YIIK: A Post Modern RPG – Preview (PAX East 2018)
YIIK: A Post Modern RPG might possibly have the most interestingly strange plot since Oxenfree. Set in 1999, YIIK is a turn-based Japanese style RPG that sends you on a quest in search of a woman who mysteriously vanished from your presence while you were taking an unexpectedly life-changing ride on an elevator.
Yeah. It’s a mouth full.
Seemingly pulled out of the elevator by something unnatural to this world, Sammy Pak disappears, sending you on a quest to find out just what it is that is happening right beneath your nose.
The demo that we played at PAX East 2018 was made specifically for the show and may not end up being included in the final build of the game. It was made using ideas and locations from other quests in the game so that we could get a feel for it without having any of the fascinating plot points ruined before we play the full build.
The first thing you notice when the demo boots up is the incredible palette of colors that make up YIIK. The game has an art style that is all its own and will stand out in a crowded lineup of upcoming indie titles. The visuals are one part cell shaded while looking quite retro, yet at the same time very modern. You have to see it for yourself to fully understand but, and you’ll have to take our word for it, you’ve never seen anything quite like it. The final game is expected to take between 25-30 hours to complete and will be entirely voice acted. Since some or all of the demo we played could end up on the cutting room floor, we didn’t have the chance to experience any of the voice acting. However, the developers made it clear that every line of dialogue will be recorded in the game and are using voice actors who worked on titles like Disgaea 5 and Attack on Titan. This is an impressive feat for a two man development team, though some of the music was outsourced to a talented group of musicians including Toby Fox (Undertale), The majority of the game was made by just two people.
While most of the plot was hidden from us, one aspect we know will carry over to the final build of the game is the battle system. The turn-based combat is a fun mix of mini games and action oriented events that you complete to attack and defend. The main character in the demo, Alex, uses a record player as a form of combat.
To attack, you have to drop the record needle on yellow and red stripes in order to string together combos. Hitting a yellow stripe will string an attack and a red stripe will spin the record again, giving you a chance to deal even more damage to your foe.
While defending, you are giving different ways to hit buttons at the right time enabling you to block or dodge, depending on if you hit the buttons at the right time. Missing them completely allows the enemy to deliver a much stronger attack.
Like all RPGs you have items and health to use during battle as well. Instead of RPG staples like elixers, potions and other made up nonsense, YIIK has you munching on burgers and shakes to replenish your health during the battles. Little details like this made the game a lot more relatable than some of the other RPGs you may have played in the past.
Though we know very little about the entirety of the plot thanks to the developers at Acck Studios keeping it under lock and key for the time being, what we have seen and know makes us excited to see what fun twists and turns await us when YIIK: A Post Modern RPG launches sometime in 2018.
