News
Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising Prequel Companion Game Launches on May 10
posted on by Alex Mateo
505 Games announced on Tuesday that Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, the companion prequel game for Rabbit & Bear Studios' Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (Hyaku Eiyūden) role-playing game, will launch for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam, Epic and GOG on May 10. The companion game will also be available on day one via Xbox and PC Game Pass.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is set in the same world as Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, and it "tells the pre-war tales of various characters who will appear in the main game." 505 Games stated the action role-playing game "melds key backstory with fast-paced combat, town-building mechanics and 2.5D platforming."
Rabbit & Bear Studios had previously planned to release the main game in fall 2022, but it is now slated for 2023. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes will be available day one on Xbox Games Pass.
The Kickstarter campaign for the main game became the third-most funded game on the platform (behind Shenmue 3 and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night) in August 2020. The campaign raised 481,621,841 yen (US$4,571,418). The game's final stretch goal, which was met at US$4.5 million, is a companion town-creation RPG by Natsume-Atari.
The Kickstarter campaign reached its US$509,713 goal within three hours of launching in July 2020.
The campaign had a US$1,000,000 stretch goal to unlock releases for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch (or a new generation Nintendo console if one is released), in addition to PC.
The game will be the first collaboration between Yoshitaka Murayama (Suikoden I, Suikoden II) and Junko Kawano (Suikoden I, Suikoden IV) in 25 years. Murayama is writing the script and is credited as the game designer, and Kawano is the character designer. Osamu Komuta (Suikoden Tierkreis, Rphasodia) is the system designer and in charge of direction, and Junichi Murakami (Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, Hero Bank) is the art director and producer. Motoi Sakuraba (Tales of game series, Golden Sun game series) and Michiko Naruke (Wild Arms series) are composing the music.
Rabbit & Bear Studios was established in March 2020 and is based in Tokyo.
The game's website describes the story:
Our story begins in one corner of Allraan, a tapestry of nations with diverse cultures and values.
By dint of sword, and by way of magical objects known as “rune-lenses,” the land's history has been shaped by the alliances and aggressions of the humans, beastmen, elves, and desert people who live there.
The Galdean Empire has edged out other nations and discovered a technology that amplifies the rune-lenses' magic. Now, the Empire is scouring the continent for an artifact that will expand their power even further.
It is on one such expedition that Seign Kesling, a young and gifted imperial officer, and Nowa, a boy from a remote village, meet each other and become friends.
However, a twist of fate will soon drag them into the fires of war, and force them both to reexamine everything they believe to be right and true.
The game will feature more than 100 characters, a guild system, and the turn-based battles will feature parties with up to six characters. Positioning of battles will differ based on environment, and battles will also include dynamic camera angles. The game will include pixel character designs and high-resolution 2.5D graphics.
Source: Press release