A little while ago, North American video game publisher XSEED Games confirmed they would be bringing three indie titles with them to E3 2016 – Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, Touhou: Scarlet Curiosity and Exile’s End.
But these are not the only titles to be on display, and like many other publishers these past few weeks, XSEED have confirmed a list of currently confirmed titles that will be on display. This line-up does not only include known titles, but also a few newly announced acquisitions including Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star and Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns. More information on all these can be found below.
Will they have more to unveil next week? Time will tell…
Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star
Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita
Release: Winter
Expanding upon the extensive and much-beloved Fate universe with a standalone story from acclaimed series writer Kinoko Nasu (of Fate/stay night fame), Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star, developed by Marvelous Inc., transpires on the new world of Extella through a diverse cast of “Servants” – ancient warriors of legend and imagination, always at their Masters’ orders – who survived the Holy Grail War that took place on the Moon. In a future ruled by the all-powerful lunar super computer Moon Cell Automaton, these champions now duke it out for dominance over this digital realm, known as “SE.RA.PH.” This story takes place after the events described in Fate/EXTRA, and depicts the world after that previous Holy Grail War. Players will experience the story from the independent perspectives of the three heroine Servants and face off against foes from a variety of Fate productions, including characters from Fate/stay night,Fate/Apocrypha and Fate/Grand Order, in fast-paced action. A new form change battle mechanic debuts in this entry to match its series-first gameplay style, transforming the player-controlled Servants and granting them considerable powers that allow them to devastate enemies and take formidable challenges head-on.
Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Release: 2017
Settled on a homestead in the middle of three distinct and uniquely themed locales, players can explore a diverse landscape as they search for new ways to grow their farms and friendships. Extensive customization and gameplay options are on offer in Trio of Towns, with each village offering its own variety of regional crops, lads and ladies to romance, animals, festivals, furniture, decorations and more. More ways to play sprout up as players connect to one another locally or via the internet to chat, trade, and enhance items on a mysterious multiplayer island.
Akiba’s Beat
Platform: PlayStation Vita / PlayStation 4
Release: Winter 2016
Learn more about Akiba’s Beat at E3.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II
Platform: PlayStation Vita / PlayStation 3
Release: Fall 2016
he Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II picks up one month after the decisive collision which changed the fate of the entire nation at the conclusion of Trails of Cold Steel. Speedy, tactical turn-based combat with the newly-developed “ARCUS” system returns with all the bells and whistles players fondly remember alongside a new Overdrive mode, new means of transportation both across the land and sky, new allies, new dangers, and a renewed sense of hope as Rean tirelessly works to right the wrongs that have led the country to disarray. Cross-Save functionality between the game’s “PSVita” and PS3™ editions returns, and clear data from the first game grants bonus stats and extra items. In addition, relationships cultivated during the earlier time players spent at Thors Military Academy affect future story elements and allow for more personalized conversations throughout the game.
Corpse Party
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Release: Summer 2016
In the critically acclaimed cult hit Corpse Party, players take control of a group of Japanese high school students who inadvertently engage in a pagan ritual and find themselves inexplicably transported into a whole other space: an inescapable echo of a long-since demolished school building where a series of brutal murders once took place. Presented using crisp 2D sprite graphics in a classic 16-bit style, Corpse Party is brought to life with gruesome and horrifyingly detailed portraits and art stills, vividly descriptive text, and binaural 3D audio when played with headphones for a more immersive audioscape. Players’ minds are prone to wander in this horror adventure, providing a uniquely engrossing and terrifying story-driven experience. Remastered from the 2011 PSP game, the Nintendo 3DS rendition of Corpse Party will feature redrawn, high-resolution character sprites, newly arranged music tracks, and 3D art stills, as well as four new Extra Chapters exclusive to this version that provide insight into lesser-shown characters and plot elements previously left unexplained.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero
Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U
via: Physical “Risky Beats” Retail Release (w/ Music Selections CD)
Price: $29.99
In the magical world of Sequin Land lives Shantae, a spirited young half-genie. She has dedicated her life to defending her home of Scuttle Town from evil in all forms, and has been called upon again as pirates attack! Using her trademark Hair-Whip Attack and special ability to transform herself into various kinds of creatures by way of magical belly-dancing, she must fight her way through steamy jungles, ancient ruins, and stormy deserts to topple the villainous Barons behind each criminal caper, preparing for the ultimate showdown against her arch-nemesis: the bodacious buccaneer Risky Boots!
