Inti Creates' next project, Grim Guardians: Demon Purge, has a release date! Announced back in August, this stunning-looking side-scrolling platformer looks to blend the fast-paced run-and-gun action of Mega Man with the horror atmosphere and level design of Castlevania to the eShop on 23rd February 2023.

Grim Guardians is actually a spin-off of Inti's Gal*Gun series, one of the developer's most well-known franchises, and the game stars two of the series' heroines — Shinobu and Maya. You'll be able to play the game alone or co-op with a friend, and you'll need both characters' skills in order to get through the game.

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The developer also shared a number of details about this upcoming action-packed horror-esque adventure to go along with the stunning new story trailer above:

Story
The Kamizono family has a long lineage of demon hunters. Kamizono Shinobu and Kamizono Maya—the latest to inherit the family profession—return to school one day after finishing a hunt, only to find a shocking scene before them.

Unbeknownst to them, their school had been turned into a demonic castle in their absence. What could have caused this? And what of the other students. With mysteries afoot and danger abound, only demon hunters have the ability to set things right. The Kamizono siblings fight once again.

"When demons lurk near, we demon hunters appear!"
"Kamizono siblings, move out!

Feature 1: Swap out on the fly as you traverse through the demonic castle!
Take control of both the tag-team Kamizono siblings. Make the most of long-distance-focused Shinobu and close-range brawler Maya Kamizono as you make your way through the castle.

Shinobu Kamizono (voiced by Emi Uema)
Elder of the Kamizono sisters, Shinobu is brimming with confidence, but still tends to make careless mistakes. She’s a long-range attacker who deals with demons using her anti-demon submachine gun! As a sturdy fighter with more HP than her little sister, Shinobu’s sub-weapons procured in each stage give her the means to attack in all directions, as well as the ability to restore HP.

Maya Kamizono (voiced by Chinami Hashimoto)
Younger of the sisters, Maya supports her strong-willed sister from the shadows with her reliable personality. As a technical close-range attacker, she creates various powerful weapons from origami. Use these weapons to deal massive damage! As she unlocks more sub-weapons, she’ll earn various special actions, making her a true attack specialist. She has much lower HP in exchange, however, so carefully choose when to switch in from Shinobu as the opportunity to deal massive damage presents itself!

Cover your weaknesses by switching siblings out when the need arises. Each sibling has a range of unique sub-weapons, giving you a wealth of options to switch your strategy up whenever the time calls for it. Most of Shinobu’s sub-weapons can be used flexibly, allowing her to make up for her straightforward attack. Don’t hesitate to make use of them so long as you have Weapon Points in stock! On the other hand, Maya’s sub-weapons mainly serve to close the distance between herself and demons, but in turn require technical precision. Some may even have unexpected functions.

Feature 2: Defeat Bosses to Obtain New Sub-Weapons, Opening Up a Whole New Layer of Exploration
Defeating bosses will yield new sub-weapons, providing the siblings with exciting new abilities. These sub-weapons also open up new routes and means of exploration in other stages.

Meticulous exploration will allow you to uncover the castle’s secret passages, which can lead to power-up items for the siblings, not to mention locating the other students who have gone missing.

Feature 3: Enjoy the Story Your Way with “Pure” or “Refined” Voice Tracks
Grim Guardian’s story focuses on two main aspects: the mystery behind the school’s transformation, and the whereabouts of the other students.

Enjoy the original experience in “Pure” mode with all of the original Japanese voices for story mode, or choose “Refined” for English voice acting focused on the action, tailored for fans of the genre.

Feature 4: Adjust the Difficulty to Your Playing Needs with the Unique Style System
A total of three different styles—“Casual”, “Veteran” and “Legend”—are available for selection, allowing players to adjust the difficulty to their needs. This can be changed at any time after beginning the game, and will have no impact on the story whatsoever.

Are you a Gal*Gun fan? Will you be grabbing this gothic horror action platformer next year? Let us know!