Samantha Lienhard's Blog, page 37

June 28, 2023

Remember, We Hardly Know Anything About Dragon Quest XII

Dragon Quest XII is once again a hot topic of debate, which is impressive considering how little we know about it.

Part of this comes from Final Fantasy XVI. Being an M-rated action RPG, it’s led many fans to think Dragon Quest XII will follow in its footsteps.

The concerns about Dragon Quest XII having action combat have been circulating ever since it was announced, despite there being no proof of that.

This time, however, the controversy is more about the game’s tone.

The latest news comes from an interview in which Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii was asked about the status of Dragon Quest XII, since we haven’t seen anything about it since it was announced in 2021.

As translated by Noisy Pixel, he responded:

Mmm, I guess it will take a little while. This time we are making a game directed toward an adult audience, so we are having a lot of trouble (laughs). There was also the Coronavirus pandemic.”

He goes on to say that a lot of employees are still working remotely.

This has spurred a lot of controversy over the idea that Dragon Quest XII will be a dark, edgy, M-rated game, along with the repeated claims that it won’t have turn-based combat, even though none of this has been confirmed. We still don’t know what they mean about the target audience being adults. We barely know anything about Dragon Quest XII at all.

Here’s what’s actually been confirmed about Dragon Quest XII:

The full title is Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate.It was described as “Dragon Quest for adults” when announced.It will have choices.The combat system will be “renewed” but still feel familiar to fans (based on the translation here).The story is complete.It has the same director as Dragon Quest XI.It uses Unreal Engine 5.Dragon Quest XII could set the path for the next 10-20 years of the series.

None of that says the combat will be a radical departure (if anything, it suggests the opposite). There’s no proof the tone will be dark and edgy or even rated M, either. All of those assumptions are coming from the “Dragon Quest for adults” line, which still hasn’t been explained. For all we know, that could mean they’re making the gameplay more complex.

So, what about this latest interview answer? Considering he laughed while giving the answer, I’m not sure we should attach too much significance to the adult target audience being what’s caused so much time to pass without news. The remote work and COVID-related delays feel like the more likely culprits.

Dragon Quest XII could have a completely different tone, but it’s too early to panic over it. In the meantime, I probably should play more Dragon Quest so I have more than two games to reference when talking about it!

What do you think Dragon Quest XII having an adult target audience means?

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Published on June 28, 2023 10:56

June 26, 2023

Anime Expo 2023 Could Have Exciting Announcements

We’ve just gone through several showcases with exciting announcements, but even more news could come from Anime Expo, which runs from July 1-4 this year.

Last year, Aksys and Spike Chunsoft had some fantastic surprises at their panels.

This year, Idea Factory has all but stated outright that they’ll announce a new otome localization at Anime Expo. (Probably just one, but I can’t help but hope for at least two.)

Atlus will also be present, with panels on Persona 5 Tactica and Persona 3 Reload, as well as a Shin Megami Tensei panel described on the schedule as including “a glimpse into the future,” although with P5T, P3R, and Metaphor all on the table, I’d be surprised if they announce a new SMT game on top of those. RGG Studio has a Like a Dragon panel as well, so perhaps we’ll learn a few more details about Gaiden and Infinite Wealth.

Meanwhile, Bandai Namco has announced that its Anime Expo showcase will not only feature their upcoming games (like Baten Kaitos), but also “exciting announcements and game reveals.”

(Is the time right for a new Tales announcement?)

I’m looking forward to seeing what might be announced at Anime Expo. Here’s hoping some of these panels will be streamed, or at least shared by helpful audience members again. What do you think will be announced at these Anime Expo panels?

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Published on June 26, 2023 10:38

June 23, 2023

Chicken Police Sequel Announced

It seems I had good timing when I decided to play Chicken Police – Paint in RED back in May as part of our mystery game celebration, because a sequel is on the way!

Yesterday, the developers announced Chicken Police – Into the Hive.

The Hive is a location that was mentioned during the first Chicken Police, but never visited.

In this world of anthropomorphic animals, the Hive is where a lot of insects live. Tension with the Hive and prejudice against insects are part of Chicken Police’s backdrop, so it should be interesting to see what happens now that the sequel is taking us into the Hive.

(While playing the first game, I expected to go there because of how often it was referenced, but instead it was worldbuilding unrelated to the current mystery. It makes sense that it would take center stage for a sequel.)

