I’m a fan of traditional Japenese RPG games. So, it should come as no surprise that Cross Reverie: The Trial of Nightmare piqued my interest. While it certainly borrows heavily from the beloved genre, like most crowdfunded and indie games it takes the tried and true and weaves in its own unique twists. And the darker the better. With a subtitle like “The Trial of Nightmare” you know you’re bound to be up to your neck in twisted tales.
RPGs are well known for epic storytelling, usually telling tales about heroism and world saving. But, in Cross Reverie the story takes on a much more sinister and darker tone. There are four human nations that exist in the world, and each one sends representatives to a secluded island known as Talesford once every century to take part in a sacred ceremony called The Trial of the Ancients. The problem? This time a malevolent being known only as “The Shadow” turns the trials on its head and forces the contestants to take part in a perverted nightmare it calls “The Trial of Nightmare”. DUN DUN DUN!
Cross Reverie takes part in four acts, or “arches” as they call it. You’ll be playing eight characters from each of these nations as they face their deepest and darkest fears, striving to stay sane in an ever increasing nightmare realm. The catch here is that the first playthrough is always with the Veronis characters Raine and Lance. Once you complete their story you unlock the other three.
Each character has its own unique moves and abilities, and you can upgrade them and their weapons using item known as “Stigma Crystals”. In short, these crystals either give new abilities or enhance existing ones. Cross Reverie looks to be an interesting take on the JRPG genre and I’ll be keeping an eye on this one myself.
Track the progress of the Cross Reverie Kickstarter in our Campaign Calendar.
