Samantha Lienhard's Blog, page 68

Highlights From July 2021’s EA Play Live

As you might remember from our E3 2021 coverage, EA skipped E3 this year and held its EA Play Live show yesterday instead.

Leading up to the event, they confirmed that BioWare games and Star Wars would not be present, which cut out most of the EA games I’d be interested in.

Nevertheless, there were still a couple of games that caught my eye.

First up was Lost In Random, which was announced at last year’s show, and it definitely looks interesting.

It will be out on September 10, right in the middle of all the other games I’m looking forward to, but I’ll probably keep it in mind for the future.

Shortly afterwards, they showed what I briefly thought was a trailer for a cool-looking game until I realized it was actually a trailer for the new Apex Legends character instead. I have no interest in playing Apex, but I’d play whatever game I thought that was at first.

But the big news of the day was that Dead Space is back, with a remake in development for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

According to the official press release, the Dead Space remake is “completely rebuilt from the ground up” and includes “an improved story, characters, gameplay mechanics and more.” There’s no release window yet.

A lot of people are excited, although many are frustrated that EA shut down Visceral Studios only to bring back Dead Space now.

I’ve never played Dead Space before, but maybe I’ll try it before the remake comes out. Or maybe I’ll just wait for the remake.

How do you feel about the Dead Space remake? What about Lost In Random? Was I the only one who mistakenly thought Seer’s reveal was a trailer for a neat narrative game at first? Let me know in the comments!

Like this post? Tell your friends!



And if you want posts like this delivered straight to your inbox, enter your email in the box below to subscribe!

Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to share it with your social networks! The post Highlights From July 2021’s EA Play Live appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Tales of Arise Skits to be Revealed July 29

Tales of Arise is coming soon, and one traditional Tales feature we’re still waiting to see is the skit system.

Skits are a traditional part of the Tales series, and some fans have worried about their status in Arise. Well, Tales of Arise has skits, and it won’t be much longer before we get our first glimpse of them.

The next Tales of Arise live stream will be on July 29. According to the translation by Gematsu, it will feature skits as well as field activities such as camping and fishing.

There have been some comments that suggest skits will be in a different form this time, so we’ll see what they’re like.

Camping and fishing also sound like interesting additions. Grouping them all together in this broadcast makes me wonder if skits will take place at campsites, similar to how Zestiria only had skits at certain spots.

The broadcast will be July 29 at 20:00 JST, which is 7 AM ET. I won’t be watching live, but I’ll be sure to catch the news once I’m online!

What do you think Tales of Arise skits will be like? Do you think they’ll be different from the traditional skits the series has had?

Like this post? Tell your friends!



And if you want posts like this delivered straight to your inbox, enter your email in the box below to subscribe!

Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to share it with your social networks! The post Tales of Arise Skits to be Revealed July 29 appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Dragon Quest XII Could Influence the Next 10-20 Years of Dragon Quest

Dragon Quest XII remains a mystery in many ways, as we still don’t know much about the game itself.

We know from the announcement that there will be some changes to the combat system and possibly a darker tone, and that the story is already complete.

And now we know that those changes, whatever they turn out to be, might be around for a long time.

According to a new interview with Square Enix’s CEO Yosuke Matsuda, translated here by Gematsu, Dragon Quest XII’s development is “taking into account the next 10 to 20 years of the Dragon Quest series.”

He went on to say that, “There are parts that remain consistent with the traditional image of Dragon Quest, but new elements are also necessary. After all, as a brand we always need to innovate.”

Of course, some people are interpreting “new elements” to mean that the series is going to feature action combat from now on, but we still haven’t gotten any clear information about how the combat system is changing. There’s no reason to assume it will be something extreme.

It does sound like they’re planning a notable shift for the series in general, though, or it wouldn’t be necessary to mention that they’re thinking ahead to the next 10-20 years. Here’s hoping it will be a good move, not a disappointment!

How do you feel about the fact that Dragon Quest XII might set the tone for the next decade of Dragon Quest and beyond? What do you think the changes will be like?

Like this post? Tell your friends!



And if you want posts like this delivered straight to your inbox, enter your email in the box below to subscribe!

Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to share it with your social networks! The post Dragon Quest XII Could Influence the Next 10-20 Years of Dragon Quest appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Nekopara – Catboys Paradise is Cute, but Feels Like an Intro

Yesterday saw the release of Nekopara – Catboys Paradise, the free otome entry in the Nekopara series.

Catboys Paradise started as an April Fools’ joke, but it got such a positive response that they turned it into a real visual novel. So, what is it like?

You play a young woman who recently inherited a café and needs to learn how to manage it along with four catboys who are there to help her, all of whom are eager to win her affections.

If you go into it expecting strictly a gender-swapped Nekopara, that’s not exactly what you’ll be getting. Instead of the animated sprites that always impress me in Nekopara, this one features regular still sprites (so no, you can’t pat your catboys’ heads whenever you want to). It is also split across four routes, with a common route leading up to a single choice where you need to pick which character’s route you want to follow.

Instead of the harem setup of the main Nekopara stories, Catboys Paradise instead has you focus on one catboy to get closer to in his route, with a few comments that suggest a true harem is impossible (although it’s also emphasized that the protagonist wants all four to be her “housecats” eventually).

Each of the four heroes is entertaining and loveable, and it’s a really cute story with some pretty funny moments. However, it feels more like an introduction to a story than a complete story in its own right.

You learn a little bit about the characters and grow closer to them, but it never makes it all the way to romance and ends feeling like it’s the prologue to your story with these characters. I hope that means they intend to make a full catboy Nekopara game if this is popular enough, because I’d love to see more.

If they do, I hope they reverse their decision to have a silent protagonist. Unlike the Nekopara protagonist, who gets his own dialogue, the Catboys Paradise heroine only communicates through nods and emotes.

And that gets really awkward in conversations, since the catboys have to repeat whatever she “says” so the player knows what it is, and more involved conversations mean they’ve got to repeat quite a bit. She’s a silent protagonist in a story that wasn’t written to support a silent protagonist.

It’s still a cute story, and Nekopara – Catboys Paradise is worth checking out if you want a free, cute catboy otome. I just hoping it’s leading to a more complete experience later down the line.

Like this post? Tell your friends!



And if you want posts like this delivered straight to your inbox, enter your email in the box below to subscribe!

Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to share it with your social networks! The post Nekopara – Catboys Paradise is Cute, but Feels Like an Intro appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

7 Persona Announcements Teased (and Probably Persona 6)

This year is the 25th anniversary of the Persona series, and Atlus has opened up an anniversary website.

The website doesn’t say a lot yet, but it teases seven announcements to come.

The first is set for this September, while the last is autumn 2022, with five announcements in between. Before you get too excited, these probably won’t all be for games – but at least some of them should be.

And there’s very good reason to believe one of these announcements will be the official reveal of Persona 6.

In addition to the announcement teasers, Atlus also has revealed anniversary-themed merchandise. One is an acrylic stand featuring posters for each mainline entry in the series. It doesn’t include spin-offs, only the main games… and two “secret” posters at the end.

The merchandise also includes trading cards of the main protagonists… with the final one also being “secret” for now.

A secret image alongside the main protagonists and two secret posters alongside posters of exclusively mainline games really makes this look like Persona 6 is being teased.

As for the others… we’ll just have to wait and see. The first announcement is set for September!

What do you expect the Persona projects to be? Do you think Persona 6 is one of them, and what do you think it will be like?

Like this post? Tell your friends!



And if you want posts like this delivered straight to your inbox, enter your email in the box below to subscribe!

Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to share it with your social networks! The post 7 Persona Announcements Teased (and Probably Persona 6) appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Final Fantasy XVI’s Scenario is Complete

We have yet to see more from Final Fantasy XVI, but it sounds like development is going quite well.

In a broadcast about Final Fantasy XIV (which I didn’t watch since I don’t want to see spoilers for the later expansions), Yoshida discussed Final Fantasy XVI briefly after Yoko Taro joked that he wants to write its scenario.

According to the translations here, Final Fantasy XVI’s scenario is complete and voice acting has entered the final stages – including the English voice acting.

They want their next reveal to include combat and other features that haven’t been shown yet and want it to be the sort of trailer that makes everyone want to get the game after seeing it.

