Following a teaser earlier this week, Nippon Ichi Software has officially announced “superpowers x academy RPG” Xicatrice for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Switch. It will launch on June 29 in Japan.
Get the first details below.
■ Specifications
Title: Xicatrice
Genre: Superpowers x Academy RPG
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch
Release Date: June 29, 2023 (Japan)
Players: One
Price: 6,980 yen (without tax) / 7,678 yen (with tax)
A new academy RPG featuring a huge variety of skills (approximately 300) and highly flexible character development.
Xicatrice is a “superpowers x academy RPG” in which you play as a teacher who leads a special unit of students on dangerous missions in response to emergencies.
The game combines the depth that comes with a huge variety of skills, with highly flexible character development, allowing each player to play with their own strategy.
In a world where special powers known as “superpowers” exist, the protagonist is appointed as a teacher in charge of students able to wield those powers. With the seven students, awakened to their superpowers and emotionally scarred, overcome the hardships that await you.
“Xicatrice” is based on the French word for “scar.” In the game, the seven students will confront the emotional scars of their past.
■ Story
It has been about a century since mankind began awakening to the supernatural powers known as “superpowers.”
While some people used their powers to contribute to society, others abused them or ran wild without control. The incidents caused by superpower users never ceased.
In response to these incidents, the state established the Anti Abnormal Unusual Talent Team (AUT), a law enforcement agency composer of superpower users.
However, as the number of incidents increased, it became too much even for the AUT.
It was then that the Reserve Anti Unusual Talent Team (RAUT) was established under the pretext of watching over and training children who have awakened to superpowers.
Despite being students, they could be mobilized in the case of an incident involving superpowers.
The story begins in the year 2023, when a former AUT member, who lost their abilities after a certain incident, is assigned as the teacher in charge of RAUT 302.
■ System
Develop Students Through a Daily Curriculum
As a teacher, the player will schedule weekly lessons to develop the seven students. The students’ “basic stats” such as stamina and judgment will increase based on the curriculum you choose.
Rather than acquire skills by leveling up through battle, skills are acquired as basic stats increase. Basic stats influence not only combat, but also school life events such as regular exams.
—Each student has subjects they are good or bad at. The ease of growth for basic stats also differs per student.
—You can improve students’ basic stats through not only lessons, but also by going out with them on weekends.
—Time moves forward every time for every lesson or outing. Training should be scheduled for any approaching battle event.
Highly Flexible Skill Builds with a Huge Variety of Skills
Once a skill is learned in class, equip it to your character before battle. Since there is a limit to the amount of skills you can equip, the key is equipping the proper skills according to the enemy.
There are approximately 300 skills, including active and passive. Seemingly cumbersome skills may show their true value when combined with another skill.
—The maximum number of skills that can be equipped will increase as the student grows.
—Depending on the student’s basic stats, they may be able to detect the enemy’s weaknesses and precautions before battle. Organize your skills and party to take measures against troublesome enemies.
“Proposal and Choice” Fight Together in Command-Based Battles
The seven students will resolve cases involving superpowers as the RAUT, fighting against “monsters” created by peoples’ negative emotions, as well as criminal superpower users.
Battles are command-based, in which students choose one action per turn from among a list of proposed actions. While you as the player cannot directly participate in battle since you lost your superpowers, you will utilize your experience as a former member of the AUT to lead your students to victory with precise instruction.
—Students will propose skills each turn based on the skills they have equipped.
—Battles against monsters will occur one after another until you reach your mission goal. Move forward while properly managing each character’s HP and SP.
If I Can’t Protect My Students…
If a superpowers user is unable to overcome their own emotional scars, they will be swallowed by their superpower. If you fail to understand their troubles and are unable to lead on dangerous missions, then the results could be tragic…
However, even if you get a bad ending, or meet certain conditions, you can earn bonuses that help you progress through the game more favorably on a second playthrough. In this way, your failures will become a source of encouragement and allow for even more flexible character development.
■ Characters
Toma Asahi (voiced by Saho Shirasu)
A first-year high school student who belongs to RAUT 302. She is an extremely serious honor student who is both athletic and studious, and devoted to working with the protagonist. Her superpower awakened after she lost her family in an accident on her sixth birthday.
