New ‘cyber-funk’ RPG Laxidaze aims to blend Monster Hunter, Pokémon and Final Fantasy VII Remake

May 17 2021
Written by Ed Nightingale

Laxidaze. (Machine Elf Studios)

Indie cyber-funk title Laxidaze has hit Kickstarter with an intriguing mix of Pokémon, Final Fantasy and Monster Hunter.

The debut game from indie developer Machine Elf Studios is predicted to launch in 2023 across PC, Xbox and PlayStation consoles and Nintendo Switch.

The ambitious title fuses elements of the popular RPG series in a “monster-taming action RPG set in a cyber-funk future that features third-person combat and social-sim gameplay.”

Players will take on the role of a character who quits their “soulless job” to become a bounty hunter, but their ex-employer is outed as an abusive company.

You’ll need to team up with tamed monsters and bounty hunters to hit back.

Laxidaze. (Machine Elf Studios)

Two of the developers spoke with Nintendo Life and confirmed Laxidaze is “heavily inspired by Pokémon and Final Fantasy VII Remake,” and that they “wanted to make a game that combined all the things we loved from our favourite games.”

Tameable monsters will be known as Nanims and can aid in your quest to save the world of Cascadia. Nanims come in various elemental types and can be recruited, levelled up and evolved over the course of your journey.

You’ll explore the cities and wilds of Cascadia, fighting in real-time third-person combat or using the Tactical Mode to slow time and select your moves.

Profits from your escapades are used to manage and upgrade your home and community.

Within that community, you can develop friendships with your companions to unlock armours, weapons and quests. You can even romance these characters, though there’s no word yet on how LGBT+ friendly those romances will be.

Multiplayer will also be included, both co-op dungeons and battle arenas, and a PvP mode to compete against one another.

For more information on Laxidaze, check out the Kickstarter page and watch the teaser trailer below.