Sega has revealed that its beloved Shining series - which began during the Mega Drive era - is making a return to the west after a decade away.
Shining Resonance Refrain will launch this Summer on Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One and PC, and tells the tale of "sword-wielding Yuma and his friends as they fight the Empire."
"Yes!" You may be screaming internally right now. "Finally, Sega's bringing us the good stuff, just like Shining Force and Shining the Holy Ark!" Unfortunately, the classic entries in the Shining series are a distant memory and judging from the trailer - which features fancy, guitar-playing warriors - we're not seeing a return to the classic roots of the series here.
Instead, the story revolves around characters known as "Dragoneers" who wield "Armonics", ancient weapon-instruments on which they can play Rune Songs. This feeds directly into the game's battle mechanics:
Once you build enough BPM (Battle Performance Mana), your party will be able to perform a session through the B.A.N.D. system. Depending on which song you play and which character you set at the center, your party will be able to indulge in various beneficial effects. Certain characters may even perform the song in a special costume!
Naturally we can't comment on the quality of the game until we play it, but there's a part of us which dies a little inside when we realise that Camelot Software Planning - the developers of the "classic" Shining titles - probably won't ever helm an entry in this series again. They had a falling out with Sega after the release of Shining Force III and have worked almost exclusively with Nintendo ever since, pumping out titles like Golden Sun and Mario Golf.
Still, if you're into RPGs then you'll no doubt want to check this out - all versions are available to pre-order in a special "Draconic Launch Edition", which comes with a collectible metal slipcase featuring character artwork of Excella, Sonia, and Kirika.
Comments 105
'tells the tale of "sword-wielding Yuma and his friends as they fight the Empire.""
....this just sounds like Star Wars with less space and more anime...
I'd be more interested of the trailer actually featured some gameplay.
Regardless, as an RPG fan I'll keep this on my radar. And more RPGs for Switch can only be a good thing.
Anybody seen my wallet?
Awesome! Stuff like this is exactly what the Switch needs, just hope the gameplay is actually good, hard to judge from a trailer like that.
I've only played Shining Force 1 years ago when it was released on the Wii Virtual Console, I was a complete scrub to SRPGs back then and I ended up getting myself stuck in the game but I really liked it, and really should return to it and the sequel at some point.
E: Just read the disclaimer, not like the classic games huh... Perhaps I should temper my expectations, hopefully it is a SRPG at least.
Yeaahhh... looked at some gameplay and I see I got excited way too soon.
I was wondering what happened to this game. I was starting to convince myself I had made it up in my mind. The battle system kind of reminds me Tokyo Mirage Sessions. If it turns out even half as good as that it should be good.
hmmm I approve but I need to see more because I never played any in the series.
Ish. Cliches ahoy. It wouldn't be a modern, JRPG without emotionless characters or plot-driven, unrealistic breast bouncing.
I would love a new Shining Force or at least a collection of the older games, remade or original games. Was the GBA remake by Camelot or some other company?
The trailer was nice to look at but I wish it showed what the game is like. I need more information.
This doesn't look like a Shining game at all.
Sounds like some weird cross between Tales of... and Tokyo Mirage Sessions, actually.
Still, I want more JRPGs for the system, so I say bring it on!
...has camelot done anything lately? to google!
oh cool mario tennis aces. looking forward to that.
Anime The Game.
Definitely on my radar, but I'd pay an extra $10 for a copy with a checkbox on the options menu that reads "Jiggle physics off".
Just post a link and a transaction will occur.
Weeaboo af, and proud of it.
Oh please be good!
JRPG, JRPG EVERYWERE !!
And its good.
Man, them's some bland, empty-looking environments right there. Hey, JRPGs, fewer belt buckles and frilly lapels and more attention to world detail, please.
"BPM (Battle Performance Mana)" Hah!
I'll look at reviews when this comes out. I'm hoping this is not the only music-based JRPG that will appear on Switch cough TMS cough
I loved the original two shining force games
@LUIGITORNADO - Starring Anime, the hairstyles.
These cliche anime visuals are just not my thing.
The Shining Force games were my jam when I was a kid hopefully they will be part of the switch VC. This one doesn't look very appealing to me but glad to see others are excited about it!
So the Shining series had always been a series with various types of gameplay depending on the title. That being said it's been trash ever since after the Genesis/Saturn days. Please Sega, go back and do a tactical rpg or dungeon crawler like the first few games. Sega is sitting on a pile of great licences and gives us stuff like this........ugh.
Wow, I was not expecting this one at all.
Looks much more like the last Ys game than the other Shining games, but I'll take it.
