El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron

[Tobi]

Developed by a hugely-talented, Tokyo-
based team headed by the legendary Sawaki
Takeyasu (Devil May Cry) and Masato
Kimura (Okami, Viewtiful Joe) El Shaddai:
Ascension of the Metatron, draws players
into a rich storyline inspired by events in
the Old Testament's apocryphal 'Book of Enoch.' In the game,
players take on the role of Enoch and must harness his natural
combat skills to master a range of powerful and Heavenly weapons
under the guidance of the watchful Archangels. Only then will he be
able to deliver the souls of the Fallen Angels and spare the world
from a great flood ordered by Heaven.

Yes, El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is coming to the West,
but we won’t get the game until 2011.
Ignition confirmed a Western release today and shared a bit more
about the game’s story. El Shaddai is based on the Old Testament,
the Book of Enoch to be specific. Players control Enoch, a human
caught in the battle between Heaven and the Fallen Angels. Armed
with divine weapons and a natural prowess for combat, Enoch must
stop the fallen angels before a great flood washes away mankind.
Lucifer, sorry that’s Lucifel, is a key character and supposedly
adds humor. Ignition says the red-eyed fallen angle will give Enoch
advice and a bit of dry wit.
Former Clover Studio staff, Sawaki Takeyasu (director) and
Masato Kimura (producer), are developing El Shaddai: Ascension of
the Metatron for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is a stylish game and Devil
May Cry artist Sawaki Takeyasu doesn’t want to disrupt that with
life bars. When Enoch, a hero chosen by the Gods, breaks his
opponent’s armor and strips them down to underwear players
know they’re target is almost incapacitated.
Levels aren’t cluttered with objects either. El Shaddai’s
watercolor-like environments have a scenic feel that make the
areas appear bigger than they probably are. To tell the game’s
legend, Takeyasu created a mural that looks like it was painted on a
wall ages ago. Gorgeous in-game screenshots follow.

Screenshots can be found here:
http://www.siliconera.com/2010/05/17...tem-in-action/

Debut Trailer 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUFROkKk_9s
Debut Trailer 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivSWfFzef10
TGS Gameplay:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-yCbK0qTCs
Gameplay Movie: Stained Glass Platform:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ7pqkHxsXk
Gameplay Movie: Organic Platform:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeVQAh3twpg
TGS Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95owpReUnjc

[Atreides]

this game really caught my eye when it was first announced, and the gameplay from TGS looked pretty amazing. I'm just hoping Ignition actually springs for good voice talent, they don't exactly have the best track record in that department lol

[Tobi]

I'll definitely be trying this out for sure, it looks like it's not a bad game. I didn't even see this at E3.

[Tobi]

After playing the TGS demo for Ignition Entertainment's starkly
unique action game, El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron, we
were intensely curious about ... well, how it came to be. It's such an
unlikely combination of action, platforming, art and Biblical themes,
that we honestly couldn't figure out how someone could come up
with it.

According to director Sawaki Takeyasu (who started at Capcom
doing art for Devil May Cry, and moved to Clover Studio and then
Platinum Games before starting his own company, Crim) it was an
equally unlikely combination of corporate edict and personal
idiosyncracy. Find out about its origins, as well as the game itself,
in our interview.

Joystiq: The first thing I wanted to ask about is the
style: it's very abstract. How did that style come
about?

Sawaki Takeyasu: The art style in the game is based on three
major points: the intention is to, before that, it's not that I tried
to make it eccentric and make it stand out. We wanted to make it
simple, a simple visual. The second point is that it's a constantly
changing screen, so that even if you leave the controller for a few
minutes then it's still moving, it's always moving. Another thing is
variety in levels. There is so much variety and different styles of
levels, so that you can be constantly entertained and so that we
can bring refreshment and change throughout our gameplay.

So what is the world in the game supposed to be? Is it
a weird interpretation of our world or is it a fantasy
realm?

It is completely a fantasy world, completely original. It came out
from the developers. It's not really an interpretation of the real
world.

Does it have a name?

There is no name. We don't have a specific name for the game
world.

It's set in sort of a fantasy landscape, but the story is
based on Biblical themes. What inspired the use of these
Biblical elements?

That's because the project started when the UK headquarters
asked me to make something based on the Book of Enoch, which is
Old Testament apocrypha. That's how it started.

What about the Book of Enoch led into an action game?

