The highly anticipated action-fighting game, The Hidden Ones, developed by Tencent’s Morefun Studios, is slated for a 2025 release. Based on the popular The Outcast franchise, this game promises an engaging experience with its unique gameplay, compelling story, and captivating setting. Even in its pre-alpha stage, The Hidden Ones demonstrates a strong foundation and innovative features, making it a promising contender in the fighting game genre. This preview offers a first look at the game’s mechanics, modes, and overall potential based on hands-on experience.
Gameplay Mechanics: Combat Simplified
The Hidden Ones features a combat system that balances complexity with accessibility. While seemingly intricate at first glance, the core mechanics are easy to grasp and master. The combat revolves around four key elements: basic attacks, skills, blocking, and dodging. Each action can lead to different outcomes, with skills branching into powerful combos.
alt text: Screenshot of The Hidden Ones gameplay, showcasing the combat system with color-coded attacks and a dynamic fight sequence.
Interestingly, The Hidden Ones discourages mindless button-mashing. Color-coded attacks provide crucial information: blue indicates blockable attacks, while red signals the need to dodge. Furthermore, the basic attack can break an opponent’s block, creating an opening for grapples and subsequent combos. This strategic element adds depth to the combat, rewarding skillful play over brute force. For those less experienced with fighting games, the story mode offers five revives per fight, respawning players at the point of failure within a multi-stage battle. This forgiving mechanic allows players to focus on the narrative without being hindered by demanding gameplay.
Diverse Game Modes: Story, Duel, and Trial
The Hidden Ones offers three distinct game modes to cater to different playstyles. The Story mode follows the general narrative of The Outcast franchise but introduces original characters and storylines, making it accessible even to newcomers.
alt text: Screenshot from The Hidden Ones, displaying the game mode selection screen with options for Story, Duel, and Trial modes.
The Duel mode offers competitive PvP action. Players select three characters and equip Doppelganger effects, adding strategic layers to the battles. Each duel consists of three rounds, with characters gaining HP boosts after each victory. The fast-paced nature of duels ensures engaging matches, typically lasting around 2-3 minutes.
Finally, the Trial mode presents a boss rush challenge, pitting players against progressively difficult bosses from the Story mode. This mode was not available for testing during the preview.
A Polished Experience: Smooth Combat and Visual Clarity
Even in its pre-alpha stage, The Hidden Ones exhibits a high level of polish. The combat is fluid and responsive, with no noticeable bugs or lag. The character animations are particularly impressive, showcasing realistic martial arts movements captured through motion capture technology and applied to the character models.
alt text: Close-up screenshot of a character in The Hidden Ones, highlighting the detailed character model and fluid animation during combat.
The visual clarity of the game is another standout feature. Even during chaotic battles with multiple Doppelgangers active, tracking character movements remains easy, thanks in part to the clear color-coding system. This attention to detail enhances the overall gameplay experience.
Release Timeline and Availability
The Hidden Ones is currently scheduled for pre-alpha testing in January 2025, followed by beta testing in the summer and an official launch in the fall of 2025. Players in the United States and Brazil can register for pre-alpha testing now, with global registration opening soon. The game will be available on PC via Steam, as well as Android and iOS mobile devices.
alt text: Promotional image for The Hidden Ones, showcasing the game's logo and key art, with information about platforms and release window.
