RandomNPC – Video Game RPG Reviews, Editorials, and Features

Gather ’round y’all, we got a lot to go through today. Atlus is dominating the media for today, and we bet they can dominate it for the week too. All they have to do is stay focused and stop wearing pants. NIS America’s gonna try to put a stop to their fun, though. The three of you familiar with Get Your War On should appreciate that previous bit. Anyway, on to the media: A Witch’s Tale, Ys Online: Call of Solum, Dokapon Journey, Devil Summoner 2, Crimson Gem Saga, Knights in the Nightmare, Class of Heroes, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor, Dissidia Cross Edge, and Phantom Brave Wii.

Continue reading ‘Mass Media 04/08/09’ »

For those who were playing RPGs in the Super Nintendo era, few would deny that Final Fantasy VI, released in 1994 and known to North Americans at the time as Final Fantasy III, was a remarkable game. Many still cite it as an old favourite. The game featured top-notch sprites, a huge step up from the comparatively diminutive figures in Final Fantasy IV (and V, though most North American didn’t know it at the time). It also had an impressive cast and storyline, and still stands out among Final Fantasy games for not having a single obvious lead character who never leaves the party. Yet there is another tiny addition to the game which was to have a lasting impact on the very way RPG fans play games. That tiny detail, so easily overlooked, is the in-game tutorial.

Continue reading ‘Game Changers: Volume 2 – Final Fantasy III’ »

Today we have a trickle of information about the races and classes avilable in the upcoming Ys Online: Call of Solum. The game will feature three main races for players to choose from.

Continue reading ‘Call of Solum Doles Out Details’ »

Last summer it was announced that a new Tales game would be headed to the Wii. This week Namco Bandai held a press conference in Tokyo where the game was formally unveiled as Tales of Graces. Not much is known about the plot thus far. The story revolves around Asbel Lhant, a young man whose world is divided into three kingdoms built around a material named “Eris.” The game will be playable using the Wiimote and nunchuck or with a Classic Controller Pro. As with typical Tales games, Graces will employ a variation of the Linear Motion Battle system the series is known for, in this case the “Style Shift Linear Motion Battle.” It’s due out this winter in Japan.

A PS3 port of Tales of Vesperia was also announced. The game will include twice as much voice acting as the Xbox 360 version as well as a new character, a female pirate by the name of Patty Fleur. The game is slated for a fall release in Japan.

Source: IGN

Got some more goodies for you. A couple snappies of the recently announced Fable II: See the Future and the less-recently-announced Blood of Bahamut, alongside shots of Dragon Age Origins. Even money suggests the good guys are the ones not wearing helmets. They usually don’t. Anyhow…

Continue reading ‘Mass Screenshots, Artwork 04/07/09’ »

Lionhead Studios announced today a second add-one for Fable II. See the Future will give players access to several new quests and items. Items will include a potion allowing your dog to change breeds and special armour and outfits for the player. As for the quests, players are tasked with lifting the curses on three artifacts carried by Murgo the Trader.

Continue reading ‘Fable II Looks to Future’ »

Heya guys! Weekend update for you, just an appetizer to hold you over in the form of Valhalla Knights 2: Battle Stance and Arc Rise Fantasia. Now if you’ll excuse me, I just finished Star Ocean: The Last Hope, and I have a lot of pent-up hostility and some long knives that need sharpening.

Continue reading ‘Mass Screenshots, Artwork 04/05/09’ »

Rotom is a bizarre little critter. The game introduces it as a Legendary, complete with dangerous-sounding theme music and a reasonably low catch rate, and yet the final product is somewhat unimpressive. Rotom’s original stat distribution focuses strongly on Speed and Special Attack, leaving the other stats to rot; However, with the introduction of the Secret Key, and thus five new Formes for Rotom, the sparky little ghost not only has much improved defenses but actually gains a little bit on the offensive side, too.

Continue reading ‘Strategy Session – Pokemon Platinum, Part III’ »

D3Publisher confirmed today that Puzzle Quest Galactrix will be headed to the Xbox Live Arcade on April 8. The DS and PC versions of the game have already been released.

