Square Enix's Project Octopath Traveler looks like a love child of Bravely Default and Romancing SaGa, and that thrills me

Although it had its flaws and was far from perfect, I really enjoyed playing through Bravely Default a few years back.

Combine that with my nearly life-long interest in Square Enix's old (and on-going) SaGa series and, well, it should be easy enough to understand why I'm thoroughly intrigued by the company's upcoming Switch RPG, Project Octopath Traveler.

After all, Project Octopath Traveler looks like a thrilling mashup of the above-mentioned titles in its latest trailer (below), wouldn't you agree?



Sadly, I can't say for myself whether or not this 2018 release lives up to that pedigree, as I don't yet own a Switch and so can't play the Project Octopath Traveler demo that was made available via that system's eShop following yesterday's Nintendo Direct broadcasts.

I can guarantee you, though, that I'll play that demo for all it's worth once I finally get my hands on a Switch--assuming that happens before the retail version of Project Octopath Traveler hits the streets, of course.

In the meantime, what do all of you think of this "HD 2D" RPG? Does it thrill you, too, or does it make you shrug your shoulders in disinterest?

No joke: this 48-second video of The Alliance Alive's protagonists racing across its overworld has sold me on the game

OK, so I actually was sold on this upcoming Japanese 3DS game as soon as folks started suggesting it could be a sequel or spiritual successor to 2015's The Legend of Legacy.

After all, I really enjoyed the 40 or so hours I spent with The Legend of Legacy last year--despite the fact that it has its share of flaws.

Another reason I'm feeling pretty excited about The Alliance Alive is it seems to maintain The Legend of Legacy's tiny-footed character models.

Now, no one who knows me would call me a foot fetishist (not that there's anything wrong with being one), but I've been a fan of this art-style choice since Square Enix unveiled it alongside the Final Fantasy III DS remake it released in 2006. (The company and its designers then perfected it with Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light and Bravely Default, of course.)



Also, it's pretty thrilling to see that The Alliance Alive replaces The Legend of Legacy's two-dimensional (well, except for the pop-up elements) backdrops with fully polygonal ones.

Now we just need to find out how The Alliance Alive's battles will play out. I'd obviously prefer turn-based fights à la The Legend of Legacy or its main source of inspiration, Square's SaGa series, but I'm open to anything as long as the alternative doesn't look boring.

Speaking of SaGa, publisher FuRyu will send me over the moon if it announces that, like The Legend of Legacy, some of people responsible for that long-running and much-loved series are working on The Alliance Alive. Even if that's not the case, though, I'll still likely buy a copy of this title, which is set to hit physical and digital store shelves in Japan sometime next spring.

Update: FuRyu uploaded a second trailer for The Alliance Alive this morning, and it features actual gameplay footage. Nearly four minutes of it, in fact. Anyway, I'm even more excited for its release than I was when this post was first published.

(Via gematsu.com)

I'm really looking forward to Dragon Quest Builders; how about you?

I wasn't sure what to think when Dragon Quest Builders was first unveiled last summer. I love the whole Dragon Quest aesthetic, but I haven't exactly been bowled over by Minecraft or its many pretenders, so it took me a good long while to realize I could have a blast with Builders.

If I hadn't come around yet, I'm pretty sure the game's latest trailer (below) would've done the trick.



I'm especially enamored with Dragon Quest Builders' character and creature models. The town-building and resource-collecting aspects look interesting, too, although I'm still not entirely sold on them. (I liked, but didn't love, that component of Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley, and I'm somewhat worried I'll be similarly underwhelmed by it here.)

How about all of you? Are any of you planning to buy either the PS4 or Vita version of Dragon Quest Builders upon its North American release on Oct. 11? If so, which version will you get?

Who else is stoked about SaGa: Scarlet Grace after seeing its first real trailer?

I've anxiously awaited the release of the latest entry in Square's oddball RPG series, SaGa, since it was first announced last September.

