"Dark Souls" with anime vampires is inching its way into an eventual release, as "Code Vein," an upcoming action role-playing game (RPG), provides new screenshots of its in-game characters and weapons.

Developed by Shift and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, "Code Vein" is an action-RPG about vampires in the mold of "Dark Souls," where overarching difficulty and mistake punishment are the selling points. "Code Vein," however, differs in that players will be allowed to hire companions to help them in combat and exploration. The latest companions were revealed as Jack Rutherford and Eva Roux, both non-player characters (NPCs) from the Vein, the hidden society where the other remnants of humanity reside.

Both characters are reported to have a twisted past and will help players in during special events. Jack is voiced by Junichi Suwabe and is a "Revenant Hunter," keeping very few people in his social circle. Eva, voiced by Saori Hayami, is also a Revenant Hunter who travels with Jack since he saved her life. Rutherford uses a sword while Eva uses a bayonet and acts as a support for Jack.

Another character introduced in the screenshots is the Queen's Knight, a lost humanoid wielding a giant shield and sword. Unlike Jack and Eva, the Queen's Knight is hostile and will try to impede and kill the players with all its strength. The character is reportedly intimidating and will have to be fought with caution, as the game is unforgiving toward player deaths, similar to "Dark Souls" where deaths would mean the temporary loss of all the acquired currency of the player until recovered on the spot where they died.

Other screenshots also revealed the different types of weapons that the player's characters can utilize: one-hand swords, which are best used for individual smaller and quicker enemies; two-hand swords, which are best used against groups of enemies; bayonets, which are good for both long-range and close combat; halberds, which are balanced but have a long recoil compare to other weapons; and great hammers, slow and powerful weapons for close combat.

"Code Vein" does not have an exact release date yet but will arrive early in 2018 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows.