Samantha Lienhard's Blog, page 135

Yomawari: Midnight Shadows Coming West This Fall

I still need to play Yomawari: Night Alone, a survival horror game localized last October, but I’m excited to hear that not only is it getting a sequel, but the sequel’s localization has already been confirmed.

Yomawari: Midnight Shadows will be available on August 24 in Japan, and this fall it will be localized for the PS4, PS Vita, and Steam.

Midnight Shadows stars two new protagonists, Yui and Haru, who are separated by an unknown attacker. It will be over twice as big as the first game, with new areas to explore and a special side-view camera for certain locations.

They haven’t announced if it will have a retail release or not, although the first Yomawari had a special physical release bundled with htol#NiQ: The Firefly Diary.

So, between now and fall, I need to finally pick up Yomawari: Night Alone to be all caught up in time for Midnight Shadows! Maybe it will be a good game to play for this year’s Celebrating All Things Spooky Celebration…

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Final Masquerade Will Be Temporarily Unavailable

Last October, my short horror story “The Artist” was published in an anthology called Final Masquerade.

The publisher of Final Masquerade, Lycan Valley Press, has changed ownership. During this transition, all of their books, including Final Masquerade, will be temporarily unavailable.

Once the transition is complete, it will be available again. Once it is, I’ll update the links and make an announcement.

In the meantime, don’t forget to look forward to “Nightmare Stalker,” another one of my horror stories, which will be out this July as part of the Gods & Monsters line from The Book Smugglers.

And on the video game side of things, my work on Ascendants Hearts is going well, as are my other projects, such as the recently released Trials of Olympus III. Stay tuned!

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Is PlatinumGames Teasing Bayonetta 3?

The April 11 Bayonetta announcement turned out to be a sudden release of the first game for PC (which itself seems to be teasing Vanquish on PC next).

But now fans have new reason to hope for a Bayonetta 3 announcement.

PlatinumGames recently updated its Japanese blog with a new post about English lessons led by Bayonetta.

Bayonetta English lessons are as absurd as you might expect, but what caught people’s attention is that the blog post is split into three lessons, each of which uses video clips of Bayonetta saying an English line that is looped three times.

Three lessons? Three loops?

It might feel like a Half-Life 3 conspiracy, but we can’t help but hope this is a hint of Bayonetta 3. Of course, repetition fits the theme of it being a lesson, but why is PlatinumGames posting Bayonetta English lessons on their blog in the first place?

If Bayonetta 3 does exist, everyone’s next question is whether it will be an exclusive or a multiplatform title.

This has once again ignited claims that it was a “mistake” to put Bayonetta 2 on the Wii U, even though the options were that or no Bayonetta 2 at all. If you want a multiplatform Bayonetta 2, you better hope another publisher has realized the game could be profitable.

But whether it’s a multiplatform game, a Switch-exclusive, or something else, maybe more Bayonetta isn’t a pipe dream for this E3.

Do you think this is a tease for Bayonetta 3, or is it just a coincidence?

(Today is Alien Day, so I wanted to address the rumors of an Alien Isolation sequel, but apparently those rumors have already been declared false.)

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Mass Effect: Andromeda Has Glimmers of Brilliance in a Bland Galaxy

Over the weekend, I finished Mass Effect: Andromeda. In the time leading up to its release, I was conflicted about it… and I’m still conflicted.

I can’t say wholeheartedly that Mass Effect: Andromeda is a good game. But it’s not a bad game, either… it’s just kind of bland.

Let’s get the technical issues out of the way first. Yes, it had some problems with facial animations, although a patch fixed some of that, and it still has glitches here and there. Aside from a couple bugged side quests, however, it’s perfectly playable.

I don’t have a lot to say about the combat. It’s enjoyable enough, but I really play a game like Mass Effect for the story, characters, and world galaxy.

Andromeda doesn’t suffer from the same problem I had with Inquisition, where its story and open world felt entirely separate. The story quests here take place on the same planets you explore for side quests and optional content.

Unfortunately, I never felt compelled to explore. The planets just don’t have many interesting things to see or discover, and following side quests around the map often showed me everything. It often felt repetitive, with similar goals and locations in each world, along with 2-3 types of boss fights you’ll encounter repeatedly.

Click for Mass Effect: Andromeda boss typesThere’s the kett that shields itself with an orb you have to destroy, the optional Remnant Architects that bombard you with powerful attacks while you try to destroy their legs, and maybe 1 or 2 bosses that don’t fall into those groups.

