What a lovely sounding game!
Talented composer Laura Shigihara is best known for herPlants vs. Zomiessoundtrack, but she has also had her hands in other great soundtracks, includingWorld of Warcraft, Penny Arcade’s On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness(I also worked on that game!), and one of my favorites, the heartstring puller indie gameTo the Moon.
After about a year of development, Shigihara is now revealing her latest, calledProject Rakuen. Shigihara is working alongside friend and artist (and fellow former EA employee) Emmy Toyonaga to create a game that she describes as a mix betweenManiac Mansion, The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past, andTo the Moon. It’s a battle-free exploration game with what sounds like a lovely premise.
Rakuenis about a boy that lives in a hospital. He becomes bored and relies on his mother’s storybook readings. He eventually learns more about the patients that live with him in this hospital, learning about empathy, hope, and what it means to leave a legacy behind. Influences include Japanese mythology and children’s culture, as well as films likeSpirited Away.
Rakuenalready sounds amazing, but I’m draw in even more after learning how the project started. Shigihara tells Destructoid that the game was inspired by a song she wrote forAkira Yamaoka’s Play for Japan charity album, called “Jump.” As a fellow composer, I think it’s wonderful that a game can spring from a song.
This sounds like a winning formula if you ask me. Shigihara is shooting for a PC release in early 2014, with possible ports coming after. In our gallery you’ll find a new poster image forRakuen,and anew webpage for the projecthas even more information. Finally, a treat: somesoundtrack samples on Bandcamp!
