Capcom working on a ‘tournament fighting RPG’

Remember when Capcom used to make RPGs? We do, and that’s why we’re really rather interested to hear that the Japanese publisher is teaming up with Imageepoch to create a brand new roleplaying game centered around a fighting tournament. It’s called The Last Ranker and it sounds ridiculous.

Players take on the role of Zig, an angry drifter who takes part in a fighting tournament to become a “ranker.” Ranker battles act how one would expect — as you accrue victories, your rank rises, and after each loss, it decreases. Apparently, the premise is based on popular kiddy manga. Stuff like Dragon Ball Z and Naruto. The story will focus on the relationships characters have between tournament fights. 

The combat system is a mixture of action and turn-based commands. Pressing certain buttons leads to certain actions being carried out, although you don’t have direct control over the character. Sounds quite similar to Dissidia or Crisis Core. 

I’m always up for an original RPG, and one focused on a fighting tournament is a nice departure from the usual JRPG “we must save the world” affair. Hopefully it’s a good one.