Aquaplus, developer of the Utawarerumono strategy-visual novel series, announced a brand-new game in its world. At the Utawarerumono 20th Anniversary livestream event, the team showed off some footage of a new title, Monochrome Mobius: Toki no Taika.
Here’s the title screen. The Japanese reading of the subtitle may be a play on words, which can be interpreted to mean “Time of Atonement.”
The Monochrome Mobius footage began with a message that read “This is a fragment of the memory of the Utawarerumono.” In the “Utawarerumono” translates to “The Legendsung.” The term refers to heroes whose deeds are recounted in oral tradition and song. Then it cuts to a scene featuring a masked man and a young girl named “Shunya.” The masked man attempts to activate a technological portal to aid Shunya’s escape. Moments later, the pair’s pursuers break into the room, led by another masked man. The masked men engage in combat, and Shunya escapes through the portal. Defeated, Shunya’s protector utters two names familiar to series fans: Oshtor and Nekone. Oshtor and Nekone are major characters in Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception and Mask of Truth.
The animated intro for Monochrome Mobius showed off younger incarnations of Oshtor, Munechika, and Mikazuchi. The older versions of the trio appeared in Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception and Mask of Truth as generals of the nation of Yamato. They accompany and protect Shunya. Shunya, meanwhile, converses with a small creature named “Halu” that speaks intelligently. However, Shunya renames the creature to “Haku.” Haku is the name of the protagonist from Mask of Deception and Mask of Truth, and speaks with a similar voice and personality.
Shunya also moved around in a 3D real-time map as part of some gameplay footage. This could indicate that Monochrome Mobius will not be a visual novel with turn-based strategy elements like its predecessors.
Monochrome Mobius: Toki no Taika is in development and scheduled for release in 2022 in Japan. Its target platforms or overseas release plans are as yet unconfirmed. The previous games in the Utawarerumono franchise are available on PS4 and PC. Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth‘s anime adaptation will premiere in 2022.
