If you prefer a roguelite Hades-style game but with anime and Japan sensibilities, this new 7QUARK-made title might hit that spot for you.

The upcoming roguelite is called Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade and it’s slated for 15 May for PC and consoles. Here’s a quick overview of the story and its main heroes.

Three stories, one common foe—the arrogant and disdainful “Nine Tailed-Fox.”

The Immortal Ninja: Shigure

Three hundred years ago, a human named “Yasha” slaughtered demons, causing nightmares for the demon world under the Blood Moon. With the vanishing of “Yasha,” the Blood Moon ended, and a delicate balance was achieved between humans and demons. However, three hundred years later, the balance is shattered as vicious demons raid the Ninja Village. Shigure embarks on a journey due to the unusual actions of the demons and the disappearance of her master.

The Oni Emissary: Sara

Since the beginning of time, Inferno’s Oni Emissaries and Celestial Realm’s Okami have competed for resources in the human world, maintaining a balance between heaven and hell. With the arrival of the next Okami foretold by prophecy, the balance is about to be disrupted, and the three states hold their breath in anticipation. To improve her work performance, Sara sets out on a journey to find this Okami.

The Demon Samurai: Taketora

Legend has it that whoever obtains “The Cosmic Lord” can rule the world. When this rumour spread, it caused a stir. Today, “The Cosmic Lord” is born in human form within the home of the lord of the Konpeki Realm, prompting the nine-tailed army to launch an attack, plunging the world back into chaos. Taketora fights to protect his lord but finds himself trapped in a cycle of demonic spells…

The game pits you as one of the three warriors. In the preview build we were given back in February, we played as Shigure who can parry attacks with her katanas if she charged her “issen” sword slash just right. She’s also pretty mobile as she dashes all across the screen, slashing through demons and ghosts alike.

In true roguelite fashion, you go through a number of stages, stop by an intermission area where you can spend money for temporary resources and buffs, and then eventually hit a boss level or two. In this preview instance, Shigure had to fight against a giant crab boss and a giant octopus with tentacles as separate entities you have to knock down before you can damage the main body. The former serves as a tutorial boss fight (though you can still die) as you have to get used to your dashes, your light and heavy attack recovery, and new weapons you get.

See, once you bite it, you head back to the spirit realm, buy permanent upgrades using the spirit you accumulated in your run, and then try again, wiser and more powerful. You can also craft new weapons with their own perks and flaws as a secondary weapon switch. So far, my favourite loadout involves a sword that grants me a barrier after filling up a separate blue meter via kills. I’m the sort of roguelite player who is clumsy and normally gets hit by even the strayest of attacks, so having extra passive protection helps me out a ton.

While the action is fast and frenetic, it isn’t anything new I’ve seen. I can argue that it’s done better in other roguelites with this action structure, just with a different aesthetic and colour palette. The anime aesthetics and some of its anime trope humour (like how Shigure is ever-hungry and a hottie for the eyes) might appeal to some who don’t like the look of Hades and Lost In Random, but so far this roguelite seems like it’s knee-deep in the ordinary and familiar. Perhaps my perspective might change after playing the full game, but for now, the demo is just hitting all the expected notes and feels for this genre of titles.

Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade will be out on 15 May.