Update [Mon 17th Jul, 2023 12:00 BST]: As if translating the PS1 version of Baroque last year wasn't enough, @Plissken___ has now revealed that they have also translated the Saturn version of the game too. You can download the patch from the link embedded in the tweet below and finally see how the two versions hold against one another in English.
Original Story [Wed 20th Jul, 2022 17:20 BST]: Chances are if you're familiar with the dungeon crawler RPG Baroque, it's because you played or heard about the version of the game released for the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Wii in 2008. That version was the first time players in the West could get their hands on Baroque, but it also drastically changed the experience from the Sega Saturn and PlayStation One editions of the game.
The international remake, published by Atlas USA in North America and Rising Star Games in Europe, switched from a first-person perspective to a third-person one, which had the effect of completely changing the atmosphere between the different versions. It also switched to a more anime aesthetic overall, inspired by the game's original box art, and removed many of the references to killing — decisions that proved controversial among the game's small yet passionate following.
It's because of these changes that some of Baroque's Western fanbase have been left pining for a way to play these much older versions of the game in English. And recently, they received some good news, as Twitter user @Plissken___ announced they had finished a PlayStation One fan translation.
For the uninitiated, Baroque follows an unnamed protagonist who must climb through the many randomly-generated floors of the Neuro Tower, to find the Absolute God and fix the world. Along the way, he comes across various meta-beings, the twisted results of an experiment that have lost their hearts and minds, and must do battle against them using the various weapons he's acquired from the different floors. Interestingly, should you die, it isn't a straightforward game over. Instead, your deaths will progress the narrative, opening up brand-new dialogue options and areas to explore.
Sting Entertainment developed the original game for Sega Saturn back in 1998, with the PlayStation One port following a year later. The Japanese game developer Kazunari Yonemitsu was responsible for writing and directing this original version, taking inspiration from sources such as European cinema and film noir. It's arguably because of this that the more recent versions have fallen flat for diehard fans, departing dramatically from this original source material. You can watch a teaser for @Plissken___'s translation below: