Toukiden: The Age of Demons

Toukiden (討鬼伝) is Koei's collaboration title with Sony Computer Entertainment Japan (SCEJ). It is the newest Omega Force IP to be conceptualized in years. Hisashi Koinuma and SCEJ's president, Hiroshi Kawano, are the general producers of this product, and the game's setting was conceptualized between them. Toukiden's main themes are "Japanese", "history" and "demon slaying" in an original fantasy world.

The producer is Kenichi Ogasawara. The character designer and main illustrator for the game is Hidari. Music is composed by Hideki Sakamoto.

Kawano was the one who pushed for the game to be on the PS Vita. He specifically wanted a new IP from Koei on the console. Both developers are excited about the cross platform connections for the game, as it requires the SCEJ staff's input for its development. According to Koinuma, the look and feel of the game currently shares no parallels with the Warriors franchises. He thinks Warriors fans will be surprised with this title.

Ogasawara wishes to use his experience working with Nobunaga no Yabou Online and Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce to visualize a world and system which best fits the game's motifs. Core developers who worked in the Strikeforce titles returned for this title. He has stated that Toukiden will be "an outstanding IP which demonstrates the company's true potential". Team NINJA's involvement, Hidari's character designs (for the Gust side), and the gameplay changes made based on fan feedback are meant to reflect this concept.

Players who pre-order the PS Vita Onigara set can obtain a special decorative case and a downloadable serial for the soul, Issun Boushi. The double pre-order Mitama set includes downloadable codes for Momotaro and Yae Niijima's souls. Gamecity shoppers can obtain an additional cell phone strap with their purchase. Other pre-order bonuses are planned for various Japanese stores.

Plot
The setting is an unknown land which has been protected since ancient times by "mononofu" (a pun of "mononobu" or "warriors"). These warriors have banded together to purge demons and other forces of darkness for one thousand years, thus earning their title as "demon hunters".

Eight years before the main story, time and the heavens distorted and the underworld emerged into the land of man. A great demon rose from its gap and plunged the land into an age of calamity. The mononofu fought tooth and nail against the demon and its army for seven grueling days; they barely succeeded in their mission to save humanity. The great conflict was later called the "Oomagadoki", and the mononofu whom fought in it were appointed to help restore the land's political realm.

The protagonist is a part of the new wave of mononofu who rise to deal with the land's never-ending demonic forces. They reside at Utakata Village, the last line of defense in the war between demons and humanity.

Gameplay

 * Players are required to create their own mononofu to progress with the game's story. Similar to Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War, the protagonist is their silent, customizable avatar for the setting. Protagonists accept various missions offered at their home base to progress with the main plot.
 * Gender, face, hair, voice, weapons, clothes, and colors can be altered. Over 100 different customizations are in the vanilla game.
 * Players can decorate their own home within the base with furniture and other spoils of war.
 * The main story is a single player experience in which players can recruit NPC allies for their four-man parties. The multiplayer modes are collaborative four-man missions which anyone of any expertise can join via wireless co-op. Players can instantly switch between either modes from the base menu.
 * When fighting against demons and other beasts, it's encouraged to first target their weak points –such as an arm or a leg. Once these weak points are dismantled, characters can purify them to ruin their target. In select cases, monsters will become stronger if this occurs to a specific body part.
 * Demons normally have high defenses against the protagonists' attacks. Once weakened (magatsuhi), their life points can be attacked directly for a limited time for massive damage. Demons change their physical appearance when they have entered this state. Players can use the Demon Eyes skill to locate a demon's weak spots during battle, which are highlighting areas of their body a select color.
 * If players destroy a demon's body parts but neglects to purify them, it's possible for the demon to regenerate them during the course of the battle.
 * Character attributes can only be increased by customizing broken body parts onto an avatar's equipment.
 * undefined + offers a strong killing blow to dismantle body parts.
 * L is the lock-on button. It automatically targets the body part closest to the player character.
 * R is the dashing button. Hold it while moving to increase the character's running speed. Doing so will gradually drain a character's stamina.
 * Souls (mitama) can change the protagonist's current fighting style with varying properties. These souls are named after various Japanese figures or deities from Ancient Japan to the Bakumatsu; in the game's canon, they are the souls of heroes who were captured by demons. Due to the development teams' preferences, many of the figures are from the Warring States period. Over 200 souls will be available in the vanilla game.
 * Four example souls include Nōhime, Sei Shōnagon, Minamoto no Yorimitsu, and Toshizō Hijikata.
 * If demons are severely damaged by players, they might obtain rare souls from the demon's body (tamahami).
 * Skills (tamafuri) can be used based on whatever souls the protagonist has equipped. They can be used by holding the R trigger and tapping, , undefined, or . Each skill has an allotted number of uses per mission and respective cooldown counters. Skills can be restored by hurrying to the restorative spot on the map. Each soul/skill can fall into one of the following properties:
 * Offensive - power focused fighting style. Health regenerates quicker when used.
 * Defensive - guardian style. Temporarily block all hits and lower damage directed towards allies.
 * Hidden - tricky one for specialists. Rewards more damage if user attacks foes from the rear.
 * Recovery - healing abilities. Instant restoration for users and allies.
 * Haste - speedy and conservative. Reduces energy used for normal attacks.
 * Soul - ranged attack type. Has a special gauge that needs to be filled before using.
 * Fallen party members can be resurrected by standing adjacent to them and rapidly mashing . They will rise again once the timer over their body is filled.
 * Weapons change the protagonist's fighting style, and each demon has their respective strengths and weakness to each weapon's attack properties.
 * Players can play and swap information between the two hand-held consoles.
 * Downloadable content includes quests, armor sets, and weapons.

Mononofu

 * Ouka
 * Nagi
 * Fugaku
 * Hatsuho
 * Hayatori
 * Ibuki

Non-combat NPCs

 * Kikka
 * Shuusui
 * Yuu
 * Yamato
 * Tatara
 * Shikimi
 * Tenko

Areas
These are the hunting grounds available for players. In the game's canon, they are distortions of time frozen in a parallel world.


 * Ko - desert plains visually based on Ancient Japan.
 * Miyabi - Nara and Heian period inspired area with gloomy sunset lighting.
 * Bu - spiritual mountain landscape with design motifs from the Katakura and Muramachi periods.
 * Sen - volcanic area to symbolize the Warring States period.
 * An - Edo period style castle area set at night.
 * Ran - wintry landscape visually inspired by the end of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Related Media
A trial version of the game is tentatively scheduled to be available in April; it will include the four man co-op option. Interested beta testers can sign up for a closed trial which will take place on March 30th. Accepted participants receive a T-shirt and poster in return for their time and input. Players of the trial version can voice their concerns and compliments at PlayCommu. Based on comments, a revised action trial is scheduled for May.

A special prologue comic created by Ayano Urasuke will be appearing in the April issue of Samurai Ace and Reader Store. It follows the adventures of an original male protagonist named Sako. The comic is one of the main features appearing in a series of databooks for the game.