El Shaddai set for July 26 North American debut

July is shaping up to be a big month for Japanese imports. It was already playing host to Konami's Gradius spin-off Otomedius Excellent (July 19) and Atlus' chart-topping adventure puzzle game Catherine (July 26), and today UTV Ignition Games confirmed a July 26 North American release for El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron.

El Shaddai takes its premise from the apocryphal Old Testament Book of Enoch. When a group of seven angels betray heaven to build the Tower of Babel, God appoints the mortal Enoch to set things right or else condemn the world to a great flood. Assisting Enoch along the way will be Lucifel, the angel who would later become Lucifer.

As Enoch, players will jump into a series of visually distinct levels, each one with a style reflecting a specific angel's ideal world. The premise allows for levels to vary not just in appearance but also gameplay, as players will find themselves exploring 2D, as well as 3D worlds. Development on the game was led by Sawaki Takeyasu, one of three lead character designers on Capcom's Okami.

Unfortunately, European gamers will need to have a bit more patience, as El Shaddai isn't set to launch in the region until September 9. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron.