Hands-on with Murasaki Baby

Murasaki Baby is simply breathtaking. “Baby” is the disturbingly-drawn character who wears her heart on her sleeve, in the form of a pink, bobbling balloon. she can’t help the way she looks – she’s just drawn that way.

Focusing entirely on the Vita’s touch controls, you guide Baby through a series of landscapes, pulling her by the hand. Pull too hard, however, and she’ll tumble onto her face with such a heart-rending cry, you can’t help but apologise. You’ll do it again and again though. Baby stands on the far left of the screen, so pulling for her fastest speed leaves your fat fingers hovering over the middle of the Vita.

Scenes are designed around this – most of the interesting elements sit on either side – but you’ll have to fight the instinct to move your hand across just that little bit farther.

Baby laughs maniacally every time you successfully guide her over an obstacle. She’ll eventually build up the confidence to walk by herself. Give her a nudge from behind and she’ll happily toddle along, laughing to herself until she falls into a tentacle monster’s grasp. She can be quite hard to stop.

When you’re not dragging Baby, you’re fighting off any number of environmental hazards. As a sort of god in the world, you can use the rear touchpad to swipe through and manipulate different backgrounds, like the hell pit that roars, scaring off monsters but also terrifying Baby. She’ll cry her little eyes out, spilling enough tears to form a river, but she’ll also let go of her heart balloon. Grab it before it bursts. She’ll not survive long without it.

Spin a windmill on the farm setting to blow away obstacles. Tap charged clouds to set off a lightning storm. Drag bulbs from one spot to another to light up the the tunnels that make Baby cower in fear. Jab at flying enemies that go straight for her balloon.

Each room has its own set of challenges that may need you to combine backdrops, or not use them at all.

And at the end of it all? Murasaki Baby’s preview build was sweet and insufferably sad. The full game will be a heartbreaker.