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Kadokawa Games announces Root Letter for PS4, PS Vita

M

mankoto

Member
Root-Letter-Announce-PS4-PSV.jpg


Kadokawa Games announced Root Letter, a mystery adventure game, for PlayStation 4 and PS Vita during its fall media briefing today. It’s due out worldwide in spring 2016.

Root Letter is the first entry in the publisher’s new series of mystery games. It’s a youth mystery adventure set in Shimane Prefecture and features both adventure and simulation parts. Mino Taro, the Love Plus character designer that left Konami in March, is handling character designs and planning. The scenario is being handled by Dario Fuji, and the music is by Takashi Nitta.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Gematsu

Update:

The truth is endless sorrow.

The first title of the series “Kadokawa Game Mystery.” A collection of adventure games that explore human drama, featuring local Japanese culture and history.

√Letter is set in the Shimane prefecture, a land with a rich history and beautiful nature.

The player will engage an adventure to solve the mystery of Fumino Aya, a pen pal friend from high school who disappeared after leaving a mysterious letter. A letter delivered 15 years later…
Click to expand...

Debut Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iexx8jiH6oM

More from Gematsu

Story

The player is the protagonist of the story, and in search of his high school pen pal Aya Fumino, visits Matsue in Shimane Prefecture, Japan. Around your senior year of high school, you had a pen pal. Her letters supported you throughout your exams. A subtle love began to bud for the girl who always smiled so kindly in her photographs. But when you graduated, a letter never arrived.

It’s been 15 years since then, and you’ve found the final letter that you thought was never sent.

“I’ve killed someone. I must compensate for my sins. This is farewell. Goodbye.”

What happened to her? To meet your pen pal, you visit Matsue. However, her home had burned down in a fire 15 years ago.

The key to solving this mystery is her 11 letters and photographs. But the seven classmates mentioned in her letter refuse to talk. Is the school life of her and her classmates as written in the letters a complete fabrication?

Gradually, her classmates will reveal their hidden truths. What happened 15 years ago? What is the meaning of her last letter?

What is Aya Fumino’s true nature?

By solving these mysteries, will you be able to meet her?
Click to expand...

Aya Fumino (voiced by Noriko Hidaka)

Your pen pal from 15 years ago. At the time, she was a senior at Shimane Prefectural Matsue Oba High School. From the letters she sent you reflecting her high school life, she is a kind and compassionate person surrounded by good friends. She was a good pen pal whose letters carried a bit of love.

Now, 15 years later, you find her last letter written just before graduation, and your idea of her is transformed. Was the school life she told you of all a lie? The truth lies in Shimane. Head there and discover the truth behind her identity.
Click to expand...

Shimane Prefecture

The setting of this work is Shimane Prefecture, a location blessed with history and cultural heritage, and where there is a feeling of transparency.

By repeatedly gathering data in the real world, Kadokawa Games has faithfully reproduced the lives of the local people of Shimane Prefecture, the “unspoilt landscape of the youth,” with a vivid sense of reality.

From famous tourist spots to shops frequented by locals, including spots that actually exist in the real world, many locations will appear.

While going around Shimane Prefecture in the footsteps of their pen pal Aya Fumino, you’ll taste the flavors of both Matsue and Izumo.
Click to expand...
Theme Song: Junai Rhapsody

The theme song, “Junai Rhapsody,” is written and composed by Mariya Takeuchi, covered by Ron, and produced by Suzuki Daichi Hideyuki. Mariya Takeuchi herself is from Shimane Prefecture.
Click to expand...

Staff

Producer / Overall Direction: Yoshimi Yasuda
Planning / Character Design: Mino Taro
Scenario Writer: Dario Fuji
Composer: Nitta Takafumi
Director: Zin Hasegawa
Work Collaboration: Shimane Prefecture
Click to expand...
 
T

Takao

Banned
Adventure = Visual Novel

Have to wonder if this implies Kadokawa is opening up a western publishing arm. They now own From Software, so they can probably justify that. It would explain the rumour of the Love Live Vita games getting localized from a non-NISA company.
 
