It’s not often I associate “comfy” with murder, but when it comes to the Famicom Detective Club games, that’s the word that comes to mind to best describe them. Sitting down with one of the 2021 remakes is like curling up in your favorite chair with a cup of your favorite warm beverage and just vibing. After close to 30 years, would the newest entry in this series, Emio – The Smiling Man, give me the same feeling while also delivering a great mystery?

Rather than focus on the supernatural and ghosts, this time around our intrepid Boy Detective finds himself investigating the murder of middle school student, Eisuke Sasaki, that ties into a local urban legend. Emio – known as The Smiling Man because of the characters in his name – supposedly appears before crying girls while wearing a paper bag on his head emblazoned with a smiling face. If the girl laughs, he leaves her alone, but if she cries, he strangles her. So why, this time, would Emio appear before a boy, and why would he use a rope instead of his bare hands? And what relation, if any, does it have to a series of unsolved murders from 18 years ago?

Despite being the newest entry in this series in decades, Emio – The Smiling Man plays exactly like its predecessors. It carries over the visual style and voice acting from the 2021 remakes, which themselves retained the point-and-click adventure style gameplay of the original Famicom releases. You have a choice of several options in each scenario, including calling out to nearby people, talking to them, examining the surroundings or specific areas with your cursor, taking items, using your phone, and thinking about the situation. Each of these actions is meant to put you in the shoes of the protagonist and engage in the case the way a real person would. Unfortunately, it also results in a lot of cycling through options searching for the correct course of action. There were at least three times when I had exhausted every option and couldn’t figure out how to advance, so I just kept hammering my choices until something finally happened. There was also at least one instance where the correct option was to investigate a specific area, but I clicked the wrong part of the object and did not trigger the next event. These weren’t enough to ruin my enjoyment of the story, but it did lead to a lot of frustration.

Fellow Utsugi Detective Agency members – Shunsuke Utsugi and Ayumi Tachibana – return from previous titles, and this time you not only follow the protagonist, but you finally get to see Ayumi in action, as well. Throughout the investigation, you’ll keep notes to review, including important names and information you uncover about each person of interest. Periodically, the protagonist and Ayumi will review their notes, testing your knowledge of the case before deciding where next to go in the investigation. Having them both pursue different avenues of questioning gave the game a bit more breathing room to explore the story from multiple angles, as well as introduce a broader, eclectic cast. My personal favorite was Tsubasa Fukuyama, Ayumi’s former classmate and current middle school teacher at Eisuke’s school. Other notable newcomers include Junko Kuze, the serious detective in charge of Eisuke’s case, and Daisuke Kamihara, her jovial and easy-going partner. Each character is brought to life by some absolutely fantastic voice work, and Megumi Ogata especially deserves some kudos for her performance as the protagonist. She was a joy to listen to.

As for the story itself, I found this entry very engaging, with enough twists, turns and red herrings to keep me guessing for a significant chunk of playtime. The pacing was breezy and scenes never felt like they overstayed their welcome. That being said, the ending left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied, with one too many contrivances hampering an otherwise strong narrative. There is also an epilogue that ties up a few loose ends that packed an emotional punch, but the game rightfully warns you that it deals with some distressing content, so just keep that in mind if you’re at all sensitive to some of the broader issues explored in the main story.

Emio – The Smiling Man was a comfortable, familiar experience that both benefited from that familiarity and suffered from it. I loved revisiting this world and the characters, and the overall excellent writing was engaging and entertaining; however, retaining the same point-and-click nature of the previous games lead to some frustrating play sessions and unintuitive courses of action. The presentation was gorgeous, with beautiful background art, detailed and emotive sprites, excellent voice work and an amazing soundtrack. It took me roughly 20 hours to finish the game, and while the Fukuyama’s Report Card extra does give some minor incentive to replay for a higher grade, there isn’t much else, which makes it slightly more difficult to recommend at the $50 price tag, especially since you can get the twin pack of the first two games for only a few dollars more. To be clear, I really enjoyed my time with Emio, and if you liked the previous Famicom Detective games or really enjoy mystery visual novels, then this is a surefire title to grab. Due to its dated gameplay and shorter length, if you’re more of a casual enjoyer, I’d wait for it to go on sale. If you’re unsure where you stand, there’s a free demo available so you can test the waters yourself.

Review Score
Overall

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One of gaming’s most beloved RPGs is getting a modern facelift when the LUNAR Remastered Collection launches in Spring 2025. The remastered versions of LUNAR: Silver Star Story Complete and LUNAR 2: Eternal Blue Complete were revealed during Sony’s State of Play. You can watch the announcement trailer above.

According to the PlayStation Blog, the game will feature updated graphics, sound, and quality of life improvements. These include wide screen support, enhanced pixel art, HD animated cutscenes and new English voice acting. Players can also swap between original and updated graphics. Battles will have speed options and there will be new strategy settings. Both games will have English, Japanese, German and French language options.

LUNAR Remastered Collection will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Steam.

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Idea Factory, Otomate and ichicolumn are bringing Temirana: The Lucky Princess and the Tragic Knights, to North America and Europe on the Nintendo Switch in 2025. Cecilia Farias Temirana, the third princess of Temirana, must navigate her reputation as part of the royal family alongside her newly-recruited royal guard in this all-new otome from director Ayumi Takagi (Hana Yaka Nari, Waga Ichizoku), main scenario writer Uta Amemiya (Charade Maniacs), and character designer Nitaka (Touken Ranbu).

From Idea Factory:

In this world, one’s status and occupation are determined by the month they were born. About 15 years ago in the eastern kingdom of Temirana, the third princess was born: a baby with a birthmark on her forehead.

This child was rumored to be the “Cursed Princess,” and was forced to live in a house far from her family, away from the castle.

But things are about to change.

As her 16th birthday approaches, she attends the dueling tournament known as Helis Duelm. There, she sees five men glowing with a dazzlingly strong light.

Indeed, the “Cursed Princess” possessed a special and lucky power. Whenever her life might be in danger, people and places would shine as if to warn her.

Those acquainted with her power warn that those men may have shone because they were dangerous…but she knows their light is different from any she’s seen before. Trusting her intuition, the princess invites the five men to join her order of knights.

However, some of them have no experience with the sword, and others lack interest in knighthood at all. Can the princess and her small company of five knights overcome the tragedy on the horizon?

With five romanceable characters, Temirana blends political intrigue with romance and drama. Follow the hierarchy of Cecilia’s family bloodline and discover the personal histories of the Tragic Knights as the princess balances her expectations as royalty with her relationships to her newly appointed royal guard. Using the Lucky Princess’ special ability to see impending dangers highlighted by a glow, make the right choices to avoid even the greatest tragedies. Making Paramount Choices during each individual route is the only way to access certain epilogues after individual character endings, so make sure to choose wisely.

IFI NA and Europe online stores will other both a standard and limited edition. Temirana: The Lucky Princess and the Tragic Knights is slated for a 2025 release.

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After years of exclusivity on Apple’s iOS, MacOS and Apple Arcade, Mistwalker’s Fantasian is finally coming to PC and modern consoles. Written and produced by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the father of Final Fantasy, with music by the legendary Nobuo Uematsu, Fantasian follows hero Leo through a world created entirely out of hand-crafted dioramas as he and his companions fight to save the world from a strange mechanical infection while also trying to recover his memories. You can watch the announcement trailer above.

Fantasian Neo Dimension features turn-based battles where you influence the direction of characters’ skills to attack multiple enemies in one hit. You can also skip random battles by sending enemies to the “Dimengeon” to fight at a later time, where strategically engaging with your skills can turn the tide of battle. Neo Dimension also features a new Normal difficulty mode, Japanese and English voiceovers, and other additional features.

Published by Square Enix, Fantasian New Dimension will launch on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC this winter.

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I’ve made little secret about my love of the Yakuza games (and their spin-offs). It’s one of my favorite series, so I was ecstatic to have the chance to review Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the second of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s RPG offerings and a continuation of Ichiban Kasuga’s story. Joined by new friends and in a completely new setting, will this adventure charm me as much as Ichiban’s first?

Infinite Wealth Story

We pick up three years after the events of Like a Dragon and the Yokohama crew have settled back into society as productive, working adults. Kasuga Ichiban is at Hello Work trying to find jobs for the displaced yakuza following the Great Dissolution of the Tojo Clan and Omi Alliance. Masumi Arakawa’s dream for the yakuza was for them to reintegrate into proper society, and Ichiban has made it his dream to make sure Arakawa’s vision comes to fruition. Yu Nanba found a job working in a medical warehouse, and Koichi Adachi is starting up his own security business. Saeko Mukoda is running her own club. Everything is going well, but it’s about to go downhill fast. Ichiban finally builds up the courage to take Saeko out on a date, and it ends disastrously – so much so that we skip one year into the future and she’s left the poor man on read. Not only that, but a VTuber released a hit piece on Ichiban that went viral, leading to him being canned from Hello Work. Adachi and Nanba get the ax, as well.

Freshly unemployed once again, the gang learn all the ex-yakuza Ichiban spent years trying to help were also targeted by this VTuber. Hisoka Tatara has it out for the yakuza in general and Ichiban in particular, it seems, dedicating multiple live streams to our hero. With nowhere to go, the yakuza turn to the Seiryu Clan in Yokohama, which has been filling its ranks in recent months. Acting captain Masataka Ebina claims he’s recruiting the former yakuza to work at his legitimate waste disposal business as he plans to enact the Second Great Dissolution. To gain legitimacy among veteran yakuza and prove his commitment to Arakawa’s vision, Ebina pulls strings to get Jo Sawashiro out of jail early, drawing in more former Tojo and Omi in the process.

It’s here Sawashiro drops a bombshell: Ichiban’s mother, Akane, is still alive, and she lives in Hawaii. Would Ichiban like to go meet her? Ichiban of course takes Sawashiro up on his offer, though unfortunately his bad luck follows him across the Pacific. Ichiban arrives on American soil and is immediately held up at gunpoint, then drugged and left naked on the beach. He’s arrested for indecent exposure and used as a scapegoat for multiple cold cases, until he escapes and runs into Kazuma Kiryu, who is coincidentally in Hawaii on a job for the Daidoji. The two eventually make their way back to Akane’s house, encounter a local yakuza named Yutaka Yamai – who is also looking for Akane – and make a new friend in Eric Tomizawa, one of Yamai’s men and also the man who held Ichiban up the day before. Ichiban is nothing if not forgiving to a fault, after all. Once the trio are safe, Kiryu then drops the games’s second bombshell: He’s dying of cancer.

