Elminage
Japanese dungeon crawler RPG series in the Wizardry tradition.
Since 2008, Starfish SD has published Elminage, a series of Japanese fantasy role-playing games. These dungeon crawlers follow the Wizardry tradition and are widely regarded as some of the best in their genre.
Quick Facts
- Platforms
- PlayStation 2
- Nintendo DS
- PlayStation Portable
- Nintendo 3DS
- Microsoft Windows
- Publisher
- Starfish SD
- Genre
- Role-playing video games
Facts from the source article.
Introduction
The Wizardry series deeply influenced Japanese role-playing game design, leading to many clones by Japanese developers. The Elminage series is known for its quality and especially its game balance. The original series comprises two games: Elminage: Yami no Miko to Kamigami no Yubiwa in 2008, and Elminage II: Sousei no Megami to Unmei no Daichi in 2010. Both PlayStation Portable releases were well received by fans. After these two games, series producer Komiyama Daisuke, who handled producing, scenario writing, monster design, and game system design, was laid off and eventually forced to leave Starfish SD. Before leaving, he organized a petition among the development team to delay Elminage II's release and provide more reasonable resources. His departure worried fans, as Elminage III was in its final development stage. It released on PlayStation Portable in 2011. The last main series release was Elminage Gothic in 2013 on Nintendo 3DS.
Reception
Its direct sequel, Elminage II on PlayStation Portable, scored an S rank among 34 users, averaging 84 on the Japanese PSP peer-review site pspmk2.net, becoming the highest-scored RPG on that site. Elminage III received mixed reception; critics praised its class freedom and atmosphere but noted suffering game balance and minor polishing issues. Elminage Gothic also received mixed reception, with fans feeling the series' world-view was denied because the text had little reference to past releases.
Releases
The series includes four main games and one spin-off. Elminage: Yami no Miko to Kamigami no Yubiwa was developed by Opera House and released by Starfish SD in Japan in March 2008 for PlayStation 2. A DS remix followed in November 2008. Elminage Original for PSP released in Japan in 2011, in the US in 2012, and in Europe in 2013, receiving mixed or average Western reviews. An enhanced HD port, Elminage ORIGINAL - Priestess of Darkness and The Ring of the Gods, came to PC via Steam on 29 November 2017 by D3Publisher, accumulating Very Positive reviews. Elminage II: Sousei no Megami to Unmei no Daichi released on PSP in 2009, with a DS remix in July 2010. Elminage III: Ankoku no Shito to Taiyou no Kyuuden released on PSP in 2011 and later on 3DS in 2017. Elminage Gothic: Ulm Zakir to Yami no Gishiki released on PSP in 2012, with a Windows port announced by Ghostlight in 2014 and released on September 18, 2014. A 3DS remix followed in September 2013. The spin-off, Elminage Ibun: Ame no Mihashira, released on PSP in 2012.
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