Is now 'prime advisor'

It hasn't been a great (near) decade for Valhalla game Studios. Founded all? the way back in 2008, the studio from the action savant Tomonobu Itagaki was destined for great things -- until it wasn't.

Their first game, Devil's Third, was plagued with delays and poison deals, then eventually landed on the Wii U in a partnership with Nintendo. Now don't get me wrong the game was pretty mediocre, but the fact that hardly any physical copies were printed at launch, and that Nintendo basically buried it in all of its ?marketing materials (I have the Nintendo Download email to prove it), didn't help.

It was a mul??titude of factors that didn't work in its favor, and I doubt the move to free-to-play on PC helped much either. As it stands based on a Facebook post to his fans, Itagaki is stepping down as representative director at the company he helped create, and is now going t?o be a "prime advisory." Itagaki seems to be wistful, explaining that he just hit 50, and wants to share his experiences with a younger generation and is "looking forward to the future." The official explanation for his resignation is "personal reasons."

Well, whatever happens, I hope we get another Ninja Gaiden Black from him. Their latest project is a 3DS game that has farting chibi company men, so maybe their priorities are different.

Tomonobu Itagaki [Facebook]

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RIP a fun silly online mode

Devil's Third may have had microtransactions crammed into its online mode that could have turned people off of it entirely, but it was damn fu??n for what it was. "Was" being the operative word here, because it's D-E-D dead now.

We knew that the servers would be going offline at some point th??is year, but now, several dedicated users have discovered that they're now dead. I went on myself to try to play one last game and found the same "new battles cannot be launched" message.

Well, at least we have Devil's Third Online I guess? And that's ??free-to-play! Maybe?? it'll make its way overseas at some point.

theGamerPad [Twitter]

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He's half right

Devil's Third was hyped for years, but after THQ went bye bye, its future was uncertain. But that was back when Nintendo was trying anything and everything to get people interested i?n the Wii U, so they snatched it up. In hindsight, Itagaki thinks that might have been a bad idea given the poor reception and sales.

To be fair, he starts off his statement with a degree of respect before getting into what he believes is the core issue: "I generally don't like to badmouth people and I have nothing but appreciation toward Nintendo for releasing Devil's Third. However, I don't believe that they gave this game their best effort in promoting and selling the game. At the same time, I also understand their position… I don't have any resentment toward the sales team at Nintendo U.S. It's natural fo??r them to have made the decisions they made. But, I do real??ize that there was a shortage and I addressed this to Nintendo many times."

He also doesn't dig that Nintendo didn't set up extensiv??e online matches for reviewers, noting that Microsoft would have done it, then goes back to his "you're playing the game wrong" argument, saying reviewers still "didn't get it," but this time with a noble "we learned a lot from the criticism" caveat.

So if you're reading this Itagaki, personally, I was able to play online pre-launch and enjoyed it -- it was the best part! But when that online element has microtransactions and the other half, the campaign, is so poor, it does impact my overall enjoyment of the total package. So next time if you're really keen on just making a great online experience, do that -- and I see that you've already made strides in that department with the PC multiplayer-only Devil's Third Online.

I saw something there in Devil's Third under that muck, and given?? that a lot of my issues were related to ??technical problems, I also don't doubt that another system (like say, a delay and a PS4 Pro release) would have cleared a lot of that right up.

The ups, downs and future ?of? Tomonobu Itagaki's Devil's Third [Polygon]

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'Fog of War'

Devil's Third wasn't everything I hoped it would be, but I saw the skeleton of a great action game underneath all that muck. Maybe with a remaster on another console that fixed the technical issues and the plodding pacing of the campaign, it would have f?ared much better critically (I know what you're thinking, there is a PC edition, but it's a free-to-play multiplayer-only joint).

Yet, even with its poor sales worldwide (it didn't even hit the top 40 UK chart at launch), Valhalla Ga??me Studios is still kicking. They're not only trying to salvage its IP on PC, but it has also ??trademarked "Fog of War," which could be an entirely new project.

As much as Itagaki's name has been dragged through the mud, I hope he bounces back from this and comes out with something great -- the world could use more action games. A lot of eastern developers are working with Sony on the PS4 because of the obvious install base, and much like Kojima, he could leverage? that.

Fog of War [EUIPO via NeoGAF]

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Well, it has multiplayer...

Devil's Third ??;has been in the pipeline for so long, that any given year I completely forgot about it. Announced in 2010, after the infamous Tomonobu Itagaki left Tecmo in 2008, the game has been in development limbo, pas??sed around with multiple publishers until Nintendo finally picked it up for Wii U.

The thing is, Nintendo isn't really promoting it, even going so far as to not distribute US review copies altogether. There's also another free-to-play PC version published by Itagaki's Valhalla Game Studios co?ming at some point, which we know next to nothing about.

