Re:Legend is an adorable multiplayer RPG looking to combine life sims and monster raising. Its Kickstarter campaign is ongoing, and at the time of writing has nearly tripled its initial funding target with 20 days remaining.
Six-person developer Magnus Games describes Re:Legend as a “sim-JRPG” inspired by Harvest Moon descendants not unlike Stardew Valley and Slime Rancher. At its core, Re:Legend is about taming and raising ‘Magnus’—monsters which inhabit the land of Ethia—and making use of their unique abilities.
Although it’s not clear exactly how many Magnus there will be, we do know every one of the little buggers can be befriended, including boss monsters. Some Magnus can also evolve, presumably unlocking more useful powers. A water Magnus, for instance, might be able to quickly water your farmland, which is where the influence of Stardew Valley shines through.
Re:Legend also features skills like farming, mining, fishing and woodcutting, which level up as you mine ore and cut logs and so on. Judging from some GIFs, there may even be skill bosses such as extremely hardy trees and massive fish. Magnus can help with virtually all life skills from improving your gathering yields to tending to your crops.
Luckily, you won’t have to go it alone. Re:Legend supports up to four-person multiplayer and seems to operate on shared-progress servers similar to Terraria’s, which dovetails nicely with its village building. As you explore different islands and regions, you’ll be able to befriend villagers that unlock useful facilities back home. And yes, you can romance the locals.
Naturally, you may have to fight some Magnus in order to tame them, which is where Re:Legend’s straightforward combat system comes in. Rather than a declared class, your abilities are decided by your choice of gear and Magnus. Pick up a greatsword and you’re a knight; pick up a staff and you’re a mage. You can also have your Magnus tank, heal or attack for you.
On the whole, Re:Legend looks like a colorful, cheery mix of tried-and-true elements, which makes its somber history all the more surprising.
“Re:Legend's concept was conceived around December 2015 and we were actually halfway through the development,” the Kickstarter explains. “But in the end it was cancelled due to our investor's financial difficulties and more than a year worth of effort was flushed down the drain and destroyed before our very eyes.”
Re:Legend was later picked up by the Square Enix Collective, the publisher’s indie initiative. Magnus Games then turned to Kickstarter in the hopes of expanding the game’s scope with such stretch goals as advanced house customization and an orchestral soundtrack, both of which have already been reached.
According to Re:Legend’s Collective campaign, it will come to PC in early 2018.