Bright Lights And Bullets: Tokyo 42
Twelve minutes of in-game footage
Tokyo 42 [official site] was the prettiest game of March 30th, 2016, when the announcement trailer arrived and made every other game feel just a little bit drab. Talk of social stealth, crowd simulation and isometric action made me extremely happy and the word 'Syndicate' spilled out of my face and fingertips almost immediately. Publishers Mode 7, they of the Frozen Synapse, have now released a video showing a playthrough of both multiplayer and singleplayer levels.
Yeah, that works for me. Stealth, wild jumps, crowds scattering, diving for cover, infiltrating temples - these are precisely the things I want to do in a bright, cheery future-Tokyo. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to own an apartment as well and spend the downtime between missions buying new furniture and outfits, but it's OK if some games choose not to indulge my every desire.
If the level design is strong enough to support the different possible playstyles shown here the whole way through - with the exception of areas built to force a particular approach like the temple here - then Tokyo 42 should be a marvel in more than the looks department. But I'm still caught up on how it looks, truth be told. Imagine if the next Hitman episode had a similar art style, or if Watch Dogs 2 were quite so colourful and odd. We'd be partying in the streets.
It'll be a long while before we get to visit this particular Tokyo. The video shows an early alpha and the game isn't due until early next year