Siliconera |
- Preview: Honkai: Star Rail Relies on Characters to Build Connections
- Summertime Rendering Ushio Nendoroid Will Appear Next Year
- NieR: Automata Short Hair A2 Nendoroid Pre-orders Open
- More Pui Pui Molcar Coming in Fall 2022
- Evercade EXP Handheld and Irem and Toaplan Carts Announced
- Legendary Myrrh Appears in Fire Emblem Heroes
- Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection Joins Xbox Game Pass in June 2022
- White Day: A Labyrinth Named School Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X Set for September
- Ex-Final Fantasy Brand Manager Shinji Hashimoto Retires from Square Enix
- Jotaro Kujo and Jonathan Joestar JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R Trailers Appear
- Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown Tekken 7 Pack Appears Tomorrow
- Genshin Impact Battle Chronicle Adds Real-Time, Ability to Share Images
- Romancing SaGa Minstrel Song Remastered Announced
- Acquire Game Show Will Take Place in Early June 2022
| Preview: Honkai: Star Rail Relies on Characters to Build Connections Posted: 31 May 2022 12:00 PM PDT
The Honkai: Star Rail second closed beta is on, and people once again get a chance to be the Trailblazer and ride the Astral Express to different places. I had a chance to go through a bit of the game. While I wasn't fortunate enough to get any five-star units, I did notice something it has in common with HoYoVerse's other titles. Even in its early phases, Honkai: Star Rail feels like it relies very heavily on its characters to interest players and move the story along. Honkai: Star Rail starts with players following a mysterious woman named Kafka through the Herta Space Station. She and Silver Wolf are looking for an item Kafka calls the Cancer of All Worlds, a Stellaron. When they find it, Kafka proceeds to shove it into the the Trailblazer. Like Genshin Impact's Traveler, this is the player avatar. After some ominous words and suggesting the player will need to make a "choice," the two disappear. That's when Dan Heng and March 7th, Astral Express members, appear to save the day. The Trailblazer is an insomniac now on a space station besieged by the Antimatter Legion.
Of course, once you fall in with them, you don't just end up evacuating the station. Instead, when escaping with the two and fellow Astral Express member Himiko, the Doomsday Beast attacks. After the fight, the Trailblazer steps in front of March 7th to protect her, using the Stellaron to attack it. Welt Yang manages to stop the attack. And so, the player joins Dan Heng, March 7th, Welt, and Himiko on their journey across the stars to deal with Stellarons and the Antimatter Legion. As someone goes through Honkai: Star Rail's initial introduction and the Trailblazer's first "mission" dealing with a Stellaron on Jarilo-VI, they're constantly meeting potentially playable characters. As with HoYoVerse's other games, it feels like there is an attempt to make them as interesting as possible in as little amount of time. (Perhaps because someone would need to head to the gacha for some or get others via various currencies in the shop?) For example, after meeting Asta, we see her willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of others against the Antimatter Legion's forces. She immediately cements herself as interesting, due to the heroic gesture. Herta and Welt have an element of mystery on their side. The former, because we're always only seeing her "puppets" on the station and she's revered as a genius. The latter, because HoYoVerse established going in that he's the same person as the Honkai Impact 3rd character. Sampo Koski is fascinating, as it's uncertain whose side he's really on due to his actions. Likewise, it is interesting to see people like Bronya and Himeko because are alternate reality versions of the Murata Himeko and Bronya Zaychik we know.
