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The Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for Eiyuden Chronicle, a new JRPG from the creators of Konami classic Suikoden has ended. The campaign managed to raise over JPY ¥481 Million (about USD $4.5 Million) against a ¥53 Million goal, nearly 10 times the original ask. As a result, all the game’s stretch goals—additional features or content added to incentivize additional funding—have been reached. The final stretch goal—the addition of a companion game called A Quiet Place—is now officially in the cards. And speaking of cards, the “card battle minigame” stretch goal was achieved a while back.
The massive haul puts Eiyuden Chronicle in the top ranks of successful Kickstarter projects. After Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and Shenmue 3, it’s the third biggest-ever video game Kickstarter. All three projects share a commonality: a promise to revive a classic video game series or sequel. Where Eiyuden Chronicle invokes Suikoden, Bloodstained recalled another dormant Konami franchise: Castlevania. Shenmue 3 is a sequel to the unfinished Dreamcast-era Shenmue trilogy. It’s also worth noting that the fourth- and fifth-biggest video game Kickstarters also took this angle: the campaigns for inXile’s Torment: Tides of Numenara and Obsidian’s Pillars of Eternity both recalled classic “Infinity Engine” titles such as Baldur’s Gate and Planescape Torment.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is being developed by Rabbit & Bear Studios, and reunites ex-Konami developers Yoshitaka Murayama and Junko Kawano. Murayama directed Suikoden I and II, while Kawano produced Suikoden IV, Suikoden Tactics, and Shadow of Destiny. The game promises a fantasy story in an original setting, the land of Allraan. The game will feature many design flourishes used by the Suikoden titles, including over 100 recruitable allies, a “Fortress Town” to develop and defend, and a battle system featuring parties of six characters.
Check out a promotional video produced for the campaign’s last 48 hours:
Eiyuden Chronicle is destined for release on PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X, and “Nintendo’s Next Generation Hardware” (possibly the rumored Switch upgrade) in October 2022.
