Samantha Lienhard's Blog, page 82

September PlayStation 5 Showcase Hopes and Predictions

This year’s numerous “Not-E3” digital events included a PlayStation 5 showcase that I found to be pretty great.

Not necessarily “get it at launch” great, but still many cool-looking games that I’ll want to buy.

A few months have passed since then, and we still don’t know the PS5’s price or release date. Now a new 40-minute PlayStation 5 showcase has been announced for this Wednesday at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET, so here are some things I hope and/or expect to see.

First and foremost, they have to announce the price and release date. We know the Xbox details now, so we really need to know how much the PlayStation 5 will cost and when it’s coming out.

Next, I’m sure they’ll show some of the big PS5 games we already know about and confirm which of them are launch titles.

But what are some new announcements I hope to see?

The next God of War game feels like a solid bet to me. I expected it to be teased at the first showcase and it wasn’t, so maybe this is the time. Depending on when it’s coming out, that’s one announcement that could sway me toward getting a PS5 sooner rather than later.

We’ve also got more Final Fantasy XVI rumors to consider. Along with the rumors that FFXVI will be at TGS, many people now think it will be announced at the PlayStation Showcase.

I’d love to see more from Babylon’s Fall, although we know that’s part of the TGS lineup.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we get to see a trailer for Yakuza: Like a Dragon to finally learn its PS5 release date, but I’d really love to see a surprise localization announcement for Ishin or Kenzan.

If the rumored Resident Evil 4 remake is real, it could show up here as well (not that I’m particularly excited for that), and maybe they’ll show us more of Resident Evil Village.

And in general, I hope there are plenty of surprises, as well. With 40 minutes for the showcase, it should be plenty of time for exciting news!

What are your hopes and/or predictions for Wednesday’s PlayStation 5 showcase?

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 September PlayStation 5 Showcase Hopes and Predictions appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition Makes a Fantastic Game Even Better

I love Xenoblade.

I love Xenoblade so much that when my copy of Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition arrived, I decided not to jump into the new epilogue content right away but instead replay the entire game from the beginning.

And yes, I still love it.

Xenoblade Chronicles has a fantastic story, great characters, and such a beautiful world to explore. Everything looks more beautiful than ever thanks to the new graphics of the Definitive Edition, and that’s not the only benefit. There are several little quality-of-life improvements (such as marking side quest locations on the map) that made it feel even better.

There are still some frustrating things, like side quests with multiple paths that lock you into one path if you have the necessary items before starting the quest, and I wish it was possible to track Colony 6 restoration materials like side quests, but these are minor.

So much time had passed since I played the original Xenoblade Chronicles that even though I knew it was a great game, my memories of it were pretty fuzzy. Replaying it in the Definitive Edition really reminded me of just how much I love this game.

Backlog or no backlog, I happily put another 100 hours into Xenoblade.

Once I completed the main game, I moved on to the new epilogue added to the Definitive Edition, Future Connected.

Future Connected isn’t quite what I expected when it was first announced. I thought it would tease Xenoblade Chronicles 3 or otherwise tie into certain revelations about the series. It doesn’t do either of those things.

It’s largely just a short epilogue to the original game that helps resolve Melia’s storyline, gives a glimpse of what the world is like after the game’s ending, and makes use of the Bionis’ Shoulder, an area that was cut from the original. It also follows up on a few late-game side quests from the main game.

The story of Future Connected is… okay. Its villain is pretty uncompelling and the major threat is left so vague that maybe it is intended to tease a sequel after all. I don’t know. It just felt a bit bland.

On the other hand, it’s filled with a lot of great character interactions (especially in the “quiet moments,” Future Connected’s version of heart-to-hearts) and the group of Nopons you end up helping and saving are funny rather than annoying. A certain character from one of the main game’s most memorable side quest chains also returns for another side quest here, which was great.

My thoughts on Future Connected ultimately come down to this: it’s more Xenoblade, and more Xenoblade is good. If I’d played it on its own, I’d probably be disappointed, but it’s a nice little epilogue for the game.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition takes the fantastic JRPG that is Xenoblade Chronicles and makes it better than ever. I’m happy I decided to play through the whole game again, and I can’t wait to see what Monolith Soft has planned for the future.

