One of the shock announcements of the recent February Direct was Astral Chain. While we were all led to believe PlatinumGames was hard at work on Bayonetta 3, it turns out the team has also been developing this brand-new futuristic IP for quite some time now.
Following the reveal of this action game set in a cyberpunk metropolis, Studio Head Atsushi Inaba published the following message on the official PlatinumGames Inc. blog page, explaining who is developing it and the world the game takes place in:
With today’s Nintendo Direct, we at PlatinumGames are proud to show off our latest project: ASTRAL CHAIN, a thrilling new Synergetic Action game for Nintendo Switch. We’ve been working on ASTRAL CHAIN for a while now, but we’ve had to keep it under wraps until now. But now that it’s announced, you won’t have too long to wait – It’s coming to Nintendo Switch on August 30! I’m sure some of you were surprised to hear that an all-new, original PlatinumGames title is on its way so soon!
The idea for ASTRAL CHAIN came from none other than Takahisa Taura, the lead game designer for NieR:Automata. Taura and his team – which includes veterans of such PlatinumGames classics as Bayonetta and NieR:Automata – have worked very hard to make his ideas into reality with ASTRAL CHAIN, his directorial debut. Naturally, Taura’s no stranger to action games, but he’s pushed himself to new heights with the dual-character, Synergetic Action of ASTRAL CHAIN.
ASTRAL CHAIN brings you to a bold, near-future cyberpunk metropolis, featuring character designs by Masakazu Katsura, the acclaimed artist behind beloved manga and anime like ZETMAN and Video Girl Ai.
Last but not least, the team has received supervision and guidance from none other than Hideki Kamiya, to ensure that ASTRAL CHAIN has that special something that action game fans have come to expect from PlatinumGames.
I hope that all of you will join me in looking forward to this exciting, original title from one of our up-and-coming directors. I’m confident that you’ll enjoy it.
Astral Chain is due to arrive on the Switch on 30th August this year. In the meantime, take a look at the announcement trailer below:
Was this one of your favourite announcements of the recent Direct? Tell us in the comments.
[source platinumgames.com]
Comments 69
This looks so cool!
This interview is off the chain!
DEVIL MAY CRY OUTDATED
SEKIRO OVERRATED
LONG HAVE WE WAITED
NOW WE ASTRAL CHAIN
I watched this trailer during the Direct with an open mouth. Well kind of. Anyway, yeah this one is now one of my most anticipated games and I had no idea Takahisa Taura is involved!
Yessss we need this now!!!
Cant waittt
People keep introducing the other guys, but assuming we know who Hideki Kamiya is. Can someone please let me know what's on his CV?
Yes, very much looking forward to this!
Look so good! With just a bit more polish this game will be amazing
This game looks so good!
While it seems like it will focus on a two player experience (both couch co-op and online?), I also hope it's possible to play this as a single player, with the computer controlling the other character (or maybe you can control both?). EDIT: Watching the trailer again, it seems like there are some single player stuff going on.
I'm glad I got my summer vacation late this year, with it going into the first week of September.
So hyped about this!
new character for smash?
Man this game i need it!
platinum games they do their name justice
@Quarth The game is definitely Single Player with an optional 2 player.
Just put it in my veins.
I'm really looking forward to this, the Switch needs more exclusives like this. Platinum Games with help from Nintendo means it's guaranteed to be quality.
According to someone from Gameinformer, Nintendo are reviving a game from the dead.
“Let me hint at something, I guess. This is a thing that I’m going to write up at some point as soon as I get some more sources on it. But there’s a game that’s thought to be dead that Nintendo’s reviving, and it’s not one that people would expect. It was very much a title that was dead and buried – very officially cancelled.”
@TheFongz Kamiya has worked as a director or had a large role in the development of
Resident Evil 1&2
Devil May Cry
Viewtiful Joe
Okami
Bayonetta 1&2
Wonderful 101
This game looks great, can't wait to find out more about it.
@TheFongz he had major roles in the following, ranging from story, systems design and directing:
Resident Evil 1, 2 and 0
Devil May Cry
Viewtiful Joe 1, 2, Double Trouble
The Wonderful 101
Okami
Bayonetta 1, 2 and 3
Needless to say, he has incredible vision for video game design. Pretty much every project he's been a part of has been critically acclaimed, and there are few in the industry as respected as him.
@OorWullie @Ashunera84 thanks guys!
