Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy Type-0 will be getting a mobile phone adaptation, amusingly titled Final Fantasy Agito (recall this was part of the original title of Type-0). Although it appears to be an updated port with additional features, such as a new character, the story is reportedly broken into chapters to be released every two weeks. The game will feature optional microtransactions for game items, abilities, and to reduce downtime from mission failure.
Source: Gematsu
With Phantasy Star Nova only recently announced, details about the Vita RPG are just beginning to surface. In particular, tri-Ace will be supervised by the Phantasy Star team, though tri-Ace is fully in charge of development.
Gameplaywise, players can fully customize the name and appearance of their character, and NPCs are built through the same character creator featured in Phantasy Star Online 2. The story is advanced through missions, playable either solo or through ad-hoc multiplayer for up to four people. Said story seems to invite comparisons to Star Ocean, as the player’s planetary exploration group crash-lands on an uncivilized planet and is tasked with getting back into space alive.
Other than the 2014 launch window, no release information is known at this time.
Source: Gematsu
Disgaea 4: Return will land on Japanese PS Vitas starting January 30, to be priced at 6,279 yen. No release outside Japan has been announced.
Source: Gematsu
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII will reportedly feature a hard mode, accessible after clearing the game. In this elevated difficulty setting, monsters are stronger and drop higher-level abilities, and some items may only be sold in hard mode.
Interestingly, each monster type has a predetermined population which can be whittled down by our protagonist. The last living member of each type will be notably stronger than their mundane counterparts, and they may behave differently as well. Killing a Last One renders the monster type extinct, granting you rare items in the process.
Source: Gematsu
Square Enix has identified more of the tracks to be featured in the recently announced Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call. These include the following: “Battle at the Big Bridge” and “Airship” from FFV; “The Decisive Battle” and “Edgar and Mash’s Theme” from FFVI; “Hunter Chance” and “You’re Not Alone” from FFIX; “Seymour Battle” and “Zanarkand” from FFX; “Ten Yori Furishi Chikara” from FFXIV; “Advent: One-Winged Angel” from FFVII: Advent Children; “Warera Kitareri” from FF Type-0; and “Crimson Blitz” from Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.
Source: Gematsu
Via press release, Sega Sammy Holdings announced their acquisition of Index Holdings, better known as the parent company of Atlus. In their statement, Sega cited Index’s “excellent track record in the design and development of content for mobile phones” and “on the development of home video game software,” referencing (though not specifying) prominent IPS owned by Index – those including Atlus’ Persona, Shin Megami Tensei, and Etrian Odyssey.
Formal transfer of Index to Sega Sammy will occur on November 1.
Source: Gematsu
New Atelier Rorona will reportedly make use of previously unplayable characters from the original: Astrid Zexis and Esty Dee. Astrid is a master alchemist who teaches the title character, while Esty is the Adventurer’s Guild receptionist and is herself skilled with daggers. Presumably, they fight crime. The game will also feature a new chapter, which brings Ateliers Totori and Meruru through time to visit Rorona.
New Atelier Rorona: The Origin Story of the Alchemist of Arland hits the PS3/PS Vita in Japan on November 21.
Source: Gematsu
Valhalla Knights 3, the little series that just keeps on truckin’, will launch on North American PS Vitas starting in October, according to publisher XSEED Games. The company also released details about the game’s seven races, which run the gamut from standard fantasy to more imaginative (and specialized):
Continue reading ‘Valhalla Knights 3 Set for October Release’ »
XSEED has announced that The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Second Chapter is coming to both PSP and PC via Steam. Aiding them with the translation is Carpe Fulgur, best known for Recettear and Chantelise.
Second Chapter comes out in 2014. For PC fans, the first Trails in the Sky will also be released on Steam this winter.
Source: Gematsu
During their SCEJA 2013 press conference, Sega announced the latest entry in the Phantasy Star series, titled Phantasy Star Nova. tri-Ace is handling development, and the game will be similar in worldview to Phantasy Star Online 2 without the online elements. Details are still forthcoming, but for now the title is planned for a 2014 launch on PS Vita.
Source: Gematsu
With Final Fantasy XIV well underway on existing platforms, Square Enix confirmed that the North American beta for the PS4 version will start on February 22. Additionally, PS3 players will be able to migrate to the PS4 version at no additional cost.
