After a teasing reveal back in May, Japanese virtual reality (VR) developer MyDearest and LA-based Sekai Project have begun detailing more about their upcoming project Tokyo Chronos. That started last month with an appearance during the Anime Expo 2018, and now today with the teams launching a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign.
Being developed by a veteran team of industry professionals which includes Sword Art Online producer Kazuma Miki, Tokyo Chronos has been described as a VR mystery novel focused on immersion and storytelling, where the suspense and drama are told via a mix of visual animation and new comic book style user interface (UI).
There’s still no solid synopsis of the entire story just yet. The protagonist in the story is a 16-year old high school student called Kyosuke Sakurai. One day he wakes up in the “Chronos World”, an empty, deserted Shibuya where time has frozen. Previous details have mentioned eight friends who become trapped in this world where no one else exists, and where one person disappears at a time.
Currently, a total of four characters have been revealed. Apart from Sakurai there’s Karen Nikaido, described as “A quiet and mysterious girl. Calm but strong-willed.” Then there’s Yu Momono, “A girl with a simple and innocent personality. Has known Sakurai for the longest.” And lastly Yuria Togoku, a genius physicist who carries round a stuffed animal named Patty.
Looking to support Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR, the funding campaign for Tokyo Chronos aims to raise $75,000 USD. Funding tiers begin at $30 for an early bird discount off of a Steam or PlayStation VR key. Once finished, the standard tier will be $40 for a key. Prefer a physical copy? Then you’ll have to stump up $60 for the privilege (PC only). Or for those with the means – and dedication to see the project funded – there’s always the Ultimate Package for $2,499. This gets you the videogame, books, soundtrack, signed stuff, development swag and even a vinyl.
Check out the Kickstarter for more info, and both the videos below. For further updates during the campaign, keep reading VRFocus.