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[Spirit Icana]

Info about the anime series is out. Airs in July.

Staff

Director: Shunsuke Tada
Series Editor/Script: Masahiro Yokotani
Character Design: Keita Matsumoto
Music: Yoshihiro Ike
Animation: Production IG

Yoshihiro Ike? Never heard of him. I'll look him up in a bit. I wish it was Hiroshi Takagi just because he's done almost nothing (relevent at least) after his Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu orchestral soundtrack masterpiece.

 

[BluWacky]

Yoshihiro Ike? Never heard of him. I'll look him up in a bit. I wish it was Hiroshi Takagi just because he's done almost nothing (relevent at least) after his Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu orchestral soundtrack masterpiece.

Never heard of him, but probably heard him if you've watched anything else by IG.

The anime sounds as if it COULD be half-decent, notwithstanding that virtually all game-based anime are shockingly awful; interesting staff, good studio, decent seiyuu talent.

The game, on the other hand, looks and sounds extremely entertaining with the team behind it. Presumably it'll come out to co-incide with the anime? Looking forward to it at any rate.

 

[Kid Fenris]

The story and characters appear to be business as usual, but it's nice to see Tanaka drawing something other than manga about little robot maid girls.

 

[JaMarco]

that battle scene looks good

 

[beat]

Yeah, blue skies!

 

[Kurosaki Ichigo]

Indeed it looks impressive, characters artwork could be better but the ingame sprites look quite fine. Also the anime tie-in sounds good, miles better than Shining Wind one.

On the 'franchise' talk, more entries in something called 'World Destruction' sound ridiculous but oh well we will always have Final Fantasy.

 

[chaostrophy]

So I guess I'm the only one that likes Kunihiko Tanaka's work?

This looks like the best DS game since Dawn of Sorrow.

 

[ethelred]

So I guess I'm the only one that likes Kunihiko Tanaka's work.

Nah, I basically like most of the characters -- particularly the guy in the green overcoat and the redhead (who reminds ms a bit of Elly). Not thrilled with the main character, who just looks too much like the SO4/WKS/TLR leads. The pirate/sheriff bear is both disturbing and oddly intriguing at the same time.

Overall, I like the cast designs a bit less than Xenogears, but waaaaaay more than Xenosaga. And the sprites look to represent Tanaka's art really well.

 

[jj984jj]

Awesome! I can't wait to hear more details about the battle system.

 

[Hcoregamer00]

I like the character designs, although the women look way too slutty.

 

[RurouniZel]

By the way, I got curious and looked up the different staffers to see what additional stuff they've done.

Masato Kato: story
Chrono Trigger (story planner); Xenogears (scenario); Chrono Cross (scenario, director); Baten Kaitos (scenario); Children of Mana (scenario); Dawn of Mana (scenario)

Kunihiko Tanaka: main character design
Xenogears (main character design); Xenosaga I (main character design)

Yasunori Mitsuda
I think everyone's pretty familiar with him.

Masatoshi Azumi: spritework assistance
Alisia Dragoon (main graphic designer); Lunar: The Silver Star (graphic director); Lunar II: Eternal Blue (graphic director); Grandia (designer)

Kimihiko Fujisaka: character design special thanks
Drakengard (character designer); Cry On (character designer)

Shin Nagasawa: monster design
Bahamut Lagoon (monster design); Final Fantasy IX (character design); Etrian Odyssey (monster design); Etrian Odyssey II (monster design)

Like I said, the last three are good folks.

Holy FUCK I'm SO THERE!!!

 

[icecream]

I like the character designs, although the women look way too slutty.

Good to know one can still do that while being fully clothed.

 

[jj984jj]

I like the character designs, although the women look way too slutty.

Really? I really like the female designs. I think it's that male, the one with the white hair, that looks too slutty. What kind of gloves are those?

 

[Mejilan]

Holy shit. Sega's rediscovering traditional RPGs?

Please be old-school Sega. Not new-school (failing-the-class) Sega.

 

[Hcoregamer00]

Good to know one can still do that while being fully clothed.

You can still be slutty being fully clothed.

 

[Rpgmonkey]

Looks pretty awesome. May import if the responses from others are positive.

Must have release date. >_<

 

[Enduin]

Game looks great so far and has some great guys behind it. Anyone know what are the chances this gets a timely, if at all, NA release? The DS is going to be a RPG beast this year.

 

[icecream]

You can still be slutty being fully clothed.

Which is why I was glad that you clarified that. All those other games with low cut skirts, revealing blouses with random slits and strategically placed pieces of cloth over the years have misled me.

If only more character designers had the fashion sense of more is less that Tanaka has!

 

[Id.]

It looks great. Summer 2008 release correct?

 

[RurouniZel]

It looks great. Summer 2008 release correct?

