As a I came across Project Phoenix’s Kickstarter yesterday they had raised about $97,000 of their $100,000 goal. In the time it took me to read the whole page and wait for their proposal video to load (slow Internets...sigh), they had surpassed their goal in just a matter of minutes. With a well-seasoned team of triple-A talent pushing Project Phoenix forward, it’s no surprise they raised more than their goal amount in less than 9 hours on August 12, 2013.

What is Project Phoenix?

Project Phoenix is a squad-based RTS with strong JRPG design. Based in Japan and spearheaded by Creative Intelligence Arts, this game will be the quintessential combination of East and West. You'll explore the fantastical world of Azuregard and unravel the mysteries behind an angel with amnesia.

The entire team behind Project Phoenix boasts a myriad of high profile credits--Skyrim, Diablo III, Assassin’s Creed II, The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, Metal Gear Solid V, Valkyria Chronicles, Halo 4, Final Fantasy, and many more. Hiroaki Yura is the director and producer, having been a part of several blockbuster game titles as well as popular anime. Yura is also the creator of the Eminence Symphony Orchestra, which will contribute to the game's majestic soundtrack.

Speaking of music, a veteran video game composer is venturing into the indie gaming realm for the first time, and his name is Nobuo Uematsu. Uematsu has composed for upwards of 25+ years for video games, most notably for the Final Fantasy series, and he now the lead composer for Project Phoenix. We can expect an identifiably lingering soundtrack from the brilliant Uematsu.

The art team is also bursting with talent, from lead artist Gontaro to lead 3D modeller Steffen Unger to lead cinematic artist Koya Takahashi. Additionally, the character and monster designer’s identity has to be kept under wraps--as well other team members--aside from his alias TAKE-B. From the one piece of concept art released (below), it assures that the designs to come are going to be detailed and inspiring.

Gameplay

In Project Phoenix, you adventure through Azuregard leveling your characters and advancing the plot. While you tailor and level your characters and teach them new abilities, they “behave intelligently when you are not controlling them directly.” There are also three specific modes within the game you can play: Exploration, Combat, and Character Advancement.

Exploration

In Exploration, you essentially discover new towns, cities, and people all over Azuregard at your own pace. Rather than grinding to access future areas, you can venture at your leisure. The world will deep, allowing you to truly delve into the characters and, more importantly, the culture.

Combat

There are two types of Combat: Story and Random. The Story battles are essential to furthering the plot while the latter is just that, random. Random battles occur as your discover new areas or backtrack through old ones, but are not intended to be wearying.

Project Phoenix uses a point-and-click system to control your group of heroes, utilizing mana and stamina for abilities. More tactical play comes in with the inclusion of conditions like Terrain, Fog of War, and Threat Management. Terrain allows you to use the environment to your benefit and will vary greatly. Fog of War increases suspense with a hidden map that you reveal as you explore with the enemies undisclosed. Threat Management prompts you to maneuver your characters and work on strategy. And the gargantuan bosses we’re so familiar with? Rest assured that many bosses will litter the world to feed our need for challenge.

Character Advancement

Classically RPG, you’ll be leveling your character, increasing stat points and abilities with a talent system. As per tradition, you’ll choose a class and go from there, finding useful equipment to deck out your heroes. There will also be customizable characters you can recruit along the way to get a taste of several different classes.

Project Phoenix is slated to release mid-2015 and will be on the PC, Mac, and Linux through Steam and their website, with altered versions for mobile platforms. Next-gen consoles may be a possibility, but not a focus right now.

This thoroughly successful and star studded project still has 28 days to go as of today, and they already reached some of their stretch goals. View the Project Phoenix Kickstarter and get involved to see why this supremely promising game soared past its funding goal and is still going!