DANGANRONPA: TRIGGER HAPPY HAVOC IN STORES NOW ONPLAYSTATION®VITA
NIS America is thrilled to announce that the highly popular mystery adventure game, Danganronpa™: Trigger Happy Havoc, is available now for PlayStation®Vita in Australia and New. The game is a revised and revamped edition of the first Danganronpa that was originally released on the PlayStation®Portable in Japan in 2010. You’ll take on the role of Makoto Naegi, a desperately average teenager who somehow finds himself accepted into Hope’s Peak Academy, a prestigious high school normally reserved for the nation’s most “ultimate” students. But when he arrives, he and the other students soon find themselves trapped in a battle for survival against a twisted mastermind who has taken them all prisoner. You’ll have to unmask the villain and uncover the secret of the school…or die trying!
Hope’s Peak Academy is home to Japan’s best and brightest high school students—the beacons of hope for the future. But that hope suddenly dies when Makoto Naegi and his classmates find themselves imprisoned in the school, cut off from the outside world and subject to the whims of a strange, murderous little bear named Monokuma. He pits the students against each other, promising freedom to anyone who can murder a fellow classmate and get away with it. It’s up to you to find out who Monokuma really is, and why you’ve been taken from the world you once knew. But be careful what you wish for—sometimes there’s nothing more deadly than the truth…
Key features:
Daily Life, Deadly Life: Trapped in a school-turned-prison, students are murdering each other one by one. You’ll have to investigate each incident, search for clues, and talk to your classmates to try and get to the bottom of each brutal case!
Mock Trial: The nefarious Monokuma serves as judge, jury, and executioner as you engage in deadly wordplay, going back and forth with suspects, dissecting their statements and firing their words back at them to expose their lies!
Popularity Contest: Sway classmates to your side in each investigation, squeezing information from them to figure out who did it. And when you do, turn up the heat in a variety of timing and reflex-based game systems to uncover the truth and save your skin!
If you would like a review code for Danganronpa™: Trigger Happy Havoc please respond to this email.
About Nis America
In 2003, NIS America was established in Southern California to bring exciting, one-of-a-kind Japanese culture to North America.
NIS America’s team members devote themselves to the fans. Their respect for their fans is at the heart of everything they do. As an established entertainment publisher in the U.S., NIS America is committed to continuous growth and improvement.
NIS America is a subsidiary of Nippon Ichi Software, Inc., a Japanese company famous for its unique line of strategy RPGs with titles such as Disgaea, Phantom Brave, and Makai Kingdom. NIS America has also become a publisher of Japanese anime titles, such as Toradora!, anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, and Natsume’s Book of Friends.
YS: MEMORIES OF CELCETA AVAILABLE IN STORES NOW FOR SONY PSVITA
NIS America is proud to announce that Ys: Memories of Celceta is available now in Australia and New Zealand for the PlayStation®Vita system.
In Ys: Memories of Celceta, developer Falcom revisits the land and characters of Japanese cult favorite Ys IV for its first ever European debut. This re-envisioning of the fourth installment in the Ys series takes a brand new approach, changing and framing the story of Ys IV within an all-new tale of conspiracy, deception, and mystery. Featuring an updated version of the party-based battle system from Ys SEVEN, as well as the largest and most varied overworld in series history, Ys: Memories of Celceta brings a greater sense of adventure to the Ys universe than has ever been seen before.
In Ys: Memories of Celceta, developer Falcom revisits the land and characters of Japanese cult favorite Ys IV for its first ever European debut. This re-envisioning of the fourth installment in the Ys series takes a brand new approach, changing and framing the story of Ys IV within an all-new tale of conspiracy, deception, and mystery. Featuring an updated version of the party-based battle system from Ys SEVEN, as well as the largest and most varied overworld in series history, Ys: Memories of Celceta brings a greater sense of adventure to the Ys universe than has ever been seen before.
Key features:
Experience the Land of Celceta in English for the Very First Time
Its first ever release in Europe, Ys: Memories of Celceta will take players on a new adventure in never-before-seen locales within the Ys universe.
Explore the Biggest Overworld in Ys Series History
Eclipsing all previous entries in the Ys series in both size and content, the overworld map metes out battle and exploration in equal measure. A robust mapping system with customizable waypoints and clear, detailed icons aid the journey through this mysterious new land.
