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Double Dragon Revive creative director on trying new things & bending the formula

At Tokyo Game Show 2024, we spoke with Arc System Works' Guillaume Cailteux about the bold directions behind the upcoming Double Dragon.

TJ Denzer

November 27, 2024 11:27 AM

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Among the many games shown at Tokyo Game Show 2024, Double Dragon Revive made one of its first prominent gameplay appearances at the Arc System Works booth, and we got to play a bit of it. It’s quite different, very combo heavy, with a lot of unique options for offense using the environment. With that in mind, we got to talk with creative director Guillaume Cailteux to talk about how the team is attempting to try new things and bend the formula while keeping the elements that make Double Dragon great.

For Cailteux, taking on the Double Dragon series was stressful in of itself. The franchise goes back decades and it has almost always had elements that stayed intact, such a punch button, kick button, back attack functions, and a health-depleting special. These elements are in Double Dragon Revive, but the game puts a heavy emphasis on combos and contextual combat. In my time with the game, there were numerous opportunities to crush an opponent against a wall, bounce them off the ground, chase them to the air, and more depending on where you and your opponent are when you try to attack or grab them.

The most important thing to Yuke’s and Cailteux is ensuring that fun is at the bottom line of everything they do. Obviously, no one is trying to make a game unfun, but when you have the expectations of Double Dragon fans bearing down, there’s pressure to make things the way they’ve always been. Cailteux feels that despite some pushback, the team feels it’s just as important to not be afraid to breaking the norm and trying things if they could make it all a more enjoyable experience.

Double Dragon Revive is set for 2025. You can learn more on the game on its website. Want more Tokyo Game Show 2024 interviews like this? Be sure to check out our YouTube channels at Shacknews, Shacknews Interviews, and Shacknews VODs to find our interviews, gameplay, previews, reviews, and unboxings on the latest video games, toys, and tech.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.