N1RV Ann-A

Last updated

N1RV Ann-A
N1RV Ann-A cover art.jpg
Developer(s) Sukeban Games
Publisher(s) Ysbryd Games, Playism
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
ReleaseTBA
Genre(s) Visual novel, business simulation
Mode(s) Single-player

N1RV Ann-A (full title N1RV Ann-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action) is an upcoming indie visual novel and bartending simulation developed by Sukeban Games, and published by Ysbryd Games and Playism. [1] It is a sequel to the 2016 visual novel VA-11 Hall-A . The game takes place in an upscale bar in Saint Alicia, an "idyllic tourist paradise" and artificial island with a seedy, dystopian underbelly of crime. The main character, Sam, must care for her 8-year-old son while her relationship with her partner Leon, who moonlights as a yakuza , is faltering. [2]

Contents

The game was initially announced on September 18, 2018 for a 2020 release on PC, MacOS, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. [3] While highly anticipated, it was later delayed indefinitely due to creative differences and development burnout. This resulted in a "reset" of the project, and it is being worked on alongside other side projects at the studio. [4]

Development

The player speaking to the character Olivia, within the game's visual novel interface. N1RV Ann-A screenshot.png
The player speaking to the character Olivia, within the game's visual novel interface.

Studio Sukeban Games is based in Venezuela. [5] According to the developers, the protagonist, Sam, was made a mother with an upbeat personality to differentiate her from the previous game's main character, Jill Stingray. [6] Unlike VA-11 Hall-A, which was based on PC-98 games, N1RV Ann-A was inspired by the graphics of PlayStation and Sega Saturn games. The game's animated cut-ins drew inspiration from Sakura Wars and Tokimeki Memorial . The setting was based on development team member Fernando Damas' experience visiting Japan. [7]

On December 1, 2020, Damas announced the game's indefinite delay, blaming it on refusing to relinquish his role as the sole programmer despite going through major life events. This led to slow progress until the start of 2020, when the game was rebuilt from scratch by a different programmer. Afterwards, "creative differences" resulted in an internal conflict on how the story should progress, though he stated that the problems had been reconciled. He denied that other projects would "cannibalize" development of N1RV Ann-A, and said that they would be developed in parallel. [8] As of 2023, the game is still in production with no set release date. [9]

Reception

In a preview from TGS 2018, Mamiya Tobe of Famitsu wrote that despite the shortness of the demo, it showed remarkable progress, and that it was a better bartending simulator than its predecessor thanks to the ability to offer real cocktails. [7]

In a 2019 preview of the game, Kyle LeClair of Hardcore Gamer wrote that it was one of the most anticipated indie games at the time, calling that "not exactly a shocking revelation" due to VA-11 Hall-A's large fanbase. Calling the game "unique, engrossing and addictive", he noted that the "brighter character models and sets" made things seem more idyllic. He noted that the game's drink selection reflected its new setting, with real ingredients demonstrating it was a "rich man's playground". He noted that the game's drink making was more flexible, encouraging you to make your own blends based on the customer's tastes. He called the initial conversation with Parka, a famous erotic comic artist, about taboo subjects "surprisingly deep". He summed up the demo as an "effective hook" that left him wanting more. [10]

In a later preview from PAX East 2020, Steve Tyminski of Shacknews wrote that a "welcome change" from the original was not having to shake drinks for a certain time, calling it "tedious" in the previous game. He noted that the writing was "pretty good", and that the character troubles sounded like problems real people would have. He also pointed out new reaction options to patrons besides simply serving them different drinks, saying that people would be "pleasantly surprised" if they tried out the game. [11]

Related Research Articles

id Software American video game developer

id Software LLC is an American video game developer based in Richardson, Texas. It was founded on February 1, 1991, by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack.

<i>Cyberpunk</i> (role-playing game) Tabletop science fiction role-playing game

Cyberpunk is a tabletop role-playing game in the dystopian science fiction genre, written by Mike Pondsmith and first published by R. Talsorian Games in 1988. It is typically referred to by its second or fourth edition names, Cyberpunk 2020 and Cyberpunk Red, in order to distinguish it from the cyberpunk genre after which it is named.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bartender</span> Person behind the bar who serves (usually alcoholic) beverages

A bartender is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the bar, usually in a licensed establishment as well as in restaurants and nightclubs, but also occasionally at private parties. Bartenders also usually maintain the supplies and inventory for the bar. As well as serving beer and wine, a bartender can generally also mix classic cocktails such as a Cosmopolitan, Manhattan, Old Fashioned, and Mojito.

