Rakuen (video game)

Rakuen is a role-playing adventure video game created by Laura Shigihara. It was built using the RPG Maker XP engine and released in May 2017.

Plot

The story begins with the main character, first titled as Boy, waking up in his hospital bed in the middle of the night. He soon finds that a mysterious boy has entered his room, who calls himself Yami. The two amiably talk with one another, with Boy curious to how Yami was able to enter his room, and that Boy would like to visit Yami in his room. Yami mentions that he cannot be visited by the Boy, as even Yami is not allowed to leave his room. Yami leaves shortly after and the player can take control of Boy. After some time exploring his hospital room, Boy receives a phone call from his mother (titled as Mom throughout the game) who regretfully informs him that she will not be able to visit him on time. After the phone call one of the doctors comes in Boy's room to check on him. Doctor tells Boy about how a thief stole food from the kitchen, and that Boy should see if he had anything stolen. Boy is alarmed to find that a family heirloom, a book titled Rakuen, has been stolen. Doctor reassures Boy that the staff will do their best to find the thief, and then she is happy to tell him that he is well enough that he can explore the hospital.

The player is then given mostly free-reign of the hospital, and a chance to meet many of the residents, and staff. A large portion of the hospital is kept off limits due to a "mysterious accident" some years ago, that Boy can find clues to during his adventure. After Boy finds a way to the closed-off part of the hospital, he learns about a "terrible radiation accident" that not everyone could be saved from. He, also, finds an old man hiding in the back who introduces himself as Uma. Uma had stolen the food, as well as Boy's book. Uma easily returns the book to Boy, but pleads with him to not tell the hospital staff that he is hiding in the hospital. Following their conversation, Uma leaves the room through a door in the back with a riddle for Boy, and Doctor enters the room. Doctor is confused about how Boy was able to find his way there, but dismisses it because Mom had arrived. Mom and Boy joyfully reunite. To show how proud she was of him recovering the book, she gave him the Rakuen Key, saying that it could take him anywhere as long as he also had the book. Mom then told Boy a bedtime story from Rakuen. She tells the tale of a great warrior who returns one day to his village to find all of his friends and family gone. He later learns that they had to flee to a paradise island called Rakuen to escape the monsters. The warrior then sought the help of the Great Guardian of the Forest, Morizora, who would grant anyone's wish who completed his trials. The warrior succeeds in his trials, and is happily reunited with his village.

At night Boy is once again visited by Yami, who is skeptical of Uma and doesn't agree with Boy's decision to keep Uma a secret. Yami couldn't stay long, though, as the night-shift nurse soon approaches. Come morning, the player must have Boy take his Mom to the door that Ume left from. When they enter the door, the Rakuen Key will activate and they will be able to go to the outskirts of Morizora's forest. They will arrive at Leeble Village. The duo are greeted with warmth, and curiosity as the Leeble Villagers had never seen humans before. Like when the player was first able to roam the hospital, they are able to explore the nearby lands and assist the villagers in small matters. While exploring the village the villagers will mention how a terrible storm destroyed some of their crops and they lost a way to reach the other village. Mom and Boy eventually leave the village to go to Morizora so Boy can have a chance at having his wish granted. When they approach the caves, Uma comes up from behind and warns them that the caves are tricky before giving them a map. Boy and Mom enter the cave and Blacksmith Jacky, a Leeble villager, rushes in and warns them that the cave is extremely dangerous at the moment because the Envoy (spirits between one world and another) are passing through, and some of them became corrupted. After a quick conversation, Jacky relents and tells them how to get to Morizora.

The player must then solve the puzzles inside the cave to reach Morizora. Upon reaching the guardian, however, they are greeted by three of Morizora's helpers. The helpers regretfully tell Boy that Morizora could not grant his wish any time soon, because he has entered a deep slumber brought upon by the darkness in the land. The helpers believe that the Envoys who are overwhelmed by negative energy (fear, hatred, anger) are the reason behind the darkness, and Morizora's slumber. the only way to wake Morizora is through the song Mori no Kokoro. The helpers cannot teach the song, but they inform Boy that if he helps certain individuals, they can teach him what he needs to know. These individuals are all residents of the hospital that Boy stays at.

The first person that needs to be helped is a man whose wife as been asleep for months at the hospital.

(This section is still under construction)

External links

• Official website