Tomonobu Itagaki, of Valhalla Game Studios, has released a ten minute video featuring bloody gameplay footage for the upcoming Wii U exclusive, Devil’s Third. Though the Wii U may typically see releases with colorful, family-friendly aesthetics, Devil’s Third apparently makes little to no effort in toning down the gore. It’s currently set to release in Japan on August 8th, 2015 and the U.K. shortly after on August 28th, 2015. No word yet on a North American date, however.
Devil’s Third places you as protagonist, Ivan, in world where the Kessler Syndrome Theory* has proven true, throwing the world in chaos. With no civilian or military satellites floating around Earth, the balance of world power shifts and brings deadly conflict in an attempt to regain control.
If you wanted fast paced swordplay with guns, it looks like Devil’s Third may be exactly what you’re looking for. Itagaki, known in part for his work on Ninja Gaiden, definitely shows that arcade-y ninja combat influence in Devil’s Third melee. There’s more to this than just hacking and slashing all day like a madman, though! Yes! You can also shoot and blow stuff up all day like a madman! Another major mechanic for combat is doing just that. The gunplay switches the normally third person camera to first person when aiming down the sights of your gun. The transition from third to first person (and back) seems fluid and natural. Hopefully the game feels as solid as it looks.
Devil’s Third has had its fair share of trials and tribulations on its long and arduous road to completion. Originally slated for release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Valhalla Game Studios felt quite the setback when their publisher, the now defunct THQ, pulled out of the project. Though friends of Itagaki fought to keep it as a THQ property, it was labeled as “unlikely to make a profit” according to an article on Polygon.
*For those unaware of the Kessler Theory, it was a theory proposed by NASA scientist Donald Kessler in 1978. It basically states that when too many satellites are launched into Earth’s orbit, collisions between them could cause a cascading effect. Once two satellites collide and explode, their debris will be such that it will come in contact with nearby satellites and thus the cycle repeats. Read more about the Kessler Syndrome Theory here.