Adventure Forth with a Party of Allies
The party battle system from Ys SEVEN returns, but this time with a host of upgrades such as enhanced flash-guarding, a more versatile party AI, and unique abilities for party members to streamline encounters for fast and furious battle.
Throw Down the Gauntlet in Boss Rush Mode
Boss Rush makes a comeback, pitting Adol and his companions against implacable foes to keep the challenge going well after the main story has been completed.
If you would like a review code for Ys: Memories of Celceta please respond to this email.
About Nis America
In 2003, NIS America was established in Southern California to bring exciting, one-of-a-kind Japanese culture to North America.
NIS America’s team members devote themselves to the fans. Their respect for their fans is at the heart of everything they do. As an established entertainment publisher in the U.S., NIS America is committed to continuous growth and improvement.
NIS America is a subsidiary of Nippon Ichi Software, Inc., a Japanese company famous for its unique line of strategy RPGs with titles such as Disgaea, Phantom Brave, and Makai Kingdom. NIS America has also become a publisher of Japanese anime titles, such as Toradora!, anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, and Natsume’s Book of Friends.
Slowly but surely we’ve made it into the age of videogames. Many years ago playing video games was something only certain people did and, for the most part, it was quite a niche market…not anymore. “Sword Art Online” is an Anime that originally began as a light novel series written by the very popular novelist Reki Kawahara (Fumio Kunori), it eventually became popular enough to warrant an Anime adaptation and from then on in the popularity of the series soared to even greater heights. With its videogame-based storyline (which is quite appealing in this day and age) and its semi-relatable characters, it is easy to see how and why this Anime has become such a favoured series in the hearts and minds of many Anime fans around the world. Madman Entertainment has been releasing the series down under and luckily for me I’ve been given the chance to review it.
Story
“Sword Art Online – Volume 3” starts off pretty much exactly where Volume 2 ends. The world of “Sword Art Online” is dead and gone along with a whole bunch of its trapped players and its evil overlord but our hero Kirito made it out alive in a turn of events that I didn’t particularly like but seeing as that took place in a different volume I wont be getting into it now. Kirito regains actual conciousness and instantly goes looking for Asuta despite his muscle atrophy which just goes to show that love heals all afflictions…right? The two star-crossed lovers finally meet for the first time in the real world but unfortunately not the way that Kirito wanted to.
Asuta is still locked into her “NERV Gear” and, although the world of
“Sword Art Online” no longer exists, she has yet to gain consciousness. The good thing about Kirito’s reaction to this was that he didn’t automatically think she was trapped in another game even though…that’s exactly what happened. After a couple of months out of “SOA”, Kirito is sent an e-mail containing a screenshot from the new game “Alfheim Online” and even though the image is extremely blurry, the woman in the picture looks a lot like Asuta. Kirito takes the game and immediately jumps in using his old “NERV Gear”, it’s a brand-new game and he still somewhat fears being locked into another virtual world but this time he’s doing it to save his beloved and it seems as though he’ll do anything he can to set her free.
I am NOT a fan of this at all. The fact that a “Volume 3” and a new game within the anime exists is something I do not take kindly to. Essentially the anime is starting all over again seeing as how we now have to sit through Kirito doing everything that he did in the first part of the series…again. I felt like this portion of the series in its entirety is one hell of a stretch for story. The series introduces his sister as the supporting character and she almost automatically became my favourite character because of her good dialogue and because of the fact that she is nothing like Asuta who annoyed me quite a bit during volumes 1 and 2.
What also irritated me to no end was how every single character spoke as if they were locked in “Sword Art Online”, the difference between this storyline and the one before it is the fact that everyone (including Kirito) is just playing the game…they’re not locked in the virtual world, in fact, you’re shown people logging in and out constantly yet each and every one of them talk like a normal fantasy character of their type would and they all take death seriously even though it is not a one way street this time around. I can understand Kirito thinking in a similar fashion to how he did in “SOA” because he was part of the crowd that lived the hell of being trapped but the rest of these players? It just wasn’t believable. I understand some people take their online gaming very seriously but I’ve never come across anyone who would take it to this degree.
