Capcom's Yoshinori Oro took the stage at Sony’s press event today, to announce Capcom’s next project: deep down (currently a working title). This seemingly medieval battler might be more than it appears, and will utilize a new engine created to take advantage of the PlayStation 4's power.
After a short recap of the company’s storied history on the preceding PlayStation consoles, Ono explained that Capcom has been hard at work on a new engine. Codenamed Panta Rhei, this engine is a step up from the existing Framework engine, which was used to build games like Dead Rising and Resident Evil 5.
Along with unveiling Panta Rhei, Ono was pleased to announce deep down, which opened with a band of warriors gathered around a fire. The setting appears to be something akin to Bethesda’s Skyrim; the only bits of UI were a selection of weapons in the lower corners of the screen. As this band of journeymen--which seems to be comprised of the classic holy trinity of knight, archer, and monk/healer--explored a dimly lit cave, it seemed they were not alone. A gigantic fire-breathing dragon leapt out, attacking with its claws and flame breath as the players scattered.
This fight scene showed off the improved particle effects of the Panta Rhei engine, with impressive fire and heating effects. As the carnage continued, there was also plenty of crumbling rocks and debris as the dragon thrashed about, with nary a hint of slowdown. What we can only assume is the game’s tagline popped up: “Conquer your fear or die a coward.”
As the knight became pinned down by the dragon’s fiery blasts, it seemed his situation was dire. Suddenly, the action cut to a cryptic scene on a computer screen. Ono’s trademark Blanka toy was seen making a digital cry for help, requesting help in the current fight. Could this be a game within a game, where players are playing as these medieval warriors? We’re not sure, but we’ll bring you new info on deep down as soon as we hear it.
