Samantha Lienhard's Blog, page 76

The Fifth “Platinum 4” Announcement Will Be “Smaller in Scale”

You might recall that last year PlatinumGames launched the “Platinum 4” website, teasing four new announcements.

These four announcements turned out to be:

Wonderful 101 RemasteredProject G.G.PlatinumGames Tokyo studioSol Cresta (April Fools’ Joke)

But after the April Fools’ Day joke, PlatinumGames updated the Platinum 4 website to tease a fifth announcement. Since then, we’ve been waiting.

In a new interview with VGC, PlatinumGames co-founder Atsushi Inaba said the fifth Platinum 4 announcement should be seen as “something extra” that is “a little smaller in scale” but should make fans smile.

Originally, my guess was that the fifth announcement would be another self-published game, but now I’m not so sure. If it’s smaller in scale than all of the Platinum 4 announcements, including the game that was just an April Fools’ joke and doesn’t really exist, I’d say a new game or even another remaster are definitely off the table.

Some fans think it might be a mobile game, but I’m thinking the final announcement will be more along the lines of merchandise – a shirt or figurine, something like that.

What do you think the fifth Platinum 4 announcement from PlatinumGames will turn out to be?

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Is a Mario + Rabbids Sequel in Development?

Remember when the tactical RPG Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was first teased?

I didn’t think a crossover between Mario and Rabbids sounded too appealing, so I was pleasantly surprised when it actually looked good.

Indeed, it got a positive reception after it came out in 2017.

Although I still haven’t played it, I intend to… and now there’s a chance that a sequel is on the way.

Ubisoft’s official Rabbids Twitter account used to have the Twitter handle @rabbidsofficial. The account hasn’t tweeted since August, but their handle has been changed to @mariorabbids.

(Someone already grabbed the “@rabbidsofficial” name.)

It’s not clear exactly when the change occurred, but a Reddit user says the account still had the old name on January 11, and another person on Twitter says the change occurred a few days before January 18. The official Rabbids website still has a link to @rabbidsofficial, as well.

Changing the account’s name to @mariorabbids over three years after Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was released is an odd decision if they aren’t planning to do anything else with it. As a result, this has led to a lot of speculation that a Mario + Rabbids sequel might be in development.

On the other hand, it seems like their other Rabbids social media accounts were already focused on Mario + Rabbids, so maybe they just decided to change the Twitter account to match.

What do you think? Is Ubisoft developing a new Mario + Rabbids game? If it turns out to be true, I’ll make sure to play the original before the new one comes out to see for myself what this bizarre crossover is like.

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Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen – Slow Build to an Exciting End

After Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen was released last year, I bought the Vita version and concluded my playthrough this weekend.

Prelude to the Fallen is a remake of the original Utawarerumono, although with no sex scenes (the original was an eroge).

I was waiting for this for a long time because I’ve heard excellent things about the later games in the series, Mask of Deception and Mask of Truth, but it’s highly recommended that you’re familiar with the original’s story first.

It is a visual novel / strategy RPG hybrid, with a stronger emphasis on the visual novel side. Don’t get me wrong, there are a number of battles over the course of the story and it’s an important part of the gameplay, but the battles are pretty basic and much more time is spent reading.

You play as Hakuowlo, a man who wakes up with no memory after suffering grievous injuries, wearing a mask that can’t be removed.

After being cared for by the people of a small village, Hakuowlo decides to stay there and make a new life for himself. The stakes start out low, with him helping the villagers with their farming and resisting the corrupt leaders making their lives difficult, but they gradually build higher and higher.

That’s important to keep in mind, because Utawarerumono moves slowly. There are a lot of slow-paced, almost slice-of-life sections, and it takes a while to really become exciting.

When it gets there, however, it takes some crazy twists and turns that I never saw coming. That slow build-up lead to a genuinely epic conclusion. The main characters are also pretty likeable, so the slower sections are enjoyable in their own right even if some of the sections (especially the early villains) feel a bit lacking.

