Parsing Raw Data: Creation of Saija

You’ve met Bishop, and earlier you got an in-depth look at all of Saija’s gravity-manipulation abilities that make her so much more than just a melee class. Just like with Bishop, we wanted to share our inspiration for Raw Data’s distinctive take on the classic ninja archetype, playing with how she would embody the well-honed tropes while also standing out as a unique interpretation.

She’s also become such an iconic figure for us during development that we made her the star of Raw Data’s cover art.

The concept of a tech-enhanced ninja is so well-suited to Raw Data’s futuristic Neo-Shinjuku setting that it was basically part of the game from the start. Even the earliest demos of the game featured the fan-favorite Flash Blade, because–simply put–everyone feels badass wielding a katana.

But our ninja needed to be much more than just a martial artist clad in black. You’ve probably already noticed that Saija sports a bit more armor than her gun-wielding compatriot.

As one of SyndiK8’s elite operatives, Saija walks the line between being a spy in the shadows and a fighter on the front lines: a marriage of the ancient discipline of Ninjutsu with the samurai code of Bushido. In the Raw Data universe, Ninjutsu has evolved to stand toe-to-toe with advanced weaponry by including mental mastery among its practices.

Along with refined swordplay and incredible physical prowess, practitioners of modern Ninjutsu are also telekinetic thanks to point-cloud neural nanomachines. How can a gun compete with someone who’s able to not only deflect the bullet, but pick up the shooter and fling him away?

During the concept art process, Saija wasn’t even referred to as a ninja–her codename was “Knight,” and with her suit of futuristic armor, it wasn’t that far-fetched of a moniker.

In a sharp contrast to Bishop, Saija is completely shielded from head to toe in form-fitting armor that explicitly reads as such. It needed to be equal parts protective and agile, so we went for a chitinous appearance that suggests interlocking yet flexible plates of carbon fiber and strong vinyl.

 

Saija’s suit also gained a helmet for complete head coverage, transforming her into the consummate faceless assassin.

A basic katana wouldn’t cut it (literally), so Saija uses the latest in blade-honing technology. Her retractable energy-powered Flash Blade features an advanced harmonizing wave-dynamic effector grind, providing sharpness on an atomic scale. In simple terms: it slices through everything unfortunate enough to come into contact with it.

As mentioned before, while Saija is easy to classify as a melee hero because of her Flash Blade, her true strength lies in that perfect balance of physical and mental power. Playing as Saija means you have to always be aware of positioning (Teleshift is essential), plan your ability timing well, and not be afraid to get up close and personal with Eden’s vicious synthetics (read the full ability rundown in our complete Saija hero feature):

• Katana Throw transforms the Flash Blade into a ranged weapon: a sharp spinning boomerang with a controllable flight path that slices through enemies both going and coming.
• Gravity Thrust unleashes a wave of energy that can knock enemies backward, shove them aside, or even yank them forward for when you’re feeling particularly stabby.
• Levitation Smash, Saija’s ultimate, lets you rise above the battle–then come crashing back down with a devastating energy blast in all directions.

Saija is a challenge to play, but there’s a reason she’s the go-to hero on the Survios dev team. (See their tips and tricks for playing both her and Bishop!) With her gravity-defying telekinetic abilities and kickass blade, Raw Data’s Cyber Ninja adds a new level of adrenaline to VR gameplay. Choose Saija for your SyndiK8 team and experience how it feels to cut down your enemies, see them strewn before you, and hear the sizzling death knells of robots forcefully powering down.