‘Hand-Painted’ JRPG Lost Hellden Coming 2025

Quebec-based developer Artisan Studios has released early art and an announcement trailer (below) for their upcoming game Lost Hellden, a “unique hand-painted JRPG […] enhanced by dynamic lighting and weather effects.”

Scheduled for a 2025 release on all modern consoles and PC via Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store, Lost Hellden will be Artisan Studio’s third release following Super Neptunia RPG in 2019 and Astria Ascending in 2021.

Living in Sin

At the core of the game’s story is a society and culture intertwined with the Seven Deadly Sins. On their first birthday, all Children are subjected to the Nexus Ritual which binds them to one of these Sins.

All their life, the inhabitants of Era have to fight against their urges. Should they fail and succumb, they transform into mindless and aggressive beasts. The Unio religion representatives – the Arkhons – ensure that everyone follows the rules and put down any monsters that appear in the cities.

One day, a woman gives birth to twins, something that never happened before. The Prime Arkhon, supreme leader of Era, conducts the Nexus Ritual himself. However, something goes wrong, and one baby is bound to all seven sins, while the other receives none.

Artisan Studios has provided details on three key characters in Lost Hellden, one of which is the sinless twin Cyphel, whose sin-drenched brother is yet to be described.

• Cyphel Fyrbrand – Since Cyphel was not bound to any Sin during the Nexus Ritual, his childhood was significantly easier than his brother’s. He grew up to be a kindhearted, yet naive young man. Cyphel is usually obedient but he willingly follows Leht when he is up to some mischief.
• Gram Stoneheim – This strong woman taught the art of fighting to the twins. She can be harsh sometimes, especially with Leht, because she sees great potential in him. She is an Arkhon and works closely with Enki.
• Enki Taillevent – Enki is an Arkhon and a teacher to the twins. He is less strict than Gram, sometimes he can even be seen as lax. His kind demeanor and his sense of humor make him a great person to be around.

Sound and Vision

Though it’s a Canada-based studio, Artisan is obviously heavily influenced by the JRPG ethos. Adding weight and authenticity to this influence are two prominent Japanese artists. Hitoshi Sakimoto, the prolific composer for such titles as Final Fantasy XII and Vagrant Story, will provide music and audio direction to Lost Hellden; Sakimoto previously contributed music to Astria Ascending. Meanwhile, Takeshi Oga will contribute illustrations and design, influencing the distinct visual character of the game’s backdrops.

As a fan of the fixed camera, pre-rendered style of JRPGs from the late ’90s and early ’00s, I’m cautiously excited about this title. RPGFan will keep a close eye on this one, hoping Artisan Studios can finally impress with Lost Hellden.

Source: Gematsu