I enjoyed Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen and I’m happy I was able to play it. It’s out on Steam now, as well, with an improved translation (which is good, because a couple lines felt really out of place). Now I’m looking forward to moving on to Mask of Deception in the future!

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Top Untranslated Games I Want to See in English

Over the years, we’ve talked about a lot of untranslated games and localization campaigns to finally see them in English. Sometimes our hopes have been fulfilled… other times, not so much.

Today I’d like to highlight some of the ones I’m still waiting for. It’ll be structured like a Top 5 list, but based on series rather than individual game (so an entry might have multiple games).

Here are the top untranslated games I most want to see released in English.

5. Tales of Destiny 2, Rebirth, Innocence R

There are a lot of Tales games available, but there’s still a handful of notable ones that never came out of Japan.

One of the biggest is Tales of Destiny 2. Don’t confuse it with Tales of Eternia, which was confusingly released in North America under the title Tales of Destiny II for the PlayStation.

The real Tales of Destiny 2 is a direct sequel to Tales of Destiny, and it seems to have been well-received. Speaking of which, Tales of Destiny also received a remake that didn’t come west, either.

Then there’s Tales of Rebirth, a main entry in the series that was never localized despite positive previews from English publications ahead of its launch.

Meanwhile, Tales of Innocence didn’t get localized either, not even when it was enhanced as Tales of Innocence R. Being a Vita game might have doomed it, despite Tales of Hearts R coming out.

I’d love to see all of these Tales games released in English, especially if the older games could be released in some sort of collection to celebrate the anniversary (or maybe a Tales of Destiny/Destiny 2 dual-pack like they did with Symphonia). I still have a lot of Tales games to play, though, so who knows? Maybe by the time I’ve worked my way through the series, these Japan-exclusive titles will finally be localized.

4. Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse

This year is also the anniversary of Fatal Frame… and you know what I’d love to see? A translated Switch port of the fourth game in the series, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse.

Unlike the Fatal Frame II remake, which at least came out in Europe, Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse was never released outside of Japan. A European release was actually planned, but later was cancelled. I guess they really didn’t have high hopes for Fatal Frame in the west at that point.

Fatal Frame IV, or Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, was co-developed by Grasshopper Manufacture, with Suda51 being a co-writer and co-director. They seem to be on pretty good terms with Nintendo, and other Grasshopper Manufacture games have been re-released in recent years, so maybe there’s still hope.

Again, I have quite a few Fatal Frame games to play in the meantime. If I play them all, perhaps the localization fates will reward me with an official Fatal Frame IV translation.

3. Ace Attorney Investigations 2, The Great Ace Attorney, The Great Ace Attorney 2

You knew they were going to be on this list, right?

Once upon a time, I went into every gaming event hoping to see an English announcement for Gyakuten Kenji 2, or Ace Attorney Investigations 2. My hopes have diminished greatly since then, but I still don’t think a Switch collection is out of the question.

Meanwhile, last year’s supposed leak claimed Dai Gyakuten Saiban, or The Great Ace Attorney, and its sequel are planned to be released in a new collection and translated.

There hasn’t been any official word from Capcom yet about this, but I really want to believe it’s true. I’m also all caught up on the Ace Attorney series, so these unlocalized titles are the last ones I need.

2. The Trails Crossbell Arc

Now let’s head back in to the land of JRPGs, where have the long-running Trails series. Fans interested in the overall Trails story will get the best experience if they play all of the current arcs… but unfortunately, one of them is exclusive to Japan.

Set between the Trails in the Sky arc and the Trails of Cold Steel arc, Zero no Kiseki and Ao no Kiseki make up the Crossbell arc, and they’re highly praised in addition to being important for the overall story. There have been several hints that the new PS4 versions could be localized, so here’s hoping it finally comes true.

I’ve got a few Trails games to play before I’d need to decide if I want to skip Crossbell or play the fan translation… which means there’s plenty of time for official translations to be announced.

1. Yakuza Kenzan, Ishin, Black Panther, Black Panther 2

And of course, you probably anticipated that my new favorite series would make the #1 spot on my list.

