{"id":14441,"date":"2022-07-28T16:03:53","date_gmt":"2022-07-28T07:03:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=14441"},"modified":"2022-07-28T16:04:12","modified_gmt":"2022-07-28T07:04:12","slug":"20220728-14441","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/20220728-14441\/","title":{"rendered":"Japanese folklore inspired shmup KIKURA is coming to Steam on August 20"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p style=\"font-size:12px\"><em>Written by. Nick Mosier based on the <a href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/articles\/newsjp\/20220727-211933\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">original Japanese article<\/a> (original article&#8217;s publication date: 2022-07-27 18:00<\/em> <em>JST)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><br>The Japanese doujin group KENKOUJSB has announced that <em><strong>KIKURA<\/strong><\/em> is coming to Steam on August 20 (JST) and will also be distributed at Japan\u2019s Comic Market convention on August 13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u3010\u540c\u4eba\u5f3e\u5e55STG\u3011\u523b\u4e00\u523b\u30c8\u6d66\u3010\u540c\u4eba\u30b2\u30fc\u30e0\u3011\" width=\"1160\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5038Cil-IoM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><br><em>KIKURA<\/em> is a retro-style shmup with time slowing and invincibility mechanics combined with a Japanese folklore aesthetic. The game takes place in a parallel world from our own called Utsushiyochigai where yokai and gods reside. Long ago, there was a fishing village nearby what is now a secluded beach in Utsushiyochigai. One day, a young man who went fishing on the beach mysteriously disappeared. While the family waited for the young man\u2019s return, residents of the village gradually began to separate themselves from the beach. After hundreds of years, ominous voices could be heard coming from the ruins of an abandoned house as yokai began to gather in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The protagonist Setsuna is an office worker in the modern day who meets a clock yokai named Tsukumo, a yokai with the power to move between the two parallel worlds. One day, the two set off for this beach in Utsushiyochigai where Setsuna uses yokai powers to fight against the yokai that have gathered there.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"285\" height=\"380\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 285px) 100vw, 285px\" src=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/20220727-211933-001-285x380.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14443\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/20220727-211933-001-285x380.jpg 285w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/20220727-211933-001-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/20220727-211933-001-150x200.jpg 150w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/20220727-211933-001-300x400.jpg 300w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/20220727-211933-001-696x928.jpg 696w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/20220727-211933-001-315x420.jpg 315w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/20220727-211933-001.jpg 720w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><br>Setsuna and Tsukumo\u2019s battle against the yokai is depicted through bullet hell shmup gameplay. Tsukumo is a clock yokai and has the time-manipulating power of \u201cKoku-I-Kkoku.\u201d This power can be unleashed in the game after building up a special meter and causes the flow of time to slow down for a moment making it easier to dodge bullets and attack enemies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s also the \u201cGhost\u201d power which raises your attack power and makes you invincible, and \u201cREN\u201d which turns enemy bullets into point items. Each of these powers has their own special meter, so players will be exterminating yokai while managing their abilities. There\u2019s also a Life gauge that depletes when you take a hit or use a bomb. <em>KIKURA<\/em> takes place over 6 stages that players progress through like an arcade game and boasts also having an easy mode for beginners to enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>KIKURA<\/em> is being developed by the doujin group KENKOUJSB and is the second installment in the group\u2019s <em>Koku-I-Kkoku<\/em> (<em>KIK<\/em>) series. While the first installment was released in August of 2021, its distribution has been limited to in-person events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>KIKURA<\/em> is coming to PC (<a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/2095600\/_\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Steam<\/a>) on August 20. It will also be available at Comic Market 100 on August 13.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>KIKURA is a retro-style shmup with time slowing and invincibility mechanics combined with a Japanese folklore aesthetic. The game takes place in a parallel world from our own called Utsushiyochigai where yokai and gods reside.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":14444,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,3],"tags":[39,17],"class_list":["post-14441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indie-games","category-news","tag-indie-games","tag-japan-related-news"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Japanese folklore inspired shmup KIKURA is coming to Steam on August 20 - AUTOMATON WEST<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"KIKURA is a retro-style shmup with time slowing and invincibility mechanics combined with a Japanese folklore aesthetic. 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