Rayark Inc. is working on a follow-up to its exquisite story-centric rhythm game Deemo. It’s still early in development, but if a concept video is any indication, Deemo II could be even more beautiful and moving than its predecessor.
The clip shows a young girl running through a Victorian-style train station, on the run from a group of masked, hooded figures, with brief cuts away to someone playing the organ. A slip from a ledge on the station’s upper levels sees the girl fall into a watery wonderland, where she meets the mysterious figure Deemo.
“When music plays, the sun shall stay.”
A girl with flowers growing on her head and an incredible white being with a human form── Deemo. As a melody issues forth from the center of the train station, the rain gradually stops, and the sky clears up once again.
In the endless pouring rain, the two of them search the fantasy kingdom for a hope that will save the world.
Official description for Deemo II.
The animation and music are simply stunning, which shouldn’t be a surprise—Deemo II is being developed by JetGen, the studio behind Deemo‘s impressive 3D remake for PlayStation 4, Deemo -Reborn-. JetGen is currently hiring for a number of key positions (Graphics Programmer, Senior 3D Artist (Generalist), Senior 3D Character Artist, Senior Game Concept Artist), which suggests that it’s still early days for the game’s progress.
Nonetheless, you can pre-register for Deemo II on Android right now. Doing so will set you up to receive an alert when the game is available, and it’s an easy, free way to show support to the developers.
The first Deemo, in both its original release and Deemo -Reborn-, is a great example of familiar rhythm game mechanics being combined with a heartfelt, moving story. Judging from the concept video above, this will remain a focal point for Deemo II, and I can’t wait to see how it turns out.