Final Fantasy inspired JRPG that raised over $300,000 on Kickstarter effectively cancelled

Over the past few months, quite a few in-development games have got the axe. Most recently, Bend Studio, of the Days Gone fame, has to release some of its staff due to a cancelled live action project for Sony. Even indie developers are not immune from rising development costs. Studio Camelia, who raised over $300,000 on Kickstarter, just announced they're shutting down, effectively marking the end of their maiden project: Alzara Radiant Echoes.

On its Kickstarter page, the company said the above funds, combined with their personal savings, only covered half the development costs of Alzara Radiant Echoes. It counted on a being sponsored by an 'industry partner' to finish development, but the studio was unable to find one. As of now, the project stands cancelled, and unless someone picks it up, there's no chance of it coming back. And, Kickstarter backers are unlikely to get a refund.

Alzara Radiant Echoes was meant to launch as a JRPG inspired by Final Fantasy and the likes. While a playable demo of the game exists, it might not be accessible any more. You can get a brief glimpse at its Steam page and a YouTube video. The four-minute clip shows off some of its world and gameplay. It has a quirky, vibrant art style and turn-based combat. Unfortunately, the actual demo itself won't be playable due to legal issues.

While Alzara Radiant Echoes didn't try to reinvent the JRPG formula, it looked as if it had potential. Thanks to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's roaring success, more people have started looking into the turn-based RPG genre. It is also a grim reminder that not every ambitious project will see the light of day and the inherent risks of investing in a Kickstarter project, no matter now attractive it looks.