Nintendo Switch has been steadily becoming the leader of visual novels and point-and-click adventures, especially as more developers continue to expand on the mobility of the Switch. Soon a new game from developer Klace and publisher Crunching Koalas called Winds of Change is set to release; it is an ambitious fantasy visual novel that sends players on a furry quest of love, adversity, and fighting against the evils of tyranny.
The news comes via a trailer and announcement for the game on the Nintendo Switch eShop. Winds of Change originally began as an ambitious visual novel on Steam, but shortly after grew and expanded into becoming the riveting fantasy adventure that it’s known for today. The announcement comes with a bevy of tweets that the developer put out to celebrate the game’s imminent launch on Nintendo Switch.
The announcements reveal new enhancements and tweaks from the original 2019 release on Steam, which currently sits at a “Very Positive” reception after 300 user reviews, as well as a 74 score on Metacritic. For the Nintendo Switch version of Winds of Change, new assets and improved loading times are now been implanted into the game. The developer, Klace, revealed through a tweet that it took approximately 1.5 years to port the game to the Nintendo Switch. According to the tweet Winds of Change need to be essentially remade using a different engine in order to be released on the Nintendo Switch.
Speaking of dialogue choices, we now have revamped icons for all of them. Every tone of response has been updated with art more fitting to the game than before. pic.twitter.com/JjmoPSLAKC
— Klace (@Klace) May 20, 2021
About Winds of Change
Winds of Change is a title greatly inspired by the likes of Mass Effect and Dragon Age. In a fantasy world overrun by tyrannical power, players rebel, forge their own army, and fight back. Winds of Change is remarkably unique and distinct for its visual style and for its unapologetic embracing of Furry fandom, the subculture that celebrates anthropomorphize characters and creatures. As Winds of Change is inspired by immersive RPG’s, players are free to make choices that can affect entire outcomes. Winds of Change has a bevy of choices, and a plethora of romance options, that can have deep, personal consequences to the player and the story. In addition to the art style and direction, Winds of Change is fully voiced by seasoned voice actors that have seen themselves in various games, from Dust: An Elysian Tale to Persona to Gundam.
Winds of Change is a mixture of light-heartedness, humor, pristine scenes of life, but also the struggles and despair of civil war and fighting against tyrannical powers for a better future. I’ve been following Winds of Change for quite some time and have been absolutely fascinated by the game’s unapologetic pursuits in its design and image. In addition, its representation of the Furry fandom and the LGBTQIA+ community makes a diverse story for players.
Personal Beliefs
The Furry fandom is a fandom that is often ridiculed and mocked for its outlandish nature. Over the years, it’s steadily grown into a sort of spotlight and more have become aware of the culture; its creativity and bonds are shared with others, from the fursuits to the artwork to the creation of OC’s and the mammoth hotel-filling conventions that dominated the scene before pandemic times. I can even confess that I’ve always wanted to go to a Furry convention to find that wolf pack of sorts.
Last year’s anime, BNA, convinced me to accept a part of me that has always been fascinated by this culture, since the days of Star Fox on the SNES. There aren’t many anthro-focused games on the market, with the only ones coming to mind being Biomutant, Stories: Path for Destiny, and Omensight. Hopefully, with Winds of Change launching on Nintendo Switch, many more will be introduced to the culture that celebrates anthropomorphic creatures.
The game launched June 3rd, 2021 on the Nintendo Switch.
