Nippon Ichi Software released a new teaser trailer for a previously unannounced, upcoming game. A teaser website for the title launched with the URL containing the word “Hakoniwa,” meaning “miniature garden” (not to be confused with the upcoming visual novel) in Japanese.
The teaser trailer depicts three-dimensional models of pixelated, retro styled characters as they are building a home. Not long after, the group is attacked by enemies from the sky, resulting in an over the top battle between the groups, involving weapons ranging from swords to large projectile missiles. No gameplay was shown but it is expected that the title will be a Minecraft styled sandbox game with added RPG mechanics.
A recent title that functioned similarly to this was Dragon Quest Builders, a game that blended the gameplay mechanics of Minecraft with the Popular Japanese Dragon Quest series, along with its own unique features. Dragon Quest Builders released on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in 2016, surpassing one million sales worldwide. The game managed to differentiate itself from other games inspired by Minecraft, focusing more on telling a story and making use of the deeper RPG mechanics found in the long running Dragon Quest franchise.
Nippon Ichi Software previously announced earlier this year that the company has a number of new titles planned for 2017 and that the company will be taking on various challenges, likely in the form of developing titles that make use of genres other than the turn based strategy games Nippon Ichi Software is known for.
A few months ago, the company announced Exile Election, a horror-themed visual novel planned for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita about a group of people trapped in an amusement park, forced to elect who from among the group will be exiled until only two people remain.
Other known upcoming Nippon Ichi Software titles are Disgaea 5 Complete, a Switch port of Disgaea 5 that will include all DLC content from the original will launch on May 23, 2017, and Cladun Returns: This is Sengoku!, a feudal era sequel to Nippon Ichi’s pixel art styled dungeon crawling RPG series, Cladun which is set to release on PlayStation 4, digitally on PlayStation Vita and on PC via Steam onJune 6, 2017.