I’ve absolutely fallen in love with the Yakuza games, and there are still four important spin-offs that have never been localized, starting with the historical spin-offs Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan and Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin.

When these games first came out, it’s no surprise they weren’t localized. Yakuza itself was still a pretty niche series in the west, so spin-offs grounded in Japanese history probably looked like a risky bet.

But now? Yakuza’s popularity is growing, we have all of the mainline games in English, and the success of games like Sekiro and Ghost of Tsushima certainly show that there’s an audience here for that setting. They’ve gone on record saying that Kenzan’s best chance of localization is if it gets the Kiwami treatment, since it was a PS3 game, but Ishin being a PS4 game still has a chance of coming over as it is.

The spin-off Kurohyo: Ryu ga Gotoku Shinsho, or Black Panther, and its sequel have never received official translations either. The demand is smaller and I don’t think our chances of getting them are particularly good, but I’d never say no to more Yakuza games.

And… yes, I have five whole Yakuza games and two spin-offs to play before I run out of Yakuza, so once again, maybe all I need to do is get through those games…

Conclusion

Tales, Fatal Frame, Ace Attorney, Trails, and Yakuza – all great series with untranslated titles I keep hoping to see localization news about. Right now, Ace Attorney feels like it’s the closest to coming true, while the others still have a mountain of translated games for me to work through first. Here’s hoping the games on this list are translated in the future!

What unlocalized games would you most like to see translated?

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Ryuji Goda Yakuza Spin-Off: Real or Fake?

A supposed leak suggests RGG Studio is working on a new Yakuza spin-off starring Ryuji Goda from Yakuza 2.

According to the information, it features locations from Yakuza 5 and 6 and is based on Ryuji’s story in Ryu ga Gotoku Online, the Japan-exclusive mobile game.

(If I were you, I wouldn’t read the comments in that thread. Just look at the screenshots.)

The first screenshot shows Ryuji’s RGG Online character model standing in what appears to be one of the areas from Yakuza 6. The second screenshot shows him again, with Joon-gi Han (a Yakuza 6 character) apparently following him, and a debug menu open along the side of the screen.

There’s good reason to be skeptical about this leak. For one thing, it was only a few months ago that a screenshot began circulating of an Omi Alliance spin-off starring Watase, only for it to be confirmed fake.

However, it would have to be a fairly elaborate fake to use Ryuji’s RGG Online character model in a Yakuza 6 area, and several people say the debug menu in the second screenshot looks legitimate.

If the Ryuji spin-off is real, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I loved Yakuza Kiwami 2 and thought Ryuji was a pretty cool character, so the idea of a Ryuji game is neat. I’ve also completely fallen in love with this series, so I want to play anything that RGG Studio has lined up next.

On the other hand, I’ve been really, really hoping that the long gap between Yakuza 7 and anything new will provide the space we need to get Ishin (and Kenzan!) in the West without oversaturation concerns, so I wouldn’t mind a little more time without a new announcement.

(Please give us the unlocalized spin-offs, I’m begging you!)

So what do you think? Real spin-off or elaborate fake? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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I’m No Roguelike Fan, But I Loved Hades

It’s finally time to talk about Hades, which I brought up previously as one of my favorite games I played last year.

I intended to ignore it since the roguelike gameplay loop doesn’t appeal to me a lot, but I saw enough people describing it as a roguelike for people who don’t enjoy roguelikes that I decided to give it a try.

And I loved it.

Roguelikes always struck me as the sort of games where you’d need to keep starting over. You’d make some progress, die, and then start over from the beginning, maybe with some new upgrades or something to make it a little easier, and then try to get further the next time.

At its core, that’s what you’ll be doing in Hades too, but because of the way the story is structured, it never felt to me like I was starting over.

You play Zagreus, the son of Hades who is trying to escape the Underworld for reasons that are explained as the story goes on. Hades has forbidden him from leaving, so he needs to fight his way through the realms of the Underworld to get out. This premise and setting means that all of your attempts and deaths fit into the story.

