STEEP™ HITS THE ROAD TO THE OLYMPICSON DECEMBER 5, 2017
Steep™ Road to the Olympics is a licensed product of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018
Sydney, Australia — June 22, 2017 — At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Ubisoft® announced Steep™ Road to the Olympics, the official videogame of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. An expansion to the open world action-sports game Steep (launched in December 2016) featuring skiing, snowboarding, wingsuiting and paragliding, Steep™ Road to the Olympics will let players stage their own Winter Olympic Games from December 5th 2017 on PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows PC. More information on bundled editions of Steep will be released at a later date.
The expansion will feature fresh unique challenges as well as official Olympic disciplines, including Downhill, Slopestyle, Halfpipe, Giant Slalom, Super-G and Big Air. Steep™ Road to the Olympics takes players to the ultimate proving ground, with all eyes on them, and gives them the opportunity to rise as the newest snow hero.
With development led by Ubisoft Annecy*, Steep is designed for a culture that’s all about sharing experiences with the world. Steep features seamless multiplayer, populating the world with players as they explore the Alps and Alaska. Players and friends across the globe can take on challenges together, or compete with each other to snag the top spot on the leaderboards. The game’s replay feature expands this experience, allowing players to relive their wildest tricks and memorable lines and even share them as videos on social media. It doesn’t stop there, as challenges can be created from any line to compete with friends and achieve the best time or score based on customizable factors, such as completing tricks to score. Players can also participate in several competitive live programs such as the monthly Steep World Tour, where players take on specific challenges to qualify in tournament and have a chance to win exclusive rewards.
For more information about Steep, please visit steepgame.com and follow us at facebook.com/SteepGame and twitter.com/Steep_Game.
To learn more about other Ubisoft games, please visit blog.ubi.com.
*Associate studios are Ubisoft Kiev, Ubisoft Pune and Ubisoft Belgrade
About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2016–17 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,460 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.
Madman Entertainment has announced that they will be releasing an imported Blu-ray edition of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin V, subtitled Clash at Loum, later this year. The collector’s edition of episode IV was first released in Japan on November 26, 2016, and online retailer CD Japan lists the Japanese DVD and Blu-ray release date of episode V as November 10, 2017. A trailer for the upcoming episode is embedded below.
Madman provided a synopsis of episode V:
Universal Century 0079. Humanity has turned even space itself into a battlefield, and the Principality of Zeon forces advance after wiping out half the world’s population by carrying out the Operation British (colony drop). In response, the Earth Federation Forces mobilize their overwhelming fighting strength to regain the advantage. The complex intrigues of the Zabi family… Sayla Mass, as she contends with the whims of fate… Hamon and Ramba Ral, who is now a pilot in the Zeon forces… Amuro and Fraw, leading peaceful lives at Side 7… a dark shadow falls across them all.
And the Zeon ace Char Aznable, driven by revenge, goes into action as the “Battle of Loum” finally begins.
The imported Blu-ray edition is available for pre-order here for $129.95 AUD. The episode will be presented with English audio, Japanese audio and English subtitles. CD Japan’s product listing states that subtitles in additional languages will also be included. Pre-orders from Madman’s online store can be made until Sunday, September 17, 2017. Madman’s product page for the imported edition alternatively lists it as being available from August 31.
Before episode V is released, you may wish to purchase Madman’s local release of the first four episodes on DVD here. They are available in Collection 1 for $49.95 AUD. The collection was released less than one month ago in Australia, on May 24, 2017.
BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT INC. TO OPEN JAPAN’S LARGEST VR ENTERTAINMENT FACILITY “VR ZONE SHINJUKU” IN TOKYO ON JULY 14, 2017
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. will open the largest VR entertainment facility in Japan, “VR ZONE™ SHINJUKU”, in Shinjuku Kabukicho Tokyo on Friday, July 14. Building upon the success of the previous “VR ZONE Project i Can™” facility, VR ZONE SHINJUKU will house over 15 activities including the following new VR activities featuring well-known IPs such as:
・Dragon Ball VR “Master the Kamehameha”
・Evangelion VR “The Throne of Souls” ・Ghost in the Shell Arise: Stealth Hounds ・MARIO KART ARCADE GP VR
VR ZONE SHINJUKU will also include a wide range of new VR activities where guests will be able to experience exploring a fantasy world on a winged bicycle, a horror-filled dinosaur survival run, and much more. Every activity is designed for guests to lose themselves in the immersive VR experience. Guests will also be able to enjoy a variety of non-VR activities, such as surviving a giant expanding balloon while in a locked cell, purchasing original souvenirs, and enjoy meals and activities in a virtually simulated resort themed dining space, making for a truly unique entertainment experience. Additionally, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. has teamed-up with the popular digital art group NAKED to develop projection mapping installations within and outside of the facility. The exterior will feature a projection of PAC-MAN among other images, while the inside will feature a ‘Centre Tree’ to be used as the interface for the facility which will allow guests to interact with the building itself through touch.
