*If any of you having trouble with the game starting in Japanese, please see the guide below* About the Game Ark Noir is a resource management-heavy RPG in which you’ll use a wide variety of Perks to build characters to your liking and take advantage of all sorts of seemingly randomly appearing items in order to survive the extreme conditions in which you find yourself. While the game features completely original systems with special, custom-made elements, it plays out with the familiar flow of traditional RPGs, so the rules are quite simple. Players are able to quickly get the hang of gameplay and start thinking – and surviving – right away. The story takes place aboard a huge emigrant ship known as the Noir that is slowly sinking into the ocean. Whether you choose to increase your own “Fortune” and help the various survivors you encounter or focus on following the trail of clues leading to the truth of this terrible “accident” is completely up to you. Character Introduction ・ Albert A "government" reporter. Finds himself wrapped up in the sinking incident while gathering info on the lowest level of the Noir. Possessing a well-balanced skill set, he is able to investigate and fight competently. ・ Bruno The Noir’s acting Chief of Security. Makes up for his smaller stature by wearing his own custom-made powered armor. Gains an advantage in battle via the chain hook attached to his right arm in exchange for sacrificing Fortune. ・ Caroline Daughter of the powerful politician Patrick Dunant. Usually pokerfaced, she shines with strength and courage when the time comes. Her relatively weak strength and energy are made up for by her Fortune, which comes in useful in a variety of situations. Gameplay Tips Check out a more detailed gameplay explanation by clicking the HELP button at the top-left side of the title screen! Controls ・ Search Mode Left to die on the sinking Ark Noir, you have no choice but to head toward the stairs leading to higher levels and press on. It goes without saying that you don’t have the luxury of turning back. Along the way you’ll go into battle with various beasts, encounter other survivors, discover containers filled with useful items, and experiences all sorts of occurrences. ・ Battle Mode The beasts from “the continent" are even more fierce and deadly than you could imagine. As a weak and clumsy human, you’ll need to take full advantage of weapons and items in order to avoid becoming lunch. But these weapons and items have varying levels of durability, and they’ll eventually break down and become useless. Once you’ve used up your weapons, you’ll have no choice but to fight using your own two (bare) hands. When this happens – or, preferably, before it happens – you’ll need to evade your enemies. Even after you’ve been stripped of your weapons, don’t give up, and keep pressing ahead. Each floor is guaranteed to house three containers. If you can make it to these containers, you just may be able to regroup, restock, and get back on track. ・ Adventure Mode Throughout the game, various events and conversations with other survivors will be triggered. When meeting a character for the first time, they will sometimes be unable to converse properly due to panicking or being in immediate danger. You’ll need to figure out how to deal with their respective problems in order to save them. Of course, you have no obligation to use up your precious resources on other survivors. You are free to ignore them and leave them in the hands of fate, if you so choose. However, you will often be able to obtain crucial information from these survivors, so it could be best to try to save as many of them as you can. (As a modest reward, you will receive EXP in exchange for helping other characters.) System: Leveling Up The main character’s level will increase with every four EXP you earn. As a level-up bonus, you’ll be able to choose between recovering HP or Fortune, or a status buff. Choosing recovery will buy you some precious safety and peace of mind, while choosing a status buff will give you a bit more of an edge in battle. Additionally, as another level-up bonus, you can also acquire new Perks. Be sure to select the Perks that will give you the biggest advantages considering your weapons, items, and situation. System: Increasing Initial Perks By fulfilling various conditions throughout the game, you can unlock things such as new options for Initial Perks and more slots in which to set these Perks. For a game like this in which you’re largely at the mercy of Fortune, you’re guaranteed to receive a good amount of help taking advantage of Perks’ various effects. Check out the “Unlock Conditions” section for information on conditions you’ll need to fulfill. System: Extracurricular Challenges Were you able to escape the Ark Noir alive? If so, then first off: congratulations! “I want to save everyone I encounter” "I want to solve the mystery of the sinking of the Noir" "I want to see the special endings for each of the main characters" "I want to use my bare hands to tear those damn beasts limb from limb" There may still be plenty of things left for you to do. When replaying the game, the variety and number of Initial Perks available at the beginning of the game increase. When first starting out, you were likely fully engaged just trying to stay alive, but in your next round of adventure, you just may be able to fulfill all of your goals. If You Get Stuck... ・ I can’t defeat the bosses On each floor, a boss is guaranteed to appear with every 100 steps. Try saving up your strongest weapons for last whenever possible. (If it doesn’t seem like your weapons will last that long, then try evading the beasts in your path as much as you can.) Try to make it to the boss fights with as much of your HP intact as possible. Take a rest in a safe room, or if necessary, you can use medicine to heal yourself in Search Mode . Overall, managing your Fortune throughout the game is extremely important, but when it comes to boss fights, your battle ability is everything. It will become more and more important to start preparing for boss fights early as you make your way through the floors. ・ I just can’t seem to make progress Are you possibly attempting to save every person you encounter? (If so, then wow – you’re a really good person.) Sometimes, you’ll need to make very difficult choices in order to move forward. It may be impossible at the moment, but once you’ve fully “adapted” to the game, you’re sure to become able to save each and every survivor eventually. Developer Comments “Using and relying on your own power to reach your goals” – this is the epitome of human capability. Having struggled to make this game without enough resources, time, nor money, in a way the game’s production itself ended up lining up thematically with the story (not on purpose, but here we are). There are plenty of things we feel we weren’t able to fully express, and points which we now wish we could’ve done differently. But at least not everything ended up in failure. What sort of things will we be able to realize with our next game? We hope you look forward to – and enjoy – the next title from Amamori Lab.
