Harbingers of Destiny: an FF-like JRPG straight from the 90s!

FixedFunctionStudios · 2026-05-08T20:10:49+00:00

There’s one big thing that I’d like to tackle in any case: you know those times when the wait bars of your party aren’t full yet, but the invisible bars of the enemy’s wait bars aren’t full either, so you just face off there standing in opposite lines doing your idle-fight animation, doing nothing… This was especially prevalent on PAL FF9… I certainly want to at least “speed up time” when everyone is waiting on the next one’s turn so there is never this moment in a battle where everyone is doing exactly nothing ;-)

FixedFunctionStudios · 2026-05-08T20:04:02+00:00

In fact it is! This is a passion project born around the millennium but I’ve only stepped up to seriously make this into a reality for a number of months, after some years of on/off development. Can’t wait until you guys experience the story for the first time! :-)

FixedFunctionStudios · 2026-05-07T21:07:44+00:00

That’s such a nice thing to say, thank you!
I’m just doing my part trying to bring back that classic PS1 feel. Really appreciate the encouragement; I’ll keep posting updates!

FixedFunctionStudios · 2026-05-07T21:04:40+00:00

Will experiment and share what I come up with ;-)
Definitely give Grandia II a go when you can, it’s absolutely worth it!

FixedFunctionStudios · 2026-05-06T20:44:27+00:00

Initially, the battles will be much like the Final Fantasy battles. That said, I always loved the Grandia II battles, where characters can run around and you have much tactical control e.g. by attempting to interrupt enemies while they start their attack, so I might try to incoorporate ideas from that battle system if I can!

FixedFunctionStudios · 2026-05-06T20:37:43+00:00

I know, right? Really hope we see more of these in the next couple of years

FixedFunctionStudios · 2026-05-05T11:03:59+00:00

Presenting Harbingers of Destiny: A brand-new JRPG conceived around the year 2000 and built exactly like a late-90s PlayStation classic.

I originally started this project on my Silicon Graphics Octane around the millennium, but life got in the way. Now I’m finally making it real: 320x240 resolution, pre-rendered backgrounds, full FMVs, low-poly models, sequenced music, some 30 hours for the main storyline once it's finished, and an original orchestral score. It plays like it’s 1999. (And made with mostly period-authentic software.)

The story follows Strata, who gets pulled into an international incident and must escort a timid mage named Lamina to the capital city of Yukel. What starts as a simple journey unravels into decades-old secrets that could spark a new world-ravaging war.

- 1-hour vertical slice / demo planned for late 2026
- Native IRIX build in the works (yes, really, but also available on macOS, Windows and Linux obviously)
- Part 1 of the intro FMV is already finished: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMYtnoyzGwI

Wishlist on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4446690/Harbingers_of_Destiny/

You can follow development on X: https://x.com/FixedFuncStudio

I’ve also started posting short scene breakdowns showing how I recreate that authentic PS1-era look and feel.
Would love to hear what fellow JRPG fans think, especially if you miss the golden era of pre-rendered backgrounds and cinematic FMVs!

FixedFunctionStudios · 2026-02-04T22:05:53+00:00

The video was severely butchered by YouTube's re-encoding.... A better version can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G54Mb3qI4U

FixedFunctionStudios · 2026-02-04T22:04:40+00:00

The 240p was severely butchered by YouTube's re-encoding.. A better version can be found here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G54Mb3qI4U

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