Rise of the Third Power is the latest game from Stegosoft Games, which had already gained some following in 2016 with Ara Fell. The story takes place a few years after the end of a world conflict that caused a real slaughter and from which only two powers emerged, the kingdom of Cirinthia and the former Republic of Tariq. But the balance that reigns today is threatened by Dimitri Noraskov, a vengeful hero of the defeated Empire of Arkadya, who seems to be rising from the ashes. This is where a cast of eight characters come in with their own ambitions, perspectives and personalities, but all geared up for a suicide mission to overthrow the new emperor.
Presented by its authors as a combination of the best elements of gameplay and writing from Japanese and Western styles, Rise of the Third Power is obviously a love letter to 16-bit RPGs but also to modern conveniences like autosave. On the mechanical side, the eight characters will take part in the fights simultaneously “without tedious group management“, a philosophy that is also found in the management of the equipment which is based on permanent improvements rather than repeated purchases.
“No more buying an awesome helmet in town only to find a better one in a dungeon. Each character has three equipment slots with 8 upgrades each, so 192 to find in total. This system avoids the boredom of inventory management, while giving the completionist something to do“, it can be read. Speaking of reading, Rise of the Third Power will only be available in English and Japanese.