All Articles: TGS 2015
Hyrule Warriors Legends won’t offer stereoscopic 3D option on older 3DS models
Hyrule Warriors will be released on the 3DS sometime next year, but it looks like Nintendo and Koei Tecmo have been forced to make some compromises to get it to run on the handheld.
Speaking to 4Gamer, Producer Hayashi Yosuke revealed that the handheld version of the game, which will be known as Hyrule Warriors Legends, will only support stereoscopic 3D on the New 3DS or New 3DS XL. This limitation was imposed on the game due to the extremely high number of enemies and graphical effects that Hyrule Warriors throws at players in every level. Thankfully, the processor found in the New 3DS is able to sidestep these limitations due to its beefier hardware configuration.
Yosuke also confirmed that Hyrule Warriors Legends will include every previously-released downloadable expansion on the cartridge, as well as Amiibo support (which was available on the Wii U version as well). It should be available in stores sometime in early 2016.
Bandai Namco adds Fire Emblem, Xenoblade characters to Project X Zone 2 in TGS trailers
To prepare fans for Project X Zone 2, Bandai Namco unveiled two new trailers for the game during last week’s Tokyo Game Show. The nearly four-minute “Brave New World” trailer, embedded above, delivers an extended look at many of the game’s characters and a good chunk of gameplay. But its the second trailer, available after the break, that will definitely get gamers talking.
New challengers enter the arena as characters from a fourth company will join Bandai Namco, Sega, and Capcom in the massive crossover event. Nintendo will lend Fiora from Xenoblade Chronicles and Chrom and Lucina from Fire Emblem: Awakening to Project X Zone 2. Bandai Namco also confirmed that KOS-MOS, from Xenosaga, will make a return appearance in the strategy franchise.
Project X Zone 2 is all set to be released for the 3DS on February 16, 2015. (more…)
Atlus has delayed the release of Persona 5 to second half of 2016
2015 loses another major new game as Atlus has announced that Persona 5 will not be released by the end of the year as originally planned. Instead, the PS4 and PS3 RPG will be available sometime in the latter half of 2016.
A year-long delay is never a welcome announcement, but Atlus did release a new Persona 5 trailer this week as part of their Tokyo Game Show presentation. As you might have guessed, it’s entirely in Japanese, but an English translation was published by Siliconera.
Atlus had this to say about the delay: “[We realize] the frustration and disappointment that this must cause for the JRPG-loving public, please know that we are delaying the game in order to make sure the next iteration of the Persona series lives up to the expectations of fans.”
Dark Souls III will be released in April 2016
Bandai Namco and From Software have narrowed down that “Early 2016” release window for Dark Souls III… but it might not be as early as you’d hoped.
As part of this year’s Tokyo Game Show, the publisher and developer announced that Dark Souls III will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One in North America in April 2016. They also confirmed that the game will have a “deeper sense of role-playing” than previous games in the series:
Dark Souls III pushes a deeper sense of role-playing than previous iterations of the series with key additions that provide players with a set of tools and in-game options to customize their gameplay experience. Skills, a new addition to the Dark Souls combat mechanics, adds attack modifiers to each weapon type, allowing players an increased tactical advantage in combat. Increase an axe’s attack power with War Cry or break an enemy’s guard with a quick upward swing from Ready Stance. The choice of if and when players use these added abilities is up to them. Players will also be able to equip their character with a wide variety of armor sets, medieval weaponry, as well as come across powerful sorceries and miracles as they develop their own personal style of play.
From Software must really love the Springtime as the developer will launch a major new title during the season for the third year in a row after this year’s Bloodborne and last year’s Dark Souls II.
Street Fighter V: Karin joins the fight + Capcom Fighters Network community tool revealed
And then there were 12 (well, 13 if count Blanka’s unofficial reveal). During this week’s Tokyo Game Show, Capcom revealed that Karin Kanzuki (who was last seen in Street Fighter Alpha 3) will be joining the cast of Street Fighter V.
Karin is held in high regard by the Street Fighter community and actually came in seventh in a Popularity Poll held in 2013. And believe or not, but she was also the most popular character among Japanese respondents. Capcom considers Karen a “well-rounded” fighter with a wide variety of attacks at her disposal:
About Karin
Behind Karin’s golden locks and razer-sharp wit lies a true martial artist trained in the unique “Kanzuki” style of fighting. Utilizing her new dash move allows her to close distances quickly with her opponents and go in for quick high-low attacks or throws. Her well-rounded skills allow her to possess a full set of tools and deploy a wide array of strikes and maneuvers that will have opponents feeling the pressure. For fans who’ve longed for her return, or for those just looking for a quick fighter with lots of versatility, Karin is a welcome addition to Street Fighter V!V-Skill: Meioken
Karin lunges forward with a devastating palm strike that dissipates projectiles and knocks down the opponent if it connects, all while helping to build her V-Trigger gauge. By holding down the buttons, players can charge the move for a split second, giving it better hit and block properties.V-Trigger: Kanzuki-Ryu Guren No Kata
Karin channels her inner Ki to unlock the true potential of the Kanzuki fighting style, giving her access to the Guren Ken attack, which in itself possesses over half a dozen different follow ups and variations. After the initial Guren Ken, she is able to transition immediately into an overhead attack, a low sweep, a flying throw, another quick set of strikes, or even a backdash to bait out counterattacks. This gives her immense flexibility in controlling the flow of the fight, ensuring that she comes out on top.
