Samantha Lienhard's Blog, page 132
June 30, 2017
Falcom President Wants to Localize the Crossbell Arc
If you’ve been following the Trails games, you might have noticed we’re missing a couple.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel games take place after the Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky games, but the Crossbell Arc falls in between.
Zero no Kiseki and Ao no Kiseki, the two games that make up the Crossbell Arc, have yet to be translated, and a lot of fans gave it up as an impossible hope… but maybe they’ll be localized after all.
In an interview with DualShockers, Falcom president Toshihiro Kondo said localizing the Crossbell games is “something that I really really want to do, and it’s something that I’ll have to work with our partners or find a partner to make it happen.”
This isn’t an official announcement, but if the president of the company wants to see Zero no Kiseki and Ao no Kiseki brought West, that sounds pretty good.
It’s also worth noting that Trails localizations had previously skipped over Trails in the Sky the 3rd, only for it to be announced earlier this year and released in May.
Personally, I’m partway through Trails in the Sky (First Chapter), and I’m excited for the chance to play even more games in this series. Here’s hoping Falcom finds a partner to localize the Crossbell Arc!
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June 28, 2017
Layton’s Mystery Journey Starts a New Series
In an E3 interview with Nintendo Life, Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino shed more light on the new structure of Layton’s Mystery Journey and where he sees the series going from here.
The reason the new game stars Katrielle instead of Professor Layton is because they wanted to focus more on everyday mysteries instead of epic, world-saving adventures.
Hino thought it would feel strange to take Professor Layton back to more mundane mysteries after all that, and instead decided to “bring in a new character, and then maybe scale up in the same way Layton did, where we start with small mysteries and then maybe five or six games later have a much bigger mystery.”
Five or six games later?
That’s right, this isn’t the end of the Layton series by any means. We’d wondered if Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy would be the start of a new series, especially once it adopted that title instead of Lady Layton, and it is.
Kat won’t necessarily be the protagonist for all of the games, but they do intend to make more Mystery Journey games.
(Also, this just occurred to me. Mystery Journey, Mystery Room? Could there be a connection there after all?)
Not only that, but we might get another Layton movie, too. After Professor Layton and the Eternal Movie, there were rumors of a second movie. Now, Hino says a new movie in the series is “being looked into.”
Finally, while there aren’t any new Layton crossovers in the works, he mentioned that they have “a good relationship with Capcom.” Who knows, maybe the Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright characters will return someday in a new game.
It’s exciting to hear that Layton’s Mystery Journey is the start of a new Layton series. It will also have a stronger emphasis on solving puzzles, with more puzzles than in any previous Professor Layton game. Remember, the worldwide mobile release and Japanese 3DS release is next month, with the localized 3DS release to follow in the fall.
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June 26, 2017
Steins;Gate 0: A Complex Journey Through Another Worldline
The original Steins;Gate is one of the best visual novels I’ve played so far, and overall an amazing story to experience.
Steins;Gate 0, available for the PlayStation 4 and Vita, fills in an important gap in the original’s story. Because of this, it’s nearly impossible to discuss even its premise without Steins;Gate spoilers.
In other words, if you haven’t gone through the original Steins;Gate yet, do that before you even read about Steins;Gate 0. Steins;Gate 0 is a sequel/midquel set partway through the original game’s true ending.
If you recall, during the true ending of Steins;Gate, Suzuha tells Okabe that he had to fail once in order to set the events into motion that would allow him to reach Steins;Gate. He then gets a message from his future self, who tells him what to do.
This follows that first Okabe in the beta worldline, from the point of Kurisu’s death up through him creating that message.
As you might guess, this means Steins;Gate 0 has a dramatically different tone. While the original started out light and funny, with elements of mystery, until it reached the key point in the story where everything changed, Steins;Gate 0 starts out dark and bleak.
The events of Steins;Gate left Okabe with PTSD. The mere mention of Kurisu is enough to trigger flashbacks. Seeing Moeka causes panic attacks. He carries anxiety medication in his pocket, visits a therapist with mixed results, and doesn’t even want to think about his old “Hououin Kyouma” personality.
It does have lighter moments, and Okabe gradually gets better, but there’s no denying that the events of the first game had a serious impact.
