In development since 2014, Laura Shigihara’s (To The Moon) debut RPG is finally out and ready to break your heart. Rakuen (lit. paradise) is a story rich adventure starring a young boy confined to a hospital bed. A touch of The Secret World of Arietty cranks up Rakuen‘s emotional appeal, and beyond that, mysterious puzzles, dialogue based mysteries and dungeons wait to be explored.
A non-combat style game, Rakuen instead latches onto character development. Players control the young boy, who asks his mother to transport him to a fairytale world only existing within his favourite books. He longs to ask the Guardian of the Forest to grant his wish, but in order for it to come true, he needs to fulfil a promise: explore the hospital, interact with the alter egos of other patients, and help them find closure from secrets and struggles that are inexplicably linked with the hospital itself.
Rakuen is out now. You can grab it from Steam (PC, Mac & Linux) for $9.99 USD.
