With Konami showing no signs of releasing Suikoden from purgatory, several members of the original development team have banded together to create their own JRPG with 100 recruitable characters and other features of the classic series. The kickstarter for "Chronicles of Heroes: 100 Heroes" launched on Monday and was funded almost immediately.

"Chronicle of Heroes" will explore the continent of Alllahn, a diverse land "shaped by the alliances and invasions of humans, beastmen, elves, and desert peoples. One nation, the Gardane Empire, has become more powerful than its neighbors thanks to the discovery of magic amplification technology and is now searching for artifacts to further enhance its power.

The game is 2.5D, with handsome PS1-era sprites roaming through more detailed and gorgeous environments reminiscent of Octopath Traveler. Exploration takes place in real time, but combat is turn-based, with six characters in tow. Characters can also learn customizable special abilities, which they can use on their own or link to the abilities of other characters. As more friends are added, they can be combined to find new synergies.

Speaking of recruiting, you can join 100 characters, from warriors to bakers. Some will be put into battle, but they will also need to expand their fortified cities by putting their new friends to work. Eventually, they will be able to reinforce the walls, build new weapons, farm, and develop businesses such as restaurants and blacksmith shops. There is also cooking, where you can learn recipes and cook in your cafeteria. If your cafeteria becomes popular enough, you can franchise it and open new locations throughout All Learn to compete with rival restaurants.

It all sounds very nice and very Suikoden-like, so it is perhaps not surprising that the $500,000 goal has been surpassed. In just a few hours, the game has surpassed its stretch goal, which includes the aforementioned fortress city mode and cafeteria mini-game. The stretch goal is up to $1.8 million at this point, with four more to go.

Development is expected to take at least a couple of years, with a current estimated release date of October 2022.