While Final Fantasy XIV did receive an official release a few years ago, with A Realm Reborn set to literally give new life to what was otherwise a rather lackluster online game Square Enix have decided to re-publish it, this time not only on the PC but also for the first time on the Playstation 3. It has been confirmed that pre-orders are now available for the game and its many editions – which are set to be released for 27th August 2013. Subscriptions will start at $19.95 a month, which looking around at current online game prices seems to be comparable.

For those who pre-order the game, you can get your hands on a few extra goodies including:

• Early Access: Access the game servers ahead of the official launch. Get your head start and make your mark in the realm of Eorzea!
• Cait Sith Doll Minion: On sabbatical from Shinra Inc. and looking for adventure, Cait Sith will join your party as a non-combat pet.
• Mog Cap: Show your love of FINAL FANTASY and strut around the world of Eorzea in this Moogle themed hat. Kupo!

In addition, there is an ANZ Limited Edition which will earn gamers the Helm of Light Helmet for in-game, allowing your character to become “one of the fabled warriors of light”. But of course, the edition I am sure many more people are wondering about is the Collector’s Edition, which has been confirmed and will include the following goodies:

• Collector’s box designed by Yoshitaka Amano, legendary FINAL FANTASY artist
• 80-page “Art of Eorzea” hardcover art book featuring never-before-seen concept art
• “The Waning of the Sixth Sun,” a special bonus video disc that takes a cinematic look at the events that led up to the realm being reborn
• “Sounds of Eorzea” album that features musical scores by renowned FINAL FANTASY series composers
• Five collectable character art cards
• A FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn-branded security token to secure user accounts
• In-game bonus items: Helm of Light, Baby Behemoth Minion, Coeurl Mount and Behemoth Barding

Persons who already have a subscription for Final Fantasy XIV will not need to buy this release to play the game on the PC – and will be able to download Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn for free.

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“It gives me great pleasure to announce the release date of FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn. 

It has been a long road from the game’s inception to the beta, but thanks to your fervent support and invaluable feedback, the world of Eorzea will soon complete its journey of rebirth. 

We have endeavoured to make the game affordable so that adventurers will be able to experience the vibrant world of Eorzea. We have also prepared a collector’s edition version of the game, which includes a veritable assortment of premium items. 

The new adventure begins on 27^th August, 2013. I hope to see you all then!”

Naoki Yoshida (Yoshi-P)
FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn Producer & Director

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If you had a Nintendo Wii console back in 2010, you may remember Nintendo’s release of Donkey Kong Country Returns, which as the name suggests was a side-scrolling platformer returning to the games Super Nintendo roots in terms of gameplay. This release featured much jumping, barrel leaping and swinging – and today you can now check it all out with Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D for the Nintendo 3DS, an enhanced port of the game that brings a host of new features not available in the original release.

In this release, a ‘New Mode’ was made available giving players access to new items and gameplay features, including Donkey and Diddy Kong having three hearts each (instead of two in ‘Original Mode’), making things a little easier for those new to the franchise. The helpful items in New Mode include portable “DK Barrels”, which players can use at any time to have access to Diddy Kong; “Green Balloons”, used to protect Donkey and Diddy Kong from falling off a cliff or ledge; and “Crash Guards”, which make players temporarily invincible in rocket barrel or mine cart areas. Of course, if you are a veteran to the franchise you can jump straight into the original mode and play the game how it was designed to be played.

In addition, eight challenging new levels are included within a new ninth world – Cloud – which is unlocked after completing the main game. Two players that own a copy of the game can also connect via local wireless to conquer Donkey Kong Island together.

Back around July 2012, visual novel publisher MangaGamer announced that they had acquired the rights to Portion’s eroge title Orion Heart. Almost a year later, the company have announced the release of this title, which is now available for purchase via their online store. As you will be able to see from just the preview images below, you can expect your ordinary mix of eroge CG artwork alongside dialogue – and of course as with most of their localized releases this is decensored without mosaics.

This title is currently available for the price of $24.95 and features Japanese voice-overs with English dialogue.

A demon whom the two girls thought they had defeated returns to hunt them down!

