Samantha Lienhard's Blog, page 101

Metal Wolf Chaos XD Will Be Out August 6

If you’ve been waiting for Metal Wolf Chaos XD, the remaster of FromSoftware’s too-American-for-America shooter finally announced for the west last E3, you’re in luck.

Some fans hoped they might have a surprise release tomorrow for the Fourth of July, and while it isn’t quite that close, Metal Wolf Chaos XD is just over a month away.

It will be released on August 6 for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC for $24.99, with a mech skin as a preorder bonus.

While it doesn’t seem like the physical release from Special Reserve Games has been officially announced yet, it looks like it’s still happening.

A new trailer is also available.

While I’m not a huge shooter fan, I’m interested just because of the game’s reputation and how crazy it seems.

Are you planning to get Metal Wolf Chaos XD?

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More Hints of the Crossbell Games Being Localized

Still hoping the Crossbell arc of the Trails series will be officially translated? Don’t give up hope yet!

We first talked about the Crossbell games, Zero no Kiseki and Ao no Kiseki, in 2017 when Falcom president Toshihiro Kondo spoke about how much he wanted them to be localized.

It came up again earlier this year, when the Trails of Cold Steel III localization announcement came accompanied by a report that NISA was discussing the Crossbell situation with Falcom.

If both the developer and potential publisher wanted to localize them, that seemed like a good sign.

Still, there was no definite evidence of localization, and many people felt it would come to nothing. However, now we have reason to be hopeful again! In an interview with Noisy Pixel, Kondo once again spoke about the Crossbell games and how he’d like more people to play them, this time saying Falcom hopes to bring them to newer consoles.

More significantly, he said, “And once we do, I’m confident that NISA will translate them for you and release them in the west.”

That’s a much more clear-cut statement.

It still isn’t confirmation of anything, but now the if is whether or not Zero no Kiseki and Ao no Kiseki will be brought to newer consoles or not. Then NISA would still have to make the decision to localize them, but if Kondo is confident they will, those discussions must have gone well.

What do you think? Is there hope for the Crossbell arc to come west?

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Yakuza Kiwami is Another Exciting Ride

Have you ever started a series where even though you’ve only played one, you already know you want them all?

That’s how I felt after finishing Yakuza 0, a game that took me completely by surprise last year by becoming one of my favorites. So after taking a break to not burn out on the formula, I moved on and played the first game’s remake, Yakuza Kiwami.

Unlike 0, which had two playable characters, Kiwami follows Kiryu as the sole main protagonist. After serving time in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Kiryu comes back to find that many things have changed, and he soon finds himself caught up in a mystery surrounding a little girl named Haruka and 10 billion missing yen.

The story isn’t quite as intense and epic as in 0, but it’s still a good story in its own right. It has a sense of mystery to it (although it felt strangely like an action movie by the end) and once again I fell in love with the characters.

Once again, there are plenty of substories (side quests) and mini-games. The substories disappointed me a little, especially since a lot of them were just variations on someone trying to scam Kiryu, but some of the others have shout-outs and nods to substories I remembered from Yakuza 0. It has many of the same mini-games as well, some even improved what was found in 0 (most notably MesuKing, which takes the broken Catfight mini-game and makes it much more playable).

Similar to how it worked in the prequel, you’ll get into random battles around the city, fight enemies in an action combat system using four different combat styles and/or weapons, and earn experience (yen is separate from experience this time) to increase your stats and learn new skills.

Yakuza Kiwami also has a new feature called Majima Everywhere, in which Majima can pop up… well, everywhere… and make you fight him. This was one of the shining highlights of the game.

While it can get annoying to fight Majima so often, especially when you’re trying to do something, there were so many strange and hilarious moments tied to the Majima Everywhere storyline, I loved it. There were times when I’d think about how I didn’t like Kiwami as much, but then Majima would do something so absurd it was pure joy. It took me a while to get used to his personality compared to how he acted in 0, but now that I have, I’m tempted to say I might like this Majima better.

With only one main character and a simpler story, Yakuza Kiwami took me about 45 hours to finish. It might not have been as amazing as Yakuza 0, but it’s still a pretty awesome game with exciting moments and fun characters.

Next up for me is Judgment, but I’m looking forward to continuing the main Yakuza series as well. Have you played Yakuza Kiwami?

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Astral Chain is Meant to be a Trilogy

I’ve been interested in Astral Chain from PlatinumGames since it was announced, but the gameplay during this year’s Nintendo Treehouse segment of E3 is what really sold me on the game.

