Grim Guardians: Demon Purge launches on February 23, 2023

■ About Grim Guardians: Demon Purge

Grim Guardians: Demon Purge is 2D Side-Scrolling [239 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/genres/side-scrolling” rel=”noopener”>side scrolling an action game focused on two demon hunter sisters who challenge a demonic castle to save their school. Players take control of both characters with completely different skill sets, moving through stages to face the demonic bosses that await them deep within. Each boss gives them new weapons, allowing for more varied exploration in later stages and opening up new routes.

Grim Guardians: Demon Purge has two players Co-Op [68 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/genres/multiplayer/co-op” rel=”noopener”>cooperative with special actions, extensive ‘Style System’ difficulty options, unique replay changes and most importantly the quality and challenge players have come to expect from Inti Creates titles, this time with a new Gothic Horror [182 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/genres/horror” rel=”noopener”>horror aesthetic.

■ Date of issue

Grim Guardians: Demon Purgeannounced at the indie game event BitSummit X-Roads, will be available digitally on February 23, 2023. Switch [12,753 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/platforms/nintendo/switch” rel=”noopener”>Nintendo SwitchPlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series [3,082 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/platforms/xbox/xbox-series” rel=”noopener”>Xbox Series X|S consoles as well as PC on the Steam platform.

The gothic horror-inspired action game will launch on each platform’s respective digital storefront for $24.99.

■ History

The Kamizono family has a long line of demon hunters. Kamizono Shinobu and Kamizono Maya—the last inheritors of the family profession—return to school one day after completing a hunt, only to find a shocking scene before them.

Unbeknownst to them, their school has been turned into a demonic castle in their absence. What could have caused this? And what about the other students? Amid mysteries and dangers galore, only demon hunters have the ability to set things right. The Kamizono siblings fight again.

“When demons lurk nearby, we demon hunters show up!”

“Kamidzono brothers and sisters, move out!”

■ Feature #1: Swap on the fly as you traverse the Demon Castle

Take control of the Kamizono siblings as well. Make the most of the range-focused Shinobu and close-range brawler Maya Kamizono as you make your way through the castle.

Shinobu Kamizono (voiced by Emi Uema)

The older of the Kamizono sisters, Shinobu is full of confidence, but is still prone to making careless mistakes. She is a ranged attacker who deals with demons using her anti-demon machine gun! As a sturdy fighter with more HP than her little sister, Shinobu’s additional weapons acquired in each stage give her the means to attack in all directions, as well as the ability to regenerate HP.

— Older sister Shinobu’s ranged attacks allow her to fight while keeping a safe distance, making her the perfect frontline fighter!

“Don’t forget to reload her anti-demon machine gun when she runs out of bullets.” She will be vulnerable while reloading, so use your judgment wisely.

Maya Kamidzono (voiced by Chinami Hashimoto)

The younger of the sisters, Maya supports her strong-willed sister from the shadows with her reliable personality. As a technical melee attacker, she creates a variety of powerful origami weapons. Use these weapons to deal massive damage! As she unlocks more additional weapons, she will gain various special actions, making her a true attack specialist. However, she has much lower HP in return, so choose carefully when to switch from Shinobu as the opportunity to deal massive damage comes up!

“Maya is an expert in close range combat.” Although her damage is high, her HP is low in return. Timely dodging is essential when using it.

— Maya’s small frame allows her to crouch under certain platforms, making her a master of exploration.

Cover your weaknesses by swapping siblings when the need arises.

— When facing an enemy that can defend against Shinobu’s bullets, show them who’s boss by switching to Maya! Determining which sibling is best for each situation is key.

— The switch can be done at any time with no restrictions or drawbacks, though it does require both of them to be fit for battle.

Each brother has a set of unique weapons that give you plenty of opportunities to change your strategy when the time calls for it. Most of Shinobu’s sub-weapons can be used flexibly, allowing her to compensate for her direct attack. Feel free to take advantage of them as long as you have weapon points in stock! On the other hand, Maya’s sub-weapons mainly serve to reduce the distance between her and the demons, but in turn require technical precision. Some may even have unexpected features.

Throwing knives

Throws a knife diagonally upwards. Especially effective against aerial enemies and hard to target.

Shikigami

Maya creates shikigami that can damage enemies. They can also block certain attacks, but will disappear faster as a result.

In the event that one of the siblings falls in battle, they can be revived with the Sister Rescue feature — provided you can return to where they fell.

— A fallen sibling can be revived by touching the button while standing over their body, but the demons will not wait for the process to complete.

— Game Overs can be avoided as long as you can save the other sister. Never give up, even when you’re alone!

No demon hunter can do without the best demon hunting technique. The siblings can synchronize to fire a devastating bullet that clears most demons in an instant, giving them a significant advantage in their clash against the forces of evil.

— Shinobu and Maya can unleash a powerful attack when the Purge Gauge is maxed! The clearing meter increases naturally, but can also be sped up by picking up items along the way.

— Use this powerful attack to destroy the demons!

■ Feature #2: Defeat bosses to get new sub-weapons, opening up a whole new layer of exploration

Defeating bosses will yield new sub-weapons, giving the siblings exciting new abilities. These sub-weapons also open up new routes and means of exploration in other stages.

— Sub-weapons can be changed at any time. Note that they require weapon points to use.

— New additional weapons will not only allow you to take down demons you couldn’t before, but may also help you reach previously inaccessible areas of the castle!

Careful exploration will allow you to uncover the castle’s secret passages, which can lead to power-up items for the siblings, not to mention finding the other students who have gone missing.

— A sharp eye can allow you to find hidden routes and objects behind seemingly invisible walls!

— You can find power-ups with careful research, turning the tide in your favor!

“Do you have what it takes to find and rescue all the students trapped in the castle?!”

■ Feature #3: Enjoy the story your way with “clean” or “precise” voice recordings

Grim Guardian’s story focuses on two main aspects: the mystery behind the school’s transformation and the whereabouts of the other students.

Enjoy the original experience in “Pure” mode with all original Japanese voices for story mode, or choose “Refined” for action-focused English voice acting tailored for fans of the genre.

■ Feature #4: Adjust the difficulty to your gameplay needs with the unique style system

A total of three different styles – “Casual”, “Veteran” and “Legend” – are available to choose from, allowing players to adjust the difficulty according to their needs. This can be changed at any time after starting the game and will have no effect on the story.

—Casual Style: Unlimited lives and no recoil on damage allows for fun, casual running.

— Veteran Style: Ideal for those looking for the challenge provided by Action [831 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/genres/action” rel=”noopener”>action games from before.

— Legend Style: Intense enough that it requires unlocking. Do you have what it takes to clear it?

Moreover, working together with Shinobu and Maya will be possible if there are two controllers. It is possible to join at any time in the game, so feel free to invite friends on your journey to conquer this mysterious demonic castle.

— Attacking together in co-op allows you to deal extra damage! The sky’s the limit when it comes to combo options!

“Maya is riding Shinobu!” Jump on your friend’s character to reach even higher, unlocking new routes!