Visuals
I will give “Volume 3” a great deal of credit for its aesthetics, having it in Blu-ray copy really allowed me to soak it all in and to truly realise that this is an absolutely brilliant looking series. Essentially it is animated and designed to the same calibre as its predecessors but that’s absolutely no reason to discredit how good it still looks and how well it is still animated. What honestly kept me watching this series was not the fact that I have to review it but instead just how beautiful the series looked and I’ll say this much; I actually really enjoy the art style of this series, I’m not a fantasy fan or anything like that and I’d usually go for more of a gritty style of anime but “SOA” really had me enchanted.
The actual costume design was also extremely well-done, especially that of Kirito’s battle uniform which greatly resembled his outfit from “SOA” but was different enough for me to pick up on and commend. In fact, the whole world of “ALO” (Alfheim Online) gave off that exact vibe; it seemed enough like “SAO” to have people be familiar with the terrain but it was just different enough for those same people to realise that this is a different game. It makes sense though considering that, in the story, this game was based almost entirely on what remained of the last game. Watching it on Blu-ray meant I didn’t get that subtle grain that you’ll usually see while watching an anime on DVD, it really showed me just how crisp the animation was and just how vibrant the entire world on “SOA/ALO” is.
Audio
Auditorally “Volume 3” was fantastic, I’m not even talking about the soundtrack or anything along those lines, at this point in time I’m speaking strictly about the voice acting which I something I hold in such a high regard. What made these characters believable was there great voice acting, even though they sometimes had some really unnecessary dialogue to try and sell to us…I often didn’t buy it but that doesn’t mean the voice acting wasn’t great. I took to the character of Kirito’s sister quickly because of her voice acting, the character had some nice dialogue and it was acted out brilliantly, no, not just brilliantly; realistically!
Even though some of the character in the last volumes did really get to me, they’re not in this volume so they didn’t even have the chance to annoy me, instead there were a few more characters introduced and despite some of them purposefully having an annoying nature and personality none of them truly got to me, they were all just voice acted incredibly well. I may get into a bit of strife for saying this but I really cannot make much of a comment about the soundtrack seeing as I really didn’t think it was that memorable. You have your typical fantasy tracks spliced in with your hard rock ballads during fight scenes and that’s great but it just didn’t hit me as well as it did in past animes. I could have possibly been focusing too much on the voice acting to even hear the music in the background but that’s my take on it.
Extras
Once again this release does not feature any real on-disc extras apart from the usual textless opening and textless closing sequences that come with every Anime release. It does, however, continue from what Volume 1 and 2 did previously and it does come with a set of six postcards that feature art from the series which looks to be done by several different artists considering they’re each in a different style. These extras are fantastic for those of you out there who absolutely love the series and the characters because each of the postcards depicts another character or group of characters in settings not entirely seen in the series. Usually standard Anime releases come with no physical extras so Volume 2 Aincrad Part 2 gets points for trying but I’ll take points away for it being a Blu-ray release and NOT coming with any nice on-disc extras since it has the space for them to be included.
Overall
Out of everything you could possibly take away from this review I beg that you please take away that I do believe this to be a great anime series, what I didn’t enjoy was the fact that it continued into a story like this but, at the end of the day, it is my opinion and my opinion alone, you may enjoy the turn that this series has taken in volume 3 even though I didn’t. Fact is; it’s still a great anime all around, it has some brilliant visuals and some fantastic audio, despite there not being much action even though it is set in an action/RPG game I think people will still find it highly enjoyable, especially those of you who are really into the series, I doubt that you will be upset that it has continued on this path.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Slender Man has had a meteoric rise in popularity over the past few years and has successfully carved himself into the pantheon of horror monsters. Now, we get to travel back in time to the early 1700s in Slender Man Origins; A first-person survival horror game like many others in the Slender Man series. Filling in the role of the nameless detective – the first man who encountered the mysterious creature. You will travel between different locations at different times of day in order to unravel the secrets and save bunch of lost children. A perfect mix of survival horror elements with modern mobile touches make Slender Man Origins the perfect way to experience Slender Man on their mobile.
Story
Set in the early 1700s, the story of Slender Man Origins revolves around the nameless detective who was the first recorded person to encounter the mysterious figure known as the Slender Man. In the middle of the night he is called to find a bunch of children that have gone missing in the nearby forest. As he searches for the kids, he comes face to face with the daunting figure. As you play through the game you discover a little more about the origins of the mysterious creature and his motivations.
