Rokudo is an upcoming 2D action platformer set in the Japanese afterlife with its gameplay inspired by the likes of Metroid, Pokemon and The Legend of Zelda.
Hailed from Kelantan, Rokudo designer and programmer Viriyapanja Koh Chen Seong told MyGameOn that the game took two years of planning before going to full-time production for a year until today.
The Kota Bharu native revealed his passion for game development started with a hobby of playing favorite games such as Pokemon, Megaman and The Legend of Zelda. However, he was able to turn his hobby into a career when Rokudo was selected to be the winner of Intellectual Property Creators Challenge (IPCC).
“I realized that video game is a media with great potential to promote our colourful Asian culture and good moral values to the world. Now, we are working hard to developing the game and learning from the Level Up Apprentice Program organized by Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC),” said Viriyapanja.
An intense boss fight of Jorogumo, Japanese spider demon.
What makes Rokudo unique from other platformer games is the theme of exploration within the Japanese folklore. Players will follow the protagonist to explore six different realms of Japanese afterlife such as human realm, animal realm, spirit realm, Asura realm, hell and heaven realm.
Viriyapanja added, “Players can also learn about the Asian views and beliefs in the afterlife. There will be many Yokai (Japanese supernatural creatures) and Asian mythological beings such as Hungry Ghost, Toyol, Pocong, and Garuda.”
Other than the central focus of Japanese culture, he also wanted to put Asian folklore in the spotlight. “I believe the Japanese culture is reputable and marketable in the Western region. Their stories are told for generations because there are moral values lies beneath in their respective lore. At the same time, we are confident that we can promote other Asian and our local folklore to the world through Rokudo,” said Viriyapanja.
What capture our attention right away was Rokudo’s witty dialogues with various Japanese mythical spirits, monsters, and demons. Not to mention, you can interact with the villagers that will help you along the way and tame cute animals.
According to Viriyapanja, Rokudo is currently developed by four members of an artist, a writer, and a composer. The team is planning to give 5 to 8 hours of playthrough in the completed version of the game.
Rokudo will be slated to release early 2020 on PC. As for consoles, Viriyapanja said it’s possible to release on PS4 or Nintendo Switch if the game is able to receive good feedback and sufficient budget.
For those who would love to know more about Rokudo, you can visit their official Facebook here.
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