Currently, Orion Suns lives in peace, letting the soft flames of love stir in her heart.
But soon, her nemesis Gildart returns to trample all over her innocent soul.
The boy she has feelings for becomes possessed by the demon, and he uses the body of the boy Orion Suns loves to crush her. 

And so, in order to save the boy, two girls offer up their pure, innocent bodies to the demon…

Characters

An innocent, naive girl who can transform into Orion Suns.

After finishing her battle at the Black Castle, she started a new, peaceful life.

The beginnings of love begin to stir in her heart for her classmate, Osamu, and the demon Gildart aims to abuse this weakness.

Yuka falls victim to the demon’s vile plans as she tries to save Osamu, and her best friend Aoi shares the same fame.

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Uzumiya Aoi (Orion Moon)
An intelligent, noble maiden who can transform into Orion Moon.

She was watching the relationship bloom between Yuka and Osamu with warmth in her eyes, but never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that a demon was creeping between the two.

When she finally notices, it’s too late, and both she and Yuka fall into Gildart’s trap, corrupting their pure and innocent bodies as he pleases.

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Developers of Son of Nor – stillalive studios have today released a new video detailing how gameplay will look and function when the game launches – with producer Chris Polus taking gamers through the finer points of spell casting, exploring, puzzle solving and much more.

More interesting to followers of the new upcoming gaming platform the Oculus Rift, the company have confirmed their support for the “virtual reality”-esque device. While I will hold out on my opinion of this decision until I get my hands on the console and game itself… I look forward to seeing how they will immerse gamers in the overall experience using the device.

Of course, everything may or may not hinge on the success of their Kickstarter campaign, where with only 5 days to go they have only reached $94,066 pledged out of a total $150,000 goal. Is this goal a tad too ambitious or will they manage to get themselves across the line with this new announcement? Time will tell….

Australian anime publisher Siren Visual have today announced that August will be a month for box sets from the company, with both a complete series collection for Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai and complete DVD and Blu-ray collections to be released for Shiki – both titles which were released last year, the former an Australian English-localized exclusive title.

But as both of these releases are special to the company, they have confirmed that goodies will be randomly given away to those whom pre-order both titles. For Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai they are randomly giving away a 100+ Higurashi Japanese production book (Pictured to the left) which comprises of storyboard art, episode recaps, key image galleries and more…. and is an official Japanese import to boot! Some other folks will walk away with a swish ceramic cups depicting the series main character Rika Furude. These too are of course officially imported goodies.

With their Shiki box sets, the company still have a small number of their little blood vials for pre-order customers, as well as unknown “other bits and pieces from the Siren archive”. August is also going to see the companies world exclusive release of Mononoke on DVD.

About Higurashi

The endless cycle of hatred and death that befell the small village of Hinamizawa continues… On a hot summer day in 1983, a transfer student named Maebara Keiichi comes to a peaceful rural village in Hinamizawa. There he befriends his classmates Rena, Mion, Rika and Satoko. Just as Keiichi is beginning to assimilate into simple rural life, he stumbles upon the dark history of Hinamizawa – every year for the past four years, one person has been murdered and another has gone missing on the day of the Watanagashi Festival.

About Shiki

When citizens of a secluded village begin dying off in alarming numbers, the sole hospital’s head doctor tries desperately to save his patients, but his efforts are in vain. Entire families are wiped out while others desert their homes. All hell breaks loose as the villagers discover their loved ones’ corpses are rising from the grave with an insatiable thirst for human blood. Haunting, hallucinogenic and unnerving to the core, Shiki stares into the hearts of both the hunter and the hunted. Who is safe when the urge to kill in order to survive blurs the line between man and monster.

Last night, PAL region video game publisher Ghostlight announced their plans to bring Playstation Portable first-person dungeon-crawler Elminage Original by Starfish-SD to their covered regions. While some may know this as the game that when released in North America required a translation patch to bring its localization up to scratch post-launch, their release will include this patch from the start.

This will be available via the Playstation Network service, but there are also hints that Ghostlight have plans for a strictly limited boxed Collector’s Edition which usually come with their releases. Of course, just what will be in this boxed Collector’s Edition remains a mystery.

Storyline

Set out on a grand adventure in the land of Halodra Ille! The fate of this world hangs in the balance as the magical barrier protecting it has been severely weakened by the powers of darkness. 

