Samantha Lienhard's Blog, page 84

Nier Re[in]carnation Beta Gameplay and Details

We’ve talked a little bit about Nier Re[in]carnation, the upcoming mobile entry in the Nier series.

A closed beta test just began in Japan, and we already have some details about the game from participants.

According to Reddit users who got to try out the beta, the story, environments, music, and general Nier atmosphere seem to be strong so far. There are also weapon stories unlocked by leveling up each weapon.

The gacha aspect has been a concern, and there is gacha for both weapons and characters. However, it doesn’t sound like the gacha is being pushed. Opinions from the beta test are that it will be a f2p-friendly game.

(Then again, this is only a beta test showing the start of the game… but here’s hoping.)

Meanwhile, another player has uploaded 13 minutes of Nier Re[in]carnation gameplay footage, so we can get our first extended look at the game.

From this short look, I can already tell the soundtrack definitely has that Nier feel.

The gameplay video begins with side-scrolling gameplay, but then it moves into a 3D area where the character can move freely. After leaving a grayscale area, she enters a ruin-like area that really reminds me of places from Nier.

I can’t read Japanese, so I don’t know what’s going on, but she talks to some sort of shadowed figure, and then it switches to a new side-scrolling section in a desert town. The characters are promptly shot, but Mama (the little floating creature that accompanies the protagonist) interrupts and the scene rewinds.

This leads to our first look at Nier Re[in]carnation’s combat. It’s a turn-based combat system, although you can run around in the combat area, possibly like how it’s handled in Dragon Quest XI. It goes back to the protagonist in the ruins after that, and she seemingly gets a weapon.

Overall, Nier Re[in]carnation is starting to seem pretty interesting, although I still need to finish Automata. What do you think of the new details and footage from the Nier Re[in]carnation beta test?

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Persona 5 Scramble Localization Confirmed

Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers, the sequel spin-off to Persona 5 for the Switch and PS4, still hasn’t been officially announced for a western release, although it’s been out in Japan since February.

Localization has been quietly confirmed, however… through a financial report.

Koei Tecmo, who is developing the game, quietly included Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers for “the West” as part of the future titles of their latest financial presentation, as reported by Persona Central.

It’s been widely assumed that Persona 5 Scramble is being localized, but up until now it hadn’t been confirmed.

This sort of thing has happened in the past; the localized version of The Snack World or another Level-5 title showed up in a financial report before it was ever officially announced. Maybe this means we’ll get to see more from Persona 5 Scramble soon!

Meanwhile, I’m still debating about buying Persona 5 Royal…

Are you planning to pick up Persona 5 Scramble?

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Not-E3 2020 Part 13: Xbox Games Showcase

Table of Contents

Indie Live Expo 2020

The Escapist Indie Showcase

PlayStation 5 Showcase

Guerrilla Collective

PC Gaming

Future Games Show

EA

New Game+ Expo

MonsterVine Hot Games Summer Showcase

Nacon Connect

Limited Run Games

Devolver Direct

Ubisoft

Nintendo

Microsoft

Xbox Games Showcase

Today was the Xbox Games Showcase, starting off with a pre-show that included a few new announcements, such as Dragon Quest XI S (the upgraded Switch version) now being brought to the Xbox One, as well as PS4 and PC.

The pre-show also included the announcement of a turn-based RPG called Echo Generation for Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC, Hello Neighbor 2 for Xbox Series X and PC, and the most exciting pre-show announcement for me, a 3D platformer from Square Enix for all major platforms called Balan Wonderworld.

Then it was time for the main show itself.

It kicked off with Halo Infinite, showing both a new trailer and an 8-minute gameplay demo. I’ve been pretty interested in seeing the new Halo, but one thing that has me uncertain now is that it looks like it might be open world. Open world Halo doesn’t sound fun to me. I’d take large areas or a hub like in ODST, but not a full open world.

They showed State of Decay 3 next, and then a new Forza Motorsport game, neither of which I’m interested in.

Then they showed a new trailer for Rare’s game Everwild, which certainly looks pretty even if I don’t know what it’s about.

Dontnod’s upcoming game Tell Me Why was up next, with its first chapter set for August 27. I’m curious about it, but not really sold just yet.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is coming to Xbox Series X, and there are two story expansions planned for The Outer Worlds. Today’s trailer was for the first one, Peril on Gorgon, which will be out on September 9. I enjoyed The Outer Worlds, so I’ll probably play its expansions.

