Home Gaming Scalebound Preview: a strong pulse indeed

Scalebound Preview: a strong pulse indeed

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PlatinumGames, the developers of the upcoming Xbox One exclusive, Scalebound, are famous for their flashy action titles. Not just any action titles mind you – we’re talking about the likes of Vanquish, Metal Gear Rising, and Bayonetta (to name a few) – all of which are also renowned for their top-notch, tight combat. I got to see a little more of studio’s latest project at Gamescom, beyond the gameplay footage the rest of the world saw during the Microsoft conference. All I can say is damn… Scalebound is looking good!

Alessandro and I both agree that the Scalebound looks like the lovechild of titles like Final Fantasy and Devil May Cry. We aren’t too far off I reckon – the game’s director, Hideki Kamiya, directed the first game in the latter franchise. The very first thing he said in the presentation too is that while PlatinumGames love their action titles – Scalebound will have more of a focus on RPG.

He put it something like this:

In our previous games, we wanted gamers to focus on perfecting the handling of the characters. If you think of Bayonetta for example, she was at the top of her game in a sense. In Scalebound, we want gamers to watch Drew (the protaganist) grow. We want them to see him honing his skills and getting stronger.

I think that’s all cool and everything, except I really dislike Drew. There’s something about him that puts me off.

Scalebound

That just my own personal gripe however, and something I can easily forget when I look at the world of Draconis where the game takes place.  Even for a pre-alpha build, It looks simply spectacular, and is just begging to be explored!

Drew was transported to this beautiful land from earth, where his right arm transformed into something… er… a little more scaly. This is to signify his connection with Thuban, a dragon who will accompany him throughout the game.

And I only use the word accompany because, unfortunately, Thuban can never be controlled by players. All they can do is provide him with some light commands; go here, attack this… that sort of thing.

I BELIEVE I CAN FLY

Beyond that however, he is far more than just a travel companion. Thuban will help you beat the stuffing out of any enemy that gets in your way, at least, in most parts of the games. Others see Drew and his dragon pal splitting up – not by a large margin, but enough so that Thuban can do nothing more than provide covering fire from afar.

That’s alright though, because Drew is perfectly capable of looking after himself. He makes use of an energy called pulse (as does Thuban), which just so happens to be powering the land of Draconis. The pulse is changing the land, and is the reason for the twisted trees and the random floating islands that can be seen dotting the landscape.

I’m not entirely sure why Drew gets to make use of this power, but he does, and with great effect. In the presentation, he alternates between firing off these pulse shots and making use of his bow and arrow to dispatch any oncoming creatures. If they get too close, he switches to his sword and cuts through them. He can even make use of an alternate dragon form, which ramps up his pulse damage significantly.

PEWPEWPEWPEW

Drew obviously works best with his dragon pal though. When a big creature appears, they need to work together to take it down. Once defeated, it explodes into gems. Kamiya explains that these all go toward customising abilities and levelling them up.

The gems form up an interesting mechanic beyond making Drew stronger. During the whole presentation, I kept thinking that Thuban was a tad too strong – especially against the cannon fodder creeps. Players are encouraged to save the dragon for stronger enemies though, simply because if he attacks smaller ones, the opportunity to farm gems is lost.

Apparently the fire he breathes is that hot. It sounds like a silly explanation or excuse, but it is a nice way to dissuade players from relying on Thuban to do all the work while they watch idly. Why should he have all the fun?

SB

One surprise out of Gamescom was the announcement that Scalebound will feature four-player co-op. After the session, a journalist did ask for more detailed information, but apparently nothing extra can be revealed at this stage in time.

What we were told is that customisation in the multiplayer will focus more on the dragon and what it looks like. The player’s avatar however, if I understood correctly will remain Drew in appearance. PlatinumGames are doing this so as to remind people that they are playing through Drew’s story.

This makes me wonder if there will be any exclusive multiplayer content, or if players will only be able to play through a main campaign together. I don’t think it will matter… teaming up with friends and dragons sounds kind of glorious. Throw in a mix of pulse abilities and regular weapons, and you have a recipe for a lot of fun!

