Fans of Grasshopper Manufacture have something new to get excited about: a release date has been given for The Silver Case, which is finally venturing outside Japan exactly 17 years after its debut.
Announced this week during Tokyo Game Show, an HD remastered version of The Silver Case will be coming out on October 7, 2016 for PC.
The Silver Case is a visual novel and adventure game originally published on the PlayStation in 1999, and was the directorial debut for Goichi Suda (Suda51). It’s a crime story that revolves around a series of bizarre murders that prompt the 24 Districts Police Department to call in two special detectives. They’re eyeing a legendary serial killer who was previously thought deceased — Kamui Uehara — who assassinated government officials 20 years prior to The Silver Case.
Studio Active Gaming Media, whose previous works include Demon’s Souls, Soulcalibur IV, and MotoGP 2015, will be behind the English-language translation of The Silver Case.
A sequel to The Silver Case came in Flower, Sun, and Rain on the PlayStation 2. It too was only released in Japan, but a port on the Nintendo DS did see a western release in 2008. At some point a port for The Silver Case on Nintendo DS was developed, but was never released as Suda 51 was displeased with how it turned out.
The HD remaster of The Silver Case was made in collaboration with Playism, a Japanese publisher that maintains a focus on indie games.
Many of the motifs and themes found in The Silver Case can be found in many of Suda51’s later works. Gamers know Suda51 for his penchant for cell-shaded graphics, nihilistic sensibilities, and aggressive use of violence and obscene language. Games such as Killer7, No More Heroes, Lollypop Chainsaw, and Killer is Dead have become cult gems for many interested in those types of boutique experiences.