Gameplay
Slender Man Origins is a survival horror where you fill the role of the nameless detective as he searches for missing children and the origins of the elusive Slender Man. The game features four large maps that will have you getting lost over and over again. Unlike previous Slender Man titles, Origins offers a fair bit of replayability by giving you three different environments to explore the world in; rain, night time and fog. Each changes the look and feel of the world and makes it feel like entirely new environments.
Slender Man Origins has two methods of control; firstly the game’s default control scheme is to just tap on the screen wherever you want to walk. This works but can often feel a little clumsy. The alternative is to use a virtual thumb stick to move. This offers a lot more fluidity to the gameplay but of course still suffers from the problems that many on-screen joysticks have. In the end it is up to you to decide how you want to control your detective, but both capture the old classical survival horror feel of not having complete control of your character.
Gameplay itself has you traveling through four distinct locations that each have their own frightening feel. You will take trips to a castle, village, graveyard and forest. During your trips to these locations you will be looking for lost children, while praying you don’t run into Slender Man. There is no map and no way to tell if you are heading in the right direction asides from a small icon of a child’s face that grows brighter when you are close.
Slender Man is seldom seen in this game, but his appearance is as devastating as it is in any other game. The loading screen help tips advise you to turn and run the other way when Slender Man catches you to avoid becoming his next victim. The problem is that this is harder than it seems, and attempting to run typically has you being sucked back into his grasp. Luckily if he catches you, you can continue off from where you were killed.
Visuals
Survival Horror games rely on their ambiance to really draw the player in, and luckily Slender Man Origins has this in spades. Slender Man Origins is a first person survival horror game that puts you in four distinct locations. The objects in each environment can get a bit repetitive but you will normally be too focused on not staying in the same spot for too long to really notice.
The game offers a variety of different environments for each stage – night-time, fog and rain. Each of these changes the look and feel of the stages entirely. Walking through the forest in the middle of the night feels completely different than in the middle of a rain storm.
Slender Man also has a very distinct visual cue when he captures you. The screen around you will warp and look like it is being sucked towards the terrifying villain. Unfortunately this effect is cut off and just ends up looking like a blurred box around Slender Man. It is a good idea that is pretty poorly executed.
Audio
Almost important to how a game looks is how it sounds, and this is sadly where Slender Man Origins trips itself up. Many of the game’s sound effects and background noises are fantastic. You will hear faint whispers in the dark and unintelligible ramblings that disorient you just enough for you to lose track of where you are. Even more than that is the soft footsteps on the ground all around you. The game’s sound has you darting left and right, trying to stay one step ahead of our omnipotent villain.
The sound of children crying in the distance in the middle of a darkened forest is enough to send chills up your spine… That is until you realise that the sound is just the same series of sobs on repeat. Hearing the same sound effect over an over again can quickly kill the immersion. Luckily, everything else holding the game together manages to quickly draw you back in.
Overall
Slender Man Origins is a near-perfect survival horror experience. It manages to create a sense of terror with its restrictive controls and multiple horror-inspired locations. It suffers from a few problems, namely repetitive audio and visuals but these are normally not enough to break the immersion that you will have in the game. If you are looking for a new survival horror experience, then you need to download this one, plug in your headphones and prepare to run.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Daylight is shaping up to be a pretty frightening game, since the publisher itself is having problems getting scared by it. Which is probably why publisher ATLUS and developer Zombie Studios want to continue to share the building dread with players through more information on the game.
Players can check out some of the new information through the 10 screenshots just released today that showcase two previously undisclosed areas in the horror title. If the abandoned hospital wasn’t bad enough, players can look forward to a prison and a forest to explore on their lonesome, save the warm glow of their phone. Anyone wanting to see the screenshots for themselves can find them in the gallery at the bottom of this post.
But besides just new areas, players can also expect some interesting features that have also been announced for Daylight. Anyone on either PS4 or PC will be able to immerse themselves further into the horror of Daylight by utilizing a 3D TV or monitor via RealD, though those with Oculus Rift can experience it through that instead. Those on PS4 will have one feature not present in PC however, with social media integration where those watching a stream on Daylight can mess with the player via chat comments that will interact with the game.
The most shocking of all the news may be the announcement of a finalized release date, as well as the pricing. Players can expect to try out Daylight for themselves when it releases April 8th for $14.99 (€14.99/£11.99).