For more details about VR ZONE SHINJUKU, visit the following links:
LeSportsac and Super Mario Power up for a New Travel Collection
Various Super Mario Items and Styles Coming This Holiday Season
REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– LeSportsac and Nintendo have teamed up to celebrate one of the most recognizable video game icons, Mario, with a special collection of totes, backpacks and accessories – launching in time for the holiday travel season.
LeSportsac and Nintendo have teamed up to celebrate one of the most recognizable video game icons, Mario, with a special collection of totes, backpacks and accessories – launching in time for the holiday travel season. (Photo: Business Wire)
Holding a treasured place in the hearts of millions, Mario’s adventures have brought him to many strange places, including the far corners of the Mushroom Kingdom and galaxies beyond. Working with Nintendo, LeSportsac took Mario’s passion for exploration and translated it into the brand’s best-selling, on-the-go styles. These include crossbodies, totes, backpacks and weekenders, as well as small cosmetics and accessories that even the Mushroom Kingdom’s most celebrated hero can run away with on his many adventures.
The collaboration features two unique designs created exclusively for the LeSportsac X Nintendo collection. Power-Up Burst is a colorful homage to Mario’s iconic power-up items and classic foes, including Fire Flowers, Super Mushrooms, 1-Up Mushrooms, Super Stars, coins, Goombas and Koopas. The Mario Travel print portrays playful Mushroom Kingdom-inspired travel memorabilia, such as luggage tags, passport stamps and postcards on a bright red background.
Complementing the collection are five additional items, including an authentic pouch shaped like the Game Boy system, a round Piranha Plant pouch, and a Super Mario Bros. cosmetic. All styles will showcase a custom Super Mario coin zipper pull – because it is all about collecting those coins!
The LeSportsac X Nintendo collection launches in Japan on July 19 and will be available in other countries, including the United States, this fall.
About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Nintendo Switch™ system and the Nintendo 3DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.4 billion video games and more than 703 million hardware units globally, including Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS™ family of systems, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™, Wii™ and Wii U™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names, such as Mario, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Zelda and Pokémon. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Americas. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.
About LeSportsac: An iconic lifestyle brand with a global outlook, LeSportsac was founded in 1974 by Melvin and Sandy Schifter, who invented the original ripstop parachute nylon bags and luggage. Today, the company (acquired by Itochu Corp. in 2011) has become known worldwide for its lightweight, high quality accessories, combining whimsical colors and prints with on-the-go functionality and enduring quality. Designed in the USA and made to travel (whether just around the block or around the globe), LeSportsac is a leader and innovator in the accessories market, committed to creating stylish, versatile bags that are made for the modern, mobile lifestyle and packed with possibilities.
SEGA FOREVER™ MAKES TIME TRAVEL* COST-EFFECTIVE, CONVENIENT
Three decades after it all began, SEGA Networks announces a growing collection of classic video games for mobile
SAN FRANCISCO, LONDON – 21st June 2017 – In celebration of a simpler time – an era that came before cool kale, hyper-connectedness, DIY artisanal beer-making, and social media mayhem – SEGA Networks Inc. is bringing a growing collection of classic video games from every console era to your mobile device for free. The collection, called SEGA Forever, is a re-awakening of archetypal gaming, an ode to the deep and diverse SEGA catalogue, and the beginning of a retro revolution that will transport players back through two decades of console gaming.
