With movies and shows such asParasite,Train to Busan, andSquid Gameit’s become obvious that Korean media deserves its spot in the limelight. The same principle should be applied to video games, too, and it would seem thatSplinter Cellis already on the docket for Korean reinterpretation.
That’s right: whereas Ubisoft appears to be painfully uninterested in the production of anhonest-to-goodnessSplinter Cellgame, that’s not to say other devs can’t try their hand at the same concept. Enter EVR Studio’sProject TH,Project Two Hearts, andProject Shaman, which all appear to be different titles and/or title translations for a single game.Project THis a third-person over-the-shoulder stealth action game that takes more than mere cues from Sam Fisher’s most bombastic adventures. The thing is, it’s got some of that trademark Korean weirdness to it, and though we’ve already got a bunch of gameplay, there’s no proper release window in tow. Pinch of salt, folks. Pinch of salt.
Splinter Cell, global conspiracies, (non)zombies, and idol groups come together in Project TH
Right off the bat, I’ve got to say thatProject TH‘s official synopsis is about as out-there as your average garden-varietyMetal Geartitle. I recommendreading the full thing here, on the official website, but if you just need a highlight to set the stage, here you go: “[Ordo] is an idol group used as propaganda to increase the number of the voluntary military enlisting and quickly succeeds in gaining mass popularity and meeting its intended goals,” it goes. “At the same time, an unidentified armed organization is assembled to take out Ordo.”
Please note that all of this happens after the unification of South and North Korea (which is where the game’sTwo Heartsmoniker appears to be coming from), and the playable protagonist is assigned as security detail to… an idol group of military propagandists. It’s a whole thing.
Back on track, gameplay trailers are available via EVR Studio’s official Twitter account, and they show why it may well be worth keeping track ofProject THregardless of how you feel about its narrative pitch. This is basically a modern re-envisioning ofSplinter Cell Blacklist, albeit with boy bands and zombified rage virus carriers thrown in for good measure.
Stealth is a major part ofProject TH‘s gameplay, though high-octane action absolutely remains on the menu should you choose to pursue it. The whole thing looks remarkably slick in motion, and I hope the apparent strangeness of the narrative doesn’t overshadow what looks to be a genuinely compelling new stealth(ish) game.
One thing that’s bound to be a huge draw for fans of Korean cinema, specifically, is the fact thatProject THfeatures famed actors Lee Hong-nae and Heo Sung-tae in leading roles. Might this all be good in the end? Possibly. Just keep in mind that this is about as Korean of a game as it gets. I don’t think there’s a Gachapon attached to the project though, and it’s not a pay-to-win MMORPG, so that’s neat.