Haruki Suzuhira (voiced by Fumiya Imai)
A first-year high school student who belongs to RAUT 302. A cheerful and energetic mood maker who always has a smile on his face. While he tends to get easily carried away, he sometimes falls weak under pressure. He can get a little overexcited when he thinks about what he can do with the superpowers he has received.
Shiduru Nagamiya (voiced by Ayasa Itou)
A first-year high school student who belongs to RAUT 302. A beautiful girl characterized by her slender, long, black hair. Heart problems prevented her from athletics as a child. She thought she would be able to walk through life happily with the healthy body given to her after her superpowers awakened, but…
Wakaba Shinomori (voiced by Hina Natsume)
A first-year high school student who belongs to RAUT 302. She is a caring, athletic, and straightforward girl who speaks her mind. Until junior high school, she was expected to have a future in track-and-field, but after her superpowers awakened, she gave up on that future.
Yuichi Kamishiro (voiced by Tetsuro Noda)
A first-year high school student who belongs to RAUT 302. He is blunt and keeps others at a distance. He is looked up to by the other students for his high capacity for using his superpowers in actual combat. He has sworn revenge against a certain monster superpower user, and has little interest in anything else.
Kei Namisaki (voiced by Kanako Nomura)
A first-year high school student who belongs to RAUT 302. Although usually calm, composed, and mature, she can also be somewhat meddlesome. Driven by righteous indignation, she has had the bitter experience of harming others as a result of using her superpower. By joining RAUT, she is given the opportunity to use her superpowers for the sake of justice again.
Ichika Otoha (voiced by Emiri Suyama)
A first-year high school student who belongs to RAUT 302. She speaks in a polite tone to all and has a gentle personality. Likely due being bullied in the past, she keeps a bit of distance from the protagonist and other students.
■ Box Art
■ Nippon1.jp Shop Limited Edition
The Nippon1.jp Limited Edition include a copy of the game, background music soundtrack CD, and booklet featuring artwork from the game.
A soundtrack and booklet set excluding the game will also be sold.
Prices are as follows:
Nippon1.jp Limited Edition: 10,880 yen (without tax) / 11,968 yen (with tax)
Nippon Ichi Software has released new information and screenshots for Xicatrice, which introduces the “superpowers x academy” RPG‘s supporting characters and skill systems.
Get the details below.
■ What is Xicatrice?
Xicatrice is a “superpowers x academy RPG” where you play as a teacher who leads a special unit of students on dangerous missions during the school year. The player nurtures the students through a cycle of “Class,” “Skill Build,” and “Combat” while managing their physical conditions.
Class
Teach skills to students through a daily curriculum.
Skill Build
Construct the best countermeasure against enemies, choosing from countless skills available.
Combat
Choose actions for each turn based on proposals made by students, and defeat the enemy.
■ Supporting Characters
Aside from the students the player leads, these are some other characters that appear throughout the game.
Renshi Kamiya (voiced by Tomohito Takatsuka)
“I don’t care if you’re annoyed. I’ve already decided to intervene in your issue.”
The game’s main character. A member of the Anti Abnormal Unusual Talent Team (AUT) who used to resolve cases caused by superpower users, but lost his own ability due to a certain incident. Now, he leads RAUT 302nd Unit as a teacher and a former superpower user.
Takayuki Akutsu (voiced by Yukiya Matsui)
“Don’t get me wrong. I just came to see how you were doing under orders from above.”
A co-worker from the main character’s AUT days, and Rui’s older brother. He and the main character have known each other since they were students. Possessing an ability that surpasses that of a normal superpower user, he is currently the squad leader for AUT.
Rui Akutsu (voiced by Yumika Yano)
“If you fail, it’s as simple as trying again until you succeed. Fortunately, there’s no need to rush right now…”
A lab worker at the Superpower Medical Center. She is in charge of following up on the main character and students. Using a special equipment called the CUAD, she supports the students of RAUT 302nd Unit by helping them overcome their emotional scars. She is worried for her brother, who is constantly buried under work for the AUT.
