2 min read
HoYoverse, the studio famous for Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero has just revealed its next major project. The developer officially announced a new open-world game titled Varsapura.
The announcement arrived with a massive 31-minute gameplay demo. Captured in-game on an Nvidia RTX 4090, the footage introduces players to a dark, mysterious world.
A Mysterious New World
The game features a spooky and unnerving atmosphere. In fact, the vibe seems to bear a strong similarity to Control. The demo takes place at the start of the game within the offices of a mysterious organisation called SEAL (Shadow Emergency Alliance).
Players control a protagonist referred to as “Hollowone”. According to the game description, her appearance will actually change to “match each viewer’s preferences”. Her motives are grim. She intends to join SEAL because one of their officers “killed her former self”. The plot remains secretive, but the video mentions devastating phenomena like “Mindrot” and “Cognosea disruption events”.
Umbrellas, Stealth & Combat
The gameplay reveals a unique combat style. Hollowone fights using an umbrella she kept from the SEAL agent associated with her “death”. She uses this weapon for swift combos, striking with it both closed and open. Additionally, the umbrella functions as an auto-returning thrown weapon and a tool for traversing multi-level puzzles by hovering.
Combat is real-time and flashy. One power-up technique even looks reminiscent of summoning Personas in Persona 3, though she uses her hand instead of an “Evoker”. Furthermore, the game supports stealth. Players can perform automatic assassination moves if they creep up behind enemies unnoticed.
The demo also displayed a party system. Two other characters appeared, showing how players can rapidly swap team members to utilise unique movesets and extend combos. Outside of combat, the video demonstrated open-world exploration via car and on-foot travel.
Release Status
Eager fans will have to wait. Varsapura does not have a release date at this time, but HoYoverse revealed they are currently hiring for numerous positions, including programming, design, and art. Judging by this recruitment drive, it could be some time before players get their hands on this new title.
