One of the highly anticipated story-driven titles set in an alternate Philippines just came out.
Publisher Maximum Entertainment announced the release of its latest coming-of-age game Until Then. The narrative-adventure game welcomed players on PC via Steam and PlayStation 5 last June 24th.
Until Then is created by an indie Filipino studio Polychroma Games.
Set in a fictionalized version of the Philippines, it follows a male teenager named Mark Borja. Players guide Mark as he navigates the familiar challenges of school life, piano practice, and friendships. However, a twist of fate awaits him that will forever alter his world.
Until Then utilizes side-scrolling mechanics. The story is portrayed in a cinematic adventure style. Its narrative revolves around a group of curious high school students who are grappling with their own realities.
But one of the highlights of the newly released game was its Filipino touch. Until Then offers players explore and navigate a world inspired by real-world locations in the Philippines.
Development of Until Then was first unveiled last February. It is the second major title by Polychroma Games, an independent game development studio based in the Philippines. In a statement, developers from Polychroma thanked fans and players for the support.
"Thank you to everyone who has supported us on this development journey. We are so grateful to the community and elated to share the beautiful story that we've been working on!" they wrote on Steam.
As of June 26th, Until Then received generally positive feedback from gamers and critics alike. Eurogamer rated it 4 out of 5 stars.
"While the setting and inspirations are Filipino through and through, the themes of friendship, love, loss, and acceptance in this visual novel are universal," Jason Rodriguez wrote.
Until Then currently carries a limited-time, discounted price of US$17.99. /