“One discovers, one guides, and one strikes the final blow”: Ikumi Nakamura’s new yokai-hunting game Kemuri is turning co-op into a ritual, somehow
Kemuri, a new third-person action game led by veteran developer Ikumi Nakamura, has been showcased in its first proper trailer by PlayStation. The game follows Nakamura’s departure from Tango Gameworks and represents her return to yokai-hunting gameplay following her work on the studio’s Ghostwire: Tokyo.
Set in a sprawling vertical city, Kemuri casts players as athletic yokai hunters who navigate the environment through acrobatic movement like swooping and flipping. The game distinguishes itself through its approach to cooperative play, transforming multiplayer into something described as ritualistic in nature. The game’s tagline—“One discovers, one guides, and one strikes the final blow”—hints at specialized roles within the co-op experience, suggesting each player has distinct responsibilities during encounters.
The game draws clear inspiration from Ghostwire: Tokyo, Nakamura’s previous yokai-focused project, though Kemuri appears to emphasize more dynamic, action-oriented gameplay compared to its predecessor. Though Nakamura departed from Tango Gameworks before Ghostwire: Tokyo’s completion, she has carried forward many of the conceptual foundations that defined that project into her new endeavor.