So begins Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. In true RGG fashion, the game takes tons of twists and turns, bringing together an eclectic cast of misfits in a story that tackles finding a new beginning in life, closure in the life you’ve lived, and atonement for the mistakes you’ve made. The game takes aim at a number of issues, not the least of which include police corruption, overly burdensome and retributive laws, online dogpiling and how easily someone’s life can be destroyed by rumors, religious faith versus zealotry, economic disparity, homelessness, balancing urbanization and environmentalism, and bodily autonomy with regards to illness.

Ryu Ga Gotoku narratives have always had go big or go home energy, and that’s no different here, for good and for ill. Staging the majority of the story in Hawaii was a big hit, using this new location to explore themes that have been ever-present in this series, but to also highlight unique issues to Hawaii itself, as well as adding an international bent.

Ichiban and the gang from Like a Dragon return, and this time they’ve made some friends. The newest additions to the cast are Eric Tomizawa, a Hawaiian cabby caught up with local gangster Yutaka Yamai; and Chitose Fujinomiya, the daughter of a powerful Japanese magnate who is attending school in Hawaii. Old friends Adachi, Nanba, Zhao and Han Joongi join newly playable Seonhee and the Dragon of Dojima himself to round out the playable cast for this sprawling, dual protagonist story.

Let’s break it down a little more, as unlike previous games in this series, both Ichiban and Kiryu take top billing here. Infinite Wealth is as much a story about the search for Ichiban’s mother as it is closure for Kiryu, and the way the game handles each is at least partially reflected in their supporting casts.

Ichiban’s story takes up the bulk of the game, with the front half devoted entirely to his time in Hawaii. One of the first people he meets is Tomizawa, a down-on-his-luck cabby who holds Ichiban up at gunpoint just hours after our hero touches down on American soil. The son of an Hawaiian native and a Japanese national, Tomizawa straddles two cultures and acts as Ichiban’s liaison and interpreter as one of the few bilingual characters in the game. (This is, unfortunately, an aspect of the game that gets dropped pretty quickly, but I’ll discuss that later.) Chitose is the daughter of a big time Japanese business magnate and has been attending school in Hawaii. Stifled by her upbringing, she’s an interesting civilian foil to the yakuza families of older games. She’s also the most tech savvy of the crew, and ends up helping Ichiban widen the search for his mother by utilizing her ‘Net know-how to gather information. Ichiban’s crew is eventually rounded out by Adachi and Han Joongi, who bring with them familiarity but also new perspectives on life in Hawaii. Having old friends and new mingle was a nice reflection of Ichiban’s relentless optimism and drive to expand his world.

Kiryu’s party is made up entirely of familiar faces from Like a Dragon (which I’ll also refer to as RGG7), which feels appropriate as his story focuses more on the past. What’s new is who is playable, though. Seonhee joins the fray this time around, stepping out from her web of shadows in the Geomujul to take to the streets alongside her hero. Despite her connections to the underworld, she does not have immediate access to information the way the Florist did in previous games, instead helping Kiryu unravel the mysteries surrounding the Seiryu Clan’s connections with Hawaii and how VTuber Hisoka Tatara plays into everything. Nanba comes along as Kiryu’s physical and mental support, with Saeko and Zhao rounding out the crew. Having Ichiban’s friends pal around with Kiryu gives the cast a chance to discuss Ichiban in ways they could not when he’s present, as well as contrast the differences between both former yakuza – in particular, addressing Kiryu’s insistence on doing everything himself. Ichiban has always been a proponent of the Power of Friendship, and that is on full display here, demonstrating how he’s impacted those around him and how they, in turn, are lending their strength to Kiryu when he needs it the most.

Gameplay

Like a Dragon‘s turn-based combat returns here with some welcome tweaks. The battle system still relies heavily on exploiting weapon type and elemental weaknesses in your enemies, but has now added a free-moving aspect that allows for back attacks and team combos. In RGG7, your characters would run across the field to attack whatever enemy you chose, but you had no free range of movement. In Infinite Wealth, you now have a small area in which you can reposition your characters to either hit enemies on the back for added damage, or line up attacks to shove enemies into your friends for a bonus follow-up attack. You can also position your character near an ally and trigger a combo attack, where both will attack the enemy at once. It’s a small change with a big impact since it introduces some strategy, especially when dealing with enemies who use shields or are otherwise heavily armored. The higher the bond with a character, the more damage these combo attacks will do, and the more often follow-up damage will trigger.

Ichiban and Kiryu can also do Tag Team attacks with their crew once they build up their Hype Meter. This is represented by an infinity symbol next to each character’s combat portrait, and the more damage a character takes, the faster the gauge fills. Once it’s fully charged, Ichiban and Kiryu can then “tag” that character to perform a special combo. For instance, Ichiban and Kiryu’s Tag Team is the two of them rushing an enemy and punching them in the face; Tomizawa and his partner hurl wheel wrenches through the air; and Chitose ballroom dances with her partner to hit multiple bad guys in a line attack. Each of them are pretty interesting in their own ways. Ichiban can also use an Ultimate Tag Team that depletes all party member’s gauges but does massive damage to every enemy.

Characters have access to various jobs, which must be bought by taking part in vacation packages at Alo-Happy Tours. Each job can learn skills up through level 30, after which point levels only increase stats. These skills can be “inherited” by other jobs, giving you the opportunity to mix and match and craft your favorite possible job. Do you want your Samurai to also spray bubbly in your enemy’s faces the same way a Host can? Well, now that’s possible. Even ultimate abilities can be inherited, though you only have five total inheritance slots, one of which is for an ultimate ability. You earn inheritance slots as you increase your bond with other characters, and these inheritances will carry over to every subsequent job until you manually change which skills you’re sharing. This ends up being an excellent way to equip characters to exploit the weakness system and ensure you’ve got versatility.

Infinite Wealth has a wide assortment of jobs available. Host, Breaker, Chef, Idol, and Night Queen return from RGG7, so I want to focus briefly on the newcomer jobs: Action Star, Aquanaut, Desperado, Pyrodancer, Samurai, Geodancer, Housekeeper, and Kunoichi. Action Star is a heavy damage focused job with mostly single-target skills. Aquanaut is a magic-focused job with a decent mix of ranged attacks and healing. Desperado is a ranged attack job that mixes elemental-based damage between single and group attacks. Pyrodancer is a magic job with an emphasis on support and debuffing. Samurai is a strong physical job with a mix of single target and AOE skills. Geodancer, like Pyrodancer, focuses on magic support and debuffs. Housekeeper has a mix of physical and debuff attacks. And Kunoichi is a strong physical job. Ichiban can also access the Sujimancer job, which lets him call forth Sujimon to perform an assortment of magic-based attacks. Much like in RGG7, your unique jobs tend to be the most well-rounded, though it doesn’t matter as much here since you can mix and match skills with inheritance, so it’s really just going with the aesthetic you like the most. I would say the only exception is Sujimancer, which felt underwhelming even with high-level Sujimon.

As the Dragon of Dojima, Kiryu’s combat comes with its own flourish. He fists are his weapons, and his ability list is a what’s what of classic Komaki-style attacks. He can also access three different fighting stances at will throughout a fight: Brawler, Rush, and Beast. Much like in his own titles, each of these styles comes with its own pros and cons. Brawler is Kiryu’s default stance, and the only one in which he can use Heat Actions. You can also counter enemy attacks if you perfect guard. In Rush mode, Kiryu’s attacks deal less damage, but he has a wider range of motion, and he gets two turns, which makes this ideal for cleaning up low HP enemies or capitalizing on back attacks. Beast mode is Kiryu’s defensive stance, offering an increase in attack power, but at a significant hit to speed and range. While in Beast mode, Kiryu can break enemy guard stances without using special abilities, which makes this style invaluable against large groups of heavy types and enemies with shields.

When the going gets tough, Kiryu can also dig deep and harness the dragon within, unleashing the full strength of the legendary yakuza by literally breaking free of the game’s turn-based combat to wail on enemies freestyle. Rather than performing a Tag Team attack, by holding R2 when his Hype Meter is full, Kiryu can access Dragon’s Resurgence, giving him free range to pummel any enemy regardless of distance. Once the Resurgence meter runs out, Kiryu will rejoin his teammates in turn-based combat. Deciding between Resurgence and Tag Team can be the difference between winning or losing a battle, and I liked the versatility this offered.

Like every other character in the cast, Kiryu can also use the generic jobs (I quite liked him as a samurai, myself). But the Dragon of Dojima is honestly the strongest job in the game – absurdly so at times – and is a nice gameplay reminder that, despite the events of the story that have Kiryu significantly weaker than during his own standalone titles, he earned his Legendary Yakuza title for a reason.

Poundmates return with some enhancements this time around. Like in RGG7, you can call in support from a variety of colorful characters, many of whom you unlock through subquests. They range from the hard-hitting Chitose Holmes (not to be confused with Chitose Fujinomiya), to mainstay Nancy and her new friend Olivia, the lead singer of a visual kei band, one half of a manzai group who serves coffee, and even the Bartender from Survive. New this time around is the fact that most Poundmates you obtain will fight alongside you for three turns, rather than one-and-done moves. Those are reserved for the highest level Poundmates, most of which you won’t see until nearing endgame. For instance, Chitose will follow up all of Ichiban’s attacks with her own flurry of furious blows, sticking around the battlefield for three turns until she finally bids farewell. Having this bonus damage or healing can make or break early fights, and was a nice addition to the Poundmates system. The more money you spend on Poundmates, the higher your rank with the service, and once you max out your contributions you can unlock With Benefits options, which double the cost of a Poundmate, but also exponentially increases their base attack power. This addition was indispensable during endgame.

Along with Poundmates, Sujimon return, this time bigger than ever. Rather than just being a glorified bestiary, Sujimon now have an entire mini-game devoted to their capture and subsequent battles. Infinite Wealth makes no real effort to hide the Pokémon influence here, and if you’re at all familiar with those games, capturing Sujimon will feel old hat. After battle, Ichiban has the chance to “recruit” one of his enemies. To do so, you need to offer a gift (think Pokéballs) and then prostrate yourself to demonstrate your resolve. The sincerity of your attempt to woo the enemy is represented by a scale at the bottom of the screen, and the further along you time your button press the better your chances (though I highly recommend checking out the low sincerity). If you’re successful, the Sujimon will join you and can be used by Ichiban’s Sujimancer unique job, or fight in Sujimon Battles. They can also take part in Dondoko Island. I’ll touch on both of these aspects a little later.

Read on for Dondoko Island, Sujimon Battles and more! ->

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Atlus released new information on its upcoming Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance title, including a new release date and system details. Originally scheduled for a June 21 release, the game has been moved up a week to June 14 for all platforms.

