SEGA America to publish Shining Tears
Action RPG gets translated.
Reflective types pining after another bout of Shining Force will be pleased to hear that SEGA of America has decided to publish - and thereby obviously translate - SEGA Japan's Shining Tears action-RPG for PS2.
Described as a "spiritual successor" to Shining Force and co., ST features real-time battles, co-operative multiplayer, "upwards of 50 hours of gameplay" and eight different endings to uncover.
It's the tale of a young man suffering from memory loss (aren't they all?), fighting to work out why the world around him is at war, and why his home city is under siege. It's something to do with a pair of magical rings of power, he's told, so obviously he goes off with his friends and embarks on a significant passage of discovery. The kind we like.
SEGA seems pretty keen on it all anyway. Said Scott A. Steinberg, veepee of entertainment marketing: "SEGA development has created a game with a distinct hand-drawn look that will resonate with anime enthusiasts and fans of the Shining series."
"The game's 'Dual Battle System', which allows a player to control two party members simultaneously, adds a layer of strategy that Shining Force veterans in particular will appreciate."
We shall see soon. Shining Tears should be out in the US in spring 2005. SEGA Europe has yet to comment on a possible European release.