Malicious Brings Some Style to the PlayStation Network Today

The very best treats are the ones that come unexpected, and Sony’s announcement that anticipated Japanese action game, Malicious, is headed to the European PlayStation Store today is certainly one of those occasions.

Having launched on the Japanese PlayStation Store way back in 2010 to much acclaim, PlayStation fans have been fervently anticipating Malicious’ inevitable Western launch for almost two years. But it’s finally here.

For those unclear, Malicious is an action game that strips out the lengthy dungeon crawls and monotonous platforming segments, instead opting to throw you straight into a sequence of challenging boss battles.

PlayStation Network product manager, James Thorpe, explained:

Every time you defeat a boss, you absorb the creature’s power and obtain a new ability. But what’s more is that you can choose whichever stage you want, in any order, giving you full control over your progress in the game.

The game sports a gorgeous, hand-painted artstyle designed to “provide the player with a strong sense of fantasy”.

The game will run you £6.49 upon release, with a week-long 20% discount pledged for PlayStation Plus subscribers. A PlayStation Vita version of Malicious is still planned.