Astral Chain looks fantastic, and it’s just a little over two months away. And now, thanks to a new interview translated here by Nintendo Everything, we know there might be even more Astral Chain to look forward to.

According to the game’s director, Takahisa Taura, Astral Chain will not have DLC, but they hope to make it into a trilogy:

Currently, there are no plans to publish extra content for Astral Chain. That is different for the game’s story. We’re making the game as a trilogy, and this is the first part of that trilogy. If this game sells well, we might see how the story of the series continues.”

It sounds as though they’ve written Astral Chain with a trilogy in mind. Hopefully that means the first game’s story still stands on its own, since they could never end up making the next two.

Nevertheless, it’s exciting to know that if Astral Chain does well, they want to make not just one, but two sequels.

Astral Chain will be out on August 30 for the Nintendo Switch. Are you planning to pick it up?

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Despite Some Frustration, Battle Chasers: Nightwar is an Enjoyable Turn-Based RPG

Last week, I finished playing Battle Chasers: Nightwar.

We first talked about Battle Chasers: Nightwar a couple years ago as one of five upcoming turn-based RPGs to look forward to. At the time, I was interested in the game despite being a little wary of the randomized dungeons.

I knew nothing about the Battle Chasers universe going into the game, but it stands on its own well enough. It begins with the main characters being shot down over an isolated island, which leads to figure out just what is behind the sinister activity on the island.

It isn’t story-heavy, but that didn’t bother me a lot. The story is fine and accomplishes its goal, and there are some optional conversations between characters when you stay at the inn that gave it a nice touch. I liked the characters, and unlike in a lot of story-light games where the characters end up feeling bland, their optional interactions helped highlight their personalities. There’s also a lot of lore in each dungeon that helps flesh out the world.

Now, the randomization was the one thing I was wary about going into it, and it was my major frustration with the game.

Dungeons aren’t entirely random, but the placement of rooms and items in them is randomized when you reset the dungeon. This means if you go through a given dungeon twice, you’ll probably encounter many of the same things, but in different spots.

It leads to some annoying designs, like teleporters being found in rooms right next to each other, but the part that really bothered me is that the lore placement is also randomized. Each dungeon has a number of lore pieces to find, and I wanted to read them all. Due to the randomization, however, sometimes I’d find the same piece multiple times in the same run or go through a dungeon three times before I found what I was missing.

Repeating the dungeons to get all the lore and level up felt a bit like filler, and I would have preferred more optional “exploration areas” and side quests in its place.

Overall, however, Battle Chasers: Nightwar is a lot of fun. It has a good turn-based combat system, and you get points to set “perks” for each character. You can change these perks anytime out of combat, which makes it fun to change your perks for different strategies or as more powerful perks become available. And despite the repetition, the general gameplay loop of clearing out dungeons before returning to town and opening up the next segment of the map is enjoyable.

It also has a friendly approach to encounters. Not only do enemies appear on the map, but they won’t respawn until you rest at the inn. Dungeons, meanwhile, stay as you left them until you either clear them or tell them to reset. If you leave a dungeon partway through to rest at the inn, all the monsters you defeated will still be gone when you return.

The world map disappointed me a little bit at first, since you really just follow set paths instead of freely wandering across the map, but I got used to it. It still has secrets to discover and reasons to explore.

So while the randomization can lead to some frustration and it isn’t heavily story-driven, Battle Chasers: Nightwar is still a fun addition to the turn-based RPG genre. It ends with a sequel hook, and if that means another game is coming, I’d definitely be interested in playing it.

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PlatinumGames Did “Intel Gathering” For The Wonderful 101 on Switch

It’s coming up on two years since PlatinumGames teased The Wonderful 101 for the Switch.

It was much more blatant than their tease of Bayonetta & Bayonetta 2 for the Switch, which is why when that became reality, I assumed The Wonderful 101 was right around the corner.

We haven’t heard much since then, although in an interview with Gematsu earlier this month, Platinum’s Atsushi Inaba said he was glad he’s mentioned the possibility of The Wonderful 101 on the Switch and asked fans to “be patient.”

Now, in an E3 interview with VGC, Inaba further addressed the matter by saying:

The Wonderful 101 is obviously something that we hold near and dear to our hearts. And so we’ve talked to a lot of different people about what it is and what it means. We’ve done a lot of intel gathering and the only thing that I can say right now is that I’m glad we did. I’m glad that we talked to a lot of different people.”

Now, that’s not confirmation that The Wonderful 101 is coming to the Switch… for all we know, their “intel gathering” could have shown them there isn’t enough demand for it.

Combined with his earlier comment about being patient, however, it sounds like there’s a good chance of The Wonderful 101 being released for the Switch.