The Capcom Fighters Network (CFN), a community management tool for Street Fighter V, was also unveiled at the 2015 Tokyo Game Show. According to the Capcom-Unity blog, players will be able to use CFN to see where battles are happening with a “heat map,” view player profiles and detailed match statistics, designate another player as a “rival” and monitor their performance, and search for match replays. A few screenshots showing CFN in action are available at the publisher’s community site and it looks like it could be a great way to analyze your Street Fighter V performance.
Street Fighter V will be released for the PC and PS4 in Spring 2016.
Bloodborne: The Old Hunters expansion will be released on November 24
Bloodborne has proven to be quite successful for Sony Computer Entertainment and From Software. As of late August, the PS4 game has sold more than two million copies throughout the world. So naturally, now’s a great time to announce more details about the promised expansion.
Unveiled as part of Sony’s Tokyo Game Show presentation yesterday, Bloodborne: The Old Hunters will be released on November 24. Priced at $19.99, the expansion will give players the opportunity to “experience the nightmare of the hunters who once guarded Byrgenwerth’s darkest secrets.”
Set in a nightmare world where hunters from the past are trapped forever, explore brand new stages full of dangers, rewards, and deadly beasts to overcome. You’ll find multiple new outfits and weapons to add to your arsenal as well as additional magic to wield and add more variety to your combat strategy.
With new story details, learn the tale of hunters who once made Yharnam their hunting grounds, meet new NPCs, and discover another side of the history and world of Bloodborne.
A new trailer for Bloodborne: The Old Hunters was also revealed through the PlayStation Blog, giving players their first glimpse at the spinning buzzsaw that is Simon’s Bowblade, and a new boss named Ludwig.
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance will be remade for the PS4 as Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue
Kingdom Hearts III might be even further away than we feared. During this week’s Tokyo Game Show, Square Enix announced plans to release a remake of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance for the PS4 as Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue. Presumably, this prologue would appear in stores before Kingdom Hearts III, but we’re more in the dark on that than ever because Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue doesn’t have an official release date yet.
However, we do know that the remake will include a “Full HD” version of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, which was originally released for the 3DS in 2012. The package will also include two bonus episodes that further links the Kingdom Hearts story:
Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage
A completely new playable episode that links to the story of Kingdom Hearts III, taking place after the storyline of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep played from the perspective of Aqua.Kingdom Hearts X [chi] Back Cover
A new HD movie that tells the mysterious story of the Foretellers, connecting the earliest parts of the series’ history, showcased in the upcoming mobile title Kingdom Hearts Unchained X [chi].
Square Enix also announced that the first trailer for Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue will be available beginning tomorrow, September 17. For now, you’ll have to make due with the first five screenshots, which you can see after the break. (more…)
Umbrella Corps, a team-based shooter set in the Resident Evil universe, unveiled at TGS
Capcom has announced plans to expand the Resident Evil universe once more with Umbrella Corps, a team-based shooter in development for the PC and PS4. Announced today at the 2015 Tokyo Game Show, Umbrella Corps features “quick, intense matches” that take place within arenas that resemble historic Resident Evil locales. Though Resident Evil lore says the titular corporation was brought down years ago, its villainous spirit lives on in a gladiatorial series of shootouts between rival mercenary squads:
Umbrella Corporation, a ruthless international pharmaceutical company, had been known for its genetic experiments and biological weaponry that led to worldwide devastation including the infamous Raccoon City incident . Although the organization was brought down in 2003, its legacy of bio-terrorism continued. In the present day, corporations with nebulous interests in bio-weaponry have hired squads of special forces for experimental battles in restricted virus-infected areas against other mercenaries.
Umbrella Corps will feature high-intensity team-based matches where players can compete online in a variety of unique close quarter battle modes. Each adrenaline-fueled match will be short and brutal and is designed for quick and engaging play. The game will feature an analog aim and cover system, allowing for more precise control when firing from cover.
The game will feature a variety of game modes, including One Life Match. In One Life Match, players will be tasked with obliterating the other team without having the ability to respawn. Matches are further complicated by the shuffling undead hordes that populate each map. Players can take out these ghouls, or they can use them strategically against the opposing team. But when you add zombies to the mix, you need the right tools to dispatch them and Umbrella Corps delivers with the Brainer (a powerful melee axe which goes straight into the skull), the Tactical Shield (an arm-mounted guard allowing players to utilize a zombie as cover), Terrain Spikes (boot-mounted spikes for trampling the enemy), and the Zombie Jammer (a device which repels zombies only when active).
Umbrella Corps will be released as a budget-priced ($29.99) digital download for the PC and PS4 in early 2016. Its debut trailer has been embedded above.