Are you a fan of dark, unforgiving worlds where everything's against you and there's no end in sight? Well, bully for you! Buka Entertainment has a 2D fantasy combat game in the works for Switch that you might want to keep a weary eye on — if 2020 didn't grind down your enthusiasm for unrelenting bleakness, that is.

Demon Skin is the freshly-announced title from developer Ludus Future (or LUDUS FUTURE, if the shouty caps of the press release is to be replicated) which features 2.5D combat in a grisly world, with RPG-style skill trees, weapons and other trinkets that you'll use to battle a menagerie of fiends, brutes and other demonic spawn in a fight for survival. It's always a fight for survival when pointy weapons are involved.

As you can see from the trailer above (and the screens below if you scroll down), the game gives off a 2D Souls-ian scent, with the merest whiff of 'Vania. Apparently you take control of a Wanderer — a violent chap who loves nothing more than lobbing axes, looting downed demons and generally getting stuck in. The PR blurb highlights "an intuitive combat stance system", so the focus appears to be on slow-and-steady combat. It's out in two weeks on PC, with console releases to follow later in the year.

Sound interesting? Here's some extracts from the PR blurb with some more info, plus some screens for flavour:

Sophisticated combat system. Improve your skills by mastering various stances for lightning-fast parrying and inflicting maximum damage with spectacular finishing moves! Keep an eye on the level of stamina and other indicators of the character’s physical condition - all these features directly affect the outcome of the battle.
An extensive skill tree. Gain experience to learn new combos and enhance health, stamina, and attack power.
Dozens of enemy types. From skeletons, zombies, and spiders to werewolves, lizards, and golems - fighting each of them requires a different approach.
Huge arsenal for killing monsters. There are more than 30 types of edged and blunt weapons at your disposal and each type is only effective against a certain type of enemies. You can even destroy enemies with your bare hands - it’s not as effective but still a lot of fun.
Secrets and artifacts. Some rare and ancient artifact weapons are hidden in the secret places of the game world. Find it to unlock the impressive super skills after achieving a certain level.
A demon on the outside, a demon within. Collect shards of Crystal and become even stronger, build up your bone armour and turn into a fearsome demon.
Gloomy landscapes in the spirit of dark fantasy. From the icy wastelands and deep dungeons to the twilight forests and abodes of the undead. This cruel world lives a life of its own, but terrifying creatures that inhabit it are not always hostile. On your way, you will not only meet enemies but also powerful allies.

Let us know below if the trailer piqued your interest.