According to the description on the game’s Steam page, Sonny and Marty investigate a new case that takes them into the Hive, where they come across a worldwide conspiracy. It also says they’ll “face the darkest reaches of their past.”

It’s currently set for 2024.

The first Chicken Police left me pleasantly surprised by how its bizarre premise of playing a chicken detective led to a believable world and compelling noir mystery. I’m looking forward to seeing what the sequel has in store.

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Published on June 23, 2023 10:30

June 21, 2023

Nintendo Direct Highlights: Detective Pikachu, Star Ocean 2, and More!

The rush of showcases seemingly ended last week, but Nintendo decided to continue the rush of gaming news with a new Nintendo Direct. I’ll be covering the highlights that stood out to me, so be sure to watch the whole thing for more.

They started off with a bunch of different things, including the Pokémon Scarlet/Violet DLC and another look at Sonic Superstars. They also showed Persona 5 Tactica (but not Persona 3 Reload, so maybe the persistent rumors that it’s coming to the Switch after all are false).

After a few more things, they then showed a game we’ve been waiting on since 2019… the Detective Pikachu sequel!

Detective Pikachu Returns will be out on October 6. While there were some concerns when it was announced that it might be yet another expanded version of the original game, it appears from the trailer to be an all-new sequel. When I played Detective Pikachu last year, I found it to be pleasant enough to play a full sequel if that was what the new game turned out to be, so it looks like I’ll be playing Detective Pikachu Returns!

For me, the Direct had picked up tremendously at that point, and it continued with that momentum – because the next game announced was a remake of Super Mario RPG! I played Super Mario RPG back in 2016 and enjoyed it, although I felt the hype surrounding it was overblown.

The remake looks beautiful, though, so I’m tempted to get it nevertheless. It will be out on November 17.

They also teased a game starring Princess Peach. I assume they would have just said if it was a remake of Super Princess Peach, so it’s most likely a brand-new Peach game. The teaser was so short, I’m not even sure what type of game it is, but I’m looking forward to learning more about it. It will be out in 2024.

After that, they showed Luigi’s Mansion – but it’s just a remaster of Dark Moon. Dark Moon is my least favorite of the Luigi’s Mansion games, so I doubt I’ll get that.

The Batman Arkham Trilogy is also coming to the Switch, yet another reminder that I should play Arkham Knight someday.

Quite a few games I’m not interested in followed after that (as well as the DLC for Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, yet another series I still haven’t tried), but then it was time for another one that caught my eye – a new Dragon Quest Monsters game!

A new Dragon Quest Monsters was said to be in development back in May, and now it’s been officially unveiled as Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince. It will be out on December 1.

I’ve never played a Dragon Quest Monsters game before, but it looks great! I’m excited to try it.

Pikmin 4 got a long segment, as well as the announcement of HD remasters of Pikmin 1 & 2, which are out now. Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 was also confirmed to be coming to the Switch, although the Switch version will require downloads. (It figures these Metal Gear Solid collections would start coming out after I bought the PS3 collection.)

After a few more game announcements and more Mario Kart 8 DLC, they revealed a game I’m pretty excited for that leaked a few days ago: Star Ocean: The Second Story R. Due out on November 2, this is a Star Ocean 2 remake that looks incredible!

While I had mixed feelings about First Departure R, the second game gets so much praise that I wanted them to at least port the original or its PSP remaster… so this is more than I ever hoped for.

(It’s also getting a $200 Collector’s Edition, but it doesn’t look worth it to me.)

Anyway, they announced a new WarioWare game and some other updates, and closed out the show with the announcement of a new 2D Mario game, Super Mario Bros Wonder. It will be out on October 20.

All in all, this was a pretty good Nintendo Direct. Detective Pikachu Returns, Super Mario RPG, the Princess Peach game, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, and Star Ocean: The Second Story R are all new announcements that have my attention, plus the already-announced Persona 5 Tactica. And while I’m not the biggest fan of 2D Mario, the new game looks interesting enough for me to consider. The end of 2023 is already stacked for me!

Hey, maybe if the Super Mario RPG remake sells well enough, the constant Thousand-Year Door rumors will finally come true.

How did you like the new Nintendo Direct? What games stood out to you the most?

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Published on June 21, 2023 10:42

June 19, 2023

Ace Attorney’s Future Looks Brighter Than Ever

(Note: this is not the correct play order.)

