XSEED have revealed that they are localizing Nihon Falcom’s Zwei!! as Zwei: The Arges Adventure. They will be releasing their version of the action RPG on PC.
Zwei: The Arges Adventure is the predecessor to Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection, which XSEED already released earlier this year. However, each game tells its own self-contained story, so players can enjoy them in any order. After a mysterious masked figure steals six idols from a local shrine, step-siblings Pokkle and Pipiro embark on a quest to retrieve them for fame and fortune. Their journey will take them all across the floating continent of Arges and they will encounter many friends and foes along the way. Meanwhile, a plot to revive an ancient “Demon Lord” will unfold. Like its successor, Zwei: The Arges Adventure features plenty of comedy. Pokkle is rather fond of puns, Pipiro is full of snark, and the rest of the cast have quirks of their own.
In Zwei: The Arges Adventure, players can swap between the two protagonists to take advantage of their strengths in real time combat. While Pokkle specializes in melee, Pipiro has an array of magic spells at her disposal. The game also includes the unique food-centric leveling system present in the sequel. Rather than directly powering up through battle, the duo gain experience as they eat. Players can simply consume every morsel they find, but they can also trade a collection of culinary delights for exponentially better cuisine. Then again, these edible items also restore health, so players will have to decide the best method of using them.
From the official product description on Steam:
Boasting a completely standalone story set on a mysterious “low fantasy” island floating amongst the clouds, Zwei: The Arges Adventure plays out as a classically styled action-oriented 2D dungeon crawler with oodles of optional content and unlockables, player-defined challenge through a unique food-based experience system, and a pervading tongue-in-cheek humor style that helps set it apart from other entries in the genre. Although released on several different platforms in Japan over the years, this is the first time it’s ever been officially released in English, and is the most feature-complete version of the game to date.
So what are you waiting for? There’s no need to ask Zwei; you Arges gonna have to play this game right now!
FEATURES
- SD Anime-Style Characters Inhabiting a Colorful Hand-Drawn 2D World
Boasting beautiful painterly art rife with detail and animations, and populated with an equally colorful cast of super-deformed anime characters who are constantly on the move, the world of Arges feels perpetually alive and energetic.- Fast and Chaotic Combat Featuring a Plucky Duo of Protagonists (and One Pet)
Fend off merciless enemies in real time with Pokkle’s melee attacks and Pipiro’s myriad magics, and solve puzzles to progress through the game’s many dungeons, all while either flanked by a loyal pet or while monitoring said pet from afar as it goes off on its own adorable little journeys.- Tongue-in-Cheek Story and Characters Providing Genuine Humor
Pokkle’s terrible puns and Pipiro’s all-encompassing snark combine with quirky NPCs, self-aware dialogue, weird and unlikely locations, over-the-top situations, fourth-wall breaking, optional side-quests, and more to provide a genuinely funny and dynamic RPG experience.- Food-Based Leveling System Allowing Players to Challenge the Game on Their Own Terms
Eat food to level-up, or hoard your food so you can exchange it in town for even better food down the line that grants even more experience. Will you stay low-level and challenge dungeons well beyond your means for the promise of more level-ups to come, or will you engorge yourself on demand to make the road ahead a little easier?- Minigames, Music, Achievements, Art, and More, Creating the Definitive Zwei Experience
Play an Ys-inspired typing tutor, an adorable yet savage aeroplane shmup, or a block puzzler that rewards you for not making combos – or maybe just take the time to help guide your pet through the harsh wilderness for various spoils! If that’s not enough, why not try for one of the myriad new achievements, seek out one of the newly illustrated character bromides, or switch out the regular soundtrack for its 2008 arranged version? You can even play the game with Japanese text if you want! Add to that a bevy of control improvements and other modernizations, and you have the ultimate update to this unsung Falcom classic!
The game is still not quite done, but XSEED aims to have it available sometime in “Winter.”