All these characters also make Honkai: Star Rail's turn-based combat seem promising. It calls to mind both Honkai Impact 3rd and Genshin Impact. It features a system that involves normal attacks, a special skill, an Ultimate, and passives. Each character also has an element associated with them in Honkai: Star Rail, which can be used to break an enemy's shields if they are weak to it and allow more damage to be dealt. You can have a character use a special skill, which can do something like defend, deal more damage, or hit a group. Passive abilities also are present in the form of a talent and technique. The former could be like March 7th's Girl Power, which will have her attack any enemy that hits an ally she's defending with her The Power of Cuteness skill. Her Technique, on the other hand, triggers if you have her as the active character on the field and attack it to gain the advantage in the fight. When the battle begins, one will be frozen. So the key in each fight is to use characters to break opponents' shields. When you do, you can then deal more damage to them. So the Trailblazer's basic and skill attacks both deal Physical damage. Say you get to the fight against Bronya. When she has members of the Silvermane Guards around, you can't exploit her weaknesses. When they are dispatched, the Trailblazer could use any of their attacks to break down Bronya's armor. Though once armor is broken, it is only removed briefly. Players then need to launch a full assault to take advantage of the opportunity before it is restored. Which means like in other games, having a character from each element feels necessary. (You do get free ones to help with that, like March 7th, Dan Heng, Herta, Natasha, and the Trailblazer.) It also means that pulling for people you like due to their movesets or personality will absolutely be a thing. Which is expected from a gacha game.
From what I've seen, it feels like Honkai: Star Rail relies on the same concepts that drive other HoYoVerse games. There's a story with an "important" player character. This avatar will be a driving force and central figure. Other characters are designed to be attractive and compelling for various reasons. Some of which are tied to their usefulness in combat, determined by their element and moveset. We'll have to wait and see what happens with the final build. But for now, it seems like will rely on a familiar formula. Honkai: Star Rail is in development for PCs and mobile devices. The post Preview: Honkai: Star Rail Relies on Characters to Build Connections appeared first on Siliconera. |
| Summertime Rendering Ushio Nendoroid Will Appear Next Year Posted: 31 May 2022 11:30 AM PDT
The elder Kofune sister is getting a figure next year. Good Smile Company opened pre-orders for the Summertime Rendering Ushio Kofune Nendoroid. She'll show up in January 2023 in Japan. After that, people should be able to find her in North America in March 2023. She'll cost ¥6,200/$56.99. Ushio is wearing the swimsuit she appears in both in flashbacks and during the story in Summertime Rendering. You can display her both with and without the necklace Shinpei Ajiro gave her. She also comes with it as an accessory she can hold. She can be posed holding a plate of curry with rice and a fork too. As for her faceplates, she'll come with three. One features a gentle smile. The other offers an enthusiastic, wide smile. The final one makes it look as though she's angry. Here's a full gallery showing off accessories and potential poses for this Ushio figure. The Summertime Rendering Ushio Kofune Nendoroid will appear in Japan in January 2023 and in North America in March 2023. Pre-orders are open until July 20, 2022. Udon is releasing the manga outside Japan. The anime adaptation is streaming via Disney+. The post Summertime Rendering Ushio Nendoroid Will Appear Next Year appeared first on Siliconera. |
| NieR: Automata Short Hair A2 Nendoroid Pre-orders Open Posted: 31 May 2022 11:00 AM PDT
During WonHobby G Spring 2022, Good Smile Company showed off a NieR: Automata short hair A2 Nendoroid. Now, people can already place a pre-order for it. This latest A2 figure will show up in November 2022 in Japan. After that, it will appear in January 2023 in North America. She'll cost ¥6,600/$59.99. Also, as people might expect, she'll be compatible with the A2 Nendoroid that is already available. As is typical for Nendoroids, the short hair A2 one will come with three face plates. One offers a neutral expression. Another features something of a melancholy smile. The third is a shouting one that could be used for combat poses. She'll also come with two weapons. One is the Beastlord large sword. The other is a pair of Type-3 Fists Combat Bracers. Here's a closer look at this version of the A2 figure and her parts. As a reminder, this is the second A2 Nendoroid. The first one is a long-haired variant of the character. It is already available. The NieR: Automata short hair A2 Nendoroid will appear in Japan in November 2022 and in North America in January 2023. Pre-orders will be open until July 13, 2022. NieR: Automata is available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The post NieR: Automata Short Hair A2 Nendoroid Pre-orders Open appeared first on Siliconera. |
| More Pui Pui Molcar Coming in Fall 2022 Posted: 31 May 2022 10:30 AM PDT
For those waiting for a Pui Pui Molcar season 2 confirmation or announcement of more episodes, there's news about additional adventures. The official Japanese Twitter account confirmed more of the show is in the works. There's a video clip announcing it, as well as an image teasing a new character. It will show up in Japan in Fall 2022. Rather than a Pui Pui Molcar season 2 proper being announced, the new episodes are being billed as a "new series." The teaser begins with clips from the first run of episodes. Then, it shows a picture with five returning main characters Shiromo, Choco, Potato, Teddy, and Abbey. At the top of it is a silhouette of an unknown Molcar. After the 30 second mark, some behind-the-scenes footage appears. It shows the needle-felted Molcars being made. There are also photos showing the stop-motion show being filled.
