Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising's Backer Launch Failed, But Developers Saved The Day

Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising was released two days ago. It's a companion game to the much-awaited Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. It's one of the few projects I've backed on Kickstarter, so I hoped to be among the first players to get the game. But I still don't have my Nintendo Switch game code until now. 😩

However, it's not all that bad. The adorably named Rabbit & Bear Studios is one of the rare good game developers who would do right by the people who supported them. There were issues with the companion game's launch, but I appreciate that they owned up to their mistakes and made amends.

And because of that, I got a free Steam version of Chronicles Rising!

_{All images are owned by Rabbit & Bear Studios and were released as part of their press kits and Kickstarter campaign.}

Eiyuden's Crowdfunding Story

Suikoden is a well-loved game franchise first released in 1995 for the Playstation console. Its second installment is one of my all-time favorite games. The colorful ensemble of 108 recruitable characters, the narrative, and the evolving base of operations were the stand-out aspects for me. Fans have long clamored for another Suikoden game, but the wait took more than a decade.

It's no surprise that when the game's spiritual successor, Eiyuden, was opened for crowdfunding last July 2020, it completed its main funding goal within just two hours! At multiple times, it even caused the Kickstarter site to crash. It literally broke the internet.

The 2.5D art style is a feast for the eyes.

Suikoden characters were very memorable. I hope Eiyuden continues the tradition.

The battle system isn't a strong suit of Suikoden games; it looks like any JRPG battle.

The Eiyuden Companion | Prequel Game

The game developers probably knew that crowdfunding would be successful before the start of the campaign. Though, I bet they weren't expecting the support to be that massive. To date, it's the third most funded video game in Kickstarter history. It garnered over $4.5M, reaching more than 9x its original goal.

As ardent fans blasted through all the 40+ stretch goals, the developers may have realized that the scope is growing beyond what they initially planned. The Eiyuden game was slated for an October 2022 release, but they had to push it back to 2023.

I like that they were aware of their capabilities and had the foresight to move the date later, rather than rushing and releasing an "unfinished" game. We've already had enough of that. 😒

They also chose to not leave their fans hanging and decided to create a companion game with a much smaller scope. They didn't have to do it since they had a reasonable excuse. But their commitment to making fans happy is very commendable. The developers truly earned a lot of goodwill with this move. 👏

Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising isn't the Suikoden RPG that everyone's been eager for, but it's pretty and looks enjoyable enough to tide over the long wait for the main game.

It's not a standard JRPG like Suikoden, but an action-RPG type of game.
Still looks rad, though.

A Problem With the Release and How I Got a Free Game

The companion game was scheduled for release last May 10, 2022. I've waited the whole day, but I got no code. I don't know what's the deal with their distribution, but they said they ran out of game codes and are waiting for a new batch.

Not getting the game on time was disappointing. It was supposed to be a timely distraction from all the anxiety and toxicity caused by the Philippine elections. ☠️ But on the bright side, the game developer proves yet again that they're looking out for their fans.

Yesterday, I received an email from Rabbit & Beat Studio, apologizing for the release issue. I'm glad they didn't just shrug it off or vaguely address the issue with no proper action. They were decent human beings who acknowledged their faults and owned up to them.

Here's an excerpt from the email I got.

While we have been able to fulfill a majority of the Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising codes, there are still a significant number of people who did not receive their code in time for launch. This is incredibly disheartening as we understand that it takes a lot of faith from people to believe in a Kickstarter project and without that faith, we wouldn’t currently be able to make the game of our dreams.

While not the best solution, for anyone that we can confirm has purchased Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising but did not receive a code, we will be offering a free Steam code so they have an option to play the game now

And that's how I got an extra copy of the game for PC. However, I'm a bit torn about wanting to play the game right now or just wait for the Switch version. I feel the action game is best experienced on a handheld console so I'm leaning towards waiting it out a bit more. Hopefully, it wouldn't take that long.

Tip for Backers who Haven't Got Their Code Yet

If you were one of the supporters who (a) backed the main Eiyuden game and (b) paid an extra $7 for the companion game, then check your email to see if you got the code.

You can also check your Yetee account for details. Yetee's handling the game's distribution. If you still don't have an account, you must sign up first.

Check the status of your game. If it's still unfulfilled, such as in my case, you can send them a message through Yetee's Eiyuden Help page and mention you still haven't received your code yet.

Expect them to send you a complimentary Steam code within a day. 😊