Each game in the SEGA Forever line-up is free-to-play, ad-supported, playable offline, and includes added features like cloud saves, controller support, and leaderboards. For players who prefer a pristinely ad-free mobile gaming experience – folks who want to play SEGA just like they remember playing in their basement, without interruptions from parents, siblings, or homework – we’ve rolled back the price so each game can be purchased without ads for £1.99. As the SEGA Forever collection expands through months and years, it will include both official emulations and ported games that pan all SEGA console eras, each adapted specifically for mobile devices while remaining faithful to the original games.
“Above all else SEGA Forever is a celebration of nostalgia. It’s about allowing fans to reconnect with past experiences and share them with family and friends in an accessible and convenient way” explains Mike Evans, CMO of SEGA’s Mobile Division in the West. “Join us on a journey of rediscovery as we roll out two decades of classic games free on mobile. Create your own ‘SEGA Forever folder’ and collect your favourite classics. Enjoy moments of nostalgia on the go, or sync a Bluetooth controller to enjoy a console-like experience in your living room. SEGA Forever democratizes retro gaming, and seeks to change how the world plays, rediscovers, and shares in classic game experiences.”
The first batch of SEGA Forever games has been carefully curated, boasting both blockbusters and core fan favourites; The collection will officially kick off tomorrow with five Mega Drive / Genesis titles, all of which will be available to download for free on the Google Play Store for Android devices and on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, where they will be accompanied by iMessage sticker packs:
● Sonic The Hedgehog, the 1991 household classic that has remained at the forefront of hearts and minds since inception
● Phantasy Star II, the long-time fan-favourite RPG from 1989
●Comix Zone and Kid Chameleon, two American titles developed by SEGA’s in-house studio STI
● Altered Beast, the original Genesis pack-in title, a beat ‘em up set in Ancient Greece that represents a weird and wonderful segment of the SEGA catalogue that is ripe for rediscovery
Following tomorrow’s launch, the SEGA Forever collection will continue to grow with additional releases coming every two weeks. To stay up-to-date with launch news, share your love of the golden age of video games, cast your vote in polls, share your opinions in surveys, and interact with other SEGA fans, check out the SEGA Forever website and follow our dedicated Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.
*Please note that playing games from the SEGA Forever collection does not technically count as “time travel,” although intense feelings of nostalgia have been linked to exposure and extended play.
About SEGA Networks, SEGA’s mobile division in the West:
SEGA’s mobile division in the West has its headquarters based in San Francisco with dedicated studios across North America and the UK. Focused on creating fun, compelling and engaging games, SEGA’s games feature iconic intellectual property as well as original innovative content for mobile and tablet devices. Since 2008, it has been a leader in the smartphone and tablet space and continues to be at the forefront of mobile gaming. SEGA’s mobile studios include Hardlight™ and Demiurge Studios™. For more information, visit www.mobile.sega.com.
HELLION CINEMATIC TRAILER REVEALS NO PARADISE BEYOND EARTH
Set in a distant future where mankind is no longer confined to Earth, the new Hellion cinematic trailer gives viewers a glimpse of the disaster that struck humanity’s attempt to build the first interstellar colony. Beginning with intimate shots of the crew’s quarters—scattered personal belongings floating through the cabins—the trailer hints at the dark force that drove the colony and its inhabitants to the brink of extinction. Set against the backdrop of a looming sun, the odds of survival are made clear amidst the desolation and vastness of space. With humanity’s descent into fear, anger and violence, Hellion’s cinematic trailer suggests that maybe the stars really are better off without us.
A solar system thousands of lightyears from Earth, Hellion is the destination of the first interstellar colonization mission of the 23rd century. A million colonists, suspended in cryogenic hibernation, wake up a century later and find themselves trapped in a nightmare. Instead of grand habitats and planets waiting to receive new settlers, there is only evidence of devastation and conflict everywhere with ruins, debris fields and empty stations. With no trace of UN officials, corporate representatives, engineers, scientists or law enforcement troops, and a rescue operation over half a century away, colonists turn to scavenging, stealing and outright violence. Others try to live in a more civilized way and begin uncovering the truth behind the largest disaster in human history.
Snake Pass Patch Inbound! Time Trials and Leaderboards for Nintendo Switch! Fixes and Improvements Across All Platforms!