Those confused by the announcement of the release date for Moebius: Empire Rising as to who Phoenix Online Publishing is will be pleased to find out more about the new publisher. Created by indie devs for indie devs, Phoenix Online Publishing is kicking off their start with a nice selection of titles.
In addition to Moebius, Phoenix Online Publishing will also be releasing Quest for Infamy, Lost Civilization, and The Last Door as they release digitally for PC, Mac, iOS, and Android. With hopes of helping other indie developers to get their games in the hands of gamers through both major digital and retail distribution, Phoenix Online Publishing will be facing plenty of competition, which is why they want to focus on games with “rich storytelling and atmosphere”.
With those four titles alone, the future certainly looks great for Phoenix Online and it will be great to see what other games they will be helping to reach their audience as they already have quite a variety from RPG, to adventure games.
Called “Prisoner Seven” by the Resistance, Van Helsing’s newest ally is a powerful magic user hunting the streets of Borgova. A mad professor’s former test subject, it’s hard to tell whether he’s even a monster or just a victim. Van Helsing can’t take on the powerful General Harker alone, however, so the help of Prisoner Seven will be more than welcome.
For more information, be sure to check out Neocore Games’ official website here.
Warner Brothers Entertainment alongside DC Entertainment have just announced that their game “Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate – Deluxe Edition” is set for a home console release this April. The game which was previously only released for the PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS handheld consoles has been majorly updated, it is more or less the exact same game story-wise that was on the handheld duo but this time around it has been equiped with some stellar HD graphics alongside crisp audio and even some new extras for fans to sink their teeth into. For those of you unaware of this Batman title, the official synopsis is as follows:
After gang-fueled uprisings occur within the walls of Blackgate Prison, Batman is called in to restore order and put an end to the rebellion before the chaos implodes. As the story progresses, players will explore deep inside the bowels of this remote island penitentiary and discover what happened after the events of Batman: Arkham Origins and learn more details of the Dark Knight’s past.
The game is set to be released on the PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii U through all their significant online distribution systems like the XBLA, PSN, Nintendo eShop and Steam. “Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate – Deluxe Edition” will be available to purchase starting on the 2nd of April this year but until then I suggest you head down to our featured video section below where you’ll be able to watch the new announcement trailer for the game. Enjoy!
Iceberg Interactive and developer immersionFX are excited to welcome players aboard The Good Life, a sandbox sailing simulation for PC and Mac, currently available for voting on Steam Greenlight.
Iceberg Interactive CEO, Erik Schreuder stated; “The Good Life defies categorization, which is what makes it such an intriguing and unique title . . . it’s a really laid back, mellow game that will leave you pining for more sunshine and tropical surroundings in your life. We think you will be pleasantly surprised!”
The Good Life takes players on an adventure across the tropical seas in the JoJo Isalnds, with over 50 harbors and dozens of diverse places to explore, as well as discovering hidden treasures, transporting tourists and hooking up fishing escapades in realistic weather conditions (check out the gallery below). Become an adept skipper and progress across seven different ship types, while competing for business and earning more money to build a commercial empire, to buy and sell properties in this tropical paradise.
The new features of The Good Life include:
Faster boat rides, e.g. Aventor, among 52 available ports that speed up the action
New Fishing gameplay: 15 different fish to catch for extra money
Action-packed pirate attacks, with speedboat cannons now firing and players can see their trajectories
Improved character animations and underwater visual experience, with new sea-life (colourful fishes and fiery sharks)
Player’s stats and progress charts; percentage of game completed, percentage of area covered, days on-board, items photographed, people rescued, earnings from houses and boats, and others.
Multiple saves, up to 10 available slots
Don’t miss out on your chance to ensure The Good Life reaches Steam, vote here on Steam Greenlight!
Players better be careful that the various guards and other people they will be sneaking around aren’t that aware of their presence. That being said, Square Enix wants everyone to know that there is a Thief on the way and he will be here next week as the company has just released the game’s launch trailer which can be found below.
In the aforementioned trailer the company has packed in a little of everything as we are treated to a bit of the game’s premise as well as the action and stealth elements that make Thief what it is. Thief is set to be released on February 25th in North America and February 28th in Europe and other PAL regions for the PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