Obsidian also showed a trailer for a survival game called Grounded, which doesn’t look like my sort of thing, but the trailer was entertaining enough.

Then they revealed a new first-person RPG called Avowed, set in the same universe as Pillars of Eternity. It looks like it could be pretty cool, so I’ll be keeping my eye on that one for sure.

Next was an “interactive drama” called As Dusk Falls, a few details about Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, and then finally one I was really waiting to see more from… Psychonauts 2!

The trailer shows another level from the game, and it looks great… but unfortunately, it’s been delayed to 2021. Looks like it’ll join Tales of Arise as one of my most-anticipated games of the year that are now games for next year.

Anyway, Destiny 2 is coming to Xbox Series X and Game Pass, and they showed a new trailer for its next expansion, Beyond Light. They showed the first trailer for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and then announced a new Warhammer 40,000 game, Darktide.

After the announcement of Tetris Effect: Connected, the next new game revealed was one called The Gunk, which looks much more fun than that title would suggest.

The Medium was next, and you know I’m interested in seeing more from that. The focus in the new trailer was on the “dual-reality” that will allow you to explore the real world and spirit world simultaneously and solve puzzles that make use of both. I’m not entirely sure how that will work, but it sounds like a cool idea.

I was excited to see the next game, which turned out to be Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis… and I assumed that was a new expansion when I saw it, but now it sounds more like they’re completely overhauling the game into this new version. I haven’t gotten into any MMORPGs aside from Final Fantasy XIV, but it does look cool.

Remedy is working on a game called CrossfireX that looks much less interesting to me than other Remedy games, and then after a brief discussion about how many Xbox One games will get free upgrades to Xbox Seris X versions, it was time for one last trailer for a new game… Fable.

Yes, just Fable. Not Fable IV, so I’m not sure if this means it’s a remake or a reboot or if that’s just the working title. In any case, I need to try Fable sometime.

Overall, it was a pretty good show with some exciting games. I’m disappointed that we still haven’t seen more from Tales of Arise, but I saw several games today that interest me.

And that was the final “E3” showcase, bringing our unusual Not-E3 coverage for 2020 to an end at last! What did you think of Microsoft’s Xbox Games Showcase?

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Deadly Premonition Origins: A Bizarre Blend of Silent Hill and Shenmue

I’ve been curious about Deadly Premonition for quite a while, and when it came to the Switch under the title Deadly Premonition Origins in preparation for its sequel, players said that was one of the best versions available.

So I picked up Deadly Premonition Origins, and last night I finally completed my playthrough.

Going into it, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d seen some parts of the beginning, and I knew it had sort of a “so bad it’s good” reputation online.

It ended up being so much better than I expected.

“So bad it’s good” is not a fair description of Deadly Premonition, because it isn’t a bad game at all. Sure it crashed a handful of times and had a few glitches, but it’s actually a really good game… and a weird one.

Because you have to know what you’re getting, and Deadly Premonition isn’t quite like anything else.

You play as Francis York Morgan, an FBI agent sent to the small town of Greenvale to investigate a recent murder. The best way I’ve found to describe it is “Silent Hill meets Shenmue.”

On one hand, you’re investigating a twisted murder mystery with hints of the supernatural and an “Otherworld” you’re swept into – a dark, alternate version of the world filled with disturbing monsters you have to fight and an implacable foe who pursues you.

On the other hand, you spend the rest of your time (which actually ends up being the larger portion of gameplay if you take your time and do a lot of side content) investigating around town in fairly relaxed, laid-back sections, where all the NPCs have their own schedules they follow and different areas are open depending on the time of day.

Add in a good dose of wacky humor, and you’ve got Deadly Premonition.

If I were judging it as a survival horror game, I’d be harsher toward it (and maybe that’s where some of its reputation as “bad” comes from), because the horror segments are fairly linear and mainly focused on shooting enemies, with an occasional QTE chase scene. But that’s not the game it’s trying to be.

I enjoyed those sections and the ominous, creepy vibe of the murder case itself, but I also really loved the parts in town. At first, I was worried, because it gives you a window of time to complete your next plot objective in. But that’s not a deadline. Deadly Premonition doesn’t have deadlines. Certain areas are only open for specific hours, so it’s your window of time for that day. If you miss it, you can just do it the next day… and some of the funniest scenes in the game are found by taking your time.

