PREVIEW USING INFORMATION FROM POLYGON AND EDGEPREVIEW USING SUPPORTED IMAGES FROM KOBOJO[dropcap style=”style1″]K[/dropcap]obojo may be considered as a newbie in gaming industry these days, yet possibly, its destiny which is to make Facebook game will change quickly as the release of the new game Zodiac: Orcanon Odyssey.

Everything may have been started when Mario Rizzo, current CEO of Kobojo joined this studios in 2013. At that time, Rizzo has felt the potential of his staffs and guide them to create a product that would change his destiny.

• Developer: Kobojo
• Publisher: Kobojo
• Genre: RPG
• Release Date: Unknown
• Platform: iOS | Android | PS Vita | PS4
• Price: Unknown

[su_divider][su_heading style=”flat-blue” size=”35″ margin=”50″]AN EXTREMELY AMBITIOUS GAME[/su_heading]

Not only did they have ambition to make Zodiac become the first role playing game with Japanese style (JRPG) whose developers are western, but also Kobojo had a plan to turn it into a free online game, obviously not the same as other ordinary ones. On the other hand, it is able to enjoy the whole game without internet connection.

“The idea of Zodiac is about making a roleplaying game 2D with a plot that you can join with others in such a world of highly connecting people” – Rizzo shared. He said that Zodiac was not the same as any other free mobile these days, there were impressive scenes, deep plot with complicated system and various characters. Perhaps, because of the huge potential of Zodiac, Sony recently has decided to accept Kobojo’s product to appear on PS4, besides PS Vita, iOS and Android released last year.

Of course, Kobojo want Zodiac capable of spreading the typical JRPG breath to players, Final Fantasy in particular. Therefore, there is nothing strange if you meet some familiar sort of JPRG.

[su_quote]The idea of Zodiac is about making a roleplaying game 2D with a plot that you can join with others in such a world of highly connecting people[/su_quote]

According to first information sources, Zodiac would use the job system pretty much like Final Fantasy V, with 12 beginning class corresponding with Zodiac constellation.

Moreover, all stages will happen in landscape classic 2D graphic. However, graphic quality will not let you down, it seems to have artistic designs and colorful paintings. That may not surprise you as Kobojo staffs are almost 2D artists.

Attacking system is also another unique thing in Zodiac, which still uses turn attack as original JRPG. Rizzo said: “It will be much easier than the original one, everything was arranged neatly with easy-to-use skills. The target is to minimize battle duration within 3-5 minutes in order not to dilute the main plots”.

It is easy to see that Kobojo has done their best to satisfy the large amount of potential customers on mobile platform and also satisfy the need of the discovery of gamers in online roleplaying mobile game. The ambitious of Rizzo as well as Kobojo is big enough to believe that: “This game will last for many years. We will make the best roleplaying product with as high as possible quality on mobile devices, even Japanese have to shout: “Oh, this is a true JRPG!”

In order to earn such successful achievement, Kobojo still has a lot of things to do, particularly when Zodiac is a free game. Yet surprisingly, during the developing period, Zodiac has received two important members and without them they could not reach such quality level of JRPG, as well as be mentioned so much by press.

[su_divider][su_heading style=”flat-blue” size=”35″]COINCIDENCE COOPERATION[/su_heading]According to Rizzo, the developing has been in trouble until October 2013. At that time, main developer staff tried their best in being creative and they need one thing that could inspire the indulgence: a game music concert.

This is the very place where Kobojo has met their first Japanese partner – musician Hitoshi Sakimoto. He is quite strange to Vietnamese people but in fact, Hitoshi Sakimoto is a genius Japanese musician, who has been composing music for more than 80 games (in which there is Final Fantasy XII, Tactics Ogre, Vagrant Story) and can be compared to other famous names such as Nobuo Uematsu or Yasunori Mitsuda.

Kobojo staff at that time has bought the most expensive VIP ticket to have a chance to meet Hitoshi Sakimoto to express their intention to invite him having a visit to studio. “He could have thought that we were crazy – not only no assets but also having never made game” Rizzo shared and in the next morning Rizzo got a call from Sakimoto saying that he would have a visit.[su_quote]He is quite strange to Vietnamese people but in fact, Hitoshi Sakimoto is a genius Japanese musician, who has been composing music for more than 80 games[/su_quote]It is not necessary to say how joyful Kobojo’s staff was at that moment. “Everyone had to come back home quickly grabbing disc of Final Fantasy Tactics or Final Fantasy XII as knowing that he would sign” Rizzo shared. He said that the meeting went smoothly when he could introduce Sakimoto about Zodiac project – combining 2 types western and eastern to make a high quality JRPG game.

