30 Years After the Shonen Jump Classic, HOSHiN ENGi Re:surrection Brings Dual-Slot Paope Combat to Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, and PC
Thirty years after its debut in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump and its earliest video game adaptations during the original PlayStation and GameCube eras under Koei Tecmo, the mythological universe of Hoshin Engi (known in the West as Soul Hunter) is making an unexpected comeback. Published by Shueisha Games and developed by Japanese studio LASTWONDER, HOSHiN ENGi Re:surrection trades turn-based tactical grids for fast-paced roguelite hack-and-slash action, slated to launch in 2027 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and PC (Steam).
Thirty Years After Taikobo: A New Disciple Drawn by Ryu Fujisaki
First serialized in 1996 and boasting over 22 million copies in print, Ryu Fujisaki's acclaimed manga reimagined the classic 16th-century Chinese epic Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi) combining ancient folklore and high-energy fantasy. Built as a flagship 30th-anniversary project, the game is personally overseen by Fujisaki himself, who designed a brand-new protagonist named Toshin.
The original story of HOSHiN ENGi Re:surrection unfolds thirty years after the conclusion of the manga, as the realm of immortals, demons, and mythic beasts is plunged into fresh turmoil. Stepping into the boots of a young disciple trained by the legendary strategist Taikobo, players traverse ever-shifting dungeon islands rendered in a striking hand-drawn art style that brings Fujisaki's dynamic inkwork directly into motion, as detailed on the official HOSHiN ENGi Re:surrection Steam store page by Shueisha Games.
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Official HOSHiN ENGi Re:surrection Announcement Trailer
Dual-Slot Paope Loadouts and Autonomous Reiju Spirit Beasts
The entire combat loop revolves around the mastery of Paope, the supernatural treasures wielded by gods and immortals throughout the series. Developer LASTWONDER has built a flexible dual-slot customization system that lets players pair two distinct relics on every dungeon descent:
- Main Paope: Anchors your core offensive stance, dictating primary melee or ranged combo strings and weapon reach.
- Sub Paope: Bends the tactical flow of battle on the fly, opening up crowd-control effects, elemental reactions, and evolved combo finishers.
- Secret Arts and Base Materials: Gathered across branching island routes, random Secret Arts reshape each active run while collected materials return with you to base camp to permanently upgrade heroes and relics.
Toshin never enters the fray alone. He fights alongside an autonomous spirit beast companion (Reiju), including Chuchue Doji and the fan-favorite shapeshifter Supushan. On foot, your Reiju acts independently to shield you from incoming strikes and disrupt enemy formations. At any moment, players can mount their spirit beast mid-battle to unlock high-speed aerial dashes, weave through projectile barrages, and strike straight into an enemy's blind spot.
Longtime fans will also cross paths with iconic figures from the legend both at base camp and inside the shifting dungeons. Alongside mentor Taikobo, stalwart warriors such as Yozen, the hot-blooded Nataku, and loyal soldier Koh Tenka offer combat support, story banter, and intense one-on-one "training" duels that reward victorious players with rare upgrades. As the project joins our 2027 video game release calendar, it ranks among the most original manga-based action titles on the horizon.
Its simultaneous arrival on Nintendo's new hybrid hardware also highlights the growing wave of Japanese action RPGs expanding the Nintendo Switch 2 catalog, giving cult franchises a worldwide stage right out of the gate.
My Field Notes
Seeing the Hoshin Engi banner raised again immediately brings back fond memories of the 32-bit and 128-bit import scene. Anyone who dug through Japanese PlayStation shelves in 1998 remembers Koei's wonderful isometric tactical RPG adaptation, or its Western action spin-off Mystic Heroes on GameCube and PlayStation 2 back in 2002. Watching Shueisha Games and LASTWONDER revive the property today with Ryu Fujisaki personally supervising the art direction feels like a genuine triumph for 1990s manga preservation.
Translating the series' signature Paope duels and Reiju mounts into a synergetic roguelite framework makes complete mechanical sense for a world built around unpredictable divine artifacts. As I was mentioning to Chayane while inspecting the first trailer frames, preserving Fujisaki's sharp, kinetic linework in motion on Nintendo Switch 2 gives this thirty-year sequel an artistic soul that cookie-cutter anime adaptations rarely achieve.
Originally from Lyon, France, gaming journalist Bastien "Orion" relocated nearly a decade ago to Quebec City's Saint-Roch district, right in the heart of eastern Canada's development studio hub. Before crossing the Atlantic, he honed his versatile reporting style across classic French gaming web portals and specialist television outlets in the 2000s and 2010s, notably with JeuxVideo.fr and JeuxNews. Equally passionate about AAA blockbusters, North American studio culture, retro preservation, and community modding projects, he anchors Pro-Gamer's transatlantic desk and real-time coverage of US and Japanese industry announcements.
