ALZARA: Radiant Echoes Gets Some Extra Info

Developer Studio Camelia released new details for its turn-based RPG ALZARA: Radiant Echoes. The new details, covering the game’s main characters and combat, come through a series of updates on the game’s currently-ongoing Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. The update also confirmed that due to hitting stretch goals, the game will feature English voice acting.

ALZARA: Radiant Echoes is set in the fantasy, Mediterranean-inspired Taqsim archipelago. The game follows the adventure of four heroes spearheading a resistance against the militaristic Vedorian nation. Kayla Skoros is an instructor in Shanidat, the archipelago’s capital, but also the heir of its current leader. She is often outspoken, bold, and takes risks, but also has a good heart. She is very athletic, able to tow carts and lift heavy stones on her own, and wields a saber-like Yataghan in battle. However, Kayla feels the weight of her lineage and will eagerly fight to defend her ideals or honour, as well as jump in to help others.

Adil Pygolampida is a student of diplomacy who resides in Shanidat. He is incredibly skilled at persuasion, but also passionate about fashion and the politics of the ruling classes. He hopes to reveal those machinations to the public, but can be naive and judgmental of others’ work ethics. Adil was found as a newborn on the island of Kalokeri and adopted by a working-class family. After meeting Kayla by chance, they become friends, which results in the start of his studies into philosophy and rhetoric. He wields a flute in combat to summon air streams.

Hugust Melissa is a veteran soldier from the Vedorian army, which is attempting to take over the Taqsim archipelago. He signed up for the prestige and didn’t take his commitment to the army too seriously. However, this changed when he was sent to a conflict in the Northlands, where the loss of magic saw the army rely on undisciplined mercenaries. Having lost his self-confidence and sense of duty, Hugust asks to be sent to Taqsim to try and restore it. He wields a large shield and is incredibly resilient to both wounds and bad news. He tries to be stoic and not share his burdens.

Nakheel Kriket is a young but venerable sage who lives in a small fishing settlement on East Kalokeri. They are an expert at naval navigation and values their freedom more than anything else while trying to judge others. They left their family at a young age after disagreeing with their way of life and has always been drawn to the water, living a solitary life while learning about the elemental gods known as the Zals. Nakheel stays in shape by swimming and surfing, and uses a ceremonial axe in combat. They often approach situations with logic and practicality in mind, but finds it hard to relate to others’ motives.

ALZARA: Radiant Echoes features random battles with a turn-based combat system. The party is split into front line and back line positions, with skills available depending on the character’s current position. Each character has their own primary element — fire for Kayla, air for Adil, earth for Hugust, and water for Nakheel — but the game’s swap system allows party members to exchange magic to create additional elements. For example, thunder is a mixture of fire and air, while plant is a mixture of earth and water.

Players can switch which heroes are on the front and back lines, and are encouraged to swap their party between them, using the back line to recover while the front line leads the attack. Those on the back row will regenerate Echo Points (used for spells) over time, and can also use spells called Offerings, which causes them to temporarily lose some of their stats but in return they can use Summons to call upon powerful beings that can change the tide of battle.

Combat turn order is determine by character speed, but players will be able to manipulate the order to their advantage. Leveling up heroes will also give players access to a skill tree to unlock new abilities and passive bonuses. In addition, players will be able to adjust the game’s random encounter rate and progression power curve.

The Kickstarter campaign is set to run until June 14, 2024. Those who pledge at least €30 (€25 for a limited time) will receive a copy of the game as part of their backer rewards. ALZARA: Radiant Echoes is currently planned to launch for PC and consoles in 2026.