Now, normally this wouldn't even register so
much as a blip on my game-dar, considering all the other great MMORPGs out there. World of Warcraft, City of Heroes,
Everquest II, etc. What is remarkable about this game, however, is that it is being developed for a home console, an
environment where, for whatever reason, the MMOG scene has never quite taken off. Even more remarkable is that this
title is being developed for the Gamecube, a console which takes a lot of flak for its particularly barren online
lineup. Besides Phantasy Star II & III, the only Gamecube titles which even show potential for going online are the
4 or 5 LAN-enabled titles, which can only be played online using a program akin to WarpPipe. However, Chunsoft is
looking to change all that with their next online RPG, HomeLand. Judging by screenshots and movie clips, the
game seems to be a cross between Paper Mario, Animal Crossing, and Final Fantasy: Crystal
Chronicles.
Chunsoft hasn't yet released much information on their upcoming title (in English, anyway), but I've taken the liberty
to skim through
the official HomeLand website on an Engrish-laden quest for knowledge. From what I can infer, when you first start
the game you'll select either a male or female main character. Soon after, you will receive "the emblem," a special
item which will somehow affect your class. The single-player game will feature a large, open environment, resplendent
with villages, dungeons, side quests, and other usual RPG fare. Rather than random battles, you engage enemies in
real-time whilst traversing the overworld, at which point combat ensues. The battles are turn-based, and pretty much
consist of selecting an attack and picking an enemy at which to aim it. Additionally, enemies and allies may appear
mid-fight, meaning that a routine battle may quickly turn into an enormous brawl.
Aside from the online component, the central gimmick in HomeLand is that you have the ability to, um… hold hands. And you’re not just limited to one-on-one hand-holding, no siree. We’re talking looooong chains of HomeLanders, several dozen in length, like a big virtual game of crack-the-whip. Wait, come back, it’s actually not as frooty as it sounds, and is a key element to several aspects of the game. By holding hands with a fire spirit, for instance, you and everyone else in the chain gain the ability to traverse pits of lava without taking damage. By holding hands with a wind spirit, you gain the ability to blow obstacles out of your path. In battle, the hand-holding mechanic serves a few purposes. First, the person at the very front of the chain gains a stat bonus from each person behind him, and also gains the use of the abilities of everyone else in the chain. Secondly, it serves to protect weak or wounded characters from harm, being that the person at the front of the chain is the only one who can give or take damage. The point of this system is to foster cooperation between players, which means you must choose your party wisely, especially when playing the online component.
Speaking of the online portion of this game (which is featured on its own disc), rather than taking the approach of a traditional RPG (a few giant servers for everyone in the game), HomeLand will allow players to use their Gamecubes to act as miniature servers, into which 35 other people may join. Whether or not this justifies the “Massive” in MMORPG is up for debate. Because of this, only people with broadband will be able to use the online component of the game (dial-up is, like, sooooo 1999). Despite Google’s best efforts, I can’t seem to find much information on the online mode at all, aside from the fact that you’ll play as your personalized emblem rather than your main character, and that it will serve to advance the storyline somehow. If anyone out there can read Japanese, I’d appreciate it if you could provide a better translation (sorry Google).
The Debate: how much of an impact could HomeLand have on Gamecube sales, considering how late in the generation it is? If Chunsoft did decide to port HomeLand over to this side of the pond, would you rather they wait for the Revolution to come out (much like Nintendo did with Animal Crossing)? And would you even pick up the game anyway, considering the currently lackluster offering on all of Nintendo’s consoles so far?