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 Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition Makes a Fantastic Game Even Better appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Thoughts on Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

Nintendo is still dropping surprise announcements (by now we’ve probably had enough to fill a Direct), and yesterday’s was something no one saw coming: a new Hyrule Warriors game that is a canon prequel to Breath of the Wild.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is set 100 years before the events of Breath of the Wild, during the battles leading up to the Great Calamity.

These events are discussed and briefly glimpsed during Breath of the Wild, but never in much detail. Now we’ll be able to play through those events as Link, Zelda, the four Champions, and probably several other characters as well.

Now, I never finished Breath of the Wild. I tried it, and I enjoyed parts of it, but the open world format just didn’t work for me. I took a break from it and never felt the urge to return. This prequel sounds like it could be interesting, though, and it looks great!

It’s a Musou game, so it’ll be a lot more focused on action than regular Legend of Zelda games are, but the official press release says “players will also solve environmental puzzles, unlock weapons and skills, craft materials, visit shops to obtain items and use the power of the Sheikah Slate,” so that sounds cool.

Maybe I should play my copy of the first Hyrule Warriors before getting this (although I have the Wii U version, much to my dismay since I never got around to it before the Switch version came out with more content).

And since more information about Age of Calamity will be revealed on September 26, I can’t help but hope for a Koei Tecmo partner showcase with details about that and a release date for Persona 5 Scramble.

Anyway, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is due out on November 20. Are you interested in it?

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 Thoughts on Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

New Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory Details

With Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory on the horizon, Square Enix recently answered questions in several interviews about what fans can expect.

First up, let’s take a look at the interview with Game Informer. In it, the Melody of Memory team explains how the game came to be, the number of songs that will appear in the game (140), and how you’ll level up despite it being a rhythm game.

Nomura then explains some of the story details. Most of the narrative will be a trip through past events in the series, with Kairi acting as storyteller.

Kairi is the central character here, and she “is relevant to a very big part of the plot.” Nomura also goes on to say that Melody of Memory will not have as much story content as other Kingdom Hearts games, but will provide a glimpse of Kairi’s childhood as well as where the future of the series is going.

An interview with IGN mostly covers the same ground, but co-director Masanobu Suzui adds that the team was “very excited, very surprised” by the new story scenario.

Ever since the game was announced, some fans have complained about the next part of the story being put in a rhythm game, while others expect it will only have a short snippet of story at the very end. From the recent interviews, it sounds like it might be somewhere in between those two. Nomura reiterated in a PlayStation Japan interview, translated here, that it does not have a “great volume” of story, but that a new story was written for it. Apparently the rhythm gameplay specifically connects to the story in some way, too.

Meanwhile, he confirmed in that same interview that Melody of Memory and Master of Masters having the same acronym is intentional (as theorized back when the title was first revealed).

So it sounds like we’ll have two general story threads, one dealing with Kairi’s childhood and the other involving the Master of Masters and the future of the series. It will probably be a minor part of the game’s content, with most of Melody of Memory being focused on the rhythm gameplay and the music, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it has an unexpected twist judging by that quote about the team being “surprised.”

And in a Famitsu interview, translated here, Nomura mentioned that 2022 is the anniversary of Kingdom Hearts, the next game is already in development, and upcoming announcements will surprise us.

Personally, I can’t wait!

Mixed news for fans hoping for Kingdom Hearts on the Switch, though – the question came up in an interview with Nintendo Enthusiast, and Nomura said porting Kingdom Hearts games to the Switch would be “technologically difficult,” but that he likes the Switch and “another game of his” could potentially come to it.

What games could he have in mind? If Kingdom Hearts is is a challenge to port to the Switch, I can’t imagine he means the Final Fantasy VII Remake… so I’ll go back to hoping for a The World Ends With You 2 announcement.

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is being set up as the game that will bridge the Dark Seeker Saga to the next saga. I’m looking forward to playing it when it comes out this November. How do you feel about Melody of Memory?

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 New Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory Details appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Mixed Feelings on Super Mario 3D All-Stars

Instead of holding a big Nintendo Direct, Nintendo’s strategy lately has been to release smaller presentations like the partner showcases.

Yesterday, they continued the trend by dropping a surprise Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Direct.

The Direct was full of Mario announcements, including a new Mario Kart entry that uses real toy karts racing around your house as you play the game (which I probably won’t get, but absolutely would have wanted as a kid), and the much-rumored Switch ports of the 3D Mario games.

