E3 2014: Murasaki Baby preview: I just want to protect her…

I played MAYBE 10 minutes of Murasaki Baby at the Sony booth during E3. It was the last day, 4:50pm and I saw my opening. Since its initial reveal trailer, there hasn't been another game for the PS Vita that I’ve wanted to try more. This was my chance to play this wonderfully weird, creepy and parental game.

I’m happy to say that in 10 minutes with this game, I already formed a bond with Baby. I took her by the hand, guided her, assured her everything was going to be okay, and kept fetching her balloon to make her feel better.

Right from the get-go, the character design and emotes from Baby will make you want to protect her like a parent would their child. You’ll guide her along this nightmarish land from a child’s imagination via the Vita touchscreen and the rear touchpad. Use your finger to guide her by the hand, stop her from running off of a cliff, and most importantly, catch her balloon. At times, she’ll become scared by something and let go of her balloon while she cowers. If you don’t grab the balloon before it flies off the screen, Baby will die. Don’t you dare let that happen!

As you guide her to who knows where, there will be obstacles in your path – a hole with a tentacle monster coming out of it, a dark cave, or a creepy monster. The environment in the foreground and background are both able to be manipulated. Dark cave? Use the touchscreen to move a lantern into it, revealing bats that will leave. That hole with the tentacle that grabs her if she tries to jump over it? Swipe the rear touchpad to change the background. Go to the red one with monsters in the background that, while scaring Baby, will scare the tentacle monster away from the hole when you tap the background, causing a monstrous roar.

The music is very fitting for the world you play in, and the visuals look part-painted, part-drawn, and like something out of Beetlejuice. It just wowed me that I was so attached to the character after only 10 minutes. It’s a testament to the game design that puts you as a guardian.

Simply put… I’ve never played another game like this, and odds are you haven't either. Murasaki Baby is due out later this year on the PS Vita, and it can’t bring its unique, creepy, emotional experience soon enough.

You can follow Senior Editor Lance Liebl on Twitter @Lance_GZ or email him at Lliebl@gamezone.com.