The VGA reveal for this particular title was noteworthy for the fact that it's trailer actually featured gameplay. (Oh how nice, I'd almost forgotten what that felt like...) Our trailer starts off with some nice artwork featuring the first character to be revealed for this game, Crimson Night, and it probably is immediately clear through everything, from the character design to the sound choices, that this game will lean heavily on it's Chinese cultural and historical influences. Once the action actually begins, I personally was struck by how much the world seems to have been crafted around the expectation of perpetual motion. We see it from the way the leaves bustle as though caught in a hurricane, as well as the billowing of Crimson's robes as she locks blades in combat. This fluidity to the animation actually creates quite a unique feel for the title which I think will help this game gain an audience once it starts hitting shelves. (It at least makes any footage of game fairly recognizable.)
From there the key thing to note about this trailer is way in which we can observe the marriage between combat and movement that appears to be rather seamless. (Although we'd have to get our hands on the title to really attest to that fully. Otherwise we'd end up with another Assassin's Creed 3 on our hands.) The footage focuses on two different characters, both representing players, who jump and whizz through this breathing painting-in-motion in their hunt for each other. Once they finally meet there is a clash of action that seems to hearken make to the visceral melee attitude of Ubisoft's 'For Honor', but with a fantastical, vibrant and more lively flair.
With that out of the way, let's be frank with on another; I'd call 'Naraka Bladepoint' one of the more exciting reveals at the VGA's; and, yes, I say that because I think it looks like a new-age For Honor and I'm still bitter about how that game's ecosystem choked on itself. Although, perhaps the really exciting parts about this game is the way it appears to veer from 'For Honor' into a weighty melee PVP game that feels distinctly more agile. Looking at any of the promotional text around this game it is easy to see a theme of 'freedom' in this title, most commonly in relation to movement. The official Steam page makes mention of a "boundless movement system" and that specifically is in reference to the 'grapple' system for this title which is alleged to allow players to hook onto anything that they want, essentially making traversal of the environment a key factor to consider during your matches.
Another key bragging point for the promotional material would be on the way that thier combat is entirely built around a parry system with no reliance upon blocking at all. (Someone call From Software, these guys are stealing their Schtick!) This might seem like a minor feature to brag about, but those who have tried out 'Sekiro' will know that something like that actually holds major implications for the way that combat plays out. Typically, solely melee online games come down to battles of stats wherein those with the best 'item sets' or 'point distribution' is more likely to win unless they truly sabotage themselves. (In fact, that is part of the reason why 'For Honor' did so poorly in it's first few months. Stats ruled the meta for that game and concepts like 'Skill' were all too often lost.) What '24 entertainment' have hinted to, by shirking such a system, is an experience that sounds like it will be far more accessible for folk in the same vein as Overwatch.
Of course, it's too early to say whether or not this title will command the same respect as Overwatch did in it's heyday (although common sense would indicate that it never will) I believe we can see a faint bit of inspiration from the world famous hero shooter. My first evidence to that point is the way in which this title focuses on 'Hero' characters that are likely to boast unique skills and backstories between each of them. Note, this is different from the 'charcter archetype' model from competitive titles like 'Destiny' or 'For Honor' because it relies on creating PCs with personality and character too them. Secondly, the Naraka's visual style maintains some degree of cartoony-aloofness that is similiar to the style that Overwatch and Fortnite cultivate, although the gameplay itself is decidedly more violent. This allows the game to avoid looking dated within a year as well as opens up the potential for creativity with character and world design. (When you stop trying to be accurate all the time, there's actually a lot of other directions you can go in.)
Of course, I am imbuing a few of my own hope and dreams into my analysis of this game, because we have no idea how this title will turn out. The Studio behind it, '24 Entertainment', don't appear to have any other games under their belt, at least according to their steam page, and they are self published, meaning this ambitious title is being undertaken without any outside help. Even Keighley admitted that he came across this title by chance and wanted to show it off to the world, we're essentially looking at a blank resume and being told to expect great things. Of course, everyone has to start somewhere, and a solid showing like this is as good a foundation as any to start building your studio's reputation.
Admittedly, I'm not exactly the gold standard of player that a title like this is looking for, I'm more of a single player guy, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a suitably exciting game when I see it. But then, I am a rampant oriental-obsessive so perhaps that has clouded my judgment a little for this title. As far as fresh new indie games go however, I think it'll be a while before we see anything that looks as slick and polished as this game does, and that's enough for me to give this project my time of day. It's up to the developers themselves to deliver, however.
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