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Suikoden Creators Launch Crowdfunding for Spiritual Successor

By Noam Radcliffe

Eiyuden Chronicle aims to fill the shoes Suikoden left empty after its final numbered entry in 2006.
Eiyuden Chronicle aims to fill the shoes Suikoden left empty after its final numbered entry in 2006. / Courtesy of Rabbit & Bear Studios

Rabbit & Bear Studios, a studio made up of many of the creators responsible for the Suikoden franchise, announced plans for a crowdfunding effort Friday for a spiritual successor. The team is led by director and scenario writer Yoshitaka Murayama, the director and writer of the first two Suikoden games.

Eiyuden Chronicle will follow in the Suikoden mold as a classic-style JRPG, featuring turn-based combat and 2.5D graphics. Characters — more than 100 of which appear in-game — will appear as pixel art, while backgrounds will be rendered as 3D environments. The game will also incorporate a base building and guild system.

Here's the game's premise as described by Rabbit & Bear:

"Our story begins in one corner of Allraan, a tapestry of nations with diverse cultures and values. By dint of sword, and by way of magical objects known as ”rune-lenses,” the land’s history has been shaped by the alliances and aggressions of the humans, beastmen, elves, and desert people who live there. The Galdean Empire has edged out other nations and discovered a technology that amplifies the rune-lenses’ magic. Now, the Empire is scouring the continent for an artifact that will expand their power even further. It is on one such expedition that Seign Kesling, a young and gifted imperial officer, and Nowa, a boy from a remote village, meet each other and become friends. However, a twist of fate will soon drag them into the fires of war, and force them both to reexamine everything they believe to be right and true."

Eiyuden Chronicle's Kickstarter campaign will run July 27 to Aug. 28. The game is being developed for PC, with console versions contingent on crowdfunding stretch goals. Rabbit & Bear expects to deliver the game in fall 2022.

In addition to Murayama, the Eiyuden Chronicle team includes lead artist Junko Kawana (Suikoden, Suikoden 4), system design and director Osamu Komuta (Suikoden Tactics, Suikoden Tierkreis), and art director and producer Junichi Murakami (Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow).

The first Suikoden game was released for the original PlayStation in 1995. Four main sequels followed, ending with Suikoden 5 for the PlayStation 2 in 2006, alongside several spinoffs and remakes mostly on handheld consoles.