Six North American and Japanese Vita games I may buy (and play) later in 2016 or as soon as possible in 2017

In my last post, I chatted about eight North American and Japanese Vita games I'm going to do everything I can to buy and play between now and, say, this time next year.

I'd also like the buy and play the ones mentioned in this write-up, but I'm far less likely to do so--and for a slew of different reasons (which change from game to game).

Keep reading to find out which titles I'm talking about here and why I'm not 100 percent sure I'll purchase them in the next six or eight months.



Alone With You--Although I've been curious about this game since it was first announced, I've cooled on it since reading some mighty negative reviews of it on line. Still, I can't help but want to see for myself if all the criticism is warranted, as I really like its art style and I also like the idea of supporting creative indie developers.



Caligula--And here's another game I started out wanting, only to find myself wanting it less and less as I came across more and more negative impressions of it on NeoGAF, Twitter and elsewhere. Given that, I have a feeling this is the least likely of all the Vita games discussed in this particular post to find its way into my collection.

SaGa: Scarlet Grace--In what world is a new SaGa game (or even a new game clearly inspired by Square Enix's SaGa series, like The Alliance Alive) only a possible pick-up for me? In a world where pretty much every second of gameplay footage released for the new SaGa game makes it look like a complete mess at best. Seriously, while the first Scarlet Grace screenshots suggested the title would be a serious return to form for creator Akitoshi Kawazu, seeing it in action prompted a change of heart that now has me assuming the opposite. I may buy a copy of it anyway, though, simply because I love SaGa and can't imagine ignoring one of its too-rare entries.



Steins;Gate 0--I've heard only great things about the Steins;Gate franchise. In fact, all of that positive chatter is what pushed me to buy the first Steins;Gate Vita game after it hit store shelves in my neck of the woods last year. So why am I not itching to purchase this precursor, too? Because I've yet to even open the aforementioned copy of the original. It's still in the running to be picked up sometime late this year or early next, though, because I'm worried that once I finally play Steins;Gate I'll wish I could follow it up with Steins;Gate 0.



Tokyo Xanadu--Full disclosure: I have very little experience with Nihon Falcom-made games. In fact, I'm pretty sure Ys I & II and Ys III are the only ones I've played to date. I'd like to change that by picking up this highly regarded action RPG--which supposedly feels a lot like the modern Ys titles, actually. The question is: when will Aksys Games bring it to our shores? All that's known about Tokyo Xanadu's North American release at the moment is it'll hit store shelves here sometime in 2017.



Yomawari--As is the case with The Longest 5 Minutes, which I mentioned in my last post. I already own the Japanese version of this game. I'm contemplating getting the just-released North American version as well, though, because I'd really like to understand everything when I finally play through it. Or maybe I should just use this as an opportunity to improve my Japanese language skills?

Are any of you also looking to buy and play one or more of these North American or Japanese Vita games in the coming months? If so, which ones? Let me know in the comments section that follows.

I am so ready to be 'Alone With You' on Aug. 23

Full disclosure: I've yet to play--or even buy--Benjamin Rivers' first game, Home: A Unique Horror Adventure. I've wanted to play it, though, thanks to its appealing graphics and intriguing gameplay.

The same could be said for why I'm planning to purchase another of Benjamin Rivers' titles, the upcoming Alone With You, around the time of its release on Aug. 23.

I'm interested in Alone With You beyond its graphics and gameplay, though. Specifically, I'm interested in the fact that it's being described as a "sci-fi-romance adventure." Who wouldn't want to experience such a thing?



If this is the first you're hearing of Alone With You, check out the launch trailer above. It should answer many of the questions you have about how this PS4 and Vita title looks, how it plays, and more.

I don't know about you, but between this game, 2064: Read Only Memories (out on Aug. 16 for both PS4 and Vita) and VA-11 Hall-A (supposedly coming to Vita in late 2016), my Vita's going to get a lot of love this fall and winter.

Are any of you also psyched about these in-the-works Vita (and PS4) releases? If so, let me know why by leaving a comment below.

