《Grandia》制作人新作JRPG《Under Mythos》取材克苏鲁神话、量子宇宙学与AI焦虑

Video game planning and production company KADATH, helmed by veteran game producer Yoichi Miyaji (best known for producing the Lunar and Grandia series), recently announced their debut title Under Mythos. Scheduled to release in 2028, Under Mythos is a 2D dark fantasy JRPG that follows the story of a lost cat peacefully spending its days working at a mysterious hot spring. However, as you play the game, the world gradually starts descending into madness, and the fantasy slice-of-life story shifts to cosmic horror.

In a recent interview with 4Gamer, Miyaji talked about the themes of the new game, as well as what influenced him to pursue a distinct cosmic horror twist.

According to Miyaji, the game is based on the idea that the world was created and exists within the consciousness of Azathoth, a deity belonging to the Cthulhu mythos. On top of that core concept, Miyaji has added his own personal interpretations to the story.

Apparently, Miyaji has also been interested in quantum cosmology and the relationship between human consciousness and the universe. Specifically, he talks about the idea that the universe itself has a consciousness, which could be the origin of human consciousness – which he then connects to the story of Azathoth. What’s more, the Elder Things and Shoggoths from H. P. Lovecraft’s 1931 novella “At the Mountains of Madness” also play an important role in Under Mythos.

Shoggoths were originally created as servitors for the Elder Things, but then rebelled against their creators after developing independent minds. Miyaji ties this story to the recently growing unease surrounding AI in the general public, which is another theme he wanted to tackle within the game. Specifically, the idea of something humans have created for their own benefit eventually breaching their understanding and escaping from their control.

“It feels like there’s a sense of anxiety about not knowing what will happen with AI in the future. I want to portray those kinds of worries and fears that people nowadays are feeling,” Miyaji comments.

While most details about the story are still kept under wraps, Miyaji says that even the game’s hot spring inn will somehow connect to the Cthulhu Mythos – though not everything will be explicitly explained to the players, likely to induce that feeling of an “overwhelming presence” lurking behind the shadows. Under Mythos is set to release in 2028, so we’ll still need to wait a bit longet to get an actual taste of its story. But judging from what we know so far, it seems like it’s shaping up to be a treat for fans of the Cthulhu Mythos and cosmic horror in general.

Under Mythos is scheduled to release for the PC (Steam) and Nintendo Switch in 2028.