Aleste Branch

[Sengoku Strider]

M2 just released the official trailer, coming "Early 2022 Probably"

https://youtu.be/4cAHDOUXC34

Looks good! Much more polish than I was expecting, as they'd talked about it like it was some kind of hobby side project or something. After GG Aleste 3, there's every reason to be excited.

Some additional details, courtesy of Aleste Wiki:

The game was first announced in November 2018, being developed by M2 to commemorate the 30 year anniversary of the franchise. In June 2019 the game's official title was confirmed, with the character design of Ellinor Waizen by illustrator Eiji Komato also being shown, while the new player ship, the Aleste Dragoon, was revealed during the Japan Wonder Festival in July 2019. Additional information about the game was unveiled in September 7, 2019 during a special event in Akibahara, Japan, such as the game being designed with console-style difficulty in mind, as well as the ship's design being affected by the currently equipped weapon.

Staff
Naoki Horii - Planning
Highma Fuyuno - Planning, graphical design
Masato Yamanaka - Programming, game design
Keiji Takeuchi - Music and sound design
Eiji Komatsu - Character design

[XtraSmiley]

Trailer looks good, but can you provide some info? Is this an all new game? Who’s doing the programming, the music? Etc?

[PerishedFraud ឵឵]

Trailer looks good, but can you provide some info? Is this an all new game? Who’s doing the programming, the music? Etc?

It was discussed in the later pages of the old Aleste thread

[bcass]

Looks promising, especially the collage at the end. That said, I'd much rather have high quality sprite work than polygons for these new shmups. M2 must have all those Toaplan pixel artists in their address book, they should hire them. Would love to see what they could come up with all these years later.

[DMC]

The attack at 0:55 with rotating pink blades looks like a reference to one of the attacks in Brave Blade, last boss.

[Udderdude]

Looking good.

[EmperorIng]

Looks so much better than the early footage it's unreal. It doesn't look like a cheap indie game anymore!

My hype for it has been renewed. It's taken 30 years but there are finally good Aleste games being made. What a time to be alive.

[xxx1993]

This game can't come soon enough... But who are those two silhouettes standing left and right to Ellinor? Will there be more playable characters?

[PerishedFraud ឵឵]

Oh god, he's here

[harborline765]

I'm not hugely in to the visual style. It reminds me a bit of the ActRaiser remake, but that had a lot of frames of animation to justify the pre-rendered look (bit like a lot of Cave's later work). Here everything looks a bit static, if that makes sense, which makes the larger sprites look a bit iffy.

Just first impressions, mind. I repulsed when I first saw ActRaiser Renaissance but ended up rather liking it a lot.

[Bassa-Bassa]

These are real-time 3D and not pre-rendered, though?

I think it still looks bland, with the occasional interesting moment. Not sure it has much of the Aleste feel, aside of the weapon disparity. But seems Senjin Aleste didn't have it either, so maybe that's not a priority for M2.

[EmperorIng]

I mean, what's really the Aleste feel? Weapons that cover the screen so you don't have to do anything for 8 minutes a stage?

[Bassa-Bassa]

Well, check Mahou Daisakusen or even Gurentai.

[kid aphex]

This looks better than I thought it would.
I’m in.

[Despatche]

Hilariously, Mahou Daisakusen is a poor example because it actually tries to do Aleste right. Not that I'd be opposed to a new game that plays like that or Zanac Neo.

What we really need is turbo nerd bullet hell Aleste. I mean full on CAVE patterns.

[xxx1993]

Sorry, guys, but this is my most anticipated title right now, along with Sol Cresta. I just can't wait any longer. I'd put Ubusuna there also, but that one's gonna take a while.

[Bassa-Bassa]

I was giving examples of the Aleste feel without it being due to the get a good weapon and do nothing else for 8 minutes feature - there's not a better one than Mahou Daisakusen.

[Despatche]

And, again, Mahou Daisakusen is an exceptionally poor example because it doesn't have that "feel" at all. That "feel" was defined precisely by fucking around doing nothing in massive stages for an eternity. That is the exact "feel" that people worship games like Gunhed, Musha, and Spriggan for. The actually good Compile games either never had any of that as part of their design (Zanac), or try really hard to specifically avoid it (Zanac Neo, Mahou). What you're talking about is something else that, very likely, Aleste Branch has.

[BIL]

I mean, what's really the Aleste feel?

Burst-invincible body ram. cf Psyvariar. That's all that's ever really mattered. Ram your body into the enemy like you're a gigantic metal cock.

[Bassa-Bassa]

I mean, what's really the Aleste feel?

Burst-invincible body ram. cf Psyvariar. That's all that's ever really mattered. Ram your body into the enemy like you're a gigantic metal cock.

Yeah. The way you kind of do that to pick the whole power-up kit is undeniably aleste-y, isn't it? As is the power-up system itself, and the theatricality behind the games' presentation, including the stages' duration. A style is usually defined by more than one only aspect/feature, after all.

[xxx1993]

Anybody notice that the trailer music is a remix of Aleste 2's title theme?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRgFqo_6tFE

[Sengoku Strider]

Trailer looks good, but can you provide some info? Is this an all new game? Who’s doing the programming, the music? Etc?

Sure, I updated the OP.

Anybody notice that the trailer music is a remix of Aleste 2's title theme?

Oh, it goes back a bit further than that:

https://youtu.be/UXGTtUkJVPc

[Sima Tuna]

This talk about Zanac... Bruh just give me more zanac games dammit.

[xxx1993]

Trailer looks good, but can you provide some info? Is this an all new game? Who’s doing the programming, the music? Etc?

Sure, I updated the OP.

Anybody notice that the trailer music is a remix of Aleste 2's title theme?

Oh, it goes back a bit further than that:

https://youtu.be/UXGTtUkJVPc

Oh, in general?

[trap15]

These are real-time 3D and not pre-rendered, though?

It's rendered or hand-made 2D assets. It's hard to tell most of the time as they do a good job masquerading the 2D as real 3D, but there are a few moments it can be noticed.

[Angry Hina]

looks really bland

[Bassa-Bassa]

These are real-time 3D and not pre-rendered, though?

It's rendered or hand-made 2D assets. It's hard to tell most of the time as they do a good job masquerading the 2D as real 3D, but there are a few moments it can be noticed.

Hand-made, they discarded that in the beginning, sadly:

https://www.usgamer.net/articles/aleste ... hmup-retro

But, yeah, checking again, I see they're mostly pre-rendered although for some backgrounds I still have doubts. Hopefully the music is at least on par with the series!

[evil_ash_xero]

Looks pretty good.

[xxx1993]

I just hope this game has voice acting like Senjin Aleste.

[PerishedFraud ឵឵]

xxx1993 is here for the Ellinor butt, and now he wants the autthentic VA waifu experience. Evidence? He literally has xxx in his name. What more do you need? I rest my case.