The Otaku’s Gaming Study #N1 – Nippon Ichi Software America Announcement Special

Whilst I usually would include a wide variety of announcements into one of these, as NISA has announced multiple new products, they get their own edition. I will do the same for any company I am interested in provided they have more then one consequent announcement. These announcements were made at a special Spring Premiere event held for press and 10 lucky fans in San Francisco on the 13th of May.

For those who want the quick summary, here are the titles that will be included in this edition:

• Bleach: Soul Resurreccion on the PlayStation 3
• Atelier Totori on the Playstation 3
• Cladun x2 on the Playstation Network for the PSP.

For further information, alongside trailers, images and my thoughts, please read on! 

1. Bleach: Soul Resurreccion on the Playstation 3

The first title being offered by NISA is Bleach: Soul Resurreccion. I have never followed the Bleach series, maybe due to a resistance of following the majority crowd that seem to love the series. Anyway, as I am unfamiliar with the Bleach series or games, I am going to be quoting the press release:

GAME INFORMATION
Based on the popular manga/anime series, Bleach: Soul Resurrección depicts the battle between the Soul Reapers and the army of evil Arrancars that threaten the peace of the world.

Bleach: Soul Resurrección gives players the sensation of single-handedly destroying an army of monsters and evil spirits with lightning-fast swordfighting action. Gamers can re-live the experiences of various characters from the anime by closely following the original story. The environments are faithfully reproduced with beautiful cel-shaded 3D models that will satisfy even the most devoted fans. Bleach: Soul Resurrección will give gamers an unparalleled anime action game experience.

GAME FEATURES
21 playable characters from the hit anime/manga BLEACH

• Massive free-roaming action/adventure game with beautiful anime-inspired cel-shaded graphics•
• Various game modes, including: Story Mode, Mission Mode, and more
• Customizable character leveling system: unlock status enhancements and add special abilities through a customized “character map” for each playable character

This game is already confirmed to be released in both North America and Europe, under the title Bleach: Soul Resurrección in Summer 2011 (August and September respectively). It is currently unconfirmed if Australia will be getting an official release, but if it is anything to go by from past experience, Namco Bandai will be responsible for distribution.

There is a trailer video which I will upload in the morning, but until then, please enjoy the numbers of screenshots below.

Click the above image to go to the Gallery Page for Bleach: Soul Resurrección

2. Atelier Totori on the PlayStation 3

This series is a direct sequel to Atelier Rorona (Review Here) and introduces a new protagonist whilst taking place in the same region as the previous game with some recurring characters such as Rorona herself. The Press Release is below:

Introduction
The small fishing village of Alanyaon the Arland Republic’s southern border is home to the young alchemist-in-training Totooria Helmold. She is called Totoriby her friends and family, and she wishes to become a great adventurer. One day, she resolves to make the journey to Arland, become an adventurer, and explore the world beyond her hometown. She will make many friends along her journey of discovery —some new, some familiar. When her quest comes to a close, your actions over the course of the game will dictate whether she finds the answers to her questions, forge unbreakable bonds with friends, or take different paths entirely.

Game Features

 

 

 

 

• Travel and map the Republic of Arlandover several years, exploring dozens of unique locales.
• Synthesize hundreds of items: ingredients, weapons, armor, and explosives to help you on your journey.
• Classic turn-based RPG combat brings strategy and a sense of nostalgia for gamers new and old.
• Several unique endings to experience will keep you playing even after finishing it the first time.

 

I am very curious to see what improvements have been made to the game to improve it from Atelier Rorona. After playing Rorona, I did feel that whilst the synthesis compoenent of the game was of a very good standard, and much improved from previous games, the actual gameplay and storyline was a bit lacking. This will be a game I will definately be checking out. The game is due out sometime in Fall 2011 (Or Spring 2011 for those in the Southern Hemisphere). Whilst there is no trailer or gameplay screenshots available, they have released character designs which are below:

Screenshots

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3. Cladun x2 on the Playstation Network for Playstation Portable

I have never had the chance to play Cladun before, however with this announcement I will be getting myself a copy of the original to check it out. This game will only be released on the PlayStation Network and will not be available on a UMD release. The press release is as follows.

Game Information
Dive back into the world of Arcanus Cellawith a new cast and a new adventure! Take on the role of a wandering warrior trapped in a dangerous pocket-sized world filled with more monsters, more weapons, more dungeons and more danger than ever before—and there’s only one way out. ClaDunx2 has twice the thrills, twice the spills, twice the lovable classic-ness of the first!

Game Features

• Explore a new version of Arcanus Cellawith new characters and dungeons!
• Delve beyond dungeons and into Ran-geons, New-geons, and all-new Tri-geons!
• Adventure alone, or bring a friend along with Network Play!
• Upgrade your crew to infinity in order to keep the Main Character safe!
• Tailor your gameplay experience—customize your character’s appearance, weapons, and even the background music!

This game will be released in August 2011 in both the US and European regions. Also, NISA has provided some character designs and a piece of artwork which can be seen below:

Screenshots

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AND that is it for the announcement, three games that look promising to me. I will endeavor to review all three of these upon their release. I am still saddened to see that no company has picked up Umineko no Naku Koro ni on the Playstation 3, however this was a pretty decent haul for the next few months.