Vengeance contains both the Canon of Creation and the Canon of Vengeance story paths. That latter follows the basic scenario of SMT V but changes things up in the second half, leading to a wholly new experience for players familiar with the 2021 game. The battle system has also been upgraded, with new Magatsuhi skills and elements to use to your advantage with the Press Turn system, as well as several exclusive skills for certain demons. If your party has two or more demons with strong mythological ties or who share alignments, they will also have access to new skills. On top of the Vengeance route and battle system upgrades, there will be new areas to explore, demons to fuse, and music to enjoy.

Pre-orders are available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 | 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows and Steam.

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Memories are beautiful, treasured and fragile things that give humans purpose and meaning. But are memories what make a person who they are, or do they simply add context to our choices? If someone can’t remember who they are or where they came from, can they truly understand themselves and the world around them? Sona-Nyl of the Violet Shadows ~What Beautiful Memories~, the newest steampunk alternate history title from Liar-soft, attempts to answer these questions and more in a beautifully realized tale that straddles two very different worlds.

At the turn of the 20th century, the Mega Engine City of New York ceased to exist. Every living thing vanished within minutes on Christmas morning of 1902, leaving behind only ruined buildings and empty streets. In the blink of an eye, three million people were wiped off the face of the earth. Five years later, Elysia Wentworth ventures forth into the broken remnants of New York to answer one burning question: Why?

As Elysia walks the barren streets above, deep “underground” a person is falling. Lily can’t remember anything from before tumbling into the mushroom-strewn landscape of the Underground other than his name, and that he does not want to be “her.” He finds himself on the outskirts of a bridge town named Verrazano, where he meets Milia Stoke, a “combat courtesan” with a metal arm who uses a pile bunker to protect the townsfolk from the Dark Gang – giant metal monsters who were once, presumably, human. Down here in the Underground, everyone eventually turns to metal, you see. Some just turn faster than others. That’s been the law of the Underground for as long as everyone can remember, and no one can remember more than five years ago.

Like clockwork, the town is beset by a White One, a monstrous being that devours memories and turns the people into metal. It’s been attacking Verrazano every week for five years, and Lily sees first-hand the chaos it brings when it steals away Milia’s memories of their meeting.

While in Verrazano, Lily meets an assortment of colorful characters, including a catgirl named Mao, a man with a giant metal arm named Luciano, and eventually the “airhead” A – the conductor of a one-car railway train who tells Lily he can be whatever he wants, so long as he chooses for himself. At first, Lily is against this, unwilling to become “her.” When Milia and the town are again beset by the White One, Lily decides to become “her,” embracing the inner voice she’s heard since arriving in the Underground, and harnesses A’s power for herself to defeat the monster. Now in the form of a young girl in a blue dress, Lily and A venture forth along the subway tunnels of the Underground in search of the violet horizon and answers to not only what’s happened to the Underground, but who Lily herself is. Meanwhile, above in the ruined New York, Elysia makes her way to the source of the disaster from five years ago, literally picking up the pieces of lives cut short along the way – including her own.

There’s quite a lot here that I really enjoyed. Memory makes us who we are – our childhoods, our growing pains, our loves and our losses. Without knowing where we came from, it’s hard to know who we are and why we do the things we do. So what happens when everyone is robbed of their memories yet trapped in a cycle of being they can’t contextualize? How do you deal with knowing you had a life before but can’t remember any of it due to someone else’s actions? The exploration of memory and the way it shapes a person – and how ugly and cruel the world can be when your sense of self is robbed from you – was so compelling. Lily being a blank slate gave the narrative room to breathe, to explore the ideas of loneliness, joy, sorrow, fear, grief, and love, and how those emotions can have positive and negative impacts on a person. The dual stories of Lily and Elysia also meant each idea could be explored from multiple angles. Watching as the pieces of the narrative fell into place was really rewarding. A and Lily’s relationship was especially engaging, and I loved every scene with them in it.

I found the sex scenes all well-done and tasteful, with some lovely CGs and impressive voice acting. The intimacy that comes with sexual relationships dovetailed poetically with the often exposed and raw emotions of the participants, so while the game does have an All-Ages version that removes and rewrites these scenes, this is one of those instances where I think the 18+ version better conveys the story’s themes. That being said, there are a couple instances of characters with ambiguous ages and some questionable consent, so while it wasn’t personally an issue for me, if you’re sensitive to that sort of thing, the All-Ages version might be better for you.

Visually, Sona-Nyl is gorgeous. The characters have a vibrant, sketchy quality to them, with evocative pops of color and texture. The backgrounds are detailed and varied, and I found the CGs particularly impressive. The music has a fantastic jazzy quality to it that fits the mood and time period beautifully, and I found myself humming a few tunes even when I wasn’t reading. Overall, the game has some very strong sound design, especially during the encounters with the White Ones. And of course, the voice acting here is top notch – not just in the sex scenes. I’d be remiss not to mention the fantastic localization. This has to be one of the most eloquent VNs I’ve ever read, with fantastic use of cadence and repetition. The descriptions are detailed and expressive, and the dialogue is punchy. Everything is dripping with character and it was such a delight to read.

There’s very little gameplay to be found here, with only a handful of choices bookending and within each chapter. Before each interlude, you’ll have the chance to determine how a news article covers the destruction of New York City, and your choices here determine which options are available to you during each chapter. If you choose wrong with the newspaper, you’re met with one of two bad endings and are required to make the correct choice if you want to proceed. This means there’s no real replayability to see branching paths. The game takes roughly 12 hours to complete, making it a bit on the shorter side, but it’s relatively dense, so this actually worked out well for me. It hit that sweet spot in terms of complexity of narrative and length of time to read it.

That being said, not everything here worked for me. The villain fell flat, with confusing motivation and an unfulfilling conclusion. Seeing as this is the fifth entry in a series, I suspect that has something to do with it, but I’m a firm believer that a story should have a satisfying beginning, middle and end, regardless of where it fits into a broader narrative, and the ending of Sona-Nyl did not quite live up to what came before. A handful of characters also felt underutilized – again, possibly for the same reason. These weren’t enough to ruin the experience, but they did leave me feeling like I missed out on something.

Sona-Nyl of the Violet Shadows ~What Beautiful Memories~ was my first Liar-soft VN, but I doubt it’ll be my last. The intricate story, well-realized characters, and fascinating world building all impressed me greatly, despite some shortcomings. I loved the way this story wove in a multitude of faerie tales and children’s literature, especially its heavy use of Alice in Wonderland motifs. The MangaGamer version includes the unedited 18+ version and the All-Ages Refrain, which rewrites and removes the sex scenes. The Steam version is Refrain, but you can download an 18+ patch. Whichever you choose to go with, at $35, this one is worth your time.

Review Score
Overall

Review copy provided by the publisher.

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Game Boy Advance cult classic RPGs Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age will debut on the Game Boy Advance – Nintendo Switch Online library this month, providing players old and new the opportunity to dive into this beloved series.

From the humble village of Vale to the mystical peaks of Mt. Aleph, Golden Sun sets magic-wielding young heroes Isaac, Garet, Ivan and Mia on a quest to prevent the ancient power of Alchemy from being unleashed on their home world of Weyard. Their adventure takes them through towns, caverns and dungeons as they face wily enemies, confounding puzzles and epic challenges that push their magical abilities (Psynergy) to their absolute limits. Along the way, they get help from mysterious creatures known as the Djinn, who aid the heroes in harnessing their Psynergy to unlock potent spells and unstoppable attacks.

A direct sequel to Golden Sun, The Lost Age presents a dramatic shift as the story now follows Felix – a young Adept (or magic user) who was the antagonist of the first game – on his mission to prove that Alchemy isn’t a destructive force, but one that could save Weyard after all. Forced to join Felix on his quest are Adepts Jenna and Sheba and the wizened scholar Kraden, all of whom struggle to keep Felix on task as powerful and enigmatic new challenges face them all.

Both games feature co-op gameplay, turn-based combat, puzzle solving and open-world exploration. They will be available on Jan 16. Nintendo Switch Online is a paid subscription service. You can sign up here.

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The FINFAL FANTASY XIV FAN FESTIVAL 2024 in Tokyo kicked off today with a reveal of the full Dawntrail trailer, as well as a first look at the game’s newest race: Female Hrothgar. We also got an extensive look at character model upgrades using 7.0’s updated graphics system, a sneak peek at more areas of Tural, and the second Dawntrail job: Pictomancer. We also received confirmation that the Xbox Open Beta Test is expected to take place near the end of February.

During his keynote, FFXIV Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida reintroduced players to the land of Tural, where there appears to be a conflict involving succession to the throne. The Warrior of Light and the Scions will need to take sides in this conflict, and in the process travel across the lands of Tural, as well as a new area introduced at the Tokyo Fanfest: Solution Nine. Yoshi-P kept the details sparse, but this new area is a wide departure from the wide plains and watery jungles we’ve seen thus far, leaning pretty heavily into neon-soaked high rises and paved streets. We also got to see some more concept art of local tribes, including the Hanuhanu, which appear to be close cousins to the Vanu Vanu.

Pictomancer takes its queues from that same job originating in FINAL FANTASY VI, with job gear mirroring the character Relm from that game. The job will begin at level 80 in Gridania. Pictomancers wield brushes to bring their drawings to life, including monsters, weapons and landscapes. As with other spellcasters, the job will use a mix of instant and long cast abilities to both attack and buff the party. It’s not a “full support” job but not as attack focused as a Black Mage, according to Yoshi-P. (He also assured the audience that you don’t have to personally be good at art to play Pictomancer!)

The keynote touched on several other updates coming in 7.0, including the much-requested female Hrothgar, as well as updated graphics. Yoshi-P spent more than 30 minutes highlighting those updates, showing off the changes to racial models and how the new system provides higher detail and more clarity to racial features. He also discussed the upcoming raids, including the 24-man raid based off FINAL FANTASY XI, and the new eight-man raid, The Arcadion, which is an FFXIV original storyline. The upcoming Ultimate will be based on Eden. Yoshida-san was only able to show off some concept art, but for the Echoes of Vana’diel raid, we at least have confirmation the Shadow Lord will be in it (which just so happens to be one of the fights fellow oprainfall contributor and FFXIV player Quentin wrote about last year!) Along with the raids, Yoshi-P also confirmed new lifestyle content, including Cosmic Exploration, which will find Warriors of Light planet hopping, as well as the return of largescale field content similar to Eureka and Bozja.

