Hey y’all. I apologize for the tardiness of this roundup. I intended it to go up Wednesday but my work schedule got in the way. Anyway this is going to be a very E3-focused edition of the Roundup covering a few dozen games. Before that, there is some TV and comics news so there’s a little something for everyone. Also, I want to announce the News Roundup will be going biweekly. There typically is not that much news per week and I have a bunch of ideas for posts that need somewhere to go.
Anyway, on to the news!
Gundam Hathaway Coming to Netflix
Hathaway
is an adaptation of a very old manga. To have
it adapted into a beautiful film is thrilling. I probably won't like whatever
dub Netflix does as they are generally not very good at it. Here’s hoping the
sub script is up to snuff.
Netflix Shaman King
Shaman
King is cool. I never finished
reading the manga as I dropped off manga as a whole for a time while it was
ongoing. It’s coming to the US on Netflix so the dub could be troublesome, but
I have hope it will be good. Netflix please don’t ruin Shan King.
Netflix Eden Zero
More
anime on Netflix. From Hiro Mashima, creator of Rave Master (And Fairy
Tail), comes a sci-fi series where everyone looks like characters from
those two series. That’s all I know about it. It’s probably a good time.
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans
I adored
Trollhunters but each subsequent installment in the franchise has
yielded diminishing returns. The film is releasing soon and looks like a
suitable finale. It has big elemental Titans and that’s always cool.
Deathstroke Inc.
There
are very few creators I would trust with the concept of Deathstroke expanding the
brand to multiple people around the world. I’m honestly not sure I trust Joshua
Williamson and Howard Porter either but they’ve made some high quality comics
in the past. This series also might be a 12-issue miniseries. It’s very
unclear. If so, my confidence in it does rise quite a bit.
Nick Spencer leaving Spider-Man
Amazing
Spider-Man #74 will be Nick Spencer’s
last. He’s going to help start Substack’s new comic publishing arm. It’ll be
interesting to see how that plays out. This is not too surprising a development
as the series has been wrapping up the loose plot threads for some time now. I
do wonder if we’ll get the long-teased Peter-MJ wedding before all is said and
done or if Spencer will leave that for his successor.
Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp
Back in
the all too brief Gameboy Advance era, I was more into Fire Emblem and
have never gone back to check out its sister series. This provides a perfect
opportunity to so and that’s exciting. The pixel art of the GBA games is far
more appealing to me than WayForward’s house style, which is what this remake
is using, but it still looks quite good. The choice to go for a toyetic style
for units is interesting though. Overall, its exciting this game exists.
Hopefully Nintendo lets at least part of Intelligent Systems free from the Fire
Emblem mines. But also keep making those. Those are fun too.
Dark Deity
I like
Fire Emblem. Do you? If so, this game is what you are looking for. It
appears the developer wanted to make a GBA era game in that series with some of
the more dedicated relationship mechanics from modern games included. Seems
cool. Also, its out now and on sale to celebrate release, so I’ll be picking it
up.
Death’s Door
Honestly, just about any game with a lead character design like the one Death’s
Door has would be of interest to me. They’re so cool! Its just a bonus the
game looks like a fun, challenging isometric action game with a charming sense
of humor. This feels as though it could be an indie game that hits pretty big.
Probably not Hades big, but few hit like that.
Unbeatable
This
seems like a neat rhythm game. I downloaded the demo bit haven’t had time to
play it, but the trailers are extremely charming and I look forward giving it a
chance.
Wizard with a Gun
This
game looks interesting and I’ll likely give it a shot. More importantly, it has
an all-time great name. It’s about Wizards welding guns and the
developers wanted to let you know. Absolutely immaculate.
Loot River
This
appears to be a Tetris-based roguelike and that is an unbelievably inventive
premise. I don't much care for the way it looks, though other areas may appeal
to me more. It’s certainly interesting though.
Unpacking
This
game makes my brain feel good. I played the demo and it was very nice and
relaxing. The game is a little too strict about what can go where but overall
it's very fun. I do wonder if a 4+ hour version will work as well though.
Inscryption
The
atmosphere in this game seems cool. It’s an expansion of a little conceptual
demo from a while back that's going for a PlayStation resolution and aesthetic,
which is something I've been waiting to become more popular in inside spaces;
it's an underused lol and can be used in a lot of cool ways.
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Blackwater
Yet another game is escaping the Wii U prison and that’s a cause for
celebration. Unfortunately, it’s a game that had a…mixed reception. Maybe
opinions have changed over time; that has a tendency to happen. Either way,
I’ll probably check it out eventually, though it's not super high on my list.
Behind the Frame
Another
of the myriad Wholesome Direct games that just seems like a chill hangout.
There appears to be some form of story in the game, but how much and what type
tension unclear.
Twelve Minutes
I've seen a half dozen trailers for this game but don't feel like I have a grasp on what it is. It's obviously a narrative-focused game. But it could be an adventure game and I just have no clue. The cast are good actors and I'm curious to discover how that translates to this medium.
Immortality
Sam
Barlow worked on a bunch of games I’ve never played but people really like.
He’s assembled a team to make a new game. The debut trailer sets a cool mood. That’s
all there is here.
Last Stop
Aliens.
This appears to be a narrative-focused game about a group of kids (young
adults?) That find an alien and the government wants to study them. Or
something like that. It has a neat aesthetic and a general premise I enjoy.
Despelote
I’m
not sure what this game will be but the idea of playing a game set in 2001 Ecuador
is something new to me and that's exciting. Plus it has this strange paper on
deep-fried meme backgrounds look that looks cool
Shredders
I like these kinds of games. This looks like a good one. The logo is nearly unreadable though. Feels like Shreddageddon—a term used in the trailer and presumably the game—would’ve been a better name too. Doesn’t really matter though; if it’s good, it’s good.