It's not that I thought that a game based on the Book of Enoch
would be good for an action game, per se, but it's because I have a
lot of experience with action games. Also, when the UK
headquarters based on the Book of Enoch, there was another guy
from the UK headquarters who said he wanted to make something
beyond God of War. We decided to combine them and make it into
one game.

When the guy at the UK office who requested the Book
of Enoch game -- when you showed him this, what did he
think?

He was very pleased.

The major gameplay hook involves stealing weapons
from enemies. How much variety will there be in terms
of weapons?

There are three or four weapons, each of which has distinct
characteristics.

Are the platforming segments all in 2D?

There is 3D platforming in the game, but we didn't include it in the
TGS demo because it's very difficult.

Are there ever enemies in the 2D portions?

There are parts, yes.

About the religious elements. Do you think Japanese
players and Western players will feel different about
the religious aspects?

I guess that probably people will feel differently in Japan. I think so.

In what way?

As for Japanese people, the Old Testament, we're not familiar with
these kinds of things at all. They don't feel familiar. It's a complete
fantasy for Japanese people.

Anything you'd like to say to our readers?

I believe that El Shaddai will be a very innovative title of 3D action
that nobody has ever seen, so please look forward to it. El Shaddai
won't be something that's like the other Japanese games that sort
of follow the Western style. I believe that it's going to be
something that's really Japanese, originally Japanese.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/27/el...plicable-game/

[Atreides]

game is either going to be amazing, or so terrible that it's amazing

[Tobi]

Really hoping it's a pretty decent game. I don't wanna get my hopes too high, but I feel it'll actually be pretty good.

[Tobi]

2 new gameplay trailers:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ycz6uEVgDW0

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAQHaZOVe34

[Doombear]

It is so briiiiiight! Burns my eyes. I really like the style of the enemies so far, I am definitely keeping this on my list of games to keep on a list... =)

[Atreides]

yea the art style seems neat but the combat looks like it has the potential to be incredibly frustrating, and omg whitewashing

[Tobi]

New trailer, but its a Platformer one
http://www.siliconera.com/2010/11/10...nt-of-jumping/

[Tobi]

Another I don't remember posting, or at least a much better look at it
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPvZi_Sh8-c

[Tobi]

[Tobi]

http://www.siliconera.com/2011/03/01...th-el-shaddai/

Based loosely on the book of Enoch, El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is a third-person action game that shifts into a 2D platformer. While the game is set on Earth, the defiled world is presented in a trippy watercolor style.

I started my hands-on in Act 3: Ezekiel, a level quite early in the game since Enoch only has two of the three weapons he can use. He started the level, like all levels, with no weapons. Unarmed Enoch can still punch and kick enemies into submission, he just isn’t as powerful. Two of the creatures I fought were wielding the Arch, a weapon that looks like a bow, but is used like a sword. After mashing the attack button with an occasional dodge roll, a blue aura appeared underneath one of the enemies. That was my cue to press L1 and steal the enemy’s Arch. Enoch quickly purified the weapon and now had a whole new set of attacks. Jumping in the air and slashing extended the Arch’s reach as if Enoch had a magic blue whip. This was a useful move since it also moved Enoch out of harm’s way.

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron uses a rhythmic combo system. By adding pauses between presses you can change what move Enoch does. Take the Arch as an example, if you press attack, break for a second, and press it again Enoch uses a wide slash instead of a lunge. It’s a subtle system since the game doesn’t show a combo meter or even a life bar (although, the latter is an unlockable option).

After the enemies were defeated, I moved on to platforming in 3D. The abstract art style made some jumps deceptive. There are times black patches represented solid ground. Other times they were holes. If you fall into a pit the game deducts a bit of health and brings Enoch back to the ledge he just fell off. Soon El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron shifted into one of its many 2D areas. There weren’t enemies to fight here, just platforms to leap on. The Arch is a good choice of weapon here since you can use it to glide down to the ground. Some of the jumps are intentionally tricky and impossible to reach even with Enoch’s double jump. There’s a trick to pulling them off though. Fall off a ledge and Enoch gets a third jump, so slipping off a platform and triple jumping can actually take Enoch to higher areas. While Enoch is hopping from one gravity-defying platform to the next, painted waves crash in the background. As a neat touch, the platforms disappear later on and Enoch has to ride the same waves by jumping on them to move on.