FINAL FANTASY XIV Online: Dawntrail is currently slated for a Summer 2024 release, though Yoshida-san would not pinpoint an exact date to avoid a similar fate to Endwalker, when he had to delay that expansion’s release. FINAL FANTASY XIV FAN FESTIVAL in Tokyo will continue tomorrow. You can find the schedule here.

What was your favorite announcement of the Keynote?

What are you most excited to explore in Dawntrail?

Let us know in the comments below!

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I love the Like a Dragon (nee Yakuza) games. Like, a lot. I started playing them with the PS2 original and have adored following Kiryu’s journey all these years. So, of course a side story starring the Dragon of Dojima was right up my alley, and considering it’s a between-quel (interquel?) of Yakuza: Like a Dragon (also known as Yakuza 7) and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, I had to see what our favorite Fourth Chairman was up to. His cameo in Yakuza 7 was a standout moment in a game I thoroughly enjoyed, so getting the full rundown on his activities leading up to that moment was something I absolutely needed to see for myself.

As noted, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a side story that plays out concurrently to the events of Y7, so if you’ve played that game, you know how this story is going to end, at least in broad strokes. If you were coming into this looking for high stakes, you aren’t really going to find them. What you will find is a surprisingly interpersonal drama exploring the ramifications of giving up one’s identity and grappling with the losses that come with it. When you’ve spent your entire adult life trying to remove the yoke of institutions from around your neck, how do you come to terms with submitting to a shadowy cabal that strips you of everything you’ve ever held dear – all so you can protect the ones you love the most?

Unlike Y7‘s turn-based RPG battle system, Like a Dragon Gaiden returns to the real-time brawler style the Yakuza games were known for. This time around, Kiryu has two fighting forms he can swap between: Agent and Yakuza. Yakuza style is a pared down version of Kiryu’s Dragon of Dojima style – heavy hitting, strong counters, will grab you by the head and slam you into his knee types of moves. It excels in one-on-one fights or against blocking opponents, since his basic moveset includes a stance break attack. Agent is new to Gaiden and gives Kiryu an assortment of fun gadgets to use during combat. Spider uses wires to bind enemies in place or fling them around the arena; Hornet gives Kiryu control of autonomous drones; Serpent lets Kiryu zip around the arena on rocket shoes; and Firefly is an explosive cigarette that’s great for clearing out crowds. Honestly, Agent is best for crowd control until you level it up enough to wreak havoc in EX Heat mode, at which point I was using it on single bosses as well. I found no end of delight in grabbing five or six guys with Spider and flinging them willy-nilly around a fight. Great stuff.

The battle arena returns here as well with the Coliseum, and it comes with a fun twist: Hell Team Rumbles. Throughout the story, Kiryu will have the opportunity to recruit several characters to join his Coliseum team for group matches. Unlike large scale battle content in previous games, such as Yakuza 6 and Kiwami 2, the Hell Team Rumbles here are real-time slug fests where Kiryu will fight alongside up to 10 NPCs against groups of enemies. You can also play as any of the characters in your roster, not just Kiryu. Characters are broken into three categories: fighter, tank, and healer. Each character can perform a special attack – raising everyone’s attack and defense, healing the whole party, etc. – but so too can enemies. You can raise teammate’s levels to 20 and their bond to three, with a higher bond leading to special effects lasting longer. Hell Team Rumbles can get pretty difficult in the Platinum tiers, so having a solid team of attackers, defenders and healers is a must, and I found Agent style really excelled here thanks to its stronger crowd control. Kiryu can also take part in standard solo fights, and you’re going to need to do a mix of everything if you want to see the Coliseum’s story play out in full.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Like a Dragon game without a ton of side content, and despite being a side story itself, Gaiden does not slack in the mini-game department. Returning are the gambling staples, mahjong, karaoke and golf, as well as Pocket Circuit, everyone’s favorite miniature car racer. While the story isn’t nearly as involved this time as it was in Yakuza 0 or Kiwami, it’s still a fun way to spend a couple hours. The new Pocket Circuit spokeswoman is Ran, a bubbly girl with adorable twin tails who recruits Kiryu to join CourStar, a Pocket Circuit location catering to adults who played during their youth. As with several of the substories in this game, there’s a strong through-line of reminiscence and handing over the torch, and I found it really well done. Nothing about the actual mini-game has changed from previous games, so it’s easy to jump right in if you’re at all familiar with Pocket Circuit. As for karaoke, this time around it’s basically all old-man hits, including Baka Mitai, TONIGHT -restart from this night-, hands, and the new song, Sayonara Silent Night, a catchy little diddy with just enough melancholy to really hit you in the feels. It felt very fitting.

Also returning are cabaret clubs, though this time around all the cabarets are a new “immersive” experience, with full motion video of women performing the hostess roles rather than in-game models based on those women. You have five girls to choose from, including streamer Kson. The cabaret plays out exactly the same as in previous games, with the girls answering Kiryu’s questions and chatting with him until you raise their affection level sufficiently to earn some alone time with them. I found the experience mildly novel, though felt there was too much delay in the video playback of each woman, giving every encounter a bit of an uncanny feel. It’s nothing insurmountable and didn’t distract that much, but if you’re used to the more seamless experience of previous games, it might take some getting used to. It was neat to see the women be themselves, though, and I always appreciate Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s commitment to using real industry members, considering how often the stories in their games attempt to dispel negative stereotypes around red light district work.

But Leah, you’re asking, how is the story? Honestly, it’s fantastic, though I feel that should go without saying. It’s a Like a Dragon game, of course the story is good. But like I mentioned earlier, the stakes here are not particularly high by Yakuza standards. Since Like a Dragon Gaiden takes place concurrent to Y7, we ultimately know where Kiryu will end up. This story isn’t about that, though. It’s focused entirely on Kiryu’s relationship with Hanawa, his Daidoji Faction handler, and the tight line Kiryu has to walk in order to keep his identity secret. It’s all about how Kiryu struggles to keep his part of an unfair bargain in which he gave up everything – even his name – to protect Haruka, Haruto and the Morning Glory Orphanage kids’ health and happiness. As a puppet of the Daidoji group, Kiryu – now going by Joryu – has no freedom, though Hanawa seems to do his best to give the former Dragon of Dojima leeway. That can’t last forever though, and when an unknown group stages an attack against the Daidoji, Kiryu’s conviction and morals are put to the test.

The basic setup is simple enough. The Daidoji are hired to assist the CIA in helping some unnamed terrorist group from another country. They’re supposed to provide cover for a gold bullion hand-off, but it turns out to be a front and the Daidoji group are blindsided by a surprise attack. Hanawa tasks Kiryu with looking into a possible connection between the attackers and the Seiryu Clan in Yokohama, which goes nowhere, but does give us a concrete time period in which this side story takes place. What Kiryu does find in Yokohama are the Omi Alliance, who are up to no good, and after some back and forth with Tsuruno, the Watase Family lieutenant, Kiryu is given a red dragon and a single clue: Akame.

Back in Sotenbori, Kiryu ends up under the wing of Akame, an information peddler. Akame acts as both a big story player, as well as Kiryu’s base of operations throughout the game, taking on an assortment of odd jobs from the city’s “jack of all trades” to help keep the streets safe for the homeless. Despite her ties to the Omi Alliance and other underworld entities, Akame has nothing but the best interests of Sotenbori in mind. She’s a fantastic addition to the pantheon of Yakuza characters and I love her. She’s fiery and a bit of a smart ass, but she’s savvy and resourceful as well. She’s also incredibly cute. The entire cast in Like a Dragon Gaiden is fantastic, though, and you’ll be hard-pressed to not find someone here who isn’t at the very least interesting.

For all my love of this side story, there were a few issues. I played on the PlayStation 5, and performance was overall quite stellar, but I did notice a lot of pop-in when running around Sotenbori, and on occasion when I loaded back into the street from an instanced area (Stilj, CourStar, some substories) the game would hang on the gray loading screen for an uncomfortably long time. There were also some really noticeable typos throughout the game and a very unfortunate open font tag during the climactic cutscene. It will likely be fixed in a future patch, but felt out of step with how clean previous titles have been regarding the text. And this is admittedly a “me” problem, but there were so many menus when doing Pocket Circuit that I felt really didn’t need to be that excessive. There’s no reason the main races and rivals at the very least couldn’t be nested under the same menu instead of having to exit out of the mini-game entirely every time.

Overall, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a standout entry in this storied franchise. Agent is a fun new addition to Kiryu’s fighting styles, and I really loved the Coliseum this time around, especially the Hell Team Rumbles. Playing dress-up with Kiryu was a ton of fun, and every game should give him the opportunity to walk down a runway. Akame is a wonderful character, and her integration in both the main story and the substories made her feel integral to this snippet of Kiryu’s life. I found the interpersonal drama with Hanawa compelling, as well as everything involving the Omi Alliance. This game also packs a serious emotional gut-punch and features perhaps the best acting I’ve seen from Takaya Kuroda to date. If you’re really craving that old school Yakuza combat and storytelling, Gaiden is a solid experience. It took me a little over 30 hours to complete all substories, finish the Coliseum, complete the main races in CourStar and defeat the lion’s share of rivals. It’s well worth your $49.99 USD.

Review Score
Overall

Review copy was provided by the publisher.

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Nintendo released an English language statement on its Japanese site, as well as its Twitter account. Miyamoto writes, in English:

This is Miyamoto. I have been working on the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda for many years now with Avi Arad-san, who has produced many mega hit films. [1]

I have asked Avi-san to produce this film with me, and we have now officially started the development of the film with Nintendo itself heavily involved in the production. It will take time until its completion, but I hope you look forward to seeing it. [2]

Neither the Twitter account nor the Nintendo site post provide any further details on whether the movie will follow one of the games’ plots or be an original adaptation. Arad Productions and Avi Arad were involved with the 2022 Uncharted movie. Wes Ball directed the Maze Runner series. Nintendo most recently released a Super Mario Bros. movie in partnership with Illumination and Universal Pictures, which went on to gross $1.6 billion worldwide.

What kind of Zelda movie would you like to see, if any?

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Let Your Curiosity Guide Your Journey in Dragon’s Dogma 2

Dragon’s Dogma 2 Director Hideaki Itsuno kicked off Capcom’s TGS Online Special Program by providing the first in-depth look at the deep, explorable world of this narrative-driven RPG. The roughly 10-minute overview included an explanation of the Pawn AI companions, some of the available vocations, and the two nations players will explore throughout their journey. Itsuno also gave a glimpse of the many ways players will be able to use their creativity to adventure through this immersive world.

