History VideoGame / FugaMelodiesOfSteel

** A lot of the areas the Taranis goes through are all based off of some of the locations in ''Solatorobo'', Vizsla, Shetland and Mau in particular. [[spoiler:This isn't just referential, as those ''are'' the same locations as the ones in ''Solatorobo''.]]

** A lot of the areas the Taranis goes through are all based off of some of the locations in ''Solatorobo'', such as Dale (nicknamed "Airedale"), Basset, Mau, and Shetland. [[spoiler:This isn't just referential, as those ''are'' the same locations as the ones in ''Solatorobo''.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:''[[{{Tagline}} Their fate is in your hands.]]''[[note]]Left to right, front to back: [[MysticalWaif Sheena]], [[TheLeader Malt]], [[TheBabyOfTheBunch Mei]], [[CityMouse Kyle]], [[GadgeteerGenius Socks]], [[ThePrankster Chick and Hack]], [[TeamMom Hanna]], [[LeaderWannabe Wappa]], [[BigFun Boron]], [[TheEngineer Jin]], with the [[TankGoodness Taranis]] in the background. Not pictured: [[DefectorFromDecadence Britz]]. Art by Nobuteru Yûki.[[/note]]]]

The game is directed by [[https://twitter.com/Yoann_CC2 Yoann Gueritot]] and has characters, vehicles and locations designed by ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'' veteran [[https://twitter.com/shimipan Yusuke "Shimipan" Tokitsu]], with returning talents from ''VideoGame/SolatoroboRedTheHunter'' including writer Yasuhiro Noguchi and [=CyberConnect2=] music label [=LieN=] (made up of composer Chikayo Fukuda and vocalist Tomoyo Mitani). The game is notable for marking [=CyberConnect2's=] 25th anniversary MilestoneCelebration, as well as being their first self-published title (whereas Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment published prior ''Little Tail Bronx'' games).

[[caption-width-right:350:''[[{{Tagline}} Their fate is in your hands.]]''[[note]]Left to right, front to back: [[MysticalWaif Sheena]], [[TheLeader Malt]], [[TheBabyOfTheBunch Mei]], [[CityMouse Kyle]], [[GadgeteerGenius Socks]], [[ThePrankster Chick and Hack]], [[TeamMom Hanna]], [[LeaderWannabe Wappa]], [[BigFun Boron]], [[TheEngineer Jin]], with the [[TankGoodness Taranis]] in the background. Not pictured: [[DefectorFromDecadence Britz]].[[/note]]]]

The official website can be found [[https://www.cc2.co.jp/fuga/en/ here]], with supplementary content (such as the ''Comedies of Steel'' humor motion comics) [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkryP5_y-sRcKsP2uaEMaiPfM84ScsWfb available on CC2's YouTube channel.]] An overview trailer for the game can be found [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbjXMMH0JzI here.]] A [[https://www.famitsu.com/serial/fuga/202112/07241282.html manga adaptation]] known as ''Senjō no Fuga: Steel Melody''[[note]]A combination of the English and Japanese names for the game[[/note]] by ''Anime/MetalFightBeyblade'' creator Takafumi Adachi has also been published on Famitsu's Japanese website every other week, with [[https://www.famitsu.com/serial/fuga/202301/03288326.html an English translation set to be released digitally in the spring of 2023]].

On March 1st, 2022, [[https://twitter.com/Yoann_CC2/status/1498524617253990412 a direct sequel has been confirmed to be entering development by Yoann himself, with a third game following suit.]] On July 28th, ''VideoGame/FugaMelodiesOfSteel2'' was officially revealed alongside [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OolRShEoq9I&feature=emb_title a teaser trailer]], along with a 2023 release date. [[https://gamingbolt.com/fuga-melodies-of-steel-2-release-date-announcement-coming-january-26th The release date for the sequel is set to be announced on January 26th, 2023 alongside a new trailer]], with a major quality-of-life update for the original ''Fuga'' [[https://noisypixel.net/fuga-melodies-of-steel-sells-100000-sequel-news-january-2023/ set to be released in the following spring]].

* GuideDangIt: [[spoiler:Wanna get past [[FightingYourFriend the fight]] [[DuelingPlayerCharacters against Britz]] ''without'' killing him? Then you better hope he has at least ten total levels of affinity with everyone else on the Taranis. Also, you better make sure you go after and talk to him following the cutscene where he mentions his family. To rub it in, the game hints at this ''after'' you beat the final boss in the endings where not every child survives.]]

