Platinum Games excels at making slick action games for consoles and PC. Now the Japanese studio is teaming up with mobile publisher DeNA on a new project: World of Demons for iOS and Android.
World of Demons is a free-to-play action game with in-app purchases that uses touch-based controls. It takes its inspiration from Japanese folklore and mythology, with Yokai (spirits) and Oni (monsters) making up its roster. World of Demons’ visuals also take their inspiration from Japanese history. The iOS version is coming out this summer, with an Android release following later in the year. The game can help Platinum expand its audience to a new platform, as it’s not known for mobile gaming.
Platinum does not have much of history with mobile, although it is co-developing Lost Order with Cygames. But Lost Order is a strategy title, a genre that has had plenty of success on mobile. Action games are a harder sell, since they often require tight controls that can be hard to translate to touchscreens.
World of Demons has players auto-attacking enemies. This gets rid of the need to string together combos with button inputs, usually a cornerstone of Platinum action games. But you can still use special attacks via onscreen buttons. These have cooldowns and are associated with different Yokai that you’ve defeated and collected. Each enemy also has an elemental association, and you can target their weaknesses to deal more damage. You can also use the touchscreen to dodge and parry attacks.
Platinum is behind some of the most successful action games in recent years, including last year’s RPG hybrid Nier: Automata. It has sold over 2.5 million copies on PlayStation 4 and PC. DeNA, meanwhile, has experience helping console game developers create titles for mobile. DeNA has helped Nintendo make Mario, Fire Emblem, and Animal Crossing games for iOS and Android. The Japanese company has been working on mobile games since it launched its Mobage portal in 2006.
World of Demons will feature three different playable characters at launch. Battles take place in small arenas, making it more ideal for quick play sessions than the longer, larger levels you usually see in a Platinum title.
The game will feature a Story Mode, with the first two chapters available at launch. Chapters 3 and 4 will come later. It will also feature player-vs.-player content and Raid Bosses, where you work together with players to take down giant foes in asynchronous battles.