What
better way to follow-up my favourite games of the previous year, than
with my most anticipated games of the coming year. With the gaming
industry so full of controversy lately, I thought it might be a good
idea to look at what might be some bright spots in the near future.
Unlike
the previous lists this one is not in any particular order, I haven't
ranked them.
So
here they are, my most anticipated games of 2018!
Fear Effect: Reinvented
I
have long been a fan of the Fear Effect series,
ever since I played the original two games on PSOne in the early
2000s. Unfortunately, that was a series that seemed to have died
after only the second game, and we've gone for almost twenty years
without a new entry. However, that is soon about to change.
Fear
Effect Reinvented was a surprise
reveal back during the Tokyo Gameshow, and one that immediately
caught my interest. The trailer they showed was only second long,
but even so it looked spectacular, and the news that came with it was
informative. It is a remake of the original Fear Effect,
and I wait to see whether the graphics (and presumably the gameplay)
are the only thing to be improved, or whether other things have as
well. Particularly, I wait to see if they incorporate elements that
were in Retro Helix
but weren't in the original, such as the character of Rain.
Given the current state of the gaming industry I will attempt to
temper my enthusiasm. Still, as a fan of the old games, it's nice to
see the series being given another go at life.
Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition
It's
no secret that the original release of Street Fighter V
back in 2016 was something of a
disappointment; lacking many fan
favourite characters, lacking in various game modes, and having some
pretty bad bugs, it felt like an empty shell of a game. However,
that looks to have changed with the new release, which contains much
of the content that was missing at launch, and at a significantly
lower price. So I guess it is a case of better late than never.
Established characters like Sakura, and Blanka are now in the roster;
along with newcomers such as Kolin. Not to mentions that game
modes that should have come as standard are now available. Honestly,
the original version felt sorely lacking (which is why I never bought
it), but this actually seems much more like a complete game, and at
less than full price. I understand that there were troubles during
the production of the game, but if you expect consumers to pay money
for something, then you need to make it worth their while.
Again, I will try to control my enthusiasm, and hope that this
actually turns out well. It should do, but you never know these
days. Your move Capcom, please don't disappoint us.
Soul Calibur 6
Another
fighting game, and another game from a long running series whose
future was in doubt. After the furore that surrounded Soul
Calibur 5, many (including
myself) feared that the series may have died an ignoble death. That
a number of poorly thought out decision, and basic greed, had put an
end to a once great series. Rather like an over-the-hill boxer
getting drunk, and tumbling into a ditch.
Yet,
that seems not to have been the case. Instead Bandai Namco seems to
be determined to learn from it's mistakes, and has revived the series
with a somewhat back to basics mindset. Not only is the gameplay
being put back to something approximating what we saw in Soul
Calibur II, but we're also
travelling back in time to the setting of the original Soul
Calibur. This means that the
return of old fan favourite characters that many feared we would
never see again; and with the theory of time shenanigans going
around, we may get the best of both worlds, and see later additions
to the roster represented as well.
So, to answers Okuba-san's question, yes, my soul still burns!
Project Octopath Traveller
An interesting looking JRPG from the masters of the genre,
Square-Enix.
At
first glance it appears to be similar to the SNES era Final
Fantasy titles, with the
sprite-based two dimensional art style, and entire world map to
explore. Yet a number of interesting little details have been added,
like how the plot apparently changes depending on who you choose to
be the main character, or how each character has a special skill that
influences gameplay; for example, the dancer, Primrose, can recruit
NPCs, which can them be summoned in battle.
Even the simplistic graphics have been given a little extra depth, as
the current HD technology allows for quite a bit more detail. As a
result the game looks gorgeous, and promises to be quite a feast for
the eyes, even in it's incomplete state. Proof that the game doesn't
need ultra realistic graphics to look good, if proof were still
needed.
Tonally
it seems quite dark, and in a more personal, intimate way than the
Final Fantasy series.
You need only look at Primrose's past to see that. It will be
interesting to see if Square-Enix chan carry this off with the
sensitivity and finesse it probably deserves. Either way, it's nice
to see them trying to tread new ground.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
The
gameplay has always been fun in the Yakuza
games, and full of variety. From street fights, to Karaoke, to
hostess clubs; there has always been much to see an do in the streets
of Kamuro-cho. As a result, the games' setting has always felt
alive, like this is a place where people really live. The sheer
variety of things to do has also helped to keep Kiryu from feeling
like a generic, tough guy gangster, and more like an actual person.
Not to mention the sheer variety makes it difficult for it to grow
stale, so the player is always entertained.
So I am very much looking forward to getting my hands on Kiryu's swan
song, and fighting my way through the criminal underworld of
Kamuro-cho one last time.
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
Ah Dragon Quest, the original JRPG series, and yet one that
doesn't release an new entry nearly as often as some other series.
