Yasumi Matsuno – creator of the classic video games Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Ogre and Vagrant Story – has started a Kickstarter page with the company Playdek to fund a new RPG. Called Unsung Story: Tale of the Guardians, the game is described as a “spiritual successor in a storied line of epic tactical RPGs designed by Yasumi Matsuno.”
Unsung Heroes will present a sweeping historical epic, focusing on the heroes who fought in what is described as the Seventy-Seven Years War. You will be able to play as several different heroes, “overlooked by the passage of time…lashed to the great wheel of history!” The game will be comprised of episodes, one for each hero, with each episode being comprised of many different stages of game play. Some episodes will span only a year, while others will span a decade or more. The player’s viewpoint will shift from battle to battle, controlling different groups of soldiers, with battles taking place on a 3D landscape with an immersive player-controlled camera. There are many customizable classes and professions available, including War Mage (magic/weapons user), Ballast Knight (heavy weapons user), Polearm Knight (light weapons user) and Aerolest (ranged weapon user).
The page also explains why Matsuno and Playdek chose Kickstarter for the project: “By turning to Kickstarter and opening the door for you to join us on this exciting adventure, this campaign will allow you to help us create the game that you want to play and will provide you the outlet to let your voice be heard and your vision to be shared!” In addition to iOS and Android, Unsung Story will be released for PC and Mac, as well as Windows tablets. Matsuno and Playdek have set a goal of $600,000; as of this writing, with a little under a month to go, they are just under the halfway mark. The Kickstarter page can be found here.