As you can probably guess, the absolute highlight of the recent showcases for me was Capcom’s, because it included the announcement of the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy.

If you didn’t catch the news, the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is a new collection of Ace Attorney games that bundles the 4th, 5th, and 6th mainline games: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies, and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice.

(For some reason, the official website includes a beautiful image of the games’ art… in the wrong play order, as seen here, but that’s probably because Spirit of Justice’s art looks best as a centerpiece.)

It will be out in early 2024 for Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Even though I’ve already played all three games, I’m delighted by the news, not only because it means more people can play them, but also because I believe it’s another sign that Ace Attorney’s future is brighter than ever.

We’ve been waiting for Ace Attorney 7 for a very long time. Remember back in 2017, when rumors claimed Ace Attorney 7 was coming in 2018? That obviously didn’t happen. There hasn’t been a brand-new Ace Attorney game since 2017, when The Great Ace Attorney 2 first came out in Japan, so it’s no surprise that hopes for the series were starting to dim.

I’d started to give up hope that we’d ever even see the unlocalized entries in the series, which at the time were Investigations 2 and the two Great Ace Attorney games.

All that changed in 2021 with the release of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. Capcom had decided that the two historical spin-offs (which hadn’t sold well) were worthy of being remastered, bundled, and translated for the first time. Chronicles even got a physical release on the Switch in North America, despite the last two mainline entries being digital-only. That was enough to make me believe in Ace Attorney’s future again, especially when Chronicles blasted past sales expectations (according to the leak, their sales expectations for Chronicles were 300k copies by 2025).

Yet with no sign of Ace Attorney 7 despite the leaks saying it was in development, many fans once again started to say the series was dead.

But what about now?

In the leaks that revealed The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles and claimed Ace Attorney 7 was also in development, the prospect of a collection containing Apollo Justice, Dual Destinies, and Spirit of Justice was mentioned only tentatively, to be decided based on the sales of the other games. Many fans went so far as to say it was confirmed to not be happening due to the expenses required to translate Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice into all the languages Apollo Justice had been available in.

Well, it seems that’s not the case after all, because the Apollo Justice collection is on its way, in 7 different languages, with Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice being translated into other languages for the first time (previously, Japanese and English were the only languages for those two).

Since Capcom is willing to give Ace Attorney games new translations, I’m more optimistic than ever for Ace Attorney Investigations 2’s chances of being localized.

And between The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles and the Apollo Justice Trilogy, it looks like we’re finally free from the worry that Capcom believed an Ace Attorney game would only sell if Phoenix’s name was in the title. Could we see an Ace Attorney Investigations Duology in the years ahead?

Most important of all, the biggest hurdle to a 7th mainline game was the fact that only half of the mainline series was available on current platforms. With the 3DS eShop having been shut down, the 4th, 5th, and 6th games were only available on mobile devices, and even those were unavailable for a lot of new phones.

With all 6 mainline Ace Attorney games on modern platforms, Capcom willing to go the extra step to translate entries that hadn’t been translated before, and the series seeing excellent sales (enough for them to use “from the creator of Ace Attorney” in the hopes of boosting Ghost Trick’s sales, too), I don’t see anything standing in the way of Ace Attorney 7 now.

Yes, there’s a good chance it’ll have a new director if Shu Takumi no longer wants to work on mainline Ace Attorney, since Takeshi Yamazaki left Capcom a few years ago, but there’s no reason to think Capcom couldn’t put someone else in charge – and no reason to assume the new director wouldn’t understand the series, either.

This isn’t the time for Ace Attorney doom and gloom! With The Great Ace Attorney translated and the Apollo Justice Trilogy coming next year, I say Ace Attorney optimism should be at an all-time high.

How do you feel about the current state of the Ace Attorney series and its future prospects?

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Published on June 19, 2023 10:58

June 16, 2023

Not-E3 2023 Part 8: Grasshopper Direct and RGG Summit

Table of Contents

Not-E3 2023 Schedule
Guerrilla Collective 2023
Summer Game Fest 2023 Showcase
Devolver Direct: The Return of Volvy
Wholesome Direct 2023
Future Games Show
Xbox Games Showcase
PC Gaming Show
Ubisoft Forward
Capcom Showcase
Grasshopper Direct
RGG Summit

Grasshopper Direct

With Grasshopper Manufacture’s showcase set for midnight on Wednesday night/Thursday morning, it was going to be a late one, but I was fine with that.

