The Directorate: Novitiate Preview

A Supernatural Action RPG Rooted in Classic Style and Modern Ambition

Every so often, a game appears that reaches backward and forward at the same time. Directorate: Novitiate is one of those rare titles. Built on a foundation of early 2000s action RPG energy yet shaped with the clarity and technical ambition of today, this upcoming third-person adventure stands poised to carve out its own place in the genre. Its world is steeped in occult politics, relentless danger, and a supernatural undercurrent that feels both old and newly volatile. And at the heart of it all sits Mercury, a character who must walk a line between duty and survival as the very laws of magic begin to fracture.

The demo gives only a narrow slice of its world, but that slice is dense, confident, and filled with promise. What begins as a simple investigation into a missing Syndicate commander evolves into something far stranger: a descent into broken realities, forgotten sins, and the creeping sense that the city of Los Angeles is just a thin veneer stretched over something ancient and unstable.

Directorate: Novitiate may still be early, but it already knows what it wants to be.

A 2006 Los Angeles Where Magic Is Breaking the World

Set in an alternate 2006, the game reimagines Los Angeles as a place where supernatural Syndicates quietly shape the city’s undercurrents. Gang conflicts blur into blood rituals. Political factions operate like criminal empires woven through occult traditions. Memory is no longer trustworthy. Reality itself is no longer whole.

Players step into the role of Kana Luna, better known as Mercury, a newly initiated operative of the Directorate. It is a shadowy organization with reach, influence, and strict expectations. Mercury’s toolkit mirrors that complexity: she wields guns with swift, momentum-driven finesse, conjures powerful spells, and carries the rare ability to see echoes of the past. It is a skill that provides narrative insight and mechanical advantage, helping players uncover hidden truths that flesh out the tangled histories of each Syndicate.

The premise rests on a simple hook. Commander Nova, a member of the Costa Muerta Syndicate, has vanished. Your search begins at a quiet seaside church in Hermosa Beach, but stillness rarely hides innocence. Something has crawled into the world through this place. Something violent, twisted, and steeped in an arcane wrongness. The stained glass windows may shimmer, but behind them lies a doorway to a realm that should never be crossed.

It is an old story told in a modern way: a world on the brink, a crisis that starts small, and a hero discovering they may be either its saviour or its unravelling thread.

Momentum-Based Gunplay Rooted in Classic Design

From the moment combat begins, players will notice the deliberate rhythm of action. Novitiate’s gunplay channels the spirit of PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 era action games, where responsiveness mattered and spectacle grew from player skill rather than automated flash.

The core is its Momentum system. Stringing together shots, dodges, and perfectly timed actions builds power that can be spent on brutal finishing moves or explosive magical techniques. It asks players to stay moving, stay thinking, and stay aggressive. Combat is chaotic by design, leaning toward that pulpy, arcade-inspired intensity that older action titles captured so well.

Gun Katas, the game’s fluid weapon arts, encourage constant movement. Magic broadens that approach by allowing summoned cover, area-of-effect bursts, or disorienting visual distortions that can shift the pace of battle. These mechanics work together, making combat feel like a conversation rather than a button-mash exchange. Even in its early state, there is a clear intention behind the system.

Magic That Feels Dangerous, Tactical, and Earned

The magic system stands out for its emphasis on resource flow. Instead of relying solely on traditional mana regeneration, players use bullets, items, and actions to recharge their power. It gives combat a layered structure, where surviving an encounter means balancing aggression with precision.

A well-placed spell can clear hordes or protect Mercury when surrounded, while magical grenades and heavy AOE attacks turn tight spaces into controlled battlegrounds. This duality of guns and sorcery feels intentional and well-integrated, hinting at a deeper combat sandbox that may become a defining trait of the finished game.

A World Built on Broken Histories

The demo leans heavily on Mercury’s psychometry, allowing her to glimpse fragments of the past and communicate with lingering visions. These moments serve two purposes. First, they give players grounding in a world shaped by political betrayal, mystic traditions, and fractured loyalties. Second, they allow the environment to feel alive, even haunted.

There is a weight to the lore. The Syndicates are not simply factions; they are institutions built on mistakes, violence, and ambition. Exploring their forgotten research, experimental magic, and internal conflicts offers a sense that every shadow hides a story. The demo only hints at these histories, but those hints suggest a narrative rich enough to drive the full game.

Two Bosses, One Choice, Lasting Impact

Toward the end of the demo, the player confronts two formidable foes that push the game’s combat mechanics to their limits. These battles serve as an early test, demanding movement mastery, momentum management, and awareness of magical openings. The result is a pair of encounters that feel deliberately crafted rather than slapped together.

What sets the end of the demo apart is its final decision. Players must choose a path that shapes Commander Nova’s fate and influences the future strength of their Syndicate. It is a meaningful choice, even in this brief introduction, and it suggests that player agency will matter in the full release. Not only in combat, but in how the narrative unfolds and how Mercury’s role within the Directorate evolves.

Strengths That Set the Foundation

Early impressions show a game with striking potential.

Production quality is high across the board, from character models to environmental design. The demo’s atmosphere is moody and cohesive, using shadows, colour, and architectural decay to project its themes. The movement system feels clean. The camera does not fight the player. Combat, once understood, offers a satisfying blend of coordination and chaos that promises depth over time.

The concept of combining gunplay with magic has existed in games before, but Novitiate delivers that idea with enough refinement to stand apart. Its inspirations are clear, from supernatural action series to cult classics like Vampire: The Masquerade and Bloodrayne, but it carries its own identity through confident worldbuilding and strong visual direction.

Where Refinement Is Needed

The demo’s most notable weakness lies in its dialogue and voice delivery. Mercury’s performance often comes across as monotone and reserved, weakening moments that should carry urgency or emotional impact. Other characters fare better, especially Nova, whose voice arguably feels more suited to a main protagonist.

This does not break the experience, but it does soften story beats that should strike harder. With more polish, stronger direction, or revised takes, this is an area that could see significant improvement before release.

A Promising First Step Into a Haunted Los Angeles

Directorate: Novitiate presents its world with confidence and ambition. It blends supernatural intrigue with tactical action, folds classic gameplay sensibilities into a modern framework, and invites players to explore a version of Los Angeles where every back alley hides a secret and every shattered realm carries a price.

The demo sets the stage for something compelling: a story about power, consequence, and the thin line between order and catastrophe. If the developers continue refining voice work, deepening choice-driven narrative systems, and tightening combat feedback, this could become one of the more memorable action RPG releases of its generation.

For now, Novitiate is a promising glimpse into a world where magic is both a weapon and a warning. And Mercury, caught in the middle of it all, has a long road ahead.