‘Scalebound’ E3 Preview

Doug
Games
Games

Scalebound, Platinum Games’ upcoming action RPG, was featured in a gameplay presentation during Microsoft’s E3 Press Conference. Director Hideki Kamiya and creative producer Jean Pierre Kellams showed off a massive boss fight between four players and a giant crab-scorpion creature. All four players, joined with their dragon companions, fought the boss simultaneously.

Scalebound-E3-2016-1

During the first stage of the boss fight, the boss regularly submerged itself underwater. Players hopped onto their dragon companion Thuban to shoot fireballs to crack open the beast’s shell. Afterwards, a glowing purple weak spot revealed itself.  The boss propelled itself out of water during the second stage of the fight. Players were able to launch themselves onto the creature using their dragon companions and attack the beast directly. After revealing the boss’ heart, all players jumped onto the creature, pulverizing it into submission.

Scalebound-E3-2016-2

The game showcased the open-ended nature of the battle systems. Players control Drew who can attack at range with a bow, as well as with melee strikes. Players can transform into a dragon hybird to deal more damage. Dragon companions were able to swoop in for attacks, shoot long range fireballs, and propel the player closer to the boss to get within striking distance. All four players were using their own tactics to fight the boss at the same time, with some shooting from range and others coming in close. Kamiya has stated that players will need to change their fighting approach on the fly, as fighting solo or co-op with Thuban has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Scalebound will support co-op multiplayer from start to finish, which is a nice surprise for players looking to experience the enaging combat system with others. Platinum Games’ signature focus on boss fights was apparent during the presentation, so expect plenty of tough, frantic fights with plenty of challenges.

Scalebound will be released for Xbox One and Windows 10 sometime in 2017.

Doug