NIS America announced The Cruel King and the Great Hero will release in 2022. It’s billed as a spiritual successor to The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince and follows Yuu, a young girl watched over by the kindly, and very dangerous, Dragon King.
I recently had a chance to see The Cruel King and the Great Hero in action during a press event, and while NIS America kept quiet about story details, I did get to see some of the game in action.
In this later chapter, Yuu was searching for a missing girl in the storybook forest. That’s not just a location, either. Similar to its predecessor, a beautiful picture-book art style characterizes The Cruel King.
A spirit told Yuu the girl disappeared into an enchanted fountain, so off Yuu goes as well.
Unlike Liar Princess, a puzzle-platformer, Cruel King is a turn-based RPG with a twist. Yuu’s temporary companions have unique quirks that help or hinder in combat. Flora, the missing girl, was weak and only had a “hide” skill, for example, and Yuu had to deal with the monster threat on her own.
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is planned for release in 2022 on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4.
