The makers behind Wild weapons and shadow hearts have announced Armed Fantasy and Penny Bloodspiritual successors (respectively) of every classic RPG series.
Armed Fantasy: To the End of the Wilderness and Penny Blood will be funded on Kickstarter with a “double Kickstarter”, requiring an initial $750,000 in funding to produce a Windows PC release for each game. From there, stretch goals are planned for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. The Kickstarter campaign launches on August 29 and includes an early bird offer to fund both games at a very discounted price.
Armed Fantasy is produced by new studio WILD BUNCH Productions, led by series creator Akifumi Kaneko and several key contributors who worked on most of the series’ entries, including: character designer Tomomi Sasaki, composer Michiko Naruke, and composer Noriyasu Uematsu. Penny Blood is created by YUKIKAZE, which is led by series creator Matsuzo Machida, character designer Miyako Kato, and composer Yoshitaka Hirota.
Armed Fantasy
Armed Fantasia tells a dramatic story set in a world hurtling toward destruction. Players take on the role of a group of Pathfinders and, with familiar ARMs in hand, embark on a perilous journey through a vast Western punk wilderness.
In a far corner of this world lies the land of Londonium, where a young man named Ingram loses his grandfather; the last chain that binds him to his birthplace. With no other reason to stay, and in hopes of reconnecting with his childhood friend, Ingram embarks on a new adventure as Pathfinder, a branch of adventurers who use the powerful ARM (Aether Reaction Maximizer) weapons to destroy anomalies that destroy the world. country.
Ingram’s journey will lead him through destiny with many a new friend and foe, and become embroiled in a monumental battle that will shatter the past and future of Londonium.
Armed Fantasia allows players to experience the spirit of a full-scale party-based JRPG adventure, crossing the vast expanse and using their wits to overcome every obstacle in their path.
With a massive world map, players can race, jump, solve puzzles and feel the momentum of crossing land, sea and sky in fast vehicles as they explore and follow the story. Armed Fantasia’s world map is packed with things players can do, rendered with a unique look not seen in other titles.
Dungeon exploration focuses on using each group member’s unique gadget. Players must switch between gadgets to solve obstacles that stand in their way, and embrace the feeling of victory when they finally open a particularly tricky path. Traps and treasures lurk across both the world map and dungeons, requiring both the characters’ skills and the player’s wits to solve them and escape in one piece.
Battles in Armed Fantasia are turn-based but fast-paced, based on the Cross Order Tactics system. Successive character actions play a key role in the Chain Order, and disruptive Force Breaks interrupt the sequence of enemy turns, creating battles full of tension and tension that prompt players to carefully consider their combat strategy.
“I was enamored that something like a Double Kickstarter could be a new option for game development, so I decided to lead a new team. But to make our way forward, we need the support of everyone!” says lead game designer Akifumi Kaneko.
With a team of veteran creators from the Wild Arms series, Armed Fantasia aims to deliver an expansive western punk RPG experience with a modern look…and whistling!
Penny Blood
Penny Blood presents a world twisted into gothic horror and nightmarish imagery rarely seen in JRPGs. In Penny Blood, players follow the story of Matthew, an investigator who embarks on a dark international probe through the iconic Roaring Twenties, gathering allies and confronting trauma in a world twisted by cosmic horror, malice and chaos.
Players will travel the world, from the US to Europe and Asia, exploring countries that are recovering or basking in the aftermath of one of history’s bloodiest conflicts, oblivious to the turmoil brewing beneath the surface.
The story of Penny Blood begins with Matthew Farrell, a lone private investigator in New York who works for the Bureau of Investigation. Despite disliking the cursed powers he inherited from his father, he uses his fusion transformation abilities at the behest of the Bureau to track down monsters.
One day, Matthew is tasked with investigating a strange incident that occurred at a New York mental asylum. After rushing to the asylum, he finds it swarming with grotesque, raging creatures. Using his hidden power, Matthew manages to score a narrow victory.
To uncover the truth behind the bizarre incident, Matthew’s investigation will take him from America to the distant continent of Asia, including Japan and China, and to the far reaches of Europe. Along the way, he will meet those who fight for revenge, those who want to use the deviant terrors for their own gain, and those who simply want to destroy. Penny Blood tells the story of a man who must become what he wants to conquer.
Penny Blood’s overworld maps give a bird’s eye view of cityscapes and cities that will teleport players to the 1920s, where they will experience the world as it was, oblivious to the horrific events that are soon to unfold.
From bustling streets to eerie sanatoriums, players will delve into carefully detailed field maps as they purchase items essential to their quest, investigate supernatural events, and battle Stygian monstrosities.
The easy-to-learn, hard-to-master Psycho Sigil combat system combines traditional turn-based JRPG strategy with twitch-trigger reaction time to maximize attack potential and keep players on their toes in every encounter. Players can embrace the darkness within by using Fusion to invoke the abyss and fight fire with fire, using the power of darkness to cast back demons from whence they came.
Interactions with the demonic will affect the Sanity Points of the heroes. If players lose too many Sanity Points, their allies will succumb to madness, gain strength and lose their cool. However, that boost in power may be just what it takes to turn the tide in battle.
Hirota Yoshitaka (of Shadows Hearts and Shadow Hearts: Covenant fame) returns to the helm as a composer to create a sense of dread and uncanny unease to match the atmosphere. And he accompanies Akari Kaida from Breath of Fire 3, who brings a good dose of jazz in the Roaring Twenties setting.
“This is my second chance. The chance to make another game like this is rare, so please support me,” said Matsuzo Machida, chief game designer.
Led by Matsuzo Machida, character design by Miyako Kato and music and sound composed by Yoshitaka Hirota and Akari Kaida, Penny Blood promises to sink its claws into players while reviving the dark side of Japanese RPGs.
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