http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1300298569/project-phoenix-japans-indie-rpg-feat-aaa-talentYou thought Japan's indie scene was scattered? Think again. Project Phoenix is a JRPG/RTS hybrid headed by Hirokai Yura, who has worked on such titles as Valkyria Chronicles, Diablo III, and STEINS; GATE: He has also assembled quite the team of devs:
Vaughan Smith, the Game Designer, hails from LA Noire.
Yoko Enoki, the Senario Writer, hails from The Dragon & the Magician, The Black Knight, & The Legend of Umibrei
Bill Benfield, the Editor, an Oxford graduate
An unannounced Art Supervisor who has worked on "Some very famous Anime that everyone knows."
Kiyoshi Arai, the Art Director hails from FFIII, FFXII, & FFXIV
TAKE-B, the Character Designer, hails from "some famous JRPG that everyone knows".
Koya Takahashi, the Cinematic artist, hails from award winning TV shows and other media
Steffen Unger, the Lead 3D Modeller, hails from Crysis 3 and Halo 4
Nobou Uematsu, the composer, who I'm sure everyone knows
John Kurlander, the Sound Engineer, hails from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy & Skyrim
Donna Burke, voice actor, hails from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha & MGSV[/li][/list]
Project Phoenix is a kickstarter project that has reached it's $100,000 goal(used to pay for 3D modelling) by quadruple the amount, and has only 25 days to go at the time of writing. Stretch goals include fully customizable character creation, additional content, & the talent of the Eminence Symphony Orchestra. The game will be created using Unity, believe it or not.
Now you may be wondering what the story may be, and to be honest, it's standard Tolkien fantasy; In a world wracked by war and increasingly bold orcs, free men dedicated to toppling an empire, and prophesying elves as a group of adventurers; an amnesiac angel, an elvish princess, a battlemage, & a troubled paladin form and unlikely bond and save the world. It's looking to be a cliche storm, but hopefully it's executed well.
Gameplay is the basic explore/combat mix, though the devs promise "no grinding, with the ability to advance at your own pace". Actual combat is a Squad based RTS with JRPG mechanics, with staples like Fog of War, different terrain, & AI threat management. Also included is a customizable talent tree.
The cinematic portions use normal human proportions, while gamplay has a chibi art style as shown in the above pic.
The game is set for a 2015 release, on PC/mac & Linux on Steam and the developers website. Talks are underway with Sony for a PS4 & Vita version.
