Two RPG classics are back in spiritual form
The creators behind two RPG franchises are joining forces to crowdfund.Wild ArmsandShadow Heartsare teaming up for a “double Kickstarter” to fund spiritual successors to both series.
Shadow Heartscreator Matsuzo Machida andWild Armscreator Akifumi Kaneko announced the news today. Thedouble Kickstarter campaignis for two games:Armed FantasiaandPenny Blood.
The first,Armed Fantasia, is a follow-up toWild Armsset in a similar Westernpunk world. Kaneko will handle lead game design and scenario writing, while Tomomi Sasaki is on the character design. Music forArmed Fantasiawill be by Michiko Naruke, Noriyasu Uematsu, and Elements Garden. From the screenshots they release, it’s definitely got someWild Armsstyle, blending technology and the wild, wild west.
The other game isPenny Blood, a dark tale set in the 1920s. It follows an investigator who takes on dark evil during a time of international unrest.Penny Bloodlooks very much like its predecessor inShadow Hearts, with character design from Miyako Kato and music by Yoshitaka Hirota. And boy, does it looks dark.
Going back to the classics
The two teams are combining forces in one concerted effort. And I mean, if you want to make a play for the hearts of old-school JRPG fans, these are two good picks.Wild ArmsandShadow Heartsare two series that certainly stand out thanks to their mechanics and settings, and both could see a big revival through these successors.
As for funding, the Double Kickstarter will support both team’s projects. Backers will have the option to fundPenny Blood,Armed Fantasia, or both. The shared “Combo Meter” for the campaign will continue to unlock new content for both games as it goes up.
The Double Kickstarterwill launch on August 29with a minimum mutual goal of $750,000 for both projects. Each pledge will contribute to whichever game is backed, while also adding to the shared Combo Meter. It’s a novel idea, but I’m pretty intrigued by it. Classic games getting spiritual successors has been successful on Kickstarter, as we’ve seen from the rollout ofEiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroesand itsrelated content. And I could be really interested in successors to both these series.
