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Game publisher PLAYISM (http://playism.com) (owned and operated by Active Gaming Media Inc.) is proud to announce that Legal Dungeon, by indie developer Somi, is scheduled for a digital release to the Nintendo Switch on February 25th, 2021. Also, preorders will begin on the Nintendo eShop from today, February 18th.
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| Parse through investigation records, use evidence and the law to battle the accused, and submit your recommended verdict. |
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| This title is the second installment in South Korean indie game developer Somi’s “Guilt Trilogy” (the first being Replica; and the third The Wake). While it is set against a “police” backdrop, it is extremely unique in that you progress through the game by “creating and organizing verdict documents for submission to the prosecution”.
Peruse statements and precedents, and create your documents in the dungeon
Taking on the role of rookie female lieutenant Jane Blue, the player must read through the text of statements and legal precedents. Then, using keywords selected from the text, head into battle with the accused in the “dungeon”, and complete “verdict documents” for submission to the prosecutor. Whenever you get overwhelmed or confused with the heavy load of legal/courtroom text, your AI assistant – “Mini Jane” – will be there to help guide you along. Additionally, Jane Blue has a set amount of “HP”, and once that HP hits zero during battle in the dungeon, or if time runs out for a timed battle, the game will end.
To prosecute, or not to prosecute? It’s up to you!
Jane will handle all sorts of crimes – from contempt of court, to robbery and even murder. It’s up to the player to decide whether to recommend that the accused be prosecuted or let go. Also, these decisions will not only affect the lives of the accused, but Jane’s as well, leading into varying story branches. |
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Your decisions directly affect your “evaluation”
The more perpetrators prosecuted, the higher your “Performance Level” will rise, earning you respect from the police. Also, depending on the laws applicable to each respective case, your will receive a score, which will affect the police department to which you belong as well as Jane’s evaluation.
However, the decision whether or not to prosecute will be made by the prosecutor, based on the documents you submit. Even when the prosecutor decides to indict, there are times when the court will reach a verdict of not guilty. When these decisions fail to match up, causing your “Precise Legal Execution Level” (i.e.: how you are viewed by the court/prosecutor) to drop.
When your respective reputations among both the police and the courts fall too low, the game will end. Will you fight for truth and justice, or will you attempt to make a name for yourself? You’ll find yourself plagued by various forms of guilt as you advance through each investigation, pressured to make a decision.
A “social mystery” game that forces players to come face to face with actual issues
The most amazing part of the game is the way the story unfolds among the unique and intricately interwoven systems described above. Once all the mysteries of the game have been solved, the story’s various plotlines perfectly converge into one, bringing with it an unexpected twist. It’s also composed in a way that will definitely strike a chord with hardcore fans of social mystery and suspense. What is the “dungeon”? What exactly is a “true criminal” in the context of Legal Dungeon? When it’s all over, you too will feel what developer Somi felt – be it “prayer” or “pain”. |
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Key art illustrated by Petit Depotto, who also assisted with localization
For the Japanese localization of Legal Dungeon, we received invaluable assistance from Gnosia and Unholy Heights developers Petit Depotto, and team member “Kotori” provided illustrations for the key visuals for the Nintendo Switch version of the game. |
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Comment from Petit Depotto:
Legal Dungeon is a game in which you create and organize documents. The main character is the leader of a police investigation team, and must read through investigators’ reports, statements, etc., and put together “verdicts” providing your opinion on whether or not the accused should be prosecuted.
“Documents are free of ‘personality’ and ’emotions’.”
However, these documents will have a profound effect on the accused and those around them, as well as on the fate of the main character. Developer Somi actually works in a law enforcement-related field, and the “power” given to the portrayals of the various cases and people in the game by real-life experience can really be felt when playing.
On top of that “power”, this game has also been instilled with a “prayer” from Somi. Having touched on this “prayer” ourselves, we decided to offer our assistance with the localization in hopes that we could help to ensure that this wonderful story is expressed as faithfully as possible. It’s not that anyone had asked us for help; we simply felt that it’s what we needed to do. Our time localizing Legal Dungeon was an extremely fruitful and fulfilling one.
(By the way, this was just before the release of our own game Gnosia, so we sort of worked on it without letting our leader know.) |
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