Crossfire is a fangame taking place in the world of Attack on Titan, a manga created by Isayama Hajime. 300 years ago, humankind was brought on the brink of extinction by the sudden attack of titans, weird humanoid giants who eat people. Their origins, goals and motives are unknown, and humanity had not choice but to take shelter behind three gigantic Walls, isolating themselves from the rest of the world. However, one day a colossal titan, 50m tall, appears and destroys Wall Maria, pushing humanity back to the inner Walls of Rose and Sina.
Our game takes place 2 years after the first chapter of the manga, the destruction of Wall Maria. An elite team of soldiers is fighting in titan territory to retake humanity's land: they're called the Recon Corps, and they're leaded by Erwin Smith, our main character. He's struggling to secure the existence of the Recon Corps itself in a hostile political environment, survive against the over-powered titans and, maybe, find some kind of comfort in the arms of his soldiers (if they don't die before he can make a move on them...).
Overall, we're trying to keep the desperate atmosphere of the original material: before you can focus on dating, you need to face serious problems that could very well end you life prematurely. But as we included some romance, we also have lighter moments with your darling... if you can keep them alive!
You'll get to explore different settings, both inside and outside the Walls, and two very different story arc depending on your choices, and you get to choose between 5 romantic routes (Levi, Hanji, Mike, Nile & Marie, Ilse). There is no true friendship route planned, but it's not mandatory to date someone to finish the game alive, don't worry. However, if you make someone hate you, they could make your quest more complicated...
The cast
* Erwin is the young leader of the Recon Corps, determined to give humanity its pride back. He's a genius tactician, able to outsmart most of his enemies, no matter who they are. He's manipulative and suspicious, however he's still loved by his men as a righteous man. He will sacrifice everything, including his own life, if it can help humanity's revival.
* Levi is humanity's strongest soldier despite his short stature and rude behavior. At first, he seems unapproachable and cold, but he still puts a great value in the life of his men and trust them whole-heartily. As a former thug, his methods are sometimes a bit unconventional.
* Hanji is an overly enthusiast scientist who loves to share their ideas, maybe more than what others are willing to. But don't trust their smiling face, they're extremely determined, to the point that nothing will stand between them and their goal.
* Mike may not speak a lot and have weird habits, but he's still determined and gentle. He's a silent presence one can always rely on, no matter their social status or rank in the military. He's also a good tactician, always keeping in mind the purpose of the Recon Corps.
* Nile is a rational man trying to survive an irrational world. He enlisted in the Military Police to provide some kind of safety to his family, but he soon realized things were more complicated. He can rely on his adaptability to get out of difficult situations.
* Marie is a determined working-girl who knows how to keep her business running and be respected by her mainly soldier customers. In private, she's down-to-earth and reliable, doing everything she can to protect her loved ones.
* Ilse is brave and resourceful, calm and able to apply cold logic in every situation. She's also confident and doesn't hesitate to challenge others' views. The downside of her assertiveness is how stubborn she can become if her opponent doesn't use logic to challenge her.[/list]
The team
We're Agape Studios, a small crew of 3 French people who know each other in real life and we all share a passion for stories, games and Attack on Titan. While not very familiar with the VN world nor the English language, we're giving our best to make a fangame players will enjoy!
* Gabylc is the project manager and writer of Crossfire. She got a degree in cultural management and is currently training to become a literature teacher. She have been writing stories in various forms since she learnt how to put words on paper.
* Daphbpl is a big fangirl who also happens to know how to draw a little. She has been drawing inconsistently in the middle of her biology and chemistry studies but never gave up on her fandomic obsessions, no matter what.
* Pando is a student in final year of an IT degree and soon-to-be professional game programmer who loves Python and the Attack on Titan universe. He works a part-time job in a famous French video game company at day and programs visual novels at night.
We're currently looking for new talents for our team and we will post a thread specifying our need soon! We still need at least one editor, and may use a CG artist and a composer. Stay tuned!
Information we can disclose so far
It's still a bit difficult to evaluate how far we are in this project, but we can make an announcement! Given our progress so far, we will release a first demo on the 19th of October, official birthday of Erwin Smith, our main character!
(We still don't have precise schedule for the whole game though.)
Questions for you!
Feel free to give your opinion in whatever form you want, but if you don't know what to say and still want to help us, we have a few questions:
* Are you interested in fangames in general? Do you expect anything specific from this kind of game?
* If you don't know Attack on Titan's universe, would you still play a VN based on it if provided enough information about the background, or are you just not interested? If you're interested, how would you like to get the information delivered? An encyclopedia option in the main menu, a dialogue choice at the beginning of the game, a tutorial option...
* If you know Attack on Titan, are you interested in a game focusing on the older members of the Recon Corps without appearance of the main cast? Do you mind the small canon adjustments (Ilse being alive, Nile keeping contact with Erwin, Marie presence?) Are you interested by the presence of some kind of encyclopedia about the universe if you're not super familiar with the canon, or is it distracting?
* What do you think about additional game play elements like mini games, achievements... in a visual novel?
* Eventually, do you want to play this game? Do you have any other remarks?
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