Konami Is Building Something New

Konami, the publisher behind video games like Metal Gear, Silent Hill, and Castlevania, is in the midst of exiting an extended period of near-silence. It successfully remade Metal Gear Solid 3, released multiple good Silent Hill games, and the hands-on opportunities we’ve had with Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse have left us very optimistic. Konami is back, baby, and excitingly, it is not leaning exclusively on its established franchises to accelerate its rebirth.

Rhapsody in Scarlet is a wholly new game that Konami is both developing and publishing. It is not based on an existing franchise and – with my glass admittedly half-full – it does not appear to be trend-chasing a popular or profitable genre for the sake of revenue. That may be the case by the time it releases, but for now I am going to recognize and celebrate what appears to be unique and creative about the game.

Set in 1920s New York, the game follows Ellie Myers, an aspiring jazz singer who is trying to start her musical career. In a blog post announcing the game, co-producer Takanori Murayama wrote, “We have worked to recreate the atmosphere of 1920s New York as much as possible, from its architecture and fashion to its cars and Prohibition-era speakeasies. The 1920s were a time of remarkable energy and change, marked by the rapid spread of automobiles and radios, as well as the growing presence of women in society.”