Milk but he's a mask-wearing wolf (Thanks Wallhammer

Samishii: Blight of Japan

Demons invaded Japan, slaughtering countless people, burning the island down. The samurai were hopeless to win against the countless demons. Shinguru, the last samurai alive in Japan, attempts to defeat the oni invading his village. He is struck with a fatal blow. In his last moments, he crawls over to his home, to his small cherry blossom, and bows at it, breathing his last breath.

However, a single petal on the tree withers away, and falls onto the head of the slain samurai. He gasps for air. He has one mission now. Kill the oni, and save Japan.

It is a difficult rouge-like game, with the main character, Shinguru, stuck in a time loop. With each loop, Shinguru can die 3 times before the loop resets. Each time you die, you are greeted to a cherry blossom petal, and a screen where you can upgrade your techniques using EXP. However, the petal grows wilted the more you die. And if you die for good, the petal fully withers, and you are brought back to the beginning.

The combat is a bit simple, but with a great learning curve. The fighting is based heavily on parrying and dodging. You can unlock new moves on the death screen, which allows for many ways of fighting. From counterattacks, to aggressive attacks, and even martial arts.

There are many types of enemies, which all come with their own challenges. Some may like to dodge, some may parry, while some like to be ranged.

There are many bosses in the game, each with their own gimmick. For instance, one boss attempts to wear you down by constantly going on the attack, which also leaves him open for counterattacks. Each boss will have their own moveset to learn and overcome.

After finishing certain encounters, you earn a 'resolve', which is a perk to choose from that is randomized each loop. Every resolve supports a certain playstyle, which may help in letting players be open to trying out other playstyles.

I want the game to have kind of a cell-shaded, gritty type of look. As if it was ripped straight from a manga page, but with color. The music will be very reminiscent of Japanese music, but with a more fast-paced kind of feel.

Sounds good!