<i>Fallout</i> (video game) 1997 video game

Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game is a 1997 role-playing video game developed and published by Interplay Productions, set in a mid-22nd century post-apocalyptic and retro-futuristic world, decades after a nuclear war between the United States and China. Fallout's protagonist, the Vault Dweller, inhabits an underground nuclear shelter. The player must scour the surrounding wasteland for a computer chip that can fix the Vault's failed water supply system. They interact with other survivors, some of whom give them quests, and engage in turn-based combat.

<i>Bartender</i> (manga) Japanese manga series

Bartender is a Japanese manga series written by Araki Joh and illustrated by Kenji Nagatomo. Its focus is Ryū Sasakura, a genius bartender who uses his talents to ease the worries and soothe the souls of troubled customers. The manga was first serialized in Shueisha's Japanese seinen manga magazine Super Jump from 2004 to 2011. The individual chapters were collected by Shueisha and released in twenty-one tankōbon volumes.

<i>Left 4 Dead</i> 2008 video game

Left 4 Dead is a 2008 first-person shooter game developed by Valve South and published by Valve. It was originally released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in November 2008 and for Mac OS X in October 2010, and is the first title in the Left 4 Dead series. Set during the aftermath of a zombie outbreak on the East Coast of the United States, the game pits its four protagonists, dubbed the "Survivors", against hordes of the infected.

<i>Doom</i> (2016 video game) First-person shooter

Doom is a 2016 first-person shooter video game developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is the first major installment in the Doom series since 2004's Doom 3 and was a reboot of the franchise. It was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in May 2016. A port for Nintendo Switch was co-developed with Panic Button and released in November 2017, and a version for Google Stadia was released in August 2020. Players take the role of an unnamed space marine, known as the "Doom Slayer", as he battles demonic forces within an energy-mining facility on Mars and in Hell.

<i>Cyberpunk 2077</i> 2020 video game

Cyberpunk 2077 is a 2020 action role-playing game developed by CD Projekt Red, and published by CD Projekt, and based on Mike Pondsmith's Cyberpunk tabletop game series. The plot is set in the fictional metropolis of Night City, California, within the dystopian Cyberpunk universe. The player assumes the role of V, a mercenary who accidentally gets imbued with a cybernetic "bio-chip" containing an engram of legendary rockstar and terrorist Johnny Silverhand. As Johnny’s behaviour and memories begin overwriting V’s own, the two must work together to separate from each other and save V's life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CD Projekt</span> Polish video game company

CD Projekt S.A. is a Polish video game developer, publisher and distributor based in Warsaw, founded in May 1994 by Marcin Iwiński and Michał Kiciński. Iwiński and Kiciński were video game retailers before they founded the company, which initially acted as a distributor of foreign video games for the domestic market. The department responsible for developing original games, CD Projekt Red, best known for The Witcher series, was formed in 2002. In 2008, CD Projekt launched the digital distribution service Good Old Games, now known as GOG.com.

<i>VA-11 Hall-A</i> 2016 videogame

VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action is a 2016 visual novel developed by Venezuelan studio Sukeban Games and published by Ysbryd Games. The game was initially released for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux on June 21, 2016, and ports were later released for PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, with the Vita port developed by Wolfgame and published by Limited Run Games. The game puts the player in the role of a bartender at the eponymous VA-11 Hall-A, a small bar in a dystopian downtown which attracts interesting customers. Gameplay revolves around making and serving drinks to patrons while listening to their life stories.

<i>Celeste</i> (video game) 2018 platform game

Celeste is a 2018 platform game developed and published by indie studio Maddy Makes Games. The player controls Madeline, a young woman with anxiety and depression who aims to climb Celeste Mountain. During her climb, she encounters several characters, including Part of You a personification of her self-doubt who attempts to stop her from climbing the mountain.

<i>The Red Strings Club</i> 2018 adventure game

The Red Strings Club is an adventure game developed by Deconstructeam and published by Devolver Digital. It was originally released on Windows, macOS and Linux in January 2018, with a Nintendo Switch version released in March 2019.

<i>The Sinking City</i> 2019 video game

The Sinking City is an action-adventure game developed by Frogwares and inspired by the works of horror fiction author H. P. Lovecraft. Set in the fictional city of Oakmont, Massachusetts during the 1920s, the story follows private investigator and war veteran Charles W. Reed as he searches for clues to the cause of the terrifying visions plaguing him, and becomes embroiled in the mystery of Oakmont's unrelenting flooding.

