A side-scrolling beat-em-up roguelike. This is how IMMORTAL appears to be. Developed by Mishura Games, what can we expect?
We have few images and some trailers related to IMMORTAL. Despite this we have a good feeling about it. At first glance the stylistic aspect is immediately striking due to the colors and style of the characters. The aesthetic strongly recalls the Japanese animation of the 90s, with some hybridizations from the West and above all from the United States. Strong contrasts between colors, Mad Max Fury Road style settings, hard rock and metal music, over the top characters and violent fights. In short, there are all the conditions to attract our attention.
The Story So Far
Fudo, former warden of Buddha’s demigod prison camp, is incarcerated in his own prison for high treason.
In his shoes we must use both physical strength and leadership skills to reunite the Asuras, escape the Titan Kingdom and the tyrannical regime of its creator. Our task, however, will not be easy: imagine all the prisoners guarded by Fudo who now want to take revenge on their former jailer.
The player is Fudo‘s only chance for redemption and we can influence his choices. We are the last spark of humanity trapped in his vile corrupt soul. Will we succumb to the power of the King of Wisdom by taking the easy way out or will we fight for freedom until the end?
The main antagonists of IMMORTAL are the Kings of Wisdom, creatures that have different forms to fight us with.
Setting and Inspirations
The lore and background of IMMORTAL takes inspiration from Eastern philosophy, especially Buddhism. A special mention goes to the protagonist, Fudo.
The name Fudo Myo-o means “the immobile or unshakable”. He is one of the five myo-o, or lords of light, whose menacing appearance guards the Law of Buddhism. It is equipped to guide the spiritual traveler beyond temptation onto the path to enlightenment.
The same goes for the protagonist’s weapon: the Vajra.
The Vajra (dorje in Tibetan) is an object of Tibetan Buddhism that symbolizes strength and incorruptibility. Used in various rituals, it is considered the most powerful weapon available to the deities. It will have a decidedly important role in the gameplay.
Game Features
One of the coolest features is battling in wacky vehicles hurtling down a highway in a gameplay that, the developers say, is equal parts Mario and Mortal Kombat.
Although this phrase is strange, it actually means a strong union between platforming and very bloody combat moments.
Intense duels and hordes of enemies seem to be the order of the day.
From the trailers and Prototype Combat Tests we see a complex system of combos, cancels, the inevitable taunt, aerial combo moves, and an interesting system of parry and double parry. Even the Vajra, our weapon, can be transformed in both a melee and ranged weapon. We can use the weapons dropped by our enemies, enriching the combo counter and performing spectacular executions.
Furthermore, the jump and wall jump system seems to allow for good platforming. All with good, fluid and fast animations.
Karma
In addition to combat, the game will feature exploration, progression choices, and new interactions.
We can choose to do evil things without prison guards noticing. Excessive violence has its immediate benefits, but it increases Despair or Duḥkha in the world, increasing hardship until the karma is purified.
The player can truly decide his destiny, build the group of Asuras and decide the fate of his soul.
In fact, there is a bar at the bottom that represents the struggle between the good and evil sides. It all depends on our choices.
We can decide whether to kill everyone or make them allies. Using former enemies as assistants in combat or making them swear to die, lie or kill for us. The important thing is not to forget that some of them can still betray.
Already from the beginning of 2024 Mishura Games has announced some news. We can’t wait to see them, try them and then update you.
I’m a musician (pianist), a nerd and a longtime manga lover.
My gamer life started with a copy of Pitfall (1982) for Atari 2600, and so I grew up hand to hand with this medium until now. Later I started to look for what’s behind the final product, its design and what happens behind the scenes of the video game world.
