When we first learned about Tokyo 42 back in March, it wasn't perfectly clear what it was all about. The developers called it "an action game inspired by Syndicate and GTA1," while we opted to describe it more pithily (but not necessarily more informatively) as "like shooting up a Where's Wally scene to cracking electronica." Fortunately, the 12-minute alpha gameplay trailer released today goes a long way toward clarifying the situation, and it looks really good—and a lot more sophisticated than you might expect.
The Syndicate similarity is obvious, but also only skin-deep. Stealth can be a viable option (and is mandatory at times, although that might change) and your character is fast and acrobatic, much more akin to an Ezio Auditore than any juiced-up corporate killing drone. And the game world is obviously gorgeous; Tokyo 42 may be a murder simulator that lets you terrorize large crowds of people, but those bright colors and geometric layouts are pure, toy-like eye candy.
Tokyo 42 is set to come out in early 2017, and I'm suddenly a lot more excited for it than I was yesterday. Find out more at tokyo42.com.
The PC Gaming Show returns to E3 on Monday June 13, featuring game announcements, updates to existing favourites, and conversation with top developers. You can find out what to expect here, and also book free tickets to attend in person at pcgamingshow.com. The PC Gaming Show will be broadcast live through twitch.tv/pcgamer from 11:30 am PT/2:30 pm ET/6:30 pm GMT, but be sure to tune in beforehand to check out The Steam Speedrun, in which one lucky winner will buy as many games as they can in three minutes.
