PlatinumGames Needs to Be on Your Gaming Radar

A recent Nintendo Direct livestream event revealed upcoming gaming titles worth all the pomp and circumstance they garnered. One of the more standout moments during the livestream came when a mysterious pair of futuristic police officers came on the scene, leading an action-heavy visual experience within an anime-stylized metropolis. At that moment, viewers began speculating which development studio was responsible for this game. Some assumed Monolith Soft was the mastermind because of the familiar art style. It wasn’t. People who guessed PlatinumGames, however, were right on the money.

The famed Japanese development team’s new offering was Astral Chain, an upcoming Nintendo Switch exclusive set for an August 30 release. It features the gaming studio’s signature stylish melee combat, which is showcased in this announcement trailer.

PlatinumGames looks to be in the midst of having its best year ever. The studio responsible for the Bayonetta series, Vanquish and NieR: Automata is hard at work on several other thrilling titles.

One of those games is Babylon’s Fall, a fantastical action-adventure that’s being produced in conjunction with game developer Square Enix. Babylon’s Fall’s teaser trailer hinted at a grand journey within an expansive world where a party of four takes on various threats. The critical and financial success of NieR: Automata surely influenced Square Enix to work with PlatinumGames on this much-anticipated action RPG.

Fans of PlatinumGames are most looking forward to Bayonetta 3. Ever since the Game Awards 2017 teaser trailer, the hype for this Nintendo Switch exclusive has grown immensely. The Bayonetta games are highly regarded thanks to their finely tuned combat mechanics, outlandish cinematic scenes and charming lead heroine. It’s been far too quiet on the news end regarding this sequel, but PlatinumGames knows what it’s doing when it comes to the witch with guns on her feet. The Nintendo Switch’s huge install base will surely come out in droves to give Bayonetta 3 the attention it deserves.

On the mobile gaming front, PlatinumGames has partnered with DeNA on a visually striking game called World of Demons. If you liked Okami, prepare yourself for the equally awe-inspiring World of Demons, which adopts the famous Japanese ukiyo-e art style as it throws you into fierce battles with vicious mythical beasts.

One of the final PlatinumGames titles to look out for is Granblue Fantasy: Relink, the collaboration with Cygames. Before 2019, PlatinumGames had a close hand in developing certain aspects of this action RPG. The game’s flashy combat sequences made it abundantly clear PlatinumGames lent its brand of intense hack-and-slash gameplay to the project. As of 2019, though, Cygames has taken full control of the game’s development duties. While PlatinumGames is no longer involved with Granblue Fantasy: Relink, the studio’s influence seems like it will still be felt in a major way.

PlatinumGames has made and will continue making a huge impact on the gaming industry, despite its fair share of misses (think the unfortunate cancelation of Scalebound, the exit of Bayonetta 2 director Yusuke Hashimoto and a few lackluster releases). But the top brass behind the studio—Kenichi Sato, Seigo Tabira, Atsushi Inaba and Hideki Kamiya—and the creative talent within it are known for producing interactive magic. And PlatinumGames is back on the right track. This year is lining up to be the year when the PlatinumGames brand of action-packed gameplay becomes even more prevalent and celebrated