6 Vita games I'm looking forward to playing in 2016

Along with the handful of Vita games mentioned in my recent pair of "5 games I bought in 2015 that I've regrettably (and embarrassingly) failed to play" posts, I'm also looking forward to spending time with the following titles between now and the end of this year:

Airship Q--A Terraria clone made by a Japanese indie developer and filled with feline characters? Put me down for at least one copy, and maybe two. Seriously, though, what's not to like about such a scenario? OK, so the language barrier could prove to be a problem if I go with the physical Japanese release (which is the current plan). I'm willing to risk it, though, for the fabulous box art and actual, I-can-sell-it-down-the-road-if-I-want-to-do-so cartridge.

Alone With You--This upcoming digital offering captured my attention for two reasons when its release was announced a few months back. One is that it brings to mind some of the great PC games I enjoyed whenI was younger. Another is that it includes a romance element--which I pretty much always consider to be a welcome addition to any title that's caught my eye.

Crypt of the NecroDancer--I've wanted to play this wonderfully weird digital title, which dares to combine elements of the rhythm and rogulike genres, since the PC version was unveiled a couple of years ago. Because I hate playing games on my Mac (or any computer, for that matter), though, I dragged my feet on buying it. Which is great, as developer Brace Yourself Games revealed this past fall that a Vita version is in the works. Here's hoping it comes out sooner rather than later, as I really want to see if this is the video game equivalent of a Reese's peanut butter cup--an example of a wonderful combo, in my opinion--or if it's more like a Necco Wafer wrapped in a Tootsie Roll.

Ikenie to Yuki no Setsuna--The timing of this Square Enix-made game's release (next month--in Japan, at least) is just about perfect, if you ask me. I'm currently working my way through the DS version of the title (Chrono Trigger) that inspired it, and I should wrap up its adventure just before my boxed copy of Ikenie to Yuki no Setsuna makes its way across the pond to my welcome mat. Will it live up to its pedigree? I have no idea, but I certainly hope that'll be the case--and then some.

SaGa Scarlet Grace--I've made no secret over the years of the fact that I'm a huge fan of Square's SaGa series. The second GameBoy title is one of my favorite games for that handheld, while SaGa Frontier is among my all-time favorite games for any system. As a result, I'm chomping at the bit to get my hands on this latest entry in the series. Fingers crossed Scarlet Grace stays far away from the hideous art style of the PS2 Romancing SaGa remake or the hair-pullingly obtuse gameplay of Unlimited SaGa for the same console.

Zero Time Dilemma--Why am I buying the Vita version of this third entry in the thrilling Zero Escape series instesd of the 3DS iteration? Because I'm going to start playing the second game, Virtue's Last Reward, on Sony's handheld shortly, and I figure I'll want to follow it up by playing its sequel on the same mschine. Also, I have so many 3DS titles at this point that I figure I should show my Vita a bit more love.

Are there any in-the-works Vita games that are causing you to salivate in anticipation of their impending (in 2016) release? If so, let me know about them in the comments section that follows.

Thanks to this trailer, I've now got my eye on the 'sci-fi romance adventure' Alone With You

You'd think that I'd be interested in Alone With You simply because it's being made by Benjamin Rivers, who also brought the world the highly acclaimed Home: A Unique Horror Adventure in 2012.

The thing is, I've yet to actually play any version of Home. In fact, I barely know a thing about it--other than a lot of people who have experienced it seem to have enjoyed it.

Of course, I also don't know a whole lot about Alone With You--other than it's a "single-player, sci-fi adventure game" that has a "pretty unique romance element." Oh, and that it'll be released for PS4 and Vita this coming spring.



The quoted portions of the above are from a recently published PlayStation.Blog post written by Rivers. Here are a few more of Rivers' words about the game:

"You’ll trek through beautiful, varied areas--which include a series of communication towers, the dilapidated Colony B, the workspaces and staff quarters of the facility’s agricultural operation, and the various components of the planet’s mining and processing centres. As you do so, you’ll be in constant communication with the AI, who acts as your lifeline and your tour guide. It’ll give you info on all the things and places you find, but it’ll also speak to you--asking you questions and responding to your answers. And if you’ve ever played Home, you’ll know: sometimes even the smallest decision can have unexpected consequences."

Are any of you fine folks looking forward to Alone With You's release as much as I am at the moment? If so, why? Also, have you played Home, and if so, what did you think about it?