Enoch was thrown into a chamber with enemies afterwards. Enemies come in mixes, like one enemy with an Arch and another with the Gale. Purify the Gale to gain a ranged weapon, but since Enoch can only carry one weapon at a time, you have to give up the Arch. The Gale gives Enoch green bullets to throw. These lock-on to enemies so you can retreat while throwing them. If you want to get up close, the Gale gives Enoch a dash attack and a rising attack where all of the Gale blades soar to the sky before crashing to the ground with Enoch’s fist. It’s a nimble weapon, perhaps most effective against Arch users since you can stand out of their reach. One downside to the Gale is it gets defiled faster and it takes longer to purify, leaving Enoch vulnerable to attacks. The system is almost like a holy durability system. Light weapons, like the Gale, have less durability than solid ones like the Arch.

I should have mentioned earlier that enemies in El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron are aggressive. They team up and attack Enoch with spinning dashes and Arch combos. Players have to block or dodge roll around enemies to avoid attacks. Hit block right before an enemy attacks and you’ll enter a parry state giving Enoch a chance to strike back. Get hit and Enoch takes… costume damage. Eventually, you’ll see his shirt and jeans (a gift from the future from Lucifel) torn to shreds and finally shirtless Enoch. That’s a sign that you’re near death. Get hit a few more times and Enoch begins to close his eyes and the screen wipes to black. But, the game isn’t over yet. If you can mash the shoulder and face buttons fast enough you can revive Enoch who will say his favorite phrase: "No problem, everything’s fine."

The build I played had Japanese voice acting and English subtitles. Shane Bettenhausen explained the Japanese version, which comes out next month, will not have English text. The international version will have Japanese and English voice acting plus text localized into six European languages.

I finally reached a steampunk-ish robot holding the last weapon. Lucifel breaks the third wall and mentions the Veil is Enoch’s final weapon. Slow, but strong the Veil acts like two giant shields tied to Enoch’s fists. Being a defensive weapon, the Veil deflects the Gale and you can move while blocking when its equipped.

While it sounds like there is a lot of fighting, it’s possible to avoid many encounters. Pick the Gale as your main weapon and you can fly past enemies with an air dash. Lucifel, breaking the third wall again, taunts players by saying its possible to beat El Shaddai in just eight hours if you’re really good at the game. Expect your first run to be in the twelve hour range, though.

Ignition has not set a date for El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron, but hope to release the first game from their Japan studio here this summer.

[Tobi]

http://scrawlfx.com/2011/03/hands-on...f-the-metatron

At PAX East this year, the first game we were able to get our hands on was the beautifully artistic El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron. If you hadn’t already known, El Shaddai, developed and published by Ignition Entertainment, centers around altered version of Genesis, which describes the events of the world’s beginning. It’s an action game with similarities to Devil May Cry or Bayonetta, and is headed up by lead designer Takeyasu Sawaki, who was a character designer for both Devil May Cry and Okami.

Grasping the controller, I was prompted to push the start button at the demo’s title screen, which in itself was a very simple and elegant display of the game’s masterful artistic focus to come. At first glance, you can see El Shaddai and note it for it’s breathtaking art style. Each small texture in the environment, objects, and characters look as if it was beautifully drawn with the stroke of a paint brush, and will serve as the title’s delicious eye candy. To see the game in screenshots and videos, and then to see it running in front of you on an high-definition display, can really change how one would perceive El Shaddai.

The Japanese art style of the game really brings this game to an entire new level when it comes to art in a video game, and is a real visual delight. The game does not have a heads-up-display (or HUD) — during your first play through, at least. The developers wanted player to focus in on the art, and be involved in the game’s visuals, so they decided to remove the HUD from the game until you complete it once. Instead of bars and gauges, you will have to pay close attention to the armor and clothing of Enoch and enemies, in order to determine how close they are to death. Pieces of your armor will shatter and break as you take damage, and the same goes for your enemies. Sometimes, enemies will lose entire garments, and your character will be stripped down to just his jeans (given to him by God’s number one angel) — if you have taken enough damage that is. This is just one way the game forces the player to not only get involved in the gameplay, but also with the visuals.

The story casts you the role of Enoch, our hero. Enoch is a priest, and is seeking out the seven fallen angels in an attempt to prevent the impending destruction of the world. The story is based on the Book of Enoch, but definitely mixes it up quite a bit. Enoch wears jeans, obtained the jeans from God’s number-one angel Lucifel, who. Lucifel’s task is to maintain the protection of the world; he has the ability to travel back and forth between time. We were told that there will be quite a few things in the game that are out of place, all in accordance with time. Lucifel, for example, uses a cell phone, despite the game taking place at the beginning of the world. He’s also dressed in modern day clothing, which is interested as, again, the game takes place at the beginning of the world. Rather than be ridiculous, the game pulls off its goal quite well — however, we were told there are instances where the game doesn’t take itself too seriously. But this is in no way over the top like Devil May Cry or Bayonetta.

