It looks like Square Enix aims to keep old-school RPGs alive and well, announcing their next entry in the more classic camp of the genre, Lost Sphear. They've even got a pitch-perfect trailer to go with the announcement.
While Square Enix seems to be taking their sweet, sweet time with more modern games like Kingdom Hearts 3 and the Final Fantasy VII remake (and let's not forget decade-in-development Final Fantasy XV), they're managing to get more old-school-themed RPGs out the door with a quickness.
That's because of the hard work of teams like Tokyo RPG Factory, which is definitely living up to its name. The team behind the, similarly inspired by genre greats, I Am Setsuna, will soon release Lost Sphear.
As explained with the trailer's launch, the game begins in a remote town where a young boy named Kanata wakes up from a nightmare to discover his hometown is disappearing. That's actually a pretty fresh concept; and the game earns bonus points since Kanata appears to have neither a massive sword, spikey hair or amnesia.
Similar to Setsuna, Sphear wears its inspirations on its shoulder proudly. There's lovely music, charming locales and text boxes for handling all of the dialogue. The game looks like it would be right at home on the PlayStation and, considering how many folks still hail that as the golden era of JRPGs, it's clear that both TRPGF and Square Enix know their audience.
The combat is turn-based which, again, should feel like being wrapped in a nice, warm blanket for folks who feel like RPGs have strayed a bit too far from their roots. Details beyond that are pretty scarce at this point. For now, all we have is a nebulous "Early 2018" launch window and the fact that the game will arrive on the PlayStation 4, Steam and even the Nintendo Switch.
It looks like Square Enix will be making a physical version of the game available this time around, with anyone who pre-orders that version on the PS4 or Switch gaining access to a pair of songs available through the Square Enix Online Store.
If you enjoyed I Am Setsuna, or perhaps yearn for an RPG more akin to Final Fantasy VI or The Legend of Dragoon, this might be worth checking out. We're not saying there's anything wrong with modern RPGs, but we're certainly happy that at least one developer has decided to try and bring a more classic feel to the genre.
So what do you think, readers? Does Lost Sphear look like a solid romp through the glory days of the genre or do you prefer a more modern take? Give us your thoughts in the comments below.
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