<s>
Kuon	B-Application
is	O
a	O
2004	O
survival	O
horror	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
FromSoftware	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
gameplay	O
was	O
designed	O
as	O
an	O
evolution	O
of	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
earlier	O
title	O
Lost	B-Application
Kingdoms	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kuon	B-Application
is	O
a	O
survival	O
horror	O
video	O
game	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
player	O
takes	O
on	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
three	O
characters	O
—	O
Utsuki	O
,	O
Sakuya	O
,	O
and	O
Abe	O
no	O
Seimei	O
—	O
exploring	O
the	O
buildings	O
and	O
grounds	O
of	O
Fujiwara	O
Manor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
characters	O
can	O
be	O
afflicted	O
with	O
vertigo	B-Application
when	O
low	O
on	O
health	O
,	O
or	O
struck	O
by	O
dark	O
energy	O
;	O
when	O
struck	O
by	O
the	O
energy	O
when	O
running	O
,	O
the	O
character	O
is	O
momentarily	O
stunned	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
character	O
can	O
recover	O
by	O
standing	O
still	O
and	O
using	O
meditation	O
to	O
restore	O
health	O
and	O
remove	O
the	O
vertigo	B-Application
effect	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kuon	B-Application
takes	O
place	O
in	O
and	O
around	O
Fujiwara	O
Manor	O
,	O
an	O
estate	O
in	O
Kyoto	O
,	O
Japan	O
during	O
the	O
Heian	O
period	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
ultimate	O
goal	O
of	O
the	O
Mulberries	O
is	O
to	O
perform	O
the	O
merging	O
nine	O
times	O
,	O
completing	O
the	O
Kuon	B-Application
Ritual	O
and	O
birthing	O
a	O
being	O
which	O
will	O
become	O
a	O
new	O
Mulberry	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
key	O
character	O
and	O
antagonist	O
is	O
Ashiya	O
Doman	O
,	O
an	O
ambitious	O
onmyōji	O
who	O
becomes	O
fascinated	O
by	O
the	O
Mulberry	O
tree	O
and	O
the	O
Kuon	B-Application
Ritual	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
narrative	O
is	O
split	O
into	O
three	O
parts	O
;	O
the	O
"	O
Yin	O
"	O
phase	O
following	O
Utsuki	O
,	O
the	O
"	O
Yang	O
"	O
phase	O
following	O
Sakuya	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
unlockable	O
"	O
Kuon	B-Application
"	O
phase	O
following	O
Abe	O
no	O
Seimei	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
revealed	O
that	O
when	O
Kureha	O
died	O
in	O
an	O
accident	O
for	O
which	O
Utsuki	O
is	O
presumed	O
responsible	O
,	O
Doman	O
was	O
tempted	O
by	O
the	O
Mulberries	O
 '	O
twin	O
spirits	O
to	O
subject	O
Kureha	O
to	O
the	O
Kuon	B-Application
Ritual	O
,	O
performed	O
using	O
a	O
special	O
chest	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Confronting	O
Doman	O
,	O
he	O
reveals	O
his	O
wish	O
for	O
Abe	O
no	O
Seimei	O
to	O
become	O
the	O
Kuon	B-Application
Ritual	O
's	O
ninth	O
and	O
final	O
sacrifice	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Abe	O
no	O
Seimei	O
kills	O
Doman	O
,	O
then	O
the	O
possessed	O
Utsuki	O
takes	O
Doman	O
's	O
body	O
and	O
enters	O
the	O
prepared	O
chest	O
,	O
beginning	O
the	O
final	O
stage	O
of	O
the	O
Kuon	B-Application
Ritual	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
credits	O
,	O
Sakuya	O
coaxes	O
the	O
Kuon	B-Application
Ritual	O
's	O
child	O
,	O
a	O
young	O
girl	O
resembling	O
Utsuki	O
,	O
outside	O
the	O
Fujiwara	O
grounds	O
for	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kuon	B-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
FromSoftware	O
,	O
a	O
company	O
that	O
made	O
its	O
name	O
developing	O
the	O
King	B-Application
's	I-Application
Field	I-Application
and	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
producer	O
was	O
Atsushi	O
Taniguchi	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
previously	O
worked	O
on	O
The	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
of	I-Application
Cookie	I-Application
&	I-Application
Cream	I-Application
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Lost	B-Application
Kingdoms	I-Application
for	O
GameCube	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Work	O
on	O
Kuon	B-Application
began	O
following	O
Lost	B-Application
Kingdoms	I-Application
II	I-Application
in	O
2003	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
target	O
audience	O
being	O
people	O
wanting	O
a	O
new	O
approach	O
to	O
horror	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
battle	O
system	O
was	O
an	O
evolution	O
of	O
the	O
card	O
system	O
from	O
Lost	B-Application
Kingdoms	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
title	O
was	O
exhibited	O
in	O
the	O
company	O
stall	O
during	O
the	O
2003	O
Tokyo	O
Game	O
Show	O
,	O
alongside	O
other	O
titles	O
including	O
Shadow	B-Application
Tower	I-Application
Abyss	I-Application
,	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
:	I-Application
Nexus	I-Application
and	O
Echo	B-Application
Night	I-Application
:	I-Application
Beyond	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kuon	B-Application
received	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
from	O
journalists	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
described	O
as	O
having	O
"	O
mixed	O
or	O
average	O
"	O
reviews	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
Metacritic	O
,	O
earning	O
57	O
points	O
out	O
of	O
100	O
based	O
on	O
20	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
