Ciel Fledge sends the Princess Maker formula to space this autumn
If she's not gang-lord by 18, you're doing it wrong.
Despite being a niche within a niche, Ciel Fledge is unmistakably walking in the footsteps of Gainax's influential Princess Maker series. They're parenting simulators, tasking you with scheduling and steering a child's life until they're ready to fly the coop. Studio Namaapa are transplanting the concept into the far future, where the last remnants of the human race live on floating sky-cities, while aliens have taken over Earth. As such, the player is tasked with teaching their kid the lessons they need in life, love and laser combat. It's due in autumn - see a trailer below.
While Ciel Fledge looks familiar in terms of broad design strokes, the finer details show some interesting differences. Challenges, whether they be actual combat or school tests, are handled via a 'battle' system which appears to be part RPG, part match-three puzzle. Still, as with Princess Maker, it's possible to steer your child's life towards peaceful pursuits, but half of the fun seems to be locked away in exploring the world below. Kit your kid up in full combat gear and send them off to save the world, while you get to distribute whatever they loot. Irresponsible parenting 101.
While I like the look of much of the stuff in the trailer above, I do have a couple concerns. Firstly, the characters look a little blank and stiff when facing-to-camera. I doubt that even far-future space kids stand to attention with their arms rigidly at their sides. Secondly, I'm hoping that the game's English script doesn't suffer from Studio Namaapa being Indonesian. It's hard enough writing games in your first language, and small studios tend not to be able to afford great translation teams. Even the recently re-released Princess Maker 2 on Steam suffered. Fingers crossed.
Ciel Fledge is due out this autumn. You can see a bit more on its official site and Steam store page here. PQube are publishing.