Forza Horizon 5
Forza Horizon heads to Mexico is a pretty solid premise and nice change of pace
from the British setting of the prior installment. I haven’t seen any mention
of it, but I hope the changing seasons returns for this game. The release of
this game does make me wonder exactly how far out the next main Forza is
though.
Eiyuden Chronicle Hundred Heroes and Eiyuden Chronicle Rising
Suikoden
spiritual successor Hundred Heroes is a game that was Kickstarted last
year so learning it has a 2023 release date is unsurprising. What is surprising
is the existence of a heretofore unheard of Action RPG game that will actually
serve as the series’ debut. It be out next year. No mention of who is
developing the game. It's truly a mystery and I expect to learn more before the
year is over
Sacrifire
Octopath
Traveler is a bad video game, but I
can’t be mad at it because it’s existence has led to a wave of smaller RPGs
going for a similar visual style. Sacrifire is one such game and it
looks gorgeous. I’m excited to see how good it is.
KreatureKind
The
art style of this game is nice. I have to wonder why it animates like legendary
mid-00s RPG Adventure Quest. Nothing else about it seems too remarkable. The
question simply needed to be asked.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Originis
The
internet had an oddly negative reaction to this game. It’s kind of corny that
Jack keeps saying ‘Chaos’ but in a way that feels like it will make sense in
context of whatever story is being told. Also, there is a demo and it’s really
good. Certainly not perfect. The game is not releasing until 2022 and it feels
about that level of done. The concepts and mechanics at do feel as though they
could make for quite a fun game.
Babylon's Fall
After
several years with nary a peep, this game has reappeared. And it looks bad. And
it’s a live service game, something Platinum probably isn’t capable of as currently
constructed. Luckily, Square-Enix is publishing and it’s not like they have one
of the most high profile live service flops to date. Not like that at all…
Guardians of the Galaxy
Square-Enix
spent approximately 25 minutes on this game during their presentation.
It was given almost the entire time featured the same footage repeatedly. It
looks like a fine game with decent combat and graphics. Based solely on what
was shown here, the attempt to imitate the films is going well; I hate everyone
but Rocket and Groot because they’re the ones with good jokes and likeable
personalities.
Elden Ring
The horse double jumps. That is all I need to declare this the best Fromsoft
game since The Adventures of Cookies & Cream. Otherwise it looks
like one of their games but with more open spaces. And Celtic mythological
influences, which could be fun.
Age of Empires IV
I’ve
never play an Age of Empires game. Well, not a “real” one. Back in the day, I
played the hell out of Age of
Empires: The Age of Kings on the Nintendo DS though. AoE4 could provide the
perfect opportunity to experience the series in a way closer to the majority’s
time with it.
Citizen Sleeper
I love
a good cyberpunk game. Making it a sim/TTRPG or some such is just icing on the
cake. It helps the art looks so appealing.
Timberborn
Beaver
building sim. Need I say more?
Story of Seasons Friends of Mineral Town
This
was one of my favorite
games from last year. Now
it's coming to ask the non-Switch platforms. Which means you have no excuse for
not playing an all time charming game.
Rune Factory 4 Special
I have
actually never played any version of RF4 despite absolutely loving the series.
With the sequel not coming west until 2022, it may finally be time to play this
one. Perhaps even on the new platforms to which it is coming.
Rune Factory 5
As
mentioned above, this game is coming next year. Luckily, there are
approximately 1,000 Story of Seasons and SoS-adjacent games coming this year.
RF5 sure does looks fantastic though.
River City Girls 2 and River City Girl Zero
I'm not a huge beat 'em up fan but the River City franchise is my favorite. Having more of it can only be good. New playable characters are exciting, though I wonder how they’ll play. And they're remastering the game that inspired River City Girls. Fans are winning.
Kazuya joins Smash
What a
good reveal trailer. Absolutely incredible. Kazyua wouldn’t have been my pick
for this spot, even in terms of Tekken characters. Kuma and Panda are right
there. The actual reveal of Kazuya's move set is next week so there may be
more news on the next roundup
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania
Super
Monkey Ball rules and anyone that tells you otherwise is a liar or easily gets
motion sick. Having the original trilogy (?) on modern hardware will be
fantastic. AiAi for everyone!
Metroid Dread
It might
finally be time to try a Metroid. While I have tried a number of
Metroid-inspired games, the series itself has mostly been off my radar for
whatever reason. This game looks really fun despite being made by Mercury
Steam, a company with a…mixed track record. The mood of the entire trailer is
intriguing and Samus and a sick new suit. That may be enough for me to pick up
the game in October if I have some extra cash.
Mario Party Superstars
I
never had a Nintendo 64 growing up. We were a PlayStation household (though we
also had subsequent Nintendo consoles) so I’ve never played the first few Mario
Party games. Having the chance to experience done of the old boards and classic
minigames on the Switch is an exciting prospect.
WarioWare Get It Together
I’ve
always been a bigger fan of WarioWare conceptually than I am of the games
themselves. I am happy for those that really love it though. Making it
multiplayer is interesting and could potentially increase the level of chaos in
an already chaotic game.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
I know
the movie sequel is due out next year, but why does this game exist? Avatar had
virtually no lasting cultural impact. Who is clamoring to play around in that
sandbox? Maybe it’ll be good. We haven’t seen enough to make any judgement on
the gameplay.
Breath of the Wild 2(?)
I’m trying not to get too hype for this game as it’s predecessor was a big disappointment. This game does look nice though. How the sky areas actually affect and integrate into existing gameplay is yet to be seen and that’s easily the most interesting bit of game showcased thus far.
No comments:
Post a Comment