When someone plays Warp for the first time, they generally have one reaction: laugh at the volume of blood, then turn to me and say, “I didn’t expect that.” This is what happens when a cuddly alien makes a scientist explode from the inside out. With its sci-fi world, unique mechanics, and combination of adorable character meets extreme gore, Warp is the kind of game you might not expect to see – if it weren’t for the digital space, that is.

So what’s the game about, other than pulverizing scientists? Warp is a puzzle-based stealth action game where you play as Zero, an adorable alien trapped in a human testing facility. You’ve been captured and experimented on, and wake up from your ordeal with one ultimate goal: escape. Easier said than done but, lucky for us, cute little Zero isn’t really that helpless.

Warp is all about your alien powers, and the entire game was designed as a showcase for their many applications. We put a lot of work into making sure that, not only are these powers really fun, but players can combine them in many different ways for a completely unique play experience. The powers (we’ve revealed so far) are:

Warp: The game’s titular ability, warp is a short-distance teleport that lets Zero move through walls and into objects. Handy for ducking through walls and hiding inside objects, from barrels to human bodies.

Frag: Once inside an object, you can vigorously move the left stick to explode or “frag” your way out, often in a shower of blood and viscera.

Echo: Allows you to create a ghostly decoy of yourself or any object you’re currently warped into. Useful if you want to lure soldiers away from you, or just spook some scientists.

Swap: Acquiring swap allows you to place your echo over an object and instantly trade places with it. This power essentially gives you a much longer warping distance, and is a good way to move objects around. You can also swap objects inside of other objects … as seen in the trailer above.

Of course, though these abilities have some violent applications the game never has to turn into a bloodbath. As much as it’s a game about cool alien powers, Warp is also about rewarding individual playing styles. You can employ stealth and not kill a soul, or warp inside every human you see and turn them inside out: The choice is up to you. Throughout the campaign you can also purchase upgrades with the grubs you’ve collected. These powerful upgrades combine with your existing powers, making Zero a real force to be reckoned with. But choose wisely! Some grubs may be harder to spot than others, and to fully upgrade Zero you’ll need to nab them all.

While we’re big fans of a compelling single-player experience, we’re equally excited about are the social elements in Warp. Our programmers built an incredibly detailed stats-tracking system into the game, so obsessive gamers beware. With in-game stats popups comparing your scores with your friends or the global leaderboards in real time, you’ll always know how your Warp skills stack up.

For the perfectionists out there we have also included challenge rooms, accessible from the main menu if you want to hone your skills. Challenge rooms have online leaderboards for fastest time, but your competitive nature isn’t the only reason to play – the better you do in the challenge rooms the more grubs you get, allowing you to purchase more upgrades for Zero. The gold medal times, set by our development team, are no easy feat – we didn’t call them challenge rooms for nothing!

PlayStation has been a strong supporter of quirky, unique, and innovative games, and it is a great pleasure for us to bring Warp to the PlayStation Network this winter. If you want to keep on top of what’s happening with Warp, visit us on our website, Twitter, and Facebook. And don’t forget – if you have any questions for the team, post away in the comments below!