Tactical RPG Children of Zodiarcs Releases Today

Cardboard Utopia, a developer under Square Enix, has released a tactical RPG called Children of Zodiarcs today. But why is it special? It's not just a tactical RPG, it's a deck-building/dice-rolling tactical RPG. Plus the art style looks really charming.

The standard "move around a grid" mechanic of tactical RPGs is present, but what changes is the way attacks work. Instead of a behind-the-scenes number crunch, players can build decks to best suit their situations. The secret number crunching is now a dice roll that's actually seen on-screen. Check out the trailer below.

The story involved a band of thieves who broke into a vault to steal an artifact. The heist doesn't quite go as planned as they're chased by guards in possession of powerful Zodiarc weapons.

On the PlayStation blog, creative director Jason Kim attributes the 16 and 32-bit era of gaming as inspiration for Children of Zodiarcs and the inspiration can be seen, especially in the character design and overall aesthetic. 

"I had been craving a good tactical RPG for years, something like the ones I used to play during the 16 and 32 -bit era (looking at you, PSone!) But I couldn’t find all that in the games I was playing. That's why the characters in Children of Zodiarcs part with the tradition of the 'pure-hearted-heroes-of-destiny.' They don't try to save the world, so much as survive it."

The often forgotten RPGs of the PlayStation 1 era have potential as a well of inspiration and Cardboard Utopia has taken advantage of it.

The game was made possible through the Square Enix Collective, an initiative intended to have Square Enix help independent studios market, test, and fund their titles. It's no surprise this game is reminiscent of the hay days of Squaresoft.

Children of Zodiarcs is available for $18 on Steam and the PlayStation Store.