Travel through a beautiful, fictional rendition of the 16th century of Feudal Japan, on a symbolic campaign representing a personal trial of life and death of a lost loved one. Experience multiple levels and game modes to bring peace or chaos, in (up to) 24 player online battles.

Beyond the philosophical implications of the game’s backstory, Hanako: Honor & Blade takes players online for immersive battles in a beautiful recreation of Feudal Japan between up to 24 players. Players can help decide the future of a nation by playing as one of four distinct warrior classes including the capable swordsman, powerful spearman, eagle-eyed archer, or nimble ninja. Each class has different build/skill options and features directionally driven combat, abilities, and spirit-based skills to get an extra edge. Players will play as one of two clans and seek to defeat opponents through multiple game modes and maps, enjoying a game that is easy to learn, yet difficult to master.

Master Combat through the discovery of different attacks, abilities, and combos. The combat system features multiple offensive stances driven by your movement, defensive techniques (such as the grappling hook) and abilities (ranging from acrobatic combos to multi-enemy sweeps to multi-hit combos).

Hanako: Honor & Blade offers a multiplayer experience with several modes of gameplay taking familiar elements and expanding them to fit the game's backstory and to introduce fun and engaging new experiences. Combat is based on your movement direction and supplemented by abilities ranging from strong stunning dashes, to multi-hit combos and Master level abilities.

Each game level is designed to present unique obstacles and mechanics that will require strategy and teamwork to defeat enemies. Destructible objectives such as castle gates, meditation ritual sites to buff your team (or debuff the enemy team!), and dynamic environment changes are just a few of the things that keep the battlefield experience engaging and varied. Combat can be enhanced with Ki, a managed resource that can be spent on a multitude of mechanics including blocking attacks, sprinting, meditation, and class-specific skills. Precision and accuracy are vital as players engage in either close quarters or ranged combat and polish their battle skills. Each class has two styles of combat, allowing players to creatively adapt to different battle scenarios, avoiding hack-n-slash monotony.

+Mpact Games announced that Hanako: Honor & Blade will launch for PC (Steam) on September 15, 2021 at $14.99.

To celebrate the upcoming launch, +Mpact today released a new video showing the latest multiplayer map revealing the transformation of Yamai Castle, previously seen only in its dark, diseased form, as a raid of strong warriors culminates in a cleansing victory that removes its evil aura.

“As we put the final touches on Hanako: Honor & Blade we’re reflecting on the bittersweet journey we’ve shared to honor those we have lost,” said Matt Canei, Team Lead at +Mpact Games. “Seeing the transformation of the Yamai Castle map to celebrate a cleansing victory brings home the emotional impact of what our team has accomplished using our own resources.”

Hanako: Honor and Blade is a passion project that has been in development for over a decade. The game’s art and backstory of the game serve as a symbolic tribute to the late mother of team lead, Matt Canei, an industry veteran currently at ILMxLAB. The lore represents an everlasting struggle of life and death, as embodied by the game’s two warrior clans. The Hanako clan represents health and goodness in the spirit of Matt’s mother, and the Yamai clan symbolize the opposition to life inherent in cancer and other diseases. The natural balance of the opposing forces metaphorically represents real-life tragedies while seeking to honor those lost.

Key Features

• Epic online battles set in Feudal Japan with up to 24 players
• A symbolic struggle between the forces of life and death
• Four game modes with unique features, including team deathmatch Battle, Capture the Scroll, Village Siege, and Castle Raid
• Directional-driven combat that encourages strategy and precision
• Four distinct warrior classes with different skill options for multiple playstyles
• Dynamic environment changes

Currently available through Steam Early Access, Hanako: Honor & Blade is coming to PC on September 15, 2021, with PS4 and Xbox One releases to follow at a later time.