If you’re into anime, chances are you’ve watched Solo Levelling. It’s been one of the best shows of recent years – albeit one that’s a massive power fantasy, but then, aren’t they all? One of the most anticipated RPGs of next year, Solo Levelling: Arise Overdrive, looks to bring that power fantasy to life in stellar fashion, and publisher Netmarble will certainly be pinning a lot of their hopes on its success. Things are definitely looking good though, and in preparation for the game’s appearance at TwtichCon San Diego in the US, the developers have dropped a brand new gameplay trailer showing off some of the game’s combat features.
Solo Levelling centres on Sung Jin-Woo, the weakest hunter in a world where hunters fight off otherworldly threats. After an encounter in a mysterious dungeon, Sung Jin-Woo discovers that he’s become a ‘player’, experiencing the world like a video game, and able to grind and improve his hunter level – something that should be impossible. What’s great about the series is that he spends the first couple of series hiding these newfound abilities, but there’s definitely the sensation that things might take a turn for the worse in the near future, as he gets more and more powerful.
There’s lots of levelling up and fighting off fantastical creatures in Solo Levelling, so it’s little surprise to see Arise Overdrive focusing on that. As it’s a series based on the idea of a world that’s being experienced like a video game, it’s a perfect match, and one which I can see Netmarble doing a good job with. Combat looks swift and flashy, and there’s definitely some similarities to be found with Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XVI, taking on huge creatures with melee weaponry and visually impressive special moves.
Solo Levelling: Arise Overdrive is due to launch on November the 17th for PC via Steam and Xbox Series consoles. If you fancy checking the game out before that at Twitchcon San Diego, that’s going to run over this weekend, from the 17th to the 19th of October.