The game in question, of course, is SaGa: Scarlet Grace, and that's all fans like myself have known about the in-the-works adventure until now. Other than the fact that it's being prepped for the Vita, I mean.

Specifically, its release date has been an unknown quantity for ages. In fact, a lot of folks have declared the game dead thanks to the lack of information in this area.

Thankfully, that detail is revealed in SaGa: Scarlet Grace's first real trailer, below. (If you don't have the time or energy to make to the end of the teaser, the date is Dec. 15.)



Many more details are passed along in the video above as well. In particular, it showcases a number of Scarlet Grace's characters. It also offers a few glimpses at the game's battle scenes.

The highlight for me: the success with which Akitoshi Kawazu and team have been able to translate illustrator Tomomi Kobayashi's character designs into polygonal form.

Speaking of which, I'm planning to choose the beautiful Taria at the beginning of my first playthrough of SaGa: Scarlet Grace.

This obviously means I'm going to pre-order the game as soon as I'm able to do so. How about you? Also, I don't suppose some of you are looking to buy the mind-blowing $180 limited edition that'll be sold via store.jp.square-enix.com?

Is it wrong that Yasuhiro Wada's upcoming game, Birthdays, makes me wish I owned a PS4?

OK, so I'm sure I could think of at least a few other PS4 games that make me wish I owned Sony's latest console. At the moment, though, Birthdays is the only one that's coming to mind. (And, yes, this is despite the fact that Yasuhiro Wada's last game, Hometown Story, was quite a turd.)

What is Birthdays, you ask? Based on the handful of screenshots that've been released so far and the trailer found below, I'd describe it as being a thoroughly Japanese mix of Minecraft and an old SNES game called E.V.O.: Search for Eden.



According to one of the first English reports about this PS4 title, which will be published in its home country by Arc System Works, it "lets players create, steadily evolve and develop environments on new lands where living things are born."

The current plan is for it to hit the streets of Japan in early 2017. Apparently European and North American PS4 owners will get their hands on it shortly after that, as NIS America's already decided to localize Birthdays for those regions. (Here's hoping they keep the original name and logo.)

How about all of you wonderful folks? Are any of you also chomping at the bit to sink your teeth into Birthdays?

Thanks to this trailer, I'm probably going to buy The Princess is Money-Hungry (Vita) even though I doubt I'll understand much of its gameplay

You may recall that a couple of weeks ago I published a post about this upcoming Nippon Ichi-made Vita game.

At that time, I suggested I'd place a pre-order for it as soon as possible. That suggestion was made based on its pedigree, a couple of screenshots and a tiny bit of information.

Well, we now have a trailer that shows off a lot more of what The Princess is Money-Hungry has to offer, and ... I'm not sure if it makes me more or less interested in the title than I was before I laid eyes on it.

OK, that's not completely true. I'm still almost painfully interested in The Princess is Money-Hungry--thanks in large part to its wonderfully pixelated protagonist and enemies.



I'm more than a tad worried I won't be able to suss out its gameplay, though, due to my continued discomfort with the Japanese language.

Some of you likely are thinking, isn't it likely NIS America will release an English version of the game sometime next year à la World's Longest 5 Minutes?

That may be true, but I doubt they'll offer up a physical limited edition like Japanese Vita owners probably will get.

I'll let you know what I decide either way, of course. In the meantime, are any of you thinking of buying this action RPG?  Or maybe you're now hoping it'll make its way across the pond in the coming months?

Regardless, share your thoughts and feelings on the matter in the comments section below.

(Via gematsu.com)

Friendly reminder: the Final Fantasy Tactics-esque Ambition of the Slimes is now available via the European and North American 3DS eShops

If you're looking to add an adorably pixelated strategy RPG to your 3DS' home menu, you could do worse than drop $5--or the equivalent, if you live in Europe--on the just-released Ambition of the Slimes.

