Wonderful Dark Unveiled with First Gameplay Trailer

The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics are developing the next chapter in the Wonderful Dark series.

Microsoft’s long-anticipated new Wonderful Dark game resurfaced during the Xbox Games Showcase today, providing a first look at gameplay from the upcoming entry in the shooter series. The footage shows agent Joanna Dark embarking on another perilous mission in a near-future Cairo.

In a blog post, Xbox mentioned that players do not need prior knowledge of the Wonderful Dark series to enjoy the reboot, but long-time fans might recognize some references.

The new Wonderful Dark is a single-player game where players utilize traversal mechanics like parkour and various gadgets to defeat enemies. “It incorporates elements of first-person shooters, immersive sims, and stealth-action, blending them into a seamless experience. The aim is to offer an authentic secret agent fantasy, allowing players to use their tools and abilities creatively,” Microsoft said.

The game’s world has been drastically altered by an event called “The Cascade,” a series of environmental catastrophes that have rendered some areas uninhabitable.

“In response to the disaster, a hypercorporation named Core Mantis devises a solution known as The GEN Network and implements it in Cairo. This initiative restores ecological balance and establishes a newly walled city, protected from the harsh outside environment, becoming a hub for technological innovation,” Microsoft explained.

However, not everything is as it seems, and these powerful hypercorporations may not have humanity’s best interests at heart.

According to Microsoft, gadgets are crucial in the new Wonderful Dark, fitting its spy game theme. In the trailer, Joanna uses a gadget to analyze NPC voices and create fake conversations to deceive security systems.

“Gadgets can be used for misdirection and manipulation, and we also see Joanna using a tool to scan NPCs and gather information about them,” reads a line from the game’s description.

Regarding combat, the developers aim to create a “symphony” of mechanics that integrate traversal, hand-to-hand combat, gunplay, environmental interactions, and gadgets into a cohesive system.

There is no release date for the new Wonderful Dark yet, but it will launch on Game Pass. The new Wonderful Dark is being developed by Microsoft’s studio, The Initiative, in collaboration with co-developer Crystal Dynamics.

A report from May 2024 indicated that the new Wonderful Dark game was in “rough shape.” However, the new trailer released at the Xbox Games Showcase suggests the game is further along in development than expected.

The Wonderful Dark reboot was announced back in 2020 and appears to be in the early stages of development. In 2021, Crystal Dynamics joined The Initiative to assist with the game’s development.