One of the most intriguing titles in Nintendo’s 2019 lineup is undoubtedly Astral Chain.

This Nintendo Switch exclusive title from the maestro’s of action games, Platinum Games (Bayonetta series) seemingly came out of nowhere when it was announced earlier in the year. The excellent pedigree of Platinum Games has already been enough to have Switch fans in a near-frenzied level of anticipation for Astral Chain’s release, but now we have more details on how the game actually plays, which should make the wait that much more agonizing.

The folks at Platinum Game stopped by the Nintendo Treehouse stream on Tuesday during E3 2019 to show off Astral Chain in action.

The game takes place on Earth in the “near future”.

A supernatural, extra-dimensional invasion has over run the planet, pouring a terrifying force known as Chimera’s into our plane of existence. As a member of a police force, who’s job is to get to the bottom of this invasion and help protect your area, known as an ARK, from destruction.

Assisting these officers is an almost spiritual-like weapon system known as a Legion. These Legion’s are bound to select officers and provide not only extra muscle to these officers in combat, but also the essential gameplay hook behind Astral Chain. For a limited time, players can summon their Legion at any point during a fight, which means both the officer and their legion will be controllable simultaneously.

While the prospect of having to control two characters at the same time may seem overwhelming, Astral Chain’s combat handles the frequent dual fighters with the studio’s signature expertise. The combat exhibits a graceful ballet of frenetic action that entices players to continue improving, not only as a way to progress in the game, but to add more style to the action on screen. Anyone who;s had the chance to play any of Platinum’s other offerings will instantly understand.

Hand-o-hand combat is not the only gameplay style found in Astral Chain. One of the sequences demonstrated during Nintendo’s stream yesterday involved taking control of a motorcycle, as it screamed through a tunnel area. Players have to navigate past numerous obstacles, while also blasting enemies trying to chase you down.

One other interesting note from this Astral Chain demo was the ability to customize your character. Players can chose between a brother and sister and customize numerous aspects of their appearance. While that feature may help add to the immersion of being in the world of Astral Chain, it is quite a departure from Platinum’s recent record of creating iconic gaming characters, like Bayonetta, or Nier Automita’s 2B.

That’s a small concession though. Astral Chain’s setting, combined with Platinum’s always-stellar gameplay will provide plenty of incentive for players to dive in later this year.

Fortunately you won’t have to wait that long to make that dive. Astral Chain launches exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on August 30th, 2019.

Written by The Watchman

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