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News Silent Hope, action RPG releases 3rd October [update: demo now available]

PixelKnight

PixelKnight

Observing the process
Pronouns
He/Him


Press release-
Key Features

Seven Heroes, Seven Unique Fighting Styles – Choose from a motley crew of characters like the well-rounded Wanderer, long-range specialist Archer, or heavy-hitting Warrior to find whose skills suit your playstyle, and embrace new roles and abilities as you gain more experience.
A Home at the Edge of the World – Find new recipes and materials and return to your Base Camp at the edge of The Abyss, where each character has a unique job. From alchemist to blacksmith to cook, each hero brings something different.
Engaging Exploration and Dungeon-Crawling – Experience a new layout each time you enter the enigmatic Abyss, keeping you on your toes every moment. Stay on the lookout for Memory Rifts, where greater rewards and challenges await.A Vibrant Storybook Aesthetic –With its mournful princess, spellbound kingdom, and everyday heroes, it feels like a fairy tale come to life – right down to the mysteries waiting to be uncovered in the visually stunning underworld.
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Physical preorders (published by Marvelous in Europe).

Silent Hope

marvelousgames.com marvelousgames.com

Clearly it’s a kinda roguelike gameplay loop of ‘go down, fight a random horde, return to base, upgrade, do it again’, and usually I dislike that loop as it can get repetitive, but it caught my interest more than most such games. Probably being a party of characters. Also the cows are cute!
 
Comic Obsessed said:
So, who is exactly doing this? A known developer?
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The site claims Marvelous as the developer but the video says XSEED, unless the latter is the publisher elsewhere or something

Developer
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Marvelous

Genres​

Action RPG

Audio Languages​

English, Japanese

Written Languages​

English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese

Release Date​

3rd October 2023 (Nintendo Switch), 3rd October 2023 (PC via Steam)

In a world without words, what hope is there for humanity? Silent Hope takes place in a once-peaceful land, silenced by the former King who stole people’s speech before escaping into the endless chasm known as The Abyss. Following these events, the Princess mourned her father’s actions and wept until she was entombed by her own crystallized tears. Now, years after these events faded from memory, seven heroes find themselves drawn towards the Princess. To break her free from her luminous prison, they must brave the depths of The Abyss to find the long-lost King and reunite the royal family.​

Silent Hope harkens back to the glory days of isometric dungeon-crawlers while infusing them with a modern approach. Players will take the role of seven unlikely heroes, each with their own unique weapons, fighting styles, and non-combat jobs. After diving into The Abyss to battle enemies and collect materials, the heroes return to Base Camp to craft, cook, and rest up for their next adventure. Each journey into The Abyss will be a fresh experience, with randomized layouts ensuring every excursion has the element of chance, with even greater dangers lurking the further the heroes dare to venture
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PixelKnight said:
The site claims Marvelous as the developer but the video says XSEED, unless the latter is the publisher elsewhere or something

​

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XSeed is pretty much just the american publishing arm of marvelous at this point.
In Europe we have Marvelous Europe and in Japan it's also just Marvelous.

They do have some inhouse teams but maybe somones else finds more.
 
AllEchse said:
XSeed is pretty much just the american publishing arm of marvelous at this point.
In Europe we have Marvelous Europe and in Japan it's also just Marvelous.

They do have some inhouse teams but maybe somones else finds more.
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Ah thanks for the explanation, appreciated!
 
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NabiscoFelt said:
This will either end up weirdly addicting and up my alley or pretty mediocre

Hoping for the former
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Defo a ‘wait for reviews, could be addictive, could be tedious’ type thing for me, I feel the same about most games using a similar gameplay loop, where I either get completely addicted to them or just shrug and give up after the first couple hours.
 
I'm in for the rogue Maid

9Y2qCar.jpg


Imitatio said:
Wonder how expensive this will end up being! 60€?
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It's a budget release in japan (4980 yen) so I'm guessing 30- 40 USD
 
One thing I'm fairly worried about is the fact that because of the concept of the story, there can't really be much dialogue in the game (outside of the princess who seems like they'll be a narrator?) But the gameplay concept meanwhile feels pretty ripe for a good or at least charming story and cast

Hoping they find some creative ways to add characterization even without dialogue as an option, because otherwise I'm worried the loop will get tedious fast
 
NabiscoFelt said:
One thing I'm fairly worried about is the fact that because of the concept of the story, there can't really be much dialogue in the game (outside of the princess who seems like they'll be a narrator?) But the gameplay concept meanwhile feels pretty ripe for a good or at least charming story and cast

Hoping they find some creative ways to add characterization even without dialogue as an option, because otherwise I'm worried the loop will get tedious fast
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I was slightly concerned that the equipment creation seemed to be pretty mundane in that it’s ‘create club sword rank 1’ etc. If that ends up being ‘create club sword rank 2/3/4/5’ that just sounds like busywork for the sake of it and is exactly the kind of stuff that bores me about games like this.

