If the debut trailer for NetEase’s new AAA action title, Blood Message, didn’t blow you away during Summer Game Fest, then the follow-up video may make a better impression. Developer 24 Entertainment Lin’an has shared an extended look at Blood Message’s gameplay that reveals a greater cinematic flare for action that the initial footage failed to convey.
The game takes place in Asia sometime in the ninth century during the Shazhou uprising. Players control Pei Changguan, a messenger who is sent on a mission to relay the news of the rebellion to Chang’an, the capital city of the Tang Empire.
For this level, Pei Changguan is joined by his brother, Arrati, as they discover atrocities committed by Tubo soldiers who are desperately looking for a letter with vital intel. Changguan and his brother are able to dispatch a handful of the hostile forces with stealth attacks and QTEs. But some of the fights become epic sword battles.
While a few of the enemies appear to hold back, it’s refreshing that there are times when they attack players from multiple directions at once. The level appears to be heavily scripted, but the way the action unfolds should remind players of Uncharted and The Last of Us.
Pei Changguan’s son, Ning, is also an important character in this game, although he’s completely missing in this video. As shown at the end of the clip, Ning has made a choice that may greatly complicate his father’s mission. The Tubo soldiers have seen Changguan and his brother, and they may be marked for death.
Blood Message will be released on PC and consoles, but it doesn’t currently have a release date.