* SequelHook: [[spoiler:The secret movie obtained through HundredPercentCompletion teases the game's follow-up. In it, some plot points are given away like the Taranis going haywire and the children having to board the Tarascus to fight it, a character implied to be Malt [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness vowing to kill someone out of revenge]], and ''something'' involving the child briefly seen in a flashback in the GoldenEnding.]]

** In the "normal ending" where at least one child has died, [[spoiler:Jeanne realizes that the losing General Hax has [[VillainousBreakdown ordered the Vanargand to destroy all of Gasco]], and states that the Soul Cannon is their only option left to stop him. ''All'' of the surviving children volunteer, and once the player [[ButThouMust makes their choice on which of them to sacrifice]], Hax and the Vanargand are soon obliterated. The Taranis, mangled from the resulting explosion, violently crashes into one of the floating islands, and the Gasco military quickly arrives to give the surviving children medical attention. Afterwards, the surviving children stand together and vow to remember their fallen comrades, and the game ends on a WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue where the deceased children are scribbled out. In TheStinger, Jeanne, her radio left among the wreckage, vows that [[NewGamePlus she won't let anyone die "next time"]]. Afterwards, the game gives hints to the player on how to gain the GoldenEnding.]]

* DarkerAndEdgier: Far more than either ''Tail Concerto'' or ''Solatorobo''; while the latter two were out-and-out (mostly) lighthearted adventure games with [[FunnyAnimal dog and cat people making up the entire cast]], ''Fuga'' is a turn-based [=RPG=] about kids being drafted into war after [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Nazi expies]] kidnap their loved ones, forcing them to use a massive ArtifactOfDoom, where its [[DesperationAttack strongest attack]] [[HeroicSacrifice requires a user to sacrifice themselves to use it.]] Also crosses over slightly with BloodierAndGorier when [[spoiler:Britz is shown with his arm bleeding after his fight with the Taranis.]]
** To reiterate, both ''Tail Concerto'' and ''Solatorobo'' have title screen themes which are adventurous with a hint of whimsy, whereas ''Fuga'''s starts out as a melancholic piece that becomes more militant and frantic.
** And if the video game itself somehow isn't dark enough, the manga version crosses over even further with with BloodierAndGorier, as it shows in ''graphic detail'' how [[spoiler:the Soul Cannon painfully ''guts and vaporizes'' Malt in order to gather his bio-energy.]]

** On the first NewGamePlus run, characters coming after the starting six will have their EXP artificially boosted up to allow them to catch up quicker.

* HundredPercentCompletion: Achieving 100% completion (represented by gears on the right side of the title screen that turn orange to show your progress) nets you a secret movie [[spoiler:teasing what appears to be a potential sequel to the game. Initially, the movie was entirely in unsubbed Japanese, but it's since been patched to have subtitles. Watch [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFtsNN8O8x0 here]].]]

* {{Retcon}}: An AllThereInTheManualExample from the ''Little Tail Bronx Archives''. The "Daybreak" artbook for ''VideoGame/SolatoroboRedTheHunter'' describes [[spoiler:the Reset that transformed Earth into the series' current setting]] as happening three thousand years before the game's events. The artbook for ''Fuga'' adds two millennia to this number, pinpointing it as happening four thousand years before the events of the game (and thus ''five'' thousand years before ''Solatorobo''). %%Not sure if the Wolf Tribe counts, I think it was originally intended that the upside-down statues were erected during the Hundred Lilies War as a way to screw them over, but Fuga takes place before even that

** The pre-boss cutscene for Chapter 10 has two in a row:
*** Up first is a line from Shvein Hax regarding the Radio Woman who's been advising the children:
---->'''Hax:''' That voice [[spoiler:guided them as well]]…? Heh, now I see…
*** After an entire game of talking in a calm, parental fashion, [[spoiler:the Radio Woman]] gets a little… ''[[LaughingMad excited]]'' to [[spoiler:fight the Tarascus]]:
---->'''[[spoiler:Radio Woman]]:''' [[spoiler:[=THiS=] energy… It's undeniably the [=CoRe=] of the Vanargand!! I've waited so [=LoNG=]… [=FoR=] [=My=] [=ReVeNGe=]!!]]
** A twofer for anyone who didn't play ''VideoGame/SolatoroboRedTheHunter''. In Chapter 11, the Radio Woman mentions that the passage of Malamute has ruins that include the "giants that [[spoiler:once laid waste to mankind]]". If that wasn't clear enough to the player, this line from the first [[spoiler:Jeanne Archive]] obtained after beating said chapter casually reveals that this universe isn't simply a mere fantasy one:

