Following teases by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio from earlier this month about a new announcement for Virtua Fighter Crossroads, the studio has now released a new trailer giving us a look at one of the title’s roster members – a returning Lionel Rafale. The trailer, which you can check out below, features 2 minutes of gameplay footage alongside some story moments.
Lionel has been described by RGG Studio as “a mysterious young martial artist” who shows up in the city of Vilasapara. Further in the description, the studio has said that he is “a highly skilled fighter capable of outclassing Cielo in a street fight,” and went on to say that “he is a force to be reckoned with.” However, his story remains a mystery, much like his true reasons for showing up in Vilasapara.
Around half of the trailer is dedicated to showcasing Lionel’s moveset, with which he is able to put his opponent on the back foot thanks to a variety of knee strikes, punches, and kicks. Lionel also has a few grapples with which he can trip his opponent, leaving them on the ground and open to more attacks. He ultimately finishes the fight by throwing his enemy against a wall and doing a high kick assisted with a single-palm handstand.
Virtua Fighter Crossroads was officially unveiled as the official title for RGG’s New Virtua Fighter Project back in June. At the time, the studio released a trailer showcasing some of the game’s visuals and its story. The core setting of Virtua Fighter Crossroads – Vilasapara – will see many fighters arriving for a massive competition. However, there are also other problems to face, including the Chinese mafia that is seemingly on the run.
In a further showcase, the studio confirmed that Virtua Fighter Crossroads won’t simply be a fighting game. While it will still feature the franchise’s traditional VS Mode, the core of the title will be an “open sandbox RPG” with an emphasis on player choice. Considering the development team’s history, it is easy to assume that this game might follow a similar path to the Yakuza/Like a Dragon and Judgment franchises in offering players a dense world to explore paired with an emotional story.
June also saw the release of a trailer showcasing the Bakunawa Killer. The character is seemingly sneaking around the city of Vilasapara and waiting for the perfect chance to take out the fighters who have decided not to participate in the tournament that will form the core of the game’s story. The Bakunawa Killer’s identity remains unknown, however, and his trailer even had Cielo and Pai Chan chasing after him. However, before his true identity could be revealed, the trailer simply comes to an end.
As for his fighting style, the Bakunawa Killer will seemingly make use of a wuxia-inspired moveset with high-impact strikes. He will likely also be capable of some intense acrobatics that will end up giving him an edge when it comes to positioning and setting up crossover attacks.
Virtua Fighter Crossroads doesn’t yet have a release date aside from a general 2027 window, and RGG Studio hasn’t even confirmed its target platforms so far.