Gamers who’ve always been curious about Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures now have the chance to try it without spending a penny. A free seven day trial version of the game is now available here.

The mystical magnetism of April Fool’s Day had staff member Jordan Jackson so enthralled that he was inspired to write three prank news stories yesterday. A FFXIII demo would be welcomed, Mother 3 on Wiiware would rock our socks off, and Kingdom Hearts 3 information…well…that’d be nice, but I shudder to think of the fanboy tirades that would follow the announcement of Wii exclusivity. Of course, none of these stories are true.

April Fool’s Day is a great time for us to all stop and realize that we shouldn’t take things so seriously. I hope you all had a great AFD, and stay tuned for all the real news and reviews we have in store for you!

Square Enix confirmed that the Final Fantasy XIII playable demo that some of the Japanese versions of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete will be coming to North America when it ships on April 16. Unlike Japan, there will only be a single SKU for the movie, so all copies will include the demo.

At a press event in Tokyo, Kingdom Hearts lead producer Tetsuya Nomura finally announced Kingdom Hearts III. Though the first two numbered entries were on the PlayStation 2, the third entry is moving to the Wii. Nomura explained:

With the success of the Wii, we thought it would be a better fit for Kingdom Hearts III. I am also very excited to use some of the motion controls for battles, especially for bosses. I think it will be very exciting and fun.

Details on the plot are scarce, but Nomura said that Riku and King Mickey would be taking center stage. Sora will show up, but he will not be the lead character. More details were promised for E3 in June, but unfortunately, there will not be a playable demo.

Nintendo announced that GBA games will join the Virtual Console and be available for download on the DSi Ware service. The first games will include Mother 3 and The Legend of Zelda: the Minish Cap. The games are slated for release in summer for Japan with a North American release currently scheduled for Q3. The price point for GBA games will be 1200 Wii/DSi Points.

Y’know, I just watched the video for Psychobilly Freakout a few minutes ago, and I wanted to somehow incorporate it in this update. Alas, I don’t know how. But Reverend Horton Heat is awesome; this, few can deny. Anyway, some screens and drawings for you people! Diablo III, Dragon Quest IX, Final Fantasy XIII, Infinite Space, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, A Witch’s Tale, Ys I & II Chronicles, Ys Online: Call of Solum, and Ys Seven.

Continue reading ‘Mass Screenshots, Artwork 04/01/09’ »

Welcome to the first edition of Game Changers. In this series, we’ll be discussing games that have had a major impact on RPGs in some fashion. To kick things off, we thought we’d look at Dragon Quest 1, known in North America as Dragon Warrior. For a lot of us, this was the first RPG we played.

Continue reading ‘Game Changers: Volume 1 – Dragon Warrior’ »

Square Enix made a pair of announcements today. First off, fans eager for a peek at Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers for the Wii can take a look at the game’s teaser site.

The company is also launching enhanced security for Final Fantasy XI accounts via the Square Enix Security Token. which cost 9.99 USD.

Continue reading ‘Square Enix Bares Crystals, Sells Tokens’ »

Ys fans who want in on the online action can now apply for the Ys Online: Call of Solum 2nd closed beta, which begins in April. The latest beta will raise the level cap from 30 to 40, add 4 instances, 3 instance dungeons, and the PVP system. Interested players can look for more details on the official site.

In 2007, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords combined gem-matching puzzles with RPG gameplay to create a unique and entertaining experience. Puzzle Quest Galactrix for the Nintendo DS attempts to replicate the experience… and fails entirely. Riddled with control problems, a sloppy port to the DS, and frustrating gameplay, Galactrix is a poor successor to Challenge of the Warlords.

Continue reading ‘Puzzle Quest Galactrix – Staff Review’ »

Dungeon crawler addicts will have to wait a little longer to get their hands on Class of Heroes for the PSP. Originally scheduled for an April 4 release, the game has been pushed back to June 9, due to a bug:

Just days prior to manufacturing, a show-stopping bug was discovered,” explained Aram Jabbari, manager of PR and Sales.  “We will under no circumstance ship a product with foreknowledge of such an issue, and so we must delay the game to resolve the problem and deliver a final product to our fans that lives up to the high standards we aspire to and that they deserve.