Square Enix has announced a brand new action RPG for mobile platforms in Japan titled Samurai Rising. The new franchise will be a free-to-play experience, raising questions about how often players will be able to actually use it, but when looked at on the surface, it doesn’t look so bad.
In fact, the game is clearly loaded with Final Fantasy undertones, and nowhere is that more obvious than the actual logo for the game itself. Square Enix is pretty blatantly aiming for one of those classic Yoshitaka Amano designs that crop up every single time a main Final Fantasy entry comes out. The character art, too, looks like it was pulled straight from the works of Akihiko Yoshida, the man behind hits like Final Fantasy Tactics and Bravely Default.
And while this game has a “samurai” theme going on here, each of the job classes clearly take inspiration from Final Fantasy’s typical selection. White mages, ninjas, monks, black mages, and even dragoons pretty blatantly appear in the announcement trailer. Just remember, though… these are samurai, not fantasy heroes.
Being a Square Enix mobile game from a new franchise, we probably won’t be getting Samurai Rising in North America. However, those who wish to dig for it can find it on Android and iOS later this year.