Really wish we'd see a shining in the Darkness/ The Holy Ark port and then a Shining for 1, 2, CD, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 compilation.
Come on Sega, do something worthwhile with your back catalogue!
looks cool, will buy.
Its too bad Nintendo utterly wastes Camelot on stupid Mario sports games. Golden Sun is one of the best RPGs ever
Thanks sega day one buy
Though I am excited for a new Shining game from Sega, it's still sad that Camelot won't ever be a part of it. If I recall if Sega and Nintendo allows them maybe a Camelot developed Shining game would be possible, Camelot's president Hiroyuki Takahashi said that he truly wants to make a Shining Force 4 if Sega would be interest in funding a sequel. Still I'm excited that we at least still get a Shining game from Sega even if it's not from one of their best dev.
Also as much as I love Camelot to make a new Shining game or even an RPG for that matter, their previous attempt doesn't end with positive result either. They have a habit of kept making half the story and leaving the other half unfinished. We still do not know if there's a sequel to Golden Sun: Dark Dawn yet and that one is currently on a cliffhanger not to mention the 3DS is on its last leg now and having a Dark Dawn sequel would be a great way to put that to an end.
http://nichegamer.com/2017/11/18/camelot-boss-wants-to-make-shining-force-iv/
Day one for sure. Thanks Sega.
I need Camelot to do another Golden Sun for the Switch. That being said this looks interesting and I love my some rpg's.
Really wish this was another Shining Force game, they were so good.
Um. Pass.
Bring back the real Shining series. Either the Shining in the Darkness/Holy Ark vibe, or the tactical Shining Force vibe. Do whatever ass kissing you have to do to bring Camelot back into the fold, SEGA... or at least whatever members of the Shining Force team you can get.
This can be a thing on its own as its own brand. Fine. But stop trying to trick SF fans into buying crap by co opting the Shining legacy.
Camelot's working on Mario Tennis Aces, which I can't wait for. A 3D Mario Tennis RPG sounds like it'll be pretty good!
Oh, I guess this game looks interesting.
Shining Force was the second RPG I had ever played and the first I had ever beaten, so you bet I'm biased - yet despite my own wishful thinking about a new turn-based tactics entry, I don't feel like dramatizing the series' evolution after the original creators' departure. Even Shining Soul felt modest but enjoyable, and there are many other games I hope to catch up with (which includes the "classics" - I haven't even played SF2 yet!... and have gone to play Resurrection of the Dark Dragon instead... XD).
I welcome Resonance on Switch, too. The theme seems like they might offer something along the lines of Ar Tonelico series, and the gameplay looks like a neat action brawl a bit reminiscent of Tales series. Colour me interested. By the way, is this the game that lent some characters to Project X Zone? A couple faces look familiar.
I'll wait for reviews.
Hard pass. Haven't seen a good Shining game since the Saturn days. The Shining series has become a bit like the mana series. A container to dump low quality games into hoping they sell based on name alone.
I'll wait for reviews. I'm already getting Ys, which was critically acclaimed on other consoles.
Pre-order from where may I ask?
Bring back Shining Force games.
I never played any of the Shining games, but I've seen some examples of them where the first game had overly long battle maps.
I only played the original (on VC) and assumed they were all tactics style games similar to Fire Emblem. I’ve learned otherwise now, but this looks cool nonetheless.
Too many games too less money...
If it's a SRPG I may check this out. If it's a JRPG then I'll probably skip.
@Expa0 well, the Shining series has been very varied in gameplay styles, the first Shining game was a first person dungeon crawler. Shining Force was a tactics style strategy RPG but that stays within the titles specifically with “Shining Force” in the title (sort of like how Final Fantasy only has that style for Final Fantasy Tactics games). Shining is a very varied series that dabbles in a lot of styles, though it always has RPG elements. This isn’t a depart from the usual Shining games because they don’t have a set style, this is just them being experimental like they’ve been in the past.
The Switch is getting so many (J)RPG, I love it. Summer's gonna be great with this one and Ys VIII !
@dkxcalibur it’s probably a JRPG, only Shining Force games are SRPGs, the rest of the series has tried a lot of different styles.
Fire Emblem, Shining (Force) and Valkyria Chronicles! AT THE SAME CONSOLE!
@ShadJV Thanks for the clarification. I've only played the first two on a compilation I had for my Dreamcast.
I'll probably skip then. I have not enjoyed a JRPG since the Dragon Warrior games on the NES....this includes Xenoblade!
@retro_player_22 sadly I don’t think we’re getting a fourth Golden Sun due to subpar sales and reviews. Cliffhangers may never be addressed. I don’t think the game was that bad either, I just want the rest of the story...
