The Perceiver gameplay trailer showcases action meshing Sekiro and Tsushima

If there’s one thing Souls games will be known for, it’ll be the legacy the leave behind with the genre they created. The Souls-like genre is a well from which many games have and will draw inspiration. And today, we’re looking at a new one coming from Chinese developer Papergames’ 17ZHE Studio. The company has announced Project: The Perceiver, pairing it up with a lengthy gameplay trailer that showcases many nods between games like Sekiro and Ghost of Tsushima.

Project: The Perceiver doesn’t quite ape one game over the other. Instead, it looks like a delicate blend of both, and perhaps with a touch of Nioh for good measure. Project: The Perceiver gameplay effortlessly swaps between solemn exploration and high-stakes combat with ease in the trailer. The protagonist is quick and nimble, able to take on several enemies at once before easily clamoring up a nearby building. It looks to blend combat and stealth like Tsushima. Choosing one or the other seems to be a choice as well.

Combat is a standout in the Project: The Perceiver gameplay trailer. I especially like that it seems you can go from deadly sword arts to fancy footwork with ease. In an early scene, the protagonist uses a sword to defend and attack, before swapping things up to a series of swift punches and kicks. After using a healing item like you would in most Souls-like games, the protagonist then dispatches three armed enemies with some powerful kicks. Variety is the spice of life, and Project: The Perceiver looks well stocked.

Project: The Perceiver gameplay is familiar in a gorgeous world

What I’m not sure of yet is if Project: The Perceiver matches Souls-like difficulty. Throughout most of the trailer, the protagonist takes care of enemies with relative ease. However, that seems to change when faced with a boss battle. Facing down a boss dressed in black, the protagonist is shown struggling to break their defense while deflecting a few sneaky throwing knives. The fight looks like a skill check for parries, which I’m sure Sekiro fans love to see.

For the most part, Project: The Perceiver is looking rather intriguing. The combat looks smooth, and if the trailer is indicative of the visuals, the game will be incredibly gorgeous. There’s also a mechanic where you apparently take the appearance and “distinctive ideals” of boss characters as wearable masks. It’s still too early to say when we’ll get to play Project: The Perceiver, but I’m keeping my eye out.