As an Arisen, you will lead a party of up to three AI companions known as Pawns as you explore the fantasy world of Dragon’s Dogma 2. Players will have one custom main Pawn and up to two additional Pawns recruited from other players or offline. Organizing your party to leverage strengths and mitigate weaknesses will require tactically selecting vocations: Fighter, Archer, Thief and Mage. The Fighter wields a sword and shield to slice through enemy ranks and deliver powerful blows, while also using shields to protect themselves and their allies. Archers utilize the bow and arrow to strike enemies from afar and excel at targeting airborne foes or creating opportunities for follow up attacks after striking enemy weak points. Thief attacks with deadly speed, dealing rapid and consecutive strikes with daggers in both hands while exhibiting outstanding mobility. They quickly step away after striking, exploit openings to cling onto enemies, and inflict heavy damage. Thieves may steal from enemies and NPCs alike. Wielding a staff, the Mage offers support to their party in various ways: from launching magick attacks, offering enchantments that bolster party members’ weapons, to casting healing spells. Player characters and their main Pawn can change vocations at any time by visiting Vocation Guilds throughout the world.

Itsuno also revealed the Magick Archer and Mystic Spearhand, two vocations that will only be available to the player-controlled Arisen. Using magickal arrows, the Magick Archer has a versatile move-set capable of attacking, healing allies, or even learning a custom skill that unleashes a devastating attack over a wide area, in exchange for reducing their own maximum HP. The Mystic Spearhand makes use of their unique Duospear and magick to attack enemies up close or from afar with punishing strikes or magick that can paralyze enemies or hurl multiple objects at them.

The tale of Dragon’s Dogma 2 is split between two nations: Vermund, the kingdom of humanity, and the beastren nation of Battahl. Vermund is a land of rolling green hills, with a fortified capital city populated by nobles, and sprawling commoner settlements surrounding the castle grounds. Meanwhile, the steep canyons of Battahl are littered with ancient ruins that later became the foundation for its current cities. When venturing outside the safety of each nation’s towns, players will encounter travelers, merchants, soldiers, and other folk as they go about their daily lives. Each character has their own motives and objectives, and may even approach the Arisen with a quest. If a Pawn in your party has knowledge of a quest, they will offer to guide the Arisen to their destination. If the sky begins to darken while en route, the Arisen should seek a campsite to sleep rather than brave the smothering darkness and increased dangers of night. Oxcarts also offer quick passage between each major town, but beware: these transports can be attacked before their arrival.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 will be available on Playstation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam.

Take that! Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy Takes Apollo’s Titillating Trials to New Consoles

Apollo Justice brings zany courtroom shenanigans to the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows and Steam with Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy. This package brings Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies, and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice to new consoles. The trilogy includes improved HD resolution, smoother animations, and a 16:9 aspect ratio. Newly created UI fits modern screen sizes, and an enhanced menu and system feature will fully immerse players in the courtroom.

Other features in the trilogy include:

• Animation Studio: Piece together actions, gestures, and iconic voice lines for fan-favorite characters such as Apollo Justice, Phoenix Wright, Athena Cykes, and more! Then, pair them with in-game backgrounds and music tracks, press play, and enjoy the unforgettable antics that unfold.
• Orchestra Hall: Relive key courtroom moments with a total of 175 music tracks, including songs from previous Ace Attorney Orchestra Concerts and background music from each title in the collection, as well as animated chibi characters playing along to the music.
• Art Gallery: Investigate behind the scenes with a collection of over 400 pieces of art, illustrations, background art, and more.
• Previously Available DLC: Players can enjoy content previously released as paid DLC from titles within the collection such as costume packs and special episodes for free!

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy will be available for $49.99 on Jan 25, 2024.

The Trail Ahead for Monster Hunter

The recently released Monster Hunter Now showcased its AR function, which allows players to take pictures with their favorite monsters in the real world. The first update for the title was also confirmed to be coming in December and will include additional weapon types and monsters for players to enjoy. Additionally, March 2024 will mark 20 years since the launch of the first Monster Hunter title in Japan. The 20th anniversary logo and first piece of the 20th anniversary art series debuted during the Tokyo Game Show Special Online Program. More information on the 20th anniversary celebrations will come in the near future.

A.K.I. Claws Her Way into Street Fighter 6 and Players’ Hearts

A.K.I. joins the fight in Street Fighter 6 starting on Sept. 27. As an understudy of F.A.N.G from Street Fighter V, A.K.I. takes great joy in using her beloved poisonous projectiles and claw attacks to take down her fiercest opponents. Players can take their chances meeting up with A.K.I. in the single-player World Tour mode to learn more about her interest in the evil Shadaloo organization and apply her deadly moves to their custom avatars for use in both World Tour and Battle Hub modes.

A.K.I. will have Outfit 1, colors 3-10, available at release for owners of the Year 1 Character Pass, Deluxe Edition, or Ultimate Edition. Outfit 2 will be available for Ultimate Edition owners or as a separate purchase. Players can also get a taste of her poison for an hour with a Rental Fighter ticket, which can be obtained via a Fighting Pass.

A Halloween Fighting Pass will be available in October, featuring special Halloween-themed items and cosmetics, available for a limited time.

Starting on Nov. 1, a new rank called Legend will be added to ranked matches. Legend is a special rank given to the Top 500 players within the Master League. Anyone achieving Legend rank by the time the Phase is finished will receive a special in-game title. Training Mode is getting new features as well, including more detailed options for Training Mode Shortcut Settings, Reversal Settings, Frame Meter, Recording Settings, and more.

In the world of eSports, Street Fighter League: Pro-JP continues its season with nine teams comprised of Japan’s most talented players competing this year to be crowned the best in Japan. Additionally, Street Fighter League: Pro-US and Street Fighter League: Pro-Europe return this fall with the top Street Fighter 6 teams in their respective regions. Then, the world’s strongest teams from all three leagues will duke it out for the coveted Street Fighter League World Championship title.

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Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios unveiled a ton of new information on both Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, as well as Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, during their RGG Summit and Like a Dragon Directs. You can check out the Direct above. You can watch the individual (age-restricted) trailers released during the Direct below, which include Gaiden‘s opening cinematic, featuring the theme song, “Katatoki,” written and performed by Atlanta-based hip-hop artist J.I.D and Radwimps lead singer Yojiro Noda; Infinite Wealth‘s story trailer; and Infinite Wealth‘s gameplay trailer.

Gaiden will release on Nov 9, 2023, on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Infinite Wealth will launch Jan 26, 2024 on the same systems.

About Infinite Wealth:

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth delivers a one-of-a-kind RPG experience with combat boasting greater depth, quality of life refinements, and improved gameplay favoring speed and strategy. The playable party now has full freedom of movement while fighting, allowing you to strategically position yourself and your allies to take down foes more effectively.

Experience all that Honolulu has to offer with a variety of activities across the city. Take scenic photos in Sicko Snap, help Ichiban make some cash in Crazy Delivery, inspired by the SEGA classic Crazy Taxi – and many more.

Famed badass Danny Trejo is cast as the voice of Dwight, leader of the Barracudas, who supervises the largest counterfeit goods market in the world aided by his sharp sense of business and even sharper machete.

Actor, director, producer, and activist Daniel Dae Kim is cast as the voice of Masataka Ebina, a ruthless captain of a yakuza syndicate.

About Gaiden:

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name follows the story of Kazuma Kiryu, operating under the codename “Joryu.” Once a legendary yakuza, he faked his own death and abandoned his name for the sake of protecting his family. Now, he is thrust into conflict by a mysterious figure attempting to drive him out of hiding. Thrilling sub-missions will draw you into an epic showdown that unfolds the more you explore and enjoy Sotenbori and Yokohama.

ERASE YOUR PAST TO PROTECT YOUR FUTURE: Embark on a gripping action narrative with bone-shattering combat in vibrant locations filled with exciting characters and activities.

ULTIMATE COMBAT WITH TWO HIGH-IMPACT FIGHTING STYLES: Dynamically switch between the Yakuza and Agent fighting styles in visceral melee combat. With the Yakuza style, strike fear into enemies by unleashing wildly aggressive moves powered by Kiryu’s unparalleled strength and flair. Or up the ante with the Agent style by delivering blows with absolute speed and precision, while using an array of high-tech gadgets like electrified bind wires to stun enemies then send them flying.

ENDLESS ENTERTAINMENT: Whether you’re brawling in the secret Battle Arena, singing a new karaoke song, enjoying a drink at the live-action cabaret club, or racing in the pocket circuit, the world offers a variety of immersive experiences.

Both games offer pre-order bonuses. Gaiden‘s Legendary Fighter Pack will unlock Goro Majima, Taiga Saejima, and Daigo Dojima as fighters in the Battle Arena. Infinite Wealth‘s Hero’s Booster Pack helps players level faster and includes the special jobs Linebacker and Tennis Ace.

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Square Enix revealed a new trailer and official release date for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth during today’s State of Play. You can watch that trailer above, which highlights not only story beats, but the vastly expanded world outside Midgar, the Gold Saucer, mini-games, multi-colored chocobos, chocobo racing, and even the Weapons. Some fan favorite characters also get the spotlight.

Several key staff members also shared messages coinciding with the release date trailer.

Producer Yoshinori Kitase notes this second installment of the game will include “greatly enhanced features such as the vast world map to explore and synergy abilities with party members. The story will unfold more dramatically than ever before, with a rapid pace of major twists and turns. We know fans are dying to see one scene in particular…” He also claims Rebirth can be “enjoyed on its own as a standalone adventure.” The game will feature a recap of Remake for those who did not play the first title in this reimagined trilogy.

Director Naoki Hamaguchi says the team has been working “tirelessly” on Rebirth since the release of Remake and “can’t wait for you to experience our labor of love. In this title, Cloud and his friends, who have left Midgar, will be setting out on an adventure across an expansive world of untold adventure in pursuit of Sephiroth.” Rebirth‘s main story is “bigger and more ambitious” than Remake, he continues, but the 100-plus hour game also “embraces the concept of ‘free exploration,’ with compelling stories, fun mini-games, powerful monsters and so much more.”

Creative Director Tetsuya Nomura explains Rebirth will cover the story from after Midgar up until the midpoint of the original Final Fantasy VII. Remake served as an “introduction to the world and a preparation for this journey” and Rebirth an “illustration of the incidents that started that journey, an exploration of the people tied to it, and the journey itself, heading toward its climax.” Due to the nature of Rebirth being the second in a series, he goes on to say it provided the team the chance to “review and incorporate feedback” from Remake, including increasing the number of characters. “I am sure that the bar for the next work will be raised even higher now that we have included so many spectacular elements in this work, but even so, the entire team continues to work diligently and without compromise on its development. There is also the looming question of what fate awaits,” he continues. “Whether you have experienced the original title or will embark on this new adventure with fresh eyes, we hope you will face the ending of this work on your own terms.”

