Azur Lane: Crosswave for Switch coming west in 2021

Idea Factory International will release the Switch version of Azur Lane: Crosswave in North America and Europe in 2021, the publisher announced.

The 3D shooting game, based on the popular mobile game, first launched for PlayStation 4 in August 2019 in Japan, followed by PlayStation 4 in the west and PC via Steam worldwide in February 2020, and Switch on September 17 in Japan.

The Switch version also adds the following content:

• Taihou and Formidable as playable characters (previously downloadable content for PS4 and PC versions)
• Each character comes with three support characters and additional story content.
• An updated Photo Mode where players can now choose up to six characters instead of three, with extended camera angles.

Here is an overview of the game, via Idea Factory International:

About Azur Lane: Crosswave

Taking place in a world where personified battleships from across the globe duke it out, Azur Lane: Crosswave takes the spirit of the mobile game and uses the Unreal Engine to bring its characters to life in a massive 3D world, so fans can see them like they’ve never seen them before. The in-game character designs will also feature cel-shaded anime style 3D graphics that stay true to the original art.

About Azur Lane

Azur Lane is a side-scrolling shooter created by Shanghai Manjuu and Xiamen Yongshi, originally released in 2017 for iOS and Android platforms. The Shanghai-based publisher, Yostar, published the Japanese and English version of the mobile game, popularizing the game to more mobile users across the world. The game takes place in a world where personified battleships from around the globe engage in side-scrolling shooter gameplay.

Story

Enter the four nations: Eagle Union, Royal Navy, Iron Blood, and Sakura Empire. The military of each nation marched towards yet another season of diligent training. Suddenly, in the middle of their normal routines, a Joint Military Exercise was enacted. In this monumental event, a select few from each nation were chosen, causing all of them to train even harder in anticipation of rigourous battles ahead. But how did this event come to exactly? Are there ulterior motives at play?

Key Features

• Retrofitted in 3D – Azur Lane mobile, the beloved side-scrolling shooter, is now retrofitted for the Steam as a cel-shaded, 3D action shooter with the help of Unreal Engine! Choose from 25-plus characters and 30-plus support characters to help lead your fleet to victory. Azur Lane: Crosswave also introduces two brand-new playable characters, Shimakaze and Suruga!
• Four Modes to Choose From – Choose from four different modes: Story, Extreme Battle, Photo, or Episode Mode. Story Mode goes through 7 riveting chapters in the footsteps of newcomers, Shimakaze and Suruga. In Extreme Battle Mode, choose from 100-plus challenging fleets to battle for rare items and special materials. In Photo Mode, you can pose characters, change facial expressions, alter backgrounds, and camera angles to create a picturesque moment. Episode Mode includes 50-plus sub-stories that deliver bonus character backgrounds!
• Arm Your Armada – Before setting sail, beef up your characters by equipping them with rare items found after a successful battle or by crafting items at Akashi’s Laboratory. Here, Commanders can exchange blueprints to create new gear, convert materials into rare items, and earn rewards. Experiment with different fleet arrangements to gain special Fleet Effects that can provide in-game stat bonuses.
• Ready, Aim, Fire – In Azur Lane: Crosswave, you can now control, aim, and fire at incoming battleships, aircraft carriers, and other enemies. Depending on the character’s subtype, players can dash to evade attacks or activate defensive shields, unleash torpedoes or aircrafts, and switch-on character-specific special attacks to defeat unruly enemies!

Watch the opening movie for the Switch version below.