New and tentative game announcements

[Kikki]

Oh. The original Star Ocean is being remade for PS4. Well, sort of. The 2007 version is being remade for PS4 and Switch, and it itself was remake of the very first Star Ocean from 1996. The news was also posted by a North American source so almost definitely going to be released here. I'm a bit interested! I'll add it to my watch-list.

EDIT: Re: Legend also put up another update, as scheduled. I like this one because it shows the player upgrading some shops in town. I just cannot get enough of town building/re-building, so...yeah, had to post it. But I see that Re: Legend's magnuses suffer from the same complaint I have with Pokemon. So many start out so very cute...but when they evolve into stronger, more effective creatures, they become tough and ugly looking. Well, hopefully at least a few will stay cute, or evolve into something beautiful or handsome instead of into something merely tough-looking.

They seem to be keeping some big news under their hats, though. I wonder if it'll get revealed in some way at E3, since they're going to be there? Not sure, since it's not like these indie devs get much coverage.

EDIT 2: Oh boy, more news today! Hard to believe the most recent Atelier game (Lulua) was just released, and they are ALREADY planning a new one...that bit Bluie posted has been confirmed as Atelier Raiza. Aaaaand...more on my side of the fence, there's a bit more news on Ys IX, including the voice cast and intros to three more of the characters. :D

[Bluie]

GUST once said that they can't make a profit as a company if they don't release an Atelier game yearly. That was quite a few years ago and they've branched out a bit since then (Blue Reflection and Knights of Azure - the former being very successful while the latter not so much), but it seems they're back to this. Me a few years ago would be thrilled for another new Atelier game, but right now? eeeeh, I'll wait and see. I'm skipping Lulua for now and unless this one is super amazing looking (they're talking about all these new looks and features, but idk, gotta see it in action), I might skip it as well (unless I don't have ANYTHING to play when it inevitably get localized).

I am a little surprised they're not doing DX versions of the Dusk Trilogy, but that may still come.

[Kikki]

From what I can tell from the majority of comments I see on it everywhere, a LOT of people are getting tired of Atelier and have lapsed or are starting to lapse on it. Not just those people who never even played it and always rag on it (because they're jealous of the frequent releases, imo) but many who were/are actual fans/players of the series. So imo, they need a change or a little variety, somewhere in the mix. It doesn't actually sound all that different to me, except that they're shifting the art style a little (not much since it still seems extremely recognizable even in that very blurry screenshot) but they outright say that the core elements are being kept the same, so...I don't know what to make of that news. Of all the games, I've always been most interested in playing Escha and Logy because it sounds the most different from the rest, with a more serious undertone. (Not that I think the series needs to have a more serious tone, necessarily, just...a little more variety would be great. To me anyway.)

Anyway, I think that supposedly 'surprising' Dragon Quest news is that they have a smartphone game that is going to be announced on June 3. I feel unsurprised, though.

Also...Sakuna has finally been mentioned again! A few months ago, Alena at Xseed said the game was still in development, hence the delay, but it is at least going to be a playable game at BitSummit 7 Spirits in about a week.

[Bluie]

There's a Pokemon Sword & Shield Nintendo Direct coming our way on June 5th!

https://www.destructoid.com/a-pokemon-d ... 5035.phtml

[Kikki]

Interesting timing. I wonder why they'd do that RIGHT before the big E3 Direct. Maybe because they can't dedicate that much time in it just to Pokemon so they want to placate the plethora of fans a little in advance? Though I entirely expect they'll be showing plenty of Pokemon during Treehouse in the days following the Direct.

Btw, a little pre-emptive PSA for anyone unfamiliar with our E3 hype: Once Kirie puts up her annual E3 thread on June 1st, news specifically pertaining to E3 is better off in her thread than in this one, since it's already three bazillion posts long. Actually...this thread is so bloated, I'm considering asking a mod to close it so I can start a fresh one. I meant to do that at the start of this year, but forgot (because I was focusing on the new Backlog thread.)

EDIT: Some info on the console port of The House in Fata Morgana.

Also, a better update on the three new character introductions for Ys IX: Monstrum Nox.

