Does Platinum Games' Xbox exclusive live up to the hype?
A title that's been shrouded in secrecy,
Scalebound has been the source of much speculation since it was first unveiled last year. Developed by Platinum Games, the studio behind
Bayonetta and
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, a lot of us blithely assumed the game would be heavily combat-focussed, with plenty of flashy set-pieces and stylish combat. If Platinum have shown us anything over the years, though, it's that they're a studio unafraid to try new things; Wii U exclusive
Wonderful 101, for example, showed a willingness to subvert the character action formula and experiment with new ideas. After seeing
Scalebound in action, it's clear that the mixed critical and commercial reception to
W101 hasn't curbed the studio's desire to push itself forward and explore new territory. In fact,
Scalebound is shaping up to be one of Platinum's most ambitious and unexpected titles to date.
Although it has roots in the character action games upon which Platinum's legacy is built,
Scalebound has more in common with the sprawling, open-world RPGs of Bethesda and CD Projekt Red. This might seem like a major departure for a studio that specialises in balletic button mashers, but
Scalebound's director, outspoken videogame veteran Hideki Kamiya, is no stranger to the genre; after all, he did helm
Okami, one of the most beloved RPGs of the PS2-era. Despite knowing this, seeing
Scalebound in action for the first time still comes as something of a shock. A pleasant shock, but a shock all the same.
The demo footage introduces us to the world of Draconis, a tumble of grassy plains and towering trees stretching off into the distance. Swooping onto the scene is Drew, a dragon-riding dude who, with his artfully tousled hair, Beats-ish headphones and tasteful leather jacket, sticks out like a sore thumb. According to Kamiya, that's kind of the point - Drew, you see, is a traveller from our own world, and has, for reasons unknown, ended up in Draconis bonded to a dragon. Beats the usual nine to five, I suppose.
Upon sighting some armour-clad dudes of dubious allegiance, drew dismounts and starts dishing out some punishment using his sword and shield. Although it lacks the fizz of
DMC, even at this early stage combat look chunky and satisfying. There will be different weapons that cater to different play-styles, and it's pretty to safe to assume the combat will grow more technical as the game progresses and Drew gains access to more moves and abilities.
The first thing that struck me about Scalebound was the sumptuousness of its visuals. Platinum's past games are hardly what I'd call ugly, but they are well known for putting function ahead of form, sacrificing extraneous eye-candy to keep frame-rates as high as possible. With
Scalebound they seem to be taking the opposite approach, scaling back the frame rate to give visuals a bump. It's a decision that makes a lot of sense - maintaining any where near a constant 60fps in an open-world game, on the Xbox One no less, would be a nightmare - allowing the team to create a large, lively space for players to run around in.
This is good news for the game's visuals, but may concern anyone who is unprepared to take 30fps for an answer when it comes to action games. Luckily, combat, while no doubt important, seems to only be a small part of
Scalebound, not the sole focus: this is a fully-fledged roleplaying game, one with all the usual bells and whistles, including loot, stats and skill trees. There is one bell and whistle unique to this particular title, however, and that's Thuban, the lumbering great dragon that fights by your side. For reasons yet to revealed, out hero Drew finds his fate inextricably bound to that of a towering scaly wyvern (hence the title). The two fight as a pair, allowing players to sic the mythical beastie on unsuspecting enemies. During the demo, Kamiya flicked around his cursor, highlighting enemies and objects that your dragon can stomp at the press of a button.
Seeing this winged behemoth tear around the screen like an overexcited puppy, sending bodies flying and toppling buildings, it's hard not to feel a stirring of childish excitement. Having a virtual dragon to call your own is quite a draw, and while it's not like Scalebound is the first game to feature these proud, mythical beasts, it is one of the first to paints them in a more sympathetic light, calling on players to fight alongside them instead of skewering them with a sword. Like the player, Thuban will grow as the game progresses, unlocking new abilities and coop moves. You'll even be able to customise his appearance, tweaking his scaly outerwear and colour scheme to suit your own palate.
During the demo we see the two work together to take down a huge insect-like enemy. This sequence plays out a little like a encounter in
Monster Hunter, our human hero whizzing around taking potshots at the giant enemy while his dragon keeps the scuttling horror occupied. Drew can get into the thick of the action by grappling onto the enemy's back and hacking at it with his blade. After a few minutes spent hacking and slashing the enemies crashes to the ground, at which point Thuban unleashes a gout of dragon fire, reducing the fallen foe to a shower of pellucid blue sparks and red gems.
It's an impressive showing, and while it's clear that there's still plenty of work to be done, I came away from my first glimpse of Platinum's latest title feeling pretty excited. Even at this early stage, the title shows plenty of promise and -given Platinum's track-record- I have no doubt the game will be a joy to play. The big question, of course, is how well they will be able to build on that core - do they have what it takes to create a fleshed out open-world, one with enough content and variety to keep players coming back for more?
.jpg)
.jpg){kind=link}