Arc The Lad R Is Sony’s Next Console To Mobile JRPG

As promised earlier this month, Sony and ForwardWorks have lifted the veil covering its upcoming Arc the Lad mobile game, which is now officially known as Arc the Lad R.

As part of the announcement, the two revealed a handful of key information, as well as two new trailers.

Here is what we know so far:

• The game is set in the same universe as the original saga, with the story itself taking place 10 years after Arc the Lad II.
• The protagonist, Haruto, belongs to the vigilante corps of Millmana, one of the countries pushing forward with reconstruction following the Great Disaster (the global disaster which took place during Arc the Lad II).
• A mysterious girl named Mizuha plays an important role in the story upon meeting Haruto following a “certain event.”
• During this time, once-defeated monsters and and a threat known as the Divine Beasts begin to make their presence felt, threatening to halt reconstruction efforts and undo all the progress made beforehand.
• Characters from the previous titles are set to appear as playable characters.
• It’s a TRPG.
• Characters will be developed via “strengthening” and “evolution.”
• Various side activities will be present, and the series staple “The Ancient King’s Underground Ruins” will also make a return.

While you might be quick to lament yet another classic JRPG becoming a mobile game, do be aware that this has been a long time coming. Sony announced that this game (along with Wild Arms: Million Memories) was in the works back in 2016, so we’ve had more than enough time to accept the reality of the situation.

And to be honest, the reality isn’t that bad, as just like with the Wild Arms mobile game, many of the staff from the original Arc the Lad and its sequel are helping to develop this title, such as Toshiro Tsuchida, Norihiko Yonesaka, Eiji Koyama, Ryuichi Kunisue, Hiroshi Hayashi and Masahiro Andoh. It might not be the next-gen Arc the Lad fans have dreamed of, but this will at least come off as a genuine Arc the Lad game.

If you’re interested, head on over to the official website and register. Upon reaching 200,000 people pre-registrations, all players will receive a 4* Tosh for free.

Check out the two newly-released trailers below: