Developer Asakusa Studios and Publisher Happinet released a new trailer and information for their upcoming game Hyakki Castle. Hyakki Castle gives players a “new 3D real-time dungeon RPG” experience filled with different monsters from Japanese myths and legends. The game’s official steam page offers a brief summary of the story behind the monstrous appearances, and the player’s role in investigating the castle due to ongoing rumors of assassinations and sorcery.
Hyakki Castle is set in the Edo Period of Japan, and the castle is on an island of exile where criminals are sent. Doman Kigata, a prodigy sorcerer who schemed to overthrow the Shogunate and place a death curse on a leader, has been captured and sent to the island. One day decapitated heads were sent to Edo Castle. It was the barely recognizable form of Hyakki Castle guards and criminals….
The shogunate orders players to explore the haunted castle with other agents, and in true dungeon-crawler style monsters can appear at any moment to kill intruders. Fortunately, players do not have to face monsters alone if they don’t want to due to Hyakki Castle’s two party system. The system allows players to “divide their team into 2 parties and take out strong enemy monsters with a pincer attack, or lure enemies with 1 party while getting items with the other.” This allows players to get through challenges that would otherwise be too difficult or quite challenging to accomplish on their own.
Even if the two party system is not used, players will experience the dungeon-crawler in a first-person view, making the game seem slightly creepier as monsters come very close to the screen. The 3D, Ukiyo-e inspired art style and blood splatters add to the game’s unnerving atmosphere, creating more suspense as players walk through dimly lit hallways trying to find clues.
Hyakki Castle will be released November 15 for PC on Steam.