This Samurai Game Set In Feudal Japan Is Really Coming Along

Siliconera hasn’t checked up on the multiplayer samurai action game Hanako – Soul of the Samurai since January 2015, but its most recent updates prove it’s worth keeping an eye on.

The most recent improvements made to the game were to combat feedback and animation quality. You can see some of this in action in the video diary above with work-in-progress animations – characters have better range of motion, slices are more impactful, and camera animation adds dynamism.

What’s a little easier to see, at least in the screenshots, are the art updates that Hanako has been through as of late. Compare the screenshots you see here to the videos shared in Siliconera’s previous post. It’s a noticeable jump in quality.

Other aspects recently improved include game flow, server functionality, and game modes. Status effects such as bleeds, stuns, and knockdowns, are currently being worked on. And the team is rigging the upcoming Ninja character and his weapon, the kusarigama or chain-sickle).

Hanako provides a multiplayer across 16th century feudal Japan. You can join a clan and venture across multiple maps to defeat other online opponents to either defend or defeat the Emperor. There are four classes to choose from that each have different weapons and extensive ways to upgrade and customize your fighting skills.

There are four game modes that vary up the challenge: Deathmatch, Capture the Informant, Village, and Assassination. In all of them, you’ll need to master the direction-based combat system that encourages precise blows rather than mindless sword swinging.

You can keep up with Hanako’s development updates on its website.