Click for Deadly Premonition spoilersThis also feeds into the impact of the story itself. After spending tons of in-game days eating lunch with Emily, Thomas, and George every day, I really felt their absence later on. I wouldn’t have been nearly as affected by the fates of those three if I hadn’t felt like we’d become friends through all those lunch scenes.

I spent a lot of in-game days just traveling around, doing side quests and talking to people, and even watching them go to different places as part of their daily routine.

(I loved checking the Community Center on the map during the chapter when York is going to address all the townspeople there. Some characters arrived a couple hours early, while others didn’t show up until the last minute. Watching the NPCs actually go there instead of just having them all appear for the plot event itself was cool.)

Meanwhile, I found the story to be really interesting and I loved the cast of characters. Those two details combined meant some story beats hit pretty hard. Near the end, the story got wildly weird, but… I loved it. It was my sort of thing.

When I finished the game, I didn’t want to leave. I completed every last side quest and went around town to say goodbye to everyone, and even though I had a few lingering questions about the story, it left me feeling really satisfied overall.

So if you like murder mysteries and think a game where horror combat sections are interspersed among Shenmue-like investigations sounds like an interesting idea, you really should give Deadly Premonition a try. It’s not “so bad it’s good,” it’s just… good.

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Not-E3 2020 Part 12: Nintendo Direct Mini

Table of Contents

Indie Live Expo 2020

The Escapist Indie Showcase

PlayStation 5 Showcase

Guerrilla Collective

PC Gaming

Future Games Show

EA

New Game+ Expo

MonsterVine Hot Games Summer Showcase

Nacon Connect

Limited Run Games

Devolver Direct

Ubisoft

Nintendo

Bandai Namco

Microsoft

Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase

I debated about whether or not I should count today’s Nintendo Direct Mini among the E3 replacements, since it’s a “partner showcase” rather than a regular Direct and the first in a series, but since we’ve counted similar things and I referenced it last time, I decided to include it.

The Nintendo Direct Mini began with the announcement of DLC for Cadence of Hyrule, the Legend of Zelda/Crypt of the Necrodancer crossover collaboration.

Then they showed a game called Rogue Company and WWE 2K Battlegrounds, neither of which interests me.

Hearing the next announcement would be the last in the Nintendo Direct Mini was a little disheartening (although since the presentation wasn’t live, I knew it was almost over), but it turned out to be a remaster of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne!

A new trailer for Shin Megami Tensei V followed (with a simultaneous release in 2021), to truly close out the Direct. It’s been quite a while since SMT V was first announced, and all it had at the time was a quick teaser trailer, so I know fans are relieved to finally get some news about it.

I’ve never played a Shin Megami Tensei game, but both of those trailers were pretty interesting. I’ll need to consider giving the series a try.

But wait, we’re not actually done yet!

That was it for the Nintendo Direct Mini, but the Japanese Nintendo Direct Mini actually showed a few more games… two of which are coming out in English, so I’m not sure why they were excluded from ours.

The first was a new trailer and release date for Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin. It’ll be out in November.

After that came the official trailer for a game that would have been a surprise if the name hadn’t leaked last week, Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy. It’s due out this winter worldwide.

The Japanese Direct had a few other games that I’m not sure what are, but those are the major ones.

So while it wasn’t the most exciting Nintendo Direct Mini we’ve seen, it ended with a bang and the addition of Sakuna and Ryza make it even better. What interest me the most is that more of these Partner Showcases are planned for this year, so here’s hoping we’ll see some exciting news from them!

(Although by then, Not-E3 will be over.)

What did you think of today’s Nintendo Direct Mini?

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Making Sense of the Strange Paper Mario Interview

Paper Mario: The Origami King is out today… although I didn’t get it yet.

When it was first announced, I considered getting it at launch, but after finally playing Color Splash and learning that Origami King is still definitely not an RPG, I decided to wait. I’ve heard enough interesting things to make me curious about it, but not enough to buy it at launch.

Anyway, with Origami King being another iteration of the “new” Paper Mario series and potentially another step toward having a solid Paper Mario story again, fans have continued to question if Paper Mario will ever return to its roots.

