When it comes to crowdfunding platforms, Kickstarter is consistently one of the most popular options for a project to be hosted on. Gaming-related campaigns on Kickstarter are some of the most popular, as dedicated fans and passionate members of the industry can fund projects based on some beloved properties. This had led to Yacht Club Games' retro-styled platformer Shovel Knight or legendary game designer Yu Suzuki creating Shenmue 3 after smashing through its crowdfunding goals. Another Japanese game design veteran and producer of the Wild Arms series, Akifumi Kaneko, is starting a Kickstarter campaign to fund a spiritual successor to the classic JRPG series.
The Wild Arms franchise started back in 1996, and it was a JRPG that not only drew from European fantasy elements, but Wild West themes too - resulting in something similar to other manga at the time like Trigun. This spiritual successor is known as Armed Fantasia, and it is looking to follow the same roots as its inspiration, being a westernpunk fantasy. For fans looking to see if the game is worth investing in, the first Kickstarter trailer for Armed Fantasia has been uploaded.
This trailer shows how the Wild West setting is utilized, where players can run across a vast desert, and the whistling theme is a good fit for the game. The footage also provides looks at the three playable characters of Armed Fantasia, including wildcard protagonist Ingram Goodweather, his bespectacled friend Euclid Sturges, and a blonde woman known as Alicia Fairhead who is from an organization that controls the world.
The trailer also briefly gives a look at how the JRPG combat system will work in this game, along with how it differs from Wild Arms. The trailer shows off the mix of European Fantasy and Wild West themes, as they influence both the enemies and settings, with a monster and a castle both featured. These genres are also reflected in the weapons wielded by the party members, as Euclid and Alicia have melee weapons while Ingram is reliant on his gun to fight. The turn-based system sees both sides attacking all at once, utilizing an "Order Chain" during battle. A player can also interrupt an enemy's attack by utilizing a "Force Break" when the "Force Gauge" has reached a certain amount.
This project is part of a bigger campaign, which hopes that both a Shadow Hearts and Wild Arms spiritual successor can be funded. The other game that is a part of this campaign is known as Penny Blood, a gothic horror title from former Shadow Hearts producer Matsuzo Machida. Fans can fund either game or both in this Double Kickstarter.