Another notable change is that he isn’t the sole viewpoint character here. Other characters, especially Suzuha and the newly-introduced Maho, tell parts of the story from a third-person perspective. At first, I had trouble adjusting to this, but it actually works quite well. It’s especially important to show us additional perspectives because Steins;Gate 0’s story is complex.
Despite dealing with time travel, the original Steins;Gate generally kept things clear and easy to understand. When the worldline changed, you knew why.
In Steins;Gate 0, however, you don’t have the power to change time. Different countries fighting over time travel is what eventually leads to World War III in the beta worldline, so the worldline (and the route you’re on) change based on who gets that technology first.
Most of the changes depend on how much you interact with Amadeus Kurisu, an AI at the center of the struggle.
On one hand, this makes the story much more unpredictable, because you never know what might happen. On the other hand, I ended the game still not knowing why some of my decisions led to different endings. It’s much more difficult to untangle the cause and effect in Steins;Gate 0.
Steins;Gate felt like one linear story that branched into what-if scenarios, but Steins;Gate 0 feels more like many different possibilities that show you disjointed pieces of the whole.
This complexity makes the true ending feel a bit confusing, and the true ending also suffers because it’s only a step toward the original game’s ending. Steins;Gate 0 is meant to fill in a gap, and that means the conclusion feels a bit lackluster on its own.
Now, all of this might make you think I disliked Steins;Gate 0. Nothing could be further from the truth. Steins;Gate 0 is fantastic and definitely worth reading. Maho is a great addition to the cast, the story delves into interesting questions about AI research and how much an AI can be like a person, and there are many wonderful scenes in every route.
Click for Steins;Gate 0 spoilersFor example, I loved the route that included a friendship between Maho and Moeka. While it made me sad that only one route includes this character development (and the entire timeline is undone in the first game’s true ending), it finally demonstrates that Moeka might be able to find a happy life in the Steins Gate worldline, too.
While Steins;Gate is an amazing story, Steins;Gate 0 is merely a great story. It’s a little hard to follow and it might raise more questions than it answers… but it’s still definitely worth a read for fans of the original.
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June 23, 2017
The Tower of Swallows: An Intense Frame Story
When we last left the characters of the Witcher saga, Ciri was running wild as a bandit and Geralt embarked on an urgent mission to find her with an unlikely band of heroes.
The Tower of Swallows handles its storytelling a bit differently, with interesting results.
The book begins with a hermit finding a girl with grievous injuries–Ciri. From there, it’s a frame story, partly told by Ciri as she explains what happened to her, and partly through a court investigation.
Other sections follow characters outside of the frame story, although everything ties together into the overall plot. The Tower of Swallows has some of the best pacing in the series, as well as moments of humor to break the grim tone. Even though its structure means you know how things will end up, it’s still an intense journey to reach that point.
Among other things, it introduces one of the scariest guys in the series, Leo Bonhart, a nearly unstoppable bounty hunter. An unarmed Bonhart is deadlier than a group of armed men.
(The end of the book also includes one of my favorite scenes in the series, when Ciri confronts her pursuers on the ice.)
It still is only part of a larger story, and the Wild Hunt continues to pop up with vague hints about their goal, but it’s a strong story in its own right, with many interesting moments. And, since I know how the saga concludes, I also noticed some nice pieces of foreshadowing that I missed when I read the fan translation.
Click for Lady of the Lake spoilersYes, you read that right, this bit of foreshadowing will imply a revelation in The Lady of the Lake, the next book in the saga. If you don’t want spoilers for the next book, don’t read this.
The foreshadowing that stood out to me the most was Crach’s report that Calanthe said, “It would be better for the girl’s blood to flow over the cobbles of Cintra than for it to be defiled.” He then questions what she meant by “defiled.”
Yennefer dismisses it as not wanting Ciri to marry a Nilfgaardian, but in retrospect, this is a clear hint about Emhyr.
In short, if you’re interested in the Witcher series, The Tower of Swallows is a must-read. That only leaves us with one book to go, the saga’s conclusion The Lady of the Lake.
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June 21, 2017
Tales of Berseria: An Excellent Answer to Zestiria
After my excitement for Tales of Zestiria changed to utter disappointment, I was a bit wary of the next Tales game.
However, Tales of Berseria is not only leagues better than Zestiria, it’s an excellent game that even tries to patch up Zestiria’s worldbuilding, since they’re set in the same universe.
In fact, Berseria often feels like it was written as an answer to Zestiria’s criticism.