Aaaand the article was updated to give a better look at Atelier Ryza, too. (I have no idea what spelling is correct.)

Oh and Nintendo confirms that the Pokemon Direct will be about 15 minutes long.

[Bluie]

Call me a sheep, but the website opened for Atelier Ryza and I'm loving how it looks already.

https://www.gamecity.ne.jp/atelier/ryza/

The lighting on the models looks a lot better than the Mysterious Trilogy and Lulua, environments look like less reused assets and more fresh, and I'm digging the clarinet in the song. While I was marginally excited to Lulua (and now my interest is kinda 'eh' due to backlog + general series burnout), Ryza is igniting something in me that I haven't felt since my first playthrough of Totori. I'm really looking forward to this 'fresh start' now, and I really hope i'm not disappointed.

Ryza's thighs tho, they're both hilarious and infuriating LOL. At least her in-game model aren't as bad as her character artwork. They did say they took a lot of time getting them right, and the artist for this game is generally known for their NSFW stuff, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Honestly, a ton of the artists for games these days started out drawing porn doujins and eventually took off from there into their own thing, so I'm not surprised anymore. Plus, I understand the marketability of *ahem* 'Oppai Thighs', but it is tiring after awhile.

On another note, the boxart is gorgeous:

Spoiler:

[Kikki]

I think the outdoor art actually looks quite different from before, but when indoors the game looks the same to me as previous games. I don't know what the difference is, though...why one looks different to me and the other doesn't. Just the outdoor landscapes look really detailed.

Ryza's plump figure is different, too. (Well, she's got proportionately heavy hips/butt and slightly thicker thighs than usual...her waist is still tiny, so she's not really 'plump'.) I think it's cute. I know they've been saying that the theme is friendship and something like 'summer memories', but I don't really get it, tbh, or what they're saying is different about that.

But sheep in the herd or lone wolf, who cares? As long as you end up enjoying the game I hope it does add a bit more freshness to the series, though. Honestly the only Atelier game I'm interested in trying at this point is Escha and Logy, because it seems a bit different, to me, with a more serious storyline, which is just more my thing. Mind you, I don't think that's an Atelier thing, so really, it's best that the series NOT conform to what I like, or it just wouldn't be Atelier. Still, I've noticed that more of even devoted fans of the series are starting to want a bit of a shake-up, so I think it must genuinely be getting a little stale.

~

I noticed that Necrobarista's release date is August 8th. Was that always the release date? I thought it was unknown before. Must have not noticed the release date announcement. Though it won't be out on console until 2020, so it doesn't affect me, at this point.

Sea of Solitude will be out relatively soon, too, on July 5th, and I saw a game announcement for Maitetsu: Pure Station today and the game blurb sounded interesting, but though I know it's a visual novel, I'm not sure what kind. It's got a male protagonist but the screenshot only shows a cute girl and a train, so I'm thinking it might be another gal game.

[Bluie]

It is a gal game, was originally pornographic too.

I think this Otome hybrid is more your speed, Kiki;



Toraware no Palm looks to be an interesting take on the genre. I wonder if Capcom would even think of localizing it...

Edit: It's an enhanced port of a phone game! There's a fun article about it here:

https://kotaku.com/one-of-this-years-mo ... 1786187175

[Harvest Moon kawaii]

It is a gal game, was originally pornographic too.

I think this Otome hybrid is more your speed, Kiki;



Toraware no Palm looks to be an interesting take on the genre. I wonder if Capcom would even think of localizing it...

Edit: It's an enhanced port of a phone game! There's a fun article about it here:

https://kotaku.com/one-of-this-years-mo ... 1786187175

Well, I'm no longer interested in Maitetsu: Pure Station. Thanks for the warning/information, Bluie.

Toraware no Palm, I think, also looks interesting.

Interesting timing. I wonder why they'd do that RIGHT before the big E3 Direct. Maybe because they can't dedicate that much time in it just to Pokemon so they want to placate the plethora of fans a little in advance? Though I entirely expect they'll be showing plenty of Pokemon during Treehouse in the days following the Direct.