<i>Everspace 2</i> 2023 video game

Everspace 2 is an action role-playing video game developed and published by Rockfish Games. A sequel to Everspace (2017), the game was released for Windows in April 2023 and was ported to Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 in August 2023.

<i>Stray</i> (video game) 2022 video game

Stray is a 2022 adventure game developed by BlueTwelve Studio and published by Annapurna Interactive. The story follows a stray cat who falls into a walled city populated by robots, machines, and mutant bacteria, and sets out to return to the surface with the help of a drone companion, B-12. The game is presented through a third-person perspective. The player traverses the game world by leaping across platforms and climbing up obstacles, and can interact with the environment to open new paths. Using B-12, they can store items found throughout the world and hack into technology to solve puzzles. Throughout the game, the player must evade the antagonistic Zurks and Sentinels, which attempt to kill them.

<i>Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League</i> 2024 video game

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a 2024 action-adventure shooter game developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Warner Bros. Games. Based on the DC Comics team Suicide Squad, it is a spin-off of the Batman: Arkham series, and a follow-up to Batman: Arkham Knight (2015). Set five years after the events of Arkham Knight, the game's storyline follows four supervillains—Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and King Shark—who are assembled by Amanda Waller and sent to Metropolis to stop the alien invader Brainiac and kill the members of the Justice League who fell under his influence.

<i>Sigil</i> (mod) 2019 Doom episode

Sigil is the unofficial fifth episode of the 1993 video game Doom. Published by Romero Games on May 31, 2019, the Megawad was created by an original co-creator of Doom, John Romero, independently of the main game's then-current owner, Bethesda Softworks. It has nine missions, each with a deathmatch version, and a new soundtrack created by James Paddock and Buckethead. While initially released independently, Bethesda later released the episode as a patch for the console ports of Doom.

<i>World of Horror</i> 2023 video game

World of Horror, also known by its Japanese title Kyōfu no Sekai (恐怖の世界), is a role-playing video game with a 1-bit pixel art style inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft and Junji Ito. The game was created by Polish developer Paweł Koźmiński and published by Ysbryd Games. It was released into early access on February 20, 2020 through Steam, GOG.com, and Microsoft Store. The full game was released on October 19, 2023 for macOS and Windows. It was released on October 26 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.

<i>Plants vs. Zombies</i> Video game franchise

Plants vs. Zombies is a video game franchise developed by PopCap Games, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts (EA). The series follows the affiliates of David "Crazy Dave" Blazing as they use his plants to defend against a zombie invasion, led by Dr. Edgar George Zomboss. The first game, Plants vs. Zombies (2009), was developed and released by PopCap before its acquisition by EA. After PopCap Games's acquisition, EA expanded the game into a franchise with games on many different platforms.

References

  1. ↑ "N1RV Ann-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action". Steam . Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Portfolio". ysbryd games. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  3. ↑ O'Connor, Alice (September 18, 2018). "VA-11 HALL-A sequel N1RV ANN-A announced". Rock Paper Shotgun . Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  4. ↑ Chalk, Andy (December 2, 2020). "Cyberpunk bartending game N1RV Ann-A is delayed indefinitely". PC Gamer . Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  5. ↑ Leonard, Matt (September 18, 2018). "Sukeban Games Reveals N1RV Ann-A, the Sequel to VA-11 Hall-A". GameRevolution . Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  6. ↑ Wong, Alistair (April 12, 2019). "Sukeban Games On What Makes N1RV Ann-A's Sam Different From Jill From VA-11 HALL-A". Siliconera. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Tobe, Mamiya (September 24, 2018). "進化したバーテンダーADV『N1RV Ann-A』インタビュー＆プレイレビュー 日本滞在経験が生んだ"偽りの楽園"【TGS2018】" [Interview and play review of the evolved bartender ADV N1RV Ann-A, a 'false paradise' created by the experience of staying in Japan [TGS2018].]. Famitsu (in Japanese). Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  8. ↑ Damas, Fernando (December 1, 2020). "N1RV Ann-A is being Delayed and Here's Why". Sukeban Games. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  9. ↑ kiririn51 (June 21, 2023). "Project Updates and a Happy Aniversary". Sukeban Games. Retrieved January 24, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ LeClair, Kyle (April 25, 2019). "N1RV Ann-a Feels Far From Stupid, Could Be Contagious". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  11. ↑ Tyminski, Steve (March 2, 2020). "Cyberpunk Bartender Action N1RV Ann-A Hands-On Preview at PAX East 2020". Shacknews . Retrieved January 22, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.