"Best known for its smash hit Genshin Impact, developer HoYoverse is on something of a game announcement spree lately. On top of supporting multiple already-released gacha games, the studio recently announced cozy life sim Petit Planet and Honkai spinoff Nexus Anima, and now it's revealed Varsapura, a surprisingly different game from the rest of its offerings with some unexpected influences."
"The influence of Remedy's Control is immediately apparent in Varsapura. The game begins with a gloomy voiceover from its protagonist, who's arriving at a nondescript administrative building for a job. The interior of SEAL headquarters has a similar bureaucratic-but-spooky feeling and it's strewn with documents that build out the organization's lore. It's certainly derivative, but if you're going to crib from any game, Control is as good a place as any to start."
"Things get weirder as the gameplay demo goes on. The protagonist is drawn into a shadowy world where a cat and a man without a face give her an interview she doesn't even realize is an interview. Good for her, though, she apparently passes and a SEAL officer shows up to induct her into the bureau. Varsapura blends noir and supernatural horror in an interesting deviation from HoYoverse's usual aestethics."
HoYoverse revealed Varsapura via a 30-minute gameplay trailer showcasing a supernatural detective experience. The player arrives at SEAL headquarters, a bureau dedicated to fighting a paranormal force called Mindrot, and faces an unexpectedly surreal job interview. The game draws clear influence from Remedy's Control with a gloomy voiceover, bureaucratic-but-spooky interiors, and lore-strewn documents. Gameplay shifts into shadowy realms featuring enigmatic figures like a cat and a faceless man. Varsapura adopts a more muted, realistic art direction compared with HoYoverse's colorful, anime-inspired titles, blending noir and supernatural horror within a modern-day setting.
Read at Inverse
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