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will launch on the PlayStation 5 on Feb 29, 2024, and span two discs.

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I have made no secret of how much I’ve been looking forward to Final Fantasy XVI since it was first announced. As a lifelong fan of the franchise, I was eager to see what new story was in store for this vaunted series; and as an avid Final Fantasy XIV player, I was stoked to see some of my favorite devs creating a new, standalone title. Would it live up to expectations or flounder under the weight of its own name? Read on to find out!

Clive Rosfield is the first son of the Archduke Elwin Rosfield, of the Dutchy of Rosaria. His younger brother, Joshua, a frail and sickly boy, was born the Dominant of Phoenix – basically this world’s version of a summoner. Clive, himself, is blessed with the Phoenix’ power, allowing him to use fire-based magic and attacks, and so he acts as Joshua’s First Shield, protecting his younger brother from danger at all costs. With war looming on the horizon, Elwin and Joshua head to Phoenix Gate to pray for the fire bird’s protection in the coming battles. Clive takes a detour to clean out a nearby swamp of encroaching goblins. Not long after he rendezvous with his father and brother at the Gate, it’s attacked by those who would see Elwin and Joshua dead. While desperately searching for his brother in the commotion, a hooded figure intercepts Clive. When he wakes up, it’s to the Phoenix battling another fire Eikon, Ifrit – a creature that should not even exist. As Clive watches helplessly, the world around him is forever changed, leading him down a path of vengeance, anger, and – ultimately – redemption and self-determination.

First and foremost, the game is not shy about showing pretty brutal acts of violence. There is a lot of blood, dead bodies and cutting people down in the middle of battle. Producer Naoki Yoshida has been vocal about his influences when creating this game, including Game of Thrones and the previous works of Yasumi Matsuno, including Final Fantasy Tactics and FFXII. These influences are readily apparent, but the game doesn’t really deal with anything darker than previous titles – it’s just more up front about their presentation. I don’t think it detracts at all from an ultimately uplifting story about living life on your own terms and the power of friendship, but just know what you’re getting into if you pick it up.

This is also a stylish action RPG in the vein of Dragon’s Dogma, with that game’s Ryota Suzuki taking the helm as combat director. I will be the first to admit that I am not exactly the best at action games, but the combat here feels fantastic. You have a basic melee attack mapped to the square button, as well as a single-target magic spell mapped to the triangle button. Your melee attack can chain to a three-hit combo, and if you time your spell immediately after, you’ll perform a magic burst for extra damage. The circle button is mapped to the feat of whatever Eikon you’re currently equipped with – Phoenix Shift for Phoenix, which launches you toward an enemy; Deadly Embrace for Garuda, which pulls enemies toward you and can also drag larger ones to their knees; Titanic Block for Titan, which puts up a shield that, when paired with a perfect block, executes a blistering counter attack; etc. Holding R2 changes the square and triangle buttons to one of several Eikonic abilities you choose to map to them, allowing for a surprising amount of customization. For instance, for Phoenix I have Rising Flame mapped to R2 + square and Flames of Rebirth mapped to R2 + triangle because they fit my preferred play style, and I genuinely like how they look and feel. Mixing and matching which Eikonic abilities you assign provides a lot of depth to an otherwise pretty simple system, and also gives you options for when fights aren’t going your way. During battle, every action Clive does will also naturally fill up his Limit Break (LB) bar. Using the LB will increase his attack power and speed while also replenishing a bit of his health.

Regular enemies are simple enough to take down using your standard combo and magic burst (though why wouldn’t you use your fun moves to finish battles faster), but bigger enemies have a stagger bar that needs to be whittled down before you can do any major damage to them. Parrying an attack will leave them open for higher stagger damage, as will certain Eikonic abilities. Knocking a stagger bar to the halfway mark will momentarily incapacitate the enemy, so you can wail on them and burn their stagger bar down to nothing faster. Once fully staggered, unleashing multi-hit Eikonic abilities while activating your LB and maximizing your combo + magic burst will deal the most damage. If the enemy isn’t dead by the end of their stagger, their bar replenishes and you start the process over again. If you’re only using basic combo attacks, this process can feel really grueling. But, smart use of Eikonic abilities, Clive’s LB gauge, parries and precision dodges ended up making most of these battles a lot of fun for me, especially later on when I leveled up more of my Eikonic abilities and unlocked new Eikons to mess around with.

Clive does not just fight with a sword, though. Periodically throughout the game, you will engage in kaiju battles with other Eikons, and these are over-the-top, flashy, bombastic battle sequences. Dominants can “semi-prime,” meaning they take on some characteristics of their Eikon without fully becoming them; and they fully “prime” to become the Eikon itself. Clive will engage in fights with both during his journey, and the scale of these battles feels suitably epic. During Eikon fights, you have access to a much more limited but powerful set of skills, and everything feels weighty and impactful. They’re really fun. Eikon battles are also where you will see the majority of the game’s “cinematic” quick-time events. Pressing square when the screen glows blue will do a “Cinematic Strike,” a stylish and hard-hitting attack. Pressing triangle when the screen glows red will perform a “Cinematic Dodge,” propelling Clive out of danger. And mashing the square button when the screen flashes will cause a “Cinematic Clash” where Clive and his opponent vie for dominance. These “Cinematic” events can happen during regular boss fights, but they’re most often used against Eikons, and they look really cool.

In terms of combat, Torgal is a bit of a mixed bag for me. You control him using the D-pad, though he will do regular damage to enemies whether or not you command him. Timing his “Sic” command with your attacks deals extra damage; his “Heal” ability is a short regen that generally feels useless; and his “Ravage” command will launch most smaller enemies into the air to set them up for air combos. Getting his “Sic” command timing down should be one of the first things you do, since you’ll be using it frequently, but for the most part, I never felt like having Torgal with me in combat made that much of a difference. He’s still the best, most perfect good boy ever, and I love him, but he doesn’t add much to fights outside keeping the riff-raff occupied when I’m focused on a bigger mob. This might change on higher difficulties, but on a normal difficulty, action-focused run through, he felt like an afterthought.

One of XVI‘s most hyped up features was its accessibility items. Rather than offer difficulty levels (easy, hard, etc.), the game opts to provide players with customizable difficulty through the use of special gear. These “Rings of Timely ____” change the flow of combat drastically, slowing down time to give players a chance to evade (Ring of Timely Focus), letting Clive automatically dodge attacks that can be evaded (Ring of Timely Evasion), auto-use potions (Ring of Timely Healing), and turning the square button into an auto-combo that weaves attacks and Eikonic abilities together on the fly (Ring of Timely Strikes). They make the game eminently approachable for even the most novice action game player while allowing the developers to design more challenging fights in general. When it comes to addressing difficulty in games, I think this is a good compromise between the “git gud” mentality and asking devs to expend more time on crafting the game around varying difficulty levels, or (as is usually the case) only tailoring fights to one difficulty level and having all others be an unbalanced mess. That being said, I only used these items briefly to try them out because I felt the game was already a little on the easy side, and wearing the rings ruined the balance entirely for me.

Final Fantasy XVI does not have a traditional skill tree. Rather, Clive has a base set of actions he can use. Initially, Clive can only access things like his downward slash, jumping off enemies, taunting, and his Phoenix abilities. As he acquires more Eikons he can learn specific skills from each of those, expanding his tool kit. Every action can be leveled using AP, increasing various aspects such as strength and duration. Clive can equip up to three Eikons at a time, and each of those Eikons can use its specific feat as well as two abilities. Mastering an Eikonic ability will let you assign it to a different Eikon’s kit – so if you really want to use, say, three of Garuda’s abilities, you could assign a Mastered one to Phoenix. You can also earn AP back by resetting all Eikon in order to respec to something more suitable to your style, which was a boon later in the game when I just did not want to grind for AP anymore.

While combat is fun, frantic and addicting, outside of fighting there isn’t much to do that isn’t the main story or sidequests. Unlike other Final Fantasy titles, XVI is woefully lacking in mini-games and other distractions. This isn’t a deal breaker by any means, but it does feel a bit barren. A card or dice type game would have fit this world really well. The regions of Valisthea themselves, while stunningly beautiful, are also mostly just set paths you cannot stray from, or open areas that offer little of interest outside of Hunt mark locations or derelict towns that provide some environmental storytelling. Dungeons are also frustratingly samey and suffer the same hallway-cutscene-hallway design as Final Fantasy XIII and FFVII Remake do. There is also no overworld map, and instead you pick locations and teleport to them, similar to how FFX and Grandia worked. Once in a locale, you can unlock waypoints for fast travel, which you can access at any time by using the map screen in the start menu. Occasionally, the story will lock you into a specific area, but otherwise you can travel at will between waypoints, and I often found myself using them just to get around faster, since Clive runs very, very slowly, and you don’t unlock your chocobo until several hours into the game.

Final Fantasy XVI also lacks several quality of life features I would expect from a game this size and by the same team that worked on Final Fantasy XIV. There’s no mini-map or compass, so I often found myself needing to open the map while out in the wild since I’d get turned around while fighting. You can place markers on the map to help you navigate, but they don’t really make up for the lack of either. You cannot interact with objects while on your chocobo. There is no manual dash button, so you’re at the mercy of whenever Clive ramps up speed while out in the field before you can sprint, and there is absolutely no hoofing it while in towns – even when those towns are abandoned combat arenas. In general, Clive just moves very slowly and more often than not feels like he’s lumbering around, especially in the Hideaway. There’s also no in-game clock, which is baffling to me considering how standard that feature has been in RPGs over the years.

I’m torn on how I feel about the item limit. At the beginning of the game, Clive can carry no more than four potions or three hi-potions. You can increase this amount through sidequests later on, but there’s no stockpiling 99 of every healing item here. On the one hand, this means you can’t beat hard fights by simply out-healing your opponent; managing your health and your resources is as important as executing precision dodges and parries. On the other hand, it feels arbitrarily restrictive, since if you die, you’re fully restocked for both potions and hi-potions anyway, even if you went into the fight with less than the maximum amount. You’re also similarly limited in how many elixirs and tonics you can carry. It just feels like if the game is going to replenish your healing items to full upon death anyway, they might as well have let me stockpile more than four potions at a time. You access potions, hi-potions and tonics in battle using the D-pad (same as Torgal), or through the pause menu, so maybe they could have had it slowly refill with the potions you had in stock once you’ve depleted what’s immediately available. (Also as an aside, the amount of times I’ve wasted my potions because I thought I was on Torgal’s menu and using “Sic” are innumerable and infuriating.)