In Japan yes.

Spoiler

US now plzkthx

 

[batbeg]

This looks so so good, please be as good as you look And also if good, please be successful so we can continue getting games like this! And I like the character designs except the maid girl (how very practical) and the white-haired guy just because his stupid glove things :-\

 

[Stage On]

You know when I saw the title I was kind of hoping that this would be an rpg where you play the villan and get to destroy the world once instead of saving it. But alas that is too good to be true.

Still it looks amazing so I really really hope it makes it to north american shores!

 

[speedpop]

As said before, looks amazing.

 

[PolyGone]

I always wanted another game in the xenogears/grandia style, and this looks like it could be the one

 

[Id.]

In Japan yes.

Spoiler

US now plzkthx

Even better!

 

[pulga]

Concept sounds fuck-awesome. Destroy the world, other than save it? Sounds really good.

 

[thetrin]

I'm tired of saving the world. The idea of destroying it sounds awesome. This game is sounding more and more awesome.

Holy shit. Sega's rediscovering traditional RPGs?

Please be old-school Sega. Not new-school (failing-the-class) Sega.

The director of Skies of Arcadia made Senjou no Valkyria, so it's obvious at least SOME of them haven't been killed off just yet.

 

[duckroll]

The manga's announced too:

The manga artist is Minoru Murao, who worked as animation character designer on both Last Exile and Submarine 707R.

 

[Augemitbutter]

looking good. ill keep an eye on this.

 

[Ledsen]

but why is there a teddybear wearing pirate clothes in the background

 

[ethelred]

And I like the character designs except the maid girl (how very practical) and the white-haired guy just because his stupid glove things :-\

The maid girl is the character who is actually 300 years old.

I'm tired of saving the world. The idea of destroying it sounds awesome. This game is sounding more and more awesome.
The director of Skies of Arcadia made Senjou no Valkyria, so it's obvious at least SOME of them haven't been killed off just yet.

It's definitely a cool concept, though I imagine the hero's objectives will shift away from destroying the world by the end of it.

And yes, I'm delighted Shuntaro Tanaka is still with Sega and getting to make RPGs. I'd like to see more of the company's former talent getting to do stuff like that again, though. We need a new Reiko Kodama RPG.

 

[duckroll]

It's definitely a cool concept, though I imagine the hero's objectives will shift away from destroying the world by the end of it.

I doubt it will. In fact, I'm betting the world WILL end, because this is a Kato RPG. Except, while it will be dramatic at the point, it'll quickly fix itself and offer another lame easy solution to right everything before the end. :/

The 300 year old girl is the last of the dragon race, while the silver haired guy is a half-human/wolf dude. Fucking furries, all of them.

 

[Magicpaint]

Fucking furries, all of them.

At least it doesn't show on them (based on the current artwork at least).

 

[duckroll]

At least it doesn't show on them (based on the current artwork at least).

Well I'm glad the game is true to its theme too. If I lived in a world ruled by furries I would wanna destroy it too.

 

[Hcoregamer00]

The maid girl is the character who is actually 300 years old.

That's hot :lol

 

[ethelred]

As long as 90% of the game isn't centered on racism.

That's hot :lol

A day ago you thought she was a slut.

 

[Mejilan]

The director of Skies of Arcadia made Senjou no Valkyria, so it's obvious at least SOME of them haven't been killed off just yet.

Retaining SOME of the old stand-out staff doesn't mean that they're being well utilized!

 

[Chris Michael]

Direct feed screens.

I really want to play this game...

 

[wsippel]

This game really looks great. I can't wait to see Image Epochs Wii project.

 

[Mefisutoferesu]

Japan sure has a thing for the name Kyrie as of late...

 

[PolyGone]

Direct feed screens.

I really want to play this game...

my frothing demand increases

 

[duckroll]

So pretty. Backgrounds are insanely awesome. Sprites look great. FMVs look interesting with great art direction. Battles have TURN ORDER.

 

[Barkley's Justice]

yo people still play ds?

 

[Mejilan]

Eh?

 

[Fuu]

lol

 

[RevenantKioku]

yo people still play ds?

People also still use paper to wipe their asses and watch TV in non-HD signals.
WHAT PRIMITIVE NIMRODS.

 

[PolyGone]

yo people still play ds?

 

[duckroll]

Wait what, this isn't a PSP game?

 

[ivysaur12]

So the concept is to destroy the world? It'd be great if met a party of characters that were the "good guys" along the way.

 

[duckroll]

So the concept is to destroy the world? It'd be great if met a party of characters that were the "good guys" along the way.

They -are- the good guys. It's about a group of people that are so sick of the oppression and direction the world is going, they want to change the world themselves even if it means triggering the destruction of the world for a "reset" status.