Special Feature: Stylish Action Games are Also Back

The number of stylish action video game titles has dwindled in terms of their prevalence and sales compared to when they first became popular. This action game subgenre was started by Capcom’s Devil May Cry on PlayStation 2, and was an evolution of hack and slash action games from older console generations like Golden Axe. It took mechanics inspired by those titles and used them for enemy encounters that emphasized maximizing damage and doing it with style. After DMC was a worldwide success, sequels were quick to follow. And several inspirations started being released — especially during the PS2 days.

The subgenre ran into serious issues following that era, which started during the last console generation. It started off fine with the likes of Devil May Cry 4, with Bayonetta from PlatinumGames releasing shortly afterward, but the inspirations stopped being made thanks to the combination of dwindling popularity and the difficulties of HD console development. Even the top games in the genre couldn’t weather the storm.

Capcom tried a different experiment with DmC: Devil May Cry, which didn’t pan out. While Bayonetta 2 was good, it was only made after Nintendo saved it from cancellation, meaning they didn’t fund every facet of it. It also couldn’t achieve high sales on Wii U, Nintendo’s worst-selling console. Ninja Gaiden 3 was an experiment to create a fusion between a Japanese and western action game that went horribly awry, and the enhanced Razor’s Edge version showed how no level of polishing could fix how flawed a game it was at its core. While Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (also from PlatinumGames) did well, Konami moved away from big budget titles afterward.

Now, time has breathed new life into the genre, after three games were announced within the last seven months. Heck, two of them were revealed at E3.

Perhaps the biggest title is Devil May Cry 5, the one we also know the most about. As its name shows, this is the sequel to DMC4, which will come over eleven years after that title released when it arrives next year. This means Capcom still had faith in the mainline brand after all this time, and believes the genre still has plenty of untapped potential. The game will feature most of the same team that worked on the previous game, headed by director Hideaki Itsuno.

The first trailer focused on Nero, whose mannerisms and appearance have slightly changed from the last game. Though he was a fun and easygoing guy in DMC4, the trailer shows him being more carefree here, mostly bereft of the angst that weighed him down. He also has a new haircut to distinguish him further from Dante, and he lost his Devil Bringer arm after it was ripped off him from a mysterious figure. It’s replaced with a mechanical one from his new partner, Nico, who accompanies him in the trailer. Speaking of Dante: He’ll also be involved with the story, and there’s apparently a reason why his appearance is wilder than ever this time around.

Capcom has provided a few more details since I last posted about it, in a post where I asked if Capcom is getting back on good footing. The game will have three playable characters, the third of which hasn’t been revealed yet, but Nero will remain the focus. The game will also elaborate on the whereabouts of Kyrie, Nero’s love interest from DMC4. The overall structure will be similar to previous games, though with changes. This was indicated in the trailer, with even some of Nero’s attack animations looking similar to the previous game’s. It’s possible those were temporary. Hopefully the level and encounter design structure are the changes Capcom is referring to, as DMC4’s were as nearly as linear and restrictive as the PS2 games’, and were harshly criticized at the time.

Capcom will show off more at Gamescom later this month, though expect them to save a good deal of content for Tokyo Game Show. It’s due for release in early 2019, though since Capcom said they plan to release it this fiscal year (which ends on March 31st), it will have to arrive in March. A February release would put it too close to the Resident Evil 2 remake, which arrives on January 25th, not to mention it would be suicidal. Hopefully the game brings the franchise back in style and substance.

Not content to leave them to flounder on Wii U, Nintendo published Bayonetta 1 & 2 on Switch in February. The intention of this was to not only give the games the chance to sell on a more successful system, but to also prepare players for Bayonetta 3. As it turns out, the appearance of Bayonetta in Super Smash Bros. did hint that Nintendo wanted to keep the character around, despite Sega still owning the IP. Unfortunately, neither Nintendo nor PlatinumGames have said anything about the project since the announcement.

In fairness, PlatinumGames currently has a lot on their plate. In addition to this, they’re also working on Granblue Fantasy Project Re:Link and the recently announced Babylon’s Fall. The former game was delayed until sometime next year, and the latter hasn’t been shown yet and is also due for a 2019 release. Hopefully they show Bayonetta 3 sometime this year.

It didn’t seem like there was much of a chance of the next flagship game from FromSoftware being a stylish action game before it was announced, but this is absolutely what Seikiro: Shadows Die Twice appears to be. It’s being worked on by the main team responsible for the Dark Souls games and Bloodborne, and directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki.

It seemed like this would another Soulsbourne-like action RPG when it was first announced, but it was clarified that it won’t have any leveling, and extra equipment will be minimal. I mentioned in a previous post about the glut of samurai games we’re receiving (also a surprising trend!) that the combination of the protagonist with a disfigured arm, focus on tough combat battles, and the inclusion of light stealth makes this sound like a good version of Ninja Gaiden 3.

Unfortunately, there hasn’t been any info since then, and we’re still waiting for them to provide the gameplay preview shown to the press behind closed doors at E3. They’re likely waiting for the next big convention to show more, which could either be Gamescom in late-August, or Tokyo Game Show in September. It could also be both. It will have to be soon, since the game is due for release in early 2019.

Speaking of Ninja Gaiden: It doesn’t appear that franchise is return anytime soon. Team Ninja has quite a bit on their plate, as they’re working on Dead or Alive 6 and Nioh 2. This would be the year to at least discuss the franchise, considering it’s the 30th anniversary. Perhaps they feel it’s prudent to wait longer, until NG3 has completely left the minds of everyone disappointed by it.

The future of stylish action games looks brighter than it did a few years ago, and it’s great that both developers and the publishers that fund these projects feel there’s untapped potential for the genre. There’s no chance of us receiving a glut of them like during the PS2 era, thanks to the realities of modern video game development, but it would be great if we received them on a regular basis from here on.