Assassin’s Creed meets Uncharted in Blood Message: NetEase’s first single-player AAA game

NetEase and 24 Entertainment (Naraka BladePoint) have announced their first AAA, single-player title– Blood Message. It’s a linear, third-person action game that features cinematic storytelling, visceral combat, and over-the-top set pieces. 

Last year's Black Myth Wukong opened the floodgates for China’s AAA single-player game offerings, and Blood Message seems like the promising next step in that direction. Unlike Wukong, however, Blood Message isn’t looking to be a hardcore soulslike game. Instead, its style of storytelling and gameplay is very reminiscent of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed and Naughty Dog’s Uncharted games.  It’s an intriguing mashup, and one that should attract casual and hardcore gamers alike.

One thing that’s immediately evident in Blood Message’s five-minute-long reveal trailer is its photorealistic visuals. It's the way sand reacts to the player’s movement or the torch flame whirls in an underground cave. It all reeks of high production values. 

Blood Message is an Unreal Engine 5 title, which isn’t surprising given NetEase's track record. What's surprising, however, is the sheer attention to detail in everything, something that PlayStation’s first-party games are fondly known for. The trailer subtly flaunts majestic landscapes, elaborate caverns, and state-of-the-art character models. 

But the environments aren’t the only highlight of Blood Message. The trailer sets up an emotional narrative from the perspective of a nameless father and son who embark on a journey to deliver a message amidst a growing uprising that could shape their home and country.

Blood Message is set in Ancient China during the final years of the Tang Dynasty — an immense cultural and political period that drastically shaped Chinese civilization. The linear narrative will take the father-son duo on a treacherous odyssey to Chang’an, the heart of the Tang Empire. 

The Tang Dynasty is an utterly refreshing setting for a AAA game, and NetEase seems to be keenly aware of it. It's evident in the way it emphasizes exploration and puzzle-solving. These are always a great way to get players invested in the world and soak in the details instead of rushing through everything. To that end, many players might be excited to learn that Blood Message isn't a straight-up action game.

The trailer showcases caves full of ancient artifacts that seem right out of an Uncharted game. There are gigantic lost temples of Buddha where you would expect to find an Apple of Eden, should it have been an Assassin’s Creed game. The template is familiar, but the premise is exciting, to say the least.

Blood Message’s reveal trailer highlights some of the intense combat encounters where players can see the father players interrogating, sneaking, and slashing enemies left and right. God of War, much? Execution animations feel polished. Parrying feels weighty. There’s a very cinematic stench to it all, which makes sense as this is a linear game. 

High-stakes set pieces also take center stage, some of which include characters stumbling from great heights through burning buildings, escaping deathly avalanches, and fighting hordes of enemies during a sandstorm. 

Overall, Blood Message looks like a refreshing cinematic single-player game that feels slightly odd coming from a multiplayer-focused studio. Its storytelling and gameplay influences are a bit too obvious, and it’s too early to judge any of them. That said, its Eastern premise makes things exciting, and perhaps that’s what the AAA space currently needs.

Blood Message will launch on PC and consoles. For more on gaming news, stick around on esports.gg.