Sumo Digital have launched an all platform patch for Snake Pass, its slithery physics platformer. On Nintendo Switch, the patch adds time trials and online leaderboards, allowing players to challenge each other to see who is the best snake charmer of them all. On PC, Razer Chroma Keyboard support has been added, along with a 4K UI fix for those that game in 2160p. There are also a host of improvements and fixes for all platforms. Most importantly, Sumo has had a chat with Doodle as he was being a little unreliable with his tail grabs. He has agreed to listen out for Noodle’s whistles a lot more attentively, so players should find him a much more helpful buddy from now on. Full patch notes can be found below.
Snake Pass is a retro-inspired platformer, where players slither, curl and climb their way through increasingly challenging worlds filled with intricate obstacles and fiendishly mind-bending challenges. Snake Pass is available now on Nintendo Switch via the Nintendo eShop, Xbox One via the Xbox Games Store, PlayStation 4 via the PlayStation Store and PC via Steam or the Windows Store. Snake Pass supports HDR on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One S, for players with an HDR compatible TV.
When a mysterious intruder threatens the tranquillity of their home, it’s up to Noodle the Snake and Doodle the Hummingbird to embark on a daring journey to save the day. Controlling this dynamic duo, you must ‘think like a snake’ and slither, curl and climb your way through 15 levels across 4 increasingly challenging themed worlds. Snake Pass is a unique take on the platforming genre that is intuitive and fun to learn, but will gradually test your snake charming skills to the limit!
TIME TRIAL AND LEADERBOARDS: Time Trial mode is now available for Nintendo Switch players. Battle it out against friends to see who can make it to the top of the leader boards with the quickest time
Steam / Windows 10
RAZER CHROMA: support for Razer Chroma Keyboards has been added
4K UI: fixed a bug where the UI was not displaying correctly on 4k monitors for PC players
STEAM: Steam version now sets to the language that Steam is set to rather than the OS of the PC
PlayStation 4
PLAYSTATION 4 AUDIO: fixed an issue where PlayStation 4 audio was unintentionally compressed
Global
TAIL GRAB: fixed a bug where Tail Grab was unreliable
TIME TRIAL: fixed a TT exploit where players could get a time of zero
TIME TRIAL: fixed an issue in Time Trial where some players could not complete the level
TIME TRIAL: fixed an issue in Time Trial that prevented the timer from not displaying correctly
LEVEL 11: fixed an issue where the ball would activate incorrectly for some players
QUETZALCOATL ACHIEVEMENT: fixed an issue with Quetzalcoatl not triggering correctly for some players. If players have previously reached the requirements, playing a level without dying again should trigger the achievement.
FLOOR IS MOLTEN ROCK ACHIEVEMENT: The Floor Is Molten Rock achievement now triggers correctly
CAMERA: fixed an issue where the camera did not move as fast as intended
LEVEL 9: fixed an issue where the camera would not move for some players making the level unplayable
TAIL GRAB: fixed an issue where Noodle would move faster than intended while Doodle was holding his tail
Pokémon Trading Card Game: Sun & Moon— Burning Shadows expansion launches 4 August!
London, UK—21 June 2017—The third expansion in the latest Pokémon Trading Card Game series, Sun & Moon—Burning Shadows, launches in the UK on 4 August.
Minions of Team Skull and a cavalcade of new Pokémon stand ready to battle in the dark of night and in the blazing sun! Battle with new titans like Necrozma-GX, and join forces with Machamp-GX and Charizard-GX to fight for victory in the Pokémon TCG: Sun & Moon—Burning Shadows expansion this August.
Features of the Sun & Moon—Burning Shadows expansion include:
More than 140 cards: Over 140 cards, including brand-new Pokémon-GX and full-art Supporter cards.
Two new theme decks: Two 60-card preconstructed decks are designed to introduce players to the Pokémon TCG by letting them play straight from the get-go.
Even more brand-new Pokémon: Many of the exotic and tropical Pokémon that Trainers have come to love in the Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon video games join the Pokémon Trading Card Game, including Necrozma, Marshadow, and more!
Alolan Pokémon: Regional variants of classic Pokémon who have a new look in the Alola region make their appearance.
Booster packs: Each pack contains 10 cards selected from the expansion and includes at least one rare card.