Super Mario 3D World is getting its own separate Switch release with new content called Bowser’s Fury, but the announcement I was most interested in was Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a collection of Super Mario 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy, plus an in-game music collection.

(But not Super Mario Galaxy 2. It didn’t even show up in the montage of Mario games at the end!)

I wasn’t surprised that all three games look pretty much like straight ports. I wasn’t surprised by the $60 price tag, either. I could see them easily pricing Super Mario Galaxy at $30 or $40 if it was a standalone release, for example.

And when they said the physical edition would be limited, I was disappointed but not surprised… until I realized they also said the digital version is limited. Super Mario 3D All-Stars will be out on September 18, but it will only be sold up through March 31, 2021.

Why?

Why make even the digital release limited?

A moment later, I had my answer, because I immediately went from, “I’ve played the originals, so I don’t know if I really want this,” to, “But I only have until March to decide, so maybe I’d better get them!” Being available for a limited amount of time might make people more inclined to buy them who would have otherwise waited.

My other theory is that after March 31, all three will appear as individual purchases on the eShop at a higher price all together. Since they haven’t announced that, however, the “fear of missing out” theory still applies even if they do release them separately.

Some fans have defended the decision, saying it’s supposed to be limited since it’s an anniversary celebration and past All-Stars releases were like this, but I still don’t like it.

This has left me conflicted. On one hand, I don’t know if I want to re-buy slightly three games I already have just because they’re on a newer console. On the other hand, I feel I should buy them just in case I do decide I want to replay them. But then, that makes me feel like I’m being manipulated into buying them, and then I don’t want to.

At least I have until March to decide. How do you feel about the Super Mario 3D All-Stars Collection?

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 Mixed Feelings on Super Mario 3D All-Stars appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Will Final Fantasy XVI Be Revealed at TGS 2020?

It’s been four years since the launch of Final Fantasy XV, and fans are starting to speculate that Final Fantasy XVI will be announced soon… possibly even this month.

A few days ago, fans discovered that a Twitter account had been registered with the handle @FF16_JP. People then learned that the email registered to the account has the right number of characters to be a Square Enix email.

This can be faked, of course, since most of the email address is hidden. Earlier this year, fake Twitter accounts were made to stir up rumors about other games.

Square Enix also typically uses Roman numerals in its Final Fantasy Twitter account handles, so the name of this one stands out as suspicious.

Moving on from the Twitter account, however, Tokyo Game Show runs from September 23-27, and several companies have released their lineup and schedule. Square Enix’s TGS lineup includes upcoming games like Babylon’s Fall, Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, and Balan Wonderworld, among others, but they also have a few spots listed simply as “coming soon.”

TGS is an event where many Japanese companies announce new games, so there’s a good chance those empty slots are for unannounced games. Could one of them be Final Fantasy XVI?

I’m looking forward to the next Final Fantasy VII Remake part being announced, but of course I’m excited to finally hear about the next main Final Fantasy game (and learn if it really is the Third Development Division’s mysterious new project). Even if neither of those is announced at TGS 2020, I’m glad we’ll finally be learning more about Babylon’s Fall, if nothing else.

Do you think a Final Fantasy XVI announcement is coming soon?

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 Will Final Fantasy XVI Be Revealed at TGS 2020? appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Yakuza Ishin Localization Only Stalled By “Over-Saturation”

The Yakuza series has been surging in popularity in the west ever since Yakuza 0, which is when a lot of players (including me) were first introduced to it.

Now we’ve got the entire main series up through Yakuza 6 readily available, with Yakuza: Like a Dragon set for later this year.

Yet there are a handful of Yakuza spin-offs that never made it outside of Japan, with the historical spin-offs Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan and Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin being the two fans request the most often.

Lately things have seemed more promising for Kenzan and Ishin localizations. Last June, Yakuza producer Daisuke Sato said in an interview that a potential Kenzan remake as Kenzan Kiwami would make an English release possible. Then at Gamescom 2019, Sato said Ishin localization was under consideration, but they weren’t sure people would be able to enjoy it without knowing the history of samurai.

Well, now we have another update. In a new interview, Yakuza localization producer Scott Strichart says, “We absolutely recognize that there are some holes in the backlog, that we want to do, that Japan wants us to do. It’s really just a matter of finding the space for them on the slate.”

