Stretch Goals Include Bonus Content From the Writer and Character Designer of Serial Experiments Lain
It’s always exciting to see indie devs get a chance to work with industry legends, and the case of Kowloon’s Curse, a turn-based indie horror-RPG about making friends, tricking your enemies into self-destruction, and trying to escape a seemingly endless virtual maze city, is no exception. This game was inspired by PS1/Dreamcast era Japanese RPGs with a battle system based on old Megami Tensei titles, so it’s very fitting to hear that developer Studio [notes.] has teamed up with Chiaki J. Konaka and Yoshitoshi ABe, the writer and character designer, respectively, of the 1998 anime series Serial Experiments Lain. If you haven’t watched Serial Experiments Lain, it’s one of the most surreal yet bizarrely meaningful explorations of technology and identity out there–and judging by this Kickstarter trailer, Kowloon’s Curse will be quite similar in tone.
The premise of Kowloon’s Curse is pretty simple, all things considered. You find yourself in a strange digital recreation of the real-life Kowloon Walled City, an ungoverned and densely populated Chinese enclave in British-ruled Hong Kong. You were brought to this replica by the mysterious entity Mr. Kowloon, and frankly, you’re not a fan. To escape from the cursed city, you must fight, bribe, and befriend your way past over 100 different characters and head down three distinct story routes to find the true purpose of Mr. Kowloon. The city itself is shown in grimy retro 3D while the NPCs are sketchy drawings, which helps adds to the old-school atmosphere. In short, it’ll be one eerie, dream-like, techno-horror ride, and we’re definitely excited to see the full picture.
Game features include:
- Talk with characters in a battle system inspired by old Megami Tensei games. There are over 100 characters in the game to meet and interact with!
- Befriend characters and call them for help in later battles.
- Collect and use a wide variety of items in battle. From having enemies damage themselves by letting them smoke a cigarette, to feeding them batteries, there are many ways to handle fighting!
- Uncover the mystery of Kowloon through multiple story routes.
- Virtual pet minigame!
- No advertisements, microtransactions, or other distractions.
Studio [notes.], you had us at no microtransactions.
Kowloon’s Curse is planned to launch in May 2022 for PC and mobile.
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