Read on for the lowdown on XVI’s characters and worldbuilding ->

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If you could have any wish granted – any wish at all – but it meant taking part in a life-or-death illegal broadcast where failure means being erased from existence, would you do it? And if you found yourself on this broadcast against your will, would you be willing to hurt your costars in order to achieve that wish, or would you give in to apathy and let yourself be erased? Not that such a broadcast exists, of course; those are just rumors. The Other World Stream is just the gossip mill working its rounds… isn’t it?

Charade Maniacs, the newest release from Idea Factory, honestly has a really interesting premise. Set a good century into the future, technology has advanced to the point where humans were able to create a second artificial moon named Morpheus, though for mysterious reasons it one day disappeared. Wearable smart watches with projected displays, called Bangles, support daily tasks, provide entertainment, are used in education, and can even regulate bodily functions. Artificial intelligence is commonplace enough that protagonist Hiyori Sena’s family has their own pet robot dog they treat like the real thing. Hiyori has heard the rumors of the Other World Stream from her classmates, of course, and after the family’s robot dog finally stops working, she idly wonders if she could wish him back to life if she were to go on the stream. Her childhood best friend, Tomose Banjo, reminds her that the stream is just a rumor, but as he prepares to confess his feelings to her on their way to school one day just before summer vacation, the two unexpectedly find themselves whisked away to a place called Arcadia, where two moons hang in the sky and their every activity is monitored. Here, they and eight other unfortunate souls will have to participate in the Other World Stream – or be erased from existence.

Did I say eight? Yes I did. Charade Maniacs boasts nine love interests for Hiyori, but manages to keep the cast from being too unwieldy by breaking them down into smaller groups throughout the story. Here’s a quick rundown of all your romantic options:

• Kyoya Akase (CV. Soma Saito) – An energetic, positive presence who always tries to see the best in others and refuses to distrust the rest of the cast. He joins the Information Team.
• Tomose Banjo (CV. Kenichi Suzumura) – Childhood best friend who is fiercely protective of Hiyori and distrusts everyone else on the Other World Stream. He joins the Cleaning Team.
• Mamoru Chigasaki (CV. Daisuke Namikawa) – A quiet, reserved man who hates confrontation and who takes being on the Other World Stream harder than most. He joins the Information  Team.
• Mei Dazai (CV. Makoto Furukawa) – A stoic bookworm who cautiously accepts others but doesn’t exactly trust them. He joins the Information Team.
• Keito Ebana (CV. Tomoaki Maeno) – An antagonistic, distrustful man who wants nothing to do with anyone else in the cast when they aren’t being forced to perform. He joins the Cooking Team.
• Ryoichi Futami (CV. Tomokazu Seki) – A cool-headed and kind man who takes on a big brother style role to most of the other cast. He joins the Cleaning Team.
• Souta Gyobu (CV. Yoshitsugu Matsuoka) – An impish boy who shows callous disregard to the whole situation and just wants to figure out the mystery behind the Other World Stream. He joins the Cleaning Team.
• Takumi Haiji (CV. Nobuhiko Okamoto) – A childish, softpoken boy who doesn’t quite grasp the situation everyone is in. He joins the Cooking Team.
• Mizuki Iochi (CV. Megumi Ogata) – A bold, mature older sibling type who the rest of the cast constantly wonder if they’re a man or a woman and about which Iochi could care less. They join the Cooking Team.

Whew! That’s a lot of characters! Like I said earlier, the game does a good job of giving the player plenty of chances to interact with each of the LIs, rotating them between scenes and breaking them into smaller groups Hiyori interacts with throughout the story. This game has a very long common route, but it uses that time to establish each character and let them interact with Hiyori and each other before the game branches into the working routes: Cleaning, Cooking, Information. Everyone is going to have to live together for the foreseeable future, and that means doling out the chores, so the cast all draw straws to see who is assigned to what. As the odd one out, Hiyori gets to choose which team she’ll join. These routes give you the chance to interact with the smaller group in a more focused manner as each team tackles a different aspect of life on the Other World Stream. From there, you can finally narrow in on a specific LI. It took me around 10-12 hours to finish my first route (Cleaning Team and Tomose) and another 5-6 to finish my second (Information Team and Akase), and I’ve put another two or so hours into my third route (Cooking Team, I haven’t made it to the LI choice yet). To say you will spend a lot of time with this cast is an understatement.

It’s just too bad one of them isn’t who they say they are. Wait, what? That’s right. On top of having to act against their will in an assortment of dramas, there’s a traitor in the cast’s midst.

Here’s how the Other World Stream works. The cast are all forced to participate in a series of dramas that range wildly in subject and tone – you can have a romance drama one day and be in a thriller the next. The Director chooses the dramas and who will act in them. Acting in each drama earns the cast member points: the better they act, the more points they get. If they can collect 3,000 points, they can go home. If a cast member refuses to act out a scene, they are inflicted with a Punishment Game, where they not only lose points, but also lose a bodily function. If their points go below zero, they reach a Dead End and are erased from existence, as if they were never born in the first place. While the Director chooses who acts in each drama, the Producer picks who takes part in the Other World Stream itself. And the Producer just so happens to also be a cast member. If the cast can figure out who the Producer is, they can all go home. But if they choose wrong, they all die. Who can you trust, when someone isn’t who they say they are, and they’re the reason you’ve been kidnapped and taken to this strange world to entertain otherworldly beings for who knows what reason?

I really like this premise, and I like the way the cast all react to the reality that they have a traitor amongst them. Some, like Akase and Iochi, refuse to give in to animosity and choose to trust everyone; others, like Tomose and Ebana, keep their guard up and remain standoffish to the majority of the group. The rest find something of a middle ground, or just straight up embrace being seen as untrustworthy from the get-go. Unfortunately, Hiyori refuses to distrust anyone, which I felt ultimately made her feel a bit too much like a wet blanket. I don’t mind the optimistic heroine, but in this case, I think it would have been nice to have her push back at least a little against the premise rather than immediately jump to blind trust of everyone. The game gives reasons she would trust certain people over others because of how the routes split, and it would have been a fun change of pace if the routes you choose influence how much trust you have in those characters over the others.

Presentation-wise, Charade Maniacs is gorgeous. The character designs by Teita are stunning, and the way the game frames the Other World Streams are stylish and fun. The music is honestly one of the best soundtracks this year, with incredibly upbeat and engaging music, and an opening and ending theme that are certified bangers. The acting isn’t shabby, either, with a veritable who’s who of voice actors lending their talents to this charming cast. You have your staple gallery and music player in the menu, as well as a glossary of terms, people, places and other important bits of information. There’s also a ton of replayability here, with so many LIs and three distinct story routes. That being said, the long common route can be a turn off since it takes so long to get the chance to romance any of the cast, and romance definitely takes a backseat to plot here. (For me that’s not a problem, but if you’re looking for a romance-heavy otome, this one isn’t it.) I did not have any major issues with the localization this time around, though I did catch a few typos, doubled words, and other grammatical mistakes. The game has a lot of text, and as noted above, I only fully completed two routes, so it’s possible I just didn’t encounter anything egregious the way I have in other titles.

Overall, I have had a blast reading through Charade Maniacs. The cast is large and varied, but not overwhelming, and the overarching mystery of what the Other World Stream is and why it exists keeps me going back for more. What’s up with the Arcadians? Why specifically wipe out the memory of people who died rather than just kill them? Why was this cast chosen to have such a drastic imbalance between male and female members? If you like mysteries, you can’t really go wrong here.

Charade Maniacs is available on the Nintendo Switch for $49.99 and well worth the price.

Review Score
Overall

Review copy provided by the publisher.

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Nostalgia has been an undeniable force in gaming over the last decade, if not longer, with a slew of remakes, remasters, and re-releases gracing modern consoles and PC. Few have captured what it was like to actually be a gamer back in the early days of the medium, however. Enter Pixel Ripped, and more specifically its latest entry, 1978, which lets players immerse themselves not only in the shoes of someone playing games back in the old days, but also being in the game.

Back in 2020, I got to play a bit of Pixel Ripped 1995, and the premise of 1978 is more of the same and then some. Where in 1995 you simply had to contend with distractions from those around you, in 1978 you get to both play the game and be inside it. Let’s run it down. You play as Barbara “Bug” Rivers, the creator of Pixel Ripped. The villain of the series, Cyblin Lord, is once again causing havoc, and this time he’s targeting Bug herself by traveling through time to steal her “inspiration” so that she makes a video game with him as the hero instead of the actual hero, Dot. It’s your job as Dot to chase him through time and rescue the “inspiration crystals” so that Bug creates Pixel Ripped and not whatever it is Cyblin Lord wants.

As the player, you control Bug while she literally sits and plays the game that you’re playing (i.e.: if you move the analogue stick on your controller, Dot will move in the corresponding direction inside the game). Using the PSVR2 controllers, you “hold” the Atari joystick in Bug’s hands – and also let it go in order to deal with the assortment of distractions Bug deals with throughout her day. As a game developer, she has to contend with her coworkers asking her questions; fielding phone calls from a “who’s who” list of developers, reviewers and notable persons of video game history; debug games for her colleagues; and swap between external programs that affect the game you’re currently playing. For instance, you’re given a floppy disk that turns your “shoot” mechanic into a “dance” mechanic while playing through Fast Freddie, and part of the level has you needing to let go of the joystick in order to insert and remove the floppy from Bug’s development computer. The game you’re playing does not stop, however, so you need to time releasing the joystick to moments when Dot isn’t in danger of dying. (This is surprisingly difficult to explain in text, but incredibly intuitive and easy to pick up in execution.)

Separate but related to this are “in-game” sequences where you actually play as Dot. These are presented as first-person shooter sections where you traverse the game world to handle obstacles and open paths that were blocked while playing during the “real world” sequences. The FPS sections are complete 3D worlds you roam around freely, shooting enemies, whacking open treasure chests, finding secret items, and solving relatively simple puzzles, such as shooting three targets to open a door. During these FPS sequences, you’ll learn new abilities that help you navigate the world, which in turn open new paths for Bug to explore while she’s playing the game. Swapping between the “real world” and “in-game” sequences are required to complete each level, so that you can battle Cyblin Lord in extravagant boss battle sequences that are inventive takes on classic games from Atari’s library.

