Samantha Lienhard's Blog, page 72

Thoughts on Resident Evil Village Ahead of Its Launch

Resident Evil Village will be released on Friday, reviews are out now, and a demo has been available, albeit one with some odd availability restrictions.

So, how are we feeling about the next Resident Evil game?

I haven’t talked about Resident Evil Village here a lot, but if you’ve followed my posts enough to see when it does pop up, you’ll know I’ve had mixed feelings ever since the game was revealed.

I was never pleased with the action-oriented direction the series took with Resident Evil 4 and the games that followed.

Resident Evil 7 and the Resident Evil 2 remake, however, were a triumphant return to survival horror that once again left me excited for the series.

Mixed reviews citing limited exploration and a lack of puzzles made me skip the Resident Evil 3 remake, and then Resident Evil 8, or Village, popped up with an awful lot of surface similarities to Resident Evil 4.

After my renewed hope for the series, I found myself once again feeling pessimistic toward what looked like a return to action horror. But I did try the demo, and that left me… cautiously optimistic. There are definitely action elements here; enemies dropping money that I can take to a vendor to buy and upgrade weapons is not exactly what I look for in a survival horror game.

On the other hand, the demo also included some locked doors and puzzles, and not just ones to solve immediately and move on.

Reviews came out today, and I read a few of them. I saw several references to the action being ramped up, but also some that mentioned backtracking and unlocking new areas. It sounds as though Village might have the style of exploration and progression that I look for in survival horror, which is a major thing the previous action Resident Evil games were missing.

If Resident Evil Village clearly followed in the footsteps of Resident Evil 7 and RE2make, I’d probably be getting it day one. Since it does seem like it veered back toward action a bit, I won’t be. However, I’ve heard enough now that I’ll probably give it a chance eventually.

What do you think of Resident Evil Village based on what we know so far?

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Mech Action Spin-Off Muv-Luv: Project Mikhail Looks Promising

The last time we talked about the Muv-Luv spin-off Project Mikhail, it had been announced for PC and mobile devices, and we only had a few details.

Near the end of March, however, a special Muv-Luv update video revealed that the platforms for Project Mikhail had been changed to PC and Switch and that it had been delayed to August. It is possible it will come to additional platforms in the future.

(So if you’re seeing Project Mikhail news and saying, “Wait, I thought that was a mobile game,” that’s what the original plan was.)

Project Mikhail is a mech action game in which you’ll customize and pilot your own TSF. It features both a single player story mode and multiplayer features. A new video released this weekend gave us another look at Project Mikhail’s gameplay, including the ability to turn off damage indicators, fights against a greater number of BETA, TSF customization and upgrades through new parts you get as you play, and the combat itself, which is intended to involve both action-based skill and strategic thinking.

I’m not a big fan of mech games… in fact, have I even played any besides Metal Wolf Chaos? However, I am a big Muv-Luv fan, so I’ll probably pick up Project Mikhail for its story, if nothing else.

Not much information has been revealed about Project Mikhail’s story except that it will branch based on your choices, which is interesting. I’m looking forward to learning more about that and the story in general.

In the meantime, I still need to play through Muv-Luv Unlimited: The Day After, which came out in English this year. We’ve also got a Muv-Luv Alternative anime coming up (although I’m a little skeptical about how they’ll handle the Extra & Unlimited elements), another spin-off called Project Immortal, the conclusion of The Day After, and a full sequel called Muv-Luv Integrate, so the future is packed with Muv-Luv content!

(Haven’t heard anything about the Schwarzesmarken translation in a long time, though… here’s hoping it’s still happening!)

Are you interested in Project Mikhail? I’m a Muv-Luv fan interested in Project Mikhail because of the series, but are there any mech game fans interested in Muv-Luv because of Project Mikhail? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier Live Stream Set for May 7

Square Enix has announced a live stream about Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier for May 7 at 7 AM Eastern Time.

The live stream will be in Japanese, but the Twitch stream will include English commentary.

I have no interest personally in First Soldier, since it’s a mobile-only battle royale. Nothing about that really appeals to me. However, the live stream announcement says there will also be new information about Final Fantasy VII Intergrade at the end.

Intergrade is the upgraded version of Final Fantasy VII Remake for the PS5, which includes a new DLC episode starring Yuffie called Episode INTERmission.

I’m very interested in INTERmission, but the DLC is PS5-exclusive. My list of reasons to want a PS5 is gradually increasing, but not enough yet to push me into actually getting one. That could change soon, depending what is announced in the months ahead (especially with E3 approaching).

