Sword of Symphonyisn’t the first game from developer and musician Stephen Ddungu, and it is likely far from the last. Ddungu already announced there will be a link between theupcomingSword of Symphonyand his past work,Project: Versus.While that’s the biggest secret about his upcoming game, he said he has multiple titles in the works that will be connected through a larger universe. Right now, however, Ddungu has other clues in store for his fans. The developer discussed the larger plans for his games in an interview with Game Rant.
While Ddungu isworking onSword of Symphonyby himself, he relies on a group of other developers for inspiration and moral support. As a part of his “inner circle,” Ddungu and the other developers have come up with a special way to promote each other’s titles while still remaining independent developers. TheSword of Symphonydeveloper and his friends have decided to create crossover projects with their individual IPs. Through this, Ddungu is able to give a further look into his game while it’s still in the early stages of development.
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AI-KODE
AI-KODEis a game currently in development by ACE Animation, and seems to feature a human-turned-robot protagonist. This game will feature a clue about how the worlds ofSword of SymphonyandPurposewill be connected.AI-KODEcurrently has a trailer available on the ACE Animation YouTube channel, as well as an active Instagram account where updates are posted about the game. This mostly consists ofupdated character modelsand textures as of this writing.
Allure: The Evening Primrose
A story about assassins and a dark underworld,Allure: The Evening Primrosetakes its inspiration from a novel. In the novel, the protagonist is able to chase dreams of success and riches after beingtrained with the Yakuzaand given an enhancement drug called Allure. The inspired video game is being developed by Sinitus Tempo, who recently showed off some of the combat and development progress on his Instagram and TikTok pages. The protagonist shown in most of the materials shown so far is named Sera Koizumi, who is the youngest person in her world with the ability to alter time and space.
Neo Divinity
Neo Divinityisan upcoming comic book projectfrom Masso Art that will also feature some kind of crossover with Ddungu’s works. So far, the comic’s Instagram page features a number of characters clad in dark clothes, and there’s also a woman dressed in bright neon, heavily contrasting the darker characters around her.
ARISEN
ARISENis another comic project, this time from Ron Purnell. The comic has Christian roots and follows a young protagonist named Mana Ode-Nashi as she seeks truth without falling victim to something she doesn’t understand. The second chapter follows another character named Rikio Niremaan, who has no memories of his past life orthe cataclysmic world-ending eventhe has experienced. These are the current two chapters available on hosting site Voyce with more coming, and one chapter will likely have a connection to the worlds ofSword of Symphonyand/or theProjectseries.
ENENRA
For the players who likefast-paced combat gameswith powerful attacks,ENENRAbrings a unique samurai-esque experience with a variety of interesting visuals. The game is being developed by Zahid, and already has a demo available via Instagram. The focus on flowing melee combat is noticeable, and it looks to be an interesting take on the classic sword-fighting genre. Like the others, this game will also feature some form of crossover with theSword of SymphonyandProjectuniverse, though it has yet to be elaborated upon.
Dream Hero
Dream Hero and the Secret Gardenis an upcoming RPGthat takes inspiration from the classic action-RPGs of the late 1990s to early 2000s. So far the game doesn’t have many updates, but it appears to feature a mystical woodland setting complete with magical creatures like centaurs and Sky Butterflies. The game is being developed by Apollo Nickolas, and will also feature crossovers with Ddungu’s work.
“I’ve got my inner circle and we try to elevate each other’s projects.”
It takes a village to develop a game, even if there is only one person working on it, as it helps to have like-minded peers who aren’t afraid to lend an opinion or test a feature. Even if all they provide is moral support, a developer is likely better off with that support than if they were truly alone. Ddungu has lucked out, it seems, with a variety of creatives at his back. With crossovers featured in the games above,Sword of Symphonyand theProjectseries seem to only be getting started with its potential impact on the gaming world.
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