Koei Tecmo and Omega Force know just how to bring popular manga/anime properties to life in video game form.
By using the Dynasty Warriors Musou formula, developer Omega Force have used it to create beat ’em up’s for Fist of the North Star, One Piece, The Heroic Legend of Arslan and Attack on Titan. They’re looking to continue this trend by crafting an extra bloody hack and slasher based on the dark world of Berserk. Guts will take up his massive blade and align himself with his most trusted band of warriors in the upcoming release of Berserk and the Band of the Hawk. On Feb. 21, Tecmo Koei will finally bring their latest Musou-inspired title over to the States.
To get you up to speed on what Berserk and the Band of the Hawk is all about, we’re here to deliver you a ton of info in five fast facts form.
1. This Latest Musou Beat ‘Em Up is Based on the Berserk Anime/Manga
The Berserk manga owes its creation to writer/illustrator Kentaro Miura. The very 1st volume of the manga was initially released in 1990. It follows the tale of a lone mercenary named Guts and Griffith, the leader of a mercenary group known as the “Band of the Hawk.” Fans quickly gravitated towards its dark fantasy world, overabundance of violence and focus on more mature themes. The 1st anime series based on Berserk launched in 1997, while the newest adaptation of the show released in 2016. You can check out the intros for both anime series in the trailers posted here.
2. There’s Only Been Two Other Games Based on Berserk That Have Ever Been Released
This may come as a shock, but there hasn’t been a whole lot of video games with ties to Berserk. Anyone who owned a Sega Dreamcast probably played Sword of the Berserk: Guts’ Rage, which saw a a global release when it launched in 1999. The 2nd game based on the manga/anime happened to be a Japanese-only PS2 release by the name of Berserk: Millennium Falcon Hen Seima Senki no Shō (Berserk Millennium Falcon Chapter: The Holy Demon War Chronicles). Both aforementioned games stuck to the action/adventure formula most fans expected it to stick to. With Berserk and the Band of Hawk finally nearing release in the US, this marks the 2nd time that a Berserk video game has managed to make it to American shores.
3. The Game’s Story Will Take Place Across Three Arcs
Like most anime series’, Berserk’s ongoing story is split up into different arcs. The game will take players through three of them – “The Golden Age Arc, “The Conviction Arc,” and lastly “The Hawk of the Millennium Arc.” You’ll take control of Guts and his fellow mercenaries and play through the biggest battles of each arc and watch its most important events play out in cinematic form. The official website for the game goes into extra detail about each featured arc right here.
4. You’ll Play With a Myriad of Characters as You Wipe Out Countless Enemies and Battle Huge Bosses
Berserk and the Band of the Hawk is a playable bloody massacre. Throughout each stage, you’ll utilize the melee and ranged abilities of your chosen character and rip through hundreds of enemies. As you continue to fight and rack up more kills, your character will grow far more powerful and even be able to gain the ability to wipe out an enemy with one single strike. The vicious nature of this beat ’em up is visibly marked by all the blood that splatters after every kill.
Some characters can tap into their ability to transform into massive tools of destruction, which allows you to do even more damage to a battlefield full of victims. Along with the game’s more weaker foes, you’ll need to deal with larger than life bosses during some more intense duels. You’ll navigate through the game’s main campaign mode and also get to live out your power fantasy by participating in the unlimited enemy filled mode, “Endless Eclipse.”
Check out the full description of this exclusive mode down below:
An endless swarm of enemies awaits those brave enough to take on the game’s Endless Eclipse Mode, where players can prove their worth as they go toe to toe with countless enemies in the formidable Eclipse dimension. Offering a unique and challenging respite from the main story, the new mode has players fighting for their life as they rush to complete various missions to overcome the deadly Eclipse. Slashing their way through this realm will gradually present them with stronger opponents and harder missions pushing players’ skills to their limits. Success comes with rewards however, and those who manage to withstand the challenge will find themselves better equipped to tackle the main game mode.
Guts is the main mercenary you’ll get to take control of. Along with his massive blade “Dragon Slayer,” he can deal out damage with the use of his ranged weapons. He can blast enemies away with a cannon hidden within his mechanical arm, explosives, a bow gun, throwing knives etc. Some of the other characters you’ll use can also tap into their wide range of powerful melee/ranged skills. While in battle, each warrior can adopt even more devastating abilities and temporary stat boosts after tapping into their “Awakened” state. Once stages are completed, you can use all the raw material you’ve collected by putting it towards the weapons upgrade system.
Check out the list below to see who else you can command in battle (click on their name to watch them pull off their most powerful combos):
– Griffith
– Schierke
– Casca
– Judeau
– Serpico
– Zodd
– Wyald
5. Pre-Orders of the Game Will Come With Extra DLC Costumes
Pre-ordering Berserk and the Band of the Hawk means you’ll gain access to six unique outfits for three characters – Guts, Griffith and Schierke. Guts can be outfitted in either his White or Golden Swordsman costume, Griffith has access to his Golden and Black Hawk armor set and Schierke can choose to head into battle with her Pirate or Blue Stripe outfit.
Buy Berserk and the Band of the Hawk here.