He goes on to explain, “There’s definitely an issue there with not wanting to over-saturate the market,” and finishes by saying, “As much as we all want to do it, we need to find the time and space.”

Some fans have interpreted this answer negatively, since they’re essentially saying, “Sorry, this is why that’s not happening.”

This answer can also be interpreted in a much more positive way, however. First, localizing Kenzan/Ishin is not only something the localization team would like them to see, but something “Japan wants [them] to do.” Last year’s concerns that the west wouldn’t enjoy the games might be gone.

Next, the primary issue blocking those games from being localized has now been explained as over-saturation. They don’t want an Ishin localization interfering with the release of other Yakuza titles. Essentially we can’t have Ishin yet because we’re getting so many other Yakuza games, which can only be seen as a good thing.

But let’s take a look at why over-saturation of Yakuza games was a potential concern in recent years. Here are the English Yakuza (and spin-off) releases since Yakuza 0:

January 2017 – Yakuza 0
August 2017 – Yakuza Kiwami
April 2018 – Yakuza 6
August 2018 – Yakuza Kiwami 2
October 2018 – Fist of the North Star
June 2019 – Judgment
August 2019 – Yakuza 3 remaster
October 2019 – Yakuza 4 remaster
February 2020 – Yakuza 5 remaster
November 2020 – Yakuza: Like a Dragon

Yeah, the series has been pretty busy lately. Looking at these dates, it seems as though they believe 2-3 Yakuza releases in a year are possible without over-saturating the market. But what caused there to be this many in the first place? The remakes and remasters.

There’s no reason the schedule of upcoming Yakuza games should be quite this full. We’re all caught up on the main series now. If Yakuza 3-5 didn’t need to be remastered, 2019 and 2020 would have only had a single game each, one spin-off and one main title. Even if they’re developing a new spin-off and Yakuza 8, that’s only two new games compared to the five released in 2019-2020.

So I’m interpreting this interview in a positive light. If over-saturation is the issue, I think we’re finally approaching a point where there’s enough space in the schedule for games like Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin to finally be localized.

What do you think? Will we see Yakuza Ishin and the other unlocalized Yakuza titles in the west?

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 Yakuza Ishin Localization Only Stalled By “Over-Saturation” appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory Release Date and Trailer

While this week’s Nintendo partner showcase didn’t have too many thrilling announcements, it did start with one that made me very happy: Melody of Memory’s release date!

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory will be out for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on November 11 in Japan and November 13 in the west, which is much sooner than I expected to get the next Kingdom Hearts game.

It features over 140 songs, both solo and multiplayer modes, and a new story picking up after the events of Kingdom Hearts III featuring Kairi.

The key art was also revealed, pictured here to the right.

After the announcement trailer for the partner showcase, an extended version of the trailer was released.

(Warning: this trailer spoils parts of Kingdom Hearts III’s ending.)

I love the music in Kingdom Hearts, so a Kingdom Hearts rhythm game would probably have my intention anyway… but the new story content is really what has me the most excited. While this trailer only shows a tiny snippet, the final scene is especially interesting to anyone keeping up with KHUX’s latest story developments.

(And it’s definitely weird that the next Kingdom Hearts game is a rhythm game instead of a JRPG, but it’s not like Kingdom Hearts hasn’t played around with other genres before.)

Some people feel Melody of Memory is overpriced since it’s being released as a full price game, but I don’t, I already pre-ordered my copy, and I can’t wait. How do you feel about Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory?

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 Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory Release Date and Trailer appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Did Falcom Say the Next Trails Game Will Have Action Combat?

The newest entry in the Trails series, Hajimari no Kiseki, is due out tomorrow in Japan, and Falcom has begun to talk about what the next game in the series will be like.

This morning, debates exploded over the headlines that the next Trails game would feature action combat instead of its current turn-based combat system.

But is that actually what Falcom said?

The news came by way of a Weekly Famitsu interview with Falcom president Toshihiro Kondo, in which he discusses how the next game is not Hajimari 2, will feature new lead characters, etc., and then talks about the combat system.

Trails games currently use an Active Time Battle system in which turn order is displayed on a bar known as the AT Bar. The next Trails game will not feature the ATB system or the AT Bar.