Btw, a little pre-emptive PSA for anyone unfamiliar with our E3 hype: Once Kirie puts up her annual E3 thread on June 1st, news specifically pertaining to E3 is better off in her thread than in this one, since it's already three bazillion posts long. Actually...this thread is so bloated, I'm considering asking a mod to close it so I can start a fresh one. I meant to do that at the start of this year, but forgot (because I was focusing on the new Backlog thread.)

EDIT: Some info on the console port of The House in Fata Morgana.

Also, a better update on the three new character introductions for Ys IX: Monstrum Nox.

Aaaand the article was updated to give a better look at Atelier Ryza, too. (I have no idea what spelling is correct.)

Oh and Nintendo confirms that the Pokemon Direct will be about 15 minutes long.

I already bought the House in Fata Morgana series on Steam, and haven't played it yet. But, does anyone know if it is coming to Switch?

[Kikki]

Okey dokey. I could barely get interested in a regular gal game, so a pornographic or formerly pornographic one is not gonna be my thing. I sure wish Aksys (or anybody) would get on localizing at least a few of the plethora of otoges that are already on Switch from Otomate/IFI/etc. They had their otome panel recently but it was really boring...just info about the localization process, no actual game info. They even flat out refused to answer any questions about what they were localizing or what direction they'd be taking in the future, re: the vita, or anything else.

That one does look beautiful, Bluie, but with it only having a Japanese announcement so far, I didn't want to get my hopes up. Plus, you have to do things like press your forehead to the screen (to his forehead when he leans against the glass...he's a patient you're observing as a councellor, as far as I know) which I find...not optimal, lol. (I don't know how that would translate to console, though.) And it's a mite creepy that you're basically a big voyeur in the game, watching him through the observation glass. Though I'd certainly look into it if it became available in English, and see if maybe it's not quite as creepy as it sounds. The art style is gorgeous. I don't know who the blond guy is, either. Initially I thought maybe it was shonen ai because it shows just those two in the screenshot, but it seems that the blond is a new character added to the game. A second romance option I guess.

The House in Fata Morgana is not slated for Switch, just PS4 and Vita, afaik.

[Bluie]

The Switch version allows you to play with a cursor using the controller instead of the touch screen in you're playing on a TV, so that's a nice option.

[Harvest Moon kawaii]

Today, there was a press conference in Japan about Pokemon.

The games revealed include:

Pokemon Masters (Mobile) (2019)

https://serebii.net/pokemonmasters/

Pokemon Home (Cloud Based system for the Switch that can connect Pokemon Bank [storage system for the 3DS), Let's Go, Sword & Shield, AND Pokemon Go) (releases Early 2020 globally; Switch)

https://serebii.net/pokemonhome/

Pokemon Detective Pikachu 2 (Switch) (release date unknown)

https://serebii.net/detectivepikachu2/

Also, a mobile app called Pokemon Sleep was announced.

(entire press conference; in Japanese)

[Code_Name_Geek]

Today, there was a press conference in Japan about Pokemon.

The games revealed include:

Pokemon Masters (Mobile) (2019)

https://serebii.net/pokemonmasters/

Pokemon Home (Cloud Based system for the Switch that can connect Pokemon Bank [storage system for the 3DS), Let's Go, Sword & Shield, AND Pokemon Go) (releases Early 2020 globally; Switch)

https://serebii.net/pokemonhome/

Pokemon Detective Pikachu 2 (Switch) (release date unknown)

https://serebii.net/detectivepikachu2/

Also, a mobile app called Pokemon Sleep was announced.

(entire press conference; in Japanese)

I just saw this myself, I’m kind of hyped about all of this! And weirdly interested in what Pokémon Sleep will be like.

[Harvest Moon kawaii]

Root Letter: Last Answer has a release date in both Europe and North America!

https://nintendosoup.com/root-letter-la ... cGiq1xERJg

[RopeMaidenKirie]

Just a head's up for those in Europe who order from Amazon, it seems like they've changed the policy on preorders. Instead of preorders charging when the game is dispatched, they now charge 2-5 days after preordering. Meaning if you preorder a slew of games you'd best be prepared to pay for them right then and there.

This is probably going to make its way to US/CA soon too, so be careful.