April is quickly approaching, meaning that if you had a monthly goal of buying an RPG in March, your days are numbered.Check out what's hitting shelves during the March-to-April transition week (March 29 - April 3, 2010):North AmericaMimana Iyar Chronicles – GungHo, Aksys – PSPMonster Rancher DS – Cing, UFO – Nintendo DSSakura Wars: So Long, My Love – RED, NIS America – PlayStation 2, Nintendo WiiJapanSacred 2: Fallen Angel – Ascaron, E-Frontier – PCSekaiju no Meikyuu III: Seikai no Raihousha – Atlus – Nintnedo DSEuropeRune Factory Frontier – Neverland, Rising Star – Nintendo WiiNorth America's featured release this week is the ill-advised half-a-decade-late Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love, complete with a sub-par Wii port alongside the PS2 version. Flying only slightly lower on the radar is the latest Monster Rancher and a quaint old-school-ish RPG for the PSP called Mimana Iyar Chronicles.Japan finally gets around to the PC version of Sacred 2, as well as Atlus' third Etrian Odyssey.Europe, meanwhile, finally gets around to taking care of a farm while also trying to save the world in Rune Factory Frontier.Anything looking worth your cash this week?
I am a terrible person because I have been bad at updating. This is no means an appropriate attempt at absolution, but I present to you the RPGs that will/have already arrived on shelves this week (March 22 - 27, 2010):North AmericaShin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey – Atlus – Nintendo DSJapanNobunaga no Yabou Online: Shinsei no Shou – Koei – PCLineage Eternal Life: Dragon Slayers 1st – NCSoft, E-Frontier – PCBokujou Monogatari: Sugar Mura to Minna no Negai (The Best) – Marvelous – PSPYggdra Union (The Best) – Sting – PSPRomancing SaGa 2 – Square Enix – WVCEuropeFrom the Abyss – Sonic Powered, Nobilis – Nintendo DSInfinite Space – Platinum, Sega – Nintendo DSPokemon: HeartGold/SoulSilver – GameFreak, Nintendo – Nintendo DSLast Rebellion – Hit Maker, Koei – PlayStation 3Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Calibur – Quest, Nintendo – WVCResonance of Fate – tri-Ace, Sega – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3Between nothing but a single DS dungeon crawler (albeit the latest iteration of a cult-followed series of dungeon crawlers) and reprints for Japan, Europe has unquestionably the best haul this week. The DS gets From the Abyss, Infinite Space, and MOAR POKEMANS! tri-Ace's latest hits the 360 and PS3, and Koei is bringing NIS' first 3D HD RPG to European PS3s. Also, Ogre Battle 64 is getting a Virtual Console release for those who like to pay for games they probably already own.I don't know if I will get Strange Journey or not. I'm not extremely pleased with Atlus' HD feet-dragging, and even less pleased to see their main franchise on the sub-par DS, so I'm in no hurry to pick it up at full price.Anything for you this week?
Quick, act really surprised that Capcom has just announced yet another Monster Hunter title for PSP! OMG! THIS IS SO SHOCKING!....Seriously though. More Monster Hunter. Um, yay?I admit that I'm no Monster Hunter fan, so maybe this is all lost on me, but from the announcement trailer, it looks exactly the same as the previous Monster Hunter games. I'm really struggling to see how this stuff still appeals to Japanese gamers. But from Famitsu's reaction, you would think the entire country just won the lottery.Either way, Monster Hunter Portable 3rd will be available for PSP by the end of the year in Japan.[Famitsu]
Since every game from Call of Duty to Cooking Mama has RPG elements in it these days, I'm finding deciding what games I should cover more and more challenging.So, enter Hunted: The Demon's Forge, a new 'dungeon-crawler' from inXile (developers of the oft forgotten A Bard's Tale) and Bethesda. Certain things about it make it look like it might be an RPG. Maybe. It has swords and dungeons, which are usually present in RPGs. It also has magic and elves, which are often helpful in determining an RPG. However, I can't find character progression, character or equipment leveling, number-based stats or battle systems, or a centralized story.But then, I guess it resembles Demon's Souls and Too Human in some respects, two games which I consider RPGs (albeit not very good ones), so I suppose I'll give this the benefit of the doubt for now.Hunted: The Demon's Forge will be available for Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3 at some point that has yet to be decided.[Destructoid]
I know this announcement is now a week old (equal to about 2 years in internet time), but I thought I'd mention it officially here too.Following on the heels of its highly charming (and even more addictive) puzzle-RPG hybrid for the Nintendo DS, Ubisoft and Capybara have announced that they will be remaking Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes using HD hand-drawn sprites for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network.Additionally, it appears that the gameplay is being tweaked for the new release, and online play has also been confirmed. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that there will be a co-op mode, allowing players to have battlefields beside one another, as well as a new game plus for those who want to go back and play completionist.While the game is confirmed for XBLA and PSN, Ubisoft apparently hasn't ruled out a WiiWare or PC release.Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes will be available for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network sometime this Summer.[
Kotaku]
