Naraka Bladepoint and the Chinese Market

 This could be the start of something wholly new!

There is a certain stigma that follows anything that hails from the Middle Kingdom, and I consider that stigma to be "is this Genshin Impact? Why isn't this Genshin Impact." And "When is the new banner already?" (I really can't put that money sink of an online game down, if I weren't so stingy I'd be out of house and home from buying wishes alone.) There aren't a great many games that make it outside that great Chinese firewall, and games that are circulating around China tend to be, go figure, crappy knockoffs. Yes, I could play Call of Duty Chinese Edition, or I could just play Warzone which is much better coded, was developed by the actual COD team and has something vaguely resembling quality in it's overall production. (As it is I've chosen to play neither, but that's just a choice based on personal taste.) So when a game's very first introduction is laced with 'from China', expectations aren't exactly high. Which is why it was smart of Naraka Bladepoint to show the goods first and then reveal how the sausage is made. 

I still remember the reveal of this game all the way back during the Pandemic showcases, for it being such a beautiful looking stylised title that wasn't another ploddingly melodious indie game. Don't get me wrong, I love Limbo, Inside, and all of those gorgeous walking simulators out there, but I can't help the fact that well thought-out art styles usually accompany boring games, it's like a curse. But here is the curse breaker, just call this game "Gappy". Caught between this twilight state of animated painting, the gameplay we saw of this game always reminds me of the vibrancy you'll find in particularly colourful water paintings; It's just so bright and dreamlike. Whatsmore it's an actual honest to goodness competitive multiplayer game which looks like it's one errant design decision away from becoming an art house project, so I'm certainly interested enough to put my foot in the door.

Since that first reveal, however, there's been considerable more to talk about in regards to this game, including actual gameplay which spells out how this title will be played and the ways in which it's not just another 'here then gone' battle Royale clone like all the others. (There are so many others) Themed around Chinese mythology, with oodles of stylish stealthy-looking assassin types, Naraka Bladepoint promises speedy and brutal encounters to compliment it's 60 player Battle Royale gameplay and turn player duels into something akin to hunters versus other hunters. Earlier this year we saw some brief excerpts from a match which showed players throwing themselves around the map in abandon with grappling hooks and striking with fast melee flurries before hiding in some nearby bushes. It sounds like a particularly high octane way to play through a Battle Royale game, but I'll bet it'll feed those competitive types out there like ambrosial nectar.

But aside from the gameplay, I think the real star of the Naraka showcase, whenever we see it, is the world that they show off. I want to pick up this game just to go sightseeing, it's that wild and interesting to look at. And don't misjudge, having an interesting worldspace with variety and attention grabbing detail is no mean feat when you're juggling a world space comfortable enough to fit in 60 different active free-for-all players. (Just look at PUBG and how barren those maps are.) For Naraka we've already gotten glimpses of ancient temples poking out between forests of bloodred trees, giant caverns formed out of behemoth bones, Beached and broken pirate ships, hanging forest villages, classic marital art movie mediation lakes, just about anywhere you can imagine having a climatic death-duel, these developers thought of it too and put that in their gameworld.

Now that's just my two cents on what little I've seen of the game up until now, and unfortunately that's all I can offer given that my last week was jam packed and I simply didn't have the time to play the Open Beta which was available on Steam for that time. However, a lot of people were able to snap up that opportunity, and when I say 'a lot', I'm not just being vague for communicative flow. At one point the Bladepoint Open Beta was one of the most played games on Steam, which I'm sure has a little bit to do with the thing being free for a time and people loving free games (I'm no exception) but if they were willing to stick around then you know the game must have been doing something right. (Afterall, I remember playing the 'Homefront: The Revolution' open beta and thinking that the eventual heat death of the universe couldn't come any sooner.)

This is but another rung on the ladder to Chinese game developers really starting to make their stand in the global market and perhaps even someday getting the chance to house AAA powerhouse studios in their own right. It would make for a natural fit, given how much money these AAA games like to soak up and how that's pretty resplendent over there, but it's going to take real eye-opener games to get the rest of the world on board. Even I have to admit there's a certain distaste in my mouth towards this game simply because of the Country it hails from, as I wonder whom I'm helping fund by buying this game. But when I put that prejudice behind me I find myself genuine excited for another title that could, no pressure, be on the cusp of a great influx of culture into the industry. (This could be good for all games out there!)

As much as I adore Genshin Impact, I must admit it's not doing all that great when it comes to realms of Chinese developer representation. You know, kind of because of the way that they disguise themselves as Japanese developers for fear of the abject hatred they receive from their kinsman for daring to be inspired by Zelda. (I thought it was a ripoff when I first saw the trailers too, to be fair.) So it's going to be games like this one, which wears it's homeland deep in the heart of the world it crafts, and the ever exciting upcoming Black Myth Wukong which makes then wakes that cultural slumbering giant. And yes, as you may have picked up from my rapid tone, I do very much hope that Naraka is successful. It's refreshingly distinct from all the other Battle Royales out there and some distinction is worthwhile in a genre that feels like it's getting more bogged down everyday.

It's always hard, from up close like we always are, to lean back and take a look at the bigger picture, but it's something that I've endeavoured to do more recently. Or rather, something I endeavour to do more in a positive sense recently, because I've always been all about the big picture whenever I see something I don't like slithering out of the industry like a parasite. I think there's a veritable treasure trove of ideas, both surface level and far deeper, waiting to be opened up and I'm willing to sing the praises of any game that'll bring it into the limelight. Maybe Microsoft will see this burgeoning market as an opportunity to strike out ahead of Sony and sink some exclusivity deals, or Sony will lash out and scoop up some promising Chinese dev teams first so they can hoard more exclusives that belong on the PC. (give us Persona 5 you cowards!) Call it hopeful nonsense, but I have a good feeling about the future of the Chinese Market in the wake of this little Royale.

Naraka Bladepoint

I woke up lying in a mass of flowers, screaming red soulbloom.

Once more there we have a VGA announcement that was actually a brand new game coming out of nowhere and surprising people. (Keep and like this and you threaten actually bringing credence to the term 'World Exclusive') Before I dive into this, though, I have a couple of things to address. Firstly, yes I initially misreported this title as 'Raraka Bladepoint'. I know, how could I make such a serious and continued lapse in judgment? I should be ashamed. Secondly, yes this is a game coming out a Studio based in China, but that doesn't mean we should levy all of our China-related frustrations upon this title; not when we have Blizzard eager to take that bullet for the moment.

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.