The amazing thing came, “I want in, I really want” – this saying from Sakimoto has changed Kobojo’s destiny forever. For him, he thought “The first images in Zodiac are so beautiful. I know it is influenced by Japanese and western games. I feel like they have a new and amazing idea at the moment.”

Thence, the sound in Zodiac is undertaken by Sakimoto and his studio Basiscape. It could be believed that Zodiac possessed not only graphic, gameplay but also music, which all had the typical JRPG familiarity. [su_divider] [su_heading style=”flat-blue” size=”35″]PROMISING PLOT[/su_heading]

Until now, Kobojo has cooperated with Sakimoto for 2 years leading to the results for Rizzo to get a chance meeting other famous brilliant in Japanese game industry, musician Nobue Uematsu and scripter Kazushige Nojima in Final Fantasy. Not wasting time, at the first meet, Rizzo introduces his Zodiac.

Both all got impressed in what Kobojo has done. The first is Uematsu, he expressed disappointment knowing Sakimoto undertook music role: “When you have new project, contact me. We could do it together and make a trend in Japan”. Rizzo shared that he really appreciated and the most unexpected thing was from Kazushige Nojima – who wrote plot for Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy X.

Obviously with his carrier, what Nojima wanted to know first is the plot of Zodiac. At the moment, the plot was still a raw scenario and not completely formed. Therefore, Rizzo can only explain some basic points of the plot and show the need of help, even he felt suspicious about the chance that Nojima will accept: “Zodiac has a more mature plot. It is not a story for teenagers such as Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts.” The answer of Nojima has made him surprised a lot.

[su_quote]Zodiac has a more mature plot. It is not a story for teenagers such as Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts[/su_quote]

“Yes, I want that. I got bored writing about 13-years-old kids!” Nojima still undertook scripting plot for Final Fantasy XV, and this cooperation gave him new experience. “I think it would be so interesting working in an environment where I can create something new”.

With the help from Nojima, Zodiac was better than ever as the time when Rizzo introduce the raw plot, it was just about 20 pages. And right when Nojima brought to Kobojo a new plot after 4 months, this number increased upto more than 200 pages with greater, deeper contents as those from Final Fantasy.

“Writing about matured characters, I think they are often evaluated based on honesty and character. Of course in this project I did my best to avoid any errors relating to them” Nojima shared. Therefore, it could be believed that Zodiac will have a deeper and more interesting plot than any other mobile game.

[su_divider] [su_heading style=”flat-blue” size=”35″]CHALLENGES AHEAD[/su_heading]Since the announcement, Zodiac has received many positive reviews as well as support from Japanese developers.

Even Kobojo is the first western studio which is recommended to have a prize of independent and the best game in Tokyo Game Show in 2014.

What is the reason? Rizzo said that there were many people telling those days it was impossible to make such games as no one wanted to invest in them.

Famous JRPG studios now has focused more on cheap social game, meanwhile game with much effort no longer is paid enough attention in the soul of typical JRPG.

That has also made a big challenge for Kobojo, as besides those factors, Zodiac was defined to be a free game. Hence, buy and sell items is the key factor to determine the success or failure of Zodiac as well as the future of Kobojo.

Yet for Sakimoto and Nojima, Kobojo could overcome challenges, exactly as their CEO said, that is a one-time chance you cannot miss: “It’s like when you walk into Zynga saying Hey, don’t do FarmVille, let us make Final Fantasy.”[su_quote]Since the announcement, Zodiac has received many positive reviews as well as support from Japanese developers[/su_quote] [su_divider] [su_heading style=”flat-blue” size=”35″ margin=”50″]WHEN WILL THE GAME RELEASE?[/su_heading]

As expected, Zodiac will release the experimental version for iOS and Android in July 2015 and PS Vita, PS4 players have to wait till the beginning of 2016.

[su_icon_panel background=”transparent” border=”1px none #cccccc” shadow=”0px 0px 0px #eeeeee” icon=”icon: html5″ icon_color=”#1f6dc9″ icon_size=”70″ url=”http://zodiac.kobojo.com/”][/su_icon_panel][su_icon_panel background=”transparent” border=”1px none #cccccc” shadow=”0px 0px 0px #eeeeee” icon=”icon: facebook-square” icon_color=”#1f6dc9″ icon_size=”70″ url=”https://www.facebook.com/zodiacthegame”][/su_icon_panel][su_icon_panel background=”transparent” border=”1px none #cccccc” shadow=”0px 0px 0px #eeeeee” icon=”icon: twitter-square” icon_color=”#1f6dc9″ icon_size=”70″ url=”https://www.twitter.com/BaldursGate”][/su_icon_panel][su_divider]