Old News: Gust Announces Atelier Totori

If you follow Japanese gaming news closely, you're probably well-aware that Gust has announced their third RPG for the PlayStation 3, a direct sequel to last year's Atelier Rorona: Alchemist of Arland, which will be called Atelier Totori: Alchemist of Arland 2.

Taking place approximately 8 years after the events of Atelier Rorona, the story follows the young and shy alchemist Totooria "Totori" Helmold, who leaves her small fishing village in search of her adventurer mother who disappeared several years prior.

The game is in development for PlayStation 3, and appears to be running on the same engine that Ar Tonelico 3 and Atelier Rorona were developed on, and is planned for release in Japan early this summer.

As usual, the Atelier series remains one of the most charming obscure RPGs on the market, but since NIS will likely publish it over here, you might want to consider importing if you'd like to play it any time within the near future.

Atelier Totori: Arland no Renkinjutsushi 2 will be available for PlayStation 3 on June 24, 2010 in Japan.

[Atelier Totori Official Site]

Idea Factory Announces Jikan de Fantasia

Following the success of the indie game gone PSP, Yuusha 30 (known as Half-Minute Hero in the West), Idea Factory has announced their own time-attack portable RPG, known as Jikan de Fantasia (Fantasia in Time).

Though the scan is too blurry to read well, the game appears to sport pixelized sprite-based graphics, and has players working against the clock to finish their epic quest, which Idea Factory is positioning as an RPG for your commute (again, the comparisons to Yuusha 30 should be obvious).

Further details will have to wait until a legible scan surfaces, but this should come as welcome news to those who wanted more games like Yuusha 30. And, frankly, I always like to see experimental RPGs on handhelds, as I think that is really where they are experienced best.

[All Games Beta]

Nintendo-Flavoured Scan Dump

It's been a while, but here is a lovely little scan dump from the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu, featuring three upcoming RPGs for Nintendo systems, including a first look at screens from Mistwalker's latest, The Last Story.

The Last Story
Nintendo Wii
Mistwalker, Nintendo
2010 (Japan)




Ninokuni
Nintendo DS
Level 5, Studio Ghibli
Autumn 2010 (Japan)




Xenoblade
Nintendo Wii
Monolith, Nintendo
June 10, 2010 (Japan)




Yeah, looks like its almost time to invest in a Japanese Wii.

[All Games Beta]

RPGs of the Week: NIER the End Edition

Welcome to the last week of April! Since I think May is better than April, I am glad to see it go.

My personal opinions aside, however, there are still some new RPGs hitting shelves this week (April 26 - 30, 2010), just in case you have some cash burning a hole through your pocket.

North America
NIER – Cavia, Square Enix – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Record of Agarest War – Compile Heart, Aksys – Xbox 360, PSN

Japan
Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 – TOSE, Square Enix – Nintendo DS
Yuusha 30 (The Best) – Opus, Marvelous – PSP

Europe
SpellForce 2: Faith in Destiny – JoWooD – PC

Cavia's NIER makes it to North America this week, along with the under the radar Record of Agarest War.

Japan gets a budget reprint of the charming Yuusha 30, along with another Dragon Quest spinoff thing for the DS.

Europe grabs a new WRPG, SpellForce 2, for the PC this week.

Anything worth picking up for you before May hits?

RPGs of the Week: Monstrous Edition

I'm home sick today, but that doesn't stop RPGs from hitting the marketplaces of the world. So here they are for this week (April 19 - 24, 2010):

North America
Harvest Moon: Hero of Leaf Valley - Marvelous, Natsume - PSP
Monster Hunter 3 - Capcom - Nintendo Wii

Japan
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Game of the Year Edition) - Bethesda - Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
NieR Gestalt - Cavia, Square Enix - Xbox 360
NieR Replicant - Cavia, Square Enix - PlayStation 3
Nights in the Nightmare - Sting, Atlus - PSP
Ys: Felghana no Chikai - Falcom - PSP

Europe
Monster Hunter 3 - Capcom - Nintendo Wii
NIER - Cavia, Square Enix - Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

The talk of the RPG community is no doubt Capcom's Monster Hunter 3 (still curiously pronounced 'Tri') for Nintendo's white waggle box in both North America and Europe this week.

Japan meanwhile gets both the Gestalt and Replicant versions of NieR for Xbox 360 and PS3 respectively, as well as PSP ports for Nights in the Nightmare and Ys: Felghana no Chikai. Oh, and the ten million years late GotY edition of Oblivion. Woo.

Europe speeds ahead to grab NIER (the Gestalt version only) for 360 and PS3 before NA, while North Americans on the go can get into some more farming with the latest Harvest Moon for PSP.

Anything looking worth it to you this week?

RPGs of the Week: NOTHING Edition

With a strong start to 2010, I had hoped this year would be the first year in memory in which at least one RPG hit retail every week. And for the traditionally slow first quarter, that hope remained bright.

It is, then, with a heavy heart that this week - April 12 - 17, 2010 - no RPGs will be released anywhere.

Oh well. Maybe 2011 will pull it off.

Take Your First Look at The Last Story's Main Characters

Nintendo and Mistwalker have been keeping info on their upcoming joint Wii RPG, The Last Story, to a small but steady drip. From the island the game takes place on to how the soldiers dress, every week another drop is delivered.

This week we are finally given a decent look at the hero and heroine of Sakaguchi's latest. Though we still have no names or colours with which to identify them, we are told that the two are separated by a wall. Not necessarily a physical wall, but something that keeps the two apart in someway due to their individual roles and positions in society.

We are told that though the game focuses on the hero's Story, each person he comes in contact with necessarily has his or her own Story with which the hero may be able to touch.

I fell in love with RPGs due to their storytelling, and while a good battle system and nice graphics always enhance any experience, this sort of commitment to storytelling is why I love Sakaguchi's work so much. The Last Story definitely has my attention.

Though that hero guy could use a shirt.

[The Last Story Official Site]