Meanwhile, I’m looking forward to May 7 much more for what will happen a few hours later at 10 AM Eastern Time – the end of the Judgment Day countdown. The new footage has become increasingly obvious, so it’s almost certainly a sequel announcement.

Are you interested in Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier? Will you be watching the live stream?

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My Heracles Story is Out Now in Pulp Mythology Volume Two!

Following my first venture into pulp fiction with “The Domino Lady Takes the Case,” my second pulp story is available now in a new collection from Airship 27!

Pulp Mythology Volume Two contains three pulp stories all based around myths and legends. Mine is “The Lost Quest of Heracles,” a Greek mythology story that follows Heracles on a new journey as he seeks a way to reunite with his family in the underworld.

(Yeah, I started work on this story sometime after my marathon through the God of War series, which left me wanting more Greek mythology.)

The other two stories in this collection are a Baba Yaga story written by Michael Panush and a novella about Pecos Bill written by Mel Odom.

Currently, the print copy of Pulp Mythology Volume Two is available from Amazon, as well as the ebook!

It should also be available directly from Airship 27 soon, as well.

And if you’re a pulp fiction fan, don’t forget to check out Domino Lady Volume 3, which includes my short story “The Domino Lady Takes the Case.”

I’ve enjoyed getting into the world of new pulp fiction, and there will be more to come!

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Grandia: An Oddly-Paced Adventure

Yesterday, I reached the end of my journey through Grandia, which I started back in September.

…September 2019, that is.

I didn’t play the remaster, but the original PS1 version available through PSN. I played it solidly for about a month, then took a break and didn’t get back to it until earlier this year. That long break is probably due to the game’s pacing.

Grandia follows a boy named Justin who wants to be an adventurer and who sets out to find the mythical city of Alent with the help of a mysterious artifact called the Spirit Stone. The main story deals with the search for Alent and Justin’s clashes with the Garlyle military leaders, who are also interested in Alent.

But that aspect of the plot often takes a backseat to adventure, with it largely being a story of Justin’s journey with his friends and smaller incidents they need to resolve along the way before they can continue.

So on one hand, Grandia has a slower, more relaxed pace for a good portion of the story… but on the other hand, there are almost no side quests (only a few optional dungeons late in the game) and you frequently reach points where you can’t backtrack to earlier areas, which somehow gives it this sense of a driving pace at the same time. It felt like the story of story where I should be doing side quests, but instead I was always pushing forward into another section with minor plot progression.

That’s how it felt to me, at least, and that odd pacing is one of the reasons why I took a break for over a year.

The other reason is the dungeons, because Grandia is another game that used the philosophy of “just make everything a maze!” for its dungeon design. Trying to fully explore dungeons frustrated me, and when I came back after my break, I focused more on just getting through each dungeon and finding whatever side paths I’d happen to find.

Anyway, pacing and maze-like dungeons are my complaints, but now let’s move on to the positives.

Combat in Grandia is a pretty unique system. It’s turn-based, but the turn order is represented on a bar as characters and enemies slowly move toward their next action. Attacks slow down the target, and attacking right as they’re about to act can even cancel it. This gives it an additional layer of strategy where you’re trying to figure out how to delay your enemies’ moves.

I also really enjoyed the towns. Even though there aren’t side quests, there’s a ton of NPC dialogue that changes frequently as you progress through the plot and includes some pretty entertaining conversations, as well as worldbuilding.

From time to time, you also get special inn scenes where your party eats dinner. This gives you a chance to get optional dialogue from each character before continuing. I like those sorts of party interaction scenes, so it was a nice touch. The main cast is pretty likeable, too.

Overall, I enjoyed playing Grandia even though I had some issues with it, and I’m glad I finally came back to it. Grandia II is in my backlog, so I look forward to getting there to see how it compares!

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Judgment News Teased for May 7

Judgment is now out on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Google Stadia, and it looks like we have more Judgment news on the way.

Sega and RGG Studio opened up a new website with a countdown to May 7 and a video link.

May 7 is “Judgment Day,” and the countdown will end at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET.

But what will the news be? Some fans think it might simply be the announcement of a PC release, since Stadia seems to have timed exclusivity and it’s expected to come to Steam eventually. However, a countdown website available in multiple languages seems more fitting for bigger news than just a port.

Additionally, RGG Studio is currently holding a giveaway through Twitter. If you retweet their giveaway tweet, you’ll have a chance to win a $40 Amazon voucher. This giveaway will be repeated each day until May 7.

