We are heading into spring and that means we are inching closer to the release of Eiyuden Chronicle Rising. Not only that but fans are also still getting a steady flow of information about Eiyuden Chronicle Hundred Heroes as well. In this update, we get some amazing concept art, Murayama’s monthly update, and some words from the team. So no new character reveal, but the concept art will take its place.
Concept Art: Mine Dungeon Area (Working Name)
Usually, in the Eiyuden Chronicle updates we get a new character reveal, but instead this month we got these concept art images. It appears to be all about the mines area which is where rune-lens could be located. Rune-lens are important because it’s one of the main ways to use magic in this world. They are very heavily sought out and play into the main story of both games as well into some characters’ personal stories. The art for the mines looks really good and provides you with an insight into the feel of the area.
When it came to the concept art for the Eiyuden Chronicle mines Murakami had this to say:
This time, I’d like to show you some rough sketches of the Mine Dungeon area. Doesn’t this look exciting? Like it’s some secret underground passageway. I used to love movies like The Goonies and Indiana Jones when I was younger because they’re filled with action and adventure. The minecarts were always the most exciting part for me. Just once I want to go dashing through secret mine passages in a minecart before I die.
Actually, that would be pretty scary…I’ve always wondered if there’s a theme park somewhere out there that would make a ride like that. Or maybe I should just make one myself? To any theme park owners out there, you know who to call! I know I’m not really explaining much about the images here, but think about it. Why are Nowa and the others in these run-down old tunnels? Where do the tunnels go? This is going to be a very large dungeon and I hope you’re looking forward to playing through it.
Murayama’s Monthly Development Report
Murayama wanted to talk about Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising and said:
Development for Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising has entered the final stages. Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising has been created as a companion game set in the same world as Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. The story was written by Tadashi Satomi and the development is being handled by a different company from the main game: Natsume Atari. The concept of creating a companion game was actually devised by the Kickstarter Project Team. However, as a member of Rabbit & Bear Studios, I had my doubts.
I imagined a companion game as something like the successful Kickstarter game Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, and the 8-bit game Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon that accompanied it. But Eiyuden Chronicle is an RPG, so I couldn’t visualize what a companion game with a limited budget and a low price tag would look like. Fortunately, after some chance encounters, the name Natsume Atari arose as one of several candidates to produce this game.
I have always thought of them as a successful development team, and their plan to make an Action RPG where you rebuild a town was something I could see working. And thus, this companion game was taken from an idea into reality. We will soon see how it all turned out. Of course, we were able to playtest the game and give them some opinions and ideas, and as far as game feel goes, both Tadashi Satomi and Natsume Atari have met all of our expectations.
A Word from the Team
Murakami wanted to give some more insight into Eiyuden Chronicle as we inched closer to Rising’s release:
Hey there, heroes. It’s J Murakami. Some gameplay footage for Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising was broadcast the other day. Did you all get a chance to see it? That’s right, our partners in the Eiyuden Chronicle project, Natsume Atari, are nearly finished with the companion game Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising. So I’ve been taking a break from the main game these last few months to work as supervising director for it. It’s been a while since I last worked on an Action RPG, so getting to do so was a thrill, and really took me back to my time working with IGA as director on the Castlevania series.
Back then, any one team member would be juggling multiple roles within development, and we had to devise ways to keep the development process fun and enjoyable despite how tough it was being a small team working against tight deadlines. I definitely felt that same atmosphere of fun and positivity with the Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising team. Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising was originally intended to be a small project, as a little something extra for the backers.
Yet it’s gone so far beyond that I almost feel like my expectations were betrayed, but in a good way. With Natsume Atari’s hard work and enthusiasm, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising has become a high quality game that everyone should get their hands on, and I can’t thank the team enough.
Murakami Also Added This
With Natsume Atari’s hard work and enthusiasm, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising has become a high quality game that everyone should get their hands on, and I can’t thank the team enough. Since it is an Action RPG, we’ve gotten some feedback from RPG fans who think this game might be too difficult. But rest assured, it isn’t. To tell you the truth, myself and Murayama are both…totally terrible at Action games! lol
(At least I think Murayama is…? He might get mad at me later). Some of you might find yourselves thinking, “but you guys made Castlevania!” Seriously, we’re terrible at those kinds of games. So, while it does have action elements, remember to look closely at the genre name. It still says “RPG” right? And what’s an RPG, if not the kind of game that you can progress in with a little hard work.
If I remember right, it was the RPG elements that made the Castlevania series so popular in the first place. We’d get so mad when we died playing NES-era Castlevania that we’d throw our controllers. But when Aria of Sorrow was made, it was so well-balanced that even I could beat it. And that’s why it was so well received, I think. Honestly, I doubt there are many people who are that good at those old Action games (although this statement may prove controversial). Nonetheless, if those people are out there, they can enjoy this game too. That’s the joy of an Action RPG.
Murakami Had A Little More To Say
So, everyone can rest assured that they will enjoy this game. There are two more big points I want to make about Rising: The first is how reliable the combo action between the three main characters is. It’s seriously exhilarating, the way the three unique protagonists come together. I felt reassured by how well the party follows you, like I could push my way through even the hardest dungeons. This reminded me of The Sword of Etheria, which was another action game I worked on.
It ran on a similar concept of having your party fight alongside you as a trinity. Seeing that sense of dependability again made me really happy. You can even make these combos happen automatically, so players who aren’t great at technical controls can use it without issue. The second point I wanted to touch on is that the story is so good it’ll keep you coming back for more. This was the big role we wanted the companion game to fill, as it would connect to Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes in a lot of ways. This aspect will make players want to keep moving the story forward and see the city develop. It will serve as a greater motivation for players and level grinding won’t be such a chore.
Murakami Lastly Added This
This is a part of what it means to be an RPG, and it’s these two things that should help both casual players and players who aren’t great at Action games enjoy Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising. Well…this segment became all about Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, but rest assured that the main game is moving along at full steam as well. Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising will be released first, and if it makes even one new fan interested in the characters and world of Eiyuden Chronicle, then I’ll be happy.
Ah, and for all of you fans out there, please take a special look at Garoo and how he’ll appear in Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. He’s still just as cool as ever. Bye for now!
Wrap-up
Murakami chimed in a lot during this month’s Eiyuden Chronicle update. He was super excited to share this with all of the Eiyuden and RPG fans around the world. The concept art looks absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to see what else we have in store there. All of the art for the game has shown very distinct details. Also shows how vibrant the world and characters can be.
Rising is a digital-only companion game to Hundred Heroes. So make sure all the physical game lovers out there keep that in mind. We can all experience the Action RPG Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising on all platforms and in many different localizations. Eleven localizations in the US. Both the prequel Rising and the turn-based main game Hundred Heroes will be in Game Pass on day one!
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