After playing it, I started to piece together wh??y this whole situation has been one b??ig mess.

Devil's Third (PC, Wii U [reviewed])
Developer: Valhalla Game Studios
Publisher: Valhalla Game Studios (PC), Nintendo (Wii U)
MSRP: $59.99 (Wii ), free-to-play multiplayer (PC)
Released: August 28, 2015 (EU), December 11, 2015 (US) / TBA (PC)

Let's start with the campaign.

It's puzzling why Nintendo got involved, and thought "yeah we should sign our name to this." Writers and fans alike have debated the merits of Bayonetta's titular character for years, noting that despite the low brow humor, Bayonetta's sexuality can be seen as an element of power, where she is constantly in control. That's on top of the fact that Platinum's pair of Bayonetta games are two of the most storied titles in the entire genre. But with Devil's Third, I'm struggling to really find anything worthwhile here. Now, I don't have a problem with pulpy, crass works in th??eory, but not all of them are created equal.

Instead of an interesting character like Bayonetta or the campy (pre-Ninja Theory) Dante, we get Ivan -- one of the deadliest prisoners currently being held in Guantanamo Bay, but generic at heart. From there, Itagaki installs some of his famous military-based storytelling, involving a man stuck in the middle of his ideals and a government organization (in this case, the United States gov?ernment). Satellites all across the world have been destroyed, creating chaos, and it's up to Ivan to put down his former comrades and put a stop to it.

From the moment I started the adventure, my expectations were immediately curbed. Dialogue never really amounts to much more than boring, unmemorable lines like "that dude don't look like bullshit to me," and so on. Whereas I can usually recall a cheesy rant from a classic character like Krauser in a game like Resident Evil 4, nothing sticks out to me in Devil's Third throughout the entire five-hour c??ampaign experience.

As for the controls, they are much more manageable than you've probably heard. Yes th??e game is a technical mess, but I didn't have trouble acclimating with either the GamePad or the more desirable Wii U Pro Controller, especially when I came to terms that it was basically a PS2-era experience. If you have issues controlling a camera with a right analog stick you may have some problems, but for the most part, it works.

Melee is swift and effective, with "fast" and "strong" variable attacks, followed by Arkham-like finishers (but in this case they usually lead to decapitations). Most levels start you off with a weapon in-hand like a katana, but you can also pick up items Final Fight style and use them throughout the mission. Close combat is probably my favorite part, but the level design seldom actually makes use of it, most of the time re??legating players to shooting sequences. There's a section in the third level that pits the player against a series of melee enemies in a tight arena, and at that point, I saw flashes of a great game, only to be let down again moments later.

Gunplay is enacted by way of first-person aiming, which did take some getting used to. The fact that it operates like an FPS is jarring, especially when the poor inconsistent framerate kicks in, and the hit detection goes awry. Sometimes you'll hit someone square in the chest and score a headshot, a?nd vice-versa. The same goes for the cover system, which includes instant snapping to terrain, and doesn't work occasionally (both in the sense that cover doesn't provide cover, or you can't snap to it).

Itagaki has gone on record as saying that members of the press didn't have the "skill" to play the game, partially stating that the GamePad (the d?efault controller) isn't ideal. Well my friend, as someone who has been playing hardcore action games for years on the highest Dante Must Die-esque difficulty settings, and used a Wii U Pro Controller for this review, I can safely say that the game has a few mechanical problems that are not related in any way to skill.

What really let me down was the linear design of the missions themselves. There is a level of verticality to their design in some cases due to the ability to jump and wall climb in certain areas, but for the most part, they are a series of straightforward paths. There's absolutely not enough discovery present, which is a shame as the Itagaki-led Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden 2&nbs??p;had some?? incredible secrets buried underneath the surface of their nuanced stages.

Then you have the uninspired boss fights, several of which follow the standard "throw lots of guys at you to make it harder" (adds) school of thought. There are a few glimmers of hope though in these mostly humanoid encounters, particularly the Saha battle, which brought me back to the Krauser fights in Resident Evil 4. Those parts, like the aforementioned melee arena are fleeting, however, and th??e short nature of th??e campaign facilitates that they are few and far between.

Okay, so that's the disappointing campaign knocked out, but there's another major element to Devil's Third -- the multiplayer. Simply put, this is far more robust than the story, with tons of rewards, silly cosmetic options, and gear to choose from. Players will have the chance to start off in a training ground to try out every weapon in the game (though you need t?o acquire in-game currency to buy them over time), and then pledge support to clans for large turf war-like battles, or partici?pate casually in 16-player combat.

The action system works far better here with human opponents, and the penchant for wackiness is extremely high. There's a high skill ceiling involved, and action fans will no doubt be able to stretch their legs a bit in this unconventional shooter??. You're basically forced to use every tool at your disposal, like the slide and shoot ability, which you don't necessarily need to ut?ilize in the campaign, to succeed.

