Category: Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 5/2/2022

In a world where those with functional limits can excel through innovation, a young Kyla Larson finds herself defying the odds that would otherwise be unmanageable. But even she has to rule out conventional explanation when a voice from beyond the world she knows begins to communicate sensitive details that must be cleared from the mind of she who reaches across the expanse.

Today, Zero Break Design reveals the initial details of the story setup for Advent Heroes. The game combines classic roleplay designs from retro console experiences with modern twists such as its advent charge system that allows each individual hero a special ability that can turn the tide in even the most difficult situations. Set in the near future (that is, within 20XX) the story follows Kyla and her distant associate Nefersila from the systems startup of Kyla’s mitigative systems integration to their calling to serve agents of destiny. Though none are allowed to permit Nefersila from knowing all of what makes her different from anyone else in her adoptive home at Downton on the distant world of Runeria or to inform of her lost history, the sensitive details are communicated to Kyla prior to the forced erasure of her personal knowledge. However, due to the circumstances by which this information is stripped from her mind, Nefersila forges a pact with Kyla by which her sister Padma will cross over and guard the sensitive secrets on her behalf in exchange for an agreement to reconvene if the reasons for the relocation are ever confirmed.

These reasons, unbeknownst to anyone involved, come at a very inopportune time for Kyla as she faces the prospect of being the one to respond on NYPD business to the apparent murder of her benefactor, Dr. Tajiro Yushi. As she begins the process of invoking homicide protocol, Kyla is informed by Nefersila of the loss of communication with Runeria’s sacred guardians. Rushing to link the portal system to the watchpoint vector, Kyla’s deft manipulation of the isekai effect to serve the urgent response of both her duty and that of her brother Alan is soon met by even more tragedy as the watchpoint’s crew is found dead and murdered in the name of a false interpretation of fate. Accused as heretics by the forces of evil, the three unlikely heroes find themselves unable to break the will of the assailant whose claims of divine cleansing are quickly met with equal measures of distrust and disbelief. Ultimately the unknown interloper forces matters by triggering the watchpoint’s omega unit, setting off an automatic destruction sequence upon which our heroes narrowly escape.

In addition to the story details, Zero Break Design is also informing of a pending transition from NW.JS and HTML5 to Unity, which will necessitate the delay of the game into 2023. Due to the amount of work that is anticipated to be required as a part of this transition, the decision to hold release is being made to ensure that the quality and content of the final version of Advent Heroes is not compromised during the transitionary process. Please hold for more information of a new release date to be announced in the coming months.

About Zero Break Design

Created to serve as trade dress and portfolio branding by J.D. “BreakerZero”, Zero Break Design is built for the provision and purpose of developing videogame products that echo the best of classic 1980s-style roleplay while adding in a touch of modern ingenuity.

About the ID@Xbox Program

The ID@Xbox Program enables qualified game developers of all sizes to unleash their creativity by self-publishing digital games on Xbox and Windows with Xbox Live, or adding Xbox Live to iOS or Android games, giving studios the tools and support needed to maximize their success.

Safe Harbor Statement

While every effort has been made to accurately represent the intended prospects of the products described herein, the development, distribution and promotion of one or more of these products are being conducted through developer support program(s) and sales channel(s) which are owned and/or operated by one or more business entities which are subject to public holdings and investment regulations as defined under safe harbor guidelines established by the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States, and which carry associated risks and challenges by their nature. The contents of this notice constitute “forward looking statements” which are accurate only as of the time of publication; however, the actual market conditions and performance metrics related to the products and/or their availability and/or features may vary greatly from what is stated herein.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 10/25/2021

The fate of all that is known may well be dependent on persons from two distinct worlds, or so the writings suggest in the debut game release from Zero Break Design.

Created by Jeffrey Davis as the official branding for his work in video game media and product development, Zero Break Design aims to deliver classic experiences and writings with a modern touch. Advent Heroes, the debut game for the Zero Break label, exemplifies that perspective by combining a classic, retro-style Japanese roleplay design with concepts and influence from the modern-era videogaming landscape. Its signature design element, the advent essence, gifts the four individuals who are called to defend both our Earthpoint and that of distant Runeria with a special ability which can turn the tide of a difficult encounter by that which can easily serve as the difference between success and defeat.

