Nippon Dakkan Project: What We Know So Far On the New (Sakura Taisen) RPG By DelightWorks

Nihon Dakkan Project RPG DelightWorks Sakura Wars Shina Sakura feature

DelightWorks announced on August 27 a new iOS, Android game, which is currently only code named as project Nippon, Dakkan (Reclaim Japan). A short teaser was published, and is included further below. It's not as obvious as with Project Black, but seeing what DelightWorks published so far, it's likely that Nippon Dakkan is related to Sega's Sakura Wars / Sakura Taisen franchise. For now, on its official site, the game's actual name is hidden. It'll launch in Fall 2020.

In the announcement tweet, DelightWork described the (possible Sakura Wars) RPG as a "Coming-of-age story about "incomplete" maidens, who never give up on their dreams and each have something they wish to reclaim. They fight to reclaim *** Japan." The *** part being hidden.

The game will be fully revealed by DelightWorks on September 2. This is also when Sega will fully reveal Project Black with a livestream.

Nippon, Dakkan Teaser Trailer Reveal

Following the announcement, DelightWorks has these past few days revealed on Twitter short gameplay videos featuring female main characters appearing in the game. Note that the characters' profiles on the official site are purposefully incomplete, and will stay so until the September 2 reveal. So we'll translate the full profiles when we get them, in another article. We only included the characters' names and their seiyuu below, along with the gameplay sequences:

Shino Sakura, voiced by Moeka Kishimoto:

Asebi Mikohama, voiced by Yuuko Natsuyoshi:

Fuuka Aoshima, voiced by Ayu Matsuura:

More characters were teased with silhouettes, we'll get to them when the game is fully revealed. Their names and seiyuu are listed too: Mana Juujigai (voiced by Saki Minami), Tsutsuji Takasaki (Ai Yamaguchi), Benishi Hijikata (Reina Ueda), and Mitsuha Mogami (Karin Takahashi).

Judging from the currently purposefully incomplete story summary, Nippon Dakkan project is taking place in the 2000s, in the future of a certain world, most probably the Sakura Taisen world. While its hidden, we can also see the game uses a specific calendar, like Sakura Taisen. Moreover, Sega already teased more Sakura Wars to come. We'll know for sure on September 2.

Lastly, DelightWorks announced Hololive VTuber Fubuki Shirakami will be the official ambassador of the project and will hold a live on her channel on September 2 at 1930 JST. Fubuki will be commenting on the reveal, meaning it'll happen before that time.

Fubuki Shirakami is one of the most popular VTubers so this is definitely a move by DelightWorks (and maybe Sega) to make this (maybe new Sakura Wars) game popular with younger generations. DelightWorks has a reputation by itself too as the developer of FGO.

We'll be covering the Nippon Dakkan reveal, the Fubuki Shirakami stream, and the Project Black stream, as I'll try my best to activate Otoshigami Mode, so be sure to check DualShockers on September 2.

The post Nippon Dakkan Project: What We Know So Far On the New (Sakura Taisen) RPG By DelightWorks by Iyane Agossah appeared first on DualShockers.

Emily is Away

Emily is Away <3 is the upcoming third game in developer Kyle Seeley's throwback series. The game was originally set to release in summer 2020; however, today Seeley announced that the game is missing that window. Obviously, it's not the best news to get, but I'm more than willing to wait a little longer if it means a better game.

If you've never played an Emily is Away game, the series is kind of like a simulator for old social media. The first game emulated a service like AOL Instant Messenger, while the sequel added a take on Facebook. The series features branching stories that keep you coming back for more. For the third go-round, the series moves fully into the world of "Facenook" in 2008.

Outside of the heavy nostalgia, the series brings a ton of heart to the table. Each story feels meaningful and almost perfectly captures the experience of being a young adult in the early stages of social media. Personally, I'll be interested to see how Emily is Away <3 hits me. I'm slowly starting to age out of the nostalgia the game trades in. That, of course, doesn't mean I won't still enjoy it. I just won't have those shared experiences that I loved in the first two games.

In short, I'm incredibly excited to see what Seeley does for his third entry. Emily is Away <3 doesn't yet have a firm release date, but hopefully, we'll get that soon. If you've never checked the series out, the first game is free on Steam.

The post Emily is Away <3 Delayed Out of Summer 2020, Still On Its Way by Ricky Frech appeared first on DualShockers.

