Mystic Chronicles

Mystic Chronicles
Artwork for the English-language PSP/PS Vita release
Developer(s)Kemco
Publisher(s)Natsume Inc.
Platform(s)PlayStation Portable, iOS
ReleasePSP
  • JP: September 4, 2012
  • NA: July 16, 2013[1]
  • EU: January 29, 2014
PS VITA
  • NA: August 6, 2013
iOS
  • NA: January 19, 2012
PlayStation 4'PlayStation 5'Xbox Series X and Series S''''Nintendo Switch''''Windows https://www.kemco-games.com/global/pr/gech_pre_xbox_st_sw.html
Genre(s)Role-playing video game
Mode(s)Single player

Mystic Chronicles is a Japanese role-playing video game developed by Kemco. While initially released as Fantasy Chronicles for the iOS, the name was retitled as a result of Natsume Inc. providing a new English translation for its release on the PlayStation Portable, released in North America on July 16, 2013.[1] It was re-released on Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One and Windows devices, Steam, PlayStation 5 / PlayStation 4 (supporting Cross-Buy) and for the Nintendo Switch as Genso Chronicles.

Gameplay

The game plays as a traditional Japanese role-playing video game. In the game, the player navigates a character through a fantasy world, interacting with non-playable characters and fighting enemies. When engaging enemies, the game utilizes a turn based battle system reminiscent of ones found in the Dragon Quest series of games.[2]

Story

The game stars a boy named Lux, who wishes to protect the village he grew up in, from external threats.[3]

Development

Developer Kemco, while a prevalent maker of video games during the NES era of video games, eventually ceased releasing video games in North America as technology and graphics advanced.[4] In the 2010s, however, they changed their focus to release smaller, retro based games for mobile phones.[4]

The game was originally released as Fantasy Chronicles for iOS.[5] The game was eventually ported to the PlayStation Portable.[6] In February 2013, Natsume Inc. announced they would be releasing the game under a new title, Mystic Chronicles, with a new translation,[5] distancing it from its original release, which was criticized for its translation.[4] The PSP release will also contain an additional storyline.[7]

The game is updated to be compatible with the PlayStation Vita on August 6, 2013.[8]

Reception

Touch Arcade gave the game a 3.5 out of 5 rating, praising the classic gameplay features such as the battle system and crafting, but criticizing the game for being tedious after extended play time, and for its poor English translation,[9] something Natsume Inc. would later address with its complete re-translation with its PSP release.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b GamesPress.com. July 2, 2013. (2013-07-02). "MYSTIC CHRONICLES™ HEADED TO PSP AND PS VITA". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2013-07-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "News Bulletin - Natsume Brings Over Mystic Chronicles". RPGamer. 2013-02-22. Archived from the original on 2013-02-26. Retrieved 2013-03-01.
  3. ^ "RPGFan News - Natsume Brings Mystic Chronicles To North America". Rpgfan.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-23. Retrieved 2013-03-01.
  4. ^ a b c Spencer . March 20, 2012 . 1:48am (2012-03-20). "Kemco Keeps 16-Bit JRPGs Alive With Games Like Fantasy Chronicle". Siliconera. Retrieved 2013-03-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ a b Spencer . February 18, 2013 . 1:32pm (2013-02-18). "Natsume Localizing Retro RPG Mystic Chronicles For PSP". Siliconera. Retrieved 2013-03-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Spencer . July 27, 2012 . 6:53pm (2012-07-27). "Fantasy Chronicle Might Be The Cheapest PSP RPG To Date". Siliconera. Retrieved 2013-03-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ a b "Natsume transforms Fantasy Chronicle into Mystic Chronicles | GamerTell". Technologytell.com. 2013-02-19. Retrieved 2013-03-01.[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ Morgan Haro, PlayStation Blog, 2013-07-16
  9. ^ "Fantasy Chronicle Review". Touch Arcade. 2012-01-24. Retrieved 2013-03-01.