It looks like this is an update to the Japanese PS3 game, Shining Resonance. I found its original Famitsu score:
Shining Resonance (PS3) – 8/9/8/8 [33/40]
There are videos of the original version's gameplay on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StXFnIe9IuM
@dkxcalibur by first two I take it Shining Force 1 and 2? Because the title before Shining Force was a first person dungeon crawler, the series didn’t even start as an SRPG. But yeah, hopefully there’s a demo and you can make an informed decision there, but I’m gonna guess this is going to be a more traditional RPG, I saw no evidence of tactical gameplay (and idk how I feel, I’ve only played Shining Force in the series).
@secondshot actually I think this is more of a sequel to that entry. If so, looks like it’s an action RPG.
@ShadJV I forgot about Shining in the Darkness. I played that one too. That was actually my first game I purchased for my Genesis. I played a lot of it but I wasn't really into it as mush as the "force" games.
@ShadJV IGN is claiming it's a remaster:
"In a PlayStation Blog interview with Localization Producer James Kuroki, Kuroki confirmed Shining Resonance Refrain is a remaster of PS3 game Shining Resonance, which originally released only in Japan. It will feature improved graphics, bringing it up to 1080p resolution, and includes all the DLC for the original game. A price and release date have not been announced at this time."
@secondshot I stand corrected, after checking several sources you seem to be correct here. NL’s wording was poor, as this is indeed the first time this title has been released outside of Japan... but it’s a remaster of a title previously released solely in Japan. Good catch, hope NL updates this article, as there is no mystery to what the gameplay is like, there’s videos online of it.
@dkxcalibur ah, yeah, personally I’ve only played the first Shining Force. It was enjoyable. As for this, as someone just pointed out it’s actually a Western remaster of a Japan only game (Shining Resonance) and footage exists of the gameplay online if you’re curious. Looks like an action RPG from the brief bit I glanced at.
@glutenfreegamer I totally understand. Maybe not for the same reasons, but maybe. This is one of those games that Switch is perfect for. You can play in portable mode so the wife and kids don't see this and wonder what is wrong with me. Bayonetta is a perfect example of this. How embarrassing that would be to explain to the wife and kids. Played the PS3 original before kids and when my wife was gone on a business trip. It is still an embarrassing game alone, but the gameplay is fun.
This is both great and bad news
Still I will probably give this a try
So sad this isn't shining force 3 on switch.
@Tsusasi Exactly my thoughts!
Looks a lot cleaner than Xenoblade 2, unfortunately... I really wish they’d patch it to give the game a better resolution. At some points xeno 2 hits sub 480p resolution portably, which breaks my heart for such a good game 😢😢😢
For an English review of the Japanese version;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=106&v=KZPpeMCJCu0
I will probably buy this game. Love the art by Tony Taka.
I'd love a remaster of Skies of Arcadia.
@jzf69 playing this now. It is a distraction but not a deal breaker for me. I wonder if it was developed for Wii U and changed late in the development cycle? It just doesn't make sense that Xenoblade X looks better.
Lots more info over at the PS Blog
https://blog.us.playstation.com/2018/02/21/shining-resonance-refrain-lands-on-ps4-this-summer/
Psst!! Hey Sega - how bout that back catalogue??
Oh geez this is awesome. I passed by the headline earlier and just assumed it was a ps4 only release.
Well the video certainly looks lovely. I don't believe for one second the actual game will look this good during gameplay--even if it technically uses the same graphics engine.
Wish they showed gameplay instead just cutscenes... kinda annoying.. still don't know what to expect
Must say even though it's not a Camelot developed game I'm still excited by the prospect of a shining game making its way over here again. If there's no chance of seeing a Camelot developed game perhaps Sega could hand development duties over to Atlus, I think they could do the classic shining style justice.
I'd really like to see a return to the vandal/innovators storyline of STHA and SF3 as I think there was a lot of mileage in that story. Heck I'd even take a a SF3 remaster with all 3 scenarios and the premium disc.
I'll be keeping an eye on this one. I haven't played much of the series other than Sword of Hajya (Game Gear) on the 3DS VC
@ShadJV It didn't sell well cause they didn't finish the story so many players were waiting for the complete version or the sequel. I bought the game but when I told my friend who just finished the Lost Age that Dark Dawn just end on a cliffhanger, he decided to wait it out. Camelot did a lot of things right with the game but not making it a full RPG from beginning to end was their biggest mistake. This attempt was understandable for GBA but for DS this is just unacceptable. Even better they could had just remake it and finish the entire story for 3DS if they had to and everyone would be fine with that but nope they just had to find an excuse not to continue anymore.
