“Let’s meet on the battlefield!”
☆ NintendObs Weekly – Monday, August 17, 2015 – Sunday, August 23, 2015.
August 4, 2015 (Tuesday) “It’s a celebration! The [Japanese] Wii U Devil’s Third Release!!”
The day is finally upon us. I’m so thankful for everyone’s support.
Today I want to talk about the world of Devil’s Third, and about each of the play modes we’ve implemented in the game. Once they are armed with this knowledge, I’d like everyone to play and enjoy the game as much as possible.
To start off, let me introduce the world in which the game takes place so that everyone can get the most out of the experience.
The enemies are a group of terrorists called “SOD”, who are remnants of a special forces unit from the former Soviet Union. The official label of the group is the “School of Democracy,” but a better name for them would be the “School of Death.” Their organization recruits and trains terrorists and is feared by countries around the world.
SOD has expanded its operations to all corners of the world, with the Far East being headed up by a man named Kumano, who is the descendent of ninjas. Kumano’s ancestors were members of the Tokugawa shogunate’s Oniwaban, ninjas who fought to the end in the Boshin War. At the end of the battle the shogunate forces were defeated and Takeaki Enomoto declared surrender, but Kumano’s ancestors refused to accept this defeat and fled to an island in the Far East. Ever since then they’ve passed down through the generations the mission they couldn’t fulfill: their duty to crush the new Japanese government. To that end, they were even willing to join forces with the former Soviet Union. It was the logical thing to do.
However the USSR, which had become Kumano’s second motherland, abandoned its communist social experiment “The World Revolution” and completely collapsed in 1991.
A few of the SOD groups from around the world were absorbed into the new Russian forces.
Kumano’s group, however, was only following orders to maintain its cover, as Kumano’s true mission and ultimate goal was still the same as it was at the dawn of the Meiji era – to overthrow the new Japanese government. He was also looking to fulfil the dream of “The World Revolution,” which he sees as the “New World Order.”
On the island where the Devil’s Third story takes place, there’s a new rocket launching facility being constructed. The new Russian government began construction of the facility as a replacement for the Baikonur Cosmodrome; they feared that the collapse of the USSR would put Baikonur out of their reach because the installation falls outside Russian territory. While these space centers are currently being used for peaceful purposes, they can quickly be converted into a facility capable of launching ICBMs – Kumano was waiting for this space center in the Far East to be completed. Together with the detonation codes he obtained from the former Soviet Union for killer satellites (satellites orbiting the earth that were designed to destroy other satellites), Kumano declares his revolt against Russia – or rather, against the entire world. This is where the story begins.
That was kind of long, but don’t worry – I didn’t give anything away (laugh). I’d just like everyone to have a good understanding of the background before going into the solo-play mode (story mode).
After reading all that some of you may be thinking “Really? You thought it that far through?” Actually, there’s relatively little fiction in the background story I’ve just described. It’s a background setting we created together with a Hollywood scriptwriter (who is also a huge military buff) after some intense research into international affairs, world history, military history and military affairs.
Additionally, as something we pride ourselves on at Valhalla, we wanted to let players enjoy exploring a pretty romantic (we feel) historical what-if: “what if battle-hardened ninja were still around in the present day?” And we wanted to present it in a way that was the most theoretically possible. I think you can understand now the meaning behind the other catch-copy for the game: “The Last Ninja.”
The Last Ninja… Kumano’s strongest son, the son he directly raised himself. So it’s actually Ivan who is the last ninja of his time. That’s the reason why he carries the image of Cetaka on his back, and the reason his body is covered with Siddham script. It’s karma. Ivan’s enemies that stand before him, once his comrades – they all are also carrying the weight of their own karma. “Justice” is nothing but a one-sided claim; they are all seeking their own personal form of justice.
I have a request for the players.
As you play through the game I’m sure you’ll be experiencing a lot of different emotions. However, no matter what happens, I want you to put a stop to SOD. Take control of Ivan and save the world.
Now then, let’s start talking about the multiplayer.
The multiplayer mode takes place in a world where Kumano was victorious – unfortunately that means Ivan was defeated. Therefore, though the battlefield shifts to North America, the entire world is now under SOD control.
Players will take up arms as everyday citizens and attempt to take back the North American continent from SOD control.
Based on the history of the founding of the U.S., the various landscapes found around the continent, and under the direction of local North American staff, we’ve divided the continent into 13 areas. Players will join the fight starting from the west coast. Five areas will be available initially, and players will be able to select any area from among those five.
The remaining eight areas will be unlocked one at a time. If one area seems it’d be impossible to gain control of, then it might be a good idea to pack up your bags and move east to a new area. But will you be able to escape pursuit? I guess that depends on how well you fight it out.
The ultimate goal will be New York. Can you grab control of New York from SOD hands? That’ll be everyone’s overall goal. But you’ll have to outmaneuver everyone else to do it. It’s going to be exciting!
Of course, before you start you’ll have to create your character. Players can pick from 10 base faces. You’ll pick your voice also. And of course, you’ll choose your outfits and equipment. There’s a pretty large selection of real weapons available, so pick and equip whichever ones you like.
Oh yeah, we’ve also prepared a shooting range for you, so feel free to give any of the guns a try first before you buy. “Hattie’s” is the name of the shop. You can also give Japanese swords and other weapons a spin, so be sure to stop by.
For those of you who don’t want to spend time visiting the shop each time you buy a weapon, don’t worry, there’s also an option to buy immediately – kind of like a weapons vending machine. (laugh)
Once you’ve got your character, your first order of business will be going through training. You’ll have a special trainee-only weapon available to you until you reach a certain level. Use that weapon in “Drill” matches to raise your level. To explain a little about “Drill” matches, these matches aren’t the core multiplayer experience, and you won’t be able to earn too much in-game money from them. They are designed to be fun matches for people who want to improve their skill, or for people who are looking for an experience similar to that found in current shooters.
After you’ve gotten familiar with the game, you’ll definitely want to jump into the real heart of the fighting, “Siege” battles. “Siege” battles are where you can find everything of the “realism of battle.” I suggest you first try it out as a “mercenary.” Then, once you’ve raised your character level and collected enough weapons, equipment and money, you’ll be in a good position to start looking at clans. You can either join a clan that someone else has already created, or start up your own clan with your friends.
That’s when the real clan warfare begins. Mercenaries can continue to enjoy “Siege” battles without having to deal with or manage other players, but for those of you that want to raise your own banner, feel free to create your own clan and crush any enemy clans that stand in your way. (laugh) Oh, you can also create alliances!
In other words, you can do just about anything.
I myself play a lot of massively multiplayer games, so I’ve got a good understanding of what current massively multiplayer games are lacking. We’ve thought a lot about those points while creating this game. When players are unhappy and it seems like no one hears their troubles, that’s when they decide to quit. And “random deaths” are really annoying too. (laugh)
Anyway, we’ve really tried to pinpoint those areas and support the players as much as possible, so even complete beginners should feel safe they’ll be able to have a great time.
As we continue to unlock new areas, “Devil’s Third” was made to be a game that people can enjoy over a long period of time. A lot of new features will also be unlocked going forward. Not just areas, but new game modes, new Special Arms, and more. We hope you’ll enjoy the game for a long time to come.
One last thing.
I’ll be creating the Valhalla clan today! We are going to jump right into the war!
I’m looking forward to the day I can play with you all in game! Let’s meet on the battlefield!
— Tomonobu Itagaki
Source: Valhalla Game Studios.
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…Wanna play? Buy a Wii U.
And if you’ve already got yours, click on Devil’s Third for everything you need to know about the game. 😀
