The new mobile game ‘Duel! Sword River’, meticulously crafted by Hanjia Squirrel Studio, was launched today with a stunning PV on Bilibili, and simultaneously opened for pre-registration on various platforms, quickly attracting the attention of numerous wuxia game fans. Hanjia Squirrel Studio, founded in 2012 by game enthusiasts CG and Zi Yin, started with fan works and gradually evolved into a well-known studio with several popular Chinese-style independent games.
The studio has always adhered to a creative philosophy that combines innovation and fun, dedicated to bringing players a fresh, interesting, and friendly gaming experience. In recent interview videos, we learned that the studio’s decade-long journey of growth is inseparable from the consistent support and companionship of players, who have become a strong backing in its development history.‘Duel! Sword River’, set against a wuxia backdrop, innovatively creates a new gameplay of real-time card strategy. In this artificially constructed open wuxia world, players feel as if they are in a real martial world, where they can freely explore vast maps, meet various warriors, challenge mysterious instances, and fully display their strategic wisdom. In terms of battle design, ‘Duel! Sword River’ is unique, setting each battle to last 3 minutes, introducing a rare real-time strategy card mechanism in wuxia games.
Unlike traditional wuxia games, in ‘Duel! Sword River’, players can arrange 5 characters to go into battle (4 starters, 1 substitute), paired with 4 strategy cards and 1 agility skill, this multi-dimensional and flexible combination greatly enhances the freshness of the game. The game also incorporates various bonus effects, ‘damage resistance’ settings, attribute resistance rules, and off-field healing recovery mechanisms, these elements interweave, greatly enriching the strategic depth and variability of the battlefield. The short and fast battle duration and lightweight click operations, these inclusive designs, effectively reduce the game’s ‘hardcore’ degree, allowing newcomers to quickly familiarize themselves with the game mechanics and hone their skills in each match. In addition, after the battle, the game also provides detailed data analysis and video replays for veteran players to deeply explore tactical potential, analyze opponent strategies, optimize card combinations, and face higher-level challenges. In the world of ‘Duel! Sword River’, both newcomers to the game and experienced card players can fully experience the passion and excitement brought by wuxia competition. Moreover, the battle mode will have more expansion directions. For example, the ‘debate sword’ and ‘arena’ competitive gameplay beloved by players in previous works will also be presented in ‘Duel! Sword River’. It is believed that with the joint effect of real-time combat mode, exquisite scene effects, and short and fast mechanisms, the operability and watchability of the battle will be greatly improved, and it is not impossible to hold offline competitive events in the future.Squirrel Story, featuring a non-traditional martial arts narrative, offers players a fantastic journey into the world of martial arts adventure. The game integrates artistic concepts from Eastern culture, such as ‘Hei Bai Wuchang’ and ‘Machinery Beast Birds’, breaking through the traditional framework and venturing into the realm of fantasy martial arts. Each character is endowed with a unique Jianghu story, interwoven with the grand fantasy world, creating an emotionally rich canvas of martial arts.
Additionally, as an innovative extension of the Squirrel IP, the ‘incarnation’ of classic characters from the previous work is undoubtedly a highlight. Characters from ‘Han Family Jianghu’, who left a deep impression on players, return with past glory and unfinished stories. For instance, the hero ‘Yelv Hong’ from ‘Han Family Jianghu’, known for his boldness and martial prowess, allows players to revisit the mysterious past of the prequel, reliving the confusion and passion of their early Jianghu days, or to step into the new ‘Sword River’ world, embarking on a new adventure to rewrite fate. Welcome all players to explore the game at that time. Original music masterpieces, in collaboration with masters to forge the soulful melody. Game BGM has always been the soul of the game, and ‘Duel! Sword River’ aims to further enhance the game’s immersion through the power of music. In the new work, the well-known music producer Bian Hui Jing will participate in the creation. Bian Hui Jing has created ancient-style music for works such as ‘West Out of Yumen’ and ‘Ancient Acacia Tune’, which are well-loved by the audience. The creation of this PV track is from Teacher Bian’s hand, which is worth looking forward to. It is worth mentioning that ‘Duel! Sword River’ will also break through the boundaries of new Chinese-style music, innovatively integrating martial arts elements with rock style. Sometimes it is the strong rhythm of rock for battle, sometimes it is the melodious tune for wandering in Jianghu. It is believed that such music, interwoven with martial arts scenes and plots, will definitely evoke the deep memories of martial arts game enthusiasts’ passionate chivalrous feelings. Interesting instances and Jianghu missions, bidding farewell to the grass-growing period. In the current era that values player gaming experience, the ‘Duel! Sword River’ team actively responds to player needs and works hard to solve the ‘grass-growing period’ problem. They have carefully created tense and exciting instance BOSS duels that require ‘multiple playthroughs’ to easily cope with. In terms of instance map design, as players delve deeper into the game world, they will gradually unlock various maps such as ‘Bandit Cave’, ‘Night Exploration of Luoyang’, ‘Snowy Divine Path’, ‘Mysterious Palace’, and ‘Drunk Flower Shade’, with different scene styles and unique level designs, fully meeting players’ needs for exploration, puzzle-solving, and growth experiences.In addition, the game combines a rich and diverse Jianghu storyline. Players can delve into Jianghu side quests and savor the chivalry and tenderness in the twists and turns of strange stories. At the same time, through fierce battles with dungeon bosses, they can accurately test their combat power and fully enjoy the dual pleasures of growth and challenges.
The team actively explores and attempts cutting-edge technologies and uses 3D story interpretations for key segments, hoping to vividly explain the unique charm of new wuxia to new and old players. Continuing the squirrel operation tradition and creating a relaxed and fair game environment. “Duel! Sword River” inherits the non-grinding and non-pay-to-win operation concept of Hanjia Squirrel Studio and is committed to creating a relaxed, pleasant, fair and just game environment for players. Let players enjoy the game without excessive pressure or burden and truly achieve pleasant gaming and an enjoyable Jianghu experience. Undoubtedly, “Duel! Sword River” is a bold innovation and in-depth exploration by Hanjia Squirrel Studio in the field of game creation. Although there may still be a certain gap compared to top wuxia works, with its deep cultivation in the field of wuxia themes in the past ten years, rich experience in long-term game operation, and always adhered to the conscientious operation concept, under the careful polishing and continuous optimization of the team, it will definitely present players with a unique and full of Jianghu charm game feast. According to reliable news, the studio will start the public beta test on TapTap for the first time this month. If players are interested in wuxia games, welcome to join hands with Hanjia Squirrel and embark on this unforgettable Jianghu journey and jointly witness the glorious opening of a new wuxia chapter!
