Lost Sphear, the new game from I Am Setsuna studio Tokyo RPG Factory, tells the tale of a young boy named Kanata, whose world is literally disappearing, piece by piece. Possessing the unique power of Memory that enables him to restore what's been lost, he and his friends set out on a mission to put things right. The game won't be out until early next year, but you can get a taste of what's to come by way of the demo that was released today on Steam.
The demo showcases some of the game's central features, including real-time combat and the Artefact system, "which allows players to utilize restored Memories to customize their user interface, obtain player bonuses, as well as advance the story."
The controls are pretty brutal, and will presumably (hopefully) be properly implemented for the full release. But for now there's no mouse support, so maneuvering through menus requires the WASD keys, with the spacebar to select. The standard save option isn't available, but you can quicksave using the "1" key, and once you're into the game's menu—accessible via "J"—the only way out is to hit "K."
There's nothing provided in the way of story or context for your actions, either. Almost immediately after the demo begins, you're ordered by a military leader of some sort to return a large rock from the white, void glowing into which it's apparently fallen. Everyone seems thoroughly impressed by your ability to do so, but how you came about that particular ability to save the day—and who these guys are that you're helping out—is entirely a mystery.
It's possible that more is revealed later on in the demo (I didn't finish it) but at least in the early going it's definitely more of a mechanical tutorial than a meaningful slice of the game. But it's free—big plus—and it's not an overly large download, so if you're interested in Lost Sphear (and I do think it looks like an interesting game so far), it's definitely worth a look.
Lost Sphear is set for release on January 23, 2018.
