ClaDun Sengoku: This is Yet Another RPG

Japanese developer and publisher Nippon Ichi Software has tried a number of lower-tier experiments in the last few years, though their success has varied; there’s a good chance, for instance, that you may not remember the ClaDun titles. They were a duo of action/RPGs with roguelike elements (i.e. dungeons where everything is trying to kill you) released for PSP developed by System Prisma, which used charming low-quality pixels. As enjoyable as both titles were, neither sold too well, even by the standard set by niche games on PSP in Japan. Following the end of that platform’s life, the team moved on to Legasista on PS3, a similarly-styled title with a more detailed sprite style. Following that, they put the series behind them so NIS could focus on their larger hits.

(Cladunx2 also made its way to Steam, which marked NIS’ first dip into the PC market. It didn’t fare too well there, either, but they’re giving the market a more logical shot with the quickly-impending Disgaea PC.)

But much has changed for NIS since then, and not for the better. If you’ve read some of my previous posts here regarding the company (and I can’t thank you enough if you have), you might remember my mention of how they’ve been having a tough time in the last few years. They’ve had considerable trouble establishing new franchises since the PS2’s era faded, and even reliable hits like Disgaea have faltered — especially as of Disgaea 5. (Being a PS4-exclusive in Japan didn’t help it.) But they’re still holding on by lowering their expectations and developing low-tier hits, as shown with htoL#NiQ: The Firefly Diary and the upcoming Rose and the Castle of Twilight. This was the perfect environment to reintroduce ClaDun in.

However, there’s a twist. Instead being inspired by medieval fantasy themes like previous installments, ClaDun Sengoku for Vita takes inspiration from, well, Japan’s Sengoku period. It takes place in a purgatorial world known as “Arcanus Cella,” where the souls of those weighed down by regrets left in the real world reside. It has no certain exit, and only allows for one way to return to the traditional cycle of life and death. During the game, the player will help fulfill the regrets of those who arrive in the town by tackling dungeons, which contain clues and solutions for each mission.

Like previous ClaDun games, Sengoku is an action/RPG where the player will choose their character through a fairly involved character creator, though preset designs will also be available.  Classes will be available, too, including Warrior (the most recommended job for novices), Great Swordsman, Necromancer, and a Sinful Priest, and each will come with at least one unique skill. The player can also wield a variety of weapons found in dungeons or purchased in town, though which weapon they’ll specialize in depends on the class chosen.

The aforementioned “roguelike elements” will shine through its dungeons, which will be stuffed with enough perilous monsters and traps to put hair on your character’s pixelated chest. Many of them are shown in the screens released thus far, which show how the player can’t venture through without being seriously mindful of their surroundings, lest they stumble into an early grave. If you hear the word “roguelike” associated with a title, expect it to be challenging unless it’s mentioned in tandem with “Pokémon.”

Fortunately, you won’t have to tackle this alone. The player will travel with assistants known as “Vassals,” who can form Magic Circles to sometimes take damage for the player. They can’t be directly controlled, but their actions can be influenced through special items. The developers don’t want the game to be too easy, so don’t expect them to protect the player from every form of damage.

ClaDun Sengoku will release in Japan on May 26th, but there’s no guarantee of it seeing the light of day outside the country. There’s a nasty rumor spreading around saying NIS America is no longer localizing Vita exclusives, and thus far, they haven’t proven that to be false. Fortunately, they also haven’t proven that to be true, especially if some games can be ported to PC down the line. Don’t believe everything you hear on the internet.

Expect a bigger trailer for this game in the near future, along with more details regarding how it will play. These may not be the type of game some people want from NIS’ modern incarnation, but the days where they released innovative strategy/RPGs on an annual basis are sadly long gone; they can’t maintain that if not enough people are purchasing them, after all. There’s little chance of titles like these crashing and burning sales-wise, so expect more like them in the future.

P.S. Speaking of NISA, we could get a better impression of whether that aforementioned rumor is true through their annual press event tomorrow. Information from it could be embargoed, but expect to see the announcements sometime this week.