Sony to Release PSP Remake of Olde-Japan RPG

This week's issue ofFamitsumagazine in Japan has a lot of key info for fans ofVanillawareandthe Resident Evil series, but for the truly hardcore among console JRPG fans, the real big news of the week is the first look the magazine offered atOre no Shikabane o Koete Yuke, a PSP role-player that combines an ancient Japanese setting with some very unique gameplay features.

A remake of a Japanese game released for the original PlayStation in 1999,Ore no Shikabane(which loosely translates as"Press On Beyond My Corpse") tells the tale of a warrior clan in the Heian period of Japan's medieval age. After the demon Shuten Douji lays waste to the capital, the wedded fighters Genta and Orin step up to defeat the menace, only to be trounced handily. Shuten Douji then places two curses upon their progeny: they will grow, mature and die within the space of two years, and they cannot bear any children of their own. The gods, viewing this tragedy unfold, have pity upon Genta and Orin's child (the player character) and offer him or her a deal: help them eradicate the human world of Shuten Douji and his demons, and in exchange they will pair with the child to help give birth to future generations and keep the clan alive.

Thus, the gameplay of Ore no Shikabane has the player fighting through labyrinths, defeating mythical Japanese monsters, and using the mana proceeds to unlock access to new gods to mate and create the next generation of fighters with. Each generation of the clan is stronger than the previous one, learning new skills and combo moves, and your skill at raising characters in battle and choosing the right god to assist your family defines how quickly you're able to confront Shuten Douji anew. It's a neat system that's made the RPG an underground hit among Japanese gamers, enough so that the original PS release has been a perennial best-seller on the PlayStation Network in Japan since it was put up for sale in 2007.

The PSP version of Ore no Shikabane is a completely revised remake from indie game designer Shoji Masuda and development outfit Alfa System, the two main forces behind the original. The game is receiving a full graphical remake that emphasizes brush-like art and subdued colors, giving it a visual look that's more than a little reminiscent of Capcom's Okami series. Many new weapons, monsters and fighting moves are being added, and ad-hoc multiplayer support is also in the works, although details are still being kept under wraps.

The game, pegged at 50% complete by Sony Computer Entertainment PR, is due out this fall in Japan.

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