Company teases and announces games for their upcoming fiscal year.
Namco Bandai had good news for RPG fans on both sides of the console/PC style divide Wednesday, announcing Tales of Graces F for North America and pegging "Project Dark," now officially Dark Souls, for a 2011 release. Those who aren't particularly big fans of RPGs weren't left out though, as Namco Bandai also announced that they would release From Software's mech action game, Armored Core V, in early 2012. Finally, Famitsu revealed Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions for the Nintendo 3DS. Namco Bandai's 30th Anniversary celebration of the two historic franchises wasn't announced for North America just yet, not even receiving a proper release date for Japan, however the two series were teased alongside Tales of Graces F.
Armored Core V Armored Core V looks to continue the multiplayer refinement started in Armored Core: For Answer by incorporating a strong team element. Teams of four combatants and one "support" unit compete in their customized mechs in multiplayer modes similar to those found in the first-person shooter genre, such as base defense. Reports indicate the presence of a lobby, which players can easily drop out of and join into mid-game, that will allow teammates to communicate with one another regardless of their field status.
Dark Souls Dark Souls is the spiritual successor to Demon's Souls, 2009's hard-as-nails Action/RPG PlayStation 3 exclusive. While there won't be any direct connections between the stories or worlds from the two games, Dark Souls will remain true to what its predecessor established. Difficulty is said to be greatly increased with the world being more expansive and seamless in scope, while most of the online elements found in Demon's Souls will also be present, in addition to new features such as cooperative and competitive multiplayer. Reports also indicate that Demon's Souls won't have its own servers this time around, possibly because of its multiplatform development, which may affect certain aspects of the game.
Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions
Similar to Galaga & Galaxian back on the original Gameboy, Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions is two unique games on one cart. The two games celebrate the 30th Anniversary of their respective franchises, and each incorporates the 3DS' unique features into the reimagined games. Pac-Man Tilt, a side-scrolling platformer/action game, uses the 3DS' accelerometer and gyroscope to allow the player to tilt the in-game world. This allows Pac-Man to stand on objects which can then be moved independently, which could result in some clever puzzles reminiscent of Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures. Galaga, on the other hand, has been transformed into a "3D" shooting game called Galaga 3D Impact. Players will be placed into the cockpit of the Galaga fighter, while the game itself is said to be an on-rails shooter.
Tales of Graces F
Aside from the teaser website, found here, no information has been given just yet. Judging from the localizations of previous titles, however, we should expect a late Q3 or early Q4 release. Tales of Graces F was a PlayStation 3 enhanced port in Japan, so there's presently no reason to assume it would be made available for a different platform while being localized. Sorry, Xbox 360 owners.
Sequel to 2010's RPG juggernaut to receive direct follow-up "next winter."
Square Enix's 1st Production Department Premiere, formerly the Fabula Nova Crystallis Conference, was held Tuesday night and revealed new information regarding several games currently in development in both Tokyo and Osaka. A number of surprises were promised for the Premiere, and Square Enix did their best to deliver. Taking a momentary break from the games announced last year or earlier, Square Enix revealed a new game: Final Fantasy XIII-2. A sequel to last year's game had been hinted towards for several weeks, starting with an artwork by character designer Tetsuya Nomura sent to high-ranking account holders on Square Enix's member website with the message "She must not be forgotten."
While details on the game are scarce at present, the official trailer released today shows female lead Lightning sporting a new look in an almost cathedral-like building before squaring off with a new character dressed in black and purple. Early reports indicate that this man is Lightning's "rival," however it is unknown in what way he's opposing her nor whether they have a prior connection. An article in Jump Magazine this week also contained a vague passage: "In the world where I once existed, times path is no longer certain҅"
Final Fantasy XIII-2 is currently slated for a 2011 release in Japan, with the North American and European releases set for "Next Winter."
Spoiler Warning: Pressing play auto-skips this trailer to the 38 second mark. No spoilers are present from there on, however almost everything before that spoils the ending of Final Fantasy XIII.
Rockstar Games gave us a behind the scenes look into the complex making of L.A. Noire. They posted this video:
So, what do we know after watching this video? Simple. L.A. Noire is going to deliver a real experience. It's going to put you into the heat of deciding whether or not suspects are lying. This experience is all possible because of the technology they are using to develop the game. The new technology captures real voice actors' expressions while they act out each scene. The cameras used will get every facial squint, twitch, and crooked smile so that the gamer can catch the criminal or decide to let him go.
L.A. Noire has been predicted to come out in 2011. Stay tuned for more updates on Rockstar's anticipated title.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was a favorite among RPG gamers all over. Most predicted that a sequel was fair, and would come in time. They were right.
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has a launch date of November 11, 2011. Enjoy the this teaser and stay tuned for a full trailer.
