A Shanghai-based studio called Dark Star just got the full backing of Sony Interactive Entertainment — and their debut title Daba: Land of Water Scar now has a Spring 2027 launch window for PS5 and PC via Steam. The announcement came at PlayStation’s September State of Play, where the game returned with the clearest look yet at its combat, its mythology-drenched world, and the haunting figure at the centre of it all.
What Is Daba: Land of Water Scar?
Daba is an action RPG built around a dying world where the Sky-Pillars have collapsed and a creeping Purple Plague is consuming what little remains. You play as Adan, described as “a Clayman who should not have awakened” — a puppet of clay that has inexplicably become human, traversing ruined snowfields and desolate deserts to unravel the truth of who, or what, they are.
The mythology draws heavily on ancient Chinese imagery: towering ruins that read like collapsed ceremonial architecture, divine fragments scattered across the land, and enemies that look lifted straight from classical ink-painting nightmares. The aesthetic sets Daba apart sharply from the European-medieval default of most Souls-adjacent games.
Sony describes the core loop as demanding third-person melee combat with a Soulslike DNA — expect punishing encounters, deliberate pacing, and a world that does not hold your hand. The official tagline spells out the moral weight: “God, savior, or destroyer. Choose, and pay the price.”
Watch the State of Play Trailer
Combat, Bosses, and a World That Wants You Dead
The State of Play trailer showed off combat against a range of enemies, including several large boss-type encounters where corrupted divine beings tower over Adan. The visual design of these fights — golden chains, spinning ritual pillars, glowing eldritch shapes — leans hard into the Chinese mythological canon in a way that feels genuinely fresh rather than surface-level dressing.
Weapons confirmed so far include dual curved swords and a two-handed cudgel, suggesting multiple build paths. The game frames combat not just as survival but as a moral reckoning: each battle brings Adan closer to answers about the world’s collapse and their own unnatural existence.
The PlayStation China Hero Project and What It Means
Daba is part of Sony’s PlayStation China Hero Project, a mentoring and publishing initiative launched in 2016 to help China-based studios bring their games to a global audience. With Sony now confirmed as publisher, Daba will receive a full worldwide launch — meaning Singapore PS5 players can expect the same release day as the West.
For Singapore gamers, the China Hero Project has delivered several notable titles over the years. Daba looks to be one of its most ambitious entries yet, with production values that sit comfortably alongside major Japanese and Western Souls-like releases. The game also comes to PC via Steam, so it is not locked to PlayStation hardware.
No SGD pricing has been confirmed yet. Spring 2027 puts it ahead of the traditionally busy holiday window — the same broad release band as several other high-profile 2027 titles. Follow our game news coverage for updates as more details emerge closer to launch.