EA and Koei Tecmo are teaming up on a new title they describe as “the next great hunting game”. When I first read that description, my mind jumped to: Big Buck Hunterthe arcade series of hunting games where you shoot wild animals, but looking at the concept art (above), combined with who makes it, i think this game will actually be a lot more like Capcom’s popular Monster Hunter series.
In a press release, EA and Koei Tecmo describe this new game as an original IP that “delivers a true AAA experience based on the feudal fantasy kingdom of Japan.” It will be developed by Koei Tecmo’s Omega Force, which is known for the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors “musou” action games. And a statement from EA exec Jeff Gamon says Omega Force “merges their proven talent for combat gameplay with unexpected and innovative mechanics.”
Those factors, along with the description of the “hunting game”, suggest to me that the developers are probably working on something with Monster Hunterstyle gameplay, where you team up with other players to take out giant monsters. Big Buck Hunter, on the other hand, is essentially glorified target practice. An EA spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for clarification, so if this turns out to be a Japanese video game equivalent of Cabela’s, I’ll update the post to let you know.
Unfortunately, EA and Koei Tecmo haven’t shared much more about the game, so we don’t know when the game will be released or what platforms it might be available on. However, Gamon says the game will be launched “later this month” so we might not have to wait too long to find out more.
This new game will bear the EA Originals label, which was previously used in publishing indie titles such as It takes two and Knockout City.