HoYoverse just surprised its fans with the reveal of a new game, Varsapura, an open-world title that certainly appears to go above and beyond what we have seen from the developer of Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail.
Defined as the developer’s new open-world flagship game made in Unreal Engine 5, Varsapura has a completely different character design compared to its predecessors. While it stays close to anime tropes, it shifts more toward a more realistic CG-esque style.
The open-world setup is also quite striking, and following an introductory mission that shows plenty of rather unique combat mixing stealth and action, we get to see a driving sequence in an extensive city that appears to mix influences and inspirations from various real-world locations.
We also get a glimpse of the story, with the protagonist joining the police force named SEAL with the intent of finding the killer of their former self, who appears to be a SEAL agent.
Despite the differences, we also see some similarities, like the variety of characters and even a hint toward the end to recruiting them via the internet, which certainly hints at the usual gacha system.
That being said, we certainly can’t say that HoYoverse is resting on its laurels. Following the launch of Zenless Zone Zero in 2024, they revealed two games recently, Honkai: Nexus Anima and Petit Planet. This is the third reveal in four months.
That being said, Vasapura is possibly earlier in development, with the developer hiring for several roles in Shanghai, Singapore, and Los Angeles.
We’ll have to wait for more information, but for now, color me interested. While we wait, you can watch the gameplay below and tell me if it impresses you as much as it did me.