In ages past the gods granted power to six rings to create the barrier. The rings were placed in a tower known as Dragon’s Fang, safe from the enemies of peace. But nothing lasts forever, and now dark priestesses plan to destroy the barrier so they can summon their Demon King and plunge the realm into darkness. The priestesses have already destroyed one of the rings, weakening the barrier greatly, but in doing so the five remaining rings were scattered to the ends of the realm.

With the barrier weakened, monsters of ever greater power and ferocity have begun to appear throughout the land. You must join the search for the five remaining rings, taking your place among the other adventurers of Halodra Ille, and restore balance to the world!

Promoted Features

• Classic First Person Dungeon Crawling
• Turn-based combat with a wealth of enemies to encounter
• Dozens of quests which can be played in any order of your choosing.
• Massive variety of dungeons for you to quest through
• Many races, jobs and skills to add to your party / master.

While I will admit there are more recent first-person dungeon crawlers on the market, it is good to see another title that was never released in PAL regions finally getting its chance to shine.

Just a quick reminder, that with $13,524 pledged out of an initial $4,999 target goal, Nyu Media’s Kickstarter campaign for a release of The Tale of ALLTYNEX by SITER SKAIN has been a success and the release will be going ahead. But with 24 hours remaining to go, if you want in on some of the pledge benefits which range from copies of the game, digital goodies and quite a few other goodies all the way up to being able to join the developers and Nyu Media at Winter Comiket in December 2013.

For more information on this campaign, read the following article: Nyu Media Launch Kickstarter & Steam Greenlight Campaigns for ‘The Tale of ALLTYNEX’ Trilogy.

Have you been unable to find Mugen Souls at your local retailer of video games? Fret no longer, as Nippon Ichi Software America have confirmed that they have just released the game on the North American Playstation Network store, with plans to release it on the PAL region stores as well momentarily. Having reviewed both the original Japanese and English localized release (There are actually a couple of differences due to censorship of a certain bathing mini-game), while it may not be my favorite of Compile Heart titles, it does offer a relatively fun storyline and gameplay.

There exists a small galaxy in the universe containing seven worlds, shimmering in seven colors… These worlds exist and act independent of one another. This has allowed them to develop and nurture rich, unique cultures. Then one day, a decree was sent out… “I’m gonna make everything in each of these worlds bow to me!”

– The Undisputed God, Chou-Chou

In addition to this news, the company also took to reducing the Playstation Network edition of Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk.2 to just $29.99. This release which I also reviewed HERE features quite a few improvements from the original Hyperdimension Neptunia game, and also turned out to be a pretty good title in my opinion.

Shops are boarded up, creators are overworked and starving, and death looms over all Gameindustri. However, humanity perseveres on! In the years past, the deserted lands of Gamindustri were known as the ‘realm of chaos’. Since the advent of ASIC – the Arfoire Syndicate of International Crime – morality has all but vanished. As much as 80 percent of all students are rumored to worship the being known as Arfoire.

Parents, knowing this is a poor object to worship went ahead and taught their children to do so. The government turned a blind eye instead of crushing this crisis in its infancy. Thus, Gameindustri fell into complete and utter disarray. The citizens have come to accept all of the corruption as normal. They take no issue with acquiring items illegally. Those who were victims of this mentality became exhaused and were sent to wander the Gameindustri Graveyard forever.

To date we have already known that Thief – an upcoming stealth / first-person shooter from Eidos Montreal and Square Enix is headed to the Windows PC and next-generation Playstation 4 platform, but with the recent announcement of the Xbox One, the company have also announced their intentions to publish on this new console as well.

Stephane D’Astous | General Manager at Eidos-Montréal

The team at Eidos-Montreal is thrilled to confirm that THIEF is coming to Xbox One. The next generation of home consoles allow us to create the best and the most immersive THIEF game ever. The feedback we have received so far is simply amazing and we can’t wait to show more of THIEF at E3 this year

More information on this game is set to be announced during the E3 Expo next month.

For those who may have missed my earlier article, it was announced yesterday by MonkeyPaw and Gaijinworks that their English localized release of Class of Heroes II is set to hit the Playstation Network on the 4th June 2013. For more information on this release, read my article: Gaijinworks and MonkeyPaw Games Announce Upcoming Release of Class of Heroes II in June 2013.

