Zero And Ao no Kiseki Kai Switch Ports in Japan Pull Us Closer To English Localization
On November 12, Nihon Falcom published its latest financials, and mentioned through them plans for more global expansion in 2021. Meaning yet another hint the remasters Zero no Kiseki Kai and Ao no Kiseki Kai should be localized soon.
In the document, Falcom explains it aims to expand further its games in Japan, North America and Asia, on multiple platforms: PS4, Switch, PC and smartphones.
Falcom also announced it will launch multiple games in Japan for its 40th anniversary in 2021. Including the next Trails game following Hajimari no Kiseki.
Now, as you probably already heard, Falcom and Clouded Leopard Entertainment announced on October 29 that several Trails / Kiseki games will receive Switch ports in Japan and Asia, including The Legend of Heroes: Zero no Kiseki Kai, and Ao no Kiseki Kai.
Zero no Kiseki Kai will release on Switch on February 18, 2021. Ao no Kiseki Kai on April 22, 2021. And the four Trails of Cold Steel games in Summer 2021. The games will be in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. Trails of Cold Steel III is already out on Switch in the West, and Trails of Cold Steel IV is also coming to Switch in Summer 2021. However, it's the first time ever Zero and Ao are coming to Switch. This is true for the first two Cold Steel games as well.
These will be Switch ports of the PS4 remasters that were released in Japan and Asia in 2020. Back then, Falcom President Toshihiro Kondo said the PS4 ports are here to facilitate a Western release. It's likely the Switch ports of Zero and Ao no Kiseki Kai follow the same logic. While fans have been translating the games, we're still waiting for official localization in English. Zero and Ao coming to Nintendo Switch in Japan make a Western release more likely than ever.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steeel IV was just released in English by NIS America on PS4. The game is also coming to Switch and PC in 2021. Be sure to check our review.
We should learn more about Falcom's 2021 games and the next Trails / Kiseki game at the Falcom Day 2020 Winter, to be held on December 20.
おはよう！ pic.twitter.com/6cxO3VrLlu
— 日本ファルコム (@nihonfalcom) November 12, 2020
The post Zero And Ao no Kiseki Kai Switch Ports in Japan Pull Us Closer To English Localization by Iyane Agossah appeared first on DualShockers.
Nihon Falcom published on November 12 its latest financials, for its September 2019-September 2020 fiscal year, revealing in the process it will release multiple games by September 2021. Including a new Trails series / Kiseki series game. This will be the game starting the next arc, following The Legend of Heroes: Hajimari no Kiseki, released on PS4 (and PS5) on August 27 in Japan and Asia.
Falcom explained its goals for its next fiscal year, ending in September 2021. Nihon Falcom was founded on March 9, 1981, and will thus be reaching its 40th birthday in 2021. To celebrate, multiple new console games will be released, including a new Trails / Kiseki Series game.
With the release of Hajimari, the Trails / Kiseki series has now sold over 5 million copies worldwide. Falcom stated it will keep developing new IPs, alongside its flagship IPs such as the Ys series and the Trails series.
Lastly, Falcom mentions the Covid-19 pandemic didn't have a significant impact on its activities so far.
Check out the Steam Weeklong Deals for #TrailsofColdSteelIII and #YsVIII Lacrimosa of DANA! Save up on 40% on these titles plus DLC from now until November 15! See all the deals here: (https://t.co/vldTr5Dek4) pic.twitter.com/JPRNnDLelw
— NISAmerica (@NISAmerica) November 9, 2020
Thoughts And Explanations On Falcom 2021 Games:
Most of you who clicked on this article must already know, but for years now, Falcom always releases one new game a year. And always on the last week of September. Hajimari no Kiseki is the sole exception as it launched on August 27, 2020. As such, it's surprising to hear Falcom will release at least two games in 2021. But makes sense considering it'll be a special year with the 40th anniversary.
Falcom only develops on PS4, PS5 nowadays, with Switch and PC ports being handled by outside companies. Clouded Leopard Entertainment, who handles Asia localizations. And NIS America, who handles the Western localizations. As such it's likely the games Falcom launches in 2021 will first be exclusives to PS4 and PS5.
