Yakuza creator's squad-based sci-fi shooter Binary Domain revealed
Toshihiro Nagoshi's latest game is a rumor no more. Sega has announced that the Yakuza creator is heading up development on the previously teased Binary Domain, a squad-based action game for Xbox 360 and PS3. Set in Tokyo circa 2080, the game will pit humans versus Terminators robots in what Nagoshi is billing as "a dramatic and energetic sci-fi shooter."
"When you hear sci-fi you may think of cold, clinical environments," Toshihiro remarked in the game's announcement, explaining, "with Binary Domain I wanted to combine this with a deep human drama." Despite all of the robo-murder the game will likely depict, he said, "The keyword we have in mind for this project is 'Life'. I wanted to make something that will be accepted by both the Japanese and Western markets, and this fundamental theme is something everyone knows but which the full extent of can be difficult to grasp."
Sega claims this theme will extend into gameplay, affecting the title's "highly advanced AI." No release date has been announced, so for now you can simply take a look -- with your human eyes -- at the first screens from Binary Domain in the gallery below and the announcement trailer after the break.%Gallery-108566%
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WHO IS HUMANITY'S TRUE ENEMY?
LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO (December 1, 2010) – SEGA® Europe Ltd. and SEGA® America, Inc. are pleased to announce Binary Domain™, an original squad-based shooter by Toshihiro Nagoshi, the creator behind some of SEGA's most well-known video game franchises, including the critically acclaimed Yakuza series. Binary Domain puts players in the middle of a fast-paced and intense battle for humanity in robot-invaded 2080 Tokyo. Fighting through the derelict lower levels of the city, players control an international peace-keeping squad that soon starts to question their surroundings and the choices they are making. Are the robots becoming more human, or are humans becoming more like machines?
"What I wanted to create this time was a dramatic and energetic sci-fi shooter. When you hear sci-fi you may think of cold, clinical environments but with Binary Domain I wanted to combine this with a deep human drama," commented Toshihiro Nagoshi. "The keyword we have in mind for this project is 'Life'. I wanted to make something that will be accepted by both the Japanese and Western markets, and this fundamental theme is something everyone knows but which the full extent of can be difficult to grasp."
Binary Domain's central theme of life is also key to the way the innovative AI system is being developed. The highly advanced AI will make the battlefield a more compelling experience than ever before, and players will have to plan their moves strategically and carefully in order to progress through the hostile environments of the game.
"We are excited and proud to have Toshihiro Nagoshi working on Binary Domain," said Gary Knight, Senior Vice President of Marketing at SEGA of Europe and SEGA of America. "The game is being developed in Japan yet it is designed for a global audience and will take players into an exhilarating story wrapped into a unique, action-packed shooter experience in a fresh new setting."
Binary Domain is being developed by SEGA Japan and Yakuza-creator Toshihiro Nagoshi for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.