Many of the side quests are fetch quests, although a few are more interesting. The more in-depth quests often send you from planet to planet, a task made frustrating by the slow galaxy map navigation, and result in a choice at the end. Despite what you may have heard, Andromeda does have some tough choices, although they don’t impact the game overall. These choices may become more important in any sequels.

What bothers me more than the lack of impact from major choices is the lack of impact from dialogue. Dialogue choices affect your character’s tone, but little else. The persuasion system is also gone, and I missed the ability to earn additional solutions. It felt like nothing I chose in dialogue really mattered.

But Andromeda’s story has issues beyond the player’s choices.

Story

Before the game came out, I worried it might de-emphasize the story. It didn’t do that. Andromeda has a clear plot and also presents mysteries, like the origin of the mysterious “Remnant” structures scattered throughout the cluster. The mysteries caught my attention and kept me intrigued. I wanted to know more.

The main plot, however, only occasionally kept me interested in what would happen next… mainly because of the lackluster villains.

When I reviewed Dragon Age Inquisition, I mentioned how Corypheus disappointed me, because after his ominous start, he stopped feeling like a true threat.

Andromeda’s villain is somehow less compelling than Corypheus.

The start of the game introduces an alien race that rejects all attempts at communication and attacks the Milky Way travelers immediately.

They are the kett, and they are also newcomers to the Andromeda Galaxy, hostile invaders fighting the native angara. The kett’s leader, the Archon, is obsessed with the Remnant technology and searching for a way to control it.

Click for Mass Effect: Andromeda spoilersEventually, you learn that kett “exalt” other races to turn them into kett, gathering other species for their traits.

This sounds similar to what the Reapers do (and it also involves brainwashing them into absolute loyalty), although it’s specifically the way the kett reproduce.

That’s about as interesting as the kett get, although the Archon is a rogue. Primus, another kett willing to work with Ryder to take down the Archon since the larger kett empire is annoyed with his Remnant obsession, is mildly more interesting, which suggests the kett could become more complex and varied in sequels.

I didn’t find the Archon interesting or threatening. The kett overall provided a credible threat, but the Archon himself came across as a cartoonish villain, or like a little kid throwing a tantrum.

Fortunately, the Archon is the low point for characters in Andromeda.

Characters

While the dialogue can be awkward at times, I loved the main cast. My party members and crew aboard the Tempest were all lovable (except Liam, who annoyed me more often than not), and I looked forward to each new round of dialogue with them. Their loyalty missions were exciting and had some of the game’s best choices, and they also had some interesting minor quests as well.

(But I’m so disappointed that I never got to see Firebreathing Thresher Maws of Doom. Was that scene unfinished?)

Interactions between the Andromeda crew lead to some of the best dialogue and scenes, and those were the moments where Andromeda really shone.

There’s only one thing I’ll criticize about the character interactions, and that’s the small role filled by the other Ryder twin.

Click for major Mass Effect: Andromeda spoilersMale and female Ryder are brother and sister, and both exist in the story.

The one you don’t play as remains in a coma for much of the game, and near the end is captured by the Archon.

The problem is you have a couple conversations with your twin and see them in a few flashbacks, but you don’t interact with them enough to bond like you do with your party members.

In theory, it was upsetting to have Ryder’s brother scream as the Archon used him to access Meridian. In practice, I had almost no emotional attachment to him.

That scene would have been much stronger if they let the player bond with the twin through regular interactions, not just 3 or so conversations across a huge RPG.

Despite this, at least the main cast was strong. By far, my favorite party member was Jaal. Jaal is an angara, the alien race native to Andromeda, and he’s wonderful.

Jaal and Xeha Ryder, my Xehanort-inspired Ryder because I’m weird like that

Jaal’s conversations with the other party members are endearing and funny, and he’s such an entertaining and sweet character that he became my romance option of choice.

Click for minor Andromeda romance detailAs a side note, it always bugged me that BioWare romances usually resulted in either having sex or breaking up the romance, with no option to say no to the sex but stay in a committed relationship.

But Andromeda finally made that an option, at least in Jaal’s romance.

The angara in general are good characters. Some are excited to get to know us aliens, while others are violently opposed to dealing with outsiders, and still others fall cautiously in between.

