1666: Amsterdam: From August 25th, the hunt for demons by the father of Assassin's Creed begins.

Fifteen years.That's how long it took Patrice Désilets, the creator of Assassin's Creed, to bring his new project to digital shelves.August 25, 1666: Amsterdam debuts in Early Access on PC, via Steam and the Epic Games Store, for $29.99.

Developed by Panache Digital Games, a Canadian studio founded by Désilets himself after leaving Ubisoft.And it shows: the action-adventure structure closely recalls the roots of the saga that made him famous, but here the setting veers decidedly toward the supernatural.

As Noa, the Collector, the player hunts the Originals—demons hiding behind human faces, in a 17th-century Amsterdam that lives two parallel lives.By day, it's a lively, bright, almost postcard-perfect city.At night, it sheds its skin and becomes something much less reassuring.

The early access version will only include the first chapter of the campaign, about 15 hours of gameplay according to the developers.The console versions will arrive later, without a specific date.

The first tests have been indulgent, perhaps even more than expected for a title that is still in its infancy: Game Informer published a lengthy hands-on after trying it firsthand, and Everyeye was so won over that the title owner said the game bewitched them, with its cats and magic.It remains to be seen whether the enthusiasm will hold up when the general public gets their hands on the prologue, rather than the specialized press who saw it under controlled conditions.

Panache's plan is to remain in early access for about a year before considering the game complete.A long time, but after fifteen years of development, an extra year changes relatively little.