That answer is no, judging by a recent interview the producers and director had with VGC. The fan response to this interview has mainly involved complaints, arguments, and a lot of confusion, so let’s take a look at this strange and perplexing discussion of the Paper Mario series.

First, the interview addresses how gameplay continues to change with each game, and producer Risa Tabata explains how they want to change it every time to surprise players. Then she discusses the paper aspect:

The idea for origami came out of this process of challenging myself to try something new. The theme running through the Paper Mario series is paper, so I was working with Intelligent Systems to think up paper-based ideas that hadn’t yet been used. Intelligent Systems suggested the idea of confetti, and I suggested the idea of origami.”

So if you’re tired of the paper obsession in recent entries, it’s probably not going away. In fact, that sounds an awful lot like the first step in coming up with a new Paper Mario game nowadays is to think of a new paper theme. The emphasis on Mario’s paper world full of paper people who know they’re paper is here to stay.

Next up was the question of RPG elements, although the interviewer framed it as “hardcore” fans wanting RPG elements and “casual” fans wanting it to be “approachable.”

This view is flawed from the start, because there’s nothing about basic RPG elements that makes a game unapproachable. The original Paper Mario games were already “approachable” and playable by kids. Pokémon is another example of an RPG that is perfectly accessible.

Who is looking at the original Paper Mario as some hardcore, unapproachable game?

Producer Kensuke Tanabe handles that question by saying they don’t want to ignore casual fans, and that the puzzles are there for the hardcore fans. He goes on to say:

This is an adventure game after all, so it wouldn’t be right if the battles didn’t also have some kind of puzzle solving element! (Of course, we’ve also added in a system for casual players where they can use coins in battles to get help from the spectating Toads.)

“However, I do think it’s difficult to satisfy certain fans with the adventure game direction if they think of Paper Mario games as simply being RPGs. I hope that everyone will play this game with an open mind.”

In other words, Paper Mario will never be an RPG again. We can stop waiting for experience points and leveling up to return. It’s a puzzle-solving adventure series that for some reason kept turn-based combat and keeps trying to find new incentives for battling without bringing back exp.

(And from what I’ve read online about Origami King, some of the combat puzzles can get pretty difficult and complicated, so why is this considered more casual than if Mario leveled up?)

After some questions about the origami character models and comedy elements, they ask about creating Paper Mario stories… and Tanabe’s basic answer is that he likes games with stories, but Super Paper Mario’s story distanced it too much from the Mario universe, so they’ve avoided complicated stories since then. Instead, they aim for “memorable events.”

But it’s the next question that really stirred people up, as the interviewer asks about King Olly and character design, and Tanabe explains:

Since Paper Mario: Sticker Star, it’s no longer possible to modify Mario characters or to create original characters that touch on the Mario universe. That means that if we aren’t using Mario characters for bosses, we need to create original characters with designs that don’t involve the Mario universe at all, like we’ve done with Olly and the stationery bosses.”

What?

Really, what?

Yes, it’s an extension of what we already knew led to Sticker Star being… the way it was… and it’s once again spurred arguments about whether the blame lies with Miyamoto’s instruction to “complete it with only characters from the Super Mario world” or with Tanabe’s rigid interpretation of that instruction, but either way, it appears the Paper Mario team is under a mandate leading to the generic character designs of the modern games.

And that’s caused a lot of confusion, since you have entirely new characters like Olivia and King Olly.

Here’s my understanding of what they said in this interview: they can create wholly new characters, but they can’t alter established designs or create unique characters related to the Mario universe. In other words, Olly is fine because there are no existing origami people in the Mario world. Kammy Koopa would be unacceptable nowadays because she’s a uniquely-designed Magikoopa.

This seems to tie directly to my biggest complaint about the character designs in Color Splash – not that they were mostly Toads, but that they were all generic Toads in different colors, with no distinguishing features except maybe a hat. Origami King looks a little better in that regard, but still seems to go with the basic design + accessories.

It might even explain why Toadsworth hasn’t appeared in the newer Paper Mario games, because elderly Toads (along with visibly female Toads) are one of the things we’ve lost.

The rest of the interview just discusses hardware and the Samus helmet at the end of the first trailer, so the points mentioned above are the biggest things to take away from this perplexing interview.