At its best, Andromeda gave me fun conversations with my party members, entertaining scenes, and enjoyable interactions with both the angara and the Milky Way travelers trying to make a home in Andromeda. At its worst, it gave me repetitive worlds full of fetch quests as I fought a boring villain and worked through a lackluster plot.

So, do I recommend Mass Effect: Andromeda or not? Well… I give it a maybe. I enjoyed it… but there are so many things it could have done better.

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Bandai Namco Announces a Vampire Action RPG

Bandai Namco has announced a new action RPG called Code Vein.

It stars vampires Revenants who live in a post-apocalyptic future and need to drink blood in order to keep their humanity. A Revenant who doesn’t get enough blood will turn into a monster called a “Lost.”

The player will explore the world of Vein as a Revenant, alongside an AI-controlled “Buddy” partner.

Bandai Namco previously teased this game with the line “Prepare to dine,” and between that and their emphasis on describing its challenging combat, it sounds like they’re going for a Souls-like experience. It might also have similarities to the God Eater series, since God Eater developers are working on it.

I don’t know how much of a focus on story Code Vein will have, but it looks interesting enough to me and I like the idea of exploring a mysterious world to learn the truth about what happened. I also enjoy a good vampire story, so I’ll keep my eye on this one and hope it continues to sound intriguing.

Code Vein is planned for 2018.

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Layton’s Mystery Journey 3DS Release Window Revealed

On Monday we discussed the renaming of Lady Layton to Layton’s Mystery Journey: The Millionaires’ Conspiracy (a slightly less complicated title than what I thought at first), and now we have the 3DS release window.

While the mobile versions will be out in the West on July 20 alongside the Japanese release date, the 3DS version of Layton’s Mystery Journey will be out in the fall.

When in the fall? “Early autumn 2017” is all the website says, and since the game should be entirely translated by July 20, I’d be surprised if the 3DS version took too long.

The official English website is up now, as well, with pictures of the main characters. It includes links to the sites for previous Layton games, including a link to Mystery Room, so maybe they haven’t forgotten it entirely after all.

(Still hoping Alfendi appears in this new game.)

Hopefully we’ll get a concrete release date soon. If it’s only a few months away from the mobile release, I’ll probably wait for the 3DS version… especially if a physical copy is available.

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Lady Layton Has a New Title and a Partial Release Date

For a while now, we’ve known the upcoming Professor Layton game as Lady Layton: The Millionaire Ariadone’s Conspiracy.

It now has a new title, Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire’s Conspiracy.

(Note: I originally made the title seem even longer, since I thought “Ariadone’s” was still included.)

That’s quite a name. Why the change? My guess would be that since every other game in the series has had just “Layton” in the title, they thought “Lady Layton” made it sound like a spin-off, but they still wanted to reference the new protagonist.

The lengthy title might also suggest the start of a new trilogy, since “Layton’s Mystery Journey” followed by a subtitle sounds like we can anticipate more games about this mysterious journey.

Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire’s Conspiracy will be out for the 3DS in Japan on July 20, as well as worldwide on iOS and Android.

The worldwide 3DS release will come sometime later.

In other words, everyone outside of Japan can either get the mobile version on July 20 or wait until the 3DS localization is ready.

Oddly, the mobile version includes in-app purchases that won’t be necessary to buy to complete the game. I can’t imagine what sort of optional in-app purchases a Layton game could have (extra hint coins?), but maybe they’re included in the 3DS version from the start.

What do you think of Lady Layton’s new title? Will you get Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire’s Conspiracy on July 20, or wait for the worldwide 3DS release?

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April 12 Nintendo Direct Predictions

We’ve got another Nintendo Direct to look forward to this evening at 3 PM PT / 6 PM ET.

Its main focuses will be ARMS and Splatoon 2, but since it says it will include information about the Nintendo 3DS as well as the Nintendo Switch, it’s safe to guess those two games won’t be the only things shown.

So let’s make a few predictions!

Likely

Predictions I think have a fairly good chance of coming true:

Yooka-Laylee Switch Release Date

Yooka-Laylee came out yesterday for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One, but the Switch version’s release date is still unknown. A Nintendo Direct so soon after the game’s launch sounds like the perfect time to announce when this 3D platformer will be available on the Switch.

Pikmin 3DS game

Remember the side-scrolling Pikmin spin-off they announced for the 3DS and then said nothing more about? It’s supposedly still due out this year, so maybe this is the 3DS news on its way.

Less Likely

Predictions I think could come true, but probably won’t.

