Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was the main attraction heading into today's 505 Games Spring 2022 Showcase, but the anticipated JRPG was more or less absent from this morning's event. Instead, the focus was on Among the Trolls, Stray Blade, Miasma Chronicles, and Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising — the last of which was released just recently. To catch you up, here's everything that was shown in today's stream.
Among the Trolls is a supernatural survival game set in the forests of Finland
Among the Trolls is a supernatural first-person survival game set among Finland's deep forests. Developed by Forbidden Studios, a team comprised of former Skyrim, Fallout 4, and Vampire: The Masquerade developers, it is in some ways as much Firewatch as it is Don't Starve. It will feature both trolls and mid-life crises, with the main character being a Finnish American in their mid-30s who returns to their homeland to reconnect with nature.
Survival mechanics will be based around the idea that "the folk beliefs, spirits, and creatures" around the main character are real, meaning that you can't simply go around chopping down trees lest the forest go dark and corrupted creatures attack. Shamanism will play a key role in the story, and Studio Ghibli is cited as a major influence. That said, building and crafting will remain part of the core gameplay loop, so it won't be too much of a departure from the survival games you know and love.
Among the Trolls is being developed in Unity due to the team's "vast experience" with the engine, and is set to enter Early Access on Steam later this year.
Stray Blade is a soulslike that pairs an anthropologist with a spellcasting wolf gremlin
The second game shown during 505's showcase was Stray Blade, a soulslike that pairs an anthropogist with the mischievous Boji, a gremlin-like creature that can cast spells and provide reviving support if the main character goes down. First revealed last year, Stray Blade will feature individual talent trees for both the hero and Boji as well as a weapons mastery system. It is the latest in a wave of games trying to capitalize on the success of Dark Souls and Elden Ring, this time with more whimsical visuals, and is currently under development for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Sign-ups are available for a closed beta on PC, with a planned release date for later this year.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising offers a glimpse of the much-anticipated Eiyuden Chronice: Hundred Heroes
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes continues to be nowhere to be seen following its delay into 2023. Instead, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising was showcased one more time for fans who haven't yet picked up the town-building spinoff set in the Eiyuden Chronicle world. Suikoden co-creators Yoshitaka Murayama and Junko Kawano also put in an appearance, urging fans to buy Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising without revealing much about the main project that they're leading. Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is now available on Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes set for some point in 2023.
Miasma Chronicles is a game about a boy and his robot from the developers of Mutant Year Zero
The showcase's final game was a teaser for Miasma Chronicles, a brief trailer featuring a boy, his robot, and what seems like an extradimensional force. It is being developed by The Bearded Ladies, the student behind Mutant Year Zero.
While the trailer didn't offer much insight into what Miasma Chronicles will be all about, 505 Games also sent along an interview that shed some more light on the mysterious teaser. According to the development team, Miasma Chronicles will feature Elvis and his robotic "brother" Diggs, who are on a journey to find Elvis' mother in a grim world dominated by "Miasma." The studio describes it as a "tactical adventure" with concepts similar to Mutant Year Zero, but with a larger scope and more involved narrative elements.
Miasma Chronicles is currently confirmed for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, with a 2023 release date.
Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.