Both The Legend of Heroes: Hajimari no Kiseki and the game after it, now confirmed to be out by September 2021, were first teased by Falcom in March 2019. Both games have been developed simultaneously. The next game will start a new arc and it's supposed to be the "Calvard arc". Both games were furthermore teased with screenshots and story hints in June 2019, at the Kiseki Series 15th Anniversary Event. Lastly, Falcom mentioned in November 2019 that a new Kiseki game would launch in Japan by September 2020. Hajimari was finally announced on December 18, 2019, at a shareholders meeting.
Hajimari no Kiseki uses a new engine developed by Falcom for some of its cutscenes. The next game will be fully using the new engine. Falcom President Toshihiro Kondo confirmed all that in an interview. He also gave multiple hints about the next game's story. And mentioned that if Trails in the Sky ever gets a remake, it'll be with this new engine. We translated the interview here.
Falcom is already working on the next Ys game, thought we don't know if it's Ys X, a remake, or a spinoff. In the past, Toshihiro Kondo mentioned multiple developers at Falcom would like to make an Ys V remake so that might be it. And a new Kiseki Vs Ys game can happen too. These are all games we could see in 2021.
Lastly, Falcom and Dengeki announced on November 6 a new event titled the Falcom Day 2020 Winter, to be held on December 20. The event will feature new information for Falcom's plans in 2021, multiple seiyuu (Japanese cast) from the Kiseki series, Toshihiro Kondo, and a live performance by Falcom jdk BAND. At this point, it's all but officially confirmed this is where the next game will be announced.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steeel 4 was just released in English by NIS America on PS4. The game is coming in 2021 on Switch and PC. Be sure to check our review by our knowledgeable writer Kris Cornelisse. Meanwhile, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox will be out in English on February 2, 2021 on PS4, and on PC and Switch in Summer 2021.
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Deathloop Officially Set For a May 21 Release Date
Yesterday, the New Zealand PlayStation Store pointed to the delayed Deathloop getting a May 2021 release. Now that information is confirmed via a new trailer from the team at Arkane Studios. The latest trailer is short, but certainly to the point. Players will finally enter the time loop on May 21 of next year. Check it out below.
Since it was first shown off at E3 2019, Deathloop has continued to impress. Of course, we won't know for sure until we get hands-on; however, what we've seen so far has looked great. Mixing the fun of time loops with some nifty combat skills makes for what looks like fun gameplay. Toss in some neat-looking optional multiplayer and you a recipe for a game that could be quite good.
Of course, it's worth remembering that Deathloop is only coming to PC and PS5. That was a surprising announcement back in June but became even more surprising when Microsoft bought up Arkane's parent company ZeniMax. Effectively, Arkane is a first-party Xbox studio putting out a console-exclusive game on PS5. 2020 is a wild time to be alive y'all.
Obviously, the deals weren't happening at the same time, but it continues to feel weird. And, Xbox Series X owners will get to play the game about a year after it launches. That said, if Arkane can deliver on the promise they've shown so far, this one could be special.
Deathloop launches on PC and PS5 on May 21, 2021. As mentioned above, the game will be console-exclusive on PS5 for about a year. So, expect it to pop up on other consoles at around that time.
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Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition Review — Featuring Vergil From the Devil May Cry Series
Early last year, Capcom released Devil May Cry 5 on Xbox One, PS4, and PC and it was the return to form that long-time fans of the fast-paced action franchise had been wanting. Now, just in time for the next generation of consoles, Capcom has come back around with everything that the initial release brought and more with Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition. With new features like ray-tracing, options for choosing graphical fidelity or performance, and the inclusion of fan-favorite Vergil as a playable character to go along with the return of the Legendary Dark Knight difficulty mode, this makes for the definitive version of an already fantastic installment in this long-running franchise.
If you missed out on the original release, Devil May Cry 5's story follows the return of Dante and Nero a handful of years after the events of Devil May Cry 4 as a new and mysterious enemy named Urizen arises to causes trouble for the demon hunters and their crew. They are joined on their quest by the equally mysterious V who also serves as a new playable character.
