If the promise of JRPG-style hijinks across a painstakingly-recreated Shibuya sounds good to you, then you’ll want to pay close attention to Reynatis, the latest FuRyu special that NISA will publish out west.
FuRyu continues to be the Japanese studio for creative ideas. If The Caligula Effect and Monark struck you for how different and interesting they were (whether you enjoyed them or not), then Reynatis looks like it will be very much in that mold.
According to the press release:
REYNATIS is an action RPG set in the painstakingly-recreated streets of Shibuya, Tokyo. In a world where fantasy meets reality, the citizens of Shibuya fear magic and the power it holds, forcing wizards to conceal their inhuman abilities or face oppression.
Seeking freedom through strength, the wizard Marin heads to Shibuya, where he meets Sari, an officer of the MEA, an organization dedicated to keeping wizards under control. Conceal your magic to explore the city as a regular civilian and shop or take on quests, or use your explosive powers to reach new locations and battle those who stand in your way. Fight for what you believe in in this stylish, spellbinding RPG from director TAKUMI and featuring music by Yoko Shimomura!
I’ve got to say that Shibuya is a really excellent space to set a game and I’m surprised it’s not used more often (though I guess Akihabara and Kabukicho are also excellent). A retail and youth-friendly playground, Shibuya has a wonderfully rich blend of Japanese aesthetics and modernity. It’s mainstream (as opposed to Akihabara’s counter-cultural leanings), and you can spend hours wandering around, shopping and taking in the sights.
Capturing that energy in a game with magic and swordplay is going to make for a fun experience.
You’re not going to have to wait long for it, as it launches in “Fall” (Spring for Aussies and others in the Southern Hemisphere) for PlayStation 4 and 5, as well as Switch and PC. In the meantime, you can enjoy the slick trailer above.
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I’m all for this. Never been to Shibuya, but have played several games set there (Persona 5 and 428: Shibuya Scramble probably being the two most notable) and agree that it’s a great setting ripe for interactive exploration. Definitely will be giving this a look!