World of Demons has launched on the Apple Arcade subscription service, developer PlatinumGames has announced via the company’s Twitter account. The hack-and-slash action title puts players in the role of a samurai warrior as they do battle against a myriad of different mythological creatures from Japanese folklore called yokai. Players are also able to recruit yokai they have previously defeated in combat so that they can use their abilities against other foes. The game is also presented in a heavily stylised ukiyo-e woodblock print aesthetic.
To defeat demons, you must dominate them.
Jump into the mysterious world of yokai with World of Demons, our hellacious new hack n' slash game! Get it now exclusively on Apple Arcade! #WorldOfDemons #AppleArcade https://t.co/I3crOBfbt1— PlatinumGames Inc. (@platinumgames) April 2, 2021
The game was originally announced in 2018 as a joint project between PlatinumGames and the mobile games developer DeNA. It was then given a soft launch the same year in several Southeast Asian countries before being shut down after only a few months. There has been no sign of the game since then, until this new launch that appears to have no involvement with DeNA.
World of Demons also has a striking resemblance to the PlayStation 2 action-adventure game Okami, sharing the same ukiyo-e visual style and focus on Japanese mythology. This is likely no coincidence, as PlatinumGames was founded by members of Clover Studio, which was the original developer of Okami. Clover Studio was a Capcom subsidiary that was made up of several notable Capcom employees such as Hideki Kamiya and Shinji Mikami. The studio was responsible for creating several cult action games such as Viewtiful Joe and God Hand before being shut down in 2007.
What do you think of World of Demons? Do you think Apple Arcade is a good platform for it to launch on? Let me know in the comments.
