The creators of Suikoden are funding crowdfunding for a spiritual successor

Some of the key creators behind the beloved Suikoden The franchise is trying to crowdfund a spiritual successor. Today, a new team called Rabbit & Bear Studios announced an upcoming Kickstarter campaign to fund Eiyuden Chronicle, an RPG designed to evoke nostalgia for the PlayStation era. The campaign will debut on July 27, and the team is led by Yoshitaka Murayama, director and writer of the first two. Suikoden titles “This is a new title for me,” says Murayama The edge. “Or rather it is a combination of all my experiences as a creator and trying to expand on that basis.”

In addition to Murayama, Rabbit & Bear features an impressive roster of talents. That includes: Junko Kawano, the lead artist on Suikoden 1 and 4 4; Junichi Murakami, Art Director at Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow; Suikoden Tactics director Osamu Komuta; and the composers Motoi Sakuraba and Michiko Naruke.

“In recent years, the main creators have come together at different events and of course you talk about both the glory days and the regrets,” says Murayama. “A common thing that always came up was’ Isn’t it time we made a game for ourselves? Something U.S do you really want to do Anything we can do for fans? And that dream provided the spark for this current project. “

For fans of the Suikoden franchise, which debuted in 1995 but has been idle for many years, the new game will sound very familiar. Eiyuden Chronicle It is described as “an ode to the classic JRPG genre of the PlayStation era that will feature classic JRPG exploration and battles in high-resolution 2.5D graphics” with “a story of war and friendship and a diverse cast of 100 unique heroes.” If the crowdfunding campaign is successful, Eiyuden Chronicle It is expected to launch in the fall of 2022 on PC, with other platforms possible depending on stretching targets.

Here is the basic premise, according to the study:

Our story begins at a corner of Allraan, a tapestry of nations with diverse cultures and values. By sword power, and through magical objects known as “rune lenses,” the history of the earth has been shaped by the alliances and aggressions of the humans, beastmen, elves, and desert people who live there. The Galdean Empire surpassed other nations and discovered a technology that amplifies the magic of runic lenses. Now, the Empire is searching the continent for an artifact that expands its power even further. On one of those expeditions, Seign Kesling, a young and talented imperial officer, and Nowa, a boy from a remote village, meet and become friends. However, a twist of fate will soon drag them into the fire of war and force them to re-examine everything they believe to be correct and true.

Of course, even with established creators out front, crowdfunding-funded video game projects can go wrong. In 2017, the creator of PaRappa the Rapper failed to collectively fund a spiritual successor due in part to the extremely early state of the game. Other projects have run into funding problems and delays. Even with these concerns, Murayama believes that a platform like Kickstarter is the best option for this type of game.

“While people have valid complaints about crowdfunding, it still offers one of the only ways to connect with your top fans,” he says. “Anyone who is passionate enough to invest in a project 2-3 years in advance and has that hope and belief in something is the type of fan they want to collaborate with. In turn, they motivate you and can help us achieve our dream of making that game that we really want to do. It’s hard to say whether people will choose to believe or doubt in this day and age, but every person who chooses to have faith in this project, I see him as a hero. They are certainly the hero of my personal story. “

That said, the studio doesn’t seem to have a backup plan in case crowdfunding fails. When asked what would happen if the Kickstarter campaign failed, Murayama said, “Hopefully some wealthy benefactor will accept me and let me live in their home.”

The Kickstarter campaign will begin on July 27 and run through August 28.