It’s no secret that the PlayStation Vita has been left yearning for some triple-A titles — a trend that is likely to continue as Sony doubles down on promising indies. But one of the last few high-profile projects to grace the handheld system was Japan Studios’ Monster Hunter-esque RPG Freedom Wars, which sold considerably well in its native region despite divisive reviews.
As a matter of fact, the game accumulated an impressive 223,000 sales during its first fortnight on the market, leading much of the fanbase to wonder whether a sequel would be on the cards. According to Junichi Yoshizawa , though, the fate of Freedom Wars 2 ultimately rests in the hands of the community.
Whether or not we can make a sequel cannot be decided by my intentions alone. But in the end, it’s important for players to speak up so we can know if that demand exists or not. We’ve had a lot of supportive people at this event, and for that I was really happy.
Further in the interview with Famitsu, Yoshizawa noted that the studio is fully behind the prospect, and that all sequel support should be directed at Sony. It’s happened in the past, too, considering that it was largely fan feedback that drove Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines into production last year. If Freedom Wars 2 is fast-tracked, it will be without Yoshizawa, as the producer announced on Tumblr that is parting ways with Japan Studio.
I’ve decided to leave the Freedom Wars project. My deepest thanks to everyone who’s supported my projects up until now, especially with respect to Freedom Wars! I think a lot of people might be worried about the future of Freedom Wars from hearing this. [Associate Producer Tokuou] Ohnuma will take over Freedom Wars.
From here on, everyone please look forward to announcements from Ohnuma.
Japan Studio’s post-apocalyptic RPG has carved out a cult following since its release on PlayStation Vita last year, but do you feel as though this war cry warrants a Freedom Wars 2?
Published: Apr 1, 2015 09:55 am