While some gaming companies like to progressively announce their release plans for the year, North America based “independent minded” video game publisher XSEED Games have today announced not one but five titles they intend on releasing over the course of the year.
The biggest of the announcements pertains to Killer is Dead, an upcoming Playstation 3 and XBox360 video game currently being developed by Kadokawa Games and SUDA51 / Grasshopper Manufacture studio. Other titles include the RPG adventure title Rune Factory 4 for the Nintendo 3DS, Ys: Memories of Celceta and Valhalla Knights 3 for the Playstation Vita and Ys I&II Chronicles + on the Windows PC. More information on all five titles can be viewed a little further down.
Shinichi Suzuki |President and CEO of XSEED Games
XSEED is ringing in the New Year by sharing a glimpse of our upcoming lineup of great titles for 2013, including the exciting partnership for KILLER IS DEAD, the newest creation from KADOKAWA GAMES and SUDA51, which I personally selected to bring to the US market. In the coming year, we will release an array of solid action and role-playing games that are sure to delight fans through a combination of high quality gameplay and well-crafted localization.
Ken Berry | Executive Vice President of XSEED Games
This will be an amazing year for us. Our portfolio continues to expand and it’s evident by this stellar lineup of titles, so we’re excited to share more details and hear what our fans are most looking forward to playing in the coming year.
Killer is Dead
Playstation 3 / XBox360 – Summer 2013
Created by game legend SUDA51, this highly anticipated original game is set in a not-so-distant future similar to (but not the same as) the world we know now. The player takes control of an executioner named Mondo Zappa who wields a Japanese sword in his right hand and brandishes interchangeable weapons in his left artificial arm. His ultimate goal is to execute various heinous criminals scattered around the world and beyond.
Completely unique visuals and outstanding stylish action come together to deliver an unprecedented gaming experience in KILLER IS DEAD. This brand-new action title is being jointly developed by KADOKAWA GAMES and GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE, with SUDA51 lending his trademark sense of style at the helm. Deep Silver, the games label of Koch Media, will bring the title to the countries of Europe and Oceania.
Ys I & II Chronicles +
Windows PC (Steam) – February 2013
XSEED Games has delighted RPG fans for years by publishing multiple Ys titles from legendary RPG developer Nihon Falcom for handheld platforms and Windows PC, and now Ys fans can celebrate once more as an enhanced remake of the classic first two games in the Ys franchise comes to Steam for the first time. Including both Ancient Ys Vanished: Omen and Ancient Ys Vanished: The Final Chapter, this action RPG tells of red-haired swordsman Adol Christin’s inaugural adventure to defeat the evil forces blighting the isle of Esteria and uncover the mysteries of the eponymous lost land of Ys.
Ys: Memories of Celceta (Also referred to as Ys Celceta: Sea of Trees)
Playstation Vita – Fall 2013
An extensive reimagining of (and pseudo-sequel to) Ys IV, one of the only Ys games never before released in the west, this title puts more enemies on screen than ever before and features the largest, most non-linear overworld in Ys history, boasting superlative graphics and a triumphant evolution of the fast-paced gameplay that has made this series a timeless action RPG mainstay. As the game opens, long-time protagonist Adol Christin finds himself alone, dazed and confused in a strange land, and must piece together his memories of how he got here and why, all the while struggling to determine whom he can trust.
Valhalla Knights 3
Playstation Vita – Fall 2013
The fourth title published by XSEED Games in the popular Valhalla Knights action RPG series, Valhalla Knights 3 features a robust character creation system and brings intense seven-on-seven party-based combat to the PS Vita. Players can select from one of seven races and one of twenty job classes such as Fighter, Mage, Thief, Priest, Akatoki or Archer, while also equipping two sub-jobs. Players can adventure with a party of their own making or brave the wilds alone and seamlessly engage in real-time combat to earn skill points for upgrading and unlocking abilities unique to each job class.
Rune Factory 4
Nintendo 3DS – Summer 2013
The first game in the Rune Factory simulation/role-playing series to be released on the Nintendo 3DS, Rune Factory 4 adds new romance options, the ability to select a male or female character at the game’s start, and has endless crafting, farming and cooking opportunities. The player becomes Selphia’s prince or princess and can manage the village, explore the countryside with townsfolk, or tame monsters in the wild to aid them in battle or help out in the fields.