After you retweet it, you get a response telling you whether or not you won, with a video clip from Judgment that includes the scene number at the end. (Here is mine, for reference. I lost.) However, some of the responses include clips of new scenes, with the scene number censored at the end.

@lv99ron
The results are in…. You win!
We’ll send your prize via DM!#JUDGMENTDAY －14dayshttps://t.co/XayJdWzabU pic.twitter.com/FzDSKyYNMw

— RGG Studio (@RGGStudio) April 23, 2021

Here is another example, as well as this one.

(All of the new scenes seem to be in response to winners of the giveaway.)

Clips that aren’t from the original Judgment, being shared each day leading up to the end of the Judgment Day countdown? This sounds like new content is coming, either an expansion or the Judgment sequel we’ve been hoping for.

Judgment is an absolutely fantastic game, and I’m thrilled at the thought that we might be getting a sequel. True, I was hoping the lack of games needing to be localized at the moment would increase our chances of getting Ishin and the other untranslated spin-offs, but I haven’t lost hope yet!

I was skeptical of the Judgment sequel rumors that came out earlier this year, but it really feels likely that this countdown is for Judgment 2. I’ll be there May 7, waiting to see what that video reveals!

What do you think the Judgment countdown is for? Are you looking forward to a potential Judgment sequel?

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Tales of Arise Release Date, Great Ace Attorney Chronicles Confirmed

I’d intended to blog today about Sony reversing its decision to shut down the PS3 and Vita stores, but we have some exciting announcements to discuss instead!

Tales of Arise got a new trailer today, as well as a release date!

Yes, it’s still coming out this year, on September 9 in Japan and September 10 worldwide.

It will be released for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC (Steam).

The new trailer revealed two of the game’s party members, one of whom is accompanied by an owl that appears to be this game’s mascot character.

(I tend to find mascots annoying, but the owl is cute enough that I might like it. Maybe. We’ll see.)

A Famitsu interview, translated by Gematsu, confirmed that there are still unannounced party members as well. It also confirmed that there is no more victory screen after battles, which means no more victory screen banter, but there will be post-battle party banter on the field.

That’s not all! In addition to the trailer, we also have a 7-minute gameplay footage video!

Some fans were concerned the combat system would be completely different from past Tales games, but the gameplay footage gives a good look at some basic battles and it seems pretty Tales-like after all.

Tales of Arise looks fantastic! I’m so excited to play this on September 10…

…but even as I was still reeling from the thrill of Arise getting a release date at last, what popped up on my Twitter feed but a casual announcement of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles!

くらえ! #TheGreatAceAttorneyChronicles collects the novel courtroom antics of two previously Japan-only games! Join Phoenix Wright’s ancestor Ryunosuke in thrilling court cases at the turn of the 20th century. Coming to Switch, PS4, and Steam July 27th!
https://t.co/D1HjMzrLRP pic.twitter.com/t5cDIh5K7O

— Ace Attorney (@aceattorneygame) April 21, 2021

That’s right, it’s really happening!

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles includes both The Great Ace Attorney and its sequel, and it will be out on July 27 for the Switch, PS4, and PC (Steam) for $39.99.

It also includes bonus content, including 8 mini-episodes, that was originally DLC.

I was worried it would be digital-only, but the Switch version is actually getting a physical release in the west. There is also a $59.99 “Turnabout Collection” that bundles The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles together with the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy. That is digital-only in the west.

(I would have expected it to be the other way around, but okay.)

The official announcement has also introduced many more people to the wonder that is Herlock Sholmes. Please, please stop blaming (or praising) Capcom for that name. As goofy as it is, it’s been a time-honored tradition for avoiding Sherlock Holmes copyright issues for over 100 years.

Since The Great Ace Attorney comes out on the same day as Neo: The World Ends With You, yet another game I’m still stunned about, I’ll need to decide which to play first! If you told me a year ago I’d be trying to decide whether I wanted to play the TWEWY sequel or Dai Gyakuten Saiban in English first, I’d have laughed. And then cried.

I’m ecstatic that we’re finally getting The Great Ace Attorney and its sequel in English! And I can hardly believe we got that announcement and the Tales of Arise release date in the same morning!

Are you excited for either or both of these games? Let me know in the comments!

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Yoko Taro is Working on a Digital-Only Game

Amidst all the Nier news, we’ve also gotten our first few details on another upcoming game from Yoko Taro.