Tropey designs like combat maids make it more likely I’ll skip it too.
 
NabiscoFelt said:
One thing I'm fairly worried about is the fact that because of the concept of the story, there can't really be much dialogue in the game (outside of the princess who seems like they'll be a narrator?) But the gameplay concept meanwhile feels pretty ripe for a good or at least charming story and cast

Hoping they find some creative ways to add characterization even without dialogue as an option, because otherwise I'm worried the loop will get tedious fast
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All the characters have seiyuu asigned so I'm guessing your party is the only one that can actually talk in the dungeon
 
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PixelKnight said:
I was slightly concerned that the equipment creation seemed to be pretty mundane in that it’s ‘create club sword rank 1’ etc. If that ends up being ‘create club sword rank 2/3/4/5’ that just sounds like busywork for the sake of it and is exactly the kind of stuff that bores me about games like this.

Tropey designs like combat maids make it more likely I’ll skip it too.
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It goes more deeper that what was shown in the trailer. It has class change (different than the base ones), farming and synthesizyng for boost / materials and smithing for weapons, and at least the smithing looks more like a diablo-ish thing where the are more variety of weapons with different properties (as enemies have elementals attributes)
 
ermitron2 said:
It goes more deeper that what was shown in the trailer. It has class change (different than the base ones), farming and synthesizyng for boost / materials and smithing for weapons, and at least the smithing looks more like a diablo-ish thing where the are more variety of weapons with different properties (as enemies have elementals attributes)
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Fair enough, that does sound interesting
 
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ermitron2 said:
It goes more deeper that what was shown in the trailer. It has class change (different than the base ones), farming and synthesizyng for boost / materials and smithing for weapons, and at least the smithing looks more like a diablo-ish thing where the are more variety of weapons with different properties (as enemies have elementals attributes)
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Where'd you find this info btw?
 
I still don't think the party will talk. Isn't that the whole gimmick of the story? That the party can't talk with each other? I guess they will talk at the end or only make noises.
 
Hauke_von_Arding said:
I still don't think the party will talk. Isn't that the whole gimmick of the story? That the party can't talk with each other? I guess they will talk at the end or only make noises.
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I think it's more all the people can't talk, the princess can't either, she just do it via magic or something. It makes sense the "chosen" ones can do it (also some of the seiyuu are top talents so I don't thhink they only want them for the noises)
 
ILikeFeet said:
turns out this is actually a Rune Factory game. weird

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Dang, how well did RF 4S and 5 do for Marvelous? Seems they're all in on the franchise now
Look over there said:
Huh, not wrong about the seiyuu. The Fighter's Mitsuishi Kotono (Sailor Moon). The Archer's perpetually-sleazy/shady-sounding Ishida Akira.
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Hm yeah would be weird to get big names for grunts. Maybe characters gradually get their voices back through the story?
 
NabiscoFelt said:
Dang, how well did RF 4S and 5 do for Marvelous? Seems they're all in on the franchise now

Hm yeah would be weird to get big names for grunts. Maybe characters gradually get their voices back through the story?
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I'm sure they are going to 'speak' like the princess, via magic. So they aren't actually saying words, but send they thoughts via magic shenannigans
 
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NabiscoFelt said:
Dang, how well did RF 4S and 5 do for Marvelous? Seems they're all in on the franchise now

Hm yeah would be weird to get big names for grunts. Maybe characters gradually get their voices back through the story?
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My question is, if they're so confident in the franchise now, why isn't it called rune factory in the west?

I would have argued attaching even a niche franchise title would have been better than a random new title that has people unsure what and by whom it is.

Though maybe they are scared people will be too intimidated by a longe rrunning series?
 
AllEchse said:
My question is, if they're so confident in the franchise now, why isn't it called rune factory in the west?

I would have argued attaching even a niche franchise title would have been better than a random new title that has people unsure what and by whom it is.