Die partway through one of the realms? You’re sent back to the House of Hades, where characters comment on your death or developments related to their personal character arcs or the main story, completely acknowledging that you made an attempt to leave.

Early on, I worried that if I died too many times, I’d run out of dialogue. That never happened. There is so much dialogue in Hades. Some of it relates to the main story, some to side quests or individual character stories, some specific to your most recent run – there was always new dialogue from the major characters.

(You also can pet Cerberus while you’re there, a small yet wonderful detail.)

Just having dialogue and story content isn’t enough, of course, so I’m happy to say that the main plot of Hades is pretty interesting and I really grew to love the characters as well. There’s also a lot of funny dialogue and little details that kept me coming back for the story progression.

Meanwhile, the gameplay has you pick a weapon (each with its own playstyle) and head out to fight hordes of enemies. Along the way, you’ll get boons from the major gods of Olympus to give you special powers for that run, as well as resources that let you unlock permanent upgrades once you get back to the House of Hades. That provides a sense of gameplay progression as well, since you’re always getting stronger.

You’ll eventually run out of things to upgrade, but it still gives you reasons to keep playing beyond the story and characters. Different weapons, different weapon aspects, self-imposed challenges to earn more rewards, etc. all provide a variety of things to do.

After playing for 100 hours, I consider my Hades playthrough to be “finished” now. I completed the main story, the epilogue story, and a majority of character stories. But there are still plenty of things I haven’t done and dialogue I haven’t seen, so returning isn’t out of the question even after all those hours.

Hades is an addictive game, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes action games or Greek mythology stories, even if you’re not a big roguelike fan. I doubt I’ll dive into the roguelike genre after this, but now I know that with the right story structure, I can not only find one enjoyable, but consider it to be one of my favorite games of the year.

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13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim Has an Incredible, Complicated Story

Do you like story-driven games? Have you played 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim yet?

If you haven’t, you’re missing out on one of the best story-driven games that came out last year.

A lot of people had been anticipating 13 Sentinels for years, but I wasn’t actually one of them. It’s the latest title from Vanillaware, and when I looked it up because of the hype, I saw its combat was described as real-time strategy and crossed it off my list.

Then it came out, and the high praise for its story together with assurances that calling it real-time strategy is pretty misleading convinced me to try it.

I’m so glad that I did.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim followed thirteen high school students who are caught up in a struggle to protect Japan from kaiju trying to destroy it across various time periods. Its genre is a little tricky to pin down; it’s so story-focused that some people consider it to be a visual novel, but that’s caused no end of controversy. The narrative sections could be seen as an adventure game, yet they are almost entirely focused on dialogue with only light gameplay.

Meanwhile, the combat is a comparatively minor part of the overall game and features a sort of real-time system, but one that pauses for you to select your character’s actions.

But whatever genre it falls into, it’s fantastic. The story is told through a non-linear presentation with a fair amount of freedom as to how you proceed. Stick with one character’s story until you hit a lock that requires you to do something else first? Alternate between between characters? Focus on story over combat? Focus on combat over story? Do a little story and then a little combat? All of these are valid approaches to playing 13 Sentinels, and the narrative is constructed in such a way that they all work.

You will start out feeling confused by the story. After a little while, you’ll start to understand what’s going on. Then you’ll play another section of the story and get hit by a plot twist that makes you realize your “understanding” was actually wrong.

There are so many plot twists, and the non-linear approach to the story (along with certain story segments being gated by others so you don’t have complete freedom) lets it tease information in such a way as to nudge you in the wrong direction until you finally learn the truth.

(In some ways it reminded me of the fragment system in Zero Time Dilemma, except handled in a much better way.)

With so many plot twists and convoluted aspects to the story, there were times when I worried it wouldn’t ever feel cohesive. But that’s not true. Through surprise after surprise and even plot twists late in the game, the pieces of the story all come together in a way that makes sense. At the end, you finally do understand the story and see how all those confusing little parts actually fit into it.

The characters are great, the story is intense and filled with twists, and it’s just so brilliant the way everything fits together.