Now that we live in a world where Final Fantasy XIII is officially old news, it is time to look ahead towards future RPGs. As a certain industry figure once described, we, the "core gamers," are insatiable. There is never enough. And to prove it, feast your eyes on the RPG horde of this week (March 15 - 20, 2010):North AmericaDragon Age: Origins – Awakening – BioWare, EA – PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon – Tri-Crescendo, XSEED – Nintendo WiiInfinite Space – Platinum, Sega – Nintendo DSMount & Blade: Warband – Taleworlds, Paradox – PCResonance of Fate – tri-Ace, Sega – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3JapanDarksiders: Shinpan no Toki – Vigil, Konami – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3King’s Bounty: Armored Princess – Katauri, E-Frontier – PCKing’s Bounty: Gold Edition – Katauri, E-Frontier – PCMoe-moe 2-ji Daisenryaku 2: Yamato Nadeshiko – System Soft – Nintendo DSYs I & II Seven Set – Falcom – PSPEuropeDragon Age: Origins – Awakening – BioWare, EA – PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon – Tri-Crescendo, Rising Star – Nintendo WiiKing’s Bounty: Armored Princess – Katauri, Focus – PCMount & Blade: Warband – Taleworlds, Paradox – PCTorchlight – Runic, Tradewest – PCThe major Dragon Age: Origins expansion, Awakening, is available in North America and Europe this week for the HD machine of your choosing, as is Tri-Crescendo's melancholy Wii RPG, Fragile (curiously renamed Fragile Dreams, as if that sounds more 'Western,' 'mainstream,' or 'RPGish' or something). Also, those who enjoyed the indie-ish WRPG Mount & Blade might be interested in the expansion Warband for the PC.Meanwhile, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners in North America have the opportunity to pick up tri-Ace's first true multiplat RPG, End of Eternity, again curiously renamed Resonance of Fate, which is decidedly less catchy. Those who prefer their JRPGs portable and graphic novel-ish might instead be swayed by Platinum's Infinite Space for the DS.European gamers, on the other hand, have a chance to pick up a boxed version of King's Bounty: Armored Princess, or the well-received MMO Torchlight for PC.Japan also gets a double dose of King's Bounty for PC, yet another Ys reprint/bundle for PSP, Moe-moe 2-ji Daisenryaku 2 for DS this time, and the Zelda for people who like to punch treasure chests in the face, Darksiders.What's on your shopping list this week?
After years of delays, platform changes, unnecessary hype, and a few blatant lies, Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII is finally hitting stores in North America and Europe this week (though anyone who reads this blog certainly knows that already).Just in case you aren't interested in Final Fantasy XIII, or are wanting to get a different RPG, check out what other titles are hitting shelves this week (March 8 - 13, 2010):North AmericaFinal Fantasy XIII – Square Enix – PlayStation 3, Xbox 360Foto Showdown – Konami – DSiWareSpectral Force Genesis – Idea Factory, Ignition – Nintendo DSJapan7th Dragon (Low-Price) – imageepoch, Sega – Nintendo DSBattle Spirits: Hero’s Soul – Namco Bandai – PSPBlade Chronicle: Samurai Online – DWANGO, E-Frontier – PCRPG Tsukuru DS – Enterbrain – Nintendo DSSummon Night Granthese: Horobi no Ken to Yakusoku no Kishi – Flight Plan, Banpresto, Namco Bandai – PlayStation 2Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaiki da or3D – Acquire, SCEI – PSPZettai Hero Kaizoku Keikaku – Nippon Ichi – PSPEuropeAvalon Code – Matrix, Rising Star – Nintendo DSFinal Fantasy XIII – Square Enix – PlayStation 3, Xbox 360Besides Final Fantasy XIII for PS3 and 360, North America is getting a DSi downloadable RPG from Konami and Idea Factory's Spectral Force Genesis, while Europe gets Matrix's Avalon Code for DS.Japan - who already got their FFXIII a few months back - gets a few PSP RPGs, a hard copy of Blade Chronicle, RPG Maker for the DS, and a new PS2 RPG from Flight Plan, who apparently can't get with the times. Oh, and a budget reprint of Sega's 7th Dragon.So, anything for you this week?
Welcome to a new week and a new month!There is a dinosaur-load of RPGs headed to various consoles this month, though this week is a little slow. Check it out for yourself below.Here's what's coming out this week (March 1 - 6, 2010):North AmericaAlganon – Quest Online – PCFallout Trilogy – Black Isle, Micro Forte, Interplay – PCLunar: Silver Star Harmony – GameArts, XSEED – PSPJapan.hack//LINK – CyberConnect2, Namco Bandai – PSPDragon Quest IV: Michibikareshi Mono-tachi (Ultimate Hits) – ArtePiazza, Square Enix – Nintendo DSDragon Quest V: Tenkuu no Hanayome (Ultimate Hits) – ArtePiazza, Square Enix – Nintendo DSDragon Quest IX: Hoshizora no Mamoribito (Ultimate Hits) – Level 5, Square Enix – Nintendo DSFinal Fantasy IV (Ultimate Hits) – Matrix, Square Enix – Nintendo DSGundam Network Operation 3 – Namco Bandai – PCKeroro RPG: Kishi to Musha to Densetsu no Kaizoku – Namco Bandai – Nintendo DSPokemon Ranger: Hikari no Kiseki – Game Freak!, Nintendo – Nintendo DSEuropeSacred 2: Gold Edition – Ascaron, Deep Silver – PCStar Wolves 3: Civil War – X-bow, 1C – PCNorth America's most high-profile title is yet another remake of Lunar, this time for the PSP (GameArts really needs to make a new, good Lunar), yet another MMO, and a repackaging of the first three Fallout games.Japan gets CyberConnect2's return to the .hack series, Namco Tales Studio's Keroro RPG (which does, in fact, play like a Tales of game with Keroro characters), and a new Pokemon Ranger title from Nintendo. Oh, and a small fortune in budget editions of Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy DS remakes.Europe gets a Sacred 2 compilation for PC, and a spaceship RPG that I'd never heard of before.Anything looking interesting to you?
April is quickly approaching, meaning that if you had a monthly goal of buying an RPG in March, your days are numbered.
