Character Bank – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

March 28, 2022

Japanese RPG Ruins Magus Secures Publisher, Plans Spring 2022 Launch

The promising Ruins Magus, a virtual reality (VR) role-playing game (RPG) from Japanese studio CharacterBank, didn’t have much luck when it launched a Kickstarter last year. Barely making it over 50% of the funding goal before the campaign ended, the studio has seen an upturn in its luck, announcing that publisher Mastiff has picked the videogame up; aiming to release Ruins Magus this spring.

Mastiff has previously helped publish the likes of Home Sweet Home and Heavy Fire: Red Shadow for PlayStation VR so the publisher knows what it’s doing in the space, with Ruins Magus providing a different VR experience to those previous titles.

“With Ruins Magus, our goal is to welcome gamers to a jaw-dropping virtual fantasy world unlike anything else in VR,” said Shuto Mikami, President, CharacterBank Inc. in a statement. “We’re delighted to partner with an experienced publisher in Mastiff to share Ruins Magus with the world. Thanks to our joint efforts, we’ll be able to devote more time to the project to deliver a mind-blowing VR experience.”

Alongside the Mastiff announcement, CharacterBank has revealed further details regarding what to expect in Ruins Magus. An RPG where you go to investigate the abandoned ruins below the prosperous town of Grand Amnis, it’ll feature over 25 story-driven quests where you have to face powerful Guardians who protect ancient artefacts and solve deadly puzzles to unlock the mysteries of the ruins. In battle, you’ll be able to call upon 14 types of magic across three categories: Charge Magic, Skill Magic, and Special Deadly Magic, as well as utilising nine armour, gauntlet, and shield types.

“CharacterBank has the creativity, passion, and technology to create beautiful, compelling worlds that make for immersive gaming experiences that everyone can enjoy. We’re thrilled to be working with CharacterBank and are honoured to help deliver these experiences to the world,” adds Bill Swartz, President & CEO at Mastiff.

With Mastiff onboard, CharacterBank is now aiming to launch Ruins Magus for Meta Quest and SteamVR headsets this Spring. As further updates are released gmw3 will keep you updated.

November 18, 2021

More Ruins Magus Details Released as Kickstarter Begins

A couple of days ago VRFocus reported on an upcoming Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) called Ruins Magus for Oculus and Steam headsets. Developer CharacterBank plans on making an English language version so to help in that endeavour the team has launched a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign.

As expected, the Kickstarter goal isn’t that high in comparison to other virtual reality (VR) projects, only looking to raise a mear £32,000 GBP (¥5,000,000 JPY) to help make English language support possible. Backing tiers start from £23 to get an early bird digital copy of the videogame. Higher tiers add more goodies, of course, with the maximum tier only costing £69 (¥10,500), giving backers a digital soundtrack, 3D models, digital artbook and more.

CharacterBank doesn’t want to stop at English dubbing if it can raise the funds. The studio wants to add a new language for every ¥5,000,000 raised, announcing each new language as the goal is met. Which ones the studio has next in mind haven’t been revealed. The campaign ends on 20th December so there’s plenty of time to hit several targets, how many VR players crave a JRPG is the big question?

Ruins Magus is a fantasy action RPG set in the city of Grand Amnis which houses a colossal ruin at its centre. You play an unnamed novice wizard who plans on unravelling the mysteries within with the aid of Iris, a new researcher at the Enigma Research Institute. With the launch of the Kickstarter, the studio has revealed a little more about the gameplay and the characters you’ll meet along the way.

The title is being built around the idea of an interactive visual novel, with a rich cast of characters and a storyline to match. There will be over 30 characters across 26 chapters to converse with as you stroll around the city of Grand Amnis. Areas will include “The Square in front of the Ruins” where you’ll find shops like Nandemo-do selling useful wares. Or if you head down the back alleys you’ll find interesting characters and the Tomarigi Cafe for some respite.

When it comes to the inhabitants of Grand Amnis, Uketsuke-san is a friendly demi-human and receptionist at the guild counter in front of the ancient ruins. Or then there’s the Guild Master, the current head of the Wizard Guild, described as a “mysterious person with a strange dignity and a great sense of humour.”

Currently, CharacterBank expects the English version of Ruins Magus to be ready for early 2022. As further details regarding the release are announced, VRFocus will keep you updated.

November 15, 2021

Gorgeous JRPG Ruins Magus Getting English Version in 2022

There are some great Japanese virtual reality (VR) titles available at the moment and for those who love role-playing games (RPG) CharacterBank’s Ruins Magus is another to keep an eye on. Originally revealed earlier this year, the developer plans on releasing both Japanese and English dubbed versions, with a Kickstarter campaign to launch later this week to help support the cost of the English edition.

Ruins Magus looks set to offer a classic JRPG experience in VR, supporting both Oculus and SteamVR headsets. Set in the city of Gran Amnis, at its centre is a large archaeological site which players need to explore. You take on the role of a novice wizard, who teams up with a researcher called Iris, from the research institution Enigma, to unlock the mysteries within the ruins.

CharacterBank has revealed so far that Ruins Magus will contain a 26-chapter story, with players having to utilise their magical abilities to defeat the Guardians that dwell within the ruins. Plus, it wouldn’t be a JRPG without plenty of quirky characters to talk to, Ruins Magus will have over 30 to bring some life to the adventure.

Aside from a few screenshots and short trailers, very little of the Ruins Magus‘ gameplay has been revealed just yet. One thing’s almost for certain, it looks quite the spectacle with rich character designs and huge Guardians to fight.

And so on to the Kickstarter. CharacterBank originally supported the project via a Campfire campaign with plans to launch both Japanese and English versions of Ruins Magus this year for VR headsets. This week the team announced via Twitter their intention to launch a Kickstarter campaign this Wednesday, 17th November, purely to help support the creation of an English edition. This would then be released in February 2022.

Currently, the studio hasn’t revealed how big the funding goal will be or what backing tier incentives there might be. As the money raised will be used for translation, it’s unlikely to be a huge Kickstarter in comparison to other VR projects.

As VRFocus learns more about Ruins Magus we’ll let you know.