@Morph @Alexface @samuelvictor @meppi64
You'd think with Fire Emblem at the height of its popularity and this many people on this Shining related article thread alone that somebody would remake the Shining Force 3 games for the Switch.
The game is fine the way it is, just update the graphics and we're good to go!
YES! MY GOD YES! NUMBER ONE! MAKE IT SO! ENGAGE! ENGAGE!
The salvation levels are very high with this one. I want to know more about the combat. This looks like a day one for me if all the stars are aligned. I love the shining series.
I might give this a chance, because of Shining Force 1 & 2 were legendary. 🤔
Love the character designs. I'm a big fan of TONY TAKA's work.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Taka
That might be the worst trailer I've ever seen. No gameplay footage, just soft-focus anime characters dramatically striking poses alongside some seriously horned dragon things. Give me some idea of the gameplay, please. There's no indication of TRPG brilliance here. It could just as easily be Guitar Hero with an appallingly unimaginative fantasy skin. This is not what the franchise deserves. Sega must pull their finger out and show what they're actually offering here.
So this is a traditional RPG or...?
Great news! Camelot Software Planning, please work on a Golden Sun project for Nintendo Switch after completing Mario Tennis Aces!
@Tsusasi I like how you're calling a game crap before it's even out... or have seen gameplay of it, or even anything else besides the above.
Getting real sick and tired of people believing they can tell a crap game just because of it's premise and nothing else.
Sounds pretty lit to me. Watching this one.
This looks more like a Phantasy Star or 7th Dragon game then a Shinning Force game. Still, I don't think it looks too bad actually. And I really hope this is the start of SEGA developing more of their older IP's instead of just focusing on Sonic. Panzer Dragoon next please SEGA. Or Alex Kidd, or NiGHTS or Golden Axe or Skies of Arcadia or etc. etc. etc.
Glad to see more 3rd party support to be sure. But... this one just doesn't sound like its for me. Maybe a review later on will change my mind however.
Never heard of the franchise, but it does give me hope that maybe Sega will bring back other classic franchises, and not like Crazy Taxi where they crap out a mobile game, then tweet that Crazy Taxi is back.
@Majora1 I'd almost wager Camelot has two teams. Mario tennis aces doesn't seam like it would take a full team to develop, it smells of budget title. Granted a potentially fun budget game but I really think the veterans at Camelot are working on something epic for switch and have been for awile.
@meppi64 like Sega knows how to practically print money with your good ideas? They could have collaborated with the whole streets of rage remake instead of shut it down and make 3d versions. Surprised they didn't remake shining soul by now but could be worse than secret of Mana remake I guess.
If anybody is unsure of the 'Shining' series in it's current state - Shining Resonance continues in a rebooted series by a producer (Tsuyoshi Sawada) who has now left SEGA... (Resonance and Blade Arcus from Shining - which is the beat 'em up you mentioned that got a Western release on STEAM) were his final games. Tsuyoshi Sawada is credited for his work on GAMEBOY ADVANCE's Shining Soul 2 but took the reigns from there on out on everything but the spin - off's that do not follow the same continuity. Some might remember a DS title Shining Force Feather this and a few others are not part of Resonances 'world'. Tsuyoshi Sawada actually did some work on Breath of the Wild since leaving Sega. The Tsuyoshi Sawada reboot has many different types of roleplaying games ...the peak is most certainly Shining Blade released in 2012 for PSP. Fantastic game and nailed 'Shining' wholeheartedly!
This game is somewhat disconnected from the rebooted series story and themes but set in the same world so is ideal for a Western release for a series that has had no love outside Japan and does not confuse a new (or old) audience with fussy plot elements.
I'm really looking forward to playing it on my Switch and the Soundtrack is superb!
Okay I've watched this video a few times now and although it doesn't show any gameplay the characters look fantastic. I'm excited for this one.
@Late I think the GBA remake was partly developed by Climax and another company at SEGA
@SomeWriter13 agreed - great artist!
@Frank90 My wallet will suffer this year, That combination of games is a dream come true.
Electric guitar-shaped weapons? SLAANESH SINGS THROUGH US!
Is this game similar to Tales of games?
Edit: yes is similar, I'm buying.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ChfUox-CMuM
This....looks.....odd? Like a cliche of itself....but it seems like it could go either way. With Sega I dont' bother holding my breath but may always get pleasantly surprised.
@Ralizah
"Sounds like some weird cross between Tales of... and Tokyo Mirage Sessions, actually."
Your post made me interested where I previously wasn't....
@NEStalgia Looking into it, apparently this is a PS3 game that never made it overseas.
