Jade Cocoon - Preview

Will Genkei's upcoming RPG stand out among other RPGs this year?

By Alex Kimbel, RPGamer Writer

Jade Cocoon features polygonal characters on pre-rendered backgrounds.

   Everyone's working on RPGs these days. Each brings it's own innovation, features, gameplay, and graphics; but none are completely alike. What's today's RPG? It's Jade Cocoon: The Story of Tamamayu, developed by Genkei and to be published by Crave. And like others, Jade Cocoon has its own form of innovation in the RPG field: Monster breeding. Let's take a look at what makes this title different..

   When it comes to graphics, it looks like the monstrous Final Fantasy VIII is going to have a rival. Jade Cocoon features the same presentation of graphics: polygonal characters on pre-rendered backgrounds. Characters appear to be very detailed and so do the backgrounds.

   But, innovation is the key. So many companies are developing RPGs these days that to be successful, an RPG has to stand out. It has to shine. What makes Jade Cocoon shine? Well, aside from the graphics, there's the monster breeding. The game appears to be a mix between Tecmo's popular Monster Rancher and Final Fantasy VII. In Jade Cocoon, you must raise and breed monsters to help you throughout your quest.

   Aside from these obvious features, Jade Cocoon also includes beautiful anime sequences and a captivating storyline. Will Jade Cocoon stand out? We'll just have to wait and see...