‘Penny Blood: Hellbound’ Enters Steam Early Access

Condemned to an Early Access purgatory today.

March 8, 2024

4 Min Read

[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Game Developer and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press]

Yukikaze :

Developed by industry veterans Matsuzo Machida and Natsume Atari, featuring art by Miyako Kato and soundtrack from Yoshitaka Hirota and Noriyuki Iwadare, players will enjoy a taste of the tenebrous in this prequel to the upcoming RPG, Penny Blood.

Penny Blood: Hellbound has launched on Steam Early Access
New trailer with new footage, including never before seen Area 3
Improvements since the closed beta version include: New playable character ‘Axeman’, new ‘Daidouji Temple’ area and boss, new facilities and NPCs, new gameplay mechanics including dungeon NPCs, enemy organ drops and Badges
Roadmap for Full Release

TOKYO, March 8, 2024 — Developers YUKIKAZE, Studio Wildrose and NatsumeAtari announced today that Penny Blood: Hellbound has been released on Steam Early Access. Penny Blood: Hellbound is an action-packed roguelike adventure that explores the world of Penny Blood’s darker side. Players adopt the role of six hyper-powered anarchists, the Hellhounders, as they attempt to break free of an otherworldly prison. They will perish again and again while collecting malice and forging allegiances with fellow prisoners in order to learn new skills and enhance their abilities, as they fight to escape this extraordinary hellscape.

Penny Blood: Hellbound - Steam Early Access Trailer
https://youtu.be/3e_Hp0V-zuY

New Content in Early Access

Axeman character will be playable for the first time, bring total playable characters up to five of six
Area 3 ‘Daidouji Temple’ (Japanese horror themed) will be playable with a new boss and new enemies
Two new ‘Dungeon NPCs,’ Alma and Denjiro, who fight alongside the player after befriending them

Two new Facility NPCs: Kugai, attached to the Accessory Facility and Oryo, attached to a brand new Gambling Facility, where a sigil mini-game can be played
Players will be able to purchase ‘Badges’ and use them to decorate the hideout

The Dungeon NPC System allows players to befriend specific NPCs who only appear in the dungeon. After befriending an NPC, they will continue to fight with the player until the player dies. NPCs are AI-controlled and use attacks at specific intervals to assist players.

The Accessory System allows players to purchase different accessories that can be leveled up through clearing stages with them equipped. A maximum of three accessories can be equipped and each has a completely different effect.

The Gambling System, called ‘Psycho Hanafuda’ in-game, lets players bet currency in order to gain more. The game itself features a series of timed button presses, similar to the Psycho Sigil system in Penny Blood. If players don't hit all the buttons at the right time, they lose. Players can select different difficulties, and the more difficult it is, the lower the probability of winning, but the higher the reward.

Community Involvement and Future Roadmap

Penny Blood: Hellbound releases on Steam Early Access for $19.99 USD. Acknowledging the pivotal role played by the community in the early access stage of balancing the metaloop, the developers intend to draw inspiration from successes like Hades and other roguelikes that have experienced significant improvements through community input. To facilitate this collaboration, the game includes an in-game feedback form and a dedicated Discord server, providing users with accessible channels to share their valuable insights.

Looking ahead, Penny Blood: Hellbound's future roadmap promises exciting additions—a new playable character, online multiplayer, new stages, bosses and enemies. In addition, fresh NPC characters, gameplay and innovative facility systems will be introduced, promising a continually engaging experience for the player community.

STEAM STORE PAGE

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2507400/Penny_Blood_Hellbound/

For more information, please contact:

[email protected]

Penny Blood Homepage

https://www.pennyblood.jp/?lang=en

Studio Wildrose

https://www.studiowildrose.jp/

YUKIKAZE

https://www.yukikaze.ltd/

NatsumeAtari

https://www.natsumeatari.co.jp/english/