Compile Heart reveals Arc of Alchemist for PlayStation 4, out in Japan on November 29
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Compile Heart has posted the first teaser trailer for Arc of Alchemist, which you can check out below:
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Compile Heart has just revealed yet another new RPG they are currently working on in the latest Weekly Famitsu magazine issue. Titled Arc of Alchemist, this will be the sixth title in their Galapagos RPG brand, following Varnir of the Dragon Star which is also coming soon in Japan.
Arc of Alchemist is an RPG with a Tactical Action Battle system. The player can form a party of up to 3 characters and control them to explore fields. When they encounter enemies, there will be a seamless transition to battles which will take place at the same location.
Characters will automatically fight with formations that have been set beforehand. Depending on the weapon used, they can also use magic attacks that, despite needing chanting time, has a low risk as they can act as long-range attacks. Each character also has their own Job which defines their fighting style, so it will be important to plan your party's formation and tactics beforehand in order to survive the long journey that awaits the party.
This game takes place in an Earth that has been gradually regressing into destruction after having witnessed numerous wars. The objective of this game is to obtain the "Great Power" that will save humanity, and in order to find it, you will start by exploring the Desert of the Beginning, which is infested by war machines known as Mechanical Dolls.
This reveal batch also introduces three characters that you can add to your party, which are as follows:
- Quinn Blazeford (The heroine, voiced by Reina Ueda)
The protagonist with a Major rank. An excellent commander who got appointed as the squad leader of the survey corps, her name is even known and feared in enemy countries. Although she is cool, she also has a warm heart that cares for her subordinates. Despite losing her will to live after getting shocked by the Earth turning into a massive desert due to the history of humanity, she fights with the determinations of "saving the world," "not letting her friends die," and "accomplishing the mission."
As Quinn is the protagonist, she is a well-balanced character who can do anything. She is also the only character who can use the Luna Gear, a sacred item created from ancient technology which lets her freely control energy by combining Orbs based on the four elements of Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth. A proper understanding of these Orb combinations will not only let her unleash powerful attacks during battles but also help solve gimmicks. For example, Quinn can use the Fire Orb to act as a torch in dark areas.
- Sandra Wainwright (The powerful girl, voiced by Moe Toyota)
A sergeant with a small body, she acts strong but also has a quirk of hating carrots. She also has a complex because she tends to get treated like a child by people around her. She has a deep trust towards Quinn, who doesn't treat her that way.
Sandra is a heavy-armored character who has high defense. She wields a large shield in battles, where she acts as a tank who will absorb enemy attacks to protect her allies.
- Sharon Varler (The mechanical professor, voiced by Miyu Tomita)
A technology scientist who has the most knowledge in the survey corps. Perhaps due to her research, she can fight by controlling a mysterious power. She is calm and doesn't speak much, but she also has another side to being mischievous.
She is performing numerous researches at the Military Laboratory, and she has the ability to restore Data Files left behind on machines found in the desert. Her battle job is Sorcerer, which means she has a focus on long-range magic attacks with long chanting time.
Arc of Alchemist also has a Base Camp where Quinn and her corps reside in. After every exploration session has ended, the party will return here to take a rest. The player can also change the party members, train characters, procure items, and even build more facilities. The latter will gradually enhance the Base Camp with more features. Depending on the player's style. they will have their own preferred orders in building facilities.
Finally, this game is being worked on by a list of stellar staff members. The legendary illustrator Yoshitaka Amano is doing the concept arts for this game, with character images being drawn by Mota and 3D modelings done by Cattle Call. The story is written by Yukinori Kitajima, who is also known for 428: Shibuya Scramble and Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. Working as the system advisor is Grezzo's Kyoji Koizumi who also handled battles for the SaGa series in the past. And last but not least, Compile Heart and Idea Factory's very own Norihisa Kochiwa and Kosuke Uchida are the producer and director for this game respectively.
Arc of Alchemist will be released for PlayStation 4 in Japan on November 29.