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El Shaddai director's new game not a sequel to Ascension of the Metatron, everything is terrible

Woe.

Cover image for YouTube video

Remember how earlier this month El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron director Takeyasu Sawaki was teasing a new "major" project?

Well, here it is. Called The Lost Child, it's an RPG for PS4 and Vita which publisher Kadokawa games says inherits the DNA of El Shaddai in that it's set in the modern era and the protagonist is able to capture angels and demons. Scheduled to release in Japan on August 24, it doesn't seem likely to come west at this stage.

Here's the story synopsis, translated by Gematsu:

Magazine writer Hayato Ibuki was chasing the story of the suicide a person who jumped in front of a train in Shinjuku Station. In the middle of his pursuit, he falls onto the platform as if he was pushed by a mysterious black shadow. A mysterious, beautiful woman named Barcia (voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro) saves him by the skin of his teeth, and hands him a suitcase. It was a Pandora’s Box that should not have been be opened.

Inside was the “Demon Gun Gangour,” a tool that can capture and enslave demons and fallen angels. Using this ability, Hayato successfully took on his own demon subordinates. Together with a woman named Rua (voiced by Rikako Yamaguchi), who calls herself an angel, Hayato will pursue the mysteries that occur in various places and find the beautiful woman who gave him the suitcase

Players will explore various locations as Hayato, gathering information adventure-style to advance the plot. Management of your captured angles and demons - collectively called Astrals - is achieved via a tablet, represented in game by a menu screen. Astrals are used in turn-based battles, and have various skills and attacks which must be used tactically against the enemy's weaknesses.

So, yeah - it does sound a lot like Persona, or the wider Shin Megami Tensei family, or indeed their many imitators. I'm pretty disappointed. An Enoch cameo or whatever will not compensate.

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Brenna Hillier avatar

Brenna Hillier

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Based in Australia and having come from a lengthy career in the Aussie games media, Brenna worked as VG247's remote Deputy Editor for several years, covering news and events from the other side of the planet to the rest of the team. After leaving VG247, Brenna retired from games media and crossed over to development, working as a writer on several video games.

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