Project Exile: Indie Return to Roots Company: Studio Archcraft Like Hollywood, the game industry has its share of independent developers. And, just as with independent films, some are good while others show amazing promise. Project Exile, an independently developed DS game from Studio Archcraft, is one such game. One look at Project Exile is sure to evoke fond memories of classic SNES RPGs like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI (or III for those who still aren’t up on the whole Final Fantasy numbering thing). In particular, the game’s sprite-based visuals are just as vibrant and expressive as those found in Chrono Trigger. Project Exile’s story takes place in a magic-filled world where one man has been exiled form society because he can’t use magic. He soon meets up with a group of other exiles, ranging from the last member of an evil race, to a half-human with the powers of a god, to a possessed doll. Together they will uncover the secrets of magic and, of course, save the world. All together, Project Exile’s main quest should take about 25 – 30 hours to complete, with side-quests pushing the game to over 40+ hours. Project Exile was originally under development for the GBA, but has recently been moved over to the DS. Not only will this allow for even more detailed sprites, but Studio Archcraft is also planning on making use of the DS’s special functions. They’re not saying what these may be, though given the game’s tactical RPG slant, expect to see the touch screen come into play during combat sequences. So far, Project Exile looks promising and has been generating a lot of early online buzz. The only thing holding the game back is the lack of a publisher (Atlus, XSeed… I’m looking in your general direction). Hopefully Studio Archcraft will be able to snag a publisher, because it looks like whoever does eventually pick it up could have a major hit on their hands. -Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker Related Links: Project Exile -- Gameplay Movie Studio Archcraft