December Kickstarter Picks - Article
by Jared Katz , posted on 11 December 2014 / 4,105 Views
Developer: Key
Total Amount/Goal: $286,000/$140,000
Days Left: 29
Lowest Amount for Game: $40
Release Date: Fall 2015
Next Stretch Goal: Side Stories ($320K)
Platforms: Windows
While the Visual Novel genre has started to gain a small amount of traction in the West as of late, it has long been a dominate force in Japan, with a handful of these games jumping mediums into anime, including Fate/stay night, Steins;Gate, and of course Clannad. With this Kickstarter, Sekai Project will be bringing this beloved game to English speaking audiences legally for the first time. The game will be fully voiced (in Japanese) and will use HD assets. For those who are unaware, Clannad follows a path system. The system changes the story and ending depending on the choices you make when you encounter certain events.
Clannad follows the life of Tomoya, a delinquent high school student who has just suffered the loss of his mother. He soon meets Nagisa, a strange girl who was held back due to an illness, and after a short encounter he is ‘forced’ into being her friend and is tasked with reviving the Drama Club. The story follows him through his high school life as he makes friends and learns about his peers' various problems; how he reacts to them is up to you.
Developer: Team Cherry
Total Amount/Goal: $27,000/$35,000 (AUD)
Days Left: 7
Lowest Amount for Game: $10
Release Date: Summer 2015
Next Stretch Goal: The White Palace Level ($39K)
Platforms: Windows, Mac and Linux (Wii U at $50K)
While 2D action/adventure games have largely been abandoned by major gaming studios, they certainly haven’t been forgotten by indie developers. Dozens of them have now been funded via Kickstarter, with Shovel Knight perhaps being one of the most notable successes. Now another knight has stepped up to the plate. Hollow Knight follows the valiant titular insect Hollow Knight as he journeys through the ancient kingdom of Hollownest. You will spend most of your time exploring the world, fighting enemies, avoiding dangers, beating bosses, and obtaining power ups. The game allows you to tackle the world in any order you desire, though some areas are closed off until you have the right item/power-up to proceed.
The gameplay consists of jumping, dodging, dashing and slashing enemies. Hollow Knight is meant to be challenging and is a game that aims to reward player skill and quick reflexes. For those who want even more of a challenge, there will be hidden areas meant only for veteran players to attempt.
Developer: Sketchy Logic
Total Amount/Goal: £3,500/ £7,000
Days Left: 28
Lowest Amount for Game: £7
Release Date: Summer 2015
Next Stretch Goal: Extra Chapter (£12K)
Platforms: Windows and Mac
Have you ever wanted to play a Phoenix Wright game but as a falcon set in Paris during 1848? Well you’re in luck, then, since Aviary Attorney is just such a game. It follows Jayjay Falcon and his lackey Sparrowson as they take on four cases, representing the legal defense in this anthropomorphic civilization. The games characters were created by J. J. Grandville in the 19th century, but are now available to use in the public domain. Many of the backgrounds were also created by French artists from the same time period.
Aviary Attorney's gameplay is neatly divided into two key sections: gathering evidence for a case by searching through Paris, and the trial itself, which takes place in the courthouse. You have only a limited amount of time to gather clues/evidence before the trial begins, so every decision you make counts. During the trials, Falcon must try to prove the innocence of his client by demonstrating faults in the prosecution testimony and providing evidence at the right time. If you fail and your client is found guilty then the story will still continue, but will adopt a much darker tone.
Developer: Fourattic
Total Amount/Goal: $41,000/$45,000
Days Left: 6
Lowest Amount for Game: $15
Release Date: Spring 2016
Next Stretch Goal: Unknown
Platforms: Windows, Mac and Linux
Crossing Souls hopes to be the next game to join the rebirth of the adventure genre. The game follows a group of five friends in 1986 who find a mysterious object that allows them to interact between the two different planes of reality: life and death. Like most 80s movies/TV show plots, both government conspiracies and corrupt officials who intend to misuse the power appear throughout the game. Crossing Souls features cut scenes reminiscent of He-Man, Jem, TMNT and other 80s cartoons.
Each member of the group has unique special abilities and weapons, which allows them to solve problems and fight enemies differently. Alongside a large variety of puzzles, you will also encounter enemies that you must fight, be they cowboys or dinosaurs. Unlike most games, death is necessary and even desirable in a sense, as at all times one of the characters will be on the death plane. This allows them to interact with spirits of the dead, for both the gathering information and solving of problems.
Developer: Ryan Green
Total Amount/Goal: $96,000/$85,000
Hours Left: 38
Lowest Amount for Game: $15
Release Date: Fall 2015
Next Stretch Goal: PDF Artbook for all backers ($110K)
Platforms: Windows, Mac and OUYA
Video gaming started out purely as an entertainment medium, but as time has gone by it has evolved and its uses have also expanded. Stories, emotions, lessons, ideologies and more have all become part of gaming. In today’s video game industry entertainment is not always the central objective of a game. That Dragon, Cancer is one such game. The game is based on the real life of a child called Joel and his four year fight against cancer.
It's a 3D Point & Click Adventure game, but there are no puzzles and there is nothing to solve. That Dragon, Cancer is about being there in the moment and observing Joel’s life just as his family did. It’s an experience designed to help the player see both the hopelessness of such a situation, and how love and faith can hold a family together even in the face of the dragon.
