Page 3156 – Capsule Computers

Arslan: The Warriors of Legend Interview with Development Team

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February 9, 2016

Koei Tecmo and Omega Force have made quite a name for themselves with the Dynasty Warriors series and over the last few years they have been branching out that style of gameplay into numerous anime and manga adaptations beginning with Gundam. Now the latest series to be given the Warriors treatment happens to be a bit fresher for anime fans in the West as it happens to be a game for The Heroic Legend of Arslan. With Arslan: The Warriors of Legend set to be released this week in the West, we had a chance to ask a few questions about the game.

A number of different manga and anime franchises have been given Warrior style releases over the last few years, but what led to selecting The Heroic Legend of Arslan as the next Warriors game?

When we had a chance to collaborate with Kodansha, I was offered the opportunity to make an Arslan game. Because I and many members of my team have been fans of Arslan for years, ever since the novels, I decided to create this game.
The Heroic Legend of Arslan is a story of a Prince gathering a band of allies to fight against overwhelming odds and numerous armies in order to reclaim his throne and free his kingdom. It is the kind of drama Warriors games tell very well and a kind of story that fits the 1vs1000 genre perfectly.

Unlike many of the series that have been worked on in the past, The Heroic Legend of Arslan has only just started to reach your average fan overseas with the recent anime adaptation and English manga releases yet Koei Tecmo was quick to announce the localization of Arslan: The Warriors of Legend. Was there any concern about bringing the series overseas compared to other Warriors titles?

It is true that The Heroic Legend of Arslan is still a new brand for the west, whereas our other Warriors titles have enjoyed recognition for many years. However, with the wonderful talent of Hiromu Arakawa behind it, the anime and manga has done a great job creating a solid fanbase and we wanted to offer this game to them at the same time as Japan (well, nearly the same time).

The Heroic Legend of Arslan has been running for quite a long time now. Will those unfamiliar with the series be able to step into the game’s story without becoming lost?

Absolutely. The game follows the first series of the anime and in that way the story starts from the beginning. It is a great way for fans of the series to relive their favourite chapters in an interactive way, and for newcomers to be introduced to this deep and immersive storyline

Should fans of the series expect the story of the game to stick close to the original storyline of the series and perhaps go beyond the recent anime adaptation?
The story of the game follows the story of the anime. However there is also a wealth of original content and additional missions, so I think that players will be quite happy with the content.

With the series running for so long, it had to be difficult to narrow down what characters from the series to include in the final roster. Were there any characters that you wish could have been added but didn’t make the cut?

So far, we added the key characters of the first season of the anime, 15 of them. They are all unique and cool. I think there is a well-rounded selection for fans to choose from.

From what we have seen of the game, Arslan: The Warriors of Legend appears incredibly similar in appearance to what we have seen in the anime adaptation. How did the team manage to match the art style of the game so well with that of the anime?

We wanted to keep the artistic style as similar as possible so the inspiration for the art-style of the game was tailored after the anime. Also, Kodansha supported us heavily on this and were pleasantly surprised when we showed them the first trailer as they thought it was very similar to the anime.

What type of combat elements are unique to this title to help set it apart from other Warriors games?

There are quite a few, but my favourite is the Mardan Rush, a move that is also executed often in the anime. It is an overpowering battlefield manoeuvre that differs slightly from character to character and event to event. In that sense you can call a band of horsemen to your side and charge through obstacles, or call a group of archers and target a specific enemy unit from afar. It gives a nice strategic edge to the player and it’s very impressive to behold!

Many seemed surprised to hear that Arslan: The Warriors of Legend would be releasing on the Xbox One overseas. What led to the decision to bring the title to that console as well as the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3?

It’s really a simple one: we wanted to open this IP up to as many players as possible and there are more Xbox One gamers in the west than in Japan, so it made sense. So we are releasing for PlayStation4, PlayStation3, Xbox One and on PC via Steam on the 12th of February.

Arslan: The Warriors of Legend is set to be released on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, and PC in North America on February 9th and in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand on February 12th.

One Upon Light Coming to Steam

Tom Alderton

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February 9, 2016

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Enigmatic puzzle game One Upon Light by Singaporean developers SUTD (Singapore University of Technology and Design), and publishers Rising Star Games, has had it’s release announced for later this February. After stockpiling a number of awards for Indie game development in China and Japan, One Upon Light will soon be available on PC and Mac via Steam and other digital retailers.

Taking place within the ruins of the Aurora Science labs, players control “The Scientist” a photophobic post-doc as he attempts to solve puzzles. Starting with the premise that light exposure is lethal, players use objects and the environment to create the shadows necessary to overcome the world’s luminescent obstacles. The interplay of light and shadow provides a delightful art style, reminiscent of black and white cartoons, or puzzle-platformer LIMBO. As puzzles become more challenging, players unlock more tools such as the shadow echo with which to triumph over the tyranny of photons.

