The Hazuki Legacy (2D fan game)

Joined
Aug 24, 2018
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(Note: yep it's been pointed out that I've got the first character wrong here. Will fix soon!)

What is the Hazuki Legacy?

The Hazuki Legacy is what happens when one person makes a 2D Shenmue spin off game using assets from the original games and keeps it as faithful as possible to the spirit of Shenmue. Essentially it's Kobra Kai meets Myst meets Stardew Valley, with JRPG combat and tons of minigames.

The project is currently about 15% complete.

I've been working on this project off and on in previous years. But since 2021 began my life has settled down a lot, and I've stopped jumping from project to project. Now I'm fully committed to making this game happen, and I'm working on it at least one full day per week. It's been a dream of mine that will not go away, so I'm very determined.

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Working time system, magic weather, and classic loading screens will all feature.


What's it about?


Set after Ryo departs in the first game, the game is about Fukuhara as he struggles to take care of the dojo and fulfill his promise to Ryo. But this task will involve much more than just sweeping and training! After a storm hits the dojo is in need of repair, and when Ine-san sits him down to tell him that the inheritance passed down from Iwao won't last forever, Fuku takes it upon himself to do everything he can to keep the Hazuki legacy alive.

Playing as Fuku, you'll seek out martial arts masters in Yokosuka and Yokohama (yes, including Chinatown) to help train new students in the Hazuki style of martial arts and revitalise the dojo. Along the way you'll fight corrupt cops, street thugs, bikers and yakuza as you uncover a deeper plot, but you won't do it alone. As you recruit students and allies they'll join your party and fight alongside you in tactical turn-based combat.

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Exploration will use faux 3D as you progress between still scenes with NPCs and cut scenes.


How Are You Doing This Alone / How Will You Finish This?

Okay, believe it or not, this is all made in RPG Maker MV. But wait! It won't look ANYTHING like an RPG Maker game, I promise.

Why am I using RPG Maker? It's very simple: I want to finish making the game. RPG Maker offers an extremely quick production method and can do everything I need it to do (with a bit of custom coding).

The majority of the systems are already in place and I'm now adding content and story. It's so fast to make because I'm simply using assets, music, sound effects, and animations from SEGA games.

My plan is to 'go dark' about 40% through making the game so that I don't get a cease and desist from SEGA. And then by the time they realise this is actually happening, it'll already been online. It will be 100% free, with no ads, no freemium bullshit and available on PC AND mobile devices. Yes, this will be completely mobile friendly.



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A working journal system. Yes the journal music plays and the pages turn. Not much content yet though!


Okay, so Tell me About the Action

Combat is turn-based and old school JRPG style. It's fully animated and will be as faithful as possible to the moves used in the game. I'm achieving this so quickly by ripping the 3D models from the game and uploading them to Miximo so that I can quickly generate sprite sheets of moves.

The combat will be simple but very deep and strategic. It won't be just a case of trading blows until somebody dies. Also, it's a party-based system.

Essentially, there are statuses in particular which you'll want to keep an eye on as the blows are traded (besides health): balance, guard, energy, chi, focus. Some moves might throw you off balance and drain your energy while dealing heavy damage to your oponent, and that might leave you open to being thrown or knocked down. Other defensive moves improve your own guard while sapping your enemy's energy, for example. Some moves are quick and light, and gradually raise your chi levels so that you're able to unleash a combo of moves. A punch to the head might not sap the target's balance or guard or energy much, but it could really damage their focus and make them dizzy enough to miss a lot more often.

Additionally, some characters play different roles. Fuku, for example, isn't the best at accurate or powerful kicks and punches, but he can take one hell of a beating so he makes a good tank. And he's pretty strong, which means if he grabs hold of a target he can be a big threat.


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The UI for battles hasn't been worked on yet. I'll update this post when it has.


Minigames, You Say?

As for minigames, yes. Just yes!

This will be a heavy focus for the game. Toy capsules, arcade games, duck race festivals (and many other festivals for Dobuita, like in Stardew Valley), dojo management simulation, phone calls, forklift day job, gambling, lucky hit (if I can pull it off), and more.

There will also be a 'Passport' menu for high scores on these games.

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I've added many SEGA classics as toy capsule machines. Like ... a lot.



Shops, Items, Puzzles

There's more of a point to shops here, as eating well (at restaurants, in the kitchen, or from convenience stores) will help speed up your XP gain and improve your moves faster.

You'll be able to hang out with friends at restaurants for special cutscenes and dialogue. I've written a couple of novels in my younger days, so I love all that stuff.

You can buy ingredients at the tomato mart, cook them up into a nice dish (I dunno, Fuku just strikes me as a competent cook, if nothing else haha), and gift that to people around town, like in a Harvest Moon game. Gifts help raise your affinity with people and help the reputation of the dojo overall, which is very important.

Antique shops will have things of interest, of course, as learning new moves will be vital.

Some items you'll find around town at certain times, such as move scrolls or cassette tapes or toy capsules. Other items you'll use in puzzles, just like in Broken Sword or Dreamfall.


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Lottery will also feature, and you'll be able to trade in capsule sets for unique moves, which you can teach at the dojo.


Conversations and NPCs

NPCs will have their own schedules, albeit in a more simplistic way.

When you bump into them you can click on them to start chatting small talk, ask them questions / directions, or you can actually use your notebook as a way to inquire about specific matters. I just felt like it's more of a challenge to ask the correct person about the correct thing, rather than just spamming the chat button on everyone you see.

Some will give side quests, and some can eventually be recruited to the dojo. Most will reveal more about themselves or be more friendly as you get their affinity up.

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I felt like the side-view conversations escape the stigma of visual novels, and make it feel more like an adventure game. Which is just more 'mue.



ETA? Please Don't Say "When it's Ready!"

I'm hoping to have a demo for the hardcore Shenmue fans to try out and give me feedback by late summer. It will be a What's Shenmue style demo with a little self-contained story to complete.

Additionally, once all the sytems and minigames are in place, I have a very strong urge to take those and create Dobuita Online. Which, in my head, is a bit of a wet dream right now.

As for the full game beta release date, I'm unsure, but as it's mostly just a case of adding content now rather than coding or systems, I feel like mid-2022 is quite realistic.




I'll keep updating this first post with overall info, and replying in comments to show progress as I go.

I'm happy doing this on my own, but if you know RPG Maker VERY well and you really REALLY want to help out, there's always more minigames we could add! So get in touch.
 
nice job, I've been following your project on facebook for a while.
 
Very nice! Looks like Shenmue really is one of those franchises that will never ever be forgotten.
 
This is a really awesome project! I'm looking forward to seeing how it works out. Fuku-San appreciates not being totally forgotten after the events of Shenmue 1 lol
 
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