What is it?

An imaginative retelling of the Book of Enoch (from the Dead Sea Scrolls) designed by Takeyasu Sawaki of Devil May Cry and Okami fame, El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is a colorful third-person action game that’s simply stunning to look at. Players assume the role of Enoch, a human who’s in God’s favor and is charged with bringing seven fallen angels to justice.

Why is it cool?

UTV Ignition’s Director of New Business Development Shane Bettenhausen emphasized that they’re allowing Sawaki to have the artistic freedom to create the game he’s always wanted to make. Bettenhausen also noted that throughout El Shaddai, players will experience a variety of gameplay styles from level to level -- including third-person combat like DMC and side-scroller-style platforming sequences.

Enoch is also a total badass who starts off with only a pair of jeans that he got from Lucifel (Japanese spelling of Lucifer; he isn’t quite the Devil yet). In El Shaddai, players can have Enoch steal and purify weapons from different enemies to strategically use in rock-paper-scissors-style combat. 

The moment Rez fans have been waiting for.

Though this title technically has nothing to do with the PS2-era on-rails shooter Rez, the way the gorgeous surreal backgrounds flow throughout the levels certainly draws a comparison between the two titles. El Shaddai also sports an easy mode for those who don’t want to bother with putting forth an effort when playing and would rather focus on the visuals. I guess what I mean to say is that this can be the perfect game for people who like zoning out and staring at pretty colors. 

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