Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow: Fighting against the clock

Tokyo has collapsed, reality is falling apart, and the monsters aren't exactly waiting politely for their turn. Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow is an unusual tactical RPG on the horizon, with a combat system built around a constantly changing timeline. Although the game's visuals look similar to Persona 3 Reload and other titles in htat series, it takes a different approach to combaf.

A new gameplay trailer provides a much clearer look at how those battles work, showcasing a system where enemy attacks, counters, cooldowns and the player's own abilities all compete for space on the battlefield.

A Tokyo where reality is breaking apart

Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow takes place in Tokyo after a mysterious event known as the Collapse causes reality itself to begin deteriorating. The consequences are immediately apparent. The city has become a dangerous environment populated by grotesque creatures known as Aberrations, while supernatural phenomena are becoming increasingly difficult to contain. 

The story follows Souma Hoshigami, a young delivery worker whose life changes after he is attacked by an Aberration and becomes a partially transformed "Half-turned" human. His path eventually crosses with Rena Hizuki, an investigator working for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Public Safety Anomaly Response Division. Their investigation takes them into a much larger mystery involving Tiny True, a mysterious demonic drug, as well as strange markings known as Stigmas and a cult operating behind the scenes.

Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow uses a colorful, cel-shaded anime aesthetic for its characters, while the Aberrations are designed to look considerably more disturbing. The contrast is especially noticeable in the gameplay footage, where stylish character animations and exaggerated attacks are placed against a world filled with supernatural horrors.

The centerpiece of the gameplay footage is Qliphah's Timeline-based combat system. Battles display upcoming enemy actions, allowing players to see attacks before they happen and plan their responses around them. Players can slow down or pause the action to examine incoming attacks and skill cooldowns. Once a decision has been made, combat can resume and the planned actions play out.You can have a beter look at the system in action in the latest gameplay video published by Arc System Works.

The gameplay reveal establishes the game's core formula, which has been built around watching the Timeline, predicting enemy actions, manipulating time, countering attacks and chaining abilities together.

With its combination of supernatural detective fiction, a corrupted Tokyo, fully voiced storytelling, flashy combat and an unusually aggressive approach to tactical RPG mechanics, Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow certainly isn't taking the conventional route. The game is scheduled to launch on September 24, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Steam and Epic Games Store. Feel free to use our comparator to get a digital code for Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow and prepare to fight the aberrations if the game interests you.