+Mpact Games, a small team of developers united to make a single game, today announced that Hanako: Honor & Blade, an immersive online multiplayer combat experience set in Feudal Japan, will launch on Steam for PC in summer 2021. The move to a full launch follows the game’s successful Early Access program and a MegaGrant awarded by Epic Games.
Hanako: Honor and Blade is a passion project that has been in development for over a decade, making its full launch all the more exciting. The art and backstory of the game serve as a symbolic tribute to the late mother of team lead, Matt Canei, an industry veteran currently at ILMxLAB. The art and lore of the experience represent an everlasting struggle of life and death, as embodied by the game’s two warrior clans. The Hanako clan represents health and goodness in the spirit of Matt’s mother, and the Yamai clan symbolize the opposition to life inherent in cancer and other diseases. The natural balance of the opposing forces metaphorically represents real-life tragedies while seeking to honor those lost.
Beyond the philosophical implications of the game’s backstory, Hanako: Honor & Blade takes players online for immersive battles in a beautiful recreation of Feudal Japan between up to 24 players. Players can help decide the future of a nation by playing as one of four distinct warrior classes including the capable swordsman, powerful spearman, eagle-eyed archer, or nimble ninja. Each class has different build/skill options and features directionally driven combat, abilities, and spirit-based skills to get an extra edge. Players will play as one of two clans and seek to defeat opponents through multiple game modes and maps, enjoying a game that is easy to learn, yet difficult to master.
Each game level is designed to present unique obstacles and mechanics which will require strategy and teamwork to defeat enemies. Destructible objectives such as castle gates, meditation ritual sites to buff your team , and dynamic environment changes are just a few of the things to keep battlefield experience engaging and varied. Combat can be enhanced with Ki, a managed resource that can be spent on a multitude of mechanics including blocking attacks, sprinting, meditation, and class-specific skills. Precision and accuracy are vital as players engage in either close quarters or ranged combat and polish their battle skills. Each class has two styles of combat, allowing players to creatively adapt to different battle scenarios, avoiding hack-n-slash monotony.
Per the press release, the game’s key features are:
- Epic online battles set in Feudal Japan with up to 24 players
- A symbolic struggle between the forces of life and death
- Four game modes with unique features, including team deathmatch Battle, Capture the Scroll, Village Siege, and Castle Raid
- Directional-driven combat that encourages strategy and precision
- Four distinct warrior classes with different skill options for multiple playstyles
- Dynamic environment changes
Hanako: Honor & Blade, scheduled for release on PC via Steam this summer, is developed and self-published by +Mpact Games. More information will be revealed in the coming months, including opportunities for media and creators to play with the devs in upcoming betas.