In addition to this announcement, the companies also unveiled a small set of screenshots which I have included below:

With Nintendo having played all their “next generation” cards on the Wii U and Sony Computer Entertainment slowly beginning to unveil their inner workings of the Playstation 4, it was only a matter of time until Microsoft joined the party…. and less subtlety of the three. Having been teasing their big announcement for the last month or so, last night saw the company take to the stage and formally announce the Xbox One – which despite the name hinting at a re-release of the original Xbox console (Something I would not actually object to… there were some awesome games for the console), is actually the successor to the XBox360.

At the Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, the company showcased how they hope the Xbox One will compete in today’s market, in particular their goal of making it an all-in-one gaming and entertainment system that puts you at the center of all your TV, movies, music, sports and of course…. Skype which the company have recently acquired and even replaced the Windows Live Messenger service with.

Don Mattrick | President, Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft

Xbox One is designed to deliver a whole new generation of blockbuster games, television and entertainment in a powerful, all-in-one device. Our unique, modern architecture brings simplicity to the living room and, for the first time ever, the ability to instantly switch across your games and entertainment.

The XBox One attempts to deliver an experience that when you are not playing a game should not leave you running around the house looking for the damn controller (Lost TV remotes are a whole other issue). Saying “XBox One” should launch you straight into your personalized Xbox One home screen. The more you interact with the console, the more it gets to know you and what you like. Some of the promoted features of the XBox One interface and services include:

• TV on Xbox One: Navigate and watch live TV from your cable, telco or satellite set-top box through your Xbox One. Microsoft is committed to bringing live TV through various solutions to all the markets where Xbox One will be available.
• Home: Turn on your entertainment system with two powerful words, “Xbox On,” and a custom-tailored Home dashboard welcomes you with your favorite games, TV and entertainment.
• Snap: Do two things at once on the biggest screen in your home. Use Snap to jump into a multiplayer battle while watching your favorite movie, talk with friends on Skype while watching live TV, or track your fantasy team on TV as you watch the big game and more.
• Skype for Xbox One: Specially designed for Xbox One, talk with friends on your TV in stunning HD, or for the first time ever, hold group Skype calls on your TV.
• Trending: Stay on top of what is hot on TV by discovering the entertainment that is popular among your friends, and see what is trending within the Xbox community.
• OneGuide: Find your favorite entertainment easily, searching by network, name or time, all with the sound of your voice and presented in a tailored program guide.

For those of you whom are technically inclined, the console is set to boast an eight-core x84 processor with more than 5 billion transistors to help make lag and load times a thing of the past.

While we can be expecting much more to emerge during their E3 press conference, Microsoft confirmed the following titles as being either XBox One exclusive titles OR to feature some degree of exclusive content:

• Forza Motorsport 5: from Turn 10 Studios is the latest edition of the highest-rated racing franchise of the past 10 years. Built from the ground up to take advantage of Xbox One and the infinite power of the cloud, no game better delivers the sensation of being behind the wheel. “Forza Motorsport 5” sets a new bar for racing games and will be available exclusively for Xbox One at launch.
• Call of Duty: Ghosts: is the next generation of “Call of Duty” and a stunning leap forward for the franchise. It delivers an all-new world, an all-new cast of characters and an all-new story, built on a new, next-generation engine. The next-generation technical innovations built to support the incredible gameplay advancements make this the most beautiful and immersive “Call of Duty” experience yet. Activision and Microsoft also announced the renewal of their close partnership that will see both the return of the “Call of Duty Championship,” presented by Xbox, as well as all-new downloadable content debuting first and exclusively on the Xbox platform.
• “FIFA 14,” “Madden NFL 25,” “NBA LIVE 14,” and “EA SPORTS UFC”: from EA SPORTS will change the way consumers experience and play sports games. Driven by the new EA SPORTS Ignite engine, these new EA SPORTS games will deliver massive innovations in human intelligence, true player motion and living worlds. Adding to its commitment to Xbox One, EA SPORTS also announced the promise of exclusive content to be revealed in the coming months.
• Quantum Break: from Remedy Entertainment is a revolutionary entertainment experience from the creators of “Max Payne” and “Alan Wake” that blurs the line between gaming and TV by integrating drama and gameplay into one seamless, uniquely immersive experience. How you play the game impacts the show, and the show informs how you play the game.