The story itself is fantastic and kind of insane. It brings in all of the elements that have made the franchise such a favorite among fans and is full of subtle and not-so-subtle nods to previous games in the series. It's over-the-top and silly at times, but it is a great ride from the start to finish with all of the characters brimming with personality. It's easily one of my personal favorite gaming experiences from last year.
If you know anything about the Devil May Cry series, then you know that combat and combos are the foundation. And in Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition, getting a triple-S ranking has never looked and felt better thanks to the power of next-gen consoles. The original release looked and played phenomenally and this upgraded edition surpasses what was on screen in just about every facet. It's faster and smoother and really feels like the way it should be played.
With the new hardware at its disposal, you also now have multiple options to choose from if you wanted to prioritize graphics over frame rate, or a mixture that you can tailor to your liking. For instance, you can enable ray-tracing to play at 1080p at 60fps or 4K at 30fps. Alternatively, with ray-tracing turned off, you'll be able to reach up to 120fps. Having these options really adds a whole new depth of customization to the package and allows for players to mix and match and fine tune the way they want to play.
Aside from the enhanced visuals and gameplay options, one of the biggest draws for players with this new release is the inclusion of Vergil, Dante's brother and rival. Modders had brought the character to the PC version of last year's release and Capcom decided to finally give in and bring fans what they wanted by including him in the Special Edition. In a game where there are already three playable characters, Vergil manages to hold his own and set himself apart from the way the others play and feel. He's much faster and more relentless than both Nero and Dante, but still has a few moves to reward holding back and careful timing like V's move set. Vergil is very much a jack-of-all-trades type of fighter which makes him a whole lot of fun to play whether you're using his katana, Yamato, or his heavy-hitting gauntlet combo, Beowulf.
If there is one gripe that I have with Vergil's inclusion it's the lack of a proper story from the character's perspective. Vergil's story more or less drops him into the main Devil May Cry 5 campaign with no real reasoning. There are points in that story that kind of fall apart and don't make sense for Vergil to exist in those specific moments. In no way does it detract from the fun of finally getting to play as Vergil again, but it does lead to some head-scratching instances if you're familiar with the story already. That being said, make sure to play through the story as Nero, Dante, and V if you haven't had the chance to play it and want to get the whole narrative. If the story doesn't interest you or you already know what's happening, then jumping in with Vergil is still a lot of demon-slaying fun.
Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition is the definitive next-gen Devil May Cry experience. This iteration took what was already one of the best action games of the last console generation and refined everything from the performance to the visuals. Even if you've experienced this game before, it's worth a second look for all of the added enhancements. And if you missed it the first time around, this is the version to play. Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition really is the whole package and a must-play for action fans.
Although, I still have my fingers crossed for a Ladies' Night DLC where we can play as Lady and Trish with Nico in tow. Who do I have to tweet at to make this happen?
The post Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition Review — Featuring Vergil From the Devil May Cry Series by Camilo Olmedo appeared first on DualShockers.
Dead By Daylight Announces its Next Horrifying Chapter
Dead By Daylight has found success since its release in 2016 with its ability to make players truly fear one another. Aided by expansion packs that introduce popular horror monsters and characters from series such as Halloween, Silent Hill, and Stranger Things, the game has sold more than 5 million copies as of May 2019. Earlier this week, the next chapter for Dead By Daylight, A Binding of Kin, was announced and it looks spooky.
A tweet from the official Dead By Daylight Twitter account announced the expansion on Tuesday morning. Along with the announcement stating that, "good things come in pairs," the tweet had a quick video trailer showing off a new playable survivor as well as a new monster.
Good things come in pairs. A Binding of Kin is the next #DeadbyDaylight Chapter. #ABindingofKin #DbD pic.twitter.com/mHTo05UqYI
— Dead by Daylight (@DeadByBHVR) November 10, 2020
The monster or, perhaps more accurately, monsters is/are called the Twins and is/are completely grotesque. The character is a two for one comprised of a woman with a jagged hand scythe and a deformed child that rips out of her stomach to attack players.