The funniest thing to me is that it's coming to EVERYTHING. Even Xbox One.
This sounds like Tokyo Mirage Sessions based on the description.
@Ralizah Why shouldn't it come to the spiritual successor of the Saturn?
It's a Sega game that was originally Japan-only coming to the west.
I really liked 7th Dragon III, so I'll be supporting this game as well.
@MegaVel91 It's crap in the context of Shining Games. The Shining Games were known for very specific styles of gameplay, which for some reason every freakin' developer has decided to throw out or ignore or just think that they know better. No one has had the balls to make a real Shining game. They all punt and put out generic jrpgs with no connection to the originals. Many have been mediocre or just plain sucked. I am sick of these crap games taking the Shining brand and making it synonymous with me-too vanilla games that do not represent all of the amazing games that went before. Shamelessly branding this new game to sell it off of the backs of the brand when it has no relation to the original series - gameplay or canon - makes it crap to me. One more cash in.
I find it especially offensive when the second chapter of Shining Force 3 still needs a North American release and the first had such a limited release. How about an HD remaster of those first before selling off the brand, then punting?
You know, Shining Wisdom was an anomaly and a fun one at that. But it was developed by the Shining Force team and story-wise was a sequel to Shining Force 2. It was true to the series and respected it and was done by those closest to the material. That's why it worked where the 'Soul' games really didn't that well.
So yeah. That's how I feel and why.
@retro_player_22 I don’t think that’s it, it sold poor from the start and games don’t just sell poor for cliffhanger endings (the first Golden Sun had a bigger cliffhanger yet sold great). This one reviewed poorly in many areas and was considered inferior to the first two. No doubt a sequel to Dark Dawn was planned, it likely even was started but canned when Dark Dawn wasn’t received well.
@ShadJV That's cause the first one was originally suppose to be one whole game. When the game ends, it ends with a message telling the audience that a follow-up is coming. Dark Dawn didn't do that and those who finish it doesn't know whether if a follow-up would be coming or not. Even if it doesn't sell well, ending the game the way it is will put a negative criticism on Camelot's reputation since this is the second time they pull this. Imagine if they decided to make a whole new RPG after this, I wouldn't trust to follow them with that one too cause then they will just end it on a cliffhanger like this one because of low sales.
@FarkyValentine not gonna lie, haven’t started xeno 2 yet. I own it (and have since mid December. Bought it used at Gamestop for $45, couldnt pass that up. Especially since I’m such a fan of the series), can’t wait to start it! Gotta finish some other titles first (MARIO, doom, LA Noire, DB Xenoverse 2, and COUNTLESS digital indie titles! What an amazing system right????
Hope this (information) below is helpfull!
( '*' means available on a Nintendo system )
Classic Series
Shining in the Darkness *
Shining Force (SF:LOGI) *
Shining Force Gaiden * ( Shining Force Chronicle I )
Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya * ( Shining Force Chronicle II )
Shining Force II *
Shining Force CD ( Shining Force Chronicle I/Shining Force Chronicle II )
Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict * ( Shining Force Chronicle III )
Shining Wisdom
Shining the Holy Ark
Shining Force III Scenario 1
Shining Force III Scenario 2
Shining Force III Scenario 3
Shining Force III Premium Disk
Modern Series (current)
Shining Soul *
Shining Soul II *
Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon ( SF:ROTDD ) *
( insert ALL 'Classic' series here replacing SF:LOGI with SF:ROTDD )
Shining Tears
Shining Road to the Force
Shining Road Priestess of the Dark Dragon
Shining Wind
Shining Wind X
Shining Wind Fan Festa
Shining Tears X Wind (anime)
Shining Hearts: Bread of Happiness (anime)
Shining Hearts
Shining Blade
Shining Ark
Blade Arcus from Shining, ...EX, ...Battle Arena
Shining Resonance, ...Refrain *
VR Figure from Shining: Kirika Towa Alma
Modern Spin - off's ( own separate continuity )
Shining Force Neo
Shining Force EXA
Shining Force EXA Mobile
Shining Force Feather *
Project X Zone *
Project X Zone 2 *
Shining Force Cross, ...Raid, ...Elysion, ...Exlesia, ...Exlesia Zenith
Stalker Series ( Spin off )
Landstalker *
Lady Stalker *
Dark Savior
Time Stalkers ( Climax landers )
Lady Stalker Mobile
( You can include the FEDA series due to it's reference in Time Stalkers ( Climax Landers )
FEDA: The Emblem of Justice *
FEDA Remake!: The Emblem of Justice
FEDA 2: White Surge the Platoon
Demo release on the 12/6/18 ...enjoy!
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