Daba: Land of Water Scar Demo Shows Maturity at ChinaJoy 2026
The demo's deliberate design choices, like the three-choice weapon menu, show the developers addressing player feedback and refining the game's signature combat mechanics.
Reporting from 1 source: Automaton.
At ChinaJoy 2026, the SIE-supported soulslike Daba: Land of Water Scar was playable again. The demo adds a three-choice weapon menu to highlight weapon-switching combos, a core combat feature. Parry and mask systems deepen the action. The staff plan to continue this approach in future versions.
The playable build at ChinaJoy 2026 keeps the same setting as earlier demos: the outer area of Dagcheng and a ruined sanctuary. Players could choose a normal route or challenge bosses directly, facing Envoy of Inakun and Gatekeeper Dama.
Three preset weapon sets were available: the Forged Iron Long Slash Blade, the Galang Zen Staff, and the dual-wield Crying Sorrow. The staff said previous playtests showed many players missed that switching weapons changes the feel of play, so the demo intentionally introduced this choice menu to push experimentation.
Combat revolves around quick weapon swaps to match enemy armor types, with thrust, blunt, and slash attributes. Parrying builds a break gauge, and the Three Secrets Mask adds a slow-motion dodge for unblockable attacks.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.