Demo leaks out for Tokyo Psychodemic

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Full version of forensic investigative mystery available in Japanese and coming soon in English

Solving crimes isn't all about crucial discoveries at murder scenes and making suspects crack under pressure in the interrogation room. The less sexy part of investigative work involves poring over computer screens and scouring case files full of documents. It's this side of being a detective that lies at the heart of Tokyo Psychodemic, a supernatural-tinged forensic mystery coming soon to PC. 

The start of the game feels frighteningly familiar, with running news reports about a deadly new influenza pandemic, killing 40% of the population and resulting in a closure of Japan's capital city. Three years later, however, the illness is under control and life has returned largely to normal and seems to be stable. But that much tragedy and the restrictive measures taken to control it are sure to cause some fallout. One of the unexpected consequences is the rumoured formation of a cult devoted to employing psychic powers to take over society by any means necessary. Some are skeptical, some believe, but one thing that's undeniable is the increasing number of suspicious incidents that appear to link back to them. It's your job to investigate some of these unexplained crimes using the most current forensic tools available, but can seemingly paranormal phenomena be explained by scientific process? 

At first Tokyo Psychodemic appears to be a traditional visual novel as you meet with colleagues like Yujiro Motora and Yuika Lawrence Kijima to discuss the latest case. One involves what is thought to be another example of spontaneous human combustion, which leaves all but the victim's feet burnt to ashes without causing any other external damage. Before long, however, the real detective work begins as you "use the resources at your disposal such as images and surveillance footage to perform a careful analysis and determine items, persons, and other points of interest." Through a combination of 2D slideshow-styled artwork and live-action video, you can scrub security camera videos for clues, zoom in and identify points of interest in photographs, and contact outside specialists when you need additional help in their areas of expertise. Once you have gathered enough "specific details of victims' behavior at the moment of the incident, and even review what happened before or after," you can organize your information on your evidence board, allowing you to "clearly to see how items in your case interrelate." 

Tokyo Psychodemic has already launched on Steam in Japanese, with the English version coming soon for Windows PC. In the meantime, a localized playable demo is available in English, offering an early first tutorial-styled glimpse of what to expect. 

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