The Directorate: Novitiate – Mafia & Magic (?)

The independent American studio Nesting Games, based in Los Angeles, has recently announced its first game, which we can at the very least categorize as original. The developers have described it as a third-person action RPG that also combines elements of magic and crime, set in Los Angeles, but a few years back, in 2006, a time when the supernatural underworld was on the brink of war.

It’s true that this combination had been seen before, in fact, in more than one title from past years, such as Darkness (2007) or Darkness 2 (2012), just to name a few. And the aesthetic of this installment, which we can observe and judge in the trailer we’ve left below, had also been seen at least in a somewhat similar way in games like Saints Row IV (2013), making it crystal clear that these genres have absolutely no relation to each other. BUT, still, The Directorate: Novitiate is without a doubt, in our opinion, a title that deserves to be on our radar for the near future.

The Magical Underworld of Los Angeles

Let’s take a look at the description of The Directorate: Novitiate on Steam:

    It’s 2006, Los Angeles. The seedy supernatural underworld is on the verge of war, with Mercury caught in the crosshairs. Face overwhelming magical forces, discover the horrors hiding in plain sight, track a serial killer, and grapple with difficult choices and dangerous secrets.

    After returning to a place once known as home, Kana Luna, also known as Mercury, is thrown into the deep end as her life becomes intertwined with the Costa Muerta, a Dark Syndicate of the Directorate. Kana must hone her skills under the guise of her codename, Mercury, to rise from the ranks of Novitiate and protect the world as she knows it.

This game will combine firearms and magic combat, offering a dynamic system in which players will have the freedom to execute both acrobatics and stunning attacks using Gun Katas, a mix of shooting and agile movements, the kind you may have seen in movies like the John Wick saga, for example. Progression, on the other hand, is presented with the previously mentioned RPG elements, an upgrade system, and abilities that will allow customization of both attack and defense styles.

Another thing that can be clearly seen is the weight of its story. The Directorate: Novitiate uses narrative as a strong tool to immerse the player in a plot that constantly forces them to make decisions that inevitably have consequences that, to close the loop, in turn, directly affect the narrative, influencing relationships with other characters and the balance between loyalty to The Directorate and the preservation of Mercury’s humanity.

Now, as in many cases when games still do not have a confirmed release date, there is a lot of information, such as technical details, that will only be known at the last moment. BUT, based on what we already know so far, and given how good the trailer accompanying this article looks, we have plenty of reasons to keep an eye on future updates that may arise. And while we wait, how about taking a look at the comments and leaving us your opinions on this idea? You know, gamers, we’ll be reading you! 🙂

Images Source: Gamatsu Official YouTube Channel, The Directorate: Novitiate on Steam