Samantha Lienhard's Blog, page 121
March 28, 2018
Dragon Quest XI Comes West on September 4
We’ve been eagerly awaiting Dragon Quest XI news, and now it has a western release date: Dragon Quest XI will be out for the PS4 and PC (Steam) on September 4 in North America and Europe.
What about the mysterious Switch version? Well, Square Enix told IGN that it is coming “much later,” although it is planned for the west.
Sadly, the 3DS version isn’t being localized.
That’s disappointing to me, because the 3DS version’s two styles looked really cool. On the other hand, I’m perfectly fine with the PS4 version (which the PC version should be like) ever since we learned for sure that it is turn-based.
Dragon Quest XI’s western release will also include English voice acting, a hard mode called Draconian Quest, improved UI and menus, a Camera Mode, and a Dash function, in addition to other improvements.
Let’s check out some newly-released English gameplay footage.
Okay, 3DS version or not, I’m definitely getting this.
There will also be a special edition of the PS4 version sold through the Square Enix Store, but details haven’t been announced yet. PlayStation Store pre-orders will give you a PS4 theme along with some sort of in-game content.
Are you excited for Dragon Quest XI? Which platform are you planning to get it for?
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March 26, 2018
The Good Life Kickstarter is Now Live
We’ve talked about The Good Life a couple of times now, first when it appeared on Fig and again when they announced the upcoming Kickstarter plans.
Now the project is live on Kickstarter, so let’s take a look.
The Good Life is being co-developed by White Owls (led by Swery) and a team led by Yukio Futatsugi (Panzer Dragoon, Phantom Dust).
It is a “debt repayment daily life RPG” (although it’s later described as a “debt repayment daily life action adventure” game) about a journalist named Naomi who goes to the town of Rainy Woods to take photos in order to pay off a massive debt. Your main goals are to pay off the debt and solve a murder.
(As a big RPG fan, I’d like to hear more about that aspect, but it sounds pretty interesting just as a mystery game, too.)
Once a month, everyone in town turns into a cat or dog.
In the original announcement, everyone turned into cats, and then later there was going to be both a cat version and dog version of the game, but now the system sounds much better. According to the Kickstarter page, you will choose at the start of the game which you want to turn into, but you might be able to switch later on.
Photography and part-time jobs will help you earn money, the in-game time and seasons will change, and your interactions with the townspeople will affect the story.
The Good Life is planned for the PC and PS4. If it sounds interesting to you, head over to the Kickstarter page and take a look.
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March 23, 2018
428: Shibuya Scramble is Coming West This Summer
Several announcements have come from GDC 2018, and one that caught my eye was Spike Chunsoft’s news that 428: Shibuya Scramble will be out in the west this summer.
428: Shibuya Scramble is a visual novel adventure game that first came out in Japan in 2008, on the Wii. It was later ported to the PS3 and PSP, and eventually mobile devices.
Now it’s coming to the PS4 and PC, and that version is finally being localized.
The game features five protagonists, 90 endings based on the choices you make, and a combination of different media types (text, videos, and live action stills).
It’s a mystery, and it sounds like the characters’ stories interact with one another in interesting ways.
I wasn’t familiar with this game before, although I think I heard the title when localization was first announced (or hinted at?) last year, but now I’m interested in seeing what it’s like.
Spike Chunsoft also announced PixelJunk Monsters 2 (PS4, Switch, and Steam), localization of Steins;Gate Elite (PS4, Switch, and PC), localization of Zanki Zero: Last Beginning (PS4 and PC), and the PS4 version of Fire Pro Wrestling World.
(Zanki Zero is coming to the Vita in Japan according to its original announcement, but it looks like that version won’t be coming west.)
Are you interested in 428: Shibuya Scramble or any of the others? Have you been enjoying GDC? Should I cover other game events like I do E3? Let me know in the comments!
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March 21, 2018
Shantae & the Pirate’s Curse is Now on the Switch
Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is now available from the Switch eShop.
This is the third game in the Shantae series, and since it’s available on so many platforms already, this isn’t a big surprise. But it’s another chance to play it if you haven’t gotten to already!
In my review of Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse last year, I described it as a great 2D platformer that is both fun and funny.
(I also mentioned that I was looking forward to playing Half-Genie Hero, which I still haven’t done. For once, it’s not just my backlog holding me back. I’ve gotten the impression that Half-Genie Hero is considered one of the weaker entries in the series, so I’ve been reluctant to start it. I’ll play it eventually, though.)
The Switch version of Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse also includes the “Super Shantae Nab” mini-game that was previously available only in the retail copy.
Anyway, it’s a fantastic game, and even though I probably won’t buy it again since I already played it, I’m happy to see it on the Switch. Are you interested in Shantae & the Pirate’s Curse for the Switch?