All those loose ends in the lore? Several find a home in Berseria. The ever-changing explanations of malevolence? Berseria picks a simpler one and sticks with it. Zestiria’s “angel of death” seraphim? Berseria uses the concept for more than a throwaway scene. The gun? It gets a better explanation here than Zestiria’s non-answer.
And if Zestiria’s bizarre, inconsistent morality bothered you, you should be pleased with Berseria. It might seem ironic, since Velvet is motivated by revenge and selfishness, but her morality is handled much better than Sorey and Rose’s.
Overall, even though Tales of Berseria is the “darker” game, it ends up feeling more positive and optimistic than Zestiria.
Click for Zestiria and Berseria spoilersMelchior also felt like an answer to Symonne, since he’s a master of illusion who actually uses his powers in effective ways.
For that matter, I thought not having Michael as the villain was a big missed opportunity for Zestiria’s story, and Berseria even answers that with a child-sacrificing Shepherd villain.
But enough comparing it to Zestiria, let’s look at it on its own.
Berseria’s cast is entertaining and enjoyable, and its villains also take an excellent role. I generally liked the characters and wanted to see how everything would work out. Skits have a new style this time, with fuller sprites instead of just portraits, which gives them more life and lets them work for more important conversations. There are plenty of humorous moments alongside its darker themes, and the plot was entertaining with a few twists I didn’t see coming.
It also has several different types of mini-games, as well as some excellent side quests.
Click for Zestiria spoilers, yes, ZestiriaOf course, getting to know Eizen made his fate even more painful. Come on, Sorey, you didn’t even TRY to find an alternate solution!
That’s not to say Berseria is perfect. It has a few annoyances, such as a few set phrases and ideas the characters like to bring up over and over and over. One would have been fine, but with so many, it starts to feel silly.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the combat system, either, where the number of attacks you can perform depends on your “souls,” which you can gain or lose based on what you do in battle. It was fine, but I’d like to see the next Tales game return to a simpler system.
Tales of Berseria is a strong answer to Zestiria’s problems, as well as a great JRPG in its own right. Zestiria left me unhappy with the series, but Berseria has redeemed it.
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June 19, 2017
Is There a Connection Between Katrielle Layton and Flora?
When Level-5 first revealed that the new Layton game would star Professor Layton’s daughter Katrielle, I was among many fans who wondered what this meant for Flora.
After the events of the first game, Professor Layton presumably adopted Flora Reinhold. If they wanted the new game to star his daughter, why invent a new character instead of using his adopted daughter?
Katrielle Layton also bears a resemblance to Flora, most noticeable in the newly-revealed bonus costume. Players who download the digital 3DS version of Layton’s Mystery Journey when it comes out in Japan will receive a costume for Katrielle that puts her in Flora’s outfit.
If you showed me Katrielle in her costume without context, I’d easily believe she was an older Flora.
But they have different eye colors, so it’s pretty clear Katrielle is not Flora. She also would have no reason to hide her identity, especially if she was still going to call herself Professor Layton’s daughter.
(Unless, of course, someone was after her because she was a Reinhold, but it’s still a stretch.)
So then, is there a connection between Katrielle and Flora?
Theories
Some fans think Katrielle is actually Layton and Flora’s daughter. This is highly unlikely. Yes, Layton and Flora aren’t blood relatives, but I just can’t see Level-5 putting Layton in a relationship with his adopted daughter.
Other people have suggested she might be Flora’s daughter with someone else, maybe even Luke. (Being a blood relative of Luke would explain the talking dog.) Why Katrielle uses the name Layton and considers Professor Layton her father would require an explanation, but it’s a definite possibility.
Finally, the similar appearances might just be a coincidence, and Katrielle’s only connection to Flora is that they’re both Professor Layton’s daughters.
What do you think? Is there a connection between Katrielle Layton and Flora? If so, what do you think it is?
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June 13, 2017
E3 2017 Part 8: Nintendo Treehouse & Miscellaneous Games
We’ve seen all the E3 press conferences now, but there are many games shown outside of those events. Here are the most exciting games of E3 for me outside of the press conferences.
(I’ll update this post as E3 continues.)
Table of Contents
EA
Microsoft
Bethesda
Devolver Digital
PC Gaming
Ubisoft
Sony
Nintendo
Miscellaneous Games
Miscellaneous
Nintendo Treehouse started out with Super Mario Odyssey gameplay, and it looks so cool. The more I see it, the more I want it.