It's gross to look at in the stylized cartoon promo video, but looking at the character model that the Dead By Daylight account tweeted in the comments is totally something else. Additionally in the comments, the official Twitter account confirmed that the name of the baby is Victor and that the Twins will be able to detach from one another to attack players for more range.
The name of the new survivor is Élodie Rakoto, but other than her name and sweet outfit, not much is known about her at the time of writing.
For more on Dead By Daylight, make sure to check out this article on the graphical overhaul that happened for the game in the September update or take a look at our recent Let's Play stream of the game in celebration of Halloween.
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What Remains of Edith Finch Assets Are Now Free for All Unreal Engine Users
Epic Games has seemingly launched a new branch of giveaways, and this time around, it's dedicated to game developers who use Unreal Engine. The company is partnering with Annapurna Interactive to deliver over 3000 assets from What Remains of Edith Finch to the Unreal Engine market and make them available for free for all creators.
The content pack includes environment models, material, and some other Unreal-Engine-related stuff that all have been pulled out of Annapurna's critically acclaimed What Remains of Edith Finch. They are currently available for download through here if you want to get them. In addition to this, you can also get access to tons of assets from Paragon and Infinity Blade.
Epic Games have promised to bring more free content to the Unreal Engine market in the near future, encouraging developers to shift their projects into the Epic's powerful engine and have a lot of free assets to work with.
Earlier this year, Epic Games announced the brand new version of its engine, Unreal Engine 5, with an eye-catching demo on PS5 that looked incredibly stunning. Currently, some major next-gen games are being made in Unreal Engine 5, including Ninja Theory's upcoming Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga.
All the advantages above aside, working with Epic's Unreal Engine has some other benefits as well. If you decide to launch the PC version of your game exclusively on Epic Games Store, you will no longer be charged from the company for using their engine. Besides, Epic Games only picks up 12% for selling your games on its market, which is a fair number compared to Steam's 30%.
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Meet the Voice Cast Behind Hades in Adorable Behind the Scenes Video
If you haven't heard by now, Supergiant Games' Hades is a good game. Like, it might be the best game of 2020. And a big part of the appeal is the wonderful voice cast behind all the sexy Greek superstars you meet. Today, the team at Supergiant shared a short behind-the-scenes video giving us a look at all the great talent that brings the character's voices to life. Make sure to stick around to the end for an adorable surprise.
https://twitter.com/SupergiantGames/status/1326938618271657986?s=20
Personally, I'm always a bit amazed when I see voice actors drop in and out of character on the spot. So, while they don't all do it in this video, I had a lot of fun seeing those Hades' voices I know and love suddenly dropping out of those humans. And, of course, the doggo treat at the end completely melted my heart. That cute little pup had such a great take on Cerberus. I really wonder if he employed some method acting with how committed he still seems to be to the role.
If you haven't played Hades yet, you owe it to yourself to do so. The game is an excellent roguelike on its own, but the story-telling and characters really take it over the top. The voice cast is a big part of that. Though it has to be said that the writing is top-notch as well. As a big fan of the genre, it's awesome seeing how far Supergiant has pushed the genre in terms of narrative.
Hades is available now on Nintendo Switch and PC. Given how popular it is, it would be a surprise if it doesn't come to other platforms in the near future.
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The Next CMON Board Game Kickstarter is A Kid-Friendly Animation Collection
Board game mega-publisher CMON doesn't really make flops. Sure, some of its productions aren't as successful as others; however, its Kickstarter campaigns almost always make tons of money. So anytime it announces a new campaign, people in the hobby should probably pay attention. Today, the company announced it will be bringing a new collection of games based on popular animated properties to the table soon. Backers will get board games based on Scooby-Doo, Teen Titans, and the Looney Tunes. Basically, if you're looking for some high-quality family games, this is something worth keeping an eye on.
The question you all have been asking us: what is our next Kickstarter?
We are proud to say we are teaming up with Warner Bros. once more to bring you the CMON PRESENTS: THE ANIMATION COLLECTION Kickstarter campaign!https://t.co/2ApUD3Q5tC
— CMON (@CMONGames) November 12, 2020
Personally, this isn't the most exciting project CMON has ever put together. That said, I was pretty cool on Marvel United and that game nearly cleared $3 million on Kickstarter. I don't foresee this new Animation Collection hitting those numbers, but I have no doubt it'll be successful.
