RandomNPC – Video Game RPG Reviews, Editorials, and Features

Final Fantasy XI is getting three new expansion scenarios by Masato Kato. Square Enix will be kicking things off with A Crystalline Prophecy – Ode of Life Blessing later this month. Square Enix describes the expansion thusly:

“One day, a giant crystal appeared in the skies above Jeuno, triggering a series of unexplained happenings across the land. Now, adventurers will set forth to unravel the mysteries of this primordial crystal that holds the secret of Vana’diel’s past.” (more…)

If you want to chat with fellow gamers, create a shiny new avatar, read exclusive Square Enix content, and get free stuff just for buying games, Square Enix has just what you need. The new fan community features all those things, and starting with Valkyrie Profile: The Covenant of the Plume, you can register games to build up points to get rewards. What kind of rewards? Who knows! But the more points you have, the better they say it will be. Click here to join in.

Recession? What recession? If you’re looking for ways to stimulate the economy, there are three new ways to do it. Square Enix is shipping Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume for the Nintendo DS with a MSRP of $39.99. Konami is bringing Suikoden Teirkreis to the DS for $34.99, and XSEED is giving people a reason to actually turn on their Wii by releasing Rune Factory Frontier for $49.99.

Japan was first introduced to the exploits of Prince Marth of Altea in 1990 when Fire Emblem: The Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light was released on the Famicom. In North America, gamers got their first look at Marth in Smash Bros. Melee, a fighting game filled to the brim with various Nintendo characters. With his subsequent appearance in Smash Bros. Brawl, gamers on this side of the world have been eager to learn more about this blue-headed prince. Fortunately, with the DS remake, fans can finally see how the series began with Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon.

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Fallout 3 has already had some minor bug fixes via patching, but another one went live on March 2 that fixes “specular” reflections. Essentially, it makes some textures pop better, so fine details like ridges on rad roaches and bumps on irradiated flesh are more discernible.

And in other news, Bethesda announced a new mutant to face in Pittsburgh: Trogs. They are light-fearing mutants that are the result of slow exposure to radiation and a dark environment. Like ghouls, some have maintained a little bit of their humanity, while others are more like wild animals. You’ll be able to fight these when the second DLC pack, The Pitt, is released on March 24 for 800 Microsoft points.

Source: Kotaku, IGN

The immense popularity of the DS has allowed North American gamers to get their hands on several games that previously never saw release on this side of the world. Like so many other games of the 8-bit and 16-bit era, Dragon Quest V has been completely remade as Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride. (more…)

The ESRB has a rating for Final Fantasy IV: The After Years has shown up on the online ratings widget. Getting an ESRB rating does not necessarily mean that a game will see release. After all, EarthBound was at one point rated for the ESRB, but for those that have wanted to know the fate of Cecil after the conclusion of Final Fantasy IV, this is certainly a ray of hope. Hit the jump for the full description. (more…)

If last week didn’t break your wallet with all the games hitting at the same time, this one might. Square Enix is bringing Star Ocean: The Last Hope for 360 and The Last Remnant for PC. They retail for 59.99 and 39.99 respectively. If the retail scene isn’t for you, The Last Remnant will also be available on Steam starting April 9.

The DS will be getting a lot of action as well. Atlus ships Legacy of Ys: Books 1 & 2 for 34.99, and all launch copies come with a free soundtrack. Blue Dragon Plus from Ignition will hit shelves for 29.99. Last but not least, D3’s Puzzle Quest Galactrix is now available for 29.99

Atlus is teaming up with SK Telecom to bring yet another RPG to North America. Crimson Gem Saga is a PSP RPG that features hand-drawn graphics in a fantasy setting. “We are very excited to be able to work with Atlus because of their exceptional reputation in the field of localization,” stated Mr. Jung Il Lee, Console Development Division Director of IRONNOS. “We are pleased that our game will be getting the care and attention it deserves, and eagerly look forward to its release into the North American market.”

Crimson Gem Saga is scheduled for release on May 26 with an MSRP of $29.99.

The gaming world is filled with unusual mascot characters. Nintendo has a rotund Italian plumber that eats mushrooms to gain power. Sega gave us an insanely fast hedgehog with a surly attitude and a flying two-tailed fox for a friend. However, none are quite so unique, offbeat, or downright strange as the Prinny: the knife wielding, peg-legged, exploding penguins that embody the souls of sinners punished to a lifetime of slavery. Also, they say “dood” a lot. In Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?, the seemingly weakest creatures in the Netherworld star in their own game. (more…)

Fans that have been waiting to see Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children in high defintion will finally get their chance. The movie will make its Blu-ray debut on April 16. Sadly, there has been no mention of the Final Fantasy XIII demo that Japanese release had, nor has an MSRP been set. Hit the jump to see the trailer. (more…)

Atlus announced that Ys Book I will include a new area in the DS remake. Vageux-Vardette, a huge crater in the center of Esteria, is mentioned in passing in the original game, but now players will get to explore it and get new items, equipment, and even fight a new boss.

Legacy of Ys Book I & II is due out on the 24th.

Atlus is bringing yet another RPG for the Nintendo DS. Knights in the Nightmare is a strange mixture that is part RPG, part real-time strategy, and part shooter. The game tells the tale of a castle in the center of lake that lies somewhere between the heavens and the underworld. All was peaceful until one night, all of the inhabitants of the castle were slaughtered in a surprise attack from the monsters of the underworld. (more…)

To hype up the upcoming release of Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero, which hits shelves on Tuesday, NISA has opened a most unusual blog. Prinny has taken to the interwebs to show everyone what it’s like to be a giant, peg legged, exploding penguin. You can check it out here.

Dragon Quest IX has officially been delayed. Originally scheduled for a March 28 release, fans will now be slaying slimes on July 11. Square Enix says the delay is the result of some bugs and flaws and that it needed further polishing.

Source: Kotaku

Pete Hines, the VP of Marketing for Bethesda, gave a sad announcement for those looking forward to the upcoming downloadable content for Fallout 3. The Pitt has been pushed back until March, and Broken Steel will now come out in April. The first DLC pack, Operation Anchorage is available now.

Source: Destructoid

Atlus seems to be announcing a game a day, and today’s game is Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor for the DS. (more…)

We had a chance to participate in an interview with three of the developers of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon. They were: Tohru Narihiro and Masayuki Horikawa from Intelligent Systems and Masaki Tawara from Nintendo. (more…)

Atlus has apparently solved its supercomputer woes and has announced yet another RPG for North America. This time around, it’s Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier. Like other games in the series, this one also centers on a collection of giant robots from various worlds, but they’re all original. Unfortunately, fans of Gundam or Mazinger will not find their favorites in this game. They will, however, find a newly revamped battle system with plenty of new faces to have fun with. (more…)

Atlus has had plenty of announcements in the past day with some good news and bad. For starters, there is a new DS game on the horizon. Titled Dokapon Journey, up to four players can join in on what can best be described as a hybrid between a board game and RPG. It’s all about competition, so playing dirty and finishing a friend’s fight to steal the experience points is all part of the strategy.

Since the game is most fun with multiple people, there are some nice features to help things along. There is built-in AI for solo gaming, and Dokapon Journey features single-cart multiplayer, so four people can play on just one copy of the game. It’s rated E10 for everyone ten and above, and it will hit shelves April 14.

As for the bad news, we couldn’t say it better than the best. press. release. ever. Check it out after the jump. (more…)