameplay is built around a simple rhythm: manage Anton’s life during the day, then step into his other profession once night falls. The two halves of the game serve very different purposes, with the quieter portions establishing the world and the nighttime sequences delivering the action.
Attrito M7 built the day-night system around clean and dirty economies that allow players to explore the complex world Anton inhabits.
During the day, gamers will interact with Blackwood’s clean economy. This is where Anton runs the DVD store, allowing players to earn clean money that can be used for business or personal expenses. Players will be able to purchase inventory and improve the store, which will help them earn more money.
That money will allow players to buy food, clothing, and firearms. As Anton, players will be able to purchase legal firearms through online firearm retailers within the game. Players will also be able to purchase weapon attachments and accessories for custom builds.
At night, players will be able to accept contracts. The illegal money earned from these contracts allows players to purchase black-market firearms, ammunition, and accessories to enhance their ability to complete contracts.
Black-market weapons will allow players to upgrade and illegally modify their weapons within Blackwood, allowing them to create builds tailored for specific missions. This is a nice added touch.
I don’t know what the developers consider illegal modifications, since the team is based in Bangladesh. I know what would be considered illegal under federal and New York State law. Hopefully, the team at Attrito M7 did its research.
The two economies provide players with two very distinct gameplay loops that could potentially fuse together to create an interesting overall gameplay loop. It offers a mix of simulation, resource management, and third-person action. The challenge for the developers is keeping the game entertaining enough that gamers don’t see the day as a checklist they have to complete before reaching the action-focused nighttime gameplay.
John Wick-Inspired Gunplay
If the premise provides Blackwood with its identity, its gunplay provides the adrenaline. From the gameplay trailers and development blogs, the developers have taken inspiration for the game’s gunplay from the John Wick film series.
John Wick’s co-directors, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, have decades of experience in fight and stunt choreography within Hollywood. Their style focuses on long, highly choreographed takes that allow the action to flow and breathe.
This choice grounds the fight scenes with a realism that is seldom seen when action movies rely on rapid shots and close-ups strung together to hide an actor’s lack of fight skills.
Why Blackwood Stands Out
Why should anyone care about this game?
There are three main reasons:
The Premise
The story of Blackwood centers around a protagonist who is a DVD store owner by day and a hitman by night, leaving stacks of bodies in his wake. The game is also set in NYC during the 2010s.
Tonal Contrast
Blackwood is built around the separation and potential collision of Anton’s two lives, creating an interesting dynamic that I would like to see played out within the story.
The developers use this story dynamic to create the game’s clean and dark economy systems. It allows players to experience the duality and complexity of Anton’s world.
Gameplay
The gameplay within Blackwood appears to match the modern action style popularized by the John Wick series. The gunplay looks fast and engaging, with an ebb-and-flow dynamic to it.
The game’s environments also appear to give players enough freedom to use their surroundings as a strategic advantage, whether that means moving in on an enemy or finding cover to take a moment to plot the next move within a fight. Much like a John Wick film, the game creates a style of beautiful violence steeped in darkness and neon lights.
The fighting and grappling systems also look solid. Bodies move with weight and momentum, while punches and kicks appear to land with impact during fights. These systems come together to create a fast and fluid combat system that encourages creativity.
Who Is This For?
Blackwood looks particularly suited for players who enjoy stylish action games, crime stories, and the modern action-movie aesthetic popularized by films like John Wick. Its unusual premise may also appeal to players looking for something outside the typical military shooter or traditional action-game formula.
Price & Availability
Release Date: September 16, 2026
Platform: PC
Price: Hasn’t released in my time zone yet
Where to Buy: Steam
Developer: Attrito M7 Productions
Publisher: IZilla Games
BLACKWOOD launches today, September 16, with the game’s story planned to unfold across three Acts. Players who purchase the game at launch will receive Acts 2 and 3 as free updates, with Act 2 currently scheduled for March 2027 and Act 3 planned for September 2027.
While BLACKWOOD’s content will be released progressively, the developer is positioning the game as a full release rather than an Early Access title. Players who purchase the game at launch will not need to purchase the subsequent Acts separately.
The Bottom Line
Blackwood is an independent game taking a risk by expanding our idea of what a third-person action game can be. The premise alone is enough to get most people interested. A DVD store owner who moonlights as a hitman is already wild enough to get your attention.
What makes it interesting is how it builds its video game identity and gameplay loop. It doesn’t follow the typical third-person shooter or action-adventure tropes. Instead, it provides gamers with a unique look at what can be created within this space.
What makes the game even more interesting is how it builds its identity around the tension between those two lives, pairing an unusual narrative premise with stylish action inspired by modern crime cinema.
It will be interesting to see if Attrito M7 can bring all of these elements together and create a compelling narrative and gaming experience.