Though maybe they are scared people will be too intimidated by a longe rrunning series?
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They aren't even attaching the name in japan, its called Frederica. As you say I guess they don't want to alienate players thinking you have to play the previous ones. Aslo the tweet is more liek tidbit saying it share rune factory universe (as in the monsters really)
 
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meatbag said:
Rogue maid as romanceable bachelorette please


Easiest answer is that the gameplay is different enough to warrant it being called something else, they don’t want people getting too confused
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Yeah, they don’t want people thinking it’s RF’s usual farming/adventure sim, when this seems to lean much further into ‘everything supports your combat expeditions’
 
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Marvelous Europe released the opening video. Yeah, this really is a Rune Factory Spinoff with a quality Anime opening like that. A-1 Pictures did the opening movie and Kami wa Saikoro o Furanai did the Theme song.




I really like the playable characters from their design.
 
Hauke_von_Arding said:
Marvelous Europe released the opening video. Yeah, this really is a Rune Factory Spinoff with a quality Anime opening like that. A-1 Pictures did the opening movie and Kami wa Saikoro o Furanai did the Theme song.




I really like the playable characters from their design.
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Very good song, already preoredered the physical vesion.

MaitreWakou said:
Think of it as a third new sub series, imo.
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They put the same message in english and they make it clear it happens in the same universe of rune factory
 
ermitron2 said:
They put the same message in english and they make it clear it happens in the same universe of rune factory
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Which was already a Story of Seasons spin off ^^
They made a similar tweet on the japanese Story of Seasons twitter account.

Edit : the opening also shows the Story of Seasons chickens.
 
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MaitreWakou said:
Which was already a Story of Seasons spin off ^^
They made a similar tweet on the japanese Story of Seasons twitter account.

Edit : the opening also shows the Story of Seasons chickens.
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Yes, but Rune Factory and Story of Seasons to my knowledge never explecitiy said that they share the same universe and tbh it wouldn't really make sense. And the Japanese twitter account for Story of Seasons just says something about "Did you notice the Story of Season chickens?!" and nothing about a shared world. They call it 'guest appearences'.



So nah. Story of seasons world is a different world from the Rune Factory/Silent Hope shared world which is a more fantasy world.
 
As a spinoff Rune Factory will share some elements from Story of Seasons, but I agree that they're set in different universes.
 
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It's still a third sub series, it's not called Rune Factory for a reason, and it seems to play nothing alike. Which was my initial point, that's it's not so much a Rune Factory game, but a brand new series, spin off of both the other two, and not specifically of Rune Factory, since it has elements from the two games ^^ (which Rune Factory itself doesn't do, appart from the gameplay features obviously)

MaitreWakou said:
Think of it as a third new sub series, imo.
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All I'm going to say in regard to the subseries debate and how many there are is that you're all forgetting Innocent Life. Yes, it was only one game but was a sci-fi take on Story of Seasons while Rune Factory (RF1 was made at the same time) was the medieval fantasy equivalent.
 
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Hailinel said:
All I'm going to say in regard to the subseries debate and how many there are is that you're all forgetting Innocent Life. Yes, it was only one game but was a sci-fi take on Story of Seasons while Rune Factory (RF1 was made at the same time) was the medieval fantasy equivalent.
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I always find that interesting because the japanese title make it so it was supposed to be where they were supposed to go (with the subtitle of shin bokujou monogatari) giving it the same subtitle like rune factory (Rune factory - Shin Bokujou Monogatari). But it went so bad itt was like "we are buriying IL ok people?, the new one is RF"
 
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Looks solid. Wonder if I can squeeze a budget release into the ridiculous October that's coming.
 
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I think this has potential, I like the art direction, it’s very clean and easy to see what’s what. Hopefully advanced classes and gear keep the gameplay interesting as it all looks like a bit samey at the moment, but I assume that’s because what we’ve seen is basic classes vs early game monsters.
 
During Gamescom we had the chance to interview the producer and scenario writer. For your interest the Dutch version and English Google Translated version :).

In this morning's presentation you gave some information about items you can craft, how do these items integrate into the gameplay? How and when can you use the items?

Honoka Moriwak: In Silent Hope, there are two ways to use items. First, you can create new weapons, armor or other equipment that you can use to gain more power and better defend yourself while fighting enemies. Second, you can cook items that are more unique and different and have different effects such as healing.

Can you create all new weapons or can you only upgrade existing weapons?

Honoka Moriwak: It can be both. So you can upgrade weapons you already have and create stronger weapons as the game progresses.

