Publication date of the original Japanese article: 2021-10-01 20:51 (JST)
Translated by. Ryuki Ishii

Square Enix announced their new dungeon exploration RPG DUNGEON ENCOUNTERS at TGS2021. The game will come out on October 14 for PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC (via Steam). It will be digital download only with an asking price of 3,520 yen in Japan. 20% discount for an early purchase will apply until late October.

DUNGEON ENCOUNTERS is a dungeon exploration RPG from the creator of Final Fantasy’s ATB system, Hiroyuki Ito. It is being made with a minimalistic visual and game design approach in mind, along with an aim to focus on the game system and the fun factor that stems from using your brain. Dungeons are represented by simple maps comprised of square grids. Players will form a party and use their wits to dive into the deepest part of the dungeon where mysteries lurk.

Although the map itself is simple, there are many elements scattered throughout it. You’ll come across rare items, rare enemies, and new allies. The game is full of collectibles to seek out. By traversing through all the square grids on a map, you’ll gain Ability Points, which determines the cost limit of abilities you can set on each character. However, stepping on all the squares won’t be easy. As you go deeper into the dungeon, there will be more hidden squares and traps.

Unlike other RPGs, all event encounters in this game are displayed in numbers. Basically, all the events other than enemy encounters, such as HP recovery, item pickups, opportunity to change abilities, weapon/armor shops exist as numbered squares with “white numbers” written on them.

If you’re worried about losing track of events and their corresponding numbers, well, there’s a “book” feature available where you can view the content of events, but only after certain conditions are met. Enemy encounters are also scattered around the map, and they too are numbered. These ones are written in “black numbers,” so they are distinguishable from the white events. Black numbers are normally hidden, but if you happen to have an ability that will display the battle numbers, they will become visible on the map.

The game will use Final Fantasy series’ iconic ATB (Active Time Battle) system. Battles are fought in real time based on the speed of each character, while choosing each move from a command menu. As this game is directed by Hiroyuki Ito, the original creator of ATB system, we can expect to see a battle system that is both well thought out and well-designed. There is also a “wait” mode where time stops while selecting a command, so those who like to take their time can enjoy the game as well.

DUNGEON ENCOUNTERS is being produced by Hiroaki Kato, and character designs are handled by Ryoma Ito. The music director for the game is Nobuo Uematsu, who is widely known for his work in the Final Fantasy series. It will be interesting to see how these character arts and sounds will fit in with the simplicity of this title.

Sayoko Narita

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