Currently, people can catch the show on Netflix. All episodes of it are streaming. In Japan, those short segments appeared as part of a Tobidase! Narase! Pui Pui Molcar movie as well. There are also games, with one being Pui Pui Molcar Let's Molcar Party for the Nintendo Switch. The post More Pui Pui Molcar Coming in Fall 2022 appeared first on Siliconera. |
| Evercade EXP Handheld and Irem and Toaplan Carts Announced Posted: 31 May 2022 10:00 AM PDT
The Evercade 2nd Anniversary Show appeared on May 31, 2022, and it featured the reveal of an Evercade EXP handheld and new Irem Arcade 1 and Toaplan Arcade 1 cartridges. The new game compilations will appear in November 2022. Pre-orders for the standard version of the system and both collections will open in September 2022. A limited edition version of the system that includes both cartridges will be able to pre-order from Funstock starting on June 1, 2022. The Evercade EXP will feature a number of updates. For example, it will have built-in WiFi. There are L2 and R2 triggers. You get 4GB of memory built into it. A 1.5Ghz processor is also there. It can output 720p via mini-HDMI. It has a 4.3" 800x480 IPS screen. You can also play it vertically for TATE mode games. The standard model is white, comes with Irem Arcade 1, and will cost £129.99/$149.99/€149.99. The Funstock version is limited to 5,000 units and is black. It will cost £179.99 when its pre-orders open at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CET on June 1, 2022. That extra money gets people the Toaplan Arcade 1 cart as well as the first Irem collection. People will also get a matching carrying case, a certificate of authenticity, a poster, and an Evercade cartridge keychain. Here's the full Evercade 2nd Anniversary Show. Here's an Evercade trailer for Toaplan Arcade 1, which will include Guardian, Snow Bros, Teki Paki, Tiger-Heli, Alcon, Flying Shark, Truxton, and Zero Wing. And this is the Irem Arcade 1 Evercade trailer. This cartridge features 1—Yard Fight, Moon Patrol, R-Type, Battle Chopper, In the Hunt, and Lightning Swords. Finally, here's the trailer for the new Evercade handheld. The Evercade EXP will be out in Winter 2022. The post Evercade EXP Handheld and Irem and Toaplan Carts Announced appeared first on Siliconera. |
| Legendary Myrrh Appears in Fire Emblem Heroes Posted: 31 May 2022 09:30 AM PDT
The latest Fire Emblem Heroes Legendary unit is Myrrh: Guardian Dragon. She is available via a new Legendary banner that is available today. This marks the fourth version of the Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones character to appear in the game. Myrrh: Guardian Dragon is a flying, blue dragon unit. She has the unique Godly Breath weapon that can accelerate her Special trigger, inflict -5 Atk/Def/Res/Spd on an enemy if she's near an ally, ensures she makes a follow up attack, reduces her damage from attacks and area of effect specials, and reduces damage she takes from ranged units. She also has the new Def/Res Unity and Darkling Guardian Passive skills. As usual, Legendary Myrrh isn't the only focus unit on this Fire Emblem Heroes banner. Here are the other characters appearing at a higher rate on it.