In addition to this range of titles, they have also confirmed a range of content partnerships for content such as the following two goodies:

• Halo television series: Award-winning filmmaker, director and producer, Steven Spielberg will executive-produce an original “Halo” live-action television series with exclusive interactive Xbox One content, created in partnership with 343 Industries and Xbox Entertainment Studios.
• National Football League (NFL): A multiyear, landmark partnership will deliver the ultimate interactive NFL television experiences for the next-generation Xbox One and leverage Microsoft devices and services to evolve both in-game and on the sideline. The NFL on Xbox will redefine broadcast experiences through innovations around Skype, Xbox SmartGlass and player-worn technology; add an all-new fantasy football solution for the biggest screen in the house; and create a personalized NFL destination only available on Xbox One.

Love it or hate it, the Gold Membership subscription service for XBox Live is returning in full force, but the console also comes with a number of new features and additions including:

• Smart Match: A new Smart Match matchmaking system virtually eliminates waiting in lobbies by estimating wait times and finding people you want to play with while you are enjoying other activities — reputation fundamentally matters and helps find best matches.
  
• Game DVR: A dedicated Game DVR captures and accesses your magic moments, all saved to the cloud.
• Living Games: Dynamic, living worlds evolve and improve the more you play, and advanced artificial intelligence can learn to play like you, so friends can play against your shadow.
• Expanded achievements: A new and expanded achievements system captures video of your epic moments, continues to grow a game’s achievements over time and rewards you in new ways, and your Gamerscore carries over from Xbox 360.
• Xbox SmartGlass: Xbox SmartGlass is natively part of the Xbox One platform, built in from the beginning with the ability to quickly render content directly onto your device, and now more devices can connect at one time for multiplayer and shared entertainment.

When designing the new console, Microsoft aimed at delivering a sleek and modern design that complements any decor, although does to an extent from the first image in this post look to be a fancy looking DVD/Blu-ray player – that being said it doesn’t look too bad. It is molded in a deep and rich liquid black color and includes a distinctive beveled edge.

Particularly over the last couple of years, I have enjoyed at least a couple of true Kinect game charms, and Microsoft are bringing with the XBox One a brand new 1080p model that is set to be more precise, responsive and intuitive – both in reaction to visual stimuli but also auditory stimuli. It will hopefully work in nearly any lighting condition, recognizes precise motion control from a slight wrist rotation, and distinguishes your voice even in a noisy room using advanced noise isolation. In addition, the standard Xbox controller design has been refreshed (and hopefully a tad less bulky) with more than 40 technical and design innovations. Updated directional pad, thumb stick and ergonomic fit are some of the improvement areas they are promoting. The new wireless controller is designed to work in harmony with the new Kinect, and allows the two to be paired.

In the end, I will save my opinion on the console for when it comes out, but I would say expect it around the holiday season as currently all we have is “later this year” for a release date.

It has been far too long since the very first installment of Class of Heroes was released to the North American market in April 2009. While the Class of Heroes franchise has since expanded to several more titles in the series throughout Japan, the localized releases remained stagnant until picked up by the team at Gaijinworks and MonkeyPaw Games – which after a considerable wait have finally confirmed that the Playstation Portable exclusive title Class of Heroes II will be released on the 4th June 2013 via the Playstation Network service. The release will overall set gamers back $24.99 AND does feature compatibility with the Playstation Vita

Class of Heroes II brings fans of dungeon crawlers more than 140 challenging quests, alongside 100+ dungeon maps, plenty of monster groups, branching storylines, multiple endings, many character equipment options and a new take on campus life.

 Ray Almeda | Marketing & PR Manager at MonkeyPaw Games

We’re extremely excited to release this addicting sequel for more reasons than the obvious localization enhancements. Class of Heroes II is just one of many J-RPGs that deserve to be played by more gamers around the world and we hope, for the hardcore fans, that other companies realize that these kinds of opportunities are also possible.

Having never had the option to play the first game in the franchise which was published internationally by ATLUS USA, I look forward to checking out this new dungeon crawling experience. For more information on the game, check out its archives HERE.