However, when midnight came, nothing happened. (Ironic, considering the website said “Something’s gonna happen” for the entire duration of the countdown.) Shortly afterwards, Grasshopper tweeted about technical difficulties. A bit over 15 minutes later, they tweeted that they were almost ready.

Sometimes after 12:30, they tweeted that it would be ready in another 15-20 minutes. Around this point, I started to think about Idea Factory’s Charade Maniacs stunt earlier this year and wonder if Grasshopper was really having technical difficulties or if they were just trolling us.

Eventually, they updated us again to say it would occur around 1… or so.

A video finally appeared sometime around 1:15.

They showed the Shadows of the Damned remaster, some art and merchandise, and teased at least one game at the very end, in typical Suda51 style. The video also included two fake ads, so it’s not clear if those are also teases for the game at the end or related to something else.

All in all, it was interesting, but it would have been more interesting if I watched it at a respectable time instead of staying up past 1 AM for it.

I still don’t know if the long wait time was intended or not, but if you’d told me this sort of thing would happen twice in the same year, I wouldn’t have believed you.

RGG Summit

And to close out this year’s not-E3 celebration, last night was the moment I’d been waiting for – the RGG Summit. Now, last year’s RGG Summit included one game that had been revealed the night before, trailers for two additional games, and then the surprise drops of Judgment and Lost Judgment on PC later that day, so it might have set expectations a bit too high for what an RGG Summit includes.

But when I listed my predictions, I still thought only Gaiden and 8 were likely to appear… except when both of those were shown at other events ahead of time, that got me thinking that they must be holding back a surprise for their own showcase, right? Right??

The Summit’s translation was a bit hard to follow at first due to the audio levels being the same for both the actual speakers at the event and the translators (though it wasn’t nearly as bad as the Dragon Quest anniversary stream in 2021).

They started with a trailer for Like a Dragon Gaiden, the same one shown at Summer Game Fest. After that, they showed a little more of the two combat styles. I love the secret agent gadgets Kiryu has in Agent Style.

(Also, is it just me, or is there something ironic about them changing the English title of the series from “Yakuza” to “Like a Dragon” to match the Japanese title, only to then call Kiryu’s Ōryū Style “Yakuza Style” in English?)

After that, some of the actors came on stage and talked a while. I didn’t listen to all of this part, because I wanted to try to avoid spoilers since I’m not caught up on the series yet. I definitely caught the introduction of Homare Nishitani III, though, not a name I expected to see. It seems like this might be a case where Nishitani’s name is passed on like a title, although it’s funnier to think it’s his descendant.

Once the actors finished their discussion about the upcoming games, it was time for a new trailer for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth… or rather, the same trailer shown at the Xbox Game Showcase.

Fortunately, after that they showed something new – a conversation between Ichiban and Kiryu that has sparked a lot of conversation among fans about Kiryu’s relationship status.

Finally, they announced another RGG Summit for Fall 2023. A subsequent tweet said it will take place in September.

I wish the RGG Summit had a surprise announcement, or at least held back one of the trailers to be shown here first. Nevertheless, at least we got some details! That brings us to the end of this year’s Not-E3 showcases, as the next announced showcase isn’t for a couple weeks yet. What did you think of the Grasshopper Direct and RGG Summit?

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Published on June 16, 2023 09:32

June 12, 2023

Not-E3 2023 Part 7: Capcom Showcase

Table of Contents

Not-E3 2023 Schedule
Guerrilla Collective 2023
Summer Game Fest 2023 Showcase
Devolver Direct: The Return of Volvy
Wholesome Direct 2023
Future Games Show
Xbox Games Showcase
PC Gaming Show
Ubisoft Forward
Capcom Showcase
Grasshopper Direct
RGG Summit

Capcom Showcase

WE WON!!!

Ahem. So, Capcom’s showcase started out by replaying the same Path of the Goddess trailer we saw yesterday, while also providing a few more details about it. Then they announced Mega Man X Dive Offline, which seems to be an offline version of the recently-discontinued mobile game.

(That filled me with new optimism, though, because it confirmed the showcase would include new announcements.)

They held a “Spotlight Corner” featuring Street Fighter 6 and a lot of tournament news, and then Resident Evil 4 VR. After that, Pragmata was finally shown again with a short trailer basically to announce a delay. Oof.

