Project Prelude Rune

About

Project Prelude Rune sits on the PlayStation 4 as an unfulfilled dream from Square Enix. Studio Istolia spent years developing this single-player adventure before pulling the plug in 2019. You never actually got to play through the full story because the project vanished after only a teaser and some concept art ever reached the public. The studio closed its doors right around the same time that president Hideo Baba stepped down, leaving the game stuck in development hell forever. What stands out is how much this title remains known for what it never became rather than the gameplay itself. No community ratings exist since the game never shipped to players. It serves as a rare example of a high-profile RPG that disappeared completely before anyone could test its mechanics or story. The silence surrounding the project makes it a strange footnote in Square Enix history. You can only imagine the world and characters that were supposed to be part of the experience.