Dororo: Hands-On, New Screens & Videos

The creator of Astro Boy offers Sega additional license treasure with Dororo, but will Sega Wow do it justice?

Sega's newly merged Sega Wow studio (the product of Overworks and Wow Entertainment) revealed the first playable version of Dororo at last weekend's Tokyo Game Show, and although comparisons with other Sega titles such as Kunoichi are inevitable, domestic punters lapped the game up at the show.

Announced back at E3, Dororo is a modern day action epic adapted from the classic manga by Osamu Tezuka, also the creator of Astro Boy. Like the original manga the game follows the adventures of Hyakkimaru, a samurai haunted by a shocking secret, who is on a quest to uncover his past and regain his humanity. As a newborn baby he was robbed of every limb, organ and even his flesh and had his humanity replaced with a myriad of ways to deal out death.

Players can choose to battle with various weapons such as blades embedded inside Hyakkimaru's arms, a bazooka hidden inside his leg, or weapons that are found during the course of the adventure. At every step of the way Hyakkimaru's friend Dororo will be there to help you, guide you, and fight alongside Hyakkimaru as you explore and unravel the mystery of his past.

The version we played at the show delivered on its promises of large scale environments and many varied ways of attacking enemies, and certainly boasts potential. Visually it was somewhat on the ropey side; at times it looked great in-game but often, the combination of terrible frame rate and poor texturing would make for a visually underwhelming experience. We hope this is something improved before the game's Japanese release next year, with western releases scheduled to follow.

Adam Doree
Director, Kikizo.com