Reading this was disheartening and confusing. I don’t know why they’ve made some of the decisions they have regarding Paper Mario. Some of them make no sense to me at all. I really don’t know what to think… except that we’ll probably never see a Paper Mario game that truly returns to its roots.

What did you think of the VGC Paper Mario interview?

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Tales of Crestoria Can Now Be Pre-Loaded

(But not by me.)

Tales of Crestoria, the new mobile Tales game set to be released this year, is now available to be installed on iOS and Android devices ahead of its release.

Although it was originally planned for a June launch, it was delayed. There’s still no official release date, but Bandai Namco says it will be out in “the near future.” Since it’s currently undergoing maintenance for its launch, it should be coming soon.

Some players’ pre-loads reportedly say it will be available July 22, but there’s conflicting reports. Since July 22 is Bandai Namco’s upcoming showcase, they might announce its release there.

I’m not a big fan of mobile games, but since Tales of Arise has been delayed and Tales of Crestoria has its own original story, I was going to check it out. Unfortunately, when I went to the App Store to pre-load it, I was greeted by the message that it isn’t compatible with my tablet.

So no Tales of Crestoria for me, at least not anytime soon.

If you’ve got a compatible device, though, you can pre-load the game now. Are you planning to play Tales of Crestoria?

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Not E3 2020 Part 11: Devolver Digital and Ubisoft

Table of Contents

Indie Live Expo 2020

The Escapist Indie Showcase

PlayStation 5 Showcase

Guerrilla Collective

PC Gaming

Future Games Show

EA

New Game+ Expo

MonsterVine Hot Games Summer Showcase

Nacon Connect

Limited Run Games

Devolver Direct

Ubisoft

Microsoft

Devolver Direct 2020

This weekend saw two more traditional E3 shows, starting with Devolver Digital’s Devolver Direct 2020 on Saturday. As usual for Devolver, their show was mainly pure insanity with a few actual announcements mixed in.

The first game was a new trailer for the recently-announced action game Shadow Warrior 3.

After that, Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida made an appearance to introduce a new trailer and release date for the online party game Fall Guys, followed by Phil Spencer appearing to reveal the release date of reverse horror game Carrion. None of those games interest me, but it was enjoyable to see some big names… and to watch the unfolding storyline of the showcase, which is the main reason to tune in for a Devolver stream.

A new developer called Beans is working on an unannounced game with Devolver, and then it was time for a stream of fake game announcements. This section was pretty funny, with special mention going to the Geralt section and the appearance from the infamous uncle who works at Nintendo.

The next real game shown was an action game called Olija, which looks cool, although not necessarily my sort of game. Then they showed a gameplay trailer for Serious Sam 4, and then came the strangest game announcement of the show.

Devolverland Expo, available now for free, is a “first-person marketing simulator” that lets you explore an empty Devolver convention center, look for trailers, etc. I’m not sure if I’ll try it or not, but it’s certainly a unique idea, if nothing else.

All in all, it didn’t have any announcements that really caught my attention, but I enjoyed my yearly dose of Devolver insanity and look forward to seeing what over-the-top storyline they come up with for next year’s show.

Ubisoft Forward

Meanwhile, today was the day of Ubisoft Forward. I’m not a big Ubisoft fan, so I don’t usually look forward to their E3 shows as much as the others. Nevertheless, some years they surprise me… but this was not one of those years.

They started with a long look at Watch Dogs: Legion and revealed its release date. I never played the first Watch Dogs, and I’m not interested in Legion either.

Then they gave a release date for the mobile version of Brawlhalla, celebrated the success of the mobile game Might & Magic: Era of Chaos, announced pre-registration for the mobile game Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad, and featured a special community video because Rainbow Six Siege has done so well.

Next up was a long showcase of their free-to-play battle royale first-person shooter Hyper Scape, which has an open beta available now.

Then Phil Spencer showed up again. Maybe he’s making an effort to appear at other events besides Microsoft’s due to the lack of E3. Anyway, he was there for the introduction of their Assassin’s Creed Valhalla segment, which is coming out on November 17 and does look pretty cool (except that I’ve never gotten into Assassin’s Creed).

Finally, they concluded with the official announcement of Far Cry 6. It was already leaked earlier, but I’m not a Far Cry fan anyway.

