NIS America will bring GrimGrimoire OnceMore, a remastered version of the Playstation 2 strategy adventure, to Western audiences. Developed by Osaka-based Vanillaware, this stunning-looking 2D title hit the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in Japan on July 28, 2022.
While the original title and the remastered Japanese version received favorable reviews, they didn’t do so hot saleswise. Critics praised the original title for its aesthetics and deep gameplay, but some encountered issues with its controls and difficulty curve. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that the upcoming remastered version doesn’t deserve another look.
The Western release of GrimGrimoire OnceMore for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 will ship in Spring 2023. The best part is — NIS America is taking pre-orders that cost US$89.99 for each limited edition version.
Here’s the link for the PlayStation 4 version on the NIS Online Store. And we’ve also revealed an image of all the contents included in the limited edition below:
The trailer introduces the main protagonist, Lillet Blan, who attends the Tower of Silver Star. At this elite magic academy, she meets her teachers and fellow students, each having an agenda. But, she’ll also encounter mysteries and face challenges at this academy.
Featuring a side-scrolling view and large detailed sprites, GrimGrimoire OnceMore brings a fresh take to the strategy genre. A genre that occasionally shows signs of innovation, as we encountered with Adventure Academia: The Fractured Continent.
Who are the characters of GrimGrimoire OnceMore?
Here’s the list of key characters in the order they appear in the trailer:
- Lillet Blan
- Margarita Surprise
- Gammel Dore
- Bartido Ballentyne
- Hiram Menthe
- Advocat
- Amoretta Virgine
- Opalneria Rain
- Chartreuse Grande
Who is Vanillaware?
Vanillaware is a Japanese indie game developer founded in 2002 by George Kamitani, Kentaro Ohnishi, and Shigetake. George Kamitani had prior experience as a designer and pixel artist and worked on Capcom’s Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom and Atlus’s Princess Crown. On the later title, he pioneered the art style featuring large and detailed sprites, which have become the mainstay of Vanillaware titles.
However, the title that put Vanillaware on the map was Odin Sphere, an action RPG released for the PlayStation 2 in 2007. Odin Sphere’s stunning visuals, circular levels, and beat-’em-up gameplay won over critics and gamers worldwide. It even received multiple awards from IGN and other outlets.
However, the development of Odin Sphere took too long, and Vanillaware needed to work on other projects, such as GrimGrimoire, to keep going. This drained company funds and forced George Kamitani to take loans. Luckily, Odin Sphere sold well upon release and allowed Vanillaware to move ahead with Muramasa: The Demon Blade for the Nintendo Wii.
Let’s hope that the Western release of GrimGrimoire OnceMore sells enough units to allow Vanillaware to create more games in the foreseeable future. Stay tuned!