Early previews have been largely negative for Devil's Third, the latest game from Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki - but he says the fault lies not with the game itself, but the skill of the people playing.
A number of outlets across Europe have received final code for the game's singleplayer component and have raised issues with the combat design, inconsistent frame rate, controls, and camera.
According to Eurogamer, "there's little depth to the combat, no spark to the encounters and it's all mesmerisingly dumb."
Nintendo Insider said that "Itagaki's flair for stylised combat is entirely absent."
Videogamer described it as "a cruel joke for Wii U owners" that's "shaping up to be one of the worst games Nintendo has ever published."
In a post on Facebook, Itagaki has rejected criticisms of Devil's Third, saying the previews are a reflection of players' skill at the game.
"Guys, at last, I was be able to understand about the reactions. Devil's Third is the game which reflects the player's skill directly/vividly. This is truth," says Itagaki.
Itagaki has previously warned players not to play with the Wii U Game Pad, and use a Pro Controller and USB keyboard instead.
Devil's Third is the first game from Valhalla Game Studios, a new developer formed by Itagaki after his departure from Tecmo's Team Ninja. It's been in development for at least five years, and was originally due to be published by THQ before they collapsed.
It's now being published by Nintendo, and as a result, will be exclusive to Wii U.
Devil's Third is set for release in New Zealand on August 29.
NZGamer.com