I can’t praise 13 Sentinels enough. It is an incredible game, and it would have made my top 5 list easily if I’d finished it last year instead of this year. As it is, it got 2021’s gaming off to a great start.

So if you love story-driven games, you need to play 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. And if you’ve already played 13 Sentinels, share your own thoughts on it in the comments below!

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Bowser’s Fury is a Standalone Free-Roaming Adventure

We’ve got more reviews on the way, but first let’s discuss the new information about Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury.

Back when Super Mario 3D All-Stars was announced, they also announced a Switch version of Super Mario 3D World with a new addition called Bowser’s Fury.

At the time, I wasn’t particularly interested in it. I much prefer the Super Mario 64/Sunshine/Odyssey (and Galaxy to a lesser extent) style of gameplay, so while I enjoyed Super Mario 3D World, it’s not a favorite.

However, yesterday Nintendo gave us our first look at Bowser’s Fury in a new trailer, and I became much more interested.

The trailer gave the impression that instead of following the 3D World format of small levels with a goal to reach in time, Bowser’s Fury would actually be more in line with the 64/Sunshine/Odyssey style of having a large world to explore with collectibles to find.

It actually feels a little out of place with 3D World, aside from it expanding the cat themes.

If that’s the sort of game Bowser’s Fury is, it makes me much more interested in playing it… but is it enough to re-buy 3D World when I already played it on the Wii U?

Well, today Nintendo released a 7-minute overview trailer about Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury. While some fans argue that the Bowser’s Fury section doesn’t really show anything that wasn’t already in yesterday’s trailer, it does confirm a lot of the conclusions fans had.

(The Bowser’s Fury section starts around 3:55.)

Bowser’s Fury is a “whole other adventure,” rather than new levels for 3D World, set in a lake kingdom inhabited by cats. While the main game supports 4-player co-op, Bowser’s Fury supports 2-player co-op with one player as Mario and the second as Bowser Jr., who joins you as your reluctant ally.

You have a large area to traverse, with the ability to ride Plessie across both the water and land, and your goal is to collect the Cat Shines scattered throughout the world.

Bowser will appear “after a certain amount of time” in his new Fury Bowser form, transforming the world into a darker, more dangerous version until he finally calms down and the world returns to normal. Many players have interpreted his arrival to be based on an actual in-game timer, although I feel that part isn’t completely clear.

You need to collect enough Cat Shines to purify the Giga Bell so that Mario can transform into his new gigantic cat form and fight Fury Bowser.

(Also, when it comes to the main game, the stamps that were used for Miiverse in the original are now usable in a photo mode.)

So yes, the trailer confirms that Bowser’s Fury is a standalone adventure set in a single large world with a focus on exploration and collecting Cat Shines. What it hasn’t answered is how long this new content will be. The official website describes it as a “short but action-packed standalone adventure.”

Since it specifically says it’s short, my guess is it will be a couple hours long and anyone expecting a full-length game is setting themselves up for disappointment. The website also describes it as a “free-roaming adventure” where you’ll “collect Cat Shines to reignite lighthouses and clear darkened terrain,” so the number of lighthouses will probably be a good indication of how long it will be.

Four beams of light shine on the Giga Bell in the trailer, so there are probably four lighthouses and four major zones in the area.

Personally, I’m still conflicted. Super Mario 3D World isn’t a game I’d re-buy on its own, and I’ll probably never replay the main game. However, Bowser’s Fury looks like the sort of game I’d enjoy. Is it worth the purchase? I’ll wait to hear more about its size… and maybe wait for a sale.

What about you? What do you think of Bowser’s Fury, and are you planning to buy this new version of Super Mario 3D World? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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Bug Fables Fills the Paper Mario Void

I finished a few fantastic games to start off the year, and the first one I’d like to talk about is Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling.

After first learning about Bug Fables in 2018, I backed its Indiegogo campaign and waited for the game to release. Last year I finally started it and finished it this weekend.

So, did Bug Fables meet my hopes and expectations? Yes. Yes it did.

Bug Fables is very obviously inspired by the first two Paper Mario games. The art style, music, combat, and even the way you pick a stat to increase when you level up all made me smile just because of how much it evoked my fond memories of Paper Mario.