For more information about the Sun & Moon—Burning Shadows expansion, please visit: www.pokemon.co.uk
The Long Journey Home is a space RPG that sends players on an epic adventure to return home after being stranded on the other side of the universe. To get home, players must navigate the waters of alien diplomacy, extract resources from planets for fuel, and do their best to patch up a ship that is quickly falling apart. The game takes some inspiration from rogue-like games, encouraging replayability with a procedurally generated universe, permadeath, and two novels worth of dialogue to discover.
Story
The Long Journey Home does not spin a story in a traditional sense. Each playthrough is its own story of survival, but it’s not particularly interesting in its own right. The premise is always the same and the ending is usually pretty predictable due to the game’s permadeath mechanic. Instead, the writers at Daedalic has focused their effort in crafting massive and detailed lore. The universe is packed with many unique alien races to discover. Each have their own culture, motivations, and relationships with other species. Players cannot endlessly chat with individual aliens. It is always made clear that the individuals encountered have lives of their own. Players can tease little bits of information from every conversation, slowly filling out the picture of each alien race. One thing that bothers me about the aliens is that each “individual” alien is often indistinguishable from another unless they hold some important role. They feel like they lack individual personalities. I find it to be rather problematic on a social level, as for the most part, the alien characters encountered are reduced to exaggerated stereotypes of their respective races.
Luckily, the human crew is treated with a little more finesse. Players pick four crew members from distinct backgrounds. As the player navigates the universe, crew members will weigh in on the current situation, make suggestions, and carry on short conversations with one another. I find there is not enough conversation for a player to develop a deep attachment to their crew, but there is enough to see each individual’s personality shine through.
The Long Journey Home’s indirect method of storytelling is not for everyone. While Daedalic does a fantastic job of creating a grim and somber game punctuated with moments of levity, the randomly generated nature of the game and the focus on exploration means the pacing of game is slow and feels a scattered in multiple directions at times. Even if a player is able to get their crew home in in their first playthrough, it will still take multiple playthroughs to experience the game’s full lore. This is not a game for a person looking for a tightly directed experience or a story that ties up with a nice bow. The Long Journey Home is for the sci-fi fan who wants to experience massive worlds and is willing to put in the effort to do so.
Gameplay
To start a game, players must assemble a crew of four astronauts. Each character comes with there own special skill and one item they are able to bring on board. The item can be of immediate use for repairs, can be pawned off for credits at a later time, or may have a mysterious use that must be discovered through experimentation. Next, players can pick their space ship and landing craft, with three options for tough, agile, and balanced stats. Players can opt to generate a random seed or input one shared to them. The Long Journey Home currently has three vaguely named difficulty levels that vary how quickly ships degrade, tweak general mission difficulty, change resource levels, and provide options for rewinding time.
The tutorials in game are extremely basic and a bit inadequate. The developers released three videos on YouTube that serve as the game’s true tutorial. These videos are absolute must watch to understand the game. Honestly, I have no idea why they are not included in the game itself.
The bulk of the player’s time in The Long Journey Home is spent flying from planet to planet in the solar system view collecting enough resources to keep the ship fueled up to travel towards Earth while fighting off the inevitable wear and tear. Don’t let the top down camera fool you, The Long Journey Home has an incredibly tough flight system that takes a lot of practice to master. The game’s flight system accounts for Newtonian physics and planetary gravity. With limited fuel, players need to learn to use their engines and boosters sparingly to get to their destination and into orbit. Mastering the flight system comes when the player is able to use the gravitational pull of celestial bodies to slow or accelerate one’s ship without burning up precious fuel. My only concern with the solar system view is the poor mini-map. The mini-map is a bit vague and a lack of legend results in a bit of trial and error until all the meanings behind the colours and icons are memorized.
To repair the hull of the lander and space ship, to refuel the jump drive, and refuel the engine, players will need to regularly land on planets to extract metals, minerals, and gases. Landing on planets also comes with the added benefit of encountering random ruins, which can provide players the opportunity for loot and misadventure. The planetary lander portion of the game is very much a modern take on the classic arcade game Lunar Lander. Players need to angle their lander and its static thrusters to guide the craft. Each planet has its own environment, posing different challenges like gravity levels, winds, and electrical storms. I found the planetary lander gameplay to be less entertaining and more repetitive feeling due to the higher level of micromanagement the lander needed and how punishing a badly generated planet could be. Normally, a planetary scan from orbit should warn a player of any serious danger awaiting a player, but sometimes a harmless planet could become deadly with a poorly generated landscape that dropped a high piece of land right in the spawn path of the lander.
