Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin announced for the west
XSEED Games announced today through their Twitter account they will be localizing Edelweiss' (Astebreed, Fairy Bloom Freesia) action RPG Sakuna Of Rice and Ruin for the west in 2018. Originally debuting in Japan during Comiket 90 last summer, the gameplay blends sidescrolling action with a farming simulation in a Japanese mythology backdrop. It sort of evokes the look and feel of Vanillaware's Muramasa: The Demon Blade. Here are some more details from the press release:
In Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, players take on the role of Sakuna, a proud yet lonely harvest goddess who is banished to a dangerous island with a group of outcast humans. Sakuna tames the island by defeating demons using farm tools as weapons while also making ample use of her “celestial scarf,” a magical item that allows her to grapple distant enemies and platforms. Along the way, she establishes a home in a mountain village, which serves as a base of operations for crafting weapons and cooking food. Additionally, as a harvest goddess, she grows rice by following a detailed process that encompasses everything from planting to harvesting. Through this process, across each of the four seasons, she’s able to improve the harvest and hone her battle skills alike.
The painstakingly researched storyline incorporates Japanese history and legend, with its heroine facing off against numerous types of demons, great and small, as she traverses detailed landscapes rich with the iconography of classic Japanese mythology. A love letter to Japanese culture, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is also an ode to the artistry of cultivating rice, and features an engrossing simulation of the craft behind the agriculture.
Developed by Edelweiss and published in North America by XSEED Games, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is in development for the PS4 system and Windows PC and is scheduled for release in 2018. This title has not yet been rated by the ESRB.
The game will be released for PlayStation 4 and PC (no word on which specific distribution platforms). XSEED also revealed Sakuna will be playable at this year's E3 2017 which runs June 15-17. In the meantime, you can check out the debut trailer from Comiket 90 below.
