Dark Passenger is a new Warsaw, Poland-based game studio partly staffed by former The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 devs, and the pitch for its first game reminds us a fair bit of Ghost of Tsushima and its Legends multiplayer mode.
Dark Passenger appeared online earlier this week, and as Shinobi602 flagged on Twitter, it's currently moving into early production on its first game. The studio's website (machine translated to English) explains that it's been creating animations, film sequences, characters, and other assets for other indie and AAA games for several years already, and it's now embarking on its own project "which is currently in the first production phase."
"We are building an addictive, dark world full of secrets, unusual characters and conflicts consuming the Land of the Rising Sun," the translated website reads. In addition to art of an unfortunate dude getting a katana through the neck, the site also has some basic details on how this game will play.
Described as a first-person perspective online action game, Dark Passenger's breakout title is aiming for multiplayer with co-op PvE and competitive PvP. It's set sometime in feudal Japan following the rise of an "unnamed invader" who usurps the throne from the current shogun. Supernatural elements creep in with assassin houses hunting "artifacts hiding extraordinary power" as they resist the invader's reign.
"Playing the roles of shinobi and kunoichi, players will together face both the usurper's acolytes and other groups of assassins hunting for the same finds," the website adds. "While traveling through these dark lands, the characters of the players will jump on city rooftops, hide under the floors of country cottages, climb pagodas or sneak unnoticed among shrines and temples. The vertical shape of the terrain will open up an infinite number of possibilities for them to move and the changeable weather will surprise them with a sudden downpour, strong wind or fog surrounding the area."
Dark Passenger is eyeing PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC (Steam and the Epic Games Store) for this release, whenever it arrives. It seems to have some good people and nice art behind it, so we're game.
Back at Sucker Punch, Ghost of Tsushima 2 looks increasingly likely.