As translated by Gematsu, Kondo described the battles in the next Trails game as “command battles with action elements and greater real-time nature.” Similarly, the translation from Siliconera calls the new combat system “a Command Battle with Action features and a lot of real-time elements added.” Both mention that it’s an entirely new type of system.

While most people are focusing on the “action” and “real-time” aspects, it’s also important to highlight the “command” description.

Not everyone agrees on what makes a JRPG turn-based. To some people, ATB combat is already not turn-based, while people like me group the two together. Using the term “command battles” for the next Trails game’s combat system says to me you’ll still be choosing attacks from a menu.

What then will the real-time elements be like? Will it have action commands like the Mario RPGs or Shadow Hearts? Is it something closer to Classic Mode in the Final Fantasy VII Remake? Is it a pause-and-play combat system?

Right now it’s too early to say what combat in the next Trails game will be like, but the specific description used for it says to me that it’s certainly not a pure action RPG like Ys and it might still be a new form of what I’d consider turn-based combat.

What are you expecting from the next game in the Trails series based on this interview?

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 Did Falcom Say the Next Trails Game Will Have Action Combat? appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Nier: Automata – What a Wild Ride That Was

After playing the original Nier for the first time last year, I moved on and started its sequel, Nier: Automata.

Even though I took a few breaks for other games early on, I finally returned to it and finished it, and wow, what a wild ride that was.

Nier: Automata is much more overtly sci-fi than the first game. You play as androids from an organization called YoRHa fighting to retake the Earth from machines created by aliens. Of course, things get much more complicated.

It’s an action RPG like its predecessor, this time developed by PlatinumGames. While I wouldn’t say the combat is as addictive as something like Bayonetta, it definitely has that smooth Platinum feel, although the general style feels in keeping with the first Nier as well. Hack-and-slash action combat takes the primary role, while a shoot-em-up combat style frequently comes into play as well.

Throw in exploration, a variety of side quests with their own (often dark) smaller stories, and lots of documents to discover that help flesh out the world and connect it back to Nier, and that’s the general picture of Nier: Automata’s gameplay.

There are multiple endings again, but this time it’s not as straightforward as the original, because they aren’t really endings. Here, if you stop after the first or even the second “ending,” you’ve only seen part of the story. (A variety of joke endings can also be obtained at various points throughout the game.) Don’t worry, that’s not as tedious as it sounds, and it’s a mistake to think you need to replay Nier: Automata multiple times to see the endings.

Click for an explanation of how Nier Automata's routes workYes, Route B retells the events of Route A except that you’re playing as 9S instead of 2B, with only a bit of extra story content added. However, Route B should be fairly quick to get through, and everything from Route C onward is entirely new content and picks up after the events of A/B.

Like the original, Nier: Automata is both sad and beautiful. There were breathtaking moments that I wish I could go back and see again for the first time, and bleak moments that felt like the game had ripped out my heart.

Overall, I liked the first Nier a bit more, mainly because of the main cast. The relationships between 2B, 9S, and the other major characters were fine and had some good moments, but I didn’t feel quite as strong of a bond between them or enjoy their interactions quite as much as those of the original game’s cast. Some parts just had a stronger impact on me, as well.

Click for major Nier AND Nier Automata spoilersFor example, I liked the conclusion of Automata’s Ending E from a meta perspective. It made me happy when other players came to my rescue, and I made the choice to sacrifice my save data to help someone else.

But that didn’t have nearly the same emotional impact as sacrificing myself (Nier) to save Kaine. Watching the game erase all my progress and saves for what was much more directly a story decision made the final ending of Nier feel so much more personal and meaningful to me.

That’s not a knock against Nier: Automata, though. It’s a thought-provoking game that took some wild turns (and even when, with a sinking heart, I predicted what would happen next, it often still ended up being worse) and was really a great experience all around.

Now, you might be wondering if you can or should play Automata if you haven’t played the first Nier, since I keep mentioning it. The connections are really just a lot of little nods and references rather than major story connections. Certain moments and characters will mean more to you if you’ve played the original, but Automata largely stands on its own. If you can, I say play Nier first, but if you really just want to jump into Nier: Automata, you’ll be mostly fine.

Nier: Automata is a great game, and I’m happy I played it. If you’re interested in a dark or thought-provoking action RPG, I definitely recommend it… and if you enjoyed the original Nier, then I absolutely recommend playing this as well.

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 Nier: Automata – What a Wild Ride That Was appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.