Players will spend some time in their space ship navigating asteroid belts, exploring wrecks, and interacting with other ships both peacefully and in combat. Like the solar system view, it is a top down affair here. The controls in this mode should be the most familiar with gamers, as players simply need to point in the right direction and hit the gas. Combat is a bit like old naval battles, with the player needing to maneuver their ship alongside the enemy to fire a full broadside of cannons. Alternatively, players can opt to flee by trying to put a little space between them and their attacker and try to exit the map. While it seems a bit simple, combat is actually quite a bit of fun as the constant worry about fuel and hull integrity forces players to be a bit more careful.
The final major component of The Long Journey Home is the survival RPG mechanic. Scavenging resources will almost never be enough alone to make it home as player error and game time takes its toll on the ship, the lander, and its crew. Players will inevitably have to wade into the diplomatic sea of alien life as they make friends and enemies with different species so they can get access to the necessary gates and credits to jump from galaxy to galaxy. The slow (or sometimes fast) slide into desperation can put players in some uncomfortable situations where it is no longer a matter of keeping the ship in tip top shape, but trying to triage and solve the most pressing problems. Errors here will have long term effects elsewhere. For example, opting to repair a broken pilot ejection seat instead of a jammed lander thruster engine will have long and frustrating consequences. Even at its easiest, The Long Journey Home is not a forgiving game and requires a certain level of masochism to enjoy.
Visuals
The graphics in The Long Journey Home are excellent. The art style generally is a bit on the cartoony and colourful side, which adds a bit of levity to an incredibly grim game. Each alien race has their own unique style, from their ship design to their body types. On the technical side, the basic graphics options are available for tweaking. In my testing, I did not run into any issues with the game.
Audio
The Long Journey Home features a solid audio presentation. While the game lacks any real voice acting, the game’s sound effects are enjoyable. The soundtrack is fantastic. Even at its tensest moments, there is a restrained somber feeling to the music that fits the game’s themes well. The music plays a major role in setting the game’s grim mood, and I think is integral to the storytelling.
Overall
The Long Journey Home is a grim and somber game that requires a certain personality to really appreciate. It pulls together some neat, arcade-style game mechanics with a growing desperation set in a vibrant universe of alien life. Many will find the game to be a bit tough to learn, a bit on the punishing side, and even a little repetitive at times. But those willing to tough it out will be rewarded with a fantastic universe of desperation, hope, and amazement.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
The Nintendo Switch has gotten its feet wet, and thus far has been nothing but impressive. In what is surely an attempt to capture a little bit of that success, Nippon Ichi have put their heavy hitter on the semi-portable with Disgaea 5 Complete. Of course fans of the franchise will be happy to see an old favorite make the transfer, but is this journey one that came without hiccups? Let’s find out.
Story
As usual, the story is where the experience lies within Disgaea, as 5 still doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to its narrative of revenge. As a quick catch-up for those new, Void Dark is destroying Netherworlds one at a time. Killia, our main protagonist makes a stand against him with Seraphina and several others – utilizing their hate to protect one world. It’s a fascinating story and quite enjoyable, and features DLC to make this story a bit more “Complete”.
Those who pick up this version can also play into eight bonus scenarios (which are not that long), as well as add several fan favorites to the past to their roster, such as Laharl, Fionne, and many others. This is mainly an offering of value, truly – as that DLC for Disgaea did not run cheap on the Playstation 4, and having the ability to get more out of a game that prides itself on over 100 hours of content should be more than enough for most to give it a look.
Gameplay
Disgaea 5’s gameplay is honestly not too different from its predecessors at the core. The concept remains the same, as you utilize a very well built strategy RPG engine to diminish a great number of oncoming enemies. As most returning players know, every battle takes place on an isometric map, where players have to utilize each character’s special abilities in order to attack. The environment also plays a role in some battles, but most of the time – it is the player controlling a set number of units, facing off in turn-based affair with multiple opponents. Yes, you still have free roam to explore and what have you outside of battle, but in battle – it is a game of shuffling through menus and utilizing all of the upgrades and goods that you have been collecting in order to conquer the current fight.
