Wait, wait… Episode IX?!?
If the title of this article caught your eye, then you’re probably of fan of developer ST!NG’s Dept.Heaven series, you also may be a bit confused by the episode number. If you have no idea what Dept.Heaven is then maybe a little background is in order.
Dept.Heaven, what?
Dept.Heaven.Episodes is a series of loosely connected games in dis-separate genres by developer ST!NG, published in Japan and in the west by Atlus. The series currently consists of Episode I: Riviera: The Promised Land released on the WonderSwan Color, Gameboy Advance and PSP, Episode II: Yggdra Union: We’ll Never Fight Alone on the same handhelds, and Episode IV: Knights in the Nightmare for Nintendo DS and PSP. If you’re wondering where episode III went, then you’re not alone. Upon the release of Knights in the Nightmare there was much speculation about just what happened to episode III. According to a Dengeki Online interview with series designer Shinichi Ito, episode III will take the form of an as yet to be announced PC MMORPG. Hmm… wow!
Riviera: The Promised Land (PSP)
Confused yet? Well, all you really need to know is that so far the Dept.Heaven series has been pretty amazing, and very interesting. Riviera is a turn based RPG with dating sim elements, and mini rhythm-style puzzles. Yggdra Union is a tactical RPG the uses a card-based battle system, and features an often copied Union system that lets the player link units together for consecutive battles. Knights in the Nightmare is perhaps the most unique of the series. It can really only be described as a cross between a strategy RPG and a bullet hell shooter. All three games are available in the US from publisher Atlus, and received generally favorable reviews. All three are also worth tracking down if you can find them, which might not be the easiest since the earlier episodes have become somewhat of a cult hit.
Yggdra Union: We'll Never Fight Alone (PSP)
Knights in the Nightmare (DS)
Gungnir
Though originally annouced in February, recently a PSP demo for Dept.Heaven Episode IX, titled Gungnir: Masou no Gunjin to Eiyuu Sensou or “War Gods of the Demon Spear and the War of Heroes” appeared on the Japanese Playstation Network. With the full release version going on sale in Japan on May 19th, it’s unclear why ST!NG and Ito decided to skip so many episodes in the series. What is clear is that like the other games that make up the Dept.Heaven series, it looks to be something for fans to look forward to.
Gungnir: Masou no Gunjin to Eiyuu Sensou
Like Yggdra Union, Gungnir is a tactical RPG, but instead of Yggdra’s simple 2D maps, Gungnir has fully rendered 3D isometric battlefields, overlaid with beautifully hand-drawn spites for the characters. In fact the team responsible for Gungnir is the in large part the team that created Yggdra Union. Fans of Yggdra will instantly recognize artist Satoko Kiyuduki’s great character design work. The graphics and artwork is quite striking, and the game seems to be possible the nicest looking tactics-style game for PSP yet.
Gungnir: Masou no Gunjin to Eiyuu Sensou (PSP)
The graphics aren’t the only thing striking about Gungnir. According to an article in Famitsu (Japan’s premier gaming mag) and what we’ve seen in the demo so far, Gungnir will have a story that deals with such heavy handed issue as slavery, and racism. Very few games ever delve deeply into these topics, so it should be interesting to see how Ito and company handles them with Gungnir.
Gungnir: Masou no Gunjin to Eiyuu Sensou (PSP)
What about us?
One big question remains for western fans. Will Gungnir be localized for the US? Though not yet announced, let’s hope the answer is yes. Altus has localized all three previous episodes, so there’s definitely hope. Atlus is also fond of giving fans extra treats such as the free copy of Yggdra Union with the initial release of Knights in the Nightmare for PSP, or the art book and soundtrack that shipped with KitN’s original DS release. Either way let’s hope we have a lot to look forward to from Dept.Heaven.
To see the offical japanese Gungnir site go here: http://gungnir.atlusnet.jp/
Of course Atlus USA’s site is here: http://www.atlus.com