Away: The Survival Series Puts You in the Paws of an Adorable Sugar Glider

Away The Survival Series, Breaking Walls

Away: The Survival Series is one of the more unique games you'll see this week. The game from Breaking Walls has you starring as a cute, little sugar glider as you explore the world and protect your family. It reminds me a bit of Shelter, though Away certainly is going for a different look and hopefully will learn from Shelter's problems. Give the debut trailer a watch below.

One of the most intriguing aspects of Away is the nature documentary-like narrator that talks over the action at times. He gives you insight into the world around you, as well as providing a soothing voice to tie everything together.

As a sugar glider, you can climb, fight, and even "fly" with style. This lets you explore the environment in some really nifty ways. Of course, you can't just glide everywhere at no cost. You'll need to find food out in the environment to keep your sugar glider moving.

The sugar glider also isn't the apex predator of its forest. That means you'll have to fight off creatures like scorpions as you move about. This is where the game employees a little bit of Dark Souls-style combat. You have to time your dodges and look for openings to outsmart your opponent. Obviously, it's not nearly as intense as a Souls game, but it does give the combat some added flair.

Away: The Survival Series looks promising in its early stages. As mentioned before, I hope they learn from something like Shelter. That game was, without a doubt, cool, but lacked focus in gameplay and narrative. Here's hoping Away doesn't fall to a similar trap.

Away: The Survival Series is set to launch on PC and PS4 in early 2021.

The post Away: The Survival Series Puts You in the Paws of an Adorable Sugar Glider by Ricky Frech appeared first on DualShockers.

Fall Guys Charity Bidding War Ends Raising $1,000,000 for SpecialEffect

Fall Guys

Over the past two weeks, the Fall Guys Twitter account has been running a charity event in the style of an auction. Companies, content creators and more have taken turns placing bids with the hope of getting their own custom skin into the game. The event has now ended and the winners have been confirmed, raising a total of $1,000,000 for SpecialEffect.

Up until one minute before the bidding closed YouTube channel FGteev was leading the race with a whopping $510k pledged. As the final countdown was happening and the door was about to close however a four-way conglomeration entered the race with a seven-figure bid, blowing the previous effort out of the water. The team comprised of two of the world's biggest internet personalities, Ninja and MrBeast, G2 Esports, an online esports club and Aim Lab, an FPS/TPS training tool, with each pledging $250k to the cause.

While initially, the prize for the highest bidder was one skin in the game, Fall Guys were kind enough to allow each member of the winning team their own in-game costume due to their generosity.

SpecialEffect is a UK based charity who help gamers with physical disabilities to game. The money they raise helps to create a range of specialised apparatus that includes, but isn't limited to, modified joy-pads and equipment that is eye controlled.

It's little surprise that the bid for the custom skin went so high, due to the popularity of the game. Fall Guys became the most downloaded free PlayStation plus game of all time and the game also hit over 7 million Steam downloads within less than a month.

We also recently got our first peek at Fall Guys season 2 during Gamescom Opening Night Live. The game is making a departure from we've seen so far and is taking more a medieval route when it kicks off. The showcase teased new games, skins and more ahead of the October launch.

Overall, Fall Guys should be incredibly proud of what they've achieved with this charity event, raising $1,000,000 is certainly no small feat, especially for such a worthy cause!

The post Fall Guys Charity Bidding War Ends Raising $1,000,000 for SpecialEffect by Sam Woods appeared first on DualShockers.

Danganronpa Titles Are Being Delisted From The PlayStation Store Starting Today

Danganronpa

Danganronpa, the popular visual novel murder mystery series is making some changes as developer Spike Chunsoft is taking over publishing rights for the franchise moving forward. Alongside that news, each Danganronpa title is being removed from either the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation Vita starting next month.

Original publisher NIS America announced on Twitter back in July that the titles on specific platforms will be removed from the PlayStation store with Spike Chunsoft taking over publishing duties. As of now, there is no news whether or not the games will be relisted following the change of structure. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc and Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair originally released on the PlayStation Portable back in 2010 and 2012 respectfully, but hit a high stride when they were ported to Vita in 2014. As of now, every entry is on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita.

Here is the following list of games and dates in which they will be delisted according to NIS America:

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girl (PS Vita) – August 31, 2020

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (PS Vita) – September 4, 2020

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (PS Vita) – September 4, 2020

Danganronpa v3: Killing Harmony (PlayStation 4 and PS Vita) – September 25, 2020

As of writing Ultra Despair Girl is still available on the PS Vita store so if you're a Vita owner and want to play one of the best franchises to come to the system, now is the time to jump on it. With all the titles being delisted from PS Vita specifically and the lack of support the handheld got, it wouldn't be surprising if Spike Chunsoft decided not to relist them on the platform. It is also worth noting that Danganronpa v3: Killing Harmony has cross-save capabilities so it would be a good investment to grab both titles before it leaves both systems. Right now you can purchase the entire series up to now Danganronpa 1.2 Reload, Ultra Despair Girl, and Killing Harmony for less than $40 on PlayStation 4, an absolute steal.

