Fullmetal Alchemist just celebrated its 20th anniversary, making it one of the most successful manga and anime series ever. Currently, there have been two anime adaptations, a live-action film, and over a dozen video games based on the manga.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Dual Sympathy for Nintendo D.S. was the last U.S. release of the series of video games, released in 2006 – nearly a decade after the first game. In spite of this, a growing number of Japanese creators are realizing the importance of localizing their games. For the PlayStation 2, Wii, GBA, D.S., and P.S. Portable, Japanese fans got a slew of Fullmetal Alchemist games. However, due to low sales, the franchise was only released in international markets for three games. Kingdom Hearts-like action-RPG gameplay may be found in the two PS2 games released in the U.S. (Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel and Fullmetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson Elixer). To those who craved something more significant in the area of Fullmetal Alchemist content, the game’s stories were merely a distraction rather than a necessity.
Square Enix surprised Fullmetal Alchemist fans by releasing an announcement trailer for the highly anticipated mobile game, Fullmetal Alchemist. It’s hard to believe that this teaser (via Siliconera) doesn’t have some of the best visuals of the series. The Elric Brothers, the protagonists of the series, must fight their way through fast-paced 3D settings, much like Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm. A launch date for the free-to-play game has not yet been scheduled for the rest of the world as of this writing.
This decision to release the mobile version of the game instead of a complete console version like Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles disappointed many fans on Twitter. For free-to-play games, some players fear that the game would restrict gameplay and features in favor of microtransactions, which they see as a barrier to content. Fans in Japan may pre-register for the game in the trailer, which also offers rewards at launch if enough people do so. Pre-registration numbers for the game are expected to reach at least 500,000 by the time it launches. Fullmetal Alchemist Mobile is likely to be released in English if Square Enix decides to do so.
With the 20th anniversary of Fullmetal Alchemist fast approaching, many fans are expecting something fresh in the series. Even though mobile gaming has been pushed to new heights by technology and storyline, a mobile game may not be what fans had hoped for. There is no doubt that the developers have put their hearts and souls into creating an accurate adaptation, whether it is for mobile devices or not. It’s possible that Fullmetal Alchemist Mobile may live up to the show’s main character’s expectations after a well-executed announcement trailer.