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March 19, 2018
Killer7 and Flower, Sun, & Rain Could Be Remastered
Last week, I reviewed The Silver Case and asked, “Do I seek out a copy of Flower, Sun, and Rain on the DS, or do I wait in the hopes that it will be the next to be remastered/remade?”
Well…
Over the weekend, there was a special Grasshopper Manufacture event, and reports have surfaced that they’re interested in remastering Flower, Sun, and Rain as well as Killer7.
There has been no official announcement, but people who were at the event confirmed it.
It sounds as though the Killer7 remaster is planned first, with Flower, Sun, & Rain to follow in the future. According to the reports, the plans are vague so far but indicate remasters within the next 10 years.
(Hopefully we won’t have to wait quite that long.)
Following The Silver Case and The 25th Ward, it makes sense that Grasshopper Manufacture and Suda51 would want to revisit other related games. It will be interesting to see if any announcements come from this in the near future.
Are you interested in playing either of these?
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March 16, 2018
Ace Attorney Anime Season 2 Announced
Fans have mixed feelings about the Ace Attorney anime, but I found it enjoyable despite some pacing issues.
Now, Season 2 has been announced for this fall.
The visual released alongside the announcement includes Godot, so it’s safe to assume this season will cover the events of Trials & Tribulations.
Now, Season 1 covered the first two games. Does this mean Season 2 will include more than just the third game? Right now, these look like the most likely possibilities:
Season 2 will cover Trials & Tribulations and have 1 cour instead of 2.
Season 2 will cover Trials & Tribulations and have slower pacing.
Season 2 will cover Trials & Tribulations as well as the parts of the first two games that Season 1 skipped.
Jumping to Apollo Justice would seem odd, but it’s also possible they’ll create new content. The episode in Season 1 that had an original story instead of just adapting the game events was one of the best, so I wouldn’t be displeased.
Are you happy the Ace Attorney anime is getting a second season? Will you watch it? Let me know in the comments.
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March 14, 2018
The Silver Case is a Confusing, Intriguing Visual Novel
In preparation for a review of The 25th Ward: The Silver Case at Nintendo Chit Chat (yes, a PS4 review at a Nintendo site), I played the original The Silver Case.
It was one of the strangest games I’ve played, but I enjoyed it.
First, let’s discuss the genre. I consider The Silver Case to be a visual novel, but you’ll probably see it called an adventure game. In fact, I expected an adventure game after the start of the game, which had me exploring a location and solving code-based puzzles.
That was one of maybe three actual puzzles in the entire game.
I touched on this a little in my review of The 25th Ward, and the same applies here. The gameplay feels like it was added solely to have gameplay. Especially in the “Placebo” story, where the gameplay rarely involves more than checking your computer and talking to your turtle, I’m not sure why it isn’t just a straight visual novel.
Anyway, the main point to take away from this is that The Silver Case is light on gameplay, heavy on text.
The story isn’t typical, either. It’s split into two sections: “Transmission,” which follows investigators from the Heinous Crimes Unit as they investigate the reappearance of a legendary serial killer named Kamui Uehara, and “Placebo,” which follows a freelance reporter who gets mixed up in the Kamui Case through his research. Each is told across several chapters/episodes, and I alternated between the two to better understand what was going on.
Sometimes it’s dark and grim. Sometimes it’s oddly philosophical. Sometimes it feels like it’s veered into slice-of-life territory, which is common for visual novels but not what I expected from this one.
The Silver Case is strange, complicated, and often downright surreal.
But it’s always interesting.
Even when I was confused, even when the characters talked longer than maybe they needed to, and even when it forced me into a needlessly tedious gameplay section, I wanted to know more. Everything finally came together at the end, and I loved the crazy journey to get there.
(I also played it in time to catch the Kamui reference in the Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes trailer. What’s up with that?)
So if you enjoy visual novels and text-heavy games, and you don’t mind something a bit strange and complicated, I highly recommend The Silver Case, available on the PS4 and Steam. Be sure to also visit Nintendo Chit Chat to read my review of The 25th Ward.
And now, do I seek out a copy of Flower, Sun, and Rain on the DS, or do I wait in the hopes that it will be the next to be remastered/remade after The Silver Case and The 25th Ward?
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March 9, 2018
Another Fantastic Nintendo Direct!
Another Nintendo Direct, and Nintendo continues to steal my heart and money, because yesterday’s Nintendo Direct was fantastic!
You can catch the whole thing here, but I’ll go through the highlights that stood out to me.
First, I was surprised by the amount of 3DS support. I figured we had a few already-announced games on their way (Detective Pikachu, The Alliance Alive, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux, etc.) and that would be it for any major announcements.
But there were new 3DS announcements, including remakes of Bowser’s Inside Story and Luigi’s Mansion!