Apparently they were surprised by the number of people who expected it to be shown at E3, since it wasn’t announced as part of their lineup. It probably won’t be featured at TGS, either (although it sounds like that isn’t completely out of the question). Once everything for the game is set, we’ll get to see it.

While I’m dying to learn more about Final Fantasy XVI, I don’t mind this approach. It’s good to know the scenario is complete, and I’ll be looking forward to that eventual trailer. I hope they’re still able to show it this year.

Some people seem to be taking this as a sign that the game won’t be out for a long time, but the voice acting being in its final stages makes me think the opposite. Maybe the release date isn’t too far off after all.

How do you feel about this approach to Final Fantasy XVI, with the developers waiting for one big reveal instead of a slow release of information? When do you think we’ll see Final Fantasy XVI?

Like this post? Tell your friends!



And if you want posts like this delivered straight to your inbox, enter your email in the box below to subscribe!

Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to share it with your social networks! The post Final Fantasy XVI’s Scenario is Complete appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Suda51 Has a Partner Picked for a Flower, Sun, and Rain Remaster

Remember back in 2018, when Suda51 and Grasshopper Manufacture discussed the possibility of remastering both Killer7 and Flower, Sun, and Rain?

In the time since then, Killer7 was remastered for PC, but we have yet to learn anything about the potential Flower, Sun, and Rain remaster.

Well, there was an AMA on Reddit with Suda51 yesterday, and one person asked if a Flower, Sun, and Rain remaster would include an updated story and new scenarios.

Suda 51 responded, “I would like to remaster this one day. I’ve already picked out a partner to do so, so the scenarios would really be up to our collaboration.”

There are a few things we can take from this. First, he still wants to remaster Flower, Sun, and Rain. Second, while it doesn’t sound like it’s happening yet, he actually has a partner picked out for the remaster – which suggests it’s a little bit further along than just a vague thought that maybe it could be remastered someday. Third, the possibility for additional content is there, but nothing has been decided yet.

I’d love to see a Flower, Sun, and Rain remaster, especially since I enjoyed The Silver Case and its sequel. Meanwhile, apparently Suda51 said in 2019 that an extended cut of Killer7 is also a possibility.

(In other news, the Yo-Kai Watch “major game-related announcement” that had me pleased that at least Level-5 would be announcing something? That turned out to be just a release date for the mobile port of the first game. That’s why we aren’t discussing that today, like I half-expected to.)

Anyway, what are your thoughts on the potential for a Flower, Sun, and Rain remaster?

Like this post? Tell your friends!



And if you want posts like this delivered straight to your inbox, enter your email in the box below to subscribe!

Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to share it with your social networks! The post Suda51 Has a Partner Picked for a Flower, Sun, and Rain Remaster appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Blue Reflection: Second Light New Trailer and Details

The Gust news teased for yesterday turned out to be new details about the upcoming JRPG Blue Reflection Tie, which will be localized under the title Blue Reflection: Second Light.

Second Light sounds like it’s going in a very different direction from the first game, and I’m interested to see what they have planned for the story.

The first Blue Reflection was about a girl named Hinako who gains the power of a Reflector, allowing her to enter a world made up of people’s emotions to help her classmates resolve their personal struggles, while also fighting horrific entities that invade the real world.

Second Light, according to the details translated by Gematsu, is about a girl named Ao who finds herself in an isolated school with two other girls. All three of them have lost their memories.

They take a path that appears one day and find themselves in a new world with the power to fight monsters (gaining the power of Reflectors).

They meet other characters as well, including Hinako from the first game – and all of them have also lost their memories.

It appears that there is a school-building aspect to the game, as you build facilities to expand the school. Social interactions and crafting are also involved, and the trailer shows a glimpse of some of these systems in action.

No clear look at combat yet, but from the screenshots in the Gematsu article, my guess is that it’ll be similar to the first game’s system of turn-based combat with other characters providing support.

Anyway, the idea of the girls being trapped in this other world without their memories is such a different premise from the first game’s approach that I’m really curious about where they’re going for it. The game will be out on October 21 in Japan, with no western release date given yet.

While we wait for news about when Blue Reflection: Second Light will be released in the west, I’ll get back to watching Blue Reflection Ray, which also went in a different direction from both Blue Reflection and Second Light. What do you think about Second Light from what we’ve seen so far?

