A stunning new action game, titled Blood Message, has seemingly appeared out of nowhere, instantly capturing attention and drawing comparisons to critically acclaimed titles like Ghost of Tsushima, The Witcher 3, and even the cinematic Uncharted series.
This upcoming single-player title is being published by NetEase and developed by 24 Entertainment, the studio behind the melee battle royale NARAKA: Bladepoint. Officially described as a “narrative-driven, linear action-adventure single-player game,” Blood Message aims to deliver a focused, story-rich experience rather than an expansive open world.
Breathtaking Visuals Spark Excitement
What truly sets Blood Message apart in its initial reveal is its breathtaking visual presentation. The debut trailer showcases environments, character models, and atmospheric effects that look absolutely gorgeous, leading many to declare it visually stunning.
The comparisons to other successful games are hard to ignore:
The feudal-era aesthetic and fluid combat hints evoke the critically acclaimed Ghost of Tsushima, a game celebrated for its “drop-dead gorgeous visual presentation” and “exhilarating combat.” This comparison is particularly relevant now, with Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut recently arriving on PC to high praise, allowing a new audience to experience its stunning world.
Meanwhile, the character design, narrative focus, and potentially darker themes bring to mind the depth and atmosphere of The Witcher 3.
The cinematic flair visible in the trailer also suggests echoes of the action-packed set pieces found in the Uncharted series.
Trailer vs. Gameplay: The Lingering Question
While visually impressive, the reveal trailer primarily consists of pre-rendered cinematics. This has led to a common concern among the gaming community: how much of this stunning visual fidelity represents actual gameplay? Limited segments that do appear to be gameplay footage look highly scripted, leaving questions about the moment-to-moment combat and exploration experience.
Community Reactions: Impressed but Cautious
Unsurprisingly, the announcement generated significant buzz online, particularly on platforms like the r/pcgaming subreddit. Initial reactions were largely positive regarding the visuals, with users noting, “Wow this looks neat.”
However, this excitement is heavily tempered by cautious optimism. Many echoed the sentiment that “Usually these are just in-engine and won’t play like what I saw,” highlighting a common wariness about impressive reveal trailers versus final game performance. Some users also pointed out a broader trend: “China has seriously been making a push for major, high budget video game releases with original, Chinese IPs in the last few years,” finding this development “quite interesting” and worth keeping an eye on.
Developer Background and Expectations
Adding to the tempered expectations is the developer’s background. 24 Entertainment is primarily known for NARAKA: Bladepoint. While opinions on NARAKA vary, it represents a different genre and scope than a narrative-driven single-player action game like Blood Message. For many, NARAKA* serves more as a “proof of concept” for 24 Entertainment’s technical capabilities, suggesting it might be wise to “keep your expectations low” regarding whether Blood Message will deliver a fully polished, expansive single-player experience on their second major outing. The seemingly scripted nature of the gameplay snippets in the trailer further fuels this wait-and-see approach before committing to a definitive opinion.
Despite the unknowns surrounding actual gameplay fidelity, Blood Message is currently expected to launch on all major consoles (PlayStation and Xbox) alongside PC. Fans eager for visually impressive action-adventure games now have another intriguing title to keep a close eye on, hoping the final product lives up to the stunning promise of its initial reveal.
