One of my personally most anticipated games of the year just revealed its first full-length trailer. Cosmic Star Heroine is heavily inspired from classic 90s Japanese RPGs like Chrono Trigger, Lunar, Phantasy Star, Suikoden, and of course Final Fantasy. If that litany of 16-bit RPGs makes you weak at the knees, you’re not alone.
Cosmic Star Heroine looks to capture the magic of pixelated, turn-based combat in a unique sci-fi world. The trailer shows off a montage of cutscenes, combat, and exploration, as well as the huge cast of characters and party members. The titular heroine is Alyssa L’Salle, an intergalactic government operative that’s burned by her own agency and uncovers a conspiracy, with a little help from some new friends.
Zeboyd Games ran a successful Kickstarter back in 2013 (I’m a backer). Their previous games all reflect their love and passion for 16-bit era RPGs, including the last two Penny Arcade RPGs and the very funny Cthulhu Saves the World. Their games have done a wonderful job capturing what made 90s RPGs so great, while infusing elements of modern gameplay design. Cosmic Star Heroine represents their most ambitious and large project to date.
“We’ve been working on Cosmic Star Heroine since 2013 and are exited that you all will soon have a chance to experience it yourselves,” said Robert Boyd, co-founder of Zeboyd Games.
Cosmic Star Heroine will be available on Steam (PC/Mac) as well as a cross-buy between Playstation 4 and Vita for $14.99. The release is still Summer 2016 with no specific date listed yet. In addition to the digital release, a limited physical version will also be available at launch.