Source: Gematsu
Atlus will be releasing a demo for Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl on Nintendo’s eShop on September 16, the company announced recently. Friendly reminder: the game itself will launch on October 1.
Source: Gematsu
Ubisoft has lifted the lid off Child of Light, a downloadable classic-styled RPG using the Rayman Legends engine. The game tells the tale of Aura, a fairy girl traveling the mysterious land of Lemuria in search of her home. She’s accompanied by her fiery pal Igniculus, whom the second player controls in the game’s co-op mode.
Child of Light is planned for a 2014 release on PS3, PS4, 360, Xbox One, Wii U, and PC.
Source: Gematsu
On the off chance you haven’t had your fill of Final Fantasy music-themed gameplay, Square Enix has you covered. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call has been announced for 3DS, coming to a Japan near you in Spring 2014. The game is slated to include over 200 songs, including tracks from Final Fantasy XIV and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, 60+ characters, and a multiplayer versus mode.
Source: Gematsu
In a recent interview, Square Enix producer Shinji Hashimoto stated that Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts III are not in simultaneous development. “Both have Tetsuya Nomura as their director,” said Hashimoto, “so we can’t create these two big games at the same time. It’s a difficult job, as we want each game to be perfect in terms of quality.”
The announcement for Kingdom Hearts III, he added, was specifically to address speculation on the sequel, though a timeframe for development was not clarified. Hashimoto emphasized that there is still much work to do. Both titles will see a PS4/Xbox One release, though neither has a known release window at this time.
Source: Gematsu
Kadokawa Game Studio has announced Natural Doctrine, a fantasy RPG for Playstations 3 and 4, and the PS Vita. The launch trailer advertises you will “assault through the world by natural selection,” and the premise reportedly centers on humans fighting other species – humanoid and otherwise – for survival. Check out said trailer over on the YouTubes.
The title is planned for a February 22, 2012 launch in Japan.
Source: Gematsu
With Tales of Link recently announced for iOS, Namco Bandai followed up by stating that the PSP version of Tales of Phantasia will see a re-release on the same platform this fall. Additionally, a new title – Tales of Bibliotheca – is also in development for iOS; this one more of a scenario collection app that covers multiple Tales entries. Each downloadable chapter will include a summary, various scenes, new illustrations, and original battles, though voices will remain untouched.
Chapter 1 of Bibliotheca will be free, covering Tales of Vesperia and launching in mid-September. Subseqent chapters 2-12 are 170 yen individually, with the full game costing 1700 yen. No US releases were announced for either title.
Source: Gematsu
NIS America has announced that The Witch and the Hundred Knights will see a North American and European release in 2014, rebranded as The Witch and the Hundred Knight, singular. As the titular legendary knight, you enter a contract with a suspicious witch named Metallia, who has been confined to the swampland where she resides and seeks to expand her borders; specifically, you are tasked with knocking down Pillars that were built to prevent the swamp from spreading.
Check out the official website hereabouts.
Source: Gematsu
Apart from its standard release at $39.99, Ys: Memories of Celceta will see a special limited edition, according to developer XSEED Games. Priced at $59.99, the Silver Anniversary Edition includes the game, a special box, a cloth map, an Ys branded compass, an artbook/strategy guide, and a three-disc soundtrack collection spanning the franchise’s history.
The game is planned for a holiday release in North America.
Source: Gematsu
In a recent press conference, Level 5 lifted the veil on sales figures for its various franchises. Of particular note is Ni no Kuni, which sold a respectable 1.4 million copies worldwide between PS3 and DS, about half of which were sold outside of Japan. They also revealed the Professor Layton series sold about 15 million in total, and Inazuma Eleven sold 6.5 million (both figures worldwide).
In the same press conference, the company announced they are developing a crossplatform free-to-play RPG titled Wonder Flick. Seemingly a traditional RPG with some character creation mechanics, the game will feature music from Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu. Wonder Flick will launch on PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, PS Vita, iOS, and Android platforms; save data will be shared across every platform, though each will feature exclusive dungeons.
At present the title is planned only for a 2013 release on iOS/Android in Japan, with console versions to follow in 2012. A global release was not announced.
Source: Gematsu
