Blood Message Preview: A Cinematic AAA Action Game

Blood Message is 24 Entertainment’s first AAA single-player game, and in several respects it seems the studio has taken inspiration from the strongest template for this kind of production: PlayStation’s first-party catalogue. It has lavish production values and cinematic direction, puts a father-and-son bond at its heart, includes scripted, high-speed linear pursuit scenes, and often feels as though you are watching a prestigious historical television drama as much as playing a game. That is not meant as criticism; I will always enjoy the popcorn-blockbuster style of interactive entertainment. Above all else, though, Blood Message impressed me with combat that feels both cinematic and believable.

Blood Message takes place in late Tang Dynasty China

Set in 848 AD, during China’s late Tang Dynasty, Blood Message follows an unnamed protagonist who is not a celebrated historical figure, but an ordinary soldier and messenger. Swept up in a vast conflict, he must undertake a punishing 1,000-mile journey to Chang'an with his young son. Alongside clashes with hostile forces, the pair will need to endure harsh landscapes and the elements.

My demonstration begins near the start, as the messenger and his brother race back to the former’s home while their city comes under assault. For the protagonist, protecting his son is the only priority. I was not given many further story details, but the presentation more than fills that gap. Blood Message is a strikingly attractive game and, although I cannot state it with complete certainty, it seems to use a single-shot camera. I do not remember seeing a single camera cut while playing, and its cinematography strongly brought the modern God of War games to mind.

Blood Message combat is brutal and cinematic

I made my way through narrow street passages, partly deserted houses and across rooftops, repeatedly pressing prompts to shove obstacles aside, such as a collapsed shelf, and squeezing through tight openings. It is all recognisable territory, but delivered with AAA polish. What really caught my attention was Blood Message’s forceful sword fighting.

On the surface, the mechanics are familiar: use light and heavy strikes against opponents, block and parry incoming attacks, and occasionally hammer QTE buttons to break free from an enemy’s grapple. Yet the realistic animation during these close-quarters, vicious confrontations gives the action a gratifyingly visceral quality. This is not a stylish action game; it feels more grounded and substantial, while still remaining polished.

Light and heavy attacks are assigned to the right shoulder triggers, with blocking and parrying on the left bumper. It is a distinctly Souls-like control arrangement, though this is clearly not a Souls game. I did not consider the combat especially difficult, but I soon found an enjoyable rhythm: linking light strikes together, using heavy blows to shatter the guard of shield-carrying enemies, parrying every attempted counterattack for satisfying blade-on-blade clashes, and triggering heavily scripted executions. Watching it unfold resembles an impressive technical demonstration that seems too polished to be real, but I can confirm that, at least in this build, it absolutely is. I consistently enjoyed seeing another group of foes attempt to halt my advance.

Stealth and chase sequences round out the action

Certain locations offer stealth opportunities, allowing me to creep up on enemies and dispatch them quietly - and violently - such as by driving the point of a hammer into their throats. Again, these stealth sections are straightforward AAA material: crouch behind cover, approach unseen and take down targets. In some situations, the protagonist’s brother also participates in coordinated ambushes.

That same sense of familiarity carries through to a major chase scene. After being discovered by enemies, the protagonist has to sprint through linear streets, vaulting scripted hazards as explosions erupt, arrows are fired towards him and buildings collapse around him. He makes a dramatic leap, only just catching hold of something before falling anyway. It is exactly the sort of sequence in which Nathan Drake would feel at home and, while it is not original, it is well executed and entertaining to watch.

This opening portion of Blood Message indicates that it will offer a solid, conventional experience for the typical AAA action fan. It ticks many of the same boxes that helped God of War and Uncharted succeed: visual detail impressive enough to show non-gaming friends as evidence of how far video games have progressed, alongside combat that is easy to understand yet extremely satisfying to perform. Nothing I saw suggests it will reinvent the action game genre, but neither does every game need to - or even can - do that. I had an excellent time with the demonstration, and I am most keen to learn whether Blood Message can match its razor-sharp visuals and combat with equally capable storytelling. We still do not know when the complete game will arrive, but for now, I am optimistic that it will be an entirely enjoyable interpretation of a proven formula.