In many pieces of fiction, great heroes must undertake a journey in order to come to terms with their destiny. This is the case in Shrine's Legacy, the upcoming action RPG-lite that takes inspiration from classic titles like Final Fantasy 9 and the 2D Legend of Zelda games, while also introducing a new story with co-op gameplay. The developers at Positive Concept Games wanted to make sure that their game had memorable characters and a setting that resonated with players. In an interview with Game Rant, Technical Director Joseph Duke and Creative Director Alan Gabbard discussed Shrine's Legacy's story and design.
As the Creative Director, Gabbard made it clear that something he wanted to prioritize was the presence of themes in every part of the game possible. He also said that while the main character Rio is on a hero's journey, the main theme of Shrine's Legacy is inspired by the characters' losses and how they deal with them. It starts as Rio nearly loses his sword, and the consequences of this including the loss of the world by a demon. All the while, Rio must come to terms with his fate as the heir to the Shrine destiny of defeating the great evil Alkor.
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At the start of Shrine's Legacy, Rio is living in a small town and training using his family's sword that has been passed down through the generations. Rumor has it that Rio's ancestor was the one who first defeated the great evil that has returned once again. As Gabbard describes it, Rio is faced with a similar destiny, although he first seems skeptical before having no choice but to leave his home in order to make sure that his love interest and the people in his community are able to survive.
"Rio has to accept some responsibility of what it means to be the only one who can fell the main villain, who is also of legendary descent."
It isn't until he sees his significant other attacked by Alkor in the town square that he realizes what's at stake under this evil being's control. After encouragement and a guiding hand from his new partner Reima, Rio embarks on his quest in the hopes of collecting all the gems and powering up his sword. As his power grows and he travels the land, Rio will learn more about himself and what it means to carry the Shrine mantel. However, whether he can collect all the gems and defeat the villain remains to be seen.
One of the most important things to Gabbard has been showing themes present throughout the entirety of the game.
"I would say, if you asked me what the story was really about, I think the main theme is loss and how people cope with that."
When Reima steals Rio's sword at the beginning, players are introduced to this feeling of being helpless. Because of this lack of power, Rio leaves his home and town in the hopes of saving them from the wrath of the big bad. There are many other moments that touch on this loss, and Gabbard made it clear he wants players to be able to feel that while they're enjoying the game.
Thanks to the accessibility of game development knowledge and resources available online, there are a number of upcoming titles from smaller developers that seek to provide interesting stories. Shrine's Legacy from Positive Concept Games seeks to tell an important story about loss, love, and living up to one's destiny, all while being a love letter to classic 2D SNES titles like A Link to the Past. Whether as a co-op or single-player experience, players will soon be able to keep up with Shrine's Legacy via its Kickstarter, which is coming soon.
Shrine's Legacy is currently in development.
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