Update: Some fans confirmed and shared a screenshot of Yu Suzuki appearing on the Devil’s Third livestream. Itagaki apparently asked Suzuki if the game's visuals reminded him of Shenmue.
Itagaki’s latest Famitsu article has been translated on the eve of Devil’s Third’s release in Japan and Europe. He details many aspects of the game, as Valhalla announces a livestream for the game later today.
The game has a very deep and layered storyline, which Itagaki developed with a Hollywood screenwriter, who also happens to be a huge history buff. Today we learn the name of the boss of the SOD; Kumano, descendant of the Tokugawa shogunate’s Obinawan. Kumano is sworn to fulfill his ancestor’s dreams of overthrowing the Japanese government, now transformed into fomenting revolution worldwide and creating a new world order.
Itagaki reveals that the SOD can be seen in a more sympathetic light than it initially appeared. As he puts it, Ivan is not necessarily fighting for justice, so much as he is seeking out his karma, AKA fate. His enemies and former comrades in the SOD are looking for a justice in their terms as well, but ultimately, they are also merely pursuing their fate.
As you may know, multiplayer is set in a world where Ivan fails, and the world falls to the control of the SOD. Your mission is to defeat Kumano too, but because the world has fallen into ruin you are more likely to fight with other survivors first.
When multiplayer launches, only five of thirteen areas in the US will be available, and the other eight will unlock one at a time. When training, you will be introduced to ‘Drill’ matches, which functions for training and casual play, and later, ‘Siege’ battles, which are the heart of multiplayer and feature every element of the game. Itagaki recommends starting out as a mercenary and then joining a clan after reaching a certain level. However, the truth is you can do anything you want, including start your own clan.
Yu Suzuki & T・Itagaki Gameplay (Devil's Third) with Niconico http://t.co/dCnYlTnXaa August 4 4:00AM PDT / 11:00AM UTC pic.twitter.com/uIXIcqsgCX
— シェンムー好ããªäºº S3 (@da34ss) July 31, 2015
And now, for the surprise. Famitsu is hosting a Devil’s Third livestream that has started as of this writing. Special guests include Tomonobu Itagaki, and also Yu Suzuki, famous for multiple Sega games and now working on Shenmue 3. Will Itagaki’s other industry friends also make an appearance? Will we hear about Shenmue 3 and other games? If you have a Nicovideo account, you can find out for yourself in the stream here.
Devil’s Third will be released to the Wii U in Q4, and a special F2P multiplayer only version is coming to PC.