“The pixel-based art style of Advent Heroes is that of the games I grew up on during the course of the late 1980s and early 1990s, updated and adapted for today’s audience,” Jeffrey explains. “At first I considered a more modern visual style, but for the simplicity of design and presentation I settled on a retro, 16-bit aesthetic for the game.”

Advent Heroes follows the exploits of four gifted individuals, two from each destined world, who are tasked with defending Runeria from a threat posed by a dark foe before it can spill over into our world… and potentially into the very fabric of existence itself. As the story progresses across both worlds upon the breach of what amounts to the isekai effect – which literally translates to the byproduct of the connective essence of all known worlds – surprising revelations and unexpected provisions relative to those called by destiny begin to reveal themselves to the player. Throughout the adventure to come, the chosen warriors also begin to face the prospect of being marked for advance elimination by the forces of the unnamed threat itself, feared as prophesized “heretics” on the consequence of what amounts to a false interpretation of their destiny.

“Probably one of the worst things you can imagine is being taken for what someone else believes is the enemy, when in fact it is you who holds the key to the future,” Jeffrey says. “But even the divine record itself tells of that which is believed in dark times as a multitude of interpretations and self-labeling of that which is the true enemy of the dark forces. Essentially speaking, the events of the Great Advent on which our heroes are called may just as easily be interpreted as a direct consequence of the Great Revelation of the fall of evil.”

In fact, Advent Heroes draws a multitude of its inspiration and concepts from the divine record, from situations where those meant to serve find themselves answering to a higher level of authority and rank by means of comparison and equivalence to matters of forgiveness and abandonment of prior thinking in the name of a greater good. Influences from classic literature also factor heavily into the story, occasionally referencing such characters and concepts as the monkey king Wukong, the investigations of Sherlock and Watson, and the knights of Arthurian legend.

“I was raised just as equally on the teachings of the divine record,” Jeffrey explains. “To this day there are situations and differences for which I still find myself at odds even with my own family by their expectation of honor. And when I do admit to one of those situations, I get called out for stating exactly as such. It’s essentially what amounts to a ‘ten commandments’ dilemma. And even the heroes of the Great Advent have this problem.

“But that’s where the divine record states that the Sovereign God has done His part to right what the rest of us can never do by our own nature. Consider the fate of the sacrificial Son: if you place your divine belief in the consequence of His execution upon the cruel hand of mortal authority and subsequent conquest of death itself, then by that faith will your encroachment upon the divine intentions be forgiven in exchange for the right to endure forever. I wanted to capture some of that ethos in the story of Advent Heroes.

“So basically speaking, our heroes can be knocked out by ill effect but it’s not the same as being killed outright. Other people in the story can and will be subjected to death, but they will endure from beyond rather than being subjected to revival. And our heroes will have to live with that.”

In addition to the main quest, an expeditions mode is planned that will allow players from around the world to embark on co-op missions in an immersive online experience. Three types of expeditions are planned for inclusion at launch: team missions where players work together to reach the goal, strategy missions that will test player’s skills, and limited-time events with varying themes and objectives.

Advent Heroes is scheduled for release on the Xbox series of game consoles as part of the ID@Xbox program, and separate versions for Windows, macOS and Linux are planned as well. Release timing is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2022. More information is available at zerobreakdesign.com/advent.

About Zero Break Design

Created to serve as trade dress and portfolio branding by J.D. “BreakerZero”, Zero Break Design is built for the provision and purpose of developing videogame products that echo the best of classic 1980s-style roleplay while adding in a touch of modern ingenuity.

About the ID@Xbox Program

The ID@Xbox Program enables qualified game developers of all sizes to unleash their creativity by self-publishing digital games on Xbox and Windows with Xbox Live, or adding Xbox Live to iOS or Android games, giving studios the tools and support needed to maximize their success.

Safe Harbor Statement

While every effort has been made to accurately represent the intended prospects of the product described herein, its development, distribution and promotion are being conducted through developer support program(s) and sales channel(s) which are owned and/or operated by one or more business entities which are subject to public holdings and investment regulations as defined under safe harbor guidelines established by the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States, and which carry associated risks and challenges by their nature. The contents of this press release constitute “forward looking statements” which are accurate only as of the time of publication; however, the actual market conditions and performance metrics related to the product and/or its availability may vary greatly from what is stated herein.