Wii and PS2 owners searching for a “hardcore dungeon-crawling action RPG” to sink their teeth into now have the perfect game to look forward to courtesy of Atlus USA. That game is Baroque and it’s coming out in February.
Baroque is a dark and twisted action RPG set in a world ruined by cataclysm and laden with dangerous dungeons to scour, vicious creatures to slay and customizable equipment to collect and outfit with. In a unique twist, however, dying in Baroque is not the end of the line. Death actually pushes the story forward even more by revealing new secrets about the game world. Whether or not the game will use the Wii controls for any unique features over the PS2 version has not been explained as of yet, but you can find out more about the story at the game’s official website. Also be sure to keep on reading, as I’ve uploaded the debut trailer, a gallery loaded with screenshots and the official press release for your perusal.
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Atlus U.S.A., Inc. announces hardcore RPG Baroque for Wii and PlayStation®2
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA — DECEMBER 12th, 2007 — Atlus U.S.A., Inc., a leading publisher of interactive entertainment, today announced Baroque, a new dungeon-crawling action RPG for the WiiTM and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. Dark, addictively challenging, and totally immersive, Baroque is a pure RPG experience, highly regarded by Japanese gamers and now finally scheduled to arrive in North America! Baroque is currently slated for release in February 2008.
For more on Baroque, please visit the official website!
About Baroque:
You awaken to find the world in ruin, your heart beset with unexplained guilt. A cataclysm has destroyed the cities and empires of men and disfigured the spirit of humanity. In this nightmare, it falls to you to descend a mysterious tower in search of absolution. Battle merciless foes through treacherous dungeons, scour for new items to aid you in your travels, and unlock the secrets of a devastated land. You will find death in the depths, yet learn that death is not the end of the story; in the twisted world of Baroque, it is only the beginning.
Key Features:
•Hardcore dungeon-crawling RPG action! With its many ever-changing levels, each teeming with perverse monsters and tormented souls, the world of Baroque is a frightening and unforgiving realm.
•Death is not the end – Take part in a unique story progression system in which the end of your life only serves to drive the adventure forward. Each time your character dies, more secrets about the forsaken world are revealed!
•Deep customization options – The player has full control over how they shape their character and how they play the game. Find and equip a vast assortment of weapons and items, some with a variety of uses. Acquire powerful stat-boosting parasites and combine them to multiply their potency. Only the resourceful will survive!
Baroque has been rated “T” for Teen with Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, and Tobacco Reference by the ESRB.
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A little history here, folks: the game is more or less a remake of Sting’s 1998 Sega Saturn import, Baroque, a game that might have done well in the US had the Saturn not been kicked to the curb. The original was a first-person dungeon crawler set in a post-apocalyptic world and featured random maps, a great score, great multiple opening movies, very weird enemies and weaponry and yup, the same “dying to drive the plot forward” element in the remake. I have both the Saturn original ans PS One port, so I’ve played the game to death and definitely want to give both new versions a whirl.
It seems that Sting is keeping the basics intact (although the third-person viewpoint I’ll go through on my second playthrough, that’s for sure) and I’m happy as hell that they decided to remake this and Atlus had the smarts to pick it up! I’m guessing the Wii version is going to be pretty straightforward, as the only things I can see using the Wiimote are the new FPS viewpoint added to the US version, using spells and maybe picking up glowing spheres from afar with a wave of your hand – we’ll see what happens in a few, i guess.
Hell, now if only someone would finally localize Siren 2…