There is a caveat though. There is no option for offline play, split-screen, or bots. There are 10 modes available that span a number of fun game types, but in the end, who will play them? Sadly, it has been confirmed by the developers themselves that US and European players cannot play with one another, so there isn't even a large pool readily available. I'm struggling to find games, alongside of severe connection issues at launch. This is on top of the fact that Nintendo buried it in the US eShop so that it's difficult to find, and that there's a severely limited run ??of retail copies out in the wild. The best part of the game may not even be consistently playable in America, which is a damn shame.

After sensing a sinking ship, Valhalla Game Studios was smart to start development of the free-to-play PC version of Devil's Third. Multiplayer ??is easily the shining star of the experience, and I can see a lot of people picking it up with the right marketing. That day is not today though, and not with the Wii U version of the game.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game purchased by the reviewer. Nintendo of America did not send out review copies for Devil's Third.]}

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NOA doesn't seem proud of it

Tomorrow, Devil's Third, a game years in the making, will be released in the US on Wii U, published by Nintendo. So where is all the fanfare, and reviews from US outlets? Nowhere, because Nintendo isn??'t sending out review copies for it. I mean, if you want to re??ad up on it, there's plenty of good reviews out there from European and Japanese sources, as well as hours of gameplay footage, so it's not like you're in the dark. But this whole situation is just really odd.

Just today, I got a notification for the available Nintendo Download games this week, and although Fast Racing Neo, a third-party indie eShop-only game headlined it, Devil's Third, the only retail release and technically first party, was pushed to the very bottom into the "also" section. The hype was real at one point, and Bayonetta 2 seemed to work out well for them, so I guess they probably assumed this one would be a hit too -- only, it didn't pan out so well critically in Europe, hence the late to the game US shun-session. It could also partially be related to director Itagaki throwing Nintendo's own GamePad under the bus.

As for me, I picked up a copy by way of a street-date-breaking retailer, so I'm hacking away at the single-player component. Once I complete that, I'll wait to test out multiplayer on live servers tonight and tomorrow, hopefully bringing you a ??full verdict by the end of the day Friday. Since I have no embargo to abide by let's just say the camp??aign is super rough, but I'm holding out hope for multiplayer, which is supposed to be fun.

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Also, a new title might be in the works

Valhalla Game Studios has always noted the existence of a PC edition of Devil's Third, but today, it officially announced Devil's Third Online. It's basically a stripped down version of the Wii U game, which eliminate?s the campaign and only contains multiplayer (which I hear is the best part anyway).

Additionally, a livestream on November 12 will be providing more information on the future of the franchise, as w??ell as a possible new game announcement from the studio. The Wii ?U version still isn't out in the US -- it's set to drop on December 11, published by Nintendo.

Devil's Third [4Gamer via Siliconera]

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I want to see this one for myself

While the first few minutes of this new official Devil's Third trailer looks fairly boring, the multiplayer componen?t, which starts at 2:30, actually seems kind of cool. Like Itagaki has said in the past it's a military-like affair, with factions? and different playable characters.

Based on the trailer there's lots of hand-to-hand-fighting, vegetable and fruit grenades, a mode with a chicken icon on it, and a ton of variety in general. While a lot of Devil's Third looks bad on paper, I definitely want to try this out before writing off the multiplayer -- it might be the best part??.

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'Quarter four of this year'

After rumblings that Nintendo of America had dropped Devil's Third (and that XSEED had picked it up), the publisher just confirmed ?to Destructoid that the game will launch in Nort?h America in "quarter four of this year" under its banner.

The Wii U version will be published by Nintendo, but the PC version will be a standalone release by developer Valhalla Game Studios themselves. The PC edition is b?eing described as ?"free-to-start," offering a "multiplayer experience tailored for the platform."

Uh....we've reached out for more information regarding this version split. The PC version sounds a little like Malk to me, with a sole multiplayer component.

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It's mostly good, with one odd holdup

I don't think a lot of people were poised to hear any news on Devil's Third this E3, much less a Wii U exclusive announcement. But here we are, and speaking to Game Informer, Valhalla Game Studio's Yoshifuru Okamoto had a few things to say ??about the process, noting "?When we became independent as Valhalla Game Studio, I feel like we were able to pull together a lot of people who really loved games.

"We were very fortunate in that regard," Okamoto continued. "But after THQ collapsed, we found ourselves needing a partner. We ??talked to lots of different people, but the ones who understood what we were challenging ourselves to do, who most supported our vision was Nintendo. Really it was about the people involv??ed working together well."

Nintendo didn't ask them to tone down the violence as well, with Okamoto stating, "As far as boundaries go, there was nothing they told us we couldn’t do. I think that we had some?? interesting differences of opinion, but they were all very much grounded in a mutual respect."

