As revealed in Toukiden: The Age of Demons, humanity was protected for centuries by a secret clan of warriors, the Slayers, trained to dispose of the supernatural threat before it could consume the world. An event known as the Awakening caused rifts to appear in space and time – resurfacing places that had long disappeared from the world and unleashing swarms of Oni that relentlessly hunted humans.

Set shortly after the events detailed in Toukiden: Kiwami, Toukiden 2 introduces an all-new, captivating narrative featuring a compelling cast of companions and more devious demons to defeat. Players will step into the shoes of a Slayer tasked with saving humankind by carrying out special quests to reduce the monstrous hordes and liberate Oni-infested areas. Toukiden 2 boasts a vast and extensive open world full of danger and wonder, and takes the player deep into enemy territory. Slayers and Oni will battle it out in the Otherworld, a tormented battleground divided into six distinct Ages. Revisit the redesigned Ages of Yore, Grace, Honor, War, Peace and Chaos, each distinctively representing an era of Japanese history, and discover more about the Oni threat and your character’s unique role in its resolution!

Toukiden 2offers a rich online environment in which Slayers can team up to take on the ferocious demons known as Oni. Slayers will find mysterious Portal Stones scattered throughout the Otherworld, which, when touched, will transport them to the multiplayer lobby. Accepting missions at the Command Hub will allow up to four players to take on Oni throughout the Ages, granting them the upper-hand in battle with well-coordinated teamwork. Multiplayer features can be enjoyed on both PS4and Vita system versions,with local ad-hoc network multiplayer available for PlayStation Vita users. Each Slayer can make themselves unique by utilizing the game’s vast character creation system, which boasts a wide variety of different visual styles never previously available in the Toukiden series.

Online multiplayer mode aside, the campaign experience has also been heavily enhanced for Toukiden 2. Apart from the main storyline missions delivered from the Holy Mount, players can explore an immense open world and encounter other Slayers for cooperative Joint Operations. By aiding those in need a variety of rewards become available in the form of weaponry, armor and new Mitama, as well the opportunity to form a party! Those playing offline can carry out Joint Operations by meeting Doppelgangers, the Ghost Data of their friends, which offer the same functionality as human companions.

While carrying out these operations in the Otherworld, Slayers may find it useful to exchange equipment to even the odds against tough opponents. Accessing the Reliquaries –containers for sacred relics  – across the world will allow them to place items inside for retrieval by other Slayers. Donating items into a Reliquary not only aids fellow players, but returns an item of equal value! This new feature to the hunting-action genre allows Slayers to unite and aid each other in a way which was never previously possible.

The new additions in Toukiden 2 don’t stop there! The game’s boundless battlefield hosts a plethora of new Oni inspired by western lore. The Drakwing, a beast resembling a legendary dragon, the Canidaemon, a wolf-like creature which harnesses the power of wind and lighting in its tail, the Wingspawn, an Oni which breaths deadly poison which turns humans into demons and the Bruteclaw, a heavily armored six-legged demon are only a few of the new enemies that plague the Ages.

During an event known as the Awakening, when Oni ravaged the world and left it in ruins, a group of Slayers – defenders of mankind – set out to defend the city of Yokohama and drive back an attacking force of Oni. In the midst of their fierce battle, a giant demon emerged, and opened a portal that swallowed a lone Slayer. Ten years later, and with no memory of the past, that Slayer awakens in Mahoroba Village. Toukiden 2 puts players into the boots of this mysterious Slayer, who is accompanied by a unique cast of compelling characters: Hakase, a professor keen to learn the truth of the world, Tokitsugu, a Machina imbued with a human soul, Gwen, a young British Slayer and master of sword and shield, Benizuki, a kind-hearted fellow considered to be the strongest Slayer in town, and Homura, an ex-thief turned Slayer who wields a chain whip.

The ever-inventive Professor has constructed a unique device for Slayers which creates a physical manifestation of their thoughts: the Demon Hand. Using this strange apparatus, players can grab onto foes and throw themselves into the air to land blows from above, as well as execute evasive attacks to slam Oni into the ground. Not only is the Demon Hand useful in combat and it also aids in exploration of the game’s vast open landscape, the Otherworld. Areas may be blocked off or out of reach, but using an Oni Smash with the Demon Hand, players can destroy obstacles without ever leaving a trace, and otherwise inaccessible ledges are easily reached with an Oni Grapple.

Besides the beasts that threaten to eliminate humanity, the world of Toukiden 2 is also home to creatures that aid players on their quest. For example, materials for improving weapons and armor can be easily gathered by ordering hardworking Machina out to explore the Otherworld. By upgrading and repairing these robotic partners, Machina are able to bring back rarer and higher quantities of materials to create better equipment at the Blacksmith. In addition, the adorable Tenko companions make their return in Toukiden 2 and can be saved from peril while exploring the Otherworld. Once rescued, Tenko can be cared for, and once a Slayer’s bond with their Tenko is great enough, they can journey together in the Otherworld.

Prospective players who pre-order Toukiden 2 from Amazon, Best Buy, EB Canada or GameStop will receive the Tenko Costume armor, allowing Slayers to dress up as their fluffy companions, as well as the “Sanada Masayuki”, “Sanada Noboyuki”, “Sarutobi Sasuke” and “Chiku Rin In” Mitama to bolster player’s skills and abilities and aid them on their Oni-slaying adventure.