Wild Arms and Shadow Hearts creators announce double Kickstarter for spiritual successors to both series

Two RPG classics are back in spiritual form

The creators behind two RPG franchises are joining forces to crowdfund. Wild Arms and Shadow Hearts are teaming up for a “double Kickstarter” to fund spiritual successors to both series.

Shadow Hearts creator Matsuzo Machida and Wild Arms creator Akifumi Kaneko announced the news today. The double Kickstarter campaign is for two games: Armed Fantasia and Penny Blood.

The first, Armed Fantasia, is a follow-up to Wild Arms set in a similar Westernpunk world. Kaneko will handle lead game design and scenario writing, while Tomomi Sasaki is on the character design. Music for Armed Fantasia will be by Michiko Naruke, Noriyasu Uematsu, and Elements Garden. From the screenshots they release, it’s definitely got some Wild Arms style, blending technology and the wild, wild west.

The other game is Penny Blood, a dark tale set in the 1920s. It follows an investigator who takes on dark evil during a time of international unrest. Penny Blood looks very much like its predecessor in Shadow Hearts, with character design from Miyako Kato and music by Yoshitaka Hirota. And boy, does it looks dark.

Going back to the classics

The two teams are combining forces in one concerted effort. And I mean, if you want to make a play for the hearts of old-school JRPG fans, these are two good picks. Wild Arms and Shadow Hearts are two series that certainly stand out thanks to their mechanics and settings, and both could see a big revival through these successors.

As for funding, the Double Kickstarter will support both team’s projects. Backers will have the option to fund Penny Blood, Armed Fantasia, or both. The shared “Combo Meter” for the campaign will continue to unlock new content for both games as it goes up.

The Double Kickstarter will launch on August 29 with a minimum mutual goal of $750,000 for both projects. Each pledge will contribute to whichever game is backed, while also adding to the shared Combo Meter. It’s a novel idea, but I’m pretty intrigued by it. Classic games getting spiritual successors has been successful on Kickstarter, as we’ve seen from the rollout of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes and its related content. And I could be really interested in successors to both these series.