And here is the trailer introducing Fire Emblem Heroes' Legendary Myrrh. Fire Emblem Heroes is available for Android and Apple iOS devices. The Myrrh: Guardian Dragon and her banner will be available until June 13, 2022. One of the other May 2022 banners involved fallen versions of characters like Ninian. The post Legendary Myrrh Appears in Fire Emblem Heroes appeared first on Siliconera. |
| Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection Joins Xbox Game Pass in June 2022 Posted: 31 May 2022 09:00 AM PDT
People will be able to play three Ninja Gaiden games on the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC soon. The Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection is part of the June 2022 Xbox Game Pass update. It will join five other games showing up at the beginning of the month. People who subscribe can start playing it on June 2, 2022. People will get access to three games in this compilation. Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection bundles together Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge. People also get all DLC originally included in those games. Here's the full list of the six June 2022 Xbox Game Pass titles so far.
As a reminder, the May 2022 Xbox Game Pass additions included Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair and Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising. This only covers the first half of the month. More Xbox Game Pass additions will likely come up during the June 2022 Microsoft and Bethesda showcase. The post Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection Joins Xbox Game Pass in June 2022 appeared first on Siliconera. |
| White Day: A Labyrinth Named School Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X Set for September Posted: 31 May 2022 08:30 AM PDT
More people are going to get to play Sonnori's horror game. White Day: A Labyrinth Named School Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X versions are on the way. There's no exact release date for them yet. However, they will show up in September 2022. There will be no free upgrade to the PS5 version for PS4 owners. While this will be a digital release, It will also be possible to get physical Switch and PS5 copies. Funstock opened pre-orders for them. It will cost $44.16 for a copy. It isn't offering any pre-order bonus. Here's the full White Day: A Labyrinth Named School Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X trailer. It shows how players will find themselves trapped in a school filled with horrors. This new White Day: A Labyrinth Named School port only includes some of the same content as the Ultimate Horror Edition. That's a PS4 and PC version that included every DLC costume. PQube announced that the BlazBlue crossover costumes won't show up in this new version. It cited licensing issues for their exclusion. White Day: A Labyrinth Named School will come to the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X in September 2022. You can also find the game on the PlayStation 4, PC, and mobile devices. The post White Day: A Labyrinth Named School Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X Set for September appeared first on Siliconera. |
| Ex-Final Fantasy Brand Manager Shinji Hashimoto Retires from Square Enix Posted: 31 May 2022 08:00 AM PDT
Final Fantasy franchise Brand Manager Shinji Hashimoto is checking out. The longtime Square Enix executive announced his retirement from the company after nearly twenty-seven years working there on his personal Twitter account. His last day at work was May 31, 2022. https://twitter.com/shinjihashimot3/status/1531626659555995648 Shinji Hashimoto's farewell message was brief and simple. He thanked all the people who supported him during his tenure at the company. He also said that from now on, he'll be supporting Square Enix as a fan. There is also a video with an English translation.
