In August, we announced on PlayStation.Blog that we would be releasing Dragon Fantasy Book II for PS Vita and PS3 early next year.
With the awesome response and large demand for the first game on those systems, we knew we had to make it happen. We didn’t want to just push a port of what we already had, though – this was our chance to really make this game shine.
Plus, we get to take part in Sony’s awesome Spring Fever promotion! Not only are we releasing the game to JRPG-loving fans out there, Sony is helping to ensure people actually find out about it! What does that mean to you? If you’re a PlayStation Plus member, it means you get 20% off the game during launch week!
Don’t know much about Dragon Fantasy Book I? Start by watching our brief trailer.
So where to begin… Oh, I don’t know, how about redrawing almost every single piece of art in the game! Crazy? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely!
We decided to approach this in the style of a SNES special edition of a previously released NES game. We wanted to take the art we had, and just bring it forward a generation – after reaching what we feel was the best of what “8-bit” could be, we decided to bring this to what we’re calling “8-bit as we remember it” instead of “8-bit as it was” – read on for some side-by-sides of the before and after.
First, we updated the overworld map. The map (and all of the maps) are unchanged –
just better defined, cleaner tiles everywhere.
The interface’s look has been upgraded as well, with clean gradients, while the monsters have more shading and detail.
We added shadowing and detail throughout the maps (see the ambient shading on the floors where they meet the walls) – who says AAA FPS games are the only ones that should feature ambient occlusion!
Finally, so many poor vendors were stuck in their little shops with tiny walls and no roofs, beaten down upon by the hot sun! Well after negotiations with the NPC Vendors’ Union we’ve given them some much-needed shade. Just walk into the shops as always and the walls or roofs fade away.
Once happier with the visuals (in terms of an 8-bit style RPG at least), it was time to revisit other parts of the game and see where else we could make improvements. What was — in our opinion — the most frustrating part of the first game? The inventory UI. No longer do you have to scroll through a page of herbs to find that one lone antidote to cure your poisoned allies. We took the whole main interface we had been working on for Book II and brought it home to the original!
First, let’s look at what we had:
The main interface filled the entire screen, keeping you from seeing much of anything. Four massive buttons filled the view keeping any useful information at least a page away. And you had to move to a separate page of four massive buttons to see the rest of the options.
Items were even worse. Each item in your inventory took up a separate line, and there was no support for stacking items to save space. Trying to find a single item buried in between pages of herbs and antidotes was a pain!
So what do all of these look like now?
Your party is visible at a glance immediately when pulling the screen up. The navigation is now handled with the tabs across the top instead of four huge buttons filling the screen.
The inventory now supports stacking, making it a lot easier to find the item you’re looking for.
Let’s not forget trophies! First, the basics: yes, we’ll have trophies; no, there won’t be a Platinum. What will we have? About a dozen Trophies covering a range of feats, from completing each of the game’s chapters, to finding that one hidden scene in Chapter 2 that we’re pretty sure no one outside our office has ever seen. Ever. Seriously.
We really hope these will give people a reason to enjoy another trip through the game’s chapters, and hint at things people might not have been aware of. More than anything though, we’re listening for what people want most and trying to make this the best version of Dragon Fantasy it can be.
Improving what we have is important, but so is giving players something new! Chapter 2 has always been the chapter we’ve felt needed the most help. To help smooth out the leveling and better guide players, we’ve added a new dungeon to Chapter 2: The Tower of Trials. Inside this five-story tower is a wealth of treasure and gear for Anders and his recruitable allies Punchibald “Punchy” Hammerstone and Casterella “Casty” Von Magicpants.
So this pretty well covers Dragon Fantasy Book I, coming to PlayStation 3 and PS Vita tomorrow. We have an almost completely re-done 8-bit RPG, with all new recordings. We have new content and trophies. And most importantly, we support Cross-Buy (so you buy it once, and get it for both systems) and Cross-Save (so you can share a save game between to two).
Not available for me, yet. :( LOL. I stopped refreshing and started watching The Office on Hulu. :P *twiddle*
Are there any GLBT characters in the game? or the upcoming sequel?
More importantly: Is there character customization in this game? Screenshots don’t show anything in terms of customization… Old graphics, modern gameplay?
TJF588: “I think the appeal is more in a lack of definition.”
Why would that be appealing? I promise you, it has nothing to do with that. The interest isn’t there due to some stubborn unwillingness to evolve, clinging to the past for a fleeting taste of nostalgia… no, there is a tangible, measurable advantage to a less dramatic presentation. It leaves more of the experience up to the consumers’ personal interpretation of what actually exists and takes place in that virtual environment, were it to be real.
