The first trailer for .45 Parabellum Bloodhound is a standout. It really conveys the breakcore beats, brooding tenements, and early 2000s anime swagger, and is the work of Sukeban Games, creators of the cyberpunk bartender visual novel “VA-11 Hall-A.”

A direct sequel to VA-11 Hall-A by this developer, a second bartender visual novel called N1RV Ann-A, appears to be on indefinite hiatus after undisclosed difficulties. Regarding the launch of .45 Parabellum Bloodhound, “Development began in late 2019, a turbulent time for the team. We landed on its current form almost two years ago."

The fixed camera angles, various interesting enemy designs, and what the developers call ‘Active Time Actions,’ a tactical, pauseable ability selection, were discovered in the trailer alone. While we still have little understanding of what “Active Time Action” is, this looks like a great game for the Steam deck. Or even a modern PC hooked up to a CRT monitor.

But I'm here for the atmosphere. The music, art style, and UI are all really great; Bloodhound reminds me of classic sci-fi anime like Ghost in the Shell, and the fusion of PS1 noise and dithering with anachronistic high-definition assets reminds me of the excellent Signalis from 2022! . Meanwhile, the UI is similarly incongruous but appealing, mixing pixelated PS1 JRPG fonts with Persona-esque pop graphic design.

“.45 Parabellum Bloodhound” currently has no release date, but Sukeban says the script is complete and the studio is “building the remaining chapters. .45 Parabellum Bloodhound is available on Steam.