Like this post? Tell your friends!



And if you want posts like this delivered straight to your inbox, enter your email in the box below to subscribe!

Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to share it with your social networks! The post Blue Reflection: Second Light New Trailer and Details appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Tales of the Abyss: Another Excellent Tales Journey

I’m a big fan of the Tales series, but there are still a lot of Tales games I haven’t played.

Among the most notable ones were Tales of the Abyss and Tales of Vesperia, often considered alongside Tales of Symphonia to be the best of the best.

Well, the winner of this year’s Celebrating All Things Romantic contest picked a game for me to play & review as his prize – Tales of the Abyss.

I played the 3DS port, although it looks like it might be easier to find the original PS2 version nowadays.

Tales of the Abyss is one of those games that comes up whenever people discuss protagonists who are unlikeable at first and change over time, because the main character is a young man named Luke who starts out as an obnoxious, self-centered jerk, but goes through a huge amount of character development as the game continues and ends up as a good person and a genuinely likeable protagonist.

The rest of the cast took a little while to grow on me as well (with the exception of Jade, whom I liked from the start and remains my favorite), but I ended up liking most of them.

Oh, and bonus points for having a mascot that didn’t annoy me. Mieu is actually cute.

The story is interesting and has some pretty intense moments, with a lot of humor throughout the game as well. It has a really well-developed world, with a lot of detailed worldbuilding and many little details I appreciated. There’s also a lot of side content and easily missable optional scenes – which I kind of like, aside from one side quest that let me get partway through even though I’d started it too late to finish it.

All of those little details, with optional scenes and mini-game and lore books about the world, make me think once more about how sometimes it feels like older games have more of a soul than their newer counterparts.

Combat has an interesting mechanic where elemental artes created essentially little elemental fields to appear briefly, and performing an arte within one of those can cause you to perform a more powerful arte instead. That confused me at first, but I liked it once I got used to it.

Now, the ending is a bit ambiguous, and apparently this is intentional. Instead of getting clarification when I looked it up, I discovered a massive debate among fans about it, so I’ll stick with my personal interpretation of the ending.

Anyway, Tales of the Abyss safely secured the #2 spot in my Tales rankings so far. It didn’t beat Symphonia for me, but what can? Tales of the Abyss is an excellent game with a great story, and I was happy to go on such an incredible journey with Luke and the other characters to watch them grow and change.

Like this post? Tell your friends!



And if you want posts like this delivered straight to your inbox, enter your email in the box below to subscribe!

Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to share it with your social networks! The post Tales of the Abyss: Another Excellent Tales Journey appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Two Potential JRPG Announcements Coming Next Week

We potentially have two pieces of JRPG-related news to look forward to next week, thanks to a couple of teases.

First, on July 6, Gust will be doing… something. They tweeted an image of a blue sky with 7/6 on it, with the message “Coming 7/6.”

There is a lot of belief that this could be the announcement of Atelier Ryza 3, due to the frequency of Atelier releases and Gust using the blue sky imagery for Atelier Ryza in the past. However, the Atelier Twitter account hasn’t shared it yet, so maybe it’s something else.

Don’t forget that we still have very little information about the upcoming Blue Reflection games, so this might be additional information about one or both of those.

Or it could be entirely different Gust news. Either way, it’s sure to be interesting.

Meanwhile, Level-5 announced a Yo-kai Watch anniversary live stream for July 9. According to the translation from Gematsu, it will include “a major game-related announcement.”

Since it’s a Japanese event, I doubt this will be the long-awaited localization news for Yo-kai Watch 4 (or rather, Yokai Watch 4++, the latest version) or Yo-kai Academy Y, but maybe an update or the announcement of a new game. I’ll just be happy to see Level-5 announcing things, since they seem to be having some trouble lately.

So I’m mainly looking forward to Gust’s news on July 6, but I’ll be interested to see the Yo-kai Watch news on July 9 as well. What do you think will be announced on these days?

Like this post? Tell your friends!



And if you want posts like this delivered straight to your inbox, enter your email in the box below to subscribe!

Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to share it with your social networks! The post Two Potential JRPG Announcements Coming Next Week appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.