Staffing Up! NARAKA: BLADEPOINT Adds Shaolin-Inspired Staff to Weapon Arsenal
24 Entertainment have unveiled a new addition to their arsenal of weapons in NARAKA: BLADEPOINT. Inspired by Shaolin martial arts techniques, players soon will get to master the deadly yet elegant Staff. Coming November 17th, it is the latest melee weapon to appear in-game, following the Dual Blades which were added earlier this year.
Hailed as “the grandfather of all weapons”, the Staff offers good range with a dynamic moveset, setting itself apart from NARAKA’s spear. As in other popular martial arts films, games, and media, players will wield the Staff with agility and grace in an almost dance-like manner. Fans have requested this weapon since the game’s launch, and 24 Entertainment can’t wait for them to experience this new playstyle. Wanting to get the fun and “feel” of the Staff just right, the studio had a little help as lead producer, Ray Kwan, explains:
“To really bring the weapon to life, we invited a Shaolin monk to our Hangzhou HQ to provide our Staff mocap: recording a range of genuine Shaolin staff moves like sweeps, thrusts, upward swings, and many more. Then we set about making them work in-game. With a little tweaking, these moves were ready to fit in NARAKA! A large factor in why NARAKA's combat works so well is the fluidity, along with the functionality, of intricate movements like these. We micro-adjust them by hand, ensuring each flows into the next. This continuity work took a fair while to get right with the Staff.”
In-game, the Staff will feel familiar to those who favour NARAKA’s Spear, and will be an ideal choice for both veteran players and newcomers alike. Like other weapons, it offers the same basic horizontal and vertical attacks, with plenty of unique moves for players to master. When foes try to run, you can close the gap with a sudden dash attack, for instance. The Staff can also unleash powerful, precise charged-up strikes which can then chain into special moves and a dynamic new stance. In future, NARAKA fans can expect more “lineage” style weapons that will adapt existing favourites for a more varied and exciting gameplay experience.