At the same time, it’s not just a Paper Mario clone with different characters. You play as Kabbu, Vi, and Leif, a trio of bug adventurers searching for artifacts in the land of Bugaria. All three are playable in battles, each with their own strengths and abilities. Little features like being able to swap turn order or pass your turn to a different character provide a lot of ways you can approach each battle, and there are also medals you can equip for a variety of effects.

The three of them are fully realized and developed characters, too. It’s not all just funny dialogue and banter; I really grew to like them – and the story even hit me with some unexpectedly heavy moments.

While the story starts out slow, with the trio searching for artifacts to help the Ant Queen find the fabled Everlasting Sapling, I found it to be pretty interesting as time went on. Bug Fables also has a fleshed out world to explore, plus tons of side quests, optional dialogue, and even a card mini-game.

I can’t praise Bug Fables enough. It’s full of charm and fun things to discover, and my only real criticism is that some of the field skills used to help with navigation and puzzles can be a little awkward at times.

It has so much more going for it than just Paper Mario nostalgia, but it also fills the void classic Paper Mario left behind. In fact, Bug Fables made me feel better about Origami King. Okay, Nintendo has decided for whatever reason that RPGs are too hardcore, so Paper Mario will probably never be an RPG again. That’s fine. I have Bug Fables now. A Bug Fables sequel is pretty much confirmed, and I’m more than happy to let this series give me what I’d hoped Paper Mario would become.

Bug Fables is fantastic, and it’s out now for both PC and consoles. If you love Paper Mario, you’ll probably love Bug Fables… and if you just want a fun, charming turn-based RPG, you’ll probably love Bug Fables too. Did you play Bug Fables? Share your thoughts on it in the comments!

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2021 Game Teases: Fatal Frame, Project Re Fantasy, & More!

Famitsu always closes out the year by interviewing Japanese game developers about their plans for the next year, and this year’s interviews include some exciting teases.

Gematsu has the full round-up translated here, so let’s take a look at some of the most interesting ones…

Fatal Frame

Koei Tecmo’s Keisuke Kikuchi, who was the producer for the Fatal Frame series among many other notable titles, mentioned that 2021 is the 20th anniversary of Fatal Frame. As such, he’d like to “celebrate it in some way if possible.”

That doesn’t sound definite enough to expect a new Fatal Frame this year, but I’m hopeful it means we might see a new port or remaster. Fatal Frame V is one of the noteworthy Wii U exclusives that hasn’t made it to the Switch yet, after all.

Project Re Fantasy

Katsura Hashino from Atlus asks fans to look forward to their upcoming fantasy RPG, naming it in contrast to the contemporary settings their games often have. This is a reference to Project Re Fantasy.

We barely know anything about Project Re Fantasy beyond it existing, but since 2020 finally brought news about Shin Megami Tensei V, maybe 2021 will be the year of Project Re Fantasy news.

Dragon Quest

It might be Fatal Frame’s 20th anniversary, but it’s Dragon Quest’s 35th anniversary. That’s incredible. As such, Square Enix’s Noriyoshi Fujimoto wants to announce something related to Dragon Quest this year.

Early last year, Dragon Quest XII was confirmed to be in development, so maybe we’ll get to see that (and maybe I’ll have played more Dragon Quest games by then).

Fantasian

Finally, we have an update from Hironobu Sakaguchi about Mistwalker’s 2021 plans. Mistwalker’s new JRPG Fantasian will be released for Apple Arcade this year.

Playing The Last Story left me dying for more games from Mistwalker, and while another mobile game isn’t exactly what I was hoping for, it might be too soon to write it off. Fantasian is being designed with handcrafted dioramas and looks at least visually interesting from the tweets shared by Mistwalker.

(Besides, Shantae & the Seven Sirens released for Apple Arcade first and was fantastic, so it’s not a death knell.)

Several more games and goals are mentioned in the interviews as well. Which ones stand out the most to you, and which teased games are you most interested in?

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