PEWPEWPEW

I left my Scalebound session feeling nice and positive. The game looks good for sure! The best we can all do now is wait patiently for late 2016, when we can finally step into Drew’s shoes and learn how to train a dragon.

Last Updated: August 11, 2015

24 Comments

  1. MS again kicking asses and taking names….????????????

    Reply

  2. FoxOneZA

    August 11, 2015 at 11:11

    “it’s definitely a console targeted at a different kind of market” 😉 😉

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      August 11, 2015 at 11:16

      XD

      Reply

  3. Umar

    August 11, 2015 at 11:12

    Looks amazing man, so so so amazing. Maybe i’ll get a bone one day for this.

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      August 11, 2015 at 11:15

      I wouldn’t buy a console for just one game. But this, Crackdown and Quantum Break could finally move some consoles. I’m still holding out for Nintendos NX. Because I’d much rather play their games seeing how many XBOX games are released on PC as well

      Reply

      • Umar

        August 11, 2015 at 11:17

        Quantum did nothing me actually. Looks nice, but that’s about it. Looks like another shooting game mixed with a series. Crackdown looks good though. I feel you though, it’s how I feel too, buying a console for one game. Too poor fo dat.

        Reply

        • GooseZA

          August 11, 2015 at 11:20

          But… but… GEAAAAAAAAAAAAAARS!!!!

          Reply

          • Umar

            August 11, 2015 at 11:22

            lol Gears looks awesome though I must say. Even I was feeling that demo. Looks very much like a horror game. Loved the vibe.

          • FoxOneZA

            August 11, 2015 at 11:41

            But GEARS on PC will be more than just a remake 😛

          • Pariah

            August 11, 2015 at 11:48

            What? you mean Gears of MEH?

          • Pariah

            August 11, 2015 at 11:48

            What? you mean Gears of MEH?

  4. GooseZA

    August 11, 2015 at 11:15

    I’m with you on Drew. Hated his constant chirps etc during the demo. Reminded me a lot of the protagonist from Sunset Overdrive. Cocky and annoying. Which is a shame, coz the game does look quite good.

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      August 11, 2015 at 11:16

      American is going to America. Much like Emo Dante

      Reply

      • GooseZA

        August 11, 2015 at 11:18

        And it was just so jarring compared to the npc’s.

        Edit: And why the headphones? Ugh. I think it’s time I realise I’m about 20 years older than the target market for that character.

        *shoos kids off lawn

        Reply

        • Pieter Kruger

          August 11, 2015 at 11:32

          It’s JRPG, the other option was a school girl in a very short skirt dragging a teddy bear behind her…

          Reply

      • Pieter Kruger

        August 11, 2015 at 11:20

        Yeah, none of those Final Fantasy characters were remotely annoying…….????????????

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          August 11, 2015 at 11:22

          Only those that speak with a squeaky voice. The rest are rather awkward at times

          Reply

  5. Kromas,powered by windows 10.

    August 11, 2015 at 11:15

    Mountain Drew!

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      August 11, 2015 at 11:15

      ^This

      Reply

    • Pieter Kruger

      August 11, 2015 at 11:27

      Yeah….

      Reply

  6. Dutch Matrix

    August 11, 2015 at 11:26

    Hmmm. I think DreamWorks must be reaching for their lawyers about now. That second last screenshot just screams How to Train your Dragon. The basic look of the dragon is waaayyyy too much like that of old Toothless

    Reply

    • Pieter Kruger

      August 11, 2015 at 11:50

      Just after Universal Pictures sues DreamWorks for basing their dragons on Dragonhearts’ Draco…..etc.

      Reply

    • Pieter Kruger

      August 11, 2015 at 11:50

      Just after Universal Pictures sues DreamWorks for basing their dragons on Dragonhearts’ Draco…..etc.

      Reply

  7. Nikola

    August 11, 2015 at 13:11

    Looks actually good, finally Xbox get’s a good exclusive they keep this up I might get an Xbox one day…or just get an awesome PC as all the games eventually come there;)

    Reply

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