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| Jesse Woo |
By nostalgia generator Furyu.
10.20.16 - 1:12 AM
The Suikoden series looms large in the hearts of many RPG fans (especially this editor), but has been dormant for quite some time. However, the latest issue of Famitsu announced that Suikoden creator Yoshitaka Muriyama will return to the game development world after a decade to write the story for Alliance Alive, an upcoming 3DS RPG by Furyu. The developers of SaGa throwback, Legend of Legacy, want to create a "New Classic RPG" with a world map and ensemble cast.
The game is set in a world where magical creatures have ruled the world for several hundred years, but are now being challenged by humans. The world itself will have diverse settings and cultures, and the protagonists will be able to explore on an expansive world map. Battles will initiate with symbol encounters.
In the story, nine protagonists from disparate backgrounds will come together. They are:
Garil: a gentle but passionate young man and member of the Night Crow resistance group.
Ursula: a young female member of the Night Crows who has a fresh personality but keeps her cards close to the chest. She likes to boss Garil around.
Barbarosa: a magic soldier with the Night Crows who swore her loyalty to Ursula's father after he saved her life.
Vivian: the daughter of a noble family of magical beings who takes a keen interest in human society as a historian.
Ignus: Vivian's butler, and another magic being, who values discipline and class.
Rachel: a mercenary in the employ of the Magic Guild who is kind and impulsive.
Renzo: another member of the Night Crows. He is optimistic but well-informed and clear-eyed about his situation.
Jean: a member of the Magic Guild that serves the magic beings; he prefers to calmly assess a situation before acting.
Tigi: a researcher of the black stream. She is also an inventor and a self-proclaimed professor.
In an interview with Famitsu, the developers said they started this project after their market research revealed a niche they felt they were uniquely equipped to handle; an RPG with a good balance of gameplay and story. The developers were quite excited about the world map, and wanted to create a world with a lot of variety that was fun to explore. They said that they are optimizing the travel distance and encounter rate, and promised vehicles to expand the range of exploration.
Combat parties can have up to five characters, with a guild system to strengthen other members. The developers also promised fully customizable weapons. Finally, battles will have an "Awakening" system where characters can suddenly learn a new technique or get a stat boost.
Alliance Alive is scheduled for a 2017 release on 3DS in Japan.