Bowser’s Inside Story is my favorite game in the Mario & Luigi series, so I’m thrilled that it’s being remade. I’m curious to see if the new side story, Bowser Jr.’s Journey, will be similar to the Bowser’s Minions addition to the Superstar Saga remake, or if it will be different.
As for Luigi’s Mansion, my old GameCube copy is just fine… but I hope this remake does well and convinces them to create a Luigi’s Mansion 3 in the style of the original, not Dark Moon. For me, the original Luigi’s Mansion is far superior to its sequel.
I also want Detective Pikachu. No way am I missing that game.
Moving on to the Switch games, I’m still on board with Octopath Traveler after enjoying the demo, although I still want to know how the overall story will work.
I’m still curious about No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Again, especially now that I’ve tried games by Suda51 (more on that next week).
And while I still haven’t played Dark Souls, I love the Solaire amiibo. Praise the sun! Did they really make an amiibo just for a meme?
Mario Tennis Aces looks cool, but I’m not much for sports games, but I was excited to see the announcements of Undertale and the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy! I don’t need a third copy of Undertale, but I do need to pick up a copy of Crash. I’ve never played the first two games.
Splatoon 2’s story expansion looks kind of cool, and the Smash reveal was great even though I don’t play Smash. (Heresy!) I’m in the camp that thinks it’s a new Super Smash Bros. game for Switch, not a port.
What did you think of yesterday’s Nintendo Direct? What were your favorite announcements?
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March 7, 2018
Thoughts on the Life is Strange Bonus Episode
“Farewell,” the bonus episode for Life is Strange: Before the Storm, is available now.
It’s only about an hour long, and it doesn’t add much to the story, but I’d still like to share my thoughts on it.
(For a series where I’ve been dissatisfied with the conclusions of both games, I sure do end up writing about Life is Strange an awful lot.)
“Farewell” is a standalone episode that takes place earlier in the timeline, before Max moved away.
It manages to be both happy and heartbreaking at the same time: happy because you get to see Max and Chloe having fun together, and heartbreaking because you know how it all works out.
Happy, non-cynical Chloe is my favorite Chloe, so I enjoyed getting to see at least a little of her.
There really isn’t a lot to this episode. No big revelations, nothing much we didn’t already know… but it was short and sweet (and sad), and it filled me with nostalgia for the days when I was a kid hanging out with my friends. Back then, I couldn’t imagine anything more terrible than moving away and leaving my friends, so Max’s worries resonated with me.
And the ending hit me especially hard because of things that happened in my life earlier this year.
I think that’s part of what makes the Life is Strange games so effective despite their flaws. They feel real. They evoke nostalgia. Their endings might fall flat in some ways, but the journey there is strong.
So even though I have mixed feelings about both Life is Strange and Before the Storm, I enjoyed “Farewell” and I’m looking forward to learning more about Life is Strange 2. According to the official announcement, they’ll announce the story and characters in “the coming months.”
Maybe this time we’ll get a happy ending.
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March 5, 2018
The Spyro Remaster Rumors Are Gaining Support
Spyro the Dragon is a series near and dear to my heart, although I never really enjoyed much past the original trilogy.
As a kid, I didn’t know the developers had changed. I just knew the new games weren’t as fun as the old games, and I stopped following the series after Shadow Legacy.
That’s why I’m excited by the possibility that the original Spyro trilogy will be remastered the way Crash Bandicoot was!
(Side note: if these remasters lead to new Crash and/or Spyro games, I hope they feel like the originals.)
The rumors started after the release of the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. The original Crash Bandicoot: Warped contained a demo for Spyro the Dragon, which you could access by entering a code. If you enter that code from the N. Sane menu while Crash Bandicoot: Warped is highlighted, Warped becomes un-highlighted, as if the code was going to activate something.
It didn’t, but it fueled fan belief that this was a subtle clue of more Spyro on the way.
Then there was a report from Kotaku. This report claimed the original three games would be remastered, possibly with cut content restored, and that it would be a timed exclusive for the PS4.
Rumors and supposed “leaks” pop up all the time. They aren’t necessarily true. But now the evidence is mounting.
The @SpyroTheDragon Twitter account protected its Tweets, appears to be linked to an Activision email address now, and changed its name to “Falcon McBob.”
“Falcon McBob” seems out of place, except Activision has a project for voice acting work in the SAG-AFTRA database under the codename “Falcon.”
And now, a fan datamining the N. Sane trilogy has reported that the Spyro demo code was no accident. It’s in the data.
Confirmed – Spyro Demo code in NST was intentional pic.twitter.com/pVjwiu6SQA
— BetaM (@mat5b) March 5, 2018
If all of this is accurate, it’s adding up to make a Spyro the Dragon Trilogy remaster look quite likely. What do you think? Will the Spyro trilogy be remastered as the rumors claim?
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