If that wasn’t enough, they followed it with a casual announcement of Metroid: Samus Returns, a reimagining of Metroid II: The Return of Samus. That’s right, two Metroid games were announced this E3.
This was enough to confirm my feelings that Nintendo had the best showing at E3 this year. Plus, I still can’t get over how that Mario + Rabbids game looks like it might be fun!
You know what else really looks fun? Xenoblade Chronicles 2! It’s not the Xenoblade Chronicles X sequel I wanted (and I hope their comments about how it’s Xenoblade Chronicles 2 because they wanted to make a story-driven game doesn’t mean a story-driven XCX 2 is out of the picture), but it looks like it’ll be a great JRPG!
The battle system is a bit of a twist on the previous Xenoblade combat, but I like it!
Nintendo also confirmed the leaked Superstar Saga remake and officially unveiled Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions for October 6.
But let’s move on to non-Nintendo games, because some nice new trailers for other games came out, as well. In fact, I’d probably have enjoyed Sony’s press conference more if they included a few of these…
Such as Knack 2, due out on September 5!
I know, I know. No one liked Knack, right? *pats my new copy that I got for Christmas after specifically requesting it* I’m going to play Knack, and I want to play its sequel. It looks fun!
Meanwhile, on the JRPG front, Ni No Kuni II looks really cool. (I need to play the first one. My poor backlog.)
I’m also intrigued by the upcoming Yakuza games (which apparently have more in common with JRPGs than I thought), the Utawarerumono games, and Vampyr.
(Why wasn’t Vampyr at Sony’s press conference?)
Finally, Zwei II from Falcom is being localized as Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection for the PC. (From what I’ve heard, it’s not necessary to play the first Zwei to get into this one, which is good.) It got its first English trailer at E3.
The E3 press conferences are over, but there are still many exciting games to be announced at E3. What E3 games are you most interested in that weren’t shown at a press conference?
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E3 2017 Part 7: Nintendo’s Exciting Games
Nintendo opted for a short digital presentation at E3 this year, but it could still be filled with exciting announcements and surprises. Let’s see what happens.
Table of Contents
EA
Microsoft
Bethesda
Devolver Digital
PC Gaming
Ubisoft
Sony
Nintendo
Miscellaneous Games
Nintendo’s E3 2017 Digital Event (Nintendo Spotlight)
Nintendo’s E3 show started with a commercial for the Switch, but the first game showed was Xenoblade Chronicles 2. I had mixed feelings when it was first unveiled, because I wanted a sequel to Xenoblade Chronicles X instead, but it looks pretty good. It’s still planned for holiday 2017, too!
Next, they showed a Kirby game for 2018, promised that more multiplayer games will come to the Switch, and briefly discussed Pokken Tournament Dx. Speaking of Pokémon, while they didn’t share details, they said there is a core Pokémon game in development for the Switch.
Then, they teased Metroid Prime 4. It was a tiny teaser, but still exciting news.
A new Yoshi game is also coming next year, with a new gameplay mechanic that looks like it could be fun.
Fire Emblem Warriors also looks cool.
After a brief reference to the Zelda items in the Switch version of Skyrim, they showed off Breath of the Wild’s upcoming DLC packs and new amiibo figures.
They reminded us about the tournaments happening during E3, showed Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle again (I’d hoped Nintendo’s event would skip it in favor of new things, since it was already shown at Ubisoft’s conference, but I still have to admit it looks better than I expected), and announced Rocket League for the Switch.
Finally, they showed a cool new trailer for Super Mario Odyssey, in which it appears Mario can use his new hat to possess things.
And it’s coming out on October 27! That’s sooner than I expected, and I’m so excited!
Nintendo’s E3 presentation was a bit short, but filled with good stuff. I liked what I saw, and this was definitely one of the better shows this year. What did you think of Nintendo’s E3 2017 digital event?
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June 12, 2017
E3 2017 Part 6: Sony’s Shorter Conference
I usually enjoy Sony’s press conferences, and this year they teased big Japanese game announcements, so let’s see what they have to show us!
Table of Contents
EA
Microsoft
Bethesda
Devolver Digital
PC Gaming
Ubisoft
Sony
Nintendo
Miscellaneous Games
Sony’s E3 2017 Press Conference
As I tuned in to prepare for Sony’s press conference, I caught part of the pre-show… including a quiet announcement of Undertale for the PS4 and Vita. Now, I already played (and loved) Undertale, but I’m definitely interested in the Collector’s Edition at least.