In fact, this is the first proper entry in the main series since
Dragon Quest IX back in 2009; since Dragon Quest X was
in fact an MMORPG. So, it has been quite a wait for fans of the
series.
If Final Fantasy is the trailblazer, constantly seeking to
reinvent itself by trying different gameplay styles, then Dragon
Quest is the more conservative, traditional series; with change
coming slowly, if it comes at all. Although, that is not necessarily
a bad thing. There is something comforting about the these games,
and the gameplay has always been entertaining … if you favour
slower, more strategic combat. Dragon Quest does not go for
the dynamic combat that recent Final Fantasy titles have tried
to simulate, instead opting for the more traditional turned-based
combat, where every move needs to be carefully thought out.
Add on top of that the large worlds to explore, with all the secrets
to uncover, and the variety of minigames, then you usually have a
game that is well worth the asking price.
And whilst we are on the subject of Square-Enix JRPGs...
Final Fantasy Dissidia NT
Okay so it's not actually a JRPG, and it's not being developed by
Square-Enix either, but it's still a spin-off of what is probably
their most well known series.
The original two Dissidia games were fun, and frantic fighting
games for Sony's PSP. It would have been easy at the time, for
Square-Enix to create a game using the tried-and-tested fighting game
mechanics; side on view, traditional two-dimensional plain, etc.
However, they decided to take a risk, and put their own spin on the
genre. It worked, and the result was a dynamic game that set itself
apart from other mascot fighting games.
The latest iteration is actually being developed by Team Ninja, who
are famous for being able to create fluid, fun action (amongst other
things...), so hopefully the combat will be even more fun than
before. The gameplay trailers certainly make it look like playing
this game will be a blast, and the new three versus three system
should add an extra layer of strategy that players will need to
consider before heading into a match.
All in all, I'm genuinely looking forward to being able to pit my
favourite Final Fantasy characters against each other once
again.
Monster Hunter World
I'm not a veteran of the Monster Hunter series, far from it in
fact. However, the recent open beta for the latest game on PS4, has
definitely left me wanting more.
Despite the demo's brevity, roaming the huge, beautiful landscapes as
I tracked my prey, and the intense fight that inevitably followed;
and the ability to try out various combinations of weapons and
armour, all made for a in-depth experience. Apparently the full game
will be more open world, meaning that there will likely be much more
to explore. Not to mention exploring it with other players from
across the world, as you work together to bring down the biggest,
most challenging monsters that Capcom can throw at you. It will be
nice to have a game that focuses on co-operation between player, as
opposed to just games that focus on getting the player to beat the
tar out of each other.
Also, I'm a bit of a sucker for character customisation, and I'm
looking forward to seeing how in-depth that goes.
Not to mention that Capcom has gone on record stating they'll be no
lootboxes in this game, so kudos to them.
Valkyria Chronicles 4
Another dormant franchise that has been revived recently, and the
first home console release in the main series since the original
Valkyria Chronicles way back in 2008.
Much
like it's predecessors, Valkyria Chronicles 4
will be a strategy RPG that mixes real-time combat with turned based
strategy. That may sound weird at first, but the two concepts work
elegantly together, creating a style of gameplay where the play must
plan out his attack in advance, yet also make snap decisions when
something goes wrong. Tension is heightened by the fact that even
the throw-away characters are given their own personalities and
backstories. This means that you can get attached to any of your
soldiers, and refuse to view any single character as being
expendable.
One
of the exciting parts for long time fans is that we are no longer
stuck playing as members of the Gallian military as in previous
games, but are now put into the boots of members of the Federation.
For the first time we will get to see the world of Valkyria
Chronicles outside of a single
nation, and potential explore of what it is like elsewhere. Combined
with the vast swathes of colourful characters that these games are
known to have, and some of which we've already seen, this is sure to
be a moving an emotional journey.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Oh
dear, a kick-starter backed game? Yeah, those don't have a very good
reputation at the moment, owing to the many scam, and high-profile
failures such as Might No 9.
However, Bloodstained
has seemed to buck the trend so far, showing off a number of gameplay
videos, and even having put out a playable demo.
The
game is set to be a metroidvania style game, made by the master of
the genre Koji Igarashi, the man who made the superb Castlevania:
Symphony of the Night. I
really enjoy the twisty, maze-like nature of these types of games,
and the way you can spend ages trying to one-hundred percent it. Not
to mentioned the Gothic trappings of the Castlevania games has been
carried over to Bloodstained,
and combined with the vivid use of colour, it really does look very
nice. From the videos the gameplay looks to be quick and dynamic,
forcing players to react quickly, but also think about what they're
doing. A true test of skill.
It
will be nice if this game turns out well, as I doubt we'll be seeing
any more Castlevania
games any time soon.
Until next time,
PhoenixAct.
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