After having written for a long time on the games of little craftsman (but not only) during the 20 years he spent at Gamekult (including 3 as editor-in-chief) it is therefore at Artisan Studios that Puyo himself will bring his experience to the design of a game A game of Japanese inspiration, as long as it's done, since it's Artisan Studios' profession of faith since the creation of this Franco-Canadian studio, which we learned last year was going to expand to Saudi Arabia to benefit from local riches along the way. Former Gamekult Mojo Tree and current co-founder of the channel Sumimasen Turbo East ” notably involved in the design of the levels and the balancing of the game system », he confides on X. Looking forward to the test, 200% objective, that goes without saying.
Proud and honored to have been able to join the talented Artisan team to take part in this new adventure. I am particularly involved in the design of the levels and the balancing of the game system, for a JRPG “between tradition and modernity” 🫡 https://t.co/kmxCFNJdIG
—Nicolas Verlet | Puyo (@puyogk) February 7, 2024
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Dark impulses
In development on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Switch and PC for release in 2025 with texts in French as well as Japanese or English voices, Lost Hellden presents itself as a JRPG (cheese skewer?) tinged with nostalgia with its hand-drawn environments and fixed shots. The game actually owes its rendering to a technology called “Deep 2D” which makes it possible to bring the settings to life through weather and lighting effects, for a result that seems quite attractive. In the world of Era, the fate of each inhabitant is linked to that of one of the Seven Sins even before their first birthday via a religious ritual, which means that each person spends their life fighting against the urges associated with their sin. . Apparently, those who succeed gain a special place in the sacred land of Hellden for the eternity of their soul. Those who fail, on the other hand, face a fate worse than death, namely the loss of their humanity in the form of a rabid beast.
“ One day, a woman gives birth to twins, something that has never happened before. Prime Arkhon, supreme ruler of the world, conducts the Binding Ceremony himself. However, things don't go as planned: one twin is bound to the Seven Sins while the other receives none. », can we read on the site of the game. Starting from this context, Lost Hellden will have us embody 8 characters with a combat system supposed to satisfy both action and strategy fans. Cherries on the Chococro, the music by Hitoshi Sakimoto (Vagrant Story, Final Fantasy 12, Dragon's Crown and many others) and the illustrations by Takeshi Oga (Gravity Rush, Forbidden Siren, Oninaki). Small names compared to the one who signed more than 1,000 tests on Gamekult, but still.