14 DAY TRIAL // After its official confirmation last week, The Legend of Korra video game from Platinum and Activision has received some more gameplay details about its combat system, its RPG-like leveling mechanic, and a few things about the story.
The Legend of Korra is the sequel to the hit animated TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender. Seeing as how its third season has just kicked off on Nickelodeon, a video game tie-in wasn't far away.
However, instead of taking it to a no-name developer and just relying on the popularity of the brand to boost sales, publisher Activision has gone to Japanese studio Platinum Games, which is famous for intense third-person action games like Bayonetta, Vanquish, and much more.
The result was announced last week and now a special preview for The Legend of Korra video game that will debut this fall has appeared from the PS blog.
In terms of story, it seems that the game takes place after the events of the second season, and one of the show's writers has stepped in to pen the plot of the new experience, which apparently leads into the current third season.
Korra, the main character, has suddenly lost her abilities to manipulate the four elements (water, air, fire, and earth) and must slowly re-learn all the moves and techniques she forgot.
The game uses a cel-shaded visual style for the characters, while the backgrounds use 3D set pieces and some painted visuals. The game runs smoothly, according to the preview, so expect a high framerate, possibly even 60fps.
The four different elements result in four different fighting styles that each play a role on the battlefield.
"Korra can throw whips of water to attack chi blockers at a distance, or meet aggressive mobs with slow and powerful earthbending techniques. The Square and Triangle buttons govern the different attacks, with each strike in a combination capable of an additional charge for extra damage. This system is easy to pick up but also provides more weathered gamers room to develop finesse — especially when it comes to counters," the blog said.
Countering is crucial and great timing means unleashing powerful attacks. Using an RPG-like leveling system, players can upgrade each element to improve its power and unlock more moves. Special techniques are available via an in-game shop and can be purchased using items found in the game world.
Last but not least, there's a pro-bending mode that uses the full set of rules from the universe when it comes to competitions between benders.
The Legend of Korra Video Game is coming on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One this fall. A 3DS version is also set to debut soon enough.