Current Events > Riviera: The Promised Land is getting a remaster

(+) Yeah! (+)

The first entry in Sting's Dept. Heaven series is getting an HD remaster. Making the announcement on Twitter, developer Sting revealed that a remaster of Riviera: The Promised Land is in the works. Platforms haven't been announced yet, but we hope we'll see it come to Switch. (Thanks, Gematsu).

Riviera: The Promised Land first launched in Japan on the WonderSwan Color on 12th July 2002, which means today is the game's 21st anniversary an apt day for an announcement like this. The West wouldn't get their hands on it until the Game Boy Advance version dropped in 2005 in North America. PAL regions had to wait until the PSP port in 2008.

In the game, you play a Grim Angel called Ein, who is accompanied by four heroines Fia, Lina, Seren, and Cierra. Along with his familiar Rose, Ein must seal away the Accursed to save the world. Sting is known for its very unique RPGs, and Riviera is no different.

Riviera differs from many traditional turn-based RPGs in that you get to choose your combatants before every single battle, select the items you can use (you can pick up to 16), and pick between the Attack or Magic Formation. You also don't get to explore the dungeons in the same way, with each dungeon "screen" having options and triggers which allow you to look around, interact with the environment, and fight enemies.

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/07/cult-gba-rpg-riviera-the-promised-land-is-getting-an-hd-remaster

KFHEWUI posted...

North America. PAL regions had to wait until the PSP port in 2008.

here's hoping switch and ps4 or ps5 gets those games.

Who

This game could really use some QoL improvements.

Hope they do Knights in the Nightmare. That game is one of my favs.

Anyway, nice to see them doing something other than porting Yggdra Union for the hundredth time.

I only remember weapons degraded, so I didn't like what I played.

Shotgunnova posted...

I only remember weapons degraded,

this. each weapon could be used X amount of times except for the main characters weapon.

I remember that game! Never beat it because back then I was obsessed with trying to play games the most optimized way. So I had to look up each fork in the road and whatnot to make sure I took the best path.

This game hinged alot of its popularity on the harem that it was. The gameplay was interesting and different. Definitely a highlight. Music was also good. Alot of missable stuff, though. But let's not pretend the harem aspect and hot spring scene wasn't something players weren't looking forward to.

I read this as The Promised Neverland getting a remaster, like fixing their fucked up anime

Never expected that, but it is definitely welcome.

_____Cait posted...

Hope they do Knights in the Nightmare. That game is one of my favs.

It was released last year.

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/03/ds-cult-classic-knights-in-the-nightmare-is-coming-to-switch

Sting needs to make English versions of their games.

Remember that game Boktai? What a unique kind of game.

I never did get to play Riviera, it always intrigued me.

Decently excited. I had fun playing the game.

Oh wow, I remember this game from looooong ago, holy shit

KFHEWUI posted...

the Game Boy Advance version dropped in 2005 in North America. PAL regions had to wait until the PSP port in 2008

or get an import. GBA games were not region locked

knights in the nightmare is fun on the switch but it feels hollow and repetitive despite the game looking super complicated at a glance. it's a game best played in short bursts

blaze union was incredibly boring but i never played riviera and don't know much about it

I've tried to play that like 5 times and never have been able to get into it. Should I try harder?

EDIT: Its "energy" system where you can only interact with things so many times per chapter really fucked with my FOMO where I'd keep reloading a save trying different shit and never really getting anywhere

fire_bolt posted...

Should I try harder?

yes

both of us will have to try harder. i didn't complete it either.

_____Cait posted...

Anyway, nice to see them doing something other than porting Yggdra Union for the hundredth time.

Hey, Yggdra Union on PC was a pleasant surprise. I hope they're successful with these digital and PC releases, they seemed to barely survive the past decade.

Is this still a dungeon crawler?

Gwynevere posted...

I read this as The Promised Neverland getting a remaster, like fixing their fucked up anime

Season 2 is just as disappointing as Terrafotmars season 2.

KFHEWUI posted...

It was released last year.

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/03/ds-cult-classic-knights-in-the-nightmare-is-coming-to-switch

Whoa how did i not see this.

KFHEWUI posted...

The first entry in Sting's Dept. Heaven series

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/5/6/AABUaRAAEp0Q.jpg

I love Riviera, but...

fire_bolt posted...

I've tried to play that like 5 times and never have been able to get into it. Should I try harder?

EDIT: Its "energy" system where you can only interact with things so many times per chapter really fucked with my FOMO where I'd keep reloading a save trying different shit and never really getting anywhere

FOMO seems to be a recurring thing with Sting games in general. Yggdra Union had similar issues.

Practically needing to use a guide and/or save states to succeed at certain events definitely hampers the mood.

Like the not-Lost Woods section that gives you a missable item, but needing to read the sign on each screen to find out where to go drastically raises your turn count for the chapter, so you need a guide to avoid that. Or one late-game gauntlet that requires you to kill all enemies quickly, or they'll blow up the area you're standing on and you'll miss the second-best rapier in the game.

Even something as simple as trying to peep on the girls in the bath has to be done as soon as you get the chance (y'know, for CG completion purposes and definitely not for any other reason, even though you take an affection penalty for doing so), or you'll be too late and only catch them leaving the area.