Yukikaze and Studio Wild Rose make no secret of where the idea for Penny Blood: Hellboundto the point that it is the Natsume Atari studio (Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising) who offered his services for the development of this roguelike supposed to give us an overview of the universe of Penny Blood. The development of this spiritual successor to the little-known Shadow Hearts saga continues to progress in part thanks to the money from its Kickstarter campaign (paired with that of Armed Fantasia, the spiritual successor to Wild Arms).
If Penny Blood: Hellbound clearly does not have the appearance of the project fantasized by those nostalgic for Shadow Hearts, we are assured that key members of the team are participating in the project, from creative director Matsuzo Machida to illustrator Miyako Kato, including composers Yoshitaka Hirota and Noriyuki Iwadare, sorry. Acting as a prequel to the future RPG, Penny Blood: Hellbound will feature the Hellhounders, future rivals of the protagonists of Penny Blood. From a writing point of view, the idea is to learn more about the background and motivations of this group of anarchists before confronting them in Penny Blood. In form, we find ourselves facing yet another roguelike, as the team itself laughs in a burst of self-deprecation at the end of the video.
Not Penny’s GOAT
“ There will be blood as you slice, dice, punch and shoot your enemies throughout Penny Blood: Hellbound. The more blood you shed, the more you will be rewarded. Engage in intense battles and accumulate money with Malice’s innovative system to unlock a myriad of upgrades and abilities that you can acquire in the game’s hub, the Hellhounders’ lair ”, we are told. We also speak of a mechanics of bloodsurfing which allows you to use the blood that splashes on the ground as a tool to improve your mobility. The Hellhounders clan is made up of six characters, each with their own range of weapons, attacks and skills, but the game system will allow you to alternate between two villains at any time.
Only announced on Steam, Penny Blood: Hellbound will begin smoothly with a closed beta on December 14, 2023 then an early access launch in February 2024 before an official release targeting summer 2024. The full roadmap is available on Steam.