A side-scrolling action game from a China-based studio has just been announced. Titled The Oriental Exorcist, the news of its upcoming release came from publisher Bilibili and developer Wildfire Game.
The Oriental Exorcist is set in a fantasy world, currently infested by vicious and violet demon monsters. You play as the unnamed protagonist, known only as an “Exorcist”, and you must fight against the chaotic evil through the rich and dangerous realm. Throughout your journey, you will come across unforeseen entanglements with the most complex beings, which can either be friend or foe.
The game boasts a fantasy world that is hand painted from the ground up, showcasing a vibrant fantasy world with Eastern influences. This is evident from its landscapes, characters, and enemies. This hand-drawn frame by frame animation method is also evident in most of the combat in the game, which makes for very expressive, immersive, and smooth gameplay experience. As for its gameplay mechanics, The Oriental Exorcist includes Stamina in the game. This adds a level of difficulty and required planning for a side-scroller, as you cannot just rush through levels haphazardly. Lastly, even though we have seen some hack and slash mechanics in its trailer, narrative is still an experience that The Oriental Exorcist will focus on. In its game description, it says something about two protagonists, and although additional playable characters aren’t announced yet, I’m assuming the red-eyed lady underwater that was in the trailer plays a pivotal role in the game.
Checking out the trailer, it’s amazing to see how gritty and soulful the art design is. The animations and combat look pretty clean as well, and the character and enemy designs look pretty well-made. It’s a trend I’m seeing lately, and on Steam of all places – lesser known developers from China are putting out high-quality titles, despite some obvious language barriers for some titles.
The Eastern inspired side-scrolling action adventure game will be releasing for the PlayStation 4 and PC via Steam. No date has been confirmed yet, but The Oriental Exorcist is slated to release by 2020. Gamers who like a dark, gritty side-scroller with a Witcher-esque plot can now add it to their Steam Wishlists.
