Details first emerged on Project Shaolin in October 2021 following the infamous NVIDIA leak that revealed a slew of project codenames of in-development games. One such leaked project was Shaolin, and the leak subsequently led to reports by WindowsCentral’s Jez Corden and VentureBeat’s Jeff Grubb (via Game Mess) on what the game could entail and its involvement with Wu-Tang Clan.
According to both reports, the game is a third-person melee-oriented RPG complete with four-player co-op. The game was also said to heavily involve the Wu-Tang Clan members themselves with the game’s soundtrack and would feature the likes of loot, weapons, and gear from defeated enemies. According to the reports, the game is in development at Brass Lion Entertainment, a new studio formed in 2019 by Manveer Heir.
Insider Gaming can corroborate these original reports and understands that the game is currently in its Alpha stage.
The gameplay evolves around fast-paced melee combat in third-person, with a strong focus on having both music and combat intertwined. Players can choose from four different weapons that all have different and unique playstyles (single swords, dual swords, etc.). It’s understood that the game features a massive catalog of the Wu-Tang Clan’s music, most of which has been re-imagined by producer and DJ Just Blaze for the game.
The Wu-Tang Clan’s involvement goes beyond just their music, too, as all nine Wu-Tang Clan members are also playable and act as the player’s limited-time buff that will give you ultimate moves, increased health, and more.
Gathered loot and items all fit into the game’s central social hub, named the ‘Neighborhood’. Here, players will be able to sell their loot, listen to music, and show off their unique fashion choices with one another. Sources outlined that the game will be a “welcome space for all players” and will center around characters from BIPOC and historically marginalized communities.
Gameplay sent to Insider Gaming under the condition that the footage doesn’t go public and the source remains anonymous shows an animation style somewhat similar to Into The Spider-verse. For example. one front flip with a slam attack contained 7-8 frames of animation. As for the overall visuals, the game is bright, colorful, and anime-like in style. Players can explore the vast world freely, which is described as “blurring the boundaries of reality”.
Insider Gaming was unable to get an accurate release date from its sources, but gameplay suggests that the game could still be one or two years away at the very least.
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