Critical Games announced today that their upcoming neo-retro JRPG title 8-Bit Adventures 2 will be releasing on, well, everything. We already knew it was coming soon to Steam and GOG and we were very exited about that. But now Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One console owners will be able to play too.
This writer is over the moon. Since interviewing Josh Hallaran of Critical Games back in August 2020 and jumping into the demo (which is still available on Steam) I’ve been looking forward to playing the full game. This is a love letter to classic titles like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy and the Mother series. There are many similar modern titles that hark back to the golden age of role playing games. With 8-Bit Adventures 2, Critical Games have kept the melting pot of good bits on the hob a little longer than the rest. They’ve created something that’s just so endearing and full of charm it’s hard not to champion it.
And it’s not just me getting giddy at the prospect of playing on my console of choice.
“After our game was showcased at Gamescom 2020, we received a tremendous number of requests to bring 8-Bit Adventures 2 to consoles. It’s added a lot of extra work to a project that’s already been in development for over 5 years, but my goal is to make sure that everyone can enjoy this classic JRPG adventure – no matter where they prefer to play,” said lead developer Josh Hallaran.
When we spoke last year, Josh said, “the biggest challenge is definitely visibility and reaching your target audience. Simply put, it’s hard to rise above the noise and get people’s attention”. So to be able to bring 8-Bit to more players is a huge coup. And he echoed that sentiment in today’s announcement.
“While the game’s been entirely self-funded, it was fan support that has ultimately allowed us to take this project further than I ever imagined. I’m genuinely thrilled to be bringing 8-Bit Adventures 2 to every major console platform, and I sincerely hope that the Nintendo, PlayStation®, and Xbox communities will enjoy discovering the grand, character-driven story, dynamic turn-based battles, and ‘familiar yet fresh’ experience that awaits them in this epic new adventure.”
The console port is being handled by Ratalaika Games who have a pedigree of bringing indie titles to mainstream systems. With the support of companies like Ratalaika, pan-system releases aren’t the sole domain of AAA studios. And that can only be a good thing for the industry and players alike.
A concrete release date still hasn’t been confirmed. In the meantime take a look at the trailer below – fans of 2D story driven adventures will love it.
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