Spike Chunsoft’s anime role-playing, dungeon-crawling visual novel that first released on the PS4 will eventually make its way to Steam on PC starting April 9th this spring. Zanki Zero: Last Beginning is an original title that made waves as a uniquely themed JRPG when it launched back in July of 2018 on the PS4 and Sony’s practically abandoned PS Vita, and soon PC gamers will get to experience this little gem.
So what makes this game unique? Well, after humans destroyed the world remnants of the old world drift in a sea of desolation, the protagonist of the game attempts to piece the world back together by journeying across the decayed and fragmented archipelagos.
The hook for the game, however, is that you’ll play as one of eight different protagonists who are clones. They have infinite lives, a limited amount of time, and a mystery that lay before them relating to one of the seven deadly sins that they committed during their life.
The idea is that the clones must explore the dungeons, towers, and islands across the remnants of the destroyed world.
You’ll need to interact with various characters while exploring different environments. A large portion of the game is actually structured like a visual novel, only instead of CGs the game uses 3D models as players interact with and uncover the stories for each of the characters you encounter across the isles.
Unlike other visual novels, though, you’re not just reading through tons of dialogue, you’re also gathering items, battling enemies, leveling up your characters and trying to upgrade your team along the way.
Spike actually is trying to upgrade the visual novel genre with something different.
You can look to get your hands on the game, which will have both English and Japanese full audio, along with subtitles, so you can read the game in English and enjoy the subs with the obviously superior Japanese audio voiceovers. For more info feel free to check out the Steam store page ahead of its release.
(Thanks for the news tip Rala Cloft)