Ancient Weapon Holly: Everything We Know

Japanese publisher and developer Acquire has announced the development of a new roguelike action game called Ancient Weapon Holly. It makes it the second game the studio plans to self-publish. As well as the seventh game the studio is currently working on over the coming years. The studio’s most popular upcoming games include a twin-stick shooter game, XALADIA: Rise of the Space Pirates X2, for PS5, Switch, and PC via Steam in Fall 2023. A dungeon RPG, Class of Heroes 2 Remaster, for Switch and PS4 in 2023. And a side-scrolling, soul-shifting sandbox action adventure, AMEDAMA, for PC via Steam is due out in 2023. 

So, what do we know about Ancient Weapon Holly? Is there official information on the release date, trailer, gameplay, and more? Let’s find out in today’s Ancient Weapon Holly: Everything We Know article.

What is Ancient Weapon Holly?

Ancient Weapon Holly is an upcoming roguelike dungeon crawler action game. It tells the story of a potent humanoid weapon who wakes up from a deep sleep that lasted for thousands of years. She finds that she’s been imprisoned in an underground dungeon because of her potential to wreak havoc on humankind. Furious, she swears vengeance on all mankind. Meanwhile, she also protects her source of power, the altar.

Story

According to Acquire Corp. President and CEO Takuma Endo, a female protagonist in dungeon crawlers is uncommon. Consequently, he says the idea was to bring a fresh approach in the form of a “powerful, autonomous weapon in the form of a human-hating young girl.” Ancient Weapon Holly will thus follow a female protagonist, powerful enough to enact vengeance on all of humanity. Her origins are from an ancient war spread throughout the world. And while she looks like a young girl, her powers hardly compare with their potential to destroy the earth.

The official Steam description reads:

Long ago, when humans were still developing advanced civilizations, a war engulfed the world.

Among the multitude of weapons created, an autonomous weapon resembling a young girl was completed. Her arms could crack the earth like a whip, demolish any building in her path, and her red eyes mercilessly killed people one after another.

This girl was named ‘Holly' by the people, and due to her overwhelming power, she was sealed deep within the earth.

After tens of thousands of years, the only emotion Holly felt upon awakening from her slumber in the dark magic ruins was an insurmountable hatred for humans.

“Humanity, perish.”

Even though her weapon functions have degraded and she can now only slightly damage the ground or walls, Holly's vendetta against the world above has just begun.

Gameplay

The new game will feature three gameplay elements: intense action, strategy, and dungeon crawling, and will take place in ancient magical ruins. According to Steam, players will aim to clear stages. They will destroy gates obstructing their way and use magical stones to progress their characters. They will also open up previously inaccessible areas of the game that further increase the complexity of their strategies.

A further breakdown of the gameplay on Steam reveals that the game’s strategy will involve luring enemies into pitfalls. This will feature “exhilarating action,” as players bury enemies trapped in the pitfalls with their own hands. They will anticipate their enemies’ moves and break the ground to trap them. Players will also be able to progress by defeating enemies and collecting loot. These items will come in handy in unlocking more powers of the altar. 

As they progress, they will experience more complex strategies that will steer away from straightforward character development and more toward strategic foresight to upgrade their skill trees.

Development

Acquire Corp. is developing Ancient Weapon Holly. They’ll also self-publish the game, marking the second game in the studio's portfolio of self-published games. If you’re curious to experience the new game for yourself before it drops, you’ll be happy to know that Acquire is planning to offer a hands-on Holly demo at PAX West and the Tokyo Game Show next month. The PAX West demo will take place in Seattle, Washington, from September 1 to 4, while the Tokyo Game Show will take place in Tokyo, Japan, from September 21 to 24.

The studio is also working on other upcoming titles. At the moment, there are seven titles currently in development and scheduled to be released over the coming years. Some are independent developments. However, others are joint collaborations with other studios. Xaladia: Rise of the Space Pirates X2, in particular, is one of Acquire’s upcoming games. It will also be featured at the PAX West hands-on demo event.

Trailer

Feel free to check out “Holly” in action in the Ancient Weapon Holly reveal trailer here. It gives a pretty lengthy sneak peek of the gameplay, with flashy combat and trapping enemies underground. Visually, the game has an arcade look and feel with a top-down perspective. It features cool art and a dark tone. The story is unveiled via text and static cutscenes, while an endearing music score rolls on in the background. Finally, the trailer winds up with “coming 2024” and the PC and PS5 platforms the game will launch on. Overall, it looks vibrant and full of personality; I certainly cannot wait to take it for a spin when it drops.

Release Date, Platforms, & Editions

For now, we don’t have an exact release date. However, we can anticipate a 2024 release window. Additionally, Ancient Weapon Holly plans to launch on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam. Feel free to add the game to your Steam wishlist here to get an update as soon as the game drops. 

As for editions, we don’t know of any currently available. However, we’ll be sure to let you know once any new information comes up. Meanwhile, feel free to keep an eye on future updates via the official social handle here.

So, what's your take on Ancient Weapon Holly: Everything We Know? Are you excited to experience this tense roguelike action game? Let us know your thoughts on our socials here.