Chambara (video game)

Short description: 2016 stealth video game

Chambara

Developer(s)| Team OK
Publisher(s)| USC Games Publishing
Director(s)| Kevin Wong
Designer(s)| Esteban Fajardo, Alec Faulkner
Artist(s)| Catherine Fox
Engine| Unity
Platform(s)|

* PlayStation 4
* macOS
* Microsoft Windows

Release| PlayStation 4
July 26, 2016
macOS, Windows
December 12, 2017
Genre(s)| Stealth
Mode(s)| Multiplayer (local only)

Chambara is a stealth game developed by Team OK and published by USC Games Publishing.[1] It was released on July 26, 2016, for PlayStation 4, and on December 12, 2017, for PC and MacOS.[2]

It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the art style and gameplay, but criticized its lack of features. The game was nominated for an IGF Award and won a BAFTA Ones to Watch Award in 2015.[3] It was also an official selection at Indiecade.[3]

## Contents

* 1 Gameplay
* 2 Development
* 3 Awards and reception
* 4 References

## Gameplay

The game is entirely local multiplayer and each player controls their own anthropomorphic bird samurai character.[4] The world is purely made of black-and-white parts, allowing characters to hide in plain sight due to their solid black and white colors.[4] Players can also throw a single throwing star (which colors the enemy and makes them visible), and also air dash.[4][1] One hit by the player's kendo stick results in the enemy character's death, similar to Bushido Blade.[4] By pressing L2, the character's eyes can be squinted or closed to prevent screen-watching.[4]

## Development

The game was developed by students at USC Interactive Media & Games Division.[1] It was created to be played in a college dorm, leading to its couch-based multiplayer focus.[1] The game's art style was inspired by Samurai Jack, Akira Kurosawa films,[3] 20th-century Japanese art, and Mono-Ha and Metabolism architecture.[1]

The game's characters were changed from humans to birds and blood to feathers because of fears that it would be too violent to be shown in festivals with young children.[3] Having the player easily navigate the world and see the UI was a challenge due to the black-and-white nature of the art style.[3]

## Awards and reception

Chambara received the 2015 BAFTA Ones to Watch Award, which celebrates new talent and innovation in the video games industry, [5] and was chosen by IndieCade as a festival selected in fall of 2015.[6] In 2016, it received the IGF nomination for Best Student Game at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. [7]

The game received mixed reviews from critics, with an aggregate score of 71/100 on Metacritic.[2]

Chris Carter of Destructoid rated the game 75/100, saying that "it does one thing, and it does it pretty well".[4] He said that "there's enough here to keep most people interested, so long as they have a steady stream of friends (or a roommate/significant other) to play with".[4]

Chad Sapieha of the Financial Post rated the game 70/100, saying that while the idea of the game was "fantastic", the idea was "underdeveloped" and would only deliver a "few hours" of fun before "growing stale".[8]

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "'Chambara,' the split-screen samurai game born in a dorm". https://www.engadget.com/2016/08/03/chambara-local-multiplayer-usc-games-publishing/.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Chambara". https://www.metacritic.com/game/chambara/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-4.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Baker, Chris. "Road to the Student IGF: Chambara by Team OK Games". http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/264188/Road_to_the_Student_IGF_Chambara_by_Team_OK_Games.php.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 "Review: Chambara". https://www.destructoid.com/review-chambara-377480.phtml.
5. ↑ "BAFTA Ones to Watch Award Winner in 2015: Chambara". 2015-03-12. http://www.bafta.org/games/awards/bafta-ones-to-watch-2015.
6. ↑ "Chambara". http://www.indiecade.com/games/selected/Chambara.
7. ↑ "Chambara: Student Entrant 2016". 22 August 2016. http://www.igf.com/chambara.
8. ↑ "Chambara review: Stealthy arena fighter delivers innovative action, but too few ways to play". Financial Post. 2016-08-15. http://business.financialpost.com/technology/gaming/chambara-review-stealthy-arena-fighter-delivers-innovative-action-but-too-few-ways-to-play/wcm/10e7ed3a-b03f-446a-86b0-5db4b64d2bb8.

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