Gameplay is fluid and solid. Incorporating both standard 3D elements, and 2D side-scrolling elements, the game strives to be different. While most of the game will mix together platforming and combat in these 3D instances, the 2D instances (from what we have seen) delivers some minor platforming, and is used for direct storytelling. It was explained to us that the 2D segments were a key decision in the game’s development process, and much thought was put into the addition of these sections. During these instances, the game’s art is heavily fleshed out, and is used alongside dialogue to elaborate on the story, explain what Enoch is currently doing, or deliver new information about the whos, whens, and whys. The 2D segments are in no way uneventful or boring, and do indeed serve as a very integral part of El Shaddai. These segments will make up about 1/3 of the actual game in whole.

When it comes to combat, the game makes no exception in delivering a fresh, different experience unseen in past games in the genre. Enoch begins with no weapons, and will have to fight old-fashioned for a short while. In order to acquire a weapon, Enoch must steal them from his enemies. Once a foe is weakened, you may steal their weapon by approaching them and hitting a single button to initiate a short display of fancy combat skills by Enoch, resulting in him wielding/stealing the enemy’s weapon. Weapons do not last forever, though, and eventually begin to wear down and break. A weapon close to it’s breaking point is indicated by it’s color changing. To “fix” the weapon, you must purify it. You may purify it on your own with that same button you used to steal the weapon, but this leaves you open to oncoming attacks. The best way to purify a weapon is to perform a finishing move on a weakened enemy. You’ll both gain the essence of your enemies and purify the current weapon you have equipped. You may only hold one weapon at a time, and we were confirmed that weapons are upgradeable. Weapons appear extremely unique, and are also great accompaniments to the game’s visual style.

Combat itself is extremely fun. The game is not complicated at all, and there are only four major buttons: jump, attack, block, and execute/steal. Combos are performed not by how many times you’ve pressed the attack button, but by the rhythm in which you pressed it. Enoch will flow with your button presses, and I really do mean flow. The speed of not only his attack, but his entire body movement will be determined by how you decide to press the attack button; Enoch will flow elegantly with his weapon, following your input. Holding the attack button at certain intervals results in different attacks. Combat will require you to get in your own personal groove, and admittedly, it’s awkward and difficult at first, but it becomes so extremely easy to learn. However, don’t be fooled. The game is definitely one that is hard to master. Enemies are challenging, and will force you to pick your rhythm of attack very strategically. You’re given an option to parry, by clicking block at the same moment you are attacked. Enemies can be tough, and we did die a few times. Fortunately, death isn’t the end (it’s a game, yo’). You’re given the option to revive yourself; all that is needed on your part is the repeated button mashing of your face buttons before you run out of time. However, your window of opportunity shortens each time you fall, so eventually, if you die enough times through the same level, you’ll face a real (in-game) death, and will need to restart from the last available checkpoint.

As for locations, the game has you traversing the utopias created by the aforementioned fallen angels. The fallen angels will serve as the bosses for the most part; the enemies you fight throughout the stages are sort-of minions sent by the fallen angels to stop you. You don’t have to fight every battle, but there are some instances where El Shaddai will pit you in arena-style combat where you’ll have to win in order to progress. From the demo we played, there didn’t seem to be any sort of puzzle solving in the game, and there was no mention of whether or not this would be true for the entire game.

When asked about multiplayer, we were told that it was something the game team had considered, but decided against it. They believed that the game should solely be a single-player experience. The game is said to be about 12 hours in length, and will feature extras such as unlockable costumes. When asked about any other game modes that are unlocked when the game is completed, Ignition was unable to speak on the matter. Unfortunately, it is also confirmed that the game will not have zombies.

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron, in terms of visuals and gameplay, has the potential to be one of this year’s finest titles. We only hope that the Western audience receives it as well as the Japanese have. It’s out Summer 2011 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

[Tobi]

Both vids kinda similar

[Tobi]

[Yousir]

Shit looks sizzle sick

[Tobi]

[Jak]

That. Looks. Amaaaazing. And I'm not even big on fighting-type games.

[Tobi]

Demo up on JP PSN store 770MB download