Using Atari’s library is one of Pixel Ripped 1978’s most brilliant aspects. I mentioned nostalgia before, and part of what gives this game the leg up on the competition is that you get to play around in actual Atari IPs through the majority of your time. The three main levels are based on Crystal Castles, Fast Freddie, and Yar’s Revenge, but you’ll also see an assortment of other classics. It’s really neat to get to be in classic games, or to see the actual layout of Atari’s offices. The way 1978 recreates distinct time periods for parts of the game are also a massive nostalgia hit, but the game doesn’t rely on that nostalgia to be good, either. It’s a genuinely fun romp through video game history with solid mechanics and level design, as well as a memorable soundtrack to keep you company as you explore.

As with most VR games, you may have to contend with VR sickness or tracking issues. Whenever the game wanted me to throw something, it was hit or miss if it actually registered me moving my arm, and I unfortunately got VR sickness and was forced to play shorter sessions. Thankfully, the game clocks in around 10 hours, so shorter sessions didn’t hamper my overall enjoyment of the game. My favorite sequences were definitely the “real world” ones, particularly when I had to debug a game for a colleague. This meant playing the game, “slapping” the monitor, and then swiping at the bugs that literally flew out of it. You have to let go of the Atari controller to either swat them out of the sky or throw something at them, and doing that while also playing the game you’re debugging is just a lot of hectic fun. Having that sort of dual play is something I cannot see being done as effectively outside of a VR setup, and is one of the strengths of Pixel Ripped being a VR title. Having that sense of immersion – of playing a game and also being hassled, much like I remember when I was a kid and even now that I’m a grown ass adult with my own child – traditional gaming has yet to capture that feeling the way VR does, and nothing does it better in my experience than Pixel Ripped.

Pixel Ripped 1978 is technically the third game in the series, but can easily be played without having played the other games. It’s fun, intuitive and a nice trip down memory lane, especially for those of us who grew up in the early days of gaming. It’s available on PSVR2, Meta Quest 2, and SteamVR, and well worth the $24.99 USD.

Review Score
Overall

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A timeless RPG classic is returning to Western shores when Star Ocean The Second Story R releases later this year. You can check out the reveal trailer above, which highlights the game’s new 2.5D aesthetic, action-packed gameplay, battle sequences and all-new character illustrations by series veteran Yukihiro Kajimoto, as well as a beautifully rearranged soundtrack by original composer, Motoi Sakuraba.

From publisher Square Enix:

STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R has been revitalized with a charming 2.5D aesthetic that combines beautiful 3D environments with nostalgic 2D pixel characters, offering players both a classic RPG and modern gameplay experience. Players can expect to find some of the original features that made the original release so memorable alongside brand-new gameplay features including fast-paced, real-time combat and battle mechanics to strategically defeat foes, customizable party progression with an array of skills, including Cooking, Art, Metalcraft, and more. Three new difficulty modes have also been introduced including “Earth” which provides a standard experience, “Galaxy” for those looking for a more satisfying challenge, and “Universe” for seasoned players looking to put their skills to the ultimate test.

The epic story begins with Claude, a Federation officer, who finds himself transported to an undeveloped planet. While searching for a way home, an encounter with a girl named Rena draws them into a quest to save her people, just as an ancient prophecy foretold. Players will begin their adventure with either Claude or Rena, and depending on their choice, the perspectives and the allies’ players recruit will change. Players will get to know party members through the unique ‘Private Actions System’, which will allow them to grow relationships and unlock a variety of different endings.

Originally released in Japan in 1998 for the PlayStation, Star Ocean The Second Story hit North American shores a year later in 1999. The game was ported to the PSP as Star Ocean: Second Evolution in 2008 (Japan) and 2009 (worldwide), and eventually released on PS Vita and PlayStation Network on the PS3 and PS4 in Japan only in 2015. This will be the first time English speaking audiences will be able to play SO2 on modern consoles.

Star Ocean The Second Story R will offer both Japanese and English text and voiceover performed by the original cast. French, Italian, German and Spanish subtitles will also be available via software update at launch. The remake is being developed by Gemdrops, best known for developing Crystar.

Standard Physical Editions are available to pre-order now for the Nintendo Switch, PS5 and PS4, as well as the Standard Digital Edition for PS5 and PS4 and Steam. Pre-orders for the Standard Digital Edition for Nintendo Switch will be available at a later date. Players who pre-order the physical or digital editions will receive the following digital content as a pre-order bonus:

• Pangalactic Federation Longsword
• Forest Knuckles
• Sunrise Ring
• Set of recovery items (Mixed Berries x20 + Resurrection Potion x20)

A Square Enix Store exclusive, the Collector’s Edition is available as a special, limited quantity set made for both newcomers and fans of the cult classic. The CE includes:

• Standard Edition game
• Original Soundtrack Collector’s Edition
• Art Book
• Mini Acrylic Stand Collection Box

Star Ocean The Second Story R launches Nov. 2, 2023.

The post Star Ocean The Second Story R Revives Classic RPG appeared first on oprainfall.

Final Fantasy XVI demo is here, baby! Of course I had to play around with it. This is probably my most anticipated game of this year. As detailed during the XVI launch event, the demo is the roughly two hour prologue to the game, and any progress you make will carry over to the retail release. I’ve spent a little over an hour with it as of this writing (curse my day job). It’s pretty cutscene heavy, which I expect out of RPGs in general and FF in specific, but that doesn’t mean it’s without its exploration and battles. But let’s start at the beginning. The demo kicks off with an older Clive out on a mission to find the Iron Kingdom’s Dominant, who wields the power of Shiva. The Kingdom is currently at war with the Dhalmekian Republic, but Clive’s relationship to either side is unclear. We get some politicking and get to watch a couple Eikons duke it out before Clive is incapacitated and we’re thrown into an extended playable flashback. Now only 15, we get to control Clive as he heads out into his first real battle to prove his prowess.

Combat at this point is pretty bare bones, but it feels good to play and is very, very responsive. Clive has a standard melee attack combo on Square, can cast fireballs using Triangle, and a natural gap closer called Phoenix Shift that will teleport him to whatever enemy he’s targeting when you press Circle. You can combo up to four melee attacks, and if you use a fireball directly after your combo you get an extra damage explosion. Clive can use both melee and spells while Phoenix Shifting, and pressing R2 and Square gives him access to a special cool down attack that’s best used after you’ve staggered an enemy. You can stagger enemies once you’ve depleted their Will Gauge, during which they take increased damage. You can also dodge and parry attacks, and with good timing you’ll leave the enemy open to additional attacks. As with any good RPG, you can also gain new skills and abilities through the Skill Tree, which opens Clive’s repertoire to spice up fights. So far, I’ve only really fought one enemy type, so I can’t speak too broadly, but the normal mobs were really easy to dispatch. I just zipped around the battlefield using Phoenix Shift and whacked shit until it died. The boss fight, on the other hand, actually did require use of dodging, parrying, and smart combo use, and it felt really good to play. The perfect dodge timing window is pretty generous, and I found parrying timing came naturally. My only real complaint is that the boss felt like it had just a little too much health and overstayed its welcome, but considering I was really concerned that enemies would be damage sponges, I’ll take it.

Exploration feels kind of limited right now, but I’m hoping it opens up the farther I get, since this is just the tutorial section of the game. You can find items scattered around if you go out of your way, and when in town you can listen in on people’s conversations. You can tell the demo assumes you’ll play using English voiceover, because the mouths do not match the Japanese dialogue at all, and it’s a bit distracting. Crossing my fingers this is just a demo issue and that the full game will have better mouth syncing. Overall though, I had a blast and I’m super itching to get back into it. Once you finish the main demo, it unlocks a bonus battle demo where you can go ham with Clive’s abilities from later in the game, and I really want to see how much more combat opens up compared to what I’m using now. I’m happy to say the demo has only made me want the main game more.

On the complete other side of the gaming spectrum, my sister and I finished playing through Resident Evil 3 Remake and we’ve moved on to Code Veronica X. I really enjoyed R3make for its bombastic set pieces and over-the-top action bits. The Nemesis encounters were a lot of fun, and as a baddy he was super memorable. Carlos gives Leon a run for his money in the dreamboat department, too. I like him a lot. Going from that to Veronica is almost like whiplash, but I also enjoy the old style of RE so it’s not a bad thing. Enemies are more damage spongey than I’d like but I can also avoid a lot of them, so it isn’t too big a hassle. I love the B-movie acting and setting, and there’s some pretty good tension when exploring the island. I still hate dogs with a passion, they are the worst enemy type ever. I’ve only had one jump scare that I wasn’t expecting so far, but even with the PS2 models and brightly lit setting, Veronica still manages to ooze personality and atmosphere to provide that requisite level of spooky I expect from my horror games. It might not have the same sense of dread that the remakes were able to create through visual fidelity, but RE‘s sound design has always been on point, and having zombies moaning from all directions but unable to see them is fantastic. As much as I prefer the modern camera and movement of the remakes, that fixed camera and tank controls of classic RE do their job at delivering tension. – Leah

What games have you been playing this week? Let us know in the comments!

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The unknown journey continues in early 2024 with FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, part two of the FINAL FANTASY VII remake project. You can check out the new trailer that released during the Summer Game Fest above.

“We’re honored to bring FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH to players around the world early next year,” said producer Yoshinori Kitase. “In the next installment of this thrilling tale, Cloud and his friends—both new and returning—will embark on a new adventure, so all players can enjoy this story, even those without any familiarity with the previous title or the original FINAL FANTASY VII. The entire team has worked fervently with love and adoration for the world of FINAL FANTASY VII to deliver an unforgettable experience for new adventurers and longtime fans alike, reaching new heights of cinematic storytelling, immersive and fast-paced combat, and rich exploration across a vast world. We can’t wait to share more details later this year.”

FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH picks up with heroes Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith and Red XIII after they escape from the dystopian city Midgar and embark on a journey in pursuit of Sephiroth, the vengeful swordsman from Cloud’s past who was thought to be dead. In this standalone adventure, players will explore an expansive world, all brought to life with a new level of graphical fidelity, developed specifically to leverage the power of the PS5 console. As players unravel a gripping narrative rich with mysteries to uncover, they will also witness the personal journey of each party member and strengthen their bonds to work together and face off against powerful enemies.

Along with REBIRTH, Square Enix also released a trailer for upcoming mobile title FINAL FANTASY VII EVER CRISIS, now available for pre-registration on both the App Store and Google Play. You can watch the trailer above. By pre-registering on an Android device, users will have the chance to participate in an upcoming closed beta test planned for July 6-13, 2023. FINAL FANTASY VII EVER CRISIS is a chapter-structured RPG experience that will cover key elements of the Final Fantasy VII timeline, including the events of the original game, plus new story elements penned by FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE story and scenario writer Kazushige Nojima surrounding a young hero, Sephiroth.

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