Shinji Hashimoto joined Square Enix in 1995, following a stint with Bandai Namco. Back then, though, the companies he worked for were just known as "Square" (or "Squaresoft") and "Bandai". Their respective mergers with Namco and Enix wouldn't happen until 2003 and 2006. Hashimoto began his work at the company in the role of Producer. He helped create the original Front Mission strategy game for the SNES/Super Famicom. He also supervised Front Mission sequels like Front Mission 2 and Front Mission 4. One of Square and Square Enix's most prolific creators, Shinji Hashimoto had a hand in the company's most beloved titles, like Chrono Trigger, Einhänder, Final Fantasy II, V, VII, IX, various Compilation of Final Fantasy titles like Dirge of Cerberus and Crisis Core, and The World Ends With You, among many others. He is also co-creator of Kingdom Hearts. The official story goes that Hashimoto encountered a Disney executive in an elevator one day (Square and Disney shared a building) and proposed the idea for a Disney/Square crossover game. Hashimoto served as Brand Manager for the Final Fantasy series for more than ten years, served on Square Enix's board of directors, and was the executive in charge of the company's 1st Production Department (essentially the game development arm of Square Enix) until the company reorganized in 2013. In mid-2021, Hashimoto announced that he would step back from his brand manager and executive director positions to take up a role as a corporate advisor, training future leaders of Square Enix. Though that spelled the end of his active role in development, Hashimoto continued to receive credits on various 2021 releases, including the NieR Replicant remake, Legend of Mana, and several Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster titles. The post Ex-Final Fantasy Brand Manager Shinji Hashimoto Retires from Square Enix appeared first on Siliconera. |
| Jotaro Kujo and Jonathan Joestar JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R Trailers Appear Posted: 31 May 2022 07:40 AM PDT
Two of the titular "JoJo's" from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure got their own videos for the upcoming fighting game. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R Jonathan Joestar and Jotaro Kujo trailers appeared. Each one shows a closer look at the characters first. Then, it shows what it looks like when they fight in-game. The first JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R video is of Jotaro Kujo from Stardust Crusaders. (He also appears in Diamond is Unbreakable and Stone Ocean.)
The second JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R trailer starred Jonathan Joestar. He appeared in Phantom Blood, the series' first arc.
It is unknown if Bandai Namco will be releasing trailers for all JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R characters. There will be over 50 in the updated version of the game. This is due to the original game's initial roster and DLC fighters being included alongside new folks. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R will come to the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC on September 2, 2022. A PS4 and PS5 demo is also on the way. The post Jotaro Kujo and Jonathan Joestar JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R Trailers Appear appeared first on Siliconera. |
| Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown Tekken 7 Pack Appears Tomorrow Posted: 31 May 2022 07:10 AM PDT
Characters from Virtua Fighter 5 will soon look more like folks from Tekken 7. Sega announced a launch date for the Tekken 7 Collaboration Pack. The add-on will launch on June 1, 2022. The announcement means we know exactly what people will get with this Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown DLC. There's also a video showing its add-ons off. The add-on was first announced back in March 2022. At the time, it only confirmed a Kazuya Mishima costume for Akira Yuki and a Heihachi Mishima one for Lau Chan. The trailer is more elaborate. It noted there will be 19 total costumes from Tekken 7 in Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown. In the video, people can see some of the other ones. For example, Goh Hinogami can dress as Bryan. Pai Chan will have a Lili costume, and Aoi Umenokoji could look like Asuka. Jacky Bryant will have a Paul outfit. El Blaze may dress like King. Here's the full video showing different Virtua Fighter 5 folks in "cosplay." At the 1:20 mark, you can see how you can change the UI to look like Tekken 7's. 20 Tekken 7 songs are included too. A sample of them comes up at the 1:35 point in the trailer. People can also get two new titles. Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown is available for the PlayStation 4, and its Tekken 7 Collaboration Pack DLC will debut on June 1, 2022. The post Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown Tekken 7 Pack Appears Tomorrow appeared first on Siliconera. |
| Genshin Impact Battle Chronicle Adds Real-Time, Ability to Share Images Posted: 31 May 2022 06:40 AM PDT
