RandomNPC – Video Game RPG Reviews, Editorials, and Features

During their press conference last night, Sony announced that Final Fantasy XIV would be heading to the PlayStation 4. Alas, we have no release date as of yet.

The long-running saga of Final Fantasy Versus XIII took another unusual turn last night during Sony’s E3 press conference. It seems VsXIII will become Final Fantasy XV and move from the PlayStation 3 to its successor. SE later said that the game would also see release on the Xbox One, with producer Shinji Hashimoto saying that the game will be developed with DirectX 11, allowing for easy porting.

Bethseda Softworks announced that The Elder Scrolls Online will be coming to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in Spring 2014 in addition to the PC and Mac versions. They’ll be doing an exclusive Beta run on PS4, though a date for this was not announced.

I like it VERY MUCH.

Continue reading ‘Not So Mass Media 06/08/13’ »

European 3DS owners looking for their farming fix need wait no longer… than a few more months. Harvest Moon: A New Beginning, which launched last year in both Japan and (later) the US, will see a European launch in the third quarter of 2013.

Source: Gematsu

Speaking of Namco Bandai, From Software’s Dark Souls 2 has been sighted on advertising around the Los Angeles Convention Center. Proudly displayed on said advertising is a release window of March 2014, presumably for all platforms (PC and PS360).

Source: Gematsu

Namco Bandai, catching on that we liked us some Tales of Symphonia, announced plans to release a compilation celebrating the game’s 10th anniversary. Subtitled as Tales of Symphonia Chronicles, this will include high-definition remasters of both Symphonia and its sequel Dawn of the New World.

Scheduled for an October 10 release in Japan, Chronicles will reach North America and Europe in early 2014.

Source: Gematsu

The original Fable will be getting a high-definition makeover, Microsoft and Lionhead Studios have announced. Dubbed Fable Anniversary, this version will feature 1080p visuals, updated lighting and textures, refined facial and cutscene animations, and so on. Apart from better graphics, Anniversary also brings to the table a new interface, Smartglass integration, and drastically reduced loading times.

Fable Anniversary hits the 360 this holiday season.

Source: Gematsu

New South Park: The Stick of Truth details have been revealed, thanks to a demo over on Game Informer. The game centers around a LARP conflict between the town’s kids as they roleplay Elves (led by Stan and Kyle) and Humans (led by Cartman), and players control the imaginatively named New Kid as they navigate this strange battle.

Interestingly, Stick of Truth features a turn-based battle system, demonstrated as New Kid and Butters encountered students in South Park Elementary. Standard attacks are handled through timed button presses, and special attacks take the form of “magic spells” called up through mundane means; a fireball is created through an aerosol can and a lighter, for instance.

Out of combat, players will sometimes have to deal with field obstacles – the demo showcased an Elf standing atop a pile of rubble blocking your way – and there may be more than one solution. The demo ended with a standoff between Kyle and Cartman, forcing New Kid to choose a side; the demo player sided with Kyle, prompting a boss fight with Cartman.

Stick of Truth comes out later this year for 360, PS3, and PC.

The PS Vita will be getting a follow up to Dragon’s Dogma, according to Famitsu. Dragon’s Dogma Quest, as it’s titled, is a free-to-play 2D action RPG, where players control an “Arisen” who in turn commands and develops Pawns. Parties of up to eight can be formed, including four of your own Pawns and four of another player’s.

Being a F2P, microtransactions will be an option for all players. No release date was announced at this time.

Source: Gematsu

After a week or so of teasing, Eidos Montreal revealed Deus Ex: The Fall: a mobile entry in the Deus Ex series covering some of Human Revolution‘s backstory. Specifically, it focuses on the escapades of Ben Saxon, an augmented mercenary and the central carrier from the book Deus Ex: The Icarus Effect. Betrayed by his employers, the Tyrants (the bosses from HR), he now seeks to uncover the conspiracy surrounding the supply of Neuropozyne, the drug needed for humans to adapt to mechanical augmentation.

The Fall launches this summer for $6.99 on iOS and Android platforms.

Source: Gematsu

Konami has just announced that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow will see a PC release in late August. This “Ultimate Edition” will include various new PC-centric features (1080p HD graphics, trophy integration through Steam, cloud saving, etc), a new storyline, new weapons and skills, and so on alongside the game’s original content.

Europe’s release date is confirmed as August 27 on Steam, August 30 at retail. The US release is planned for “this summer,” but an exact date was not given.

Source: Gematsu

Title’s got it: Sony Online Entertainment announced it is bringing DC Universe Online and Planetside 2 to PS4; the former being a PS3/PC MMORPG, and the latter a PC MMOFPS. Release dates are not yet available, though SOE stated that both would launch sometime this year.

Source: Gematsu

Square Enix will hold a Q&A session prior to E3, hosted by senior vice president Shinji Hashimoto. The topic: the future of Final Fantasy. The session starts Tuesday, June 11 from 9 to 10 am PDT, just prior to E3 itself opening up.

Source: Gematsu

Shoe polishing human, soon you will pay!

Continue reading ‘Mass Media 06/01/13’ »

As the title may have hinted, Nippon Ichi has revealed Battle Princess of Arcadias: a side-scrolling action RPG where your sword-wielding heroine simultaneously commands and fights alongside her army. The title will launch for the PS3 in Japan on September 26, priced at 7,140 yen.

Source: Gematsu

Fairy Fencer F, the debut title for Compile Heart’s Galapagos RPG brand, will be released for the PS3 in Japan on September 19. Price is set at 7,329 yen; no US release has been announced.

Source: Gematsu

Developer FuRyu, known for Unchained Blades, is now working on a curious fantasy RPG titled Exstreta, where modern Toyko has somehow been fused together with another world called Amazia. Protagonist Ryouma Narusawa is believed by this new world’s inhabitants to be a Prisma, which is predictably the only one who can save both worlds from destruction. Less predictably, this involves the absorbtion of energy called “Ex” from enemies, which can either be used for miraculous acts or dispersed to Knights of Prisma (his allies) by kissing them.

Yeah, I got nothing, folks. Anyhow, Exstreta is set for an October 17 release in Japan, priced at 6,279 yen at retail.

Source: Gematsu

Square Enix has at last set a date for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. The MMO redux will launch on August 27, with the PS3 version priced at $39.99 and the PC for $29.99. A collector’s edition was also announced, to be available only through Square Enix’s online store.

For an extra $40 ($79.99 PS3, $69.99 PC) you get the following with the CE: an 80-page artbook, a “Sounds of Eorzea” musical album, collectable character art cards, a branded security token, bonus in-game items (most notably a Coeurl mount), and a special “Waning of the Sixth Sun” video disc that depicts the events leading up to the world’s destruction.

Source: Gematsu

As Dragon’s Crown inches toward its August 6 release date, Atlus and VanillaWare have revealed still more details:

• As previously mentioned, you’ll have an AI-controlled partner in the form of a rogue, Rannie, who handles treasure chests and locked doors. A fairy named Tiki will also serve as navigational support, hopefully with as little “HEY! LISTEN!” as possible.
• Characters will be customizable to some degree, with players picking their color, voice, and messages for various events (greeting, selection, dying, etc.)
• You’ll earn skill points upon leveling up, which can be spent on either class skills (those unique to your character) or common skills (which anyone can learn). For instance, Gold Healing is a common skill that restores HP when you collect money.
• Exploring dungeons may trigger certain events, such as meeting new characters.

Source: Gematsu