After the GARO trailer ended, the audience still gave warm applause, but compared to the earlier Dark Souls DLC reveal, the enthusiasm was clearly much lower.
That was normal—after all, the tokusatsu culture wasn't particularly strong in the West. The GARO adaptation project was really something Ichin and a few tokusatsu enthusiasts in the company wanted to do, which was why they eventually made the deal for it.
The production cost wasn't cheap—definitely above the industry's standard line—but it wouldn't reach the same level as Dark Souls.
Even so, Ichin was confident that he could make a great game.
Looking at the audience, Ichin smiled and said,
"GARO is a tokusatsu-based ARPG we're co-developing with Japan's Tohoku Shinsha. The story mainly focuses on the first and second seasons of GARO, which we've restructured and expanded so that even players who haven't watched the original can experience a complete world and rich narrative.
The combat system is designed specifically to capture the style of a tokusatsu series—we've tried to faithfully recreate the original's signature moves and memorable battle scenes."
While the on-site reaction was calm, online discussions immediately exploded—after all, you could find tokusatsu fans in every corner of the internet.
"It's really GARO! After all these years, we're getting another GARO game!"
"If I remember right, a lot of people in this company are tokusatsu nerds—no wonder they made this."
"That combat footage looks amazing, totally different in style from Dark Souls."
"Can't wait!"
Once the GARO segment ended, Ichin continued,
"Next, let's move on to our following announcement. Please enjoy."
The screen faded to black.
A dripping sound echoed in the darkness, until a single beam of light cut through, revealing a pitch-black dungeon deep underground.
At the edge of the dungeon, a faint silhouette sat motionless.
Suddenly, a massive object fell from above and slammed into the floor with a thunderous crash.
In the light, the audience saw—it was a giant werewolf-like monster.
As the creature appeared, the shadowed figure in the corner slowly stood up. A pair of long legs wrapped in torn black stockings hinted that it was a woman.
A man's voice spoke from the darkness:
"Your name?"
A woman replied:
"Velvet."
Her voice echoed softly. Under the dim light, a stained yet beautiful face came into view—elegant but cold, and on her left arm, a crimson demonic claw replaced a human hand.
In the next second, the woman leaped forward, charging straight toward the towering werewolf.
The screen cut before showing the fight.
The next shot revealed a massive sailing ship upon a stormy sea, and the same woman now in full view as the music swelled passionately.
Then followed a montage of scenes and characters—hand-drawn 2D animations interwoven with stunningly detailed 3D in-engine footage.
What thrilled viewers the most were the rare glimpses of actual combat.
The heroine's fighting style, as well as that of several other characters, each had distinct moves—but all shared one trait: seamless combo chains.
Different skills flowed together, keeping enemies suspended and staggered midair.
The trailer ended with the heroine roaring as she charged a man who seemed to be the final boss—then the title appeared:
Tales of Berseria
Release Date: Next year's autumn.
Platforms: All major consoles including Nintendo Switch, and PC.
The camera returned to the main stage, where Ichin smiled.
"This is our company's next new title. The story takes place in an original fantasy world and follows a single female protagonist, telling a tale of vengeance unlike any we've done before.
From the trailer, you may have noticed both 2D and 3D elements. Some cutscenes are hand-drawn animation, while most of the story scenes are rendered directly in-engine—no pre-rendered CG.
Aside from its narrative, we've devoted special attention to the combat system. To improve the feel and fluidity of combat, we collaborated with Capcom's Devil May Cry development team, who provided technical guidance.
We're deeply grateful for Capcom's support."
Ichin's words caused quite a stir among the developers and journalists present.
A game told entirely from a female lead's perspective—if the story wasn't handled well, it could easily backfire.
After all, in the industry, there weren't that many well-known games led by female protagonists. The ones everyone knew were Tomb Raider's Lara Croft, Metroid's Samus, and Bayonetta's Bayonetta.
There might be others, but few that achieved lasting popularity.
So Tales of Berseria—a single-protagonist revenge story led by a woman—was clearly a bold challenge.
"I don't mind a female lead, honestly—as long as she's hot."
"Yeah, just not another middle-aged aunt face."
Such comments flooded not only domestic live chats but Western streams as well.
It was clear that players everywhere were tired of how female characters had been designed in recent years.
Thankfully, Tales of Berseria's heroine, Velvet, gave everyone relief. Her left arm might look monstrous, but she exuded that perfect cold, mature beauty many players loved.
Beyond her looks, Ichin's mention of Capcom's cooperation also caught everyone's attention.
"They actually got the Devil May Cry team involved? That's impressive."
"Makes sense, though—Fall Guys had Capcom collaborations, so they probably have close ties."
"With Capcom's help and YC's own talent, the combat system's in good hands."
Positive reactions filled the comment sections. The reveal of Tales of Berseria had started on an excellent note.
Yet, after that trailer ended, when everyone thought Ichin was finally wrapping up, he remained calmly on stage.
Spreading his hands with a bright grin, he said,
"You thought that was the end? Sorry—but we still have one last thing to show.
Those who know our company should remember: besides our Tokyo division, we also have a studio in Shanghai.
After Titanfall was released, our Shanghai team never stopped working.
Now then—please enjoy the final video we've prepared."
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