GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon

Holy moly - has GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon made an impact on its release trailer. The teaser is almost overwhelming on the senses - a rush of color, fast-paced action, and an explosive soundtrack. Developers Konami announced a new game just when people seemed to be giving up on the brand offering anything decent.

Much to surprise, GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon is not new. There was a predecessor released in 1987 - but you'll be forgiven for not knowing that. What we do know - the fresh incarnation looks radical. It's a 2D hack and slash that uses slick animation, diverse foes, and a high-octane combat system to stand the test of time. Little information is available at present, but we'll scrape up what we can from this future release.

Big Trouble in Little Ukiyo-e

It's been a while since I've been so intrigued by a game teaser. Of course, that's not to say that GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon will be good because of it. However, it's sprung off on the right foot. The game takes the intriguing world of Ukiyo-e art into an intense combat arena - and the hack and slash mechanics translated very well into this 2D platformer.

The best way to describe the game thus far is a Metroidvania-style offering that raises the intensity. You'll control a samurai whose seeming purpose is to escape the hellish landscapes he's been dropped into. There isn't much narrative behind the gameplay at the moment. But we can guess it will be something similar. The arcade game had a concept in that vise.

In typical Metroidvania fashion, you'll use your combat abilities, jumping, dodging, and rolling, for strategic approaches to defeat enemies. The colossal scale of the bosses and tactics of foes portray GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon is not going to be a breeze. This seemingly is a game that will challenge its players - and that makes it all the more exciting.

Expectations have really risen with the teaser release. Every aspect of the game positively tickles the senses. GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon is heading into early access soon, so we will be finding more about the game relatively shortly. It's safe to say many action-enthusiasts will be eager to get their hands on it.

To Hell and Back

The excitement behind GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon is bolstered considering it's visually similar to Hades - an excellent game in its right. Mechanically, it may be more like its spiritual relative, Castlevania - another idea that we all can get behind.

Pros:

• Beautiful art style reminiscing in Japanese folk art
• Slick animations contribute to good-looking combat
• The high-octane energy of the game makes it exciting

Cons:

• Little information about the game as of yet