Champions of Light

Microsoft Game Studios and Climax have joined forces to bring you Sudeki™, a sprawling, anime-flavored roleplaying adventure that puts the focus on combat. When the world of darkness threatens to overrun the world of light, four champions come forward to defend their home. Each playable character has his or her own special skills and abilities, and by working together, they can accomplish truly spectacular feats. A winning strategy must use all four characters together, so here’s a quick look at our heroes and what they can do—so you can always select the right person for the job.

Our heroes.

Tal: The Warrior
Though young, Tal is an accomplished fighter and respected soldier in the Bright Empire’s army. Trained by experts from the Thousand Sword Fighting School, Tal is a ferocious fighter who combines bravery, strength, and skill. In combat, he lives up to the school’s name and can become a one-man army capable of defeating far superior numbers … especially when he breaks out his Sword Dance and turns into a literal tornado of sharpened steel. An honorable man, Tal is not above tossing a handful of dirt into his enemy’s eyes to set them up for his devastating Shin Splitter strike. All’s fair in love and war, after all.

Tal’s great strength makes it possible for him to move large, heavy objects (like crates and statues) to solve puzzles and access remote areas of the game world.

The heavy hitter.

Ailish: The Mage
Gorgeous and headstrong, Ailish is the princess of the bright realm. She’s also a magical prodigy and has been brought up to make the most of her inborn talent. She joins the other adventurers inSudeki—against her mother’s will—relying on her own skills as a War Mage to keep her safe as she works to save the realm. Ailish is not an exceptional physical fighter, but her use of magical scepters as ranged weapons makes her a valuable ally in a fight. She takes her enemies down with fire and lightning alike. She can also call upon powerful combat spells, like the Blaze Ball, a huge ball of fire with a long range that toasts her opponents where they stand. Unlike Tal, who fights in the third-person perspective, Ailish fights from the first-person perspective, complete with a small targeting reticule that allows you to aim her weapons.

Ailish’s magical talent enables her to reveal hidden items and doorways by dispelling any illusions or other magical concealments that have been placed on the object.

Animal grrl.

Buki: The Hunter
Buki is a member of the Shadani tribe of animal-human hybrids who worship the great cat god Mo. After she lost her parents to plague as a young girl, Buki trained in the Way of the Claw Martial Arts and became one of her tribe’s most accomplished hunters and warriors. She doesn’t like or trust humans, but she is willing to work with Tal, Ailish, and Elco for the greater good of the realm. Buki wears razor-sharp metal claws in combat, and her superior strength and agility make her one of the deadliest fighters in the game. Her Clawed Frenzy and Storm Kick strikes extend her physical reach and add speed and power to her melee attacks.

Buki is able to climb better than any of her fellow adventurers, allowing her to escape certain traps and access remote areas that the others could never approach.

Elco: The Builder
The scientist and tinkerer of the group, Elco was one of the first to discover that magical energy can be trapped in crystals and accessed later, on demand. He combines this discovery with his own love of clockwork and machinery to build some of the most impressive non-magical weapons and gear in the entire Bright Empire. He can construct powerful weapons with his Skill Strikes, but his favorite toy is his jet pack, which gives him the ability to fly for short distances. Like Ailish, he uses ranged weapons from the first-person perspective in combat.

Each of these unique heroes will grow and develop even more impressive skills and abilities as the game’s plot unfolds. To discover the ultimate limit of what each can do—individually and as a group—you must go deep into the world of Sudeki.

By Nino Mann