Don't Go AWAY

If you're anything like me, you've played Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey, and are thinking to yourself, "Self, it sure would be nice to get my hands on some more Mistwalker goodness." Well, though we might be waiting a while for Blue Dragon Plus and ASH: Archaic Sealed Heat (God only knows when Nintendo will finally get around to announcing a release date for that), Mistwalker's third DS RPG, AWAY: Shuffle Dungeon, is already confirmed for North American release this October, and it actually looks pretty sweet.

A (relatively) recent Famitsu article goes into some details about the game, and I figured I might as well share them with you, loyal Sword Machine reader. ;)

For those not up to speed on AWAY, here's the run-down: our young and conveniently-named hero, Sword, was hanging out one day, chatting it up with his friend Aneira, when suddenly, there was a bright light, and Sword almost got dragged away by the mysterious AWAY. (Yes, convenient naming schemes permeate this game, just go with it.) Luckily, Aneira pulled him out, but was unfortunately dragged in instead. When Sword gets a hold of himself, he notices that not only Aneira, but his entire village has mysteriously vanished along with the light. So, of course, he sets off for the dungeon that is said to be connected with AWAY...

During his adventures into the dungeon, Sword will rescue various villagers, returning them to the village, and giving him access to more items, weapons, equipment, and skills. The article lists three different shop owners that will need saving before Sword can get his shop on with their various wares. Bukki (a play on the Japanese word for weapon) is the weapons shop owner, and will be able to sell you new arms for your quest. Bohguu (again, a play on the word for equipment) is your friendly neighborhood armorsmith. Finally, Weldan (probably a play on the Japaneseification of the words "well done") is your man for item upgrades and customization.

Throughout his adventure, Sword will be able to find and use at least four different types of weapons: swords, spears, axes, and daggers (x2). Each weapon will work a little differently, and learning which to use when and on whom will become a key to Sword's victory. These weapons can be upgraded with Weldan, and it seems that there are certain weapons that have additional skills and attributes associated with them.

Finally, the article mentions some mysterious objects known as the Rainbow Strings, which are supposedly seven magical instruments that correspond to the seven colors of the rainbow. Each will be important in Sword's overall journey, and it seems like certain villagers will be required to play them.

The game's soundtrack composer, Nobuo Uematsu, was on hand with the article to talk about these seven instruments, claiming to have once seen the real-life versions of them in Transelvania. He explains that though he wanted to hear them played, he was told that they couldn't risk being broken. Luckily though, he says, they are all available in AWAY, and he hopes that players will enjoy their music.

For me, the parallels between this game and the SNES sleeper classic, SoulBlazer, are hard to miss. But that is certainly not a bad thing. And with Mistwalker's track record, and the charming nature of this game, I am very much anticipating this title.

Check out the scans of the articles below. (Thanks, RPGLand.)



AWAY: Shuffle Dungeon will be available on Nintendo DS from AQ Interactive in Japan on October 16, 2008, and sometime this fall in North America from Majesco.