And… that was that. This Ubisoft event wasn’t a great one for me. A second Ubisoft Forward is planned for later in 2020, when presumably they’ll show some more games.

We’re coming up to the end of Not-E3 2020. Unless Nintendo announces the much-rumored July Nintendo Direct, all we have left is Microsoft… and possibly Bandai Namco, if I decide to count the Play Anime Live showcase as Not-E3 coverage. Anyway, what did you think of Ubisoft Forward? What about Devolver Direct 2020? Let me know in the comments!

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Metal Wolf Chaos: A Game So American, It Could Only Be Made in Japan

To celebrate the 4th of July, I decided to play the most American game ever made… by a Japanese developer and available only in Japan for 15 years until it was finally released here. That’s right, I’m talking about Metal Wolf Chaos XD.

Since it’s supposed to be a 7 hour game, I intended to play it over the weekend and review it on Monday. However, you might remember that when I discussed it in the past, I mentioned that I’m not a huge shooter fan. This goes hand-in-hand with me not being particularly good at shooters. My playthrough took me almost 23 hours, which is why you’re getting a 4th of July review on July 10.

But enough of that, let’s talk about the game.

Metal Wolf Chaos is set in the near future and stars the 47th president of the United States, President Michael Wilson. When his vice president takes over the country in a coup d’etat and begins to destroy freedom, the president has no choice but to get into an advanced mech suit and personally battle the VP’s forces to retake America!

It’s a third-person shooter, and you have a variety of weapons to pick from. A lot of enemies are underpowered compared to you, but you also encounter stronger enemies that put up more of a challenge.

Each mission typically gives you certain target areas to destroy and possibly a boss fight, and there are also POWs you can save – civilians, scientists, and musicians. (For some reason, there are a lot of musicians captured and forced to play music for the enemy.) At the end of each mission, you’re given a rank and rewarded with money, which you can use to research and develop new weapons.

The gameplay is fine, but I really disliked that there are no checkpoints or saving during missions. Getting through a mission only to die on the boss and have to start the whole mission over again was frustrating.

Meanwhile, the story has a bizarre tone, and I was never quite sure if it was trying to be funny with its absurdly over-the-top conversations about freedom and America or if this was meant to be taken seriously. Partway through, I began thinking of it as the Japanese-writing-America equivalent of Americans writing cool ninja stories that have very little basis in reality… and I might not be far off, because the producer said in an interview that it was “our idea of this ideology of American culture and comic book heroes” and described it as “from the American point of view, it’s almost like how they imagine a Japanese ninja.”

For me, the story falls squarely into that “so bad it’s good” category. I eagerly awaited each new cutscene and conversation, not because I wanted to know what would happen in the plot, but because I couldn’t wait to see how ridiculous it would get next.

The dialogue is cheesy, the villains are cartoonishly evil, the voice acting is bizarre (with special mention going to the vice president, who delivers all of his lines like a regular guy you’d meet downtown, but also has the most cliche evil laugh ever), the plot rarely has any real compelling moments, and most of its attempts at emotional moments don’t work.

Click for Metal Wolf Chaos spoilersFor example, Jody’s capture. You learn through a written text summary that she stopped working for the president, and then you’re immediately told she’s been captured and the next mission is saving her. It all happens too fast to have a real impact.

On the other hand, one part that did work was the return of the resistance leader. You fall out of contact with him for several missions, so it does feel significant when he shows up to help.

And yet… there’s something endearing about Michael’s sincere insistence that he must keep fighting for freedom, no matter the odds, because he’s the president of the great United States of America! It’s silly and over-the-top, but it does make him likable.

I’ve never played a game quite like Metal Wolf Chaos XD before. Although I had some trouble with it, I couldn’t have picked a better choice for the 4th of July. This is a game so American, it could only be made in Japan, and the nonsensical escapism of the story was a bizarrely delightful treat.

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Not-E3 2020 Part 10: Limited Run Games

Table of Contents

Indie Live Expo 2020

The Escapist Indie Showcase

PlayStation 5 Showcase

Guerrilla Collective

PC Gaming

Future Games Show

EA

New Game+ Expo

MonsterVine Hot Games Summer Showcase

Nacon Connect

Limited Run Games

Devolver Direct

Ubisoft

Microsoft

Limited Run Games

Limited Run Games has always had odd E3 press conferences set in a pseudo-theater filled with cardboard cutout audience members, but this year it played into their premise of traveling to an alternate timeline where E3 went on as scheduled. Anyway, due to the nature of LRG, this is the sort of showcase where you don’t really expect new announcements, but instead wait to see what digital-only games will be getting limited physical runs.

