ChinaJoy 2019 begins today, and with it comes a whole host of titles from China-based developers as the country’s biggest gaming expo runs the whole weekend. There are tons of games that are featured, so be sure to stick around for our coverage of everything announced at this event, especially seeing as China is starting to gain footing in video game development – and that means more great games for everyone.
If you’re looking for something a bit more unique – okay, very unique, to the point that it’s bordering on bold – then you may be pleasantly surprised by ANNO: Mutationem, another title that had a trailer debut during ChinaJoy. The cyberpunk pixel art action RPG is being developed by ThinkingStars for PlayStation's China Hero Project, and will have quite the showcase as it will be playable for attendees during the event from August 2 to August 5. If you want to know just how unique it is, check out the trailer for ANNO: Mutationem below.
It’s pixel art in 3D – and amazingly, it works incredibly well. The art design is really good, and the styles made for the cyberpunk setting are quite reminiscent of the original Blade Runner film – that’s something I can get behind. Despite ANNO: Mutationem's pixel art leanings, there’s quite the depth in gameplay as well. The transitions from side-scroller with platforming, to a narrative-driven adventure and even to full-fledged 3D action – ANNO: Mutationem clearly has a lot of big ideas, and they all look like they will paid off.
ANNO: Mutationem is set in a futuristic metropolis following a catastrophic event. To top all the things it has going for, it also incorporates the incredibly famous open-source work series SCP Foundation. It’s still a bit unclear to me just how the developers will be able to incorporate those elements into this game, but it’s got me intrigued at the very least; the prospect of investigating such anomalies in this realized world is a great way to sell me on this game completely.
ANNO: Mutationem is currently in development for the PlayStation 4. Before it became a China Hero Project title, the game was set to be released for other platforms as well, most notably on PC. We’ll have to wait for more details to see if ANNO: Mutationem releases for other platforms in the future, as well as a proper release date for the PlayStation 4.
ChinaJoy 2019 will run from August 2 to August 5. Expect more coverage from us as soon as it is announced.
