Square Enix has launched the official Japanese website for Tokyo RPG Factory’s newly announced title, Lost Sphear, revealing some more details on the upcoming classic-style RPG (via Gematsu).
Like the studio’s debut effort, I Am Setsuna, Lost Sphear is a melancholy adventure inspired by classic 16-bit RPGs like Chrono Trigger. This time, the game is set in a world created by memories. When memories fade, so too does a part of the world, leaving a white mist in its wake. Kanata, the game’s protagonist, experienced this phenomenon firsthand when his mother mysteriously vanished. When his home village is in danger of becoming lost as well, the young boy sets out to on a journey to awaken the lost memories and restore the world.
Kanata is joined on his quest by his childhood friends Lumina and Locke. Lumina is a young woman who specializes in melee combat, while Locke enters battles armed with a crossbow. The trio team up with a enigmatic ally named Van, who uses magic to control mysterious weapons he created called “Bits.” You can see artwork for each of the characters, as well as some new screenshots taken from the game’s Japanese website, above.
Lost Sphear employs an “enhanced” version of the active-time battle system from I Am Setsuna. According to Square Enix’s blog, the enhanced battle system allows for a “much greater sense of freedom” as players can maneuver their characters around during battle. Many of the spells and abilities at your disposal have an area of effect, so you’ll have to consider how you position your party around the battlefield during combat.
Lost Sphear is coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC in “early 2018.” The game is releasing digitally for all platforms, though Square Enix is offering a limited quantity of physical copies for the Switch and PS4 versions through its online store.