Mudang: Two Hearts looks very weird, and that's why I like it.
Mudang: Two Hearts, unveiled during today’s Xbox Games Showcase, is an upcoming “stealth action thriller” that asks a very important question: What if Sam Fisher was a backup dancer for BTS?
Okay, it’s not exactly that (or, fine, even close to it) but it does have an elevator pitch I find absolutely irresistible.
“In the not-too-distant future, the divided nations of South and North Korea are on the verge of reunification. On the day when the historic bill was set to pass, a mystery terrorist group attacks the South Korean National Assembly, throwing the entire nation into chaos. Sent to uncover the truth, a North Korean soldier stumbles upon a K-Pop star and is given a new mission: protect the girl who can unravel it all.”
I can’t say for certain that I want to play that, but you better believe I want to know more. Alas, there’s currently no Steam page to dive into, but luckily developer EVR Studio has laid out all the details on its website. The game is actually set eight months after the first terror attack, with South Korea living under martial law. Ji Jeongtae, a North Korean soldier who was sent to the south under the terms of the peace accord, is assigned to work security for the K-pop ground ORDO, who are about to hold the first state-sanctioned concert since the attack.
But, big surprise here, trouble erupts! “When Beolmuban suddenly storms the stage, Jeongtae is thrown into familiar chaos—and uncovers a dangerous secret involving Gavi, ORDO’s brightest star.”
(Beolmuban, by the way, is the terrorist group who started this whole thing. Why are they attacking a K-pop concert? This is just one of many questions I have.)
Mudang: Two Hearts will switch between Ji Jeongtae and Gavi as the game progresses: “Their contrasting perspectives deliver distinct gameplay experiences and narrative arcs that ultimately converge on a single, unsettling truth.”
It looks like there’s some kind of zombies or supersoldiers-gone-wrong or something to that effect involved here too. The terrorist attacks have for some reason “been driving civilians into a state of uncontrollable rage,” and they’re clearly more than just a little pissed off about things.
Maybe all of this appeals to me because it brings to mind Whitney Houston’s star-making turn in the classic 1992 Kevin Costner vehicle The Bodyguard, a film I did not actually care for—but I was younger back then, and the world was a happier, more carefree place. Or maybe it’s just such a weird concept, I can’t help but be intrigued. Whatever the reason, I definitely want to know more. There’s currently no indication as to when that will happen, but there is a Discord where you can follow along.