The future of the franchise is currently up in the air, but it is also reassuring knowing that the Spike is publishing the series. While nothing is ever certain, I'm betting that we will get a new entry sometime in the future.

The post Danganronpa Titles Are Being Delisted From The PlayStation Store Starting Today by Cameron Hawkins appeared first on DualShockers.

The Stone of Madness Brings Real-Time Tactics to Next-Gen

The Stone of Madness, Merge Games, Teku Studio

The Stone of Madness from developer Teku Studios and publisher Merge Games is taking its brand of "hardcore real-time tactics" to next-gen consoles. Alongside a Nintendo Switch and PC release, the game is set to launch next spring for PS5 and Xbox Series X. The game sees you play as five inmates imprisoned in a Spanish monastery. To escape, you'll need to face your fears, carefully plan your route, and stay away from the madness. Give the debut trailer a watch below.

The Stone of Madness is, at its core, a stealth-based tactics game. You take on the five inmates as they try to escape their prison. Each of them comes with their own set of skills, along with various phobias. As you explore the monastery, you'll have to manage their sanity. If you don't, expect new hindrances as the characters are hit with negative effects.

On top of the madness system, players will have several different escape plans to try. These flesh out the background of the monastery and give some replayability. The game is also semi-procedural. This means the monastery's layout, as well as things like item location, can change from session to session.

The cherry on top is the beautiful artwork. The team is heavily inspired by Franciso De Goya and the whole game looks like a gorgeous, 18th-century painting. It really does make it stand out from the crowd. Especially as a next-gen game. Those often try to pump out as many pixels as possible. Stone of Madness is squarely focused on something completely different.

The Stone of Madness is set to launch in spring 2021. The game will come to Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.

The post The Stone of Madness Brings Real-Time Tactics to Next-Gen by Ricky Frech appeared first on DualShockers.

Xbox Series X Controller Pre-Order Listing Appears On Russian Retailer

Xbox Series X Controller feature

Microsoft hasn't been safe from leaks and rumors since the initial series X reveal. We've seen multiple sources claiming that there would be a second, much cheaper next-gen option called the Series S (which is all but confirmed). We've also seen controllers that were stolen from select retail outlets in Chicago, further fueling theories and rumors suggesting Xbox Series X will launch in early November.

Now, a Russian retailer called Videoigr has potentially added more credence to the rumors and reports that states that Microsoft will be launching their platform in early November before Sony. Spotted by Twitter user Follow 14 (@Follow_14_), the listing hints at multiple interesting points about the upcoming release of the Series X.

According to the supposed listing, the Xbox Series X controller will cost roughly $60(USD) and it has a release date of November 6. A November 6 release date falls in line with Video Games Chronicle's report, which was corroborated by sources that are "close to the production line," of both the Series X and the PS5. Those same reports say that Sony is likely to release their console after Microsoft, with a supposed release date set for sometime in mid-November.

The controller's pricing is perhaps the more interesting part of this leak, however. Wireless Xbox One controllers go for an MSRP of $59.99(USD), so the fact that they're seemingly staying the same across the generational jump is interesting, especially considering how much Sony and Nintendo have packed into their controllers. Nintendo's controllers are three years old now and still retail for $10-$20(USD) more than that price. Meanwhile, Sony's DualSense controller doesn't look like it'll be a very affordable option either since it has so much packed into it.

Of course, with all rumors, retail listings, leaks and reports, please take this with a massive grain of salt, as we don't know for sure if any of this information is reliable until we hear it from Microsoft.

The post Xbox Series X Controller Pre-Order Listing Appears On Russian Retailer by Charlie Wacholz appeared first on DualShockers.

The Medium Behind the Scenes Video Announces Troy Baker as Part of the Cast

The medium troy baker cast

The Medium has been on many people's anticipated games list since it was first revealed at the Inside Xbox event in May. Through a behind the scenes video released by the game's developer, Bloober Team, fans are able to learn a little bit more about the development of the game as well as its thematic motifs. Most notably, however, the video revealed that Troy Baker will be joining the voice cast of the game.