HoYoVerse updated the Genshin Impact Battle Chronicle, and now it lets you track real-time elements like the amount of Original Resin left and share images of your character data. It also offered the expected addition that comes with each update. That is the inclusion of the Perilous Trail event details debuting in 2.7. A past update added an Enhancement Progression Tool. First, the Genshin Impact Battle Chronicle tracks five other elements in addition to Original Resin. Once you log in, you can also check if the four Daily Commissions are done. It will note if you already faced three Enemies of Note, using up the half-resin cost for them. You can check and see if the characters you have on Expeditions are done. It will show if the Serenitea Jar of Riches is full and needs to be claimed. You can also see if the Parametric Transformer cooldown is over and set a notification to know when it is. As for the sharing functionality, the Battle Chronicle now lets you save images for certain segments. You can get a general summary that shows things like your achievements, Anemoculi/Electroculi/Geoculi found, days active, number of characters, unlocked Waypoints tally, Spiral Abyss level, number of Domains unlocked, and kinds of chests opened. That screen will also show a preview of your characters, world exploration progress, and Serenitea Pot status. You can also get an image showing specific character details. This will show unlocked Constellations, current weapon and relics, and the Friendship Level. You can share the Character Overview Page as well. Finally, the Perilous Trail overview shows how that's going. It lets you check things like clear times, Stratagems, and teams used. The Spiral Abyss page also will have a new UI if you view the Battle Chronicle on a mobile device. Genshin Impact is available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, and mobile devices, and people can access the Battle Chronicle online now. A Nintendo Switch version is on the way. Its 2.7 update will also appear on May 31, 2022. The post Genshin Impact Battle Chronicle Adds Real-Time, Ability to Share Images appeared first on Siliconera. |
| Romancing SaGa Minstrel Song Remastered Announced Posted: 31 May 2022 06:15 AM PDT
Square Enix announced a remastered version of Romancing SaGa Minstrel Song will appear in Winter 2022. It will release for the PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and both Android and iOS devices. To accompany the reveal, Square Enix released a trailer and opened a website for the remaster. It features a look at updated graphics and a glimpse at combat. You can watch the announcement trailer below. [embed]https://youtu.be/1-sMRwc5boM[/embed] Character models for Albert, Aisha, Gray, Claudia, Jamil, Sif, Hawk, and Barbara have been updated in the remaster along with the various locals that appear in the game. The original Romancing SaGa Minstrel Song is a PlayStation 2 remake of the original title, which released on the Super Nintendo in 1992. The updated version released some years later, arriving in both Japan and North America in 2005. This remake included updated character designs for each of the eight protagonists. The remaster will feature new high resolution graphics and new elements. It will also include features to make the game more playable for modern audiences. More information about this will appear sometime in the future. Romancing SaGa Minstrel Song Remastered will release for the PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and for Android and iOS devices worldwide in Winter 2022. The post Romancing SaGa Minstrel Song Remastered Announced appeared first on Siliconera. |
| Acquire Game Show Will Take Place in Early June 2022 Posted: 31 May 2022 05:00 AM PDT
Acquire will hold its own game show on YouTube on Sunday, June 5, 2022. The company behind the Tenchu, Way of the Samurai, and Akiba's Trip series will showcase its past and future in this stream. Company president Takuma Endo will also be present. Acquire has published a teaser trailer for its upcoming game show stream. It shows a quick recap of the company's history, starting with the 1998 PlayStation title Tenchu: Stealth Assassins. Its latest title released to date is Katana Kami: A Way of the Samurai Story, available worldwide on the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The company is also gathering questions from Twitter users on its Japanese account. Takuma Endo will answer some of the questions in the upcoming stream. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtN_rBWmpHg In early 2021, Acquire announced Labyrinth of Zangetsu. The company originally planned to release the 3D dungeon RPG on the PS4, Switch, and PC in 2021. However, it has not published a new press release since then. It instead stealthily updated the product page on its website to remove the platform list and move the release window to 2022. Acquire revealed Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief at New Game Plus Expo 2022 held at the end of March 2022. This game is a remaster of the 2006 PlayStation 2 title that was previously only available in Japan. Acquire will self-publish the title for PS4 and Nintendo Switch in Fall 2022 in Japan as Kamiwaza Tourai. NIS America will help release the global English localization of the game in the same period, with an additional PC version. Acquire Game Show will air on Sunday, June 5, 2022, at 20:00 JST (7 AM ET). The post Acquire Game Show Will Take Place in Early June 2022 appeared first on Siliconera. |
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