Alongside the above trailer, developer Vagabond Dog has revealed a May 21 release date for its pixelated adventure Always Sometimes Monsters.

Don't let the familiarity of chunky pixels fool you, Always Sometimes Monsters isn't a sweet, saccharine affair. Vagabond Dog describes the game as an "unconventional story-driven RPG about life, love, and the lengths that we will go to find happiness in both," but fails to mention that the "lengths" it is referring to include maudlin deathbed scenes and shotgun assassinations.

Though that may seem bleak, the game is not specifically designed to be a downer. Instead, Vagabond Dog has created an open world that reacts to your character, and crafts a suitable narrative around the actions you take within the pixelated reality. "Always Sometimes Monsters is designed to reflect parts of yourself as you play and possibly give you a better understanding of who you are," said developer Justin Amirkhani. "What makes it interesting is not learning whether or not you're a monster, but reflecting on how you can change."

If you just can't wait until May 21 to dig into Always Sometimes Monsters, you will get an early shot at the game at the upcoming PAX East convention, where you'll find Always Sometimes Monsters in the Indie Megabooth, at booth 787. [Image: Devolver Digital]