As announced by RPG Site, the core creators of the Wild Arms and Shadow Hearts series have teamed up for a “double Kickstarter,” aiming to release spiritual successors to both franchises.
The Kickstarter will go live on August 29 at 9:00 AM PDT, with a mutual funding goal of $750,000 for both games. The first of the two games is Armed Fantasia: To the End of the Wilderness, a Westernpunk successor to Wild Arms.
Armed Fantasia will feature a gigantic world map, and apparently, players will race, leap, solve puzzles, and use high-speed vehicles to traverse. Dungeons will also focus on each character’s unique gadget, with puzzles that require swapping between gadgets in order to proceed. The game will use a turn-based combat system that maintains a “quick tempo.”
In terms of staff, lead game design and scenario writing is being handled by Akifumi Kaneko, the creator of Wild Arms. Other veterans of Wild Arms include character design by Tomomi Sasaki, music by Michiko Naruke, and design by Noriyasu Uematsu and Elements Garden. Here’s a description of Armed Fantasia, and you can see more details and screenshots at RPG Site.
“Armed Fantasia tells a dramatic story that unfolds in a world hurtling towards destruction. Players take the role of a group of Pathfinders and, with trusted ARMs in hand, embark on a perilous journey across a sprawling Westernpunk wilderness.
In a far flung corner of this world lies the land of Londenium, where a young man named Ingram loses his grandfather; the final tether binding him to his hometown. With no other reason to stay, and in hopes of reconnecting with his childhood friend, Ingram sets out on a new adventure as a Pathfinder, a branch of adventurers that utilize the powerful ARM (Aether Reaction Maximizer) weaponry to dispose of Anomalies that ravage the land.
Ingram’s journey will lead him to cross destinies with many a new friend and foe, and become embroiled in a monumental battle that’ll strike through Londenium’s past and its future.”
The second game is Penny Blood, a gothic horror JRPG that takes place in the Roaring Twenties. The title uses an overworld map to give a birds-eye view of cityscapes from the 1920s, and a more tactical turn-based combat system. There’s also a system called Sanity Points, where if the player loses too many Sanity Points they’ll succumb to madness, which boosts strength but makes them lose composure.
Matsuzo Machina, creator of Shadow Hearts, is handling lead game design and scenario writing. Character designer Miyako Kato and composer Yoshitaka Hirota are also working on the game. Here’s an overview of Penny Blood.
“Penny Blood’s story begins with Matthew Farrell, a lone wolf private detective in New York working for the Bureau of Investigation. Despite hating the accursed powers he inherited from his father, he utilizes his fusion transformation abilities to hunt down monsters at the behest of the Bureau.
One day, Matthew is tasked with investigating a strange incident that occurred at a mental asylum in New York. After rushing to the asylum, he finds it teeming with grotesque, rampaging creatures. Utilizing his hidden power, Matthew manages to achieve a narrow victory.
In order to unearth the truth behind the bizarre incident, Matthew’s investigation will take him from America to the distant continent of Asia, including Japan and China, as well as to the far corners of Europe. Along the way, he will encounter those who fight for vengeance, those who seek to utilize the aberrant horrors for their own gain, and those who simply wish to destroy. Penny Blood tells the tale of a man who must become that which he seeks to vanquish.”
Look for more info on the Kickstarter page when it goes live on August 29.
