The era of franchise revivals and reboots stretches on, but it’s not always in the form of a remaster or a remake. The PlayStation and PlayStation 2 JRPG franchisesWild ARMsandShadow Heartsare both receiving spiritual successors from some of their original developers. Akifumi Kaneko, formerly ofWild ARMs’ Media Vision, is spearheading the western JRPGArmed Fantasia, while the writer of the first twoShadow Hearts’, Matsuzo Machida, has taken up his pen once again for the horror JRPGPenny Blood. The two titles are running together in an appropriately weird hybridKickstarter, which had achieved its base funding by the time 24 hours had passed.
Fans ofWild ARMsandShadow Heartscan check out theArmed FantasiaandPenny Bloodand Kickstarter for the rest of September. The games aren’t due out for several years, but they already look like promising successors to these old, beloved RPG franchises. WhileWild ARMsborrows parts from its Spaghetti Western influences,Shadow Heartsis rooted deeply in horror. Said horror gradually lessened across the universe’s four games, owing in part to the last being handled by another writer, but it maintained a unique style. The threeShadow Heartsgames, and their canonical predecessorKoudelka, are all worth revisiting today, and ought to be remastered to compliment the upcomingPenny Blood.
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Few JRPGs Do Horror Like Shadow Hearts
One of the most noticeable things when examiningKoudelkaandShadow Heartsis their heavy emphasis on horror. This ranges from gothic horror to lovecraftian horror and everything in between, but they are certainly horror games nonetheless.Koudelkacan even be compared toResident Evilin how its map exploration and resource management plays out, although its gameplay is otherwise that of a tactical RPG. Where many RPGs are content to use foreboding atmospheres or dedicated horror sections, theShadow Heartsuniverse fully merged the genres.
It doesn’t take long to see this once one starts playing an early entry. While the latter twoShadow Heartstitles,Shadow Heart: CovenantandShadow Hearts: From the New World, tone things down,KoudelkaandShadow Heartsare grotesqueand foreboding. Human characters generally have simpler, more realistic designs, while enemies frequently have some sort of deformed human element to them. The tones of these titles in particular, as well as parts ofShadow Hearts: Covenant, are very grim compared to most JRPGs.Koudelkagoes as far as to make its party out of a druidic wiccan, a Christian adventurer, and a Catholic priest. This vitriolic combination robs party interactions of the comfortable atmosphere that almost all JRPGs strive for, constantly highlighting everyone’s flaws. These games take risks, and their fans love them for it.
Shadow Hearts’ Unique Traits Deserve Preservation
That’s not to sell the non-horror aspects of these titles short, as they hold up as well. The madcap antics ofShadow Hearts: CovenantandShadow Hearts: From the New Worldstretch beyond the bounds of the average JRPG, even if the writer change for the final entry is sorely felt.Covenant’s party member-focused sidequests are near-mythical in how deranged they become. Supporting all of this is a battle system that holds true within theShadow Heartstrilogy. WhileKoudelkatried to incorporate a battle grid,Shadow Heartsinstead opted for normal turn-based battles using action commands. Combined with the occasional transformation ability thatresemblesPersonacrossed withDigital Devil Story, and it’s quickly apparent wherePenny Bloodis drawing its inspirations from.
These games are all getting harder to find, with copies of them gradually raising in price. As such, even if a remastered collection didn’t improve the visuals much or released games piecemeal, it would still be worth it to makeShadow Heartsavailable again. If at all possible,KoudelkaandShadow Heartsshould be brought backfor modern audiences that crave experiences different from those in the averageTales OforXenobladetitle. Hopefully, the excitement for thePenny BloodKickstarter catches the trademark owner’s attention, and potential fans can learn what all the hype behind the latest RPG spiritual successors is all about.
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