R

Rymuth

Member
Mino Taro, the Love Plus character designer that left Konami in March, is handling character designs and planning
Click to expand...
Glorious.

Congratulations on getting out of Konami's basement to do what you love, Mino-san
 
H

hosannainexcelsis

Member
Worldwide, eh? That's a bit unexpected, but then Japanese adventure games and visual novels have found a successful niche in Western markets recently.
 
S

stryke

Member
hosannainexcelsis said:
Worldwide, eh? That's a bit unexpected, but then Japanese adventure games and visual novels have found a successful niche in Western markets recently.
Click to expand...

Although Kickstarter works because of the higher average contribution per person, that recent VN that got over 1 million still amazes me.
 
Olengie

Olengie

Member
Takao said:
Adventure = Visual Novel

Have to wonder if this implies Kadokawa is opening up a western publishing arm. They now own From Software, so they can probably justify that. It would explain the rumour of the Love Live Vita games getting localized from a non-NISA company.
Click to expand...

Love Live Vita getting localized? Say whut
 
M

mankoto

Member
Update:

The truth is endless sorrow.

The first title of the series “Kadokawa Game Mystery.” A collection of adventure games that explore human drama, featuring local Japanese culture and history.

√Letter is set in the Shimane prefecture, a land with a rich history and beautiful nature.

The player will engage an adventure to solve the mystery of Fumino Aya, a pen pal friend from high school who disappeared after leaving a mysterious letter. A letter delivered 15 years later…
Click to expand...

Debut Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iexx8jiH6oM
 
M

Mpl90

Two copies sold? That's not a bomb guys, stop trolling!!!
All the announcements so far

Root Letter - PS4/Vita
God Wars - PS4/Vita
Demon Gaze 2 - Vita
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky 3rd Evolution - no platform

Is it correct (especially Trails in the Sky: it's reported without a platform announcement on Gematsu)? Is the conference still going on?
 
B

baudelinog

Member
Mpl90 said:
All the announcements so far

Root Letter - PS4/Vita
God Wars - PS4/Vita
Demon Gaze 2 - Vita
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky 3rd Evolution - no platform

Is it correct (especially Trails in the Sky: it's reported without a platform announcement on Gematsu)? Is the conference still going on?
Click to expand...

Good for the Vita! Kadokawa does what Sony don't...
 
D

dkoy

Member
I guess this is the push into the games market Kadokawa is doing that I heard from somewhere (I think it was from ENB). In for Demon Gaze 2 at least.
 
T

Takao

Banned
Mpl90 said:
All the announcements so far

Root Letter - PS4/Vita
God Wars - PS4/Vita
Demon Gaze 2 - Vita
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky 3rd Evolution - no platform

Is it correct (especially Trails in the Sky: it's reported without a platform announcement on Gematsu)? Is the conference still going on?
Click to expand...

3rd Evolution has no platform attached, but its announcement looks more like a "We're also doing this!" sort of thing than a proper one: http://www.gamer.ne.jp/news/201511100034/

Formal announcement will probably come after SC Evo is out.
 
R

RyoonZ

Banned
dkoy said:
I guess this is the push into the games market Kadokawa is doing that I heard from somewhere (I think it was from ENB). In for Demon Gaze 2 at least.
Click to expand...

Hmmm that's weird, if they were pushing into games market, why the hell would they make games on PlayStation platform? Everyone and their moms know mobile and Nintendo have bigger market, seems weird to not follow market leader.
 
K

Klossen

Banned
What a relief seeing the localization announced at once instead of having to wait several months after Japanese release for a possible announcement.
 
Acquiescence

Acquiescence

Member
An adventure game with a mystery slant that features "Japanese history and culture." And it's already been announced for localisation?! Everything about this sounds awesome. I wonder if it'll be anything like Danganronpa.
 
1

18-Volt

Member
Hopefully this is Kadokawa's own Danganronpa/ZeroEscape (with a hint of Love Plus) instead of straight no-gameplay VN. I'll be there day 1.
 
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