If you too dislike bright lights, and love solving puzzles, check out One Upon Light’s trailer below. Or, if you can’t wait until the PC release, One Upon Light is available on PlayStation 4 now.

Street Fighter V CG Trailer Shows off the Entire Roster

Travis Bruno

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February 9, 2016

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With Street Fighter V set to be released in a little over a week Capcom has chosen to release a full length CG trailer showing off every character in the game with special focus being given to Nash fighting against Bison and Ryu versus Necalli.

The trailer can be found below and while it may not reveal much in the way of gameplay or story it does give us a good look at these character models in action as they are shown in either serious or comedic situations. As for the title, Street Fighter V is set to be released next week on February 16th for the PlayStation 4 and PC.

Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale Arrives in Europe February 18th

Travis Bruno

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February 9, 2016

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In what is something of a twist for European fans of Marvelous Games and XSEED Games, it looks like they will be getting 3DS game a couple of weeks earlier than those in North America. Marvelous has announced that they will be releasing Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand on February 18th as a digital download through the Nintendo eShop.

The announcement came with a new trailer that you can check out below. As for North American fans, Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale will be released both physically and digitally on March 1st.

ClaDun Sengoku Announced for the PS Vita

Travis Bruno

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February 9, 2016

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It appears that the recent teaser website that was launched by Nippon Ichi Software is for none other than a third entry in the ClaDun series and this one happens to be called ClaDun Sengoku. The latest issue of Dengeki PlayStation, courtesy of Hokanko, has revealed that the game is set for May 26th release in Japan for the PlayStation Vita. ClaDun Sengoku is set during the Warring States period and players will be able to create their own character and weapons based around the pixel-based creation system.

ClaDun Sengoku will offer seven jobs such as Warrior, Aristocrat, Great Swordsman, Corrupted Priest, Merchant, Necromancer, and Onmyoji as well as eight weapon types to use such as swords, staffs, spears, bow and arrows, short swords, sickle and chain, and blunt weaponry.

Dark Souls III Opening Cinematic Released

Travis Bruno

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February 9, 2016

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If the newest video for Dark Souls III is anything to go by, the game will feature one lengthy opening cinematic as Bandai Namco has decided to release it early and it happens to be about three and a half minutes long.

The cinematic trailer, found below, features female narration introducing the world of Lothric and talks about the Lords of Cinder. Those who may want to avoid some spoilers regarding these enemies will likely want to steer clear of the video and leave the surprise for when Dark Souls III is released on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on April 12th in North America and Europe.

Hitman Beta Trailer Prepares Players for February 12th

Travis Bruno

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February 9, 2016

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With the Hitman beta set to be released a bit later this week Square Enix and Io Interactive have released a new trailer for the game. The video can be found below and as for that beta, it will begin for PlayStation 4 users on February 12th and on PC on February 19th.

The beta will place players twenty years in the past and follows Agent 47 being recruited into the ICA as he first meets his handler Diana Burnwood. Those who wish to guarantee themselves access to the beta when it launches will net themselves a spot by pre-ordering the game which is set to begin its release schedule on March 11th.

Street Fighter V Character Introduction Trailers for Zangief, Necalli, and Nash Released

Travis Bruno

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February 9, 2016

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After first introducing Ken Masters the character introduction videos for Street Fighter V have picked up the pace with three videos released in a very short time frame. The videos this time focus on introducing a familiar face, a brand new character, and one that we haven’t seen in a long time. If you check the videos from Capcom out below, you’ll know I’m talking about Zangief, Necalli, and Nash all of which have been given some time to shine in their videos.

As for the game itself, Street Fighter V is still set to be released on the PlayStation 4 and PC on February 16th with sixteen playable characters at launch and six being added throughout 2016.

Zangief

Necalli

Nash

Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 ‘Helena’ Introduction Video

Travis Bruno

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February 9, 2016

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Koei Tecmo is continuing with their character introductions for Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 and after last week’s intro to Marie Rose this time around the company is focusing on Helena Douglas. Similar to the last video we are shown many of the swimsuits that Helena will be able to wear in the game as well as a number of the areas that she will be able to relax in.

You can check out the video below and as for the game itself, Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 is set to be released for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in Japan on March 24th and the Asian release, featuring English subtitles, can be pre-ordered through Play-Asia.

Tekken 7: Fated Retribution Arcade Trailer Released

Travis Bruno

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February 9, 2016

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Bandai Namco has released a five minute long introduction trailer for the upcoming arcade version of Tekken 7: Fated Retribution which is set to be released in Japanese arcades sometime this summer.

If you’ve been following the game you will remember that it adds in Street Fighter‘s Akuma as a playable character as well as the more familiar face for Tekken fans in the form of Nina Williams and as you can tell in the video below a large number of the original cast have been given updated appearances and different outfits from what they were originally given in the first version of the title.