Chibig, the Spanish indie studio behind games like Summer in Mara, Mika and the Witch's Mountain, and the upcoming Kickstarter-backed Metroidvania Elusive, has announced a brand new project that looks set to combine Zelda-esque 3D exploration with battle encounters inspired by the world of bullet-hell shooters.
Bel's Fanfare, as the project is called, was unveiled yesterday on social media (January 15th) and, similar to Elusive, will be seeking funding through Kickstarter to pay for its production costs. It is described as an "immersive RPG" with "combat inspired by the Zelda 3D classics," and features some frankly stunning background art and character designs that could potentially trick you into thinking it is a lost PS2 title.
According to the pre-launch Kickstarter landing page, it appears to currently be in development for Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Steam, and PS4/5, with the crowdfunding campaign to support the project being set to launch on February 3rd.
Right now, details about the story are being kept mostly under wraps. However, the official announcement mentions that players will take control of a small demon-like character named Bel, an "aura cleaner for the once-luxurious vessel The Witch of the Sea".
Their job is to "purify the rooms of the cruise ship" by helping the otherworldly passengers deal with their spiritual traumas. To do this, the player is equipped with an item called the Ukobach gong-shield, which will help them to solve puzzles around the ship, absorb aura, and block incoming attacks while battling the physical manifestations of their problems in bullet-hell-esque arenas.
It all looks incredibly promising, and we can't wait to see more of the project in the future.