A Lost Sphear demo is now playable on Steam

Lost Sphear, the new game from I Am Setsuna studio Tokyo RPG Factory, tells the tale of a young boy named Kanata, whose world is literally disappearing, piece by piece. Possessing the unique power of Memory that enables him to restore what's been lost, he and his friends set out on a mission to put things right. The game won't be out until early next year, but you can get a taste of what's to come by way of the demo that was released today on Steam.

The demo showcases some of the game's central features, including real-time combat and the Artefact system, "which allows players to utilize restored Memories to customize their user interface, obtain player bonuses, as well as advance the story."

The controls are pretty brutal, and will presumably (hopefully) be properly implemented for the full release. But for now there's no mouse support, so maneuvering through menus requires the WASD keys, with the spacebar to select. The standard save option isn't available, but you can quicksave using the "1" key, and once you're into the game's menu—accessible via "J"—the only way out is to hit "K."

There's nothing provided in the way of story or context for your actions, either. Almost immediately after the demo begins, you're ordered by a military leader of some sort to return a large rock from the white, void glowing into which it's apparently fallen. Everyone seems thoroughly impressed by your ability to do so, but how you came about that particular ability to save the day—and who these guys are that you're helping out—is entirely a mystery.

It's possible that more is revealed later on in the demo (I didn't finish it) but at least in the early going it's definitely more of a mechanical tutorial than a meaningful slice of the game. But it's free—big plus—and it's not an overly large download, so if you're interested in Lost Sphear (and I do think it looks like an interesting game so far), it's definitely worth a look.

Lost Sphear is set for release on January 23, 2018.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.