Software:Chambara (video game)
| Chambara | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Team OK |
| Publisher(s) | USC Games Publishing |
| Director(s) | Kevin Wong |
| Designer(s) | Esteban Fajardo, Alec Faulkner |
| Artist(s) | Catherine Fox |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | PlayStation 4 July 26, 2016 macOS, Windows December 12, 2017 |
| Genre(s) | Stealth |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer (local only) |
Chambara is a stealth game developed by Team OK and published by USC Games Publishing.[1] It was released on July 26, 2016, for PlayStation 4, and on December 12, 2017, for PC and MacOS.[2]
It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the art style and gameplay, but criticized its lack of features. The game was nominated for an IGF Award and won a BAFTA Ones to Watch Award in 2015.[3] It was also an official selection at Indiecade.[3]
Gameplay
The game is entirely local multiplayer and each player controls their own anthropomorphic bird samurai character.[4] The world is purely made of black-and-white parts, allowing characters to hide in plain sight due to their solid black and white colors.[4] Players can also throw a single throwing star (which colors the enemy and makes them visible), and also air dash.[4][1] One hit by the player's kendo stick results in the enemy character's death, similar to Bushido Blade.[4] By pressing L2, the character's eyes can be squinted or closed to prevent screen-watching.[4]
Development
The game was developed by students at USC Interactive Media & Games Division.[1] It was created to be played in a college dorm, leading to its couch-based multiplayer focus.[1] The game's art style was inspired by Samurai Jack, Akira Kurosawa films,[3] 20th-century Japanese art, and Mono-Ha and Metabolism architecture.[1]
The game's characters were changed from humans to birds and blood to feathers because of fears that it would be too violent to be shown in festivals with young children.[3] Having the player easily navigate the world and see the UI was a challenge due to the black-and-white nature of the art style.[3]
Awards and reception
Chambara received the 2015 BAFTA Ones to Watch Award, which celebrates new talent and innovation in the video games industry, [5] and was chosen by IndieCade as a festival selected in fall of 2015.[6] In 2016, it received the IGF nomination for Best Student Game at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. [7]
The game received mixed reviews from critics, with an aggregate score of 71/100 on Metacritic.[2]
Chris Carter of Destructoid rated the game 75/100, saying that "it does one thing, and it does it pretty well".[4] He said that "there's enough here to keep most people interested, so long as they have a steady stream of friends (or a roommate/significant other) to play with".[4]
Chad Sapieha of the Financial Post rated the game 70/100, saying that while the idea of the game was "fantastic", the idea was "underdeveloped" and would only deliver a "few hours" of fun before "growing stale".[8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "'Chambara,' the split-screen samurai game born in a dorm". https://www.engadget.com/2016/08/03/chambara-local-multiplayer-usc-games-publishing/.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Chambara". https://www.metacritic.com/game/chambara/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-4.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Baker, Chris. "Road to the Student IGF: Chambara by Team OK Games". http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/264188/Road_to_the_Student_IGF_Chambara_by_Team_OK_Games.php.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 "Review: Chambara". https://www.destructoid.com/review-chambara-377480.phtml.
- ↑ "BAFTA Ones to Watch Award Winner in 2015: Chambara". 2015-03-12. http://www.bafta.org/games/awards/bafta-ones-to-watch-2015.
- ↑ "Chambara". http://www.indiecade.com/games/selected/Chambara.
- ↑ "Chambara: Student Entrant 2016". 22 August 2016. http://www.igf.com/chambara.
- ↑ "Chambara review: Stealthy arena fighter delivers innovative action, but too few ways to play". Financial Post. 2016-08-15. http://business.financialpost.com/technology/gaming/chambara-review-stealthy-arena-fighter-delivers-innovative-action-but-too-few-ways-to-play/wcm/10e7ed3a-b03f-446a-86b0-5db4b64d2bb8.
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