Then Shu Takumi introduced Ghost Trick, which has a demo available now. Ghost Trick got a significant chunk of time, which pleased me. Everyone, play Ghost Trick!

And then…

IT HAPPENED! Apollo Justice, Dual Destinies, and Spirit of Justice are being brought to all major platforms in early 2024 as the Apollo Justice Trilogy.

I’m so happy! Sure, Ace Attorney 7 would have been more exciting, but getting the other mainline games onto modern platforms is an important step toward bridging the gap! Now, whenever they do finally announce a new game, players will be able to play all the mainline games first.

After the Ace Attorney news, they talked about Capcom Town and other website stuff, showed more of Exoprimal, and then showed a new trailer for Dragon’s Dogma II… which might have been a cool trailer, except all of my thoughts were taken up by Ace Attorney by that point.

I’m so happy that games 4-6 will finally be available on modern platforms! Here’s hoping they get a physical release… and that this is only the start of more Ace Attorney news to come.

What did you think of the games shown in the Capcom Showcase?

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Published on June 12, 2023 16:01

Not-E3 2023 Part 6: Ubisoft Forward

Table of Contents

Not-E3 2023 Schedule
Guerrilla Collective 2023
Summer Game Fest 2023 Showcase
Devolver Direct: The Return of Volvy
Wholesome Direct 2023
Future Games Show
Xbox Games Showcase
PC Gaming Show
Ubisoft Forward
Capcom Showcase
Grasshopper Direct
RGG Summit

Ubisoft Forward

Our first showcase of today was Ubisoft Forward. Now, Ubisoft is one of those companies where, when I watch their showcases, I remember that there’s only a handful of Ubisoft games/series I’m a fan of.

Just Dance 2024? Not a series I ever got into. Avatar Frontiers? Beautiful, but not for me. XDefiant? Not my sort of game.

They gave another look at Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, though, and that game does look pretty good.

Not interested in the Captain Laserhawk show, or in The Division Resurgence, or in Skull & Bones (a game I keep forgetting isn’t out yet), although it was yet another trailer made more enjoyable by a pirate sea shanty being sung during it.

They announced DLC and updates for various games already out, including the final piece of DLC for the Mario + Rabbids sequel, which I might be interested in eventually. (As it is, I still haven’t played the first game.)

Then they showed The Crew Motorfest and a lot of Assassins Creed news, covering a VR game, the mobile game called Codename Jade, and the next big entry in the series, Assassins Creed Mirage.

Finally, they closed with a longer look at Star Wars Outlaws. It’s one of the most interesting games in the showcase, but since it’s open world, I’m not entirely sold on it as something I want to play.

Honestly, the highlight of Ubisoft’s showcase for me is that Skull & Bones sea shanty.

That’s all we’ve got until Capcom’s showcase tonight, for which I’m still holding out Ace Attorney hope. (Ace Attorney, Ace Attorney, Ace Attorney.)

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Published on June 12, 2023 11:43

June 11, 2023

Not-E3 2023 Part 5: PC Gaming Show Highlights

Table of Contents

Not-E3 2023 Schedule
Guerrilla Collective 2023
Summer Game Fest 2023 Showcase
Devolver Direct: The Return of Volvy
Wholesome Direct 2023
Future Games Show
Xbox Games Showcase
PC Gaming Show
Ubisoft Forward
Capcom Showcase
Grasshopper Direct
RGG Summit

PC Gaming Show 2023

After the excitement of the Xbox Games Showcase, we have one more showcase to talk about today. The PC Gaming Show is usually one that shows a ton of games, so I’ll once again be focusing on highlights rather than trying to go through every single game shown.

The show was framed by another joke about using AI, although it wasn’t as funny as Devolver’s show. Anyway, not a lot of games stood out to me, but there were a few. To start with, I never thought I’d be talking about a metroidvania starring Scrooge, but that’s exactly what we’re getting with Ebenezer and the Invisible World.

Scrooge is a Stand user. Go figure.

Moving on, I’m not sure if we’ve talked about Eternights before, but it’s one that’s looking intriguing from the moment it was revealed. Definitely some “indie Persona” vibes, although it’s an action RPG.

They showed a beautiful game called Islands of Insight, another brief look at Lords of the Fallen, and a 2D action game called Mariachi Legends that looks cool.

Then there’s Critter Cove, which probably isn’t a game for me, but it’s so cute I’m surprised it wasn’t at the Wholesome Direct.

