Composer Yuka Kitamura has shaped the soundscapes behind Fromsoftware‘s most seminal work – from Dark Souls to Bloodborne to Elden Ring – and she’s now working on the last game anyone might expect.
For some background, Kitamura departed the heavyweight development studio following 12 years of incredible work to “continue to express myself in game music through various genres.” She’s now trading those oppressive ambient sounds and grandiose strings for something entirely different: The Touhou Empires.
The Touhou series began life as a bullet hell shoot ‘em up from a single developer, but its massive fanbase has carried the series toward a whopping 19 mainline games and six spin-offs. One of which is The Touhou Empires, coming sometime later this year.
“Touhou meets real-time warfare,” the storefront description explains. “Pick your favorite faction, set up bases, and gather resources. Build up your forces toward the ultimate goal, defeating every other faction.” The spin-off also includes over 40 fan-favorite characters from the main games, so you can play with familiar faces.
The Touhou Empires has a free playable demo available now via Steam – sneaking in through the Steam Next Fest doors a couple of days early – meaning you can trial the strategic battles and epic music ahead of time.
Prefer Soulsikes over strategy games? We’ve got you covered with these 10 best games that are like Dark Souls.