--->'''[[spoiler:Britz]]:''' It is my duty to stop you here… [[spoiler:[[DrivenToSuicide Forgive me, Mother…]]]]
** The ending exchange to Chapter 11 has the Radio Woman revealing her true identity to the children:
--->'''Radio Woman:''' [[spoiler:Me? I was the one protecting you all this time… in my belly…]]

** The pre-boss cutscene for Chapter 10 three big ones in a row:

*** Hax then introduces himself and reveals how [[spoiler:the "heart" of the Vanargand]] managed to reawaken:
---->'''Hax:''' [[spoiler:These good people of Gasco excavated the core for us so we could integrate it into the Tarascus, yet it kept refusing to activate… [[NiceJobBreakingItHero But the Taranis… brought the core back to life…]] Almost as though the two are drawn to each other.]]

--->'''Radio Woman:''' [[spoiler:Me? I was the one protecting you all this time… in my belly… My name is Jeanne… I am the artificial intelligence of the Taranis… Its consciousness, if you will… In order to finally put an end to Vanargand and our millennia-long battle, I had been searching for a way to awaken it… In order to do so, I crafted a legend that got passed down from generation to generation among children of the Berman people. The popular legend of the Lost God that they love so much…]]

* WhamLine:

* InMediasRes: The game's first chapter starts exactly twelve hours after Petit Mona's invasion by the Berman Empire and the children's subsequent activation of the Taranis.

---->'''[[spoiler:Radio Woman]]:''' [[spoiler:THiS energy… It's undeniably the CoRe of the Vanargand!! I've waited so LoNG… FoR My ReVeNGe!!]]

--->'''[[spoiler:Britz]]:''' It is my duty to stop you here… [[DrivenToSuicide Forgive me, Mother…]]

The game is directed by Yoann Gueritot and has characters, vehicles and locations designed by ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'' veteran [[https://twitter.com/shimipan Yusuke "Shimipan" Tokitsu]], with returning talents from ''VideoGame/SolatoroboRedTheHunter'' including writer Yasuhiro Noguchi and [=CyberConnect2=] music label [=LieN=] (made up of composer Chikayo Fukuda and vocalist Tomoyo Mitani). The game is notable for marking [=CyberConnect2's=] 25th anniversary MilestoneCelebration, as well as being their first self-published title (whereas Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment published prior ''Little Tail Bronx'' games).

Hana ni natte yorisōyo[[note]][[YouAreNotAlone I'll become a flower and snuggle up to you]][[/note]]''

** Malt and Socks' Link Events have the latter discuss the possibility of a bipedal tank, [[spoiler:which will eventually become the [=DAHAK-AZI03=] that his descendant Merveille will build and give to her son, Red. Alternatively, his research may even become the basis for the general Robo design the Caninu may begin to use in the next few hundred years.]]

* AdaptationDeviation: In the animated comic [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O4nxcaJZ_w "How It All Began"]], which roughly recounts the game's prologue, Malt's grandparents tell him to go the mountain cave where the Taranis is. In the game, it's the Voice on the Radio that tells him this. Also, the comic has Malt and Mei stumble upon the Taranis earlier and Socks recognize it as such when they enter the cave again, neither of which is the case in the game proper.

** At one point, the children notice a sleeping giant in the background, with the Voice on the Radio saying that it's not yet time for it to awaken. [[spoiler:It's Lares, a major antagonistic force in ''Solatorobo''.]]

* EasyLogistics: Kids never have to worry about obtaining fuel or additional ammo for the Taranis, only using repair kits and magic to fix damage. Possibly justified by the Taranis being [[spoiler:a lost superweapon of humanity, and so potentially being ''that'' advanced as not needing refueling or rearming]].

