After a trip to Amsterdam and an absence due to tonsillitis, Kickstart This is back with a bang…
OK, so I wrote this on Guy Fawkes Night, and that opener might just be funny to me. I blame the medication. I’ll shut up now…
Due to games being cancelled, there have been a few stalled attempts to write a new installment, and the one I finally chose has not even reached the 10% mark yet, but I’m hoping we can change that. So let’s go meet Ara of the Wanderers.
Project: Ara and the Wanderers
Developer: Bearmancer
Genre: 2D Techno RPG
Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Funding Target: $35,000
What Is It?
If Studio Ghibli were in the gamemaking business, and decided to do something in the vein of Hyper Light Drifter, Ara of the Wanderers is a close approximation to what that bizarre reality would look like. It’s a beautifully-rendered 2D world brimming with odd animals and character.
The game begins with Ara escaping from a group of “fringers” who have held her captive for over two years. She lost her arm as a consequence, but she keeps moving, trying to find some remnants of her old life, while fearing her enemies can track her. Her story will be told through dialogue with the people she meets, as well as exploring the land hunting for clues.
Why Fund It?
Ara of the Wanderers promises several diverse areas to explore, all filled with environmental puzzles, and secret areas to uncover. Not all areas need to be found to complete the game, but like most, exploration is rewarded with a better understanding of the world. There is a focus on intense combat, using shield blocks and Ara’s single-shot rifle with precision timing. Otherwise, players may lose the battle. And if players do fall against a specific opponent, this may have permanent repercussions later in the game.
Music for Ara of the Wanderers comes courtesy of Techtax, providing a rich, future sounding atmospheric soundtrack that beautifully ties in with the game and the themes it raises.
Best Rewards?
- Digital copy of the game – $20 ($15 for early bird limited to 150)
- Previous rewards, plus digital soundtrack and manual – $28
- Previous rewards, plus digital artbook and your name in the credit – $40
- Previous rewards, plus beta access – $60
- Previous rewards, plus physical art book – $80
- Previous rewards, plus physical collector’s edition of game – $110
- Previous rewards, plus analogue audio tape with unheard music and secret messages relating to the game – $150
- Previous rewards, plus create a painting to be shown in the game, and two extra copies of the game – $200
Until Next Time…
Nick Barr, the Lead Designer at Bearmancer, has spent the last nine years of his life creating this vibrant, imaginative world for players to explore. He has filled it with stories, puzzles, and hidden secrets, so it would be a damn shame if he wasn’t able to finish the project now.