I enjoyed The Wonderful 101 on the Wii U, and I’d love to see a re-release or a sequel. Will you be interested in The Wonderful 101 if it comes to the Switch?

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New Kingdom Hearts 3 Re:Mind Details

We briefly discussed the trailer for Kingdom Hearts III’s “Re:Mind” DLC during Square Enix’s E3 press conference, and now we have some new information about it.

(Warning: the trailer and this post might at least imply spoilers for Kingdom Hearts III.)

From the previous announcement of the DLC, we knew it would include a new scenario called Re:Mind, a “Limit Cut” episode and bosses (“limit cut” is the term Japanese fans use for Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix’s data battles), and a secret episode and boss.

There were all sorts of theories about what the trailer showed, but thanks to a Famitsu interview with Nomura, we have some new details translated by Gematsu.

First, the trailer does not include any Limit Cut scenes. Most of what we see in the trailer is from the new scenario. The new scenario is also standalone and can be played after you beat the main game. The other playable characters will be available as you progress through this scenario.

This is significant, because many people thought the boss battles shown in the trailer would be either data battles or a revamped version of the game’s climax.

Second, Oathkeeper and Sora’s new form will be released as free DLC around the same time as Re:Mind. Finally, the Limit Cut bosses should be about the same amount as in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix.

There’s no release date yet for the DLC, but they’re hoping to avoid having it too close to Final Fantasy VII Remake’s March 3 release. That makes it likely that we’ll see Re:Mind in early winter.

I loved Kingdom Hearts III, and I can’t wait for the DLC. The news that those trailer scenes are mostly from the new scenario has me excited to see how it all fits together.

Are you planning to get Kingdom Hearts III’s Re:Mind DLC?

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More Details About Tales of Arise

At Microsoft’s E3 press conference, the next mainline Tales game was announced.

Since then, more details about Tales of Arise have been revealed (as well as the awesome art pictured here).

In an interview with Famitsu, translated here by Abyssal Chronicles, producer Yusuke Tomizawa answered questions about Tales of Arise.

Tales of Arise is aiming for a unique watercolor graphics style using Unreal Engine 4, as well as realistic character movements and expressions. They’re trying to increase immersion in many ways, including with more intimidating monster designs.

(Although he also suggests there might still be a mascot character, so here’s hoping its not as annoying as Bienfu or Teepo.)

Meanwhile, in an interview with Game Informer, Tomizawa clarified a few points that might have had fans worried.

Tales of Arise is not open world, but instead has a similar structure to past Tales games. And while the short glimpses of combat made fans concerned the gameplay would be dramatically different, the core formula of the Linear Motion Battle System will be intact.

And yes, there will be party members. I don’t know why people jumped to the conclusion that the two characters shown in the trailer would be the only playable characters, but the interview also confirms that Tales of Arise should have the sort of party size you’d expect from the series.

June 15-16 was also the Tales festival, where we got an extended trailer.

Following the trailer, the producer updated his blog with more information, which has been translated here by Abyssal Chronicles.

In it, he discusses the main characters, Alphen and Shionne. Alphen is a slave from Dahna, while Shionne is a woman from Rena who meets Alphen while on the run. Shionne suffers from a curse where anyone she touches feels pain, and she ends up working with Alphen because they unlock a special power when they’re together.

That’s all the new information we have about Tales of Arise. I’m pretty excited about it, and I can’t wait to learn more. The world/story setup sounds like it has a lot of potential.

What do you think about Tales of Arise so far?

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E3 2019 Part 8: Nintendo Treehouse Gameplay

Table of Contents

EA

Microsoft

Bethesda

Devolver Digital

PC Gaming

Limited Run Games

Ubisoft

Square Enix

Nintendo

Nintendo Treehouse & Miscellaneous Announcements

Nintendo Treehouse Gameplay

We actually don’t have a lot to talk about from E3 after the press conferences (not like that one year when Nintendo sneaked in additional announcements throughout the rest of the week), but there’s still some good stuff to take a look at.

One game I was particularly interested in seeing more of was Luigi’s Mansion 3, so I tuned in both days it was shown during Nintendo Treehouse.

My concerns about this game are pretty much gone. While it still seems somewhat segmented, with each floor being self-contained and having its own theme, it doesn’t look like there’s a mission-based structure this time. It’s also clear that the boss ghosts have more personality than they did in Dark Moon.

Best of all, on the second day, they specifically said they paid attention to Dark Moon feedback and changed the structure as a result, bringing in more elements from the first game.

