The announcement of the acquisition of Ninja Theory by Microsoft shook, in a positive way, a bit 'everyone during E3 last year. We are talking about a small development team that has been able to create titles of the caliber of Heavenly Sword, Enslaved, DmC and the recent Hellblade, a work that is unprecedented in the videogame scene.
All single player experiences of a certain depth, which is why he displaced the news (already leaked a few days before) of the arrival of Bleeding Edge, an online multiplayer action game. According to the words of the development team, it was a project they had wanted to work on for some time, but only thanks to the acquisition of Microsoft were they able to realize the IP and give it the shape we know today as Bleeding Edge.
The Bleeding Edge concept is very simple: two teams made up of four players, will have to give it to each other in order to dominate the map and keep control of as many areas as possible to rack up points and win the game. Each player can choose one of the 12 characters available, each with their own set of moves and unique abilities, designed to determine their role within the team. Just like Overwatch, in fact, each character has an essential task that goes from the curator, to the tank and to the dps.
Each character mainly has a basic damage combo, plus a skill set can be used with the Y key, B key and RB key. By doing damage and killing enemies, it is possible to load an Ultimate move whose effects depend on the type of character we are using. The combos can vary depending on the timing and the chaining of some buttons, a technicality that recalls a bit that of some fighting games or action games like Devil May Cry (not surprisingly we are talking about the authors of the reboot).
These characters can then be customized not only aesthetically (through objects obtainable with in-game currency or as rewards for victories), but also with mods that allow you to create infinite builds necessary to customize the play style of all the characters and use the one you prefer. Particular importance is given to dodging, to be used wisely with the RT key as it is possible to use it for a maximum of three times in a row, and then wait for the special bar dedicated to it to fill up.
To move faster along the map, characters can summon a hoverboard, especially useful for immediately reaching the various power ups scattered around the map that allow you to temporarily receive bonuses in combat.
The maps are characterized rather well and require a minimum of study to make the most of them and to know how to move properly without danger, since even the environment can be lethal. In our test, for example, there are trains that cross the map halfway in both directions, especially in the areas to be conquered, and it is important to know how to avoid them or exploit them by jumping on them to reach certain places faster.
Does all this remind you of anything? If the answer is Anarchy Reigns, your answer is correct, but not to imply that the game was somehow inspired by the work of Platinum Games, but rather to give you the right reference to make you frame more precisely what we are talking about.
Bleeding Edge is a very fun game with a lot of potential, but in a historical moment like this, being able to find your own space and your own community is not easy. Ninja Theory will have to do a good job not only to attract as many people as possible, but above all to convince them to stay. It will therefore be necessary to discover the plans of the software house to keep the game updated and always introducing new content to keep the game fresh and active. Ninja Theory's talent is proven, we want to be confident.
