Avalon Code - A New DS RPG From the Final Fantasy IV DS Team

Preview and Shots from IGN.

Matrix Brings Avalon Code to the DS
New RPG from the developers of the DS version of Final Fantasy IV.
by John Tanaka

May 9, 2008 - A brand new action RPG from Marvelous Entertainment's graces the pages of the latest issue of Famitsu. Avalon Code is in the DS spotlight this week, and it's already getting some amount of attention thanks to its high quality 3D engine.

In Avalon Code, you play as either Yumil and Tia, a young boy/girl duo born in a world that's on the verge of destruction. You've been having dreams about the world's end. One day, waking up from one of these dreams, you find a special book at your side. This book leads you on an adventure to explore the world, noting down all the elements that should be carried over when the world is reborn following its destruction, and rewriting all the elements that should be changed.

This book of prophecies, in addition to being a central part of the game's story, is also core to the gameplay. By changing the contents of the book, you can do such things as giving an invincible enemy a weak spot and healing a girl who's sick. We're not sure of the specifics of how this gameplay system will work, but the book is important enough that it's displayed constantly on the bottom screen.

As the genre suggests, there's more to Avalon Code than just manipulating a book with the stylus. The game combines action and RPG elements. Battles are fought in real time on the top screen using button-based commands. The title also promises a love simulation component, as you can select from a variety of potential partners depending on the gender of your chosen hero.

The high tech going into the game shouldn't come as a surprise considering its developer, Matrix. This studio previously worked on the DS remake of Final Fantasy IV. The game is being directed by two Matrix staffers, Keizo Kato and Takahiro Matsumoto.

Other big names at work on the game include character designer HACCAN (known for the Legend of Heroes series) and music from Minako Adachi (known for Summon Night).

Avalon Code will be released to Japan this Fall. An international release has yet to be announced.

Screens:

This is something to keep an eye on. The story premise doesn't sell me right away, but the graphics look great. Matrix Software isn't actually a part of Square-Enix, so this is their own fully original game. The team obviously has potential though, and it will interesting to see how their game turns out on their own (since they haven't created their own title for a few years).

This is looking tight. And its great that the company is coming out with something new and all, but this means the future of FFV and/or VI on the DS is looking bleak, or atleast farther away than it looked yesterday.

Normally, I'd take a new game over a remake anyday, but this is in regards to Final Fantasy VI, the best RPG of the SNES era.

The rebuild the world after the apocalypse backdrop reminds me of Terranigma, my new favorite Snes action-RPG. So I'm digging the feel of the story right now.

Originally Posted by Crimson_Hero

This is looking tight. And its great that the company is coming out with something new and all, but this means the future of FFV and/or VI on the DS is looking bleak, or atleast farther away than it looked yesterday.

Normally, I'd take a new game over a remake anyday, but this is in regards to Final Fantasy VI, the best RPG of the SNES era.

True. Though another team could be working on it, possibly even on another platform.

Originally Posted by Mr. Wonderful

True. Though another team could be working on it, possibly even on another platform.

That other platform most likely being the PSP. Right? That just gets me feelin bitter.

Wow. Heres hoping the frame rate doesn't suffer.

A new trailer of Avalon Code.

Really not liking the graphics. I still have a little bit of interest in it, however.

This game looks really good! ^_^

I think it looks pretty good

Originally Posted by Mr. Wonderful

A new trailer of Avalon Code.

Really not liking the graphics. I still have a little bit of interest in it, however.

Originally Posted by WALL•E

This game looks really good! ^_^

Originally Posted by xDARNOKx

I think it looks pretty good

Mr. Wonderful, you really don't like the graphics? From the trailer, it looks good to me. I'm rather in agreement with Blizzy and DARNOK. Now, I can't say anything about the story (it'd be nice if I understood Japanese)... but in general it looked intriguing.

Looks like it could be OK! I dunno though. This team hasn't really proven themselves. It's kind of hard to judge whether an original IP will be any good, since what made FFIV DS great was the fact that it was basically a 3D carbon copy of the original.

I'll keep an eye on it. It looks like it could be interesting enough. Cautiously optimistic, I suppose?

^ I agree, as much as I enjoyed FFIV they didn't write it. I guess this will be their first real attempt.

Originally Posted by Jinny

Mr. Wonderful, you really don't like the graphics? From the trailer, it looks good to me. I'm rather in agreement with Blizzy and DARNOK. Now, I can't say anything about the story (it'd be nice if I understood Japanese)... but in general it looked intriguing.

Then again, I didn't like Final Fantasy III or IV DS's graphics, either. It seems as if, in this game, however, at least some of the characters rendered in the engine aren't too bad looking.

I dunno, everything just looks really bland to me. It has this washed-out look that could get boring to look at after a while, like Tales of the Abyss. And I've never really been a fan of big-eyed, chibi, anime-style characters. The few environments shown also look like of desolate, like Valhalla Knights, which was also developed by Marvelous. I'm always down for more portable action RPGs, but at the moment I'm not too crazy about what I've seen of this.

When I say "this game looks really good," I'm referring more to more than just the graphics, so the blowing in the wind thing was really cool.

I find myself attracted to the story too, and find the gameplay most interesting. I can't wait! ^_^