I’m pretty happy with what we’ve seen of Luigi’s Mansion 3, and now I just wish we had a release date.

Another game that stood out to me was Astral Chain. Of course, I was interested in Astral Chain from the start, but only in a vague “it’s PlatinumGames; it’ll probably be good” sort of way. After watching the Nintendo Treehouse gameplay, I realized it’s much more varied than what I expected and looks like it’s going to be really cool.

Moving on, I’ve been vaguely interested in Super Lucky’s Tale for a while, and now that New Super Lucky’s Tales has been revealed for the Switch, I might get it. It looks pretty cute, like the sort of 3D platformer I enjoy.

I’m also intrigued by Hollow Knight: Silksong. I still haven’t played the first Hollow Knight (although my copy arrived recently), but I’m looking forward to digging into that ahead of the sequel’s release.

There weren’t many additional announcements from E3 as far as I know, and the Nintendo Treehouse gameplay segments are what stood out to me the most.

Overall, I’m also looking forward to Tales of Arise, the gameplay demonstration of Final Fantasy VII Remake left me more interested in it than I was before (despite the Midgar focus), and there are several other games I’m looking forward to seeing more from.

What games did you enjoy seeing from E3?

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E3 2019 Part 7: Nintendo’s E3 2019 Nintendo Direct

Table of Contents

EA

Microsoft

Bethesda

Devolver Digital

PC Gaming

Limited Run Games

Ubisoft

Square Enix

Nintendo

Nintendo Treehouse & Miscellaneous Announcements

Nintendo’s E3 2019 Nintendo Direct

Nintendo’s E3 press conference (or Direct) is one I always look forward to. I had many hopes going into this one, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it would beat Square Enix’s exciting press conference from last night.

They started out with a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC announcement, revealing the Dragon Quest XI Hero. That gave them a good way to transition into the Dragon Quest XI S trailer. It’ll be out on September 27.

Bowser appeared next as part of a funny skit introducing Doug Bowser, and then it was time for a game I was really looking forward to seeing, Luigi’s Mansion 3. It looks wonderful! There’s still a chance they’ll secretly sneak in a mission-based structure, but right now it looks more like the original Luigi’s Mansion than Dark Moon, so I’m thrilled.

Next up, I saw a Netflix logo and was confused by what appeared to be a game, but then it got cleared up. Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics is a tactical RPG tie-in game to a Netflix series. So that’s interesting.

Link’s Awakening was a great game, so I’m looking forward to the remake, which now has a September 20 release date. They’re also adding some sort of dungeon-making feature, which is cool.

Nintendo was already on a roll with this presentation, and they went on to announce that after all these years, Seiken Densetsu is finally getting localized… twice! Collection of Mana is available today for the Switch, a collection that includes Final Fantasy Adventure, Secret of Mana, and the newly-named Trials of Mana. Trials of Mana is also getting a remake in 2020, which is wild.

Meanwhile, The Witcher 3 is also coming to the Switch. Seriously. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition is coming to the Switch later this year.

They showed a new trailer for Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and then after a Resident Evil trailer that confused me since REmake is already on the Switch, they revealed that Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6 are coming to the Switch as well. I’m not particularly fond of those two, but it’s still a cool announcement.

Now, Suda51 had teased news for E3… and it turned out to be No More Heroes III! I really need to try this series.

They announced Contra: Rogue Corps, as well as the Contra: Anniversary Collection. The Anniversary Collection is available today.

Daemon x Machina now has a September 13 release date, and Panzer Dragoon is getting a remake. They spoke just a little bit about Pokémon Sword and Shield, and then they moved on to Astral Chain. Astral Chain looks really cool, and I can’t wait to play it!

They announced a strategy game called Empire of Sin, showed more from Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 and Cadence of Hyrule, then revealed Mario & Sonic at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Next up was Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which has been delayed to March 20. I’m not much of an Animal Crossing fan, but I know a lot of people were looking forward to this.

They switched to a montage of games, which includes the revelation that the Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Alien Isolation are coming to the Switch, along with a ton of other games.

Another Smash trailer revealed Banjo and Kazooie as DLC! Even without being a Smash fan, I love Banjo-Kazooie so much it was an awesome trailer. I loved it. The music made me so nostalgic.

That seemed like they end, but they came back with one more teaser… for a sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild!

All in all, this was a crazy Nintendo Direct. I’m not entirely sure yet if this won or if Square Enix won, but both had really good presentations. Now the press conferences are done and it’s time to catch the Nintendo Treehouse live streams and the rest of the gameplay demonstrations!

What did you think of the E3 2019 Nintendo Direct?

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