By: Courtney Obeng
Nintendo of America confirmed Devil’s Third, the long-in-development debut game from Valhalla Game Studios, will be released in the Americas during the fourth quarter of 2015 for the Wii U digitally and in retail.
Devil’s Third’s development is headed by Dead or Alive series creator Tomonobu Itagaki. Itagaki also led the team that created the reboot of Ninja Gaiden in 2004.
Nintendo described Devil’s Third as an over-the-top, third-person action shooter that combines gun fights and ninja style melee combat. Itagaki said Devil’s Third will bring something new to the Wii U.
“Devil’s Third delivers a unique combination of shooting and melee combat to provide Wii U owners with a fresh action-oriented experience,” Itagaki said.
Nintendo’s announcement came on the heels of speculation on the fate of Devil’s Third after it was a no show at this year’s E3 and the title disappeared from the eShop.
Prior to being picked up by Nintendo, Devil’s Third was to be released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 with THQ as the publisher. During THQ’s implosion in 2012, the rights for Devil’s Third were returned to the creators.
Valhalla Game Studio will also release a free-to-play PC version of Devil’s Third that will be “optimized via co-development with local publishers,” said a press release. The PC version is currently called Devil’s Third Online and won’t include the campaign story. Valhalla said the campaign is Wii U exclusive.
“We’ve been working hard on the game and can’t wait for fans to get their hands on it later this year,” Itagaki said.
Devil’s Third launches in Japan Aug. 4 and in Europe Aug. 28.
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