Blood Message has easily been one of the most exciting upcoming action games that caught a lot of attention when it was revealed last year, but details around it have been fairly limited. All we could tell from the initial reveal was that it was like Uncharted dipped in China’s endearing history.
Thanks to EDGE’s latest cover story we have gotten a lot of new information, especially around the protagonist Pei’s story and how NetEase’s Developers 24 Entertainment plans to make every fight feel unpredictable. Here are ten interesting things we learned.
The Story is Inspired by an Extraordinary Historical Journey
One of the first things we found out from the coverage was that the game takes place in 848 AD during the conflict between the Tang dynasty and Tubo Empire. The story has been directly inspired by a Tang-loyal uprising led by the real historical figure Zhang Yichao, who sought to reclaim the region from Tubo control.
In order to do so, he sent ten groups of messengers on a dangerous 1,000 miles journey across the desert and through enemy territory. Each followed their own route, but ultimately only one messenger is believed to have reached the capital in 851.
Blood Message uses the themes of extraordinary sacrifice behind this journey to craft its protagonist Pei, allowing players to experience a semblance of historical events through someone whose name probably would not have appeared in the history books.
Pei Was Once Part of the Uprising Army
Pei was initially introduced as an ordinary stonemason searching for his son, Ning but the cover story further reveals his past in the uprising army, a life he left behind long before the game begins.
This setup helps explain his combat prowess without turning him into a legendary warrior, as the developers wanted to maintain the weight of struggle during fight sequences. In this sense, Pei is a far cry from an action hero like John Wick and more similar in humility to the bare-knuckling Matt Murdock we see in the early season of Marvel’s Daredevil.
Pei is a far cry from an action hero like John Wick and more similar in humility to the bare-knuckling Matt Murdock we see in the early season of Marvel’s Daredevil.
Blood Message Will Be a Mostly Linear Adventure
According to the information given to EDGE, Blood Message will not be an open-world game, instead a largely linear, story-driven adventure. Certain locations will feature branching routes and optional areas, offering more exploration than others.
A variety in setting was also teased, with the game’s journey taking players across deserts, underground and into the iconic mountains of China. Edge speculates that its length may be closer to The Last of Us Part I than something like God of War.
Overall, it sounds similar to the structure of games like God of War or even Doom, where some areas are more linear than others, and some encourage exploration by sprinkling optional content around hidden corners.
Every Fight Is Supposed to Feel Like a Desperate Struggle
As mentioned before, players aren’t taking the role of someone like John Wick, and both Pei and his enemies can be killed with a few well-placed blows. Because of that, the combat feels deliberately rough, dirty and desperate.
During combat Pei can be knocked down, forced to defend himself from the floor or locked in intense close struggles with enemies. The developers do not want him to feel like a perfect warrior that effortlessly defeats entire groups, instead choosing to have each encounter feel dangerous for even the most skilled players.
During combat Pei can be knocked down, forced to defend himself from the floor or locked in intense close struggles with enemies.
Combat Will Not Always Unfold the Same Way
The developers want to avoid repeating the same animation twice during a single fight in order to keep players on their toes. Unexpected events can occur even when players use the same attacks.
Execution animations can be interrupted by other enemies, or Pei’s sword may become stuck in an opponent, leaving him vulnerable. The background systems manage difficulty and prevent encounters from becoming too repetitive. The biggest challenge for the developers will be making this unpredictability feel responsive rather than random.
Environmental Attacks Borrow a Few Tricks From Uncharted and Last of Us
The environment plays a huge part during fight sequences, where Pei can smash pots over enemies, throw them into tables and use nearby objects.
Like Uncharted or Last of Us, these interactions have been woven seamlessly into the flow of combat where the regular attack button will change the following attack depending on the environment, rather than having completely separate input.
Even with the QTEs the developers want to blend them into their language of control, where defensive actions will use the block button and offensive moments, the normal attack input. By doing this, they hope players will react using their existing combat knowledge.
Companions Will Behave Differently Depending On Their Relationship With Pei
Throughout his journey, Pei will come across different companions, each with a unique personality and goals. Depending on their attachment to Pei, they will either be more likely to rescue Pei when he is overwhelmed due to their close bond, or intervene less frequently if they’ve just recently met.
These relationships therefore affect gameplay rather than only changing dialogue, meaning the stronger their bond, the more likely they will be to help, with the game’s combat systems choosing who steps into a fight.
I am curious to see if their relationships will also evolve throughout the game rather than staying the same throughout, but nothing was confirmed in regards to that.
Blood Message Will Have Sandbox Stealth Sections
Whilst Blood Message is not necessarily described as a stealth-heavy game, there will be a good number of stealth encounters throughout the story, giving players several ways to remove enemies.
Players will be able to coordinate simultaneous takedowns with companions or use traps around their environment. These will essentially work like a small sandbox.
During these the players will have to take extra care around animals like birds or caged dogs that can be startled, exposing Pei’s position. EDGE did note enemy responsiveness needing some improvement, something the developer acknowledges remains a work in progress.
Whilst Blood Message is not necessarily described as a stealth-heavy game, there will be a good number of stealth encounters throughout the story, giving players several ways to remove enemies.
The Game Will Use a Mix of One-Shots and Traditional Cuts
Although the Summer Game Fest demo was presented almost entirely as one continuous shot, the full game will blend a mix of techniques switching between traditional cuts during some dialogue scenes, and continuous shots during combat and stealth sections to maintain immersion and continuity.
The studio heavily admires God of War but does not want to follow its camera approach rigidly, with games like Sifu and Ghost of Tsushima also called out for being important influences for the development of their camera systems.
Progression and Fantasy Elements Will Both Be Restrained
Players should not expect a large traditional skill tree. Pei’s moveset will develop throughout the game with players occasionally choosing between different abilities. The customisation aspect will be limited overall as they want Pei to feel like a well-established character.
Interestingly though, the developers have mentioned that although the game will be grounded in history, a small number of fantastical moments are planned. However, supernatural elements will not become a normal part of the experience.
It is clear that they are taking a researched approach to the game’s historical setting, and have enlisted the help of historians, Dunhuang specialists and university professors to help the team check the accuracy of locations, weapons and everyday objects.
Players should not expect a large traditional skill tree. Pei’s moveset will develop throughout the game with players occasionally choosing between different abilities.
It really feels like 24 Entertainment’s idea of “cinematic” does not simply mean scripted sequences and expensive set pieces. Blood Message’s encounters and combat systems will seemingly help deliver unpredictable action-movie moments while leaving the players in control.
I genuinely can’t wait to learn more about the game and see how much of the ambition is realised. It is a great change of pace to see such amazing games come out of China, giving us a more unique insight into different parts of the world that are not relegated to Europe or America.
You can read the complete cover story in EDGE issue 427, which includes the magazine’s full hands-on impressions and interview with producer and creative director Xingyan Gu.