■ System
“Majors” Determine the Skills Students Learn
Approximately 300 skills appear in this game, and they are organized by tendency into 15 categories called “Majors.” In order to learn a skill, the player must choose the “major” that the skill is organized into, and then reach a certain level of basic stats.
For example, in order for Kei Namisaki to learn the healing skill “Resurrection,” the player must choose the “Healing Arts (Chiyu Kyoshiki-ka)” major, then raise the basic stats of “Concentration” to 44 and “Logic” to 53.
In addition, majors can be changed monthly, and the amount of majors that can be chosen at one time can increase depending on the growth of the student.
Skills that Utilize a Student’s Characteristics
How a character grows to have certain specifications depends on the player, but each of the seven students have unique initial statuses and basic stats that are easier to level up than others. Here we will take a look at four students and their characteristics, as well as their initial skills.
—Haruki Suzuhira
Because he has high accuracy and a high rate of a critical hit, he is able to use the consecutive attack skill “Double Attack,” which sacrifices accuracy for a higher rate of critical damage.
—Toma Asahi
Using her strong defense against physical attacks to her advantage, she can force enemies to focus their attacks on her through the use of “Shield Strike,” thereby allowing her to protect her allies.
—Wakaba Shinomori
Using her quickness, she can use “Quick Attack” to strike first against many enemies.
—Yuichi Kamishiro
With his immense physical attack power, the high-powered “Smash” can be used to take out a great portion of the enemy’s HP with just one strike.
Furthermore, even if using the same skill, the attack’s strength and SP consumption will vary depending on the basic stats of the character. For example, a character with Judgment at 30 will use Smash that has “Strength 2.4x, SP Usage 9.” However, a character with Judgment at 60 will us a Smash with “Strength 2.9x, SP Usage 15.”
—“Smash” for Kamishiro with heightened Judgment. The strength is very high.
“Passive Skills” Will Significantly Change the Style of Combat
Skills can be separated into two categories. Active Skills like “Smash” that are suggested actions, and Passive Skills that goes into effect just by equipping them.
There are many types of Passive Skills, including “Cautious Action,” which raises your attack power by the number of attacks by the enemy, and “Protection Arts: Break (Goshiki: Ha),” which protects allies from physical attacks. These skill types do not activate until certain conditions are met, but offer powerful effects when triggered.
—By equipping “Cautious Action” and using “Double Attack,” he can attack with double the attack strength in one turn. Aim for the synergy from combining two skills.
—“Charge Arts I: Tenacity (Soushiki I: Gankyou)” is continuously in effect, raising the level of HP and attack power.
—“Start Dash” can only be activated at the beginning of combat, but significantly increases a multiple of statuses. When combined with “Quick Attack,” it is possible to down an enemy with the first strike.
Counterattack, Follow-Up Attack, and Auto-Attack – Passive Skills Increase Options
The core of combat is to choose one action every turn from the proposals made by the students, after which only that student is able to perform an action. However, with equipped skills, students whose proposals were not chosen are able to act as well.
Some passive skills automatically activate an equipped Active Skill every turn based on probability. Some Passive Skills react to specific actions taken by allies, following up on their attacks. Other Passive Skills are activated when receiving attacks or evading, acting as counterattacks to enemy actions. By equipping these skills, it is possible to increase the number of actions possible in one turn.
—The passive skill “Elemental Additional Attack Arts (Zokusei-ha tsuishiki)” is a follow-up attack triggered by an ally’s elemental attack.
—“Evasion Arts: Break (Hishiki: Ha)” is a counterattack passive skill triggered by dodging the enemy attack. By combining it with a skill that enhances dodging, it can become a powerful attack option.
Xicatrice is due out for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Switch on June 29 in Japan. Read more about the game here.
A demo for Xicatrice will launch for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Switch on June 15 in Japan, Nippon Ichi Software announced.
The battle will allow players to play the game starting from April in the school calendar, which is when the protagonist starts their new job as a teacher, up until the occurrence of a certain event. Players will be able to train students in the classroom, battle through proposal and selection, and more. Save data from the demo can be carried over to the final game when it launches.
Xicatrice is due out for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Switch on June 29 in Japan. Read more about the game here, here, and here.
