RandomNPC – Video Game RPG Reviews, Editorials, and Features

XSEED JKS, known to most of us through their consumer games brand XSEED Games, will be undergoing a slight title makeover. According to parent company Marvelous AQL, XSEED will now be known as Marvelous USA, though the company will still be using the XSEED Games branding on game boxes. This apparently does not involve a staffing change; XSEED president and CEO Shinichi Suzuki will retain those titles under Marvelous USA.

Source: Gematsu

Former NIS America staffers – Jack Niida, Hiroko Kanazashi, and Nao Miyazawa – have founded a new publishing studio following their departure. Their studio, Acttil, pledges to bring “fun, creative games and digital contents such as eBooks” across the globe to PC, consoles, and mobile platforms. The company will also provide marketing expertise, analytics, game feedback, localization services, and other assistance to independent developers. The name Acttil is actually an acryonym, reflecting the studio’s core values: “acceptance, creativity, teamwork, trust, innovation, and love.”

Check out the company’s official site here.

Via IGN is a rather extensive preview of Dragon’s Crown, bringing us a healthy chunk of gameplay details:

• The game’s opening drops players in a town, in which players can mill around interacting with townsfolk (or bothering them by knocking things out of their hands). Players can visit various shops and guilds in this area before moving on to the world map.
• Enemies scale to match your level, and increase in number as well. It is not clear if this is scaling is one-to-one with your levels.
• Mounts can be found in each stage and used as temporary weapons; the preview specifies a giant bird in one stage, which must first be beaten before it can be ‘boarded’.
• As shown earlier, a hooded companion follows each character to hold their acquired loot for them.
• Known statistics: HP/MP, strength, constitution, dexterity, intelligence, magical resistance, and luck.

The full preview is available here.

Square Enix has updated the official site for the Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix, revealing the release dates as September 10 in North America, and September 13 in Europe.

Compile Heart’s enigmatic Galapagos RPG brand now has its first entry, titled Fairy Fencer F. Developed by the Hyperdimension Neptunia team, the game is planned for a release later this year, though few other details were given at this time.

Source: Gematsu

Publisher/developer Atlus announced that Devil Survivor 2: Break Record unfortunately not make its planned July 11 release date in Japan. Claiming concerns over quality, the company indicated that the game would instead be released in the fall of this year, though an exact date was not given.

Source: Gematsu

Brooks Orpik of all people sends the Pens to the next round.

Continue reading ‘Mass Media 05/11/13’ »

Over on Twitter, Mother series creator Shigesato Itoi has stated that a new entry in the franchise is “impossible.” The sky is also still blue.

Zelda series director Eiji Aonuma spoke recently about the upcoming Link to the Past sequel for 3DS. As with the original game, players will shift between Light and Dark worlds. However, despite the classic top-down perspective, Aonuma said the game will be a “departure” from the usual Zelda fare. In particular, he stated that the staple of finding items to progressively open up the game world “certainly feels different from [the developer's] point of view.”

Additionally, Link will have the ability to jump into the walls as some kind of drawing, ala Phanton Ganon from Ocarina of Time. The game will also make some use of the 3DS’ 3D capabilities, although no further details were available.

Source: Gematsu

The official US website for Shin Megami Tensei IV is now online and available here. As a reminder, the game itself launches on July 16.

VanillaWare beat-em-up/RPG/fanservice generator Dragon’s Crown has finally been given a North American launch date of August 6. Prices are set at $39.99 for the Vita version, and $49.99 for the PS3.

Source: Gematsu

As long as we’re talking Shin Megami Tensei subseries, Devil Survivor 2: Break Record will launch in Japan on July 11.

Source: Gematsu

Yeah, it’s that simple: NIS America announced it will bring Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers to European outlets this fall. A specific date was not given at this time.

Source: Gematsu

Compile Heart’s recently announced Galapagos RPG brand has its first title in the works: a fantasy RPG being developed by the Hyperdimension Neptunia team. Little else was revealed, though a full announcement is expected in the May 9 Weekly Famitsu.

Source: Gematsu

New Shin Megami Tensei IV details have been revealed over the weekend. Of particular note:

• While background music will have some ties to previous titles, there is no direct connection to the first three SMT games.
• Clearing the game will take over 50 hours.
• Paid DLC is planned for the game.
• Character voices can be switched on and off.
• Players can gain experience from Demon Fusion and conversations.
• The Moon Phase system has been dropped.

Source: Gematsu

If there isn’t a super saiyan mode in Puzzle and Dragons Z I’ll be very upset.

Continue reading ‘Mass Media 04/27/13’ »

Ragnarok Odyssey Ace will unfortunately not be released on July 11 in Japan as planned. In the announcement, GungHo Online Entertainment stated only that the delay is due to “various circumstances,” which were not specified. No new release date was given.

Source: Gematsu

Compile Heart, the brains behind the Neptunia series, have set up a new game brand for RPGs designed specifically for Japanese customers. The brand, Galapogos RPG, will see its first entry in 2013 as “a completely new fantasy title.” Naturally, very few details are available at this time, though a teaser site is available in Japanese here.

Namco Bandai has whipped up a contest for Dark Souls, asking for participants to design a shield for Dark Souls 2. Applicants are to download a blank shield template and submit their designs via Facebook app, available here.

Submissions will be accepted through May 13, with voting starting today and continuing until May 20. The highest-rated designs will be forwarded to From Software themselves, who will pick six of them to be included in the game.

Source: Gematsu

Etrian Odyssey: Millenium Girl will feature a Classic Mode option, which is in fact a remake of the original Etrian Odyssey built into the game itself. Players may create their own characters in this mode, rather than using those designed for Millenium Girl‘s story.

Source: Gematsu