However, that sometimes includes surprise ports, and they started things off strong with the announcement that the original Shantae is being released both physically and digitally on the Switch (and getting a physical Game Boy Color release, as well).

Not only that, but Risky’s Revenge is coming to the Switch, too! I’ll probably pick up both of them, and this means I’ll finally play the first game, which I’d skipped up until now.

WayForward is also getting LRG releases for A Boy and His Blob for the PS4, The Mummy: Demastered for both Switch and PS4, and Xtreme Sports for Switch.

Then they revealed a physical release of the Castlevania Anniversary Collection for the Switch and PS4, which contains 8 classic Castlevania games. I missed this when it was released digitally, but it looks like just the thing for me to give more Castlevania a try.

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 is getting a physical release, as is Mighty Gunvolt Burst, both for both the Switch and PS4.

After Garou: Mark of the Wolves for the PS4, they went through a montage of games being distributed through their partners: Kunai (Switch), Ys Origin (Switch), Observer (Switch), My Friend Pedro (PS4), Gris (Switch), Carrion (Switch), Where the Water Tastes Like Wine (Switch), The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa (Switch), and Mega Dimension Neptunia VII (Switch).

The Grandia HD Collection, which contains Grandia and Grandia II, is also getting a physical release for the Switch. I should actually finish Grandia, as I started it ages ago…

After Katana Zero, they moved on to a favorite of mine… To the Moon for the Switch.

.@XD_EN_Official's To The Moon gets a Limited Run for the Nintendo Switch in Q4. #LRG3 pic.twitter.com/nV9gV4RcjH

— Limited Run @ LRG3: TODAY at 3pm ET (@LimitedRunGames) July 8, 2020

I absolutely love To the Moon, so I’ll probably pick up a physical copy. If you like story-driven games and haven’t played this yet, you definitely should.

Then they went through a short montage of games already available: Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl, Outer Wilds, and Samurai Shodown NeoGeo Collection, all for the Switch.

Return of the Obra Dinn will be getting a physical release for the Switch and PS4, and since that one interests me, I might check it out. They’re also doing a physical run for Papers, Please for the… for the what?! Yes, for the Vita!

I was not expecting Vita news from this show, but there it is.

The eagerly-anticipated Papers, Please from @dukope gets a Limited Run for the Vita on July 24. #LRG3 pic.twitter.com/sh1wgZbRXe

— Limited Run @ LRG3: TODAY at 3pm ET (@LimitedRunGames) July 8, 2020

Following a surreal Ouya ad, they revealed a physical run of TowerFall Ascension for the Switch.

Super Meat Boy Forever is getting a physical release for the Switch and PS4, alongside the original Super Meat Boy, which was announced a while ago but hadn’t come out yet.

Then they had a short duel over the idea that physical games are dead and digital is the way of the future, which was amusing, although not nearly as entertaining as last year’s JoJo Stand battle to defend the Vita.

Back to the games, Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is getting an LRG release for the Switch and PS4, and I’m still intrigued by that.

Next up were Trover Saves the Universe for Switch, Space Channel 5 VR for PSVR, PixelJunk Eden 2 for the Switch, and…

…Bug Fables!

Yes, Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling, which I backed the crowdfunding campaign for and intend to start very soon, is getting a physical release for the Switch and PS4.

Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling will be getting an everlasting physical edition for PS4 and Switch. #LRG3 @PaperBugDev pic.twitter.com/HS90AracEv

— Limited Run Games (@LimitedRunGames) July 8, 2020

Demon Turf was announced next for the Switch and PS4, although I still don’t like how the gameplay looks despite it being a 3D platformer. Next up was Star Wars Episode 1: Racer, also for the Switch and PS4, and then they closed the presentation with the Monkey Island: 30th Anniversary Collection for the PC.

Overall, it was a solid showing for Limited Run Games, and I see several LRG orders in my future. We’ve got a short break now, but this seems to be the second wave of Not-E3 shows, as this weekend features Devolver Digital and Ubisoft! What did you think of the Limited Run Games lineup?

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