The Scooby-Doo game was previously announced earlier this year by CMON. In it, you and up to four friends will work together to catch monsters. Think of it a bit like a more kid-friendly version of Horrified.
On the other side of things, both of the other games use CMON's new Mayhem system to turn things competitive. Again, I wouldn't expect super deep and intricate gameplay; however, I think you can expect some good family fun in the vein of something like Munchkin or King of Tokyo.
We don't have a launch date for the CMON Presents: The Animation Collection Kickstarter launch. That said, I don't think you'll have to wait much longer for it to kick off.
The post The Next CMON Board Game Kickstarter is A Kid-Friendly Animation Collection by Ricky Frech appeared first on DualShockers.
Baldur's Gate 3 Players Have Seemingly Had So Much Fun with the Romance System
According to Larian Studios, so many players in Baldur's Gate 3 have had a romance with Minthara so far, which is a character that you have to be very evil to sleep with.
Baldur's Gate 3 is still in the early access phase and there's no release date for the final version of the game, but so many fans of the game have already started their career in Larian's most recent fantasy world. As you may know, Baldur's Gate 3 features a romance system and it's pretty detailed. In a recent interview with IGN, Swen Vincke, the founder of Larian Studios, described the whole community of the game in a nutshell:
They're all horny, I can tell you that.
It sounds like a pretty impressive achievement for the developers with their romance system. According to Vincke, players have gone through a lot of evil paths in order to be able to romance with Minthara, a dark elf, who is actually a villain in the plot. Apparently many people have had a night with this elf so far.
Providing some evil options in RPG or narrative-driven games for players isn't something new, but Vincke revealed in his interview that the writers wouldn't actually like to put those options in the game, but they were pushed a little bit by directors as it's a thing in the DNA of the Baldur's Gate series. He said:
The writers have a tendency of being good and not putting in the evil options. We had to actually force them to go through everything and put in more contrasting options so that they could put the evil ones in there. For choice to be there, you need to have the ability to do good and evil and things in between, and edge cases, and stuff like that.
Vincke also clarified that currently there are only Evil and Neutral companions available in the game, which might somehow push players through the evil paths, but he promised that the game will be balanced by adding some 'good' characters to the game in the future.
Baldur's Gate 3 is now available on PC.
The post Baldur's Gate 3 Players Have Seemingly Had So Much Fun with the Romance System by Mehrdad Khayyat appeared first on DualShockers.
Travis Scott Looks Like He Could be Formally Unveiling Those PlayStation Sneakers Later Tonight
A few weeks back, PlayStation and Travis Scott announced a new partnership, with Scott taking on the title of "Strategic Creative Partner." Later tonight, it looks like we'll finally have a better idea of just what the heck this collaboration will even result in.
Scott announced this morning over on Twitter that he'll be holding some sort of presentation this evening. The event is called "PS5: Unboxing Reimagined" and is said to be a collaboration between Scott and the "Cactus Jack Experience." For those unaware, Cactus Jack is the record label that Scott owns and is also the brand in which he releases a lot of his merchandise. The event itself is set to kick off at 5:00pm PST/8:00pm EST and will take place right here when the webpage goes live.
— TRAVIS SCOTT (@trvisXX) November 12, 2020
As for what this "Unboxing Reimagined" show will actually feature? Well, that remains to be seen. Scott simply unboxing a PS5 just like other members of the press have done in recent weeks seems out of the question. Instead, it seems more likely that we could see some other sort of crossover come about between the two parties.
Specifically, the Travis Scott x Nike x PlayStation sneakers that were teased in the original promotional video announcing this collaboration could very well be unveiled in full. The teaser image that Scott posted for this event even looks as though it features a shoebox sitting in the middle of the picture with PlayStation's iconic symbols sitting atop it.
Whatever this event ends up being about, we'll be sure to keep you posted if there is anything substantial that comes from it. And if those Nike PlayStation shoes do end up being revealed, you better start tucking away some extra money as soon as possible.
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