There is one really odd quote though, when Okamoto says, "I’d love to use somethin?g like [special Nintendo themed costumes], but the game is so violent I’m not sure they’d let us."

So they were lax on boundaries, and Bayonetta 2 --? another violent game -- got to u??se Nintendo costumes?

Devil’s Thi??rd Interview – How Itagaki's Violent?? Shooter Landed On The Wii U [Game Informer]

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He has a vision for a trilogy and beyond

First Bayonetta 2, and now Devil's Third. Two unexpected but welcome games arriving exclusively on Wii U, thanks to Nintendo. The latter title, long in development at Valhalla Game Studios and led by Ninja Gaiden's Tomonobu Itagaki, resurfaced at E3 2014. A blend o??f shooting action and swordplay, it's hoping to be a breakthrough in multiplayer.

"I think a lot of people might have been surprised that such a violent game was going to be released on a Nintendo platform," Itagaki told Polygon. "But I think that y?ou can say, from a certain perspective, things are getting interesting for Nintendo as well, making the??se kinds of choices."

Speaking about the collaboration, he explained that 90 percent of Devil's Third as a concept has gone unchanged. "That other 10 percent I think really has been flavored by this cooperation with Nintendo," he explained -- specifically Hitoshi Yamagami and Yusuke Nakano.

"There are also cultural differences between the way that I've worked and the way Nintendo works, which is when it comes down to the basic grammar of games, the method of game creation," said? Itagaki. "And so we certainly fought some, but I think that I saw the value in a lot of the way??s that they do things and learned a great amount."

Back when Devil's Third was under THQ, I didn't care for it. Actually, I ?didn't really pay it much attention. But its E3 showing was surprising. I doubt it'll end up being a "highly polished game," but its ideas look different enough, weird ??enough, that it likely won't matter.

Why Itagaki brought his h??yper-viol??ent THQ shooter to Wii U as an exclusive [Polygon]

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Valhalla Game Studios brings the action to Wii U

Just when I was losing hope of ever seeing Tomonobu Itagaki's lost action game again, the head of Valhalla Games Studios re-introduced us to their original IP. Devil's Third is not only alive and well, it's also a Wii U exclusive. In a brand new trailer, we got to see some of the ac?tion that unfolds. While mechanically it looks similar to the original trailer, the game looks a bit different now. Not ?surprising, of course. In any case, I'm looking forward to hearing more on this title.

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Do we still want to play it, though?

I haven't exactly been wondering what designer Tomonobu Itagaki's been up to as of late, but now I'm curious. His team at Valhalla Game Studios was working on Devil's Third last we heard, although updates on the project have been few and far between. I'd just assumed it wasn't going to see release and the studio had quietly moved on to s?omething new.

"Next year will be the year we'll be releasing the console game, Devil's Third," Itagaki told 4Gamer. "At the moment, it is about 80% complete, and we can about see the end of it. However, there's still a little more polishing that needs to be done. That'?s also one of the reasons I've decided to work independently. For you fans out there, I'd like to apologize for making you worry. We?'ll be going all out next year, so please look forward to it."

I like Ninja Gaiden (both old and new). I even like Dead or Alive, despite generally not being much of a fighting game player. But I haven't been given many compelling reasons to have confidence in Devil's Third. The game did survive the demise of THQ, though. If Itagaki and co. can finish that f?inal 20 percent next year as promi??sed, that's really what this is: a survivor.

It's Alive! Devil&rsquo??;s Third Is 80% Complete, Co?ming Out Next Year [Siliconera]

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Some time ago, THQ had picked up Itagaki's latest action game Devil's Third, hoping to distribute it worldwide at some point in time. Then, years, later, we find out that THQ was actually attempting to offload the project onto another publisher?? after some pretty serious developmental issues.

Well, at this point in time, THQ has official severed ties with the eccentric "rockstar" developer -- Itagaki and his new development team Valhalla Game Studios now fully own the Devil's Third IP.

THQ confirmed this news to Eurogamer, but Itagaki himself recently confirmed it in an interview with Famitsu's Xbox 360 magazine. "[The] Most important thing is gamers' happiness. And people in business side like distributors and presses. And developers. It's a Happy Three. So we can't thank THQ enough. Anyway, we now own the Devil's Third IP."

Well, that's an int??eresting turn of developments to say the least. Can we actually see the game now?

Devil's Third rights returned to Itagaki and Valhalla Game St??udios [Eurogamer]

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While certain people in the games industry make me jump up and down with excitement, there are others who make my personality do a complete U-turn and Tomonobu Itagaki is one of them. Instead of swearing and squealing I become almost silence and humbled; even to the point where It?agaki had to reassure me mid-interview!

Despite this we take some time to talk about the setting up of his new studio -- Valhalla Game Studios -- following his rather messy departure from Team Ninja, and we chat about the studios very first game: Devil's Third.

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