This is what triggered so much fascination with these types of games to begin with, back when they were new. Especially since we were children at the time, and the imagination is so much more active and creative during that phase, although it would also benefit an adult in the same manner. Super-realistic graphics leave nothing to the imagination. It’s just… here it is. This is it. You either like it or you don’t. It’s not up for personal interpretation. Your imagination really has no incentive to activate and create it’s own understanding, generating fascination in the player, and creating that personal, intimate connection between the game and the gamer, and thus, the artwork and it’s viewer.
To: PrimeroIncognito
That is an extremely interesting point I have never thought about it like that ,but I still prefer to video games to be more of an an artform like it is now of days because while might have been art back then they were far less “artsy” even if they did let you spark up your imagination more.
4/16 @ 10:38pm EST and no PSN update? wtf?
BTW, how close is this game to what EVOLAND has?
@ L1V32W1N
Well, I should also mention that it’s not just the extremely realisitic graphics by themselves… I mean, who isn’t impressed by all this high-tech imagery? Of course I am, and I love my PS3 to death, for sure. Especially since older gamers such as myself have been witness to the evolution of technology in the video game industry, step by step, over so many generations now. It’s been quite amazing to see how we’ve gone from little square-shaped EVERYTHING in the Atari games I adored so much as a kid, to these characters and environments nowadays that look damn near like the real deal!
However, a problem arises when TOO MUCH FOCUS is put on the outer appearance, and the meat and bones of the product is neglected as a result. Also, when games look so realistic, developers tend to also want to make the story behind them as serious as reality as well, which kinda interferes with the whole reason we always played video games in the first place. It was the place we went to put reality aside for a little bit, and just focus on having fun.
Getting late here in Colorado and after getting home from work i cant buy Dragon Fantasy or download the Soul Sacrifice demo :( sad night in the mile high city…
Of course there are exceptions to this apparent new rule of the industry, and one example that immediately came to mind was Driver: San Francisco. A brilliant game that I thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end, fully satisfied by every single aspect of every feature the game implemented, with the main focus of the game clearly on having fun, and fully enjoying your time in a virtual environment… all while having some of the most beautiful graphics I have seen this generation.
But at the same time, even though the graphics are really pretty, and it appears that realism is a prime goal that the developers had in mind, you can clearly see that there is actually a light-hearted, comedic influence to be found at every turn in the game. It never takes anything within itself too seriously, and due to the “fantasy” nature of many of the game’s features, the player’s imagination in this case actually can be triggered. Due to the outlandish nature of these features, you have no choice but to be creative while wondering what these people were actually thinking (in a good way) when they made the game.
And that helps lead to a deeper personal connection with the game… it’s all psychology… :)
Is something up with the Store? I went to check this morning if I could download DF1 and it doesn’t look like it updated. When I check the Spring Fever section of the store, it still says DF1 is listed under “Coming Next Week…”
Why isn’t this available yet?!? WHY WON’T YOU TAKE MY MONEY!!! I passed on this for android and iOS so that I could get the “HD” special edition with physical controls, and I am so tired of waiting for it!
So frustrating!!! I waited all day to play this game yesterday! Good ol Sony dropping the ball again. It’s not like this is the first time something like this has happened on psn. It’s noon now on the following day and it’ still not up and we still havn’t even been told what the hold up is. I dont favor my xbox by any means but I don’t recall having any issues like this on xbl. Just sayin …
After 1pm here in Philly, and no Dragon Fantasy to be found on PSN… What gives, Sony?
@63: Check Sony’s Twitter. They say that the Store Maintenance will be delayed at least until the afternoon.
Since the game is delayed… Any chance for an answer regarding whether this game (Dragon Fantasy) has character customization?
I looked at the screenshots of the character menus and things and didn’t see any character customization (skill trees, etc.). Hoping I am just overlooking them.
Super wish i could be playing this in between classes on campus right now!!!
Thought I’d be playing this game through most of last night and during this afternoon since I’m off today. PSN has really dropped the ball. Thankfully my PS3 plays Blu-ray Discs. Watched Django Unchained to pass the time. Awesome flick. Anybody here seen it? Say, how much will this game be? I may have missed that information.
^ ^ It’s for sale! The store is working. I am buying the game now… 2:24 PM PST. $9.99.
First impression: Loving these graphics. Even more beautiful/colorful than any game I remember seeing on the SNES.
Second impression: The visuals seem to be slightly cutting off on the TOP and BOTTOM of my TV screen, but mostly on the TOP. Can you guys add some way for us to “reduce the screen size pixel by pixel?” Don’t think I’m missing much, but I can tell I’m missing maybe 5 pixels or so from the top of my screen.
*goes back to playing* :) *chuckles* Now I know why the main hero is bald!
Thanks for the love!
We don’t have any sort of “overscan” adjustment in the game, because as soon as you start scaling pixel-art it can start looking blurry fast! Plus, the 8-bit RPGs of yore had this happening too – it’s authentic :)
As for needing the PSN Avatars – we’re working on it!