Last Time I Saw You: Everything We Know

In case you missed the first announcement, Maboroshi Artworks is working on something new—a whimsical and artistically elegant coming-of-age tale that will supposedly transport players to a 1980s Japan, a world in which its rural areas are plagued by an unknown curse and the cornerstone of it all lies within a mysterious girl. According to the devs, this wholesome treat will fuse its tale of newfound love and hope with a hand-drawn 2D environment that's both popping with vibrant stonewashed colors and eye-catching details. This is, at least in part, some of the things we can expect from Last Time I Saw You, and it isn't without its treasure trove of additional goodies, either.

Of course, its release date may still be a little ways off yet, but there are still plenty of reasons to add it to your Wishlist on Steam. Need we say more? Here's everything you need to know about Maboroshi Artworks' Last Time I Saw You.

What Is Last Time I Saw You?

Last Time I Saw You is a beautifully developed hand-drawn story-driven adventure game by Maboroshi Artworks, an independent studio that's casting its focus on the 2D coming-of-age tale for consoles and PC. The game, which will feature a vibrant and color-washed 1980s Japanese setting, will put you in the boots of Ayumi, a twelve-year-old boy who's sent out to pursue the mysterious girl that keeps appearing in his dreams. The only drawback to such a wholesome tale, however, is that said mysterious girl may very well be the reason behind a curse that scours the rural areas.

From the horse's mouth: “Last Time I Saw You is a narrative adventure about love and acceptance, with an emphasis on story, exploration and character development. All in a lush and vibrant world set in 1980s Japan.”

Story

In Last Time I Saw You, you play the role of a twelve-year-old boy named Ayumi, whose purpose is to not only pursue a mysterious girl who keeps appearing in his dreams, but also unravel the clues that connect to an ever-evolving curse that continues to cloak the rural countryside. In a bid to weave together a plausible theory, Ayumi just determine his relationship with the girl, and make an understanding of her involvement in the curse—if anything at all.

Last Time I Saw You is a coming-of-age tale that's both heavily reliant on romance, but with a glimmer of mystery and intrigue. It's your role in the whole episode, of course, to make sense of it all and answer that one burning question: who is the mysterious girl that calls to you in your dreams?

Gameplay

Last Time I Saw You is described as being a 2D story-driven game that focuses on exploration, dialogue, and beautifully-carved cinematics. Although it does feature its minor portions of action, it is, for lack of a better word, entirely theatrical and wholehearted. To this end, you can expect a pretty laid-back experience, and something that mostly relies on storytelling than riveting gameplay to usher along its campaign.

According to the devs, players will spend the majority of their hours “exploring and socializing” while unravelling the curse that has shrouded the land. With an entire Japanese countryside to traverse and a multitude of unanswered questions to seek answers for, you will need to uproot from your everyday life and set out to embrace the unknown. As for what waits for you between home and the mysterious girl, however, is still anybody's guess.

Development

In case you missed it, Last Time I Saw You is being developed by Maboroshi Artworks, a close-knit studio that, in spite of having a relatively bite-sized portfolio beneath its belt, has made itself known for its newfound contributions to the world of whimsy and subtly elegant artistic video games. Judging by the site and the studio's history, Last Time I Saw You will be its first feature-length game to come out on consoles and PC.

Trailer

If you're wondering whether or not there has been a trailer drop for Last Time I Saw You yet, then you're in luck, as Maboroshi Artworks actually brought one to the table back in March 2022. Since then, however, the studio hasn't lifted the veil on anything more. Nevertheless, you can catch a glimpse of the story, art style, and gameplay mechanics in the short but elegantly inviting trailer above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Last Time I Saw You will be coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, and PC via Steam at some stage in “summer 2024.” Will it be coming to Game Pass or PlayStation Plus? It's hard to say at this point, though it is worth pointing out that indie games do tend to gravitate towards either of the two as launch day exclusives. However, until Maboroshi Artworks make any formal announcements, we'll have to hang fire and settle for speculation.

Again, this applies to the special editions that the game may or may not go on to roll out, also. As it stands, there isn't any collector's editions to pre-order, which means your one and only copy at present will be the one on the Microsoft Store, PlayStation Store, or Steam. You can add it to your Wishlist over on the latter here.

For more updates on the Last Time I Saw You launch, you can follow the official social handle here. If anything new or exciting drops between now and 2024, we'll be sure to let you know all the details right here on gaming.net.

So, what's your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Last Time I Saw You when it drops next year? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.