Capcom’s Secret Game Is Revealed

If there’s one thing you can count on a new Capcom game announcement to bring with it, it’s controversy. For the past few days, Capcom has been teasing a new game on their site, using numbers corresponding to the years in the Onimusha games.  That teaser has expired now, having been replaced not with a new Onimusha but the announcement for Sengoku Basara 3, the newest game in Capcom’s Devil May Cry-influenced hack and slash franchise.

The final year on the “countdown”, 1600, corresponds directly to the Battle of Sekigahara, which is widely considered to be the final battle of the Warring States period, ending when the forces of Ieyasu Tokugawa crushed those of the currently ruling Toyotomi clan, cementing all of Japan under the rule of the Tokugawa for years to come.

So, what do we know about this game?  Admittedly, not much.  The teaser website has given us a logo, two character silhouettes, a hint that it will be released in 2010…and no platforms.  As of this posting, Koei’s rival samurai hack-and-slash game, Samurai Warriors 3 (also known as Sengoku Musou 3 in Japan) is exclusive to the Wii; could Capcom be working on a PS3/360 multiplatform action game to capitalize on the lack of a new mainline Musou game?  Or will it make an appearance on the PSP, which Capcom has been supporting with an increased fervor as of late?

One thing’s for sure; as soon as the platform’s announced, we’ll let you all know.  That is, we’ll let you know if the game has any chance of crossing the ocean, since the last few Basara games never made the jump.  More frustratingly, the original game was deliberately butchered by the localization team into a monstrosity known as Devil Kings, with half the playable characters cut out, all references to feudal Japan removed, and the general tone of the game entirely changed to be more “dark and edgy”.  Hopefully Capcom gives the series another shot in the West, only this time with some actual respect.