I'm a huge fan of Okami and Viewtiful Joe, and these characters look straight out of Resi 2 so I'm even more stoked about this one now.
It's Platinum games, so it will be good... but the art style is typical Japanese cr*p, can't they try something new?
@OorWullie Yeah. I think we should see more like this, though with the success of the Switch and cause they only have one device to support. Also, after this year, most of Nintendo's big franchises will have seen a Switch iteration other than maybe Switch Sports (if it comes) and Mario Kart (not counting 8 DX) so they'll need other titles to bolster their lineup.
I wouldn't mind seeing Nintendo and Treasure bring us Sin and Punishment 3. But new IPs are always welcome.
I'm not that into hack and slash and action games but this game sure got my attention. Looking forward to learning more.
Kind of loaded things up for the Summer and Fall. Not that I’m complaining but it would be nice for a more staggered release schedule.
Dual-character sounds really interesting. Looking forward to seeing how it plays.
@Nintendocom The art style could be worse... at least is not typical ultra realistic and unimaginable western art style.
I was impressed with this game on the trailer.
Then seeing the Director is the guy who made Nier Automata. I was doubly sold!
One of my most anticipated games of the year! Looks incredible!
Late summer, early autumn seems kinda packed with these kinda more-or-less niche-like games like Astral Chain, FE Three Houses and supposedly Daemon X Machina as well.
Still, this looks really compelling and I'm very much looking forward to it. More Cyberpunk is always welcome and the same goes for Platinum Games content in general.
I'm really surprised they decided to pull this out of their hat at a direct in February, as it makes me all the more curious to see what they have in store for E3. 2019 looks to be alot more like 2017 on the Switch instead of 2018.
Anywas, this is up their with my most anticipated games for this year, leaving only the question what to play in August - FE: Three Houses or this?
@patbacknitro18 Yeah, I saw that when going back to the trailer. Great!
@tangram Exactly, in the colours grey, brown and more brown. I love the art style of this game!
@EvilLucario how can a game that isn’t out yet be overrated xD ! From Software as proven several times they are one of the best in the business !
Day one! Possibly the best thing that came out of the direct!
The characters give me a Burning Rangers vibe!
@TheFongz He's the man behind Devil May Cry, Okami, Resident Evil 2, Wonderful 101, Bayonetta & Viewtiful Joe. In short, he knows better than anyone how to create a character that is fun to control and smashes enemies skybound in increasingly spectacular ways. A safe pair of hands to supervise a game like this.
I have high hopes for Takahisa Taura as a director. This game looks great.
I was that surprised and ecstatic when this was shown I went and bought the Bayonetta 1&2 SE for Switch even though I own both on Wii U. Got to support Platinum Games.
August!?!? Sweet I’ll get that pre-order going sooner than I thought!
Excited as
I've never been much of a Bayonetta fans, more because I dislike the characters than the actual gameplay itself. Nier Automata though I absolutely adore. This has now gone into first place as my most anticipated release on any platform.
This game looks super cool. Hope its good
Not a huge action game person, but this looks really cool, and I'm SO getting it at launch. <3 Reminds me of Bubblegum Crisis with the armored suits, cyberpunk setting, and grungy, early 90's anime OAV aesthetic.
There are very few new IP games that I'm 99% certain I'll buy just by trailers and press releases, but I'm thinking this is one of them.
I’m a Platinum Games fanboy, and have been ever since Wonderful 101 and Bayonetta 2. I follow everything they do with great interest.
This could be a contender for action game of the year or maybe game of the year. Astral Chain looks off the hook.
@EvilLucario Should be "ASTRAL CHAIN ACTIVATED."
@Nintendocom
Lambastes "typical Japanese cr*p
Is a Nintendo/Platinum fan
Dude... no.
TAKE MY MONEY NOW, PLATINUM!
It's too early to know for sure, but at this moment yes I'm excited to learn more about this game
It’s interesting because it has that Xenoblade Chronicles style art and it reminds me of Vanquish and Scalebound.
Well, if you consider that i'm a huge Zelda Fan(boy) the Fact that Astral Chain was my highlight of the direct means something.
The Game looks pretty Amazing and if you consider the Team which is behind the Game, i'm pretty optimistic that we get a great game again.
#Artstyle / Graphic:
I kinda have to disagree with the Argument of "generic, typical Japanese c***" because it's kinda fresh and not that often used. If i think about it, only Freedom Wars and Daemon comes to my mind. The most used Graphic / Artstyle is more like ToS and such if we go Anime route...