In the presentation you explained that while exploring The Abyss you can switch characters at a crystal or go back to home base. Can you do both at the same time or can you only choose one of the two?

Honoka Moriwak: If you find a crystal in the abyss, you can only do one. So you can choose to go back to home base, or to switch characters.

If you go back to home base and decide to explore The Abyss again, will you spawn back at the crystal that sent you back to base?

Honoka Moriwak: So, in terms of progression, if you go back to home base and then to the abyss, you spawn back at exactly the same point where you left The Abyss. But the shape of the dungeon will be different, so nothing stays the same in The Abyss…

Of course, the level of each player differs. How does Silent Hope cater to newcomers and seasoned RPG players alike? Are there adjustable difficulty levels?

Makoto Shioda: Yes, there are different difficulty levels, but everyone starts on the same difficulty level. The more difficult modes are unlocked as you progress through the game. And some special weapons are only available in these 'special' modes.

Okay, so this is a really important one for me: can players expect any kind of co-op play or a multiplayer mode in Silent Hope?

Makoto Shioda: Unfortunately not. The game is for single player only.

Can you talk about the inspiration behind Silent Hope's art style and graphics? Were there specific influences or themes?

Makoto Shioda: Are you familiar with the Rune Factory game series? So this game world is in the same world as the Rune Factory games. So the team was always aware of that while developing Silent Hope. They want to expand the world of the original Rune Factory series.

This game has seven playable characters. But, do the seven heroes have connected backstories or are they just coming together for this quest?

Makoto Shioda: In the beginning of this game, you don't know much about these characters, because they don't have words anymore, so they can't communicate with each other. All of them have come together through the prayer of the princes. But as the game progresses you will learn more about these characters.

Given the depth of the game world, are there any plans or considerations for more titles or spin-offs set in the same universe of Silent Hope and Rune Factory?

Makoto Shioda: In the future, we want to expand the world of Rune Factory more and more. This will not only include Rune Factory's number of titles, but also these spin-offs and other titles such as Silent Hope. So yes, more titles are coming.

Silent Hope looks like a fairly large game, so how many hours of gameplay can we expect between the main storyline and the side missions?

Makoto Shioda: It depends on the player, but if you only play the main story, the game will last about twenty hours. If you also complete all the side missions, it's about thirty hours.

Silence is clearly a dominant theme in the story. How is the silence alongside the story implemented in the gameplay mechanics, puzzles and environment interactions?

Honoka Moriwak: Inside and outside the Abyss, the heroes have no words, so it's the same outside and inside the dungeon.

Game development almost always has its own hurdles. What do you think was the biggest challenge during the development of Silent Hope?

Makoto Shioda & Honoka Moriwak: The most difficult development challenge was progressing with the storytelling, while unfortunately the characters don't have words. So we had to find a way for the characters to communicate with each other without them having words. In the end we came up with the princess and through her the story is told.

Of course, the action RPG genre has many iconic titles. How will “Silent Hope” differentiate itself from the competition?

Makoto Shioda: The biggest draw is probably the thrilling thrills you get when you play this action RPG. We are confident that we can make you feel that way.

Makoto Shioda: Another thing that might be different from all other action RPGs is that some action RPGs have a slow start and only get exciting when the characters get stronger. But, in Silent Hope the game will be very exciting right from the start. So there will be suspense from the beginning to the end of the game.

Sound is such a crucial element in determining the tone of a game. How are Silent Hope's music and soundscapes composed to evoke the essence of a world where silence reigns?

Makoto Shioda & Honoka Moriwak: We have a lot of faith in the music in Silent Hope. The music is very good as the composers have made music that fits every layer of the game. But they are all so cohesive that they fit together.

The Abyss is a prominent location in the game. How did the team design it and what kind of atmosphere did you want to create?

Honoka Moriwak: The Abyss shows what the kingdom used to look like. But then there are four seasons. So each layer of the abyss represents its own season. So that's the same as Rune Factory and Story of Seasons, which also have four seasons.

The trailer shown in the last Nintendo Direct stated that you can use weapons such as swords, bows and magic. Can each character use all types of weapons, or does each character have a unique weapon or ability?

Makoto Shioda: Only one character can use a certain weapon. So each character specializes in one type of weapon.

Finally, for those who are not yet sure whether to buy Silent Hope, what would you say to entice them?

Makoto Shioda: Whether or not you are good at games of this genre, everyone can enjoy Silent Hope with suspense and action throughout the game.
 
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