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New Shiren the Wanderer Game Hits Switch on February 27th, 2024

Artwork of Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island, one of several RPGs coming this week

Spike Chunsoft has finally confirmed that roguelike RPG Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island, the sixth Shiren the Wanderer game, will have a Western release on February 27th, 2024. That’s about a month after the Japanese release on January 25th, 2024. Here’s the announcement trailer and an excerpt from the official website.

A brand-new Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island. The first installment in 8 years.

The classic enjoyment of using knowledge, experience, and imagination to conquer the ever-changing Mystery Dungeon remains, now with even greater challenges awaiting you.

Utilize skill and creativity to overcome formidable monsters, treacherous traps, and many other obstacles standing in Shiren’s way.

The series’ last outing was Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate for the PlayStation Vita and, later, the Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. Japan got it on the Nintendo DS, weirdly enough. That was eight whole years ago now, so we’ve long been overdue for a follow-up. So far, there hasn’t been word on a PC release for this sixth entry, but we’ll let you know when something comes up.

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island Overview

A few months after their previous adventure in Tsukikage Village…

Shiren the Wanderer and Koppa, his talking ferret partner, received a vision of a distant land and a girl in distress. It led them to the mysterious Serpentcoil Island.

But they’re not alone. Rumors speak of lost pirate gold hidden away within the depths of Serpentcoil Island, and a powerful monster at its highest mountain peak said to hold an exquisite treasure in its belly. Adventurers and warriors have flocked from all over the realm, eager for a chance at fortune.

What is the connection between the mystery girl and the monster? What is the truth behind the secrets and treasures scattered throughout the island? A new adventure for Shiren and Koppa begins!

Shiren the Wanderer is like Ys where each entry is part of a timeline, but the release order isn’t chronological, and there’s little to no story overlap between games. I can’t find confirmation as to when Serpentcoil Island occurs in the timeline, but judging by the mention of Tsukikage Village, I surmise it takes place after the little-known Fushigi no Dungeon: Fūrai no Shiren GB: Tsukikage-mura no Kaibutsu for the Game Boy Color.

Here’s information on the gameplay. If you’ve played any Mystery Dungeon game before (there have been Pokémon and Final Fantasy spinoffs, among others), you know the drill.

The “Mystery Dungeon” Awaits!

In the Mystery Dungeon, the layout of its many floors, the tools you obtain within, and the presence of both friends and foes are different every time you enter.The situation changes each time, so it’s up to you to prepare and adapt to unexpected challenges as they appear. Arm yourself with knowledge of the dungeon’s threats, collect useful resources, and gather allies to make it through. Strive to reach the dungeon’s deepest depths and highest summits!

Convenient Gameplay Features

Take advantage of useful features designed to make your experience smoother and more enjoyable. Important functions include having two types of live search displays that can be used for different purposes or the ability to track your own steps on the mini-map.

Online Rescues!

Should a player collapse in the middle of their dungeon adventure, they can call on other players for a Rescue to get them back on track. Rescued players can pick up right where they left off without losing any progress.There are plenty of new online features to expand the range of gameplay.

There will be a physical version with an extra goody for first-run copies: a 2.75 in. x 3 in. sticker depicting Shiren.

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Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island launches February 27th, 2024 for Switch. Stay tuned to RPGFan for more Mystery Dungeon news!

Source: Gematsu

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Gio Castillo

Gio Castillo

Gio is a writer and editor with a deep fondness for role-playing and management games. He lives in the Philippines with two cats he loves dearly.

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