Virtual Console details

Nintendo hasn’t said much about how the Virtual Console will work on the Switch, but maybe they’ll give details today. It would certainly count as “information.”

Ever Oasis news

Ever Oasis looked very cute and interesting when it was announced at E3, but we’ve barely heard anything since then. How about a new Ever Oasis trailer?

Unlikely

Predictions I’d love to come true, but I won’t hold my breath for.

Bayonetta 1 & 2 for the Switch

Yesterday, Bayonetta was announced for the PC, but many fans are hoping to see the first and second game brought to the Nintendo Switch. If it happens, it’s probably the sort of announcement they’d save for E3, but who knows?

Mother 3 localization

I’m still convinced this will happen eventually, and since they sprung EarthBound Beginnings on people during a tournament, why not casually drop the third game during a Nintendo Direct like this? Best of all, bring it with the Virtual Console news I mentioned above.

The Great Ace Attorney

We’ve waited patiently in the hopes that Dai Gyakuten Saiban, or The Great Ace Attorney, will be localized. There will be a live stream about the sequel next week. This week there’s a Nintendo Direct with unspecified 3DS news. COINCIDENCE?

…Yes, probably.

But we still can dream!

What are your predictions, likely or not, for today’s Nintendo Direct?

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Severed: A Macabre Journey in an Eerie World

I heard praise for Severed in the past, but it wasn’t until I sat down and played it that I realized what made it so enjoyable.

Going into it, the only thing I knew was that it used touchscreen-based combat (which is why it’s available for Vita, Wii U, 3DS, and iOS). It’s difficult to imagine Severed without a touchscreen, because it’s the heart of the battle system.

You slash enemies to damage them and slash against an enemy’s attack to counter. For many enemies, you need to wait until they show their weak spot, or attack in a specific way to reveal it.

This starts out simple, but gets pretty challenging later on. Fighting multiple enemies at once turns into a careful balance of dealing damage while switching between enemies to counter their attacks. If you build up your Focus gauge through successful attacks and counters, you’ll be able to sever parts of the monster’s body once you defeat it.

Ah yes, severing monster limbs.

You play a young woman named Sasha on a journey through a strange, twisted world to find and save her family. Before the game begins, Sasha’s arm is cut off, and that’s only the start of Severed’s macabre love of hacking off body parts.

Monster pieces–arms, eyes, wings, etc.–are used to upgrade Sasha. You have a skill tree to fill out, and each upgrade costs a certain number of parts. You can also break pots to find giblets, which can be converted to other parts.

Severed has a Metroidvania-esque progression style, although in some ways it also reminded me of The Legend of Zelda. You explore several dungeon areas, which involve locked doors, some backtracking, and areas you won’t be able to access until you have certain upgrades.

Finding secret areas is enjoyable, and since enemies don’t respawn, you can backtrack in peace.

(The lack of respawning enemies might make you nervous in a game where your upgrades depend on gathering monster parts, but I fully upgraded Sasha with parts to spare, and there’s an area near the end of the game where enemies do respawn, if you need more.)

Now, I haven’t said a lot about the story. Severed has a minimalist story that leaves more questions than it answers, but it does have some enjoyable moments and characters. In general, I liked it more for its exploration and unique combat than for its story, but that’s enough to carry it.

If a dark, stylish game with touchscreen-based combat and dungeon exploration sounds fun to you, look into Severed, because it’s a great little game.

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Trails in the Sky the 3rd and Trails of Cold Steel Coming to Steam

The Legend of Heroes series has caught my attention lately, especially since many fans celebrate it as one of the best classic-style turn-based RPG series still around.

Although I’m still at the start of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, I was excited to see the announcement today that Trails in the Sky the Third will be available through Steam on May 3.

But that’s not all! The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel is also coming to Steam this summer, with over 5,000 new voiced lines compared to the PlayStation 3 and Vita versions.

(I have a copy of Trails of Cold Steel for the Vita, so I’ll probably stick with that, but it’s still interesting news.)

The Legend of Heroes is a large RPG series divided into several smaller series, all set in the same world. There’s another arc that goes between Trails in the Sky and Trails of Cold Steel, although there’s been no hints of localization for the “Crossbell Arc.”

Then again, with the way these announcements are coming, who knows?

Have you played any game in the Legend of Heroes series? Are you planning to pick up Trails in the Sky the 3rd or Trails of Cold Steel when they’re available from Steam?

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