I think it's time I introduce Paper Soul Theater. I hope this isn't too soon since we're still planning things out and we don't want to drop info that turns out to be false. To give you an idea of what this game is, I'll tell you about the story and how it is planned to play.
Story:
Paper Soul Theater is a mature fantasy tale that centers on Aponi's physical and psychological journey. It is a coming of age epic as much as it is a tragedy about a little girl who loses her family, peace-of-mind, and innocence in exchange for a few friends, paranoia, and a better understanding of the world. It contrasts the nostalgic joy of childhood with humanity's justified fear of not only severe physical harm, but also the afterlife.
GAMEPLAY:
You may already know that this game is modeled after Paper Mario and its direct sequel. Paper Soul Theater is primarily a 3D, 3rd-person, turn-based RPG with survival horror and platforming elements woven into the mechanics in such a way as to synergism, rather than compete with, the RPG gameplay. This game will likely also contain exploration, item-collecting/ item-cooking/ item-trading, problem solving, interact with people, and strategizing which battles to fight and which to actively avoid. When a battle starts, it diverges from most RPGs; on both sides of the theater, enemies and your party gather on opposite sides almost as though playing tug-of-war. Like Paper Mario or Darkest Dungeon, the two parties take turns landing blows, using tactics, items, and strategy. Among new elements, it will have all the kicks from the first two Paper Mario games: level ups, wearable power(badges), action commands, spiritual energy (flower points more or less), health, projectile attacks, weapons, et cetera. It's also worth noting that when in battle, the player and foe have a few small options available to them that you would expected from a grid-based Tactics RPG.
...But it's all a bit more complex; The leader of your team starts off nonviolent; she never had to fight something in her entire life, is arguably a prophet to a peace-loving deity, and has been taught the little-known story of the tragic origins of the monstrous, worldly inhabitants. This is compounded by the individuality of each creature you face.
In this indie game, you'll play as the young Aponi, a female indigenous pacifist, who prefers to fight using physical nonviolence, depending on which of role you choose. Yes, you read that right. Unlike UnderTale, You don't hug, flirt, and flex your muscles; you persuade, sooth, induce fear, or inflict status effects, whatever realistic method it takes to get the enemy to stop fighting in a way that keep them alive. Battles play just like Paper Mario, despite the theme of the gameplay seeming softer and less violent.
If not for the friends that join her, Aponi would be dead. While they understand where she is coming from, they aren't naive idealist like her, and are willing to fight for their life. At first, you play as a pacifist among unique allies who insist on physical fighting alongside you, though Aponi doesn't need to remain a pacifist if you don't want her to. She has the option to pick up a weapon while keeping her RPG class.
So what makes it survival-horror? The mechanics are tweaked to makes every last decision truly matter; your health, soul energy amount, and what decisions you make during level ups, all become deeply important. You better conserve and pray you don't die. The enemies are planned to be challenging. As the game goes on, you will need to ask yourself more and more if doing the right thing is worth the extra mile, and you might eventually find it practically isn't an option.
The game will eventually be available on Windows, Mac, and possibly Linux too! Keep reading this blog series for more information.
So Tell Us, what do you think so far? Got any questions?