In late 2023, Ikumi Nakamura unveiled Kemuri, the first game from her new studio, Unseen, at The Game Awards. Ironically, she and that game have been unseen ever since, but during today’s State of Play, Kemuri made its grand reemergence from the shadows with a flashy new gameplay trailer and a 2027 release window. You can check the game out for yourself below.
In Kemuri, you hunt Yokai, colorful spirits and monsters only visible to certain people by using a technique called the Fox Window. The trailer shows off some fast-paced, visually stunning combat, which players can perform by possessing Yokai and using their powers. Gameplay clips also seem to show players using these abilities to traverse the game’s city, whether that’s diving through the air with feathers on their arms or swinging from a frog’s tongue. Hunters can be one of three classes (katana hunter, bow hunter, or shaman), so it’s fitting that the game also includes up to three-player online co-op.
Nakamura previously made a name for herself as an artist at Tango Gameworks before becoming the creative director for Ghostwire: Tokyo, though she left that role before the game shipped. This new project at Unseen is her first project as a proper director, and so far, it looks great.
Nakamura appeared after the trailer to clarify that Kemuri is still in development, and a graphic following that statement gave the game a 2027 release window. As much as I’m into this game’s Yokai, here’s hoping we get a more tangible release date sometime soon.