What XSEED have said about gameplay:
After three successful outings, Shantae is ready to embark on her first full HD adventure in Shantae: Half-Genie Hero for PS4, “PSVita”, and Wii U. Vibrant, high-definition sprites complement the excellent action-packed exploration and platforming the series is known for. As Shantae masters her transformative powers, old stages can be explored again to unearth new items and secrets, ensuring there’s plenty of content for casual players and platforming gurus alike!
Touhou: Scarlet Curiosity
Platform: PlayStation 4
via: PlayStation Store – Digital
Immortality can be boring. At 500 years old, the so-called “Scarlet Devil,” Remilia Scarlet, is desperately searching for something new to end the monotony. After stumbling upon a newspaper article about a powerful, mysterious monster terrorizing the countryside, she rushes out to see if this could finally be the excitement for which she yearns. Unfortunately, not only is she unsuccessful in her search for the monster, but she returns to find her manor in ruins. It would seem the monster has come to her! With a renewed sense of determination (and a much-needed respite from her boredom), she vows to take revenge on this fiend and make it pay!
What XSEED have said about gameplay:
Set in the ever-evolving Touhou Project universe, the fan-created Touhou: Scarlet Curiosity trades in the series’ top-down “bullet hell” roots for an action RPG approach, drawing inspiration from series such as Ys while still retaining a distinctly indie feel. Players take the role of the titular vampire, Remilia Scarlet, or her devoted maid, Sakuya Izayoi, as they explore a wide variety of environments and battle aggressive creatures. Fast-paced combat and the series’ trademark complex patterns and waves of projectiles will keep players on their toes as they fight to retake Scarlet’s manor!
Exile’s End
Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U
via: PlayStation Store (PS4/PS Vita), Nintendo eShop (Wii U) – Digital
In the distant future, mega-corporation Ravenwood exists more as an interplanetary government than a company, controlling commerce and manipulating the economy with its own private army. So when its president’s son goes missing on a remote mining planet and all contact is lost, the company quickly dispatches a team of mercenaries to investigate. Immediately upon their arrival in orbit, however, the team’s ship experiences an electrical failure and careens toward the surface. Numerous soldiers eject from the crashing ship via escape pods, but only one seems to make landfall relatively unscathed: an old, embittered private named Jameson. In his efforts to restore communications on the planet, he ends up discovering the remains of the mining colony and learns a truth far more sinister than he ever could have imagined….
What XSEED have said about gameplay:
A dark and futuristic 2D sidescroller offering adventure-style puzzles, exploration-driven platforming, and dangerous extraterrestrials, Exile’s End is part Metroidvania and part “cinematic platformer,” drawing heavy inspiration from classics of the genre like Out of This World and Flashback: The Quest for Identity. Boasting uniquely stylized animated cutscenes, multiple endings, and an atmospheric soundtrack by Keiji Yamagishi of Ninja Gaiden and Tecmo Super Bowl fame, players who take up Jameson’s mantle will find themselves investigating a massive, interconnected alien world as they solve the mysteries of a dark, underground complex and experience a story filled with ancient riddles and modern-day hubris. Backed by Japanese publisher Marvelous Inc., Exile’s End is a collaboration between Tokyo-based indie game developer Matt Fielding and many talented local industry veterans, and a partial remake of Fielding’s first game, Inescapable, that significantly expands on its general ideas and themes.