This Circle Entertainment-published eShop title is more than just another pretty--or maybe I should say cute--face. What is that supposed to mean? It's supposed to mean (or suggest) Ambition of the Slimes isn't your typical SRPG. 

In fact, it puts players in the shoes of that lowliest of RPG baddies, the slime. Unfortunately, the slimes that populate this are a pretty helpless bunch and have to take over their human enemies--by leaping into their mouths--to achieve victory.

Not swayed by that description? Check out the game's latest trailer, above. If after that you decide to buy and download Ambition of the Slimes, come back here and chat about it with me in the comments section that follows.

This latest Yomawari: Night Alone trailer has my name written all over it

I know the statement in the headline above isn't all that shocking. Nippon Ichi's Yomawari and its cute-slash-creepy graphics and gameplay charmed me long ago--to the point that I pre-ordered a copy of the Japanese version well in advance of it hitting the streets in its country of origin. (You can check out some photos of this Vita title's case, cartridge and instruction pamphlet in this "Nice Package!" post.)

As much as this game appeals to me, though, I've yet to spend a single second playing the darn thing. Truth be told, that has more due to my lack of free time these days, as well as my bizarre inability to coax my oft-ignored Vita out of hiding on any kind of regular basis, than it has to do with some sort of dwindling attraction to Yomawari (or Yomawari: Night Alone, for those of you who are fans of its full title).



Still, I'd be lying if I said this latest Yomawari trailer, which shows off a slew of the game's many nightmare-inducing ghouls and ghosts, didn't reignite my interest in this upcoming NIS America release.

How about all of you? Does the footage above make you want to put money on a physical copy or set aside funds for a digital one (if you didn't do so a couple of months ago, of course)? Or maybe it has the opposite effect and makes you wrinkle your nose in disgust? Regardless, share your reaction to this latest Yomawari teaser in the comments section that follows.

See also: 'Who else is thrilled that Nippon Ichi's Yomawari will be released in North America later this year?' and 'Has anyone else plopped down 60 big ones for the North American version of Yomawari: Night Alone?'

Oh, hey, did you hear? NIS America will release World’s Longest 5 Minutes (Vita) in North America sometime next year

Well, color me surprised. NIS America recently revealed--in rather shocking fashion, I might add--it'll bring Nippon Ichi's World’s Longest 5 Minutes to my neck of the woods in 2017.

What will this intriguing Vita title, which combines the RPG and visual novel genres, be called when it hits North America? The Longest 5 Minutes.

Both titles make a lot of sense after you read through this summary of its story: "Our hero faces the origin of all evil, the Overlord himself, but suddenly loses all memories of his adventure. His finishing moves, the name of his hometown, and even the reason he's trying to defeat the Overlord in the first place, all gone. Our hero tries to regain his priceless memories before it's too late, but the Overlord stands before him, his power unyielding!"

As much as this news thrills me, it also pains me a bit. That's because I just--as in yesterday--paid for the limited edition version of World’s Longest 5 Minutes I pre-ordered via AmiAmi ages ago.



Oh, well, at least I'll get to enjoy all of the swag that comes with the Japanese LE--such as a two-CD soundtrack, some sort of book (kikakusho?) and a desk calendar. Plus, I'll have a physical copy of the game (even if it is in a language I can barely understand at the moment).

I'd love to say NIS America will offer up a similarly stuffed LE to folks on this side of the pond, but at the moment the publisher's lips are sealed in that regard. Hell, it's yet to say if The Longest 5 Minutes will be a digital-only release or if boxed copies will be sold as well.

While we wait for more information, check out the game's first English trailer (above or here). You may want to heck out its official site, too. There's not much to see at the latter right now, but that should change in due time.

Are any of you planning to add The Longest 5 Minutes to your Vita collections? If so, what pushed you in the direction?

See also: 'Nippon Ichi just announced what appears to be a Half-Minute Hero rip-off for Vita, and I'm more than OK with it'

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.