"Melty Blood: Type Lumina - TWI-LUMINA" showcases gameplay footage of its major story mode, "Grand Scenario Mode," for the first time. Written by Kinoko Nasu, this new story is expected to take around 20 hours to complete and features systems such as map movement, dialogue choices, and story branches.
During a media briefing at Tokyo Game Show 2026 hosted by Aniplex, French-Bread Development Director Kamone Serizawa introduced new content for this 2D fighting game. The title is primarily divided into three parts: "Lumina Mode," "Grand Scenario Mode," and "Battle Mode," with this briefing focusing on the long-form story gameplay.
"Grand Scenario Mode" adopts the visual novel presentation style of "Tsukihime," advancing the story through extensive text and visuals interspersed with pixel-art character performances. Players can navigate a map to choose their next destination and continue experiencing the corresponding plot upon arrival. The team has created dedicated cutscenes and background music for numerous scenes, aiming to establish this mode as a standalone epic narrative.
The demo begins with Shiki Tohno on a train, with the scenery outside changing as the story progresses. The narrative currently centers on Shiki Tohno and unfolds from his perspective. While the developers have not yet considered adopting the previous game's design of separate story modes for each character, multiple characters will participate in the storyline.
The story does not follow a single linear path. When Shiki Tohno converses with Arcueid, players must choose different responses, leading to divergent developments. In another demonstration, an otherwise peaceful daily life suddenly shifts as Shiki enters an anomalous location he has never seen before. Kamone Serizawa stated that a single player choice could significantly alter the course of the story.
Since this mode includes features such as saving, loading, and progress tracking, the development team has completely separated it from other gameplay modes. The "Memory" function in the menu allows players to review previously read story segments and confirm where narrative branches occurred. The three main modes are relatively independent, with no current plans to significantly impact one mode by playing another.
The combat system is also being revamped. The team aims to ensure that this title is not merely a simple update to "Melty Blood: Type Lumina," but offers a distinct gameplay experience: lowering the barrier to entry for new players while retaining depth for those seeking technical mastery.
"Melty Blood: Type Lumina - TWI-LUMINA" is scheduled for release on April 22, 2027, on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Steam, with support for Traditional Chinese subtitles.