The 9th Dragon Announced as Voxel Beat 'Em Up Set in 1980s Kowloon Walled City
The 9th Dragon has been officially announced with a trailer, revealing a narrative-driven side-scrolling beat 'em up from developer FrameOver and publisher Headup, set in the neon-soaked, voxel-rendered maze of 1980s Kowloon Walled City. Players take the role of Rookie, the newest member of an elite police commando unit sent to investigate the criminal syndicate ruling the walled city from the shadows.
Combat blends free-style beat 'em up action with tactical positioning, pitting players against gang members and kingpins using hand-to-hand techniques and an arsenal spanning pistols, Uzis, shotguns, flamethrowers, and explosives, all within cramped rooms and narrow alleys where breaking enemy stamina and using the environment can decide survival. Exploration spans rooftops, ziplines, hidden passages, and the city's vertical labyrinth, with vintage comic books unlocking new abilities and combo chains along the way.
The story is shaped by player choice, letting Rookie develop into either a heroic officer or a morally ambiguous anti-hero depending on decisions like sparing or executing enemies and keeping or returning mission funds, leading to different endings across roughly 10 hours of action against 20 enemy types and 8 unique bosses. A Steam demo covering the first two chapters is also available.
The 9th Dragon is coming to PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, with a release date yet to be announced.