Wow......i'm sorry but I read the title like "Stupid head of Platinumgames-" Then I stopped my self from reading to go look at the actual word XD.
Looks like a cyberpunk bayonetta to me.buying day 1.
@Nintendocom Maybe, but just maybe it's because they are a japan-based company? In addition, I don't remember Bayonetta being overly Japanese styled. It's actually pretty western... So I'm not sure what else you want...
the game is singleplayer only (thanks god for that)
@TheFongz he was the Director of Resident evil 2, Devil may cry, Viewtful joe, Okami, Bayonetta, Madworld, Vanquish.
He is also one the founders of the studio (platinum games)
This one has definitely landed on my "Anticipated Games" list. I keep rewatching the trailer and getting more excited!
@ArcanaXVI can’t blame Activision for the platinum games being bad. PG took those contracts on intentionally because they needed money because their first 3 games didn’t sell well and needed to stay open while making Bayonetta 2, they admitted the easiest way was making licensed games. The problem is when they were doing that they were making so many games at once, none of them good quality except for Bayonetta 2. In this time frame Kamiya and his team completely blundered scalebound. In my opinion it really tarnished the PG name. I’m hopeful this is more of a return to form like Nier, because up until Legend of Kora PG was on of my favorite devs, but by the same token it won’t be a buy for me until I see impression of it upon release.
@The_Mysteron thanks mate!
@ArcanaXVI I just hope it’s good. I love the PG that gave me Bayonetta and vanquish. I know they were having a lot of funding issues before, even WITH Nintendo publishing Bayo2, and with the money Microsoft was pouring in. I have zero incites into the studios, hopefully that’s all turned around a lot of it sounds like mismanagement of funds and resources. That being said it looks cool and I’m really hoping platinum turned the corner here and we’re back to quality releases
@Manzoli really need more viewtiful joe in my life
@Ralek85 Fates sold over 300,000 (not including digital) in It first 3 days on the market. I don’t think fire emblem is all that niche anymore.
I need a money tree.
At first I almost dismissed it as some generic looking anime game, but on second view the gameplay looks very cool! The graphics are nice too.
I’m looking forward to this game.
Day one buy for me
This game is a beast. From the first second of the trailer I was sold.
It's like the game ticks all the boxes. Ambiance, style, ideas, music, graphics, animations, everything is perfect.
I love everything, absolutely everything.
Thank you Platinum Games.
@Nintendocom agree. Over designed.
Lol at the people hating at western art being too realistic. I can’t even. XD. children,deal with other people’s opinions.
This just looks better and better the more I find out.
@Ryu_Niiyama I like how two people downvoted that. They fear the inflationary effect I guess?
I need to drag out the Nook gif again.
@faint Well, it's less niche than before Though I do hope that Three Houses will be focused less on waifus and more on what made me personally fall in love with the series in the 1st place (esp. Path of Radiance).
I feel like there is room for two distinct FE experiences in the world: one pre-Awakening for oldschool fans like myself (not to say that Awakening was not good!) and one for the post-Awakening fans, that seem to have by and large never experienced any other form of FE.
Compared to big Nintendo hitters like Pokemon and Smash, neither FE:3H nor DxM nor Astral Chain will be anything short of niche. That is not a bad thing though, not at all. I believe the DS and 3DS built their reputation in no small part on their diverse line-up of 1st and 3rd-party games, that managed to cover all kinds of imagineable tastes.
It would behoove Nintendo to carry over that momentum from their going-on extinct handheld line to the Switch. Why should Etrian Odyssey die with the Switch for instance?
@NEStalgia I can’t see the downvotes. I’m sure its less inflation and more “how dare you like what I don’t like” which is the norm around here now. Hence the reason why I am just leaving one liners and moving on.
Plus there was a whole lot of pitchforks for a bit because a Japanese person making comments towards a Japanese audience wants to be responded to in his native language. So I think we aren’t allowed to like Kamiya’s work right now.
But after this direct? Oh geez I have to literally remind myself that I am trying to move next year and get out of debt this year... cuz games.
@Ryu_Niiyama Actually now that I look at it, I think it's someone trolling. Almost every post above yours has 2-3 down votes. Except mine. Because I'm awesome. (I.E. the troll got bored and moved on and stopped downvoting every new post.)
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