In today’s State of Play Japan, we debuted a new gameplay trailer for our 2D roguelike Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse, and confirmed its release date: March 5 next year, on PS5 and PS4! Pre-orders open today. In this PS Blog post, we’d like to share what makes our game so special, and the passion we’ve poured into its creation.
In Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse, we fuse the sense of reward that comes from discovery in an exploration platformer with the addictive rush of a roguelike, capturing that feeling of “next time, I’ll do better”. As you journey through dangerous areas, you’ll feel heart-pounding tension, yet back in the safety of your home village, you can enjoy a sense of accomplishment through building and crafting. This contrast is at the heart of Never Grave, and we’re excited for players around the world to experience them!
And if this is the first time you’re seeing our game, something might come as a surprise: you won’t be playing as the witch, but the hat (yes, really)! You can utilize the unique Possession system to take control of a defeated enemy to use their abilities. This feature is not just for fighting with. Various puzzles will block your path, so clever use of the Possession system will be key to moving forward. Choosing which enemies to possess will shape your progress through the game. Experiment, adapt, and create your own journey!
Find your own “ultimate build”
Since we wanted character progression to be just as fun and rewarding, we designed two core systems for growth.
The first is the skill tree, allowing you to permanently strengthen your character using materials gathered in dungeons and the village. The second is the wide variety of equipment you can collect during your adventures.
By steadily improving your base stats through the skill tree and combining them with the gear you find, it’s possible to create completely different builds each time. Whether it’s “all-out brute force!”, “cunning magic!”, or “full exploration mode!”, anything is possible.
Even within our development team, some surprising builds have cleared dungeons in ways we never imagined. We’re looking forward to seeing the various builds that you’ll come up with!
Online co-op with friends
Never Grave can be played solo, but we also designed the game to support online co-op for up to four players!
Whether it’s teaming up to challenge powerful enemies, or letting your friends handle combat while you focus on improving the village, we welcome all kinds of playstyles. Whether you fight, build, or explore, the adventure is yours to shape!
Thrilling boss battles
Bosses can be found at the heart of each dungeon, and we made them pretty difficult to beat.
From the overwhelming laser blasts of a colossal golem, to the raging storms conjured by the guardian of the botanical garden, to rivers of molten lava controlled by the lord of the volcano, we packed in a wide variety of unique and unpredictable mechanics. Learn your enemies, utilize the Possession system, and discover the strategy that works best for you.
A dark tale of souls and curses awaits
The story opens with a shocking scene: a young witch has her soul stolen by the Ancient Witch and is cursed to wander the world, unable even to die. Can the curse be broken, and the stolen soul reclaimed? Your journey to break the curse and help reclaim her soul begins here!
We’ve shared quite a bit about what makes Never Grave special. How does it sound so far?
Our entire team is now working hard on the final stages of development to deliver the best possible experience to everyone. We’ll be sharing more updates in the future, so be sure to follow our social accounts for news and announcements.
We look forward to seeing you in the dungeons!
