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Press release:
PQube (London, UK) – January 27th, 2021.
PQube and Kadokawa Games are excited to announce the release date for upcoming visual novel murder mystery “Root Film“, coming to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and also available on PlayStation 5 via backwards compatibility on March 19th 2021!

‘Root Film’ is an original narrative adventure centring around an unusual string of deaths during the production of a once mysteriously cancelled television series. Directed by Hifumi Kono and featuring voice acting from Japanese idols i☆Ris , players are invited to unravel a 10-year-old mystery lost in 35mm film. You will unwittingly become the detective in your very own murder mystery on the set of ‘Root Film’.

Set in a perfect recreation of the stunning coastal Shimane prefecture, origin of Japanese mythology and folklore, the plot of ‘Root Film’ is based around the reboot of a mysteriously cancelled TV series “Shimane Mystery Drama Project”. Take the role of 23-year-old Rintaro Yagumo as his excitement for an amazing casting opportunity is quickly curbed, when a horrible murder interrupts their location scouting process.

5 Reasons Why ‘Root Film’

With a cast of memorable characters illustrated by character designer Taro Minoboshi combined with the masterful storytelling of Kadokawa Games, here are 5 ways ‘Root Film’ is refreshing the visual novel genre with innovative new features, mechanics and storytelling techniques that separates it from the standard visual novel.

1. Hybrid of Two Genres

‘Root Film’ differs from a standard kinetic novel by fusing elements of both mystery themed visual novels with unique investigative and fighting-game-style mechanics to create an entirely unique experience for players.

Inspired to break the walls of the standard gameplay within the established visual novel genre, Kadokawa Games wanted players to draw from their personal intuition as well as pit them against rapid fire face-off mechanics as a central spoke of the games’ investigation mechanics.

2. Intuition Mechanics

Intuition is a vital asset for any budding detective, especially on the case of a mysterious and inexplicable string of murders. ‘Root Film’s Intuition mechanic allows players to dissect and assess in-game conversations with other characters.

Once activated, Intuition helps the player identify phrases, objects or clues that are essential to investigations and confrontations. By logging these small pieces of the puzzle, suspects can be pressed upon to uncover clues or leads in the investigation.

3. Synesthesia Mechanic

During the course of the investigation, the protagonist will spot keywords that cannot be ignored – identifying suspicious words or phrases using the Intuition system can activate Synesthesia, memorising that moment!

These critical pieces of information indicate clues, inconsistencies or leads that can later be drawn upon in Max Mode interrogations and debates to unravel a suspicious alibi, press for more details or unlock more clues.

4. Max Mode

After collecting enough keywords, players are able to confront suspects in Max Mode, a fast paced, reaction-based interrogation tactic, to press on suspects and expose their lies.

Blending mechanics from various genres, this fighting-game-style one on one showdown allows the player to lie in wait for the perfect moment to force a suspect to reveal his hand! Utilising essential evidence collected through Intuition and other unique features such as Synesthesia and challenges players to piece together the story in an intense, nerve-wracking debate!

5. Zapping?!

There are two sides to every story – experimenting with the ‘zapping’ mechanic allows the player to reveal the perspective of two characters at the same time. Experiencing events from two different viewpoints is an essential tool to discern truth from lies and find out the truth about “Shimane Mystery Drama Project”!

available through our partners at Rice Digital is the boxed ‘Root Film’ Limited Edition, including a boxed copy of the game on either PlayStation 4 or Nintendo Switch as well as a 100 page art book featuring a curated blend of environmental scenery, detailed character illustrations and more!

Only available on the Funstock store:
Root Film PlayStation 4 Limited Edition
Root Fim Nintendo Switch Limited Edition

‘Root Film’ will release for PlayStation and Nintendo Switch on March 19th, 2021.

Check out @Kadokawa_Games (Japanese account) and #RootFilm on Twitter!

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About Kadokawa Games
Kadokawa Games, LTD, was established to publish consumer video games of Kadokawa Group companies. Kadokawa Games plans and develops completely original titles working closely with domestic developers and overseas game publishers eyeing the global market. Responding to the globalized and diversified game industry, the company aims to create and deliver revolutionary and beloved titles to the market. More information about Kadokawa Games can be found online at www.kadokawagames.co.jp

About PQube
PQube is a leading international creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment. The company’s teams worldwide are committed to publishing games they love by working closely with development partners and reaching consumers globally on all major gaming platforms. PQube manages a rich portfolio of brands including Cat Quest, New Super Lucky’s Tale, BlazBlue, Gal*Gun, White Day, Kill La Kill, Nexomon: Extinction, Guilty Gear, Kitaria Fables, and many more. Visit: pqube.co.uk to find out more.