* EmpathicWeapon: The Taranis' performance seems to be affected by and reflect the children's emotional state, so when the kids are especially downcast its combat effectiveness also suffers. After the kids are forced to use the Soul Cannon to defeat Pretzel, the Taranis' strength also wanes in addition to the children's apathy, [[spoiler: and when they later have to fight Britz the Voice on the Radio notes that the Taranis moves very sluggishly. The reverse is also true, as during the GoldenEnding when the children are filled with determination, the Taranis finds enough energy to fire the Soul Cannon without a sacrifice (though other factors may also be at work here). {{Justified|Trope}}, as the Taranis is made out of nanometal, which, per ''Solatorobo'', reads its user's mental state and adjusts its capabilities according to their wishes.]]

** At the start of Chapter 10, the Voice on the Radio gets cheerful and chuckles that everyone "will all be reunited". At first glance, it seems she's talking about the kids and their families, but [[spoiler:she's actually referring to ''her'' reunion with the Vanargand and its heart.]] %%Any more examples?

* HeroicSacrifice: Should a child opt to use the Soul Cannon to save their friends from a battle going south. {{Deconstructed|Trope}} in the first battle against Pretzel; when the others learn that the sacrificed character used the Soul Cannon and what it truly entails, it leaves them in such despair that [[ControllableHelplessness they're able to do nothing but defend themselves from an ambush from the Berman army.]] If the Pretzel battle is won a second time ''without'' using the Soul Cannon, the Voice on the Radio discusses this trope with them, telling them that they should only use it if the situation gets too dire.

* ItsTheOnlyWay: When Soul Cannon becomes available as an option in boss battles (if the Taranis hits around 50% HP or lower), the Voice on the Radio will tempt the player to use it by insisting that it's the only option left. No pressure!

''Fuga: Melodies of Steel''(「戦場のフーガ」, ''"Senjō no Fuga"'', lit. ''"Fugue on the Battlefield"'' in Japan) is a turn-based RPG developed and published by Creator/CyberConnect2 of ''Franchise/DotHack'', ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'' and ''VideoGame/DragonBallZKakarot'' fame, set in the ''VideoGame/LittleTailBronx'' world alongside previous games ''VideoGame/TailConcerto'' and ''VideoGame/SolatoroboRedTheHunter'', though taking place long before either title. The game was released on all major platforms on July 29th, 2021, with a free demo containing the game's first three chapters being released on July 14, 2022, nearly a year afterwards. As of September 15, 2022, the game can be played through Xbox Game Pass.

The official website can be found [[https://www.cc2.co.jp/fuga/en/ here]], with supplementary content (such as the ''Comedies of Steel'' humor motion comics) [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkryP5_y-sRcKsP2uaEMaiPfM84ScsWfb available on CC2's YouTube channel.]] An overview trailer for the game can be found [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbjXMMH0JzI here.]]

** At one point, the Voice on the Radio mentions a sleeping giant being a 'story for another time'. [[spoiler:It's Lares, a major antagonistic force in ''Solatorobo''.]]

On March 1st, 2022, [[https://twitter.com/Yoann_CC2/status/1498524617253990412 a direct sequel has been confirmed to be entering development by Yoann himself, with a third game following suit.]] On July 28th, ''VideoGame/FugaMelodiesOfSteel2'' was officially revealed alongside [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OolRShEoq9I&feature=emb_title a teaser trailer]], along with a 2023 release date. [[https://www.rpgsite.net/news/13473-fuga-melodies-of-steel-2-to-be-re-revealed-next-january-alongside-release-date More information for the sequel is set to be revealed]] on [[https://www.famitsu.com/serial/fuga/202301/03288326.html January 26th, 2023]], with a major quality-of-life update for the original ''Fuga'' [[https://noisypixel.net/fuga-melodies-of-steel-sells-100000-sequel-news-january-2023/ set to be released in the following spring]].

On March 1st, 2022, [[https://twitter.com/Yoann_CC2/status/1498524617253990412 a direct sequel has been confirmed to be entering development by Yoann himself, with a third game following suit.]] On July 28th, ''VideoGame/FugaMelodiesOfSteel2'' was officially revealed alongside [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OolRShEoq9I&feature=emb_title a teaser trailer]], along with a 2023 release date. [[https://www.rpgsite.net/news/13473-fuga-melodies-of-steel-2-to-be-re-revealed-next-january-alongside-release-date More information for the sequel is set to be revealed in January 2023]], with a major quality-of-life update for the original ''Fuga'' [[https://noisypixel.net/fuga-melodies-of-steel-sells-100000-sequel-news-january-2023/ set to be released in the following spring]].