While both titles share the word Arc, Image Epoch’s two games are not in the same universe. Luminous Arc has players hunt witches and oversee isometric, tactical RPG battles on the DS. In Arc Rise Fantasia you hunt impure dragons and battle monsters with the Trinity Battle system on the Wii.
The initial twist is AP (action points) is in a common pool for your three characters. Players have to decide if they want to invest all of their AP on a single party member or evenly distribute it. If you want to utilize powerful techniques you can spend individual SP to perform an Excel Act. However, it looks like the key to the Trinity Battle system is linking attacks with other party members with Tandem Connect and Party Connect commands.
Marvelous who frequently works with Image Epoch will publish the game in Japan. A date has not been announced and there is no indication of a US release at this time. This is pure speculation, but I’m betting Marvelous will give Arc Rise Fantasia an international release. Marvelous USA is establishing a base in North America to publish Marvelous games and Arc Rise Fantasia looks like the kind of game that will sell well internationally.
Images courtesy of Marvelous.