Similarly, I don’t think I’ll play Undead, Inc., a management sim where you’re the evil corporation making zombies, but the premise is fun enough that I had to mention it.

Cyberpunk metroidvania Altered Alma and first-person thriller The Invincible also looked pretty interesting.

And while Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew isn’t the sort of game that appeals to me, I have to give it a shout-out for the catchy pirate song during the trailer. That was entertaining.

Finally, Bloomtown at first struck me as yet another life sim farming game, but… there’s enough going on besides that for me to keep an eye on this one. I didn’t expect it to be an RPG at all, much less one that has some supernatural aspects.

That’s all for now, but tomorrow we’ve got Ubisoft Forward and the Capcom Showcase to look forward to (if we chant “Ace Attorney” three times, will it appear?), so stay tuned! In the meantime, what games from the PC Gaming Show stood out to you?

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Published on June 11, 2023 16:02

Not-E3 2023 Part 4: Xbox Game Showcase

Table of Contents

Not-E3 2023 Schedule
Guerrilla Collective 2023
Summer Game Fest 2023 Showcase
Devolver Direct: The Return of Volvy
Wholesome Direct 2023
Future Games Show
Xbox Games Showcase
PC Gaming Show
Ubisoft Forward
Capcom Showcase
Grasshopper Direct
RGG Summit

Xbox Games Showcase

Since two certain RPGs were leaked ahead of the Xbox Games Showcase, I went into it feeling confident that we’d see some interesting news, at least. The showcase started with the new Fable game, which I’m interested in (although I felt the trailer had an odd tone for the Fable series, but then again, I haven’t played any of them yet).

They showed an interesting-enough trailer for a game called South of Midnight, although it didn’t show much about what the game is like, and then a new Star Wars game called Star Wars Outlaws. More details about Outlaws will be shown at Ubisoft’s showcase tomorrow.

They announced a new co-op game from Thunder Lotus, the developer of Spiritfarer. Called 33 Immortals, it’s a raid-based game for 33 players that doesn’t seem like my sort of thing, but it did look pretty.

After Payday 3, the leaked trailer for Persona 3 Reload was shown! I avoided watching the leaked trailer, because I wanted to see it for the first time when it was officially shown. It looks pretty good. (Now, do I play Persona 3 Portable in the meantime since it seems like the Persona 3 remake might not include P3P’s unique content…?)

Avowed also looks good, and it was interesting to see Sea of Thieves get a crossover with Monkey Island.

Then came Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and Hellblade 2, followed by…

Like a Dragon 8? Maybe?? Maybe not??? It’s a pretty funny trailer, but I’m still not sure if Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the official title for Like a Dragon 8 or if it’s a new game set in between.

They showed more Fallout 76 stuff, and then a trailer for a new Capcom game called Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess.

I can’t help but be slightly disappointed, since I thought it was a new Onimusha game when the trailer started, but it looks pretty cool. (There’s a good chance it’s part of the “and more” planned for Capcom’s own showcase tomorrow.)

After that, I got a bit of a reprieve to think about all the exciting games I’d just seen, while they showed Forza Motorsport, a new Elder Scrolls Online expansion, and Overwatch 2.

Then it was time for the other leaked trailer, Persona 5 Tactica. This strategy RPG Persona 5 spin-off looks like it could be a lot of fun, so I’ll probably play it.

They showed a trailer for Starfield, a new game from Dontnod called Jusant, a game called Still Wakes the Deep that I’d be more interested in if I liked any games from the developer, and an action RPG social sim called Dungeons of Hinterberg that could be interesting.

Then they devoted a good portion of time to the new Cyberbunk expansion, showed Cities Skylines 2, and revealed…

Project Re Fantasy???? It exists, it’s actually coming out next year, and it somehow avoided being leaked alongside the two Persona games. Officially titled Metaphor: ReFantazio, it looks extremely cool, and I can’t wait!

They finished with a game called Towerborne and then one called Clockwork Revolution that has a cool steampunk aesthetic, before going into the Starfield Direct.

This was an incredible showcase! Even if the excitement was muted slightly by the Persona 3 remake and Persona 5 Tactica being leaked ahead of time (can you imagine the levels of hype if they were surprises?), there were so many great-looking games in this showcase! I’m excited for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Metaphor: ReFantazio in particular, and I can’t wait to see more.

What games stood out to you the most from Xbox’s showcase?

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Published on June 11, 2023 11:49