RandomNPC – Video Game RPG Reviews, Editorials, and Features

We have more news from BioWare. The first Mass Effect 3 patch will be coming out next week, on April 9 for the PC and April 10 for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. It fixes a long list of issues including problems importing custom characters.

BioWare has also announced the Mass Effect 3 Resurgence Pack, a free DLC that expands multiplayer. The DLC will add two maps, Firebase Condor, situated on one of Palavin’s moons, and Firebase Hydra, an abandoned colony once belonging to the Quarians. Six new characters will now be playable, one for each character class: Asari Justicar (Adept), Krogan Battlemaster (Vanguard), Geth (Infiltrator and Engineer), and Batarian (Soldier and Sentinel). The DLC also adds three new collectible weapons and new consumables.

Players can check out the shiny DLC trailer.

BioWare sent out a press release today detailing how the developer would be handling changes to Mass Effect 3 in response to mounting dissatisfaction among fans regarding the game’s ending.

BioWare will be releasing these changes in the form of a free DLC patch for the game, to be called Extended Cut. The company stated that the DLC would provide “additional context and deeper insight to the conclusion of Commander Shepard’s journey,” adding additional cinematics and epilogue scenes to the game.

The press release went on to state that BioWare remains committed to and proud of “the artistic choices we made in the main game,” saying that they strongly believe in the development team’s vision for the end of the series.  The purpose of Extended Cut, they say, will be to offer greater context, rather than to alter Mass Effect 3‘s ending.

Extended Cut is scheduled for a release sometime this summer.

With indie studio Zeboyd Games at the helm, Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode Three is officially back on track for development. Retitled as the slightly-less-wordy Penny Arcade’s On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3, the game is scheduled to launch this summer on PC, Mac, XBLIG, iOS and Android platforms. As previously stated, the game is a departure from the series in terms of content, playing more as an 8-bit RPG in line with Zeboyd’s previous releases.

Founder Robert Boyd cites Final Fantasy V and Grandia as major influences, and this extends to combat through the use of a semi-real-time combat system. Boyd added that the title will have connections to previous games, but will be more of a standalone adventure. Zeboyd is handling the majority of the content creation, through collaboration with Penny Arcade’s Jerry Holkins. Unfortunately, players will not be able to import characters from previous games.

Source: Joystiq

Not one to satisfy itself with DLC music for existing games, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy will reportedly include music from Final Fantasy Versus XIII – specifically, the track “Somnus” – as part of its downloadable setlist. As a reminder, Versus XIII still has no confirmed release period. Theatrhythm, however, has been confirmed for North American and European release on the 3DS this summer.

Source: Joystiq

Upcoming DLC for Final Fantasy XIII-2 will add new enemies to the game’s coliseum battles: Gilgamesh and the alien-like Koyo-Koyo, specifically. The coliseum DLC, alongside Noel’s Assassin’s Creed outfit, are due out on April 10, priced at ¥400/480MSP for Gilgamesh, ¥200/240MSP for Koyo-Koyo, and ¥300/360MSP for the Ezio costume.

Source: Andriasang

Famitsu has listed some of the characters to be featured in the upcoming .Hack//Versus. Haseo and Sora have been previously announced, and it’s now known that Tsukasa, Ouan, and Sakuya will also be playable. Additionally, the game’s story mode ties into the movie, and clearing it will open up a short sequence told from the perspective of David, a character in the movie.

Source: Andriasang

Via Famitsu, a release date for Legend of Heroes: Nayuta no Kiseki has been announced as July 26.

Source: Andriasang

Unexpected crossover Pokemon+Nobunaga’s Ambition is crossing over again, this time to US retailers. Retitled to simply Pokemon Conquest, the DS entry is scheduled to release on June 18.

Source: Joystiq

If life in the retail trenches has taught me anything, it’s that those jobs are really more precautionary prison sentences. True, there’s no cell and there aren’t as many gang fights, but it’s a stain on your past nonetheless, and the longer you stay in the harder it is to get out.

This depressing thought brought to you in part by nostalgia, for which I have that April Fools’ burst of Toonami to thank. Damn but that was good teevee. Anyhow, here’s the news:

• GAME exits administration, having found a buyer crazy enough willing to take on its debts.
• Sega, by contrast, announces a sizable drawdown in operations due to an income shortfall.  Basically, don’t expect Valkyria Chronicles 3 in English anytime soon.  Or ever.
• Meanwhile, Denis Dyack alternates between reassuring people that Too Human is still a thing, and warning that used games will crash the industry and kill your family in their sleep.
• EVE Online‘s developer partners with Nvidia to offer select video cards for virtual currency.  I’d love to hear Paul Krugman’s take on this.
• Brian Fargo speaks out on the lopsided balance of power between publishers and developers.  A lengthy interview on RipTen, but a good one: read it all here.
• Obsidian joins forces with inXile to help develop Wasteland 2, pending a Kickstarter goal of 2.1 million.  So, when I write the check for all of my money, which of you do I make it payable to?
• An OMGpop developer explains why he balked at Zynga’s offer, Michael Pachter disregards a silly PS4 rumor, GOG.com gets a facelift, and more!

Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – Putting the Band Back Together’ »

There ain’t no getting off the DLC train, or so Final Fantasy XIII-2 would have us believe. Dengeki Playstation reveals that the next set of content, featuring Lightning, has been titled Requiem of the Goddess. Apparently Lightning and Caius will be squaring off again in Requiem, though few particulars were discussed. A formal announcement from Square Enix is expected to follow.

Source: Andriasang

As usual, the title covers it. Microsoft has set up the official site for Crimson Dragon, the (currently Japan only) Kinect-based shooter from the Panzer Dragoon developers. Check it out here.

With rumors circulating that Vanillaware’s Dragon’s Crown may have been cancelled, illustrator Shigatake posted on twitter that the title is “still in development.” Little else was confirmed, though he asked fans to be patient pending an official update.

Source: Andriasang

Ahh, April Fools’ Day, the day when everybody takes time out of their busy schedule to come up with ideas that we all laugh at but secretly wish were real. I have a similar problem, only with content I openly wish was real. Got a bit sidetracked this weekend folks, afraid WHTW won’t be up until tomorrow night. You know how it is, never enough time in the day. That, and one of the companies I applied at got bought by one of the other companies I applied at, so… yeah, been an interesting last couple days. Sorry ’bout the delay, I’ll see you all tomorrow!

Not one to let Square Enix have all the bulk news posts, NIS America has issued press releases for the following games, all PS3 exclusive:

• The Witch and the Hundred Knights is set to hit store shelves in early 2013. (link here). As previously suggested, this action-RPG centers around two witches duking it out, with one unleashing a horde of Dark Knights to destroy the other.
• Mugen Souls will see a fall release this year (link here). A free-roaming RPG with turn-based combat, it’s perhaps the first game I’ve seen to use “Moe Kill” as a bullet point.
• Legasista is scheduled to launch in August (link here). A dungeon crawler “survival action RPG,” this one will be exclusively on the PlayStation Network.

A recent Famitsu interview has shed some light on the meaning of Bravely Default: Flying Fairy. According to scenario writer Naotaka Hayashi and producer Tomoya Asano, the title references the game’s overall concept, more or less meaning “Have courage and renounce the promises and responsibilities that are expected of you.” Basically, have the guts to do what you think is right. The Flying Fairy part of the title remains curiously unexplained.

The interview also revealed that Hayashi got involved somewhat indirectly. Assistant producer Shinji Takahashi recommended to Asano the anime Steins;Gate, for which Hayashi had written. As a result, Hayashi was tapped to develop the plot and character settings, with some of the more detailed work split up between Square Enix and developer Silicon Studio.

Source: Andriasang

Square Enix recently revealed a string of new browser/iOS properties, including the following:

• Crystal Conquest, a team-based, free-to-play side scrolling action game. Players set up as one of four classes, customized via a card-based skill deck. The official site has details about the upcoming alpha test, and the game is expected to go live on Yahoo! Games this summer.
• Star Burial Dragnir, an iOS RPG from Wild Arms designer and writer Akifumi Kaneko. Little is known about this one, though further details will be announced on April 5.
• Guardian Cross, an iOS card battle RPG. Also free-to-play, this title is planned for a Spring release and has a teaser site hereabouts.

Source: Andriasang

Elizabeth, but still no Yukari. D:

Continue reading ‘Mass Media 03/31/12’ »

Yoichi Wada, Square Enix’s CEO, announced that he is stepping down from his role as chairman of the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association. Though he will remain a member of the CESA board, Namco Bandai’s vice president Shin Unozawa is set to take his place as chairman effective May 23.

Source: Andriasang

The BlazBlue team has announced a new game in development, a first entry in what they call an “Adventure Project.” Titled Xblaze, the game is set for a winter 2012 release window, though a platform has not been specified. Screenshots refer to Xblaze as “another Blue story,” suggesting possible but unconfirmed ties to BlazBlue.

Source: Andriasang

Square Enix revealed that an upcoming new version of the Final Fantasy XIII-2 soundtrack will include additional music. Alongside previously unreleased tracks, the aptly-titled FFXIII-2 Original Soundtrack Plus throws in new mixes and songs featured in downloadable content.

The OSP will be released on May 30, priced at ¥2,100.

Source: Andriasang