Then the press conference itself began with a trailer for Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.
I haven’t played past Uncharted 2 yet, but it seems interesting enough, as does the game they announced next, an expansion for Horizon Zero Dawn called The Frozen Wilds.
Then they showed Days Gone, which I’m not particularly interested in, discussed recent PlayStation games, and announced Monster Hunter: World.
After that, they revealed that Shadow of the Colossus is being remade/remastered for the PS4. (There seems to be some confusion over whether it’s a remake or a remaster, but I think it’s a remaster.)
Next up was the new Marvel vs. Capcom game, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, which has a story demo already available. It was followed by Call of Duty: World War II.
Virtual reality took over for the next segment of the press conference, with Skyrim VR, an intriguing game called Star Child, a creepy game called The Inpatient, a FFXV fishing spin-off (why?) called Monster of the Deep, a shooter called Bravo Team, and a game called Moss. Moss, which stars a mouse, actually looks interesting, although I’m not into VR.
You know what else looks pretty cool? The new God of War game. I wasn’t sure about it when it was first announced, and I’ve never played a game in the series, but it looks good.
Next up was Detroit: Become Human. The last time they showed this game, it seemed really interesting. This time, it was much more focused on action than I expected, but it still seems interesting.
Destiny 2 was announced next, with a mention of its exclusive PlayStation content, and then they showed a new Spider-Man game that looks like it could be fun.
And then… it was over.
Weirdly, the pre-show had many cool things, like the Undertale announcement, a Ni No Kuni II trailer and gameplay video, a Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy trailer featuring Coco, and a September 5 release date for Knack II.
But the conference itself felt oddly short and underwhelming. It’s a strange E3 when I enjoy Ubisoft’s press conference more than Sony’s. Here’s hoping Nintendo’s goes well tomorrow!
What did you think of Sony’s E3 2017 press conference?
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E3 2017 Part 5: Ubisoft’s Surprise
Ah, Ubisoft… typically not one of my favorite E3 press conferences. Will they surprise me this year?
Table of Contents
EA
Microsoft
Bethesda
Devolver Digital
PC Gaming
Ubisoft
Sony
Nintendo
Miscellaneous Games
Ubisoft’s E3 2017 Press Conference
Ubisoft’s conference began with the official reveal of the leaked Mario and Rabbids crossover for the Switch, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. I was skeptical about this game from the moment I first saw the rumors, and by “skeptical,” I mean I was pretty negative toward it.
But you know… it doesn’t look as bad as I expected. I’m still not crazy about Rabbids, but it might be a decent turn-based strategy game. Grant Kirkhope is composing music for it, too, which is another point in its favor.
After that, they showed Assassin’s Creed Origins again, including a little bit of the E3 demo.
Next up was The Crew 2, and then South Park: The Fractured but Whole, neither of which I have any interest in.
They followed that with Transference, a VR thriller. I’m not a fan of VR, but the concept behind this game seems cool, since it’s set in the “digital recreation of a mind.” (I’m currently playing Steins;Gate 0, which is probably part of why that concept caught my attention.)
And after that, they revealed a new pirate game called Skull & Bones. Again, it’s probably not a game I’ll get (unless they announce a single-player story mode), but it still looks really cool.
After the pirates, it was time for some Just Dance 2018 music, then a South Park mobile game called South Park: Phone Destroyer, and then a game about space battles called Starlink: Battle for Atlas. It also looks intriguing, although it’s open world and has a toys-to-life element, so I’ll probably pass.
Next they discussed Steep and showed off Far Cry 5, neither of which I’m particularly interested in.
And finally, they revealed an unusual trailer that turned out to be for… Beyond Good and Evil 2??
I haven’t played the original Beyond Good & Evil, but I watched a playthrough. This isn’t quite what I expected. For one thing, it’s a prequel, but it also seems to have a massive tonal shift from the first game. I’m uncertain about it, but we’ll see what happens.
My ambivalence over Beyond Good and Evil 2’s tone aside, this was one of the most enjoyable Ubisoft press conferences I’ve seen… and I can’t get over how Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle looks so much better than I expected!
What did you think of Ubisoft’s E3 2017 press conference?
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