For the “Complete” Switch version, we really don’t have a lot of general upgrades other than DLC, so I won’t go on and on about new features compared to the Playstation cousin of this title that came out a while back. That said, there are some awesome new mechanics in play for newcomers to the fifth installment, and with the already 100 hours of gameplay – that is a lot to chew on for a good while. Players can go into a “revenge” system when their units have fallen, boosting stats and momentum to up the chances of survival. While in revenge mode, specific characters can also use a very special Overload attack – which in turn will change the tide of battle by making the enemies fight each other or allowing for up to three different attacks to be used in one turn. Sure, only Overlords can execute this ability while in revenge, but it certainly is a nice little gimmick that feels right at home in this franchise.
While the depth of Disgaea is satisfying, it may be too much for many players. This is a Nintendo console and it has been a minute since I have dove into a Disgaea title. Disgaea does not hold your hand at all, as there are a ton of menus, drenched in options for customization that add several layers to the experience. It is easy to get lose and other than minor tutorials, one will need to understand the lack of accessibility comes with a territory, as NIS have constructed a game (and franchise for that matter) that is meant to come with a steep learning curve. Can new people hop right in? Yes, as long as you have the patience and desire to take time to feel around, or else you could be missing a lot of wonderful options that could turn your experience around completely. Just don’t let the innocent little charms of the characters camouflage the heavy amount of substance, as there is a monster underneath this hood that hides its most enjoyable elements deep within its body. I say this because I had to grind a lot at times, and found out that there are several non-battle related events that fill the need to do that, which made my own experience much more pleasant.
Instead of DLC, the Complete offering gives us a Special Item Shop, which kind of eases the blade of the game’s difficulty. There are a good number of free items up for grabs, along with a good number of characters that should point any new player into the right direction when it comes to squad building, which is an integral part of the game. There is also some currency incentives in this, and while it may make the beginning of the game easier, it doesn’t really matter in a game this long and advanced it that money is spent or not.
Visuals and Audio
I really don’t know how I feel about the visuals for Disgaea 5 Complete. I mean, the sprites look great, the animations are well done – but everything visually just looks better on a smaller screen. I tested this a good bit and every single time I would put the game on a large screen, the visuals just seemed to suffer in a small way. I can say that I have only played this franchise on a portable (the DS version) so that may definitely be it, but Disgaea looks fine on a television, but feels right on the actual Switch tablet. It is a shame we didn’t see a lot of touch mechanics in the game, as it certainly is a title that could benefit from some swiping and direct touch due to the heavy amount of menus.
The music in Disgaea 5 is lovely. While not a ton of the tracks really come off as different from the prior installments, everything fits and gives these evil little faces a bit of light and humor, which is what makes the experience so endearing. The voice acting is also plentiful, and very well done. I wouldn’t expect a franchise with such a big name to take the easy road on a Nintendo port in terms of voice acting, but we all know we have seen Nintendo get ports with missing features such as frames, audio, dialogue, and so on, and its great to see NIS make a slam dunk by keeping everything just as it was in the original.
Overall
As of this writing, there are not a ton of titles for the Nintendo Switch. That changes everyday, but those who want a rich, strategic RPG on their Switch should definitely invest in this stellar experience, as there is a ton of content that will keep the player invested for some time. This may sound odd, but I feel like this release, despite it being a port – is the perfect example of a game you get to play in-between other games. That is exactly how I played it. A fantastic game on its own, and one that will give you a lot of satisfaction while you take a break from Mario Kart in order to grind a squad when friends leave. Disgaea 5 Complete shows that the Switch is a perfect platform for RPGs with depth and ambition, delivering a large offering that is best consumed on a small screen.
The music in Disgaea 5 is lovely. While not a ton of the tracks really come off as different from the prior installments, everything fits and gives these evil little faces a bit of light and humor, which is what makes the experience so endearing. The voice acting is also plentiful, and very well done. I wouldn’t expect a franchise with such a big name to take the easy road on a Nintendo port in terms of voice acting, but we all know we have seen Nintendo get ports with missing features such as frames, audio, dialogue, and so on, and its great to see NIS make a slam dunk by keeping everything just as it was in the original.