In The Medium, Troy Baker, known for his roles as Joel Miller, Sam Drake, and most recently Bruce Banner in Marvel's Avengers, is voicing the Maw. According to Bloober Team's most recent press release, the Maw is "the main spirit world entity and antagonist in The Medium."

The behind the scenes video also goes into some of the main themes for The Medium. One of the game's producers, Jacek Zięba, says in the video, "when you have our central theme, dualism, different points of view, everything is connected to the topic." That central theme is reflected through the gameplay by using the power of the Xbox Series X to render two worlds simultaneously that the player can switch between.

Lead game designer, Wojciech Piejko, says, "during the game, you will see different events and different points of view and the game will never tell you that something was good or bad."

The press release also says that the "development team have shared the first episode of the Behind the Scenes series for the game," implying that there will be more behind the scenes videos for The Medium to keep an eye out for.

For more on The Medium make sure to check out our article on Bloober Team's ambition for the game. The Medium is set to come out Holiday 2020 on the Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC. You can preorder your copy right here.

The post The Medium Behind the Scenes Video Announces Troy Baker as Part of the Cast by Peter Hunt Szpytek appeared first on DualShockers.

PS5 Backwards Compatibility Won't Allow PS3, PS2 or PS1 Games

ps5 fake 40 60fps 60 fps dusk golem launch games release date rumor leak

We're now just a little over two months until the launch of the next generation of gaming hardware. Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X are due for launch at some point in this coming November, however, there is still tonnes of information about the consoles that we don't have yet. There's the small matter that we know neither the price nor release dates of the consoles, we still don't have the final launch line-ups and there's still much more.

One of the remaining questions waiting to be answered was surrounding the PS5 and how backwards compatibility would work. Whilst we know the console is getting backwards compatibility with select PS4 titles, it's been unclear whether Sony would allow players to go further back than this. This information however may have just been revealed in a post by Ubisoft.

While the PS5 will have some level of backwards compatibility, Ubisoft also says there are a few, probably expected, omissions. The article says that although backwards compatibility will work with selected PS4 titles, it "will not be possible for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, or PlayStation games."

The post also states that Sony is providing a number of features to help make the transition from PS4 to PS5 smoother for players including cross-generational multiplayer play.

Some developers have already made an effort to assure players that if they purchase a game on PS4, they will have access to it on PS5. Some of the games that include these free upgrades are the upcoming Marvel's Avengers and Kena: Bridge of Spirits. While some developers are offering free next-gen upgrades, others have taken a slightly different tack and will only offer a free upgrade if players fork out for higher additions of the game, these include NBA 2K21 and Control.

Although we're still missing some pretty key information on next-gen consoles, there's still plenty that we do know. Don't forget to also bookmark this page too for when PS5 pre-orders do finally drop.

The post PS5 Backwards Compatibility Won't Allow PS3, PS2 or PS1 Games by Sam Woods appeared first on DualShockers.

Horizon Zero Dawn PC Patch 1.03 Is Out Now, Offers Various Bug Fixes

Horizon Zero Dawn PC patch 103 feature

Horizon Zero Dawn is leading Sony's charge into the PC gaming market. Formerly a PS4 exclusive, it came as a shock to many when it was announced for PC back in March. Following its release in July, Guerilla has been working to make the port of the prized PS4 exclusive work better.

Announced via Twitter and a blog post on Guerilla's website, the 1.03 Patch for the PC port brings various fixes, including improvements for playing in 4K, various crash fixes, and most importantly, a promise to continue to work on further updates. They even thanked various members of the community for compiling lists of some of the game's problems.

This patch comes in the midst of one of Sony's most surprising announcements in recent memory; the console market leader has confirmed that they are working to bring more and more of their first-party content to PC. Horizon Zero Dawn was the natural choice for Sony, especially since Death Stranding, which was also recently ported to PC, used the same engine as Horizon. So far, Sony hasn't officially confirmed any other PS4-exclusive games to be coming to PC, but it wouldn't be a surprise if Horizon Forbidden West turns up on PC storefronts a while after its release, especially if it's using the same engine. The closest thing to another big PS4 exclusive making the jump to cross-platform is that Atlus, the studio behind the Persona series has confirmed that they would be exploring bringing more games in the Persona franchise to other platforms following Persona 4 Golden's success on Steam.

Click here to read the full slate of changes, improvements, known issues, progression fixes and everything else introduced in the patch.

The post Horizon Zero Dawn PC Patch 1.03 Is Out Now, Offers Various Bug Fixes by Charlie Wacholz appeared first on DualShockers.