During today’s Nier Replicant live stream, producer Yosuke Saito discussed the next game from Square Enix that Taro is the creative director for. According to these details from Gematsu, it will be digital-only and is similar (presumably in scope) to an indie game.

It is apparently “difficult to explain,” “unusual,” “something mysterious,” and “off-beat.”

Yoko Taro is sort of known for making off-beat games, so for them to emphasize the strangeness of this new game so much makes me really curious about what it actually is. Back in December, Yoko Taro and Yosuke Saito confirmed that they had two new games in development, one of which Saito was reluctant about.

If this game really is that hard to explain, maybe it’s that one.

(Either way, yes, this is your reminder that there are at least two upcoming games from Yoko Taro to look forward to.)

Some fans think the digital-only nature means it will be another mobile game, but since they said it’s possible a special physical edition could be made, I’m inclined to think it’s not.

Whatever it is, I’m interested in learning more about it. I’m also waiting patiently for more news about the English version of Nier Re[in]carnation, which I’ll probably check out even though I’m not the biggest fans of mobile games, and yes, I gave in and decided to get Nier Replicant at launch after all. The allure of new content was too much to resist!

What do you think Yoko Taro’s “unusual” new game will be like?

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Nier Replicant Includes Cut Content, Steam Cards Reveal New Character

NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… is due out on April 23, and we’ve gotten our first hints about its new content.

Back when it was announced, there was a reference to new elements and characters being added, but very little has been said about the additional content since then.

We still don’t know a lot… but we have some more details to go on.

In a recent interview with PCGamesN, producer Yosuke Saito said the upcoming remaster/remake includes “some extra story sections that [they] were unable to put into the original” and “a heartrendingly sad but unbelievably powerful new boss.” He also said there will be “a new story, an extra link to Automata, and something for fans of ‘Dad Nier’ too.”

This is pretty exciting. I don’t know how extensive the new story content will be, but it’s enough to have me intrigued. And while I doubt the older Nier will be secretly playable like some fans are hoping, it’s nice that there will at least be a nod to him in some form. I was thinking about not getting Nier Replicant right away since it wasn’t too long ago that I played the original, but I might need to reconsider.

(I don’t know if I’ll have the heart to face a heartrendingly sad boss fight, though.)

Meanwhile, Nier Replicant will be available on Steam, and the Steam trading cards were revealed… including one of a new character named Louise.

The card’s description says: “A girl who had been part of a shipwreck in a cove. The bow on her head is a gift from someone special.”

Fans are speculating that she is the girl from the short story “The Little Mermaid” included in the Japan-exclusive book Grimoire Nier. Bringing the Grimoire Nier stories into the game is fantastic, and I hope that’s what the new story content is about.

These new details have me even more excited for NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… Are you planning to play it? What do you think the new content will be like?

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Arc the Lad: A Worthy Classic I Missed

I never knew about the Arc the Lad series until Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits came to the PS4 as part of the unfortunately short-lived move to bring PS2 games to the PS4.

That put it on my list of games to consider, someday.

But with the impending shutdown of the PSP, PS3, and Vita stores, the original PS1 Arc the Lad games were on my list of games to buy, so I decided to check out the first game to see if I’d like it enough to get the rest.

And you know what? It’s pretty good!

Arc the Lad is a tactical RPG about a boy named Arc who ends up going on a quest to save humanity from monsters. He meets a number of characters who join his mission, and they become the party you use in each of the game’s battle stages. There are a handful of areas where you can walk around and talk to NPCs, and a number of places that are worth revisiting for bonus items and secrets.

In battle, each character has a basic attack as well as special abilities that cost MP. They gain experience for doing pretty much anything, which means even support skills or opening a treasure chest can get you closer to leveling up.

The story is fairly straightforward (with surprisingly strong environmentalist themes), and the characters are likeable. It’s also pretty short for a JRPG and ends on a cliffhanger, which I assume is where Arc the Lad II picks up.

While it largely feels like a prelude to its sequel as a result of the cliffhanger, it more or less completes its story arc and is enjoyable enough on its own. I even did a lengthy bonus dungeon to get rewards that can be transferred into the second game… because yes, this series apparently features save data transfers despite originally being from 1995.

Anyway, I enjoyed it enough to pick up Arc the Lad II and III. I don’t know if I’ll play them right away, but I’m glad I was able to discover this classic series before the stores shut down.

If Arc the Lad is one you’ve been considering, it’s worth checking out!

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