XSEED announces rhythm/strategy title 'Orgarhythm' for Vita
Move over Theatrhythm, there's a new absurdly titled and unpronounceable handheld rhythm game in town: Orgarhythm. Developed by Acquire (in association with Neilo) and set to be published in North America by XSEED sometime this year, Orgarhythm is a hybrid rhythm/strategy game for the Vita.
Acting as the God of Light, players do battle against the diametrically named God of Darkness by commanding armies of elementally-themed soldiers. The game's soundtrack, described as "a hypnotic mix of rock, club and tribal music," affects how and when your units attack, with the beat of the music acting as a quantifiable resource to be spent on stronger attacks. The music also dynamically alters itself depending on the circumstances of the battle, adding additional layers of complexity as more troops enter the fray.
As implied by the rather artsy trailer above, commanding your army is handled entirely by the Vita's touchscreen – tapping to select troops, swiping to direct them towards the desired target, etc. Said troops also have a Pokemon-esque relationship with the enemy, due to the fact that every unit is either an Earth, water or fire-type, with all the inferred weaknesses and strengths you'd expect from such a system.
Eventual DLC is mentioned by the press release tucked away after the break, but no specific plans are actually outlined. If you're an aspiring musician, however, take note: XSEED will be looking for independent artists sometime in the near future to bolstier Orgarhythm's aural catalog.%Gallery-154740%
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XSEED Games Announces Compelling Music Strategy Title, Orgarhythm, for Release on PlayStation®Vita system in North America Later this Year
Handheld Title Offers Unique Blend of Rhythm and RTS Gameplay Styles
Torrance, Calif., (May 4, 2012) – XSEED Games, an independent-minded publisher, today announced it will publish the highly original music strategy game, Orgarhythm, for the PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system later this year in North America. Developed in Japan by ACQUIRE in conjunction with Neilo, the new studio founded by Takashi Hirai who is best known for his past work on Space Channel 5 and Rez, the title blends music and real-time strategy elements to create a new experience specifically designed for touch-enabled mobile play. Playing as the God of Light, players will battle the forces of the God of Darkness by deploying elemental soldiers for rhythm-based attacks synced to a hypnotic mix of rock, club and tribal music. In the game, rhythm is a weapon and different attacks occur on different beats, making the game's catchy soundtrack dynamic to user input.
"The powerful blend of rhythm and RTS gameplay in Orgarhythm will bring players a unique new mobile game experience on PS®Vita," said Ken Berry, Executive Vice President of XSEED Games. "Rhythm is the weapon that will allow the God of Light to triumph over the God of Darkness."
Rhythm and sound act as the user interface in Orgarhythm, giving players control over their armies. Each unit type is based on one of the three elements of Earth, Water and Fire. Each elemental troop has a "rock, paper, scissors" relationship with the other elements: Water is strong vs. Fire, Fire is strong vs. Earth, and Earth is strong vs. Water. Units are rhythmically deployed with three taps to choose the unit and attack type, then a swipe of the finger across the screen to choose position and formation. Using the same interface mechanic, players can also unleash their divine powers to boost attack, defense and healing or slow down enemy troops.
Four attack types-each type requiring a certain number of beats to use-can be employed strategically in battle. As more units enter the battle, the game music expands with additional musical layers as attacks pulse with the beat.
The game features twelve maps, which never play the same way twice as the game's AI remembers how a map was previously played and adjusts its attack strategies accordingly. The game's multiplayer has both versus and co-op two-player modes via online play. In co-op mode, control of the God of Light's soldiers is shared, and in versus mode one player commands the forces of the God of Darkness-the last god standing wins!
Orgarhythm is expected to ship later this year, exclusively on the PS Vita system. With music being such a key component, aspiring musicians are encouraged to submit their songs for consideration to be selected into future DLC packs, more details of which will be announced at a later time. The game is not yet rated by the ESRB.
About ACQUIRE:
Founded in 1994 and based in the Akihabara district of Tokyo, Japan, ACQUIRE Corp. is the creator of the Tenchu series, and is well-known as being one of the top development houses for games set in Feudal-era Japan, also creating fan favorite series such as "Way of the Samurai" and "Shinobido: Way of the Ninja." With multiple teams, ACQUIRE focuses on PlayStation®3 system, Xbox 360, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and Nintendo 3DS game development. More information on ACQUIRE Corp. can be found at http://www2.acquire.co.jp
About XSEED Games:
XSEED Games was formed in November 2004 by a small group of industry veterans with a common vision: to cross-pollinate the avid gaming cultures of Japan and North America. Delivering unique, innovative titles across multiple platforms and genres, XSEED Games is dedicated to publishing products that appeal to and enrich the North American market. More information on XSEED Games can be found at http://www.xseedgames.com
©2012 ACQUIRE Corp. XSEED JKS, Inc. Published by XSEED Games.
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