Sumioni: Demon Arts to be Published in the West by Xseed

Giuseppe Nelva December 16, 2011 1:00 PM EST

Xseed Games announced today with a press release that the company will publish the beautiful PS Vita exclusive Sumioni in the west next spring, with the title Sumioni: Demon Arts. The game was originally developed by Acquire.

According to the press release the game will be a “PS Vita launch window title”, which seems to indicate that it won’t hit exactly with the console, but still in a similar timeframe.

The title “Sumioni” means “Ink Demon”, and also indicates the protagonist of the game, summoned to fight against the evil forces that threaten feudal Japan. The demon is controlled via traditional inputs, but the touch controls of the Vita allow the player to “paint” brush strokes on the screen.

The Sumioni will be able to jump on the brush strokes or to use them to avoid obstacles. Different brush strokes can create different effects like fire, lightning or the summoning of elemental beasts. Combining different brushes and strokes can create a myriad of options with which the player can tackle the obstacles and the enemies he’ll have to face through the 30 stages of Sumi-e inspired action platforming, that lead to multiple endings.

To get a better idea of what this artsy game is all about, you can check out a gameplay video of the first stage below.