The next game from the designer of the critically acclaimed roguelike Metroidvania Dead Cells has been announced, and it looks very promising.
Revealed today during the Devolver Direct showcase, Tenjutsu might be one of the coolest roguelikes currently in development, thanks to its vibrant, bouncy pixel art style and incredibly smooth-looking combat. Created by Devolver Digital and Dead Cells designer Sébastien Benard, the game stars a renegade yakuza who turns on his former allies to help rebuild Secret Garden City.
As it stands, the city is ruled by four oppressive crime gangs, and you must stop them all with the power of martial arts. You can develop clever new techniques and use powerful weapons to defeat them, and you can fight them in any order you like. There's an interesting twist to keep in mind, though: your enemies will gradually get stronger the longer you prepare to fight, meaning your quest may get harder in the long run if you strive to get all the best upgrades.
But Tenjutsu is about more than just combat: as you liberate a city from criminal gangs, you can spend resources at local restaurants and shops as the place revives, which in turn helps you complete quests, so the two main gameplay elements seem to mesh well together into a satisfying loop.
At the time of writing, there is no set release date for Tenjutsu, but it is expected to arrive on PC and consoles in the future.
To check out all the games showcases taking place over the next few days, head over to our handy Summer Game Fest 2024 Schedule.
