This Week in Games

RIP E3

Hey everyone, it's April Fools’ Day! Unfortunately, I have to submit this the day before April 1^st, which means that by the time you read this, every company out there is going to be yukkin’ it up with their pranks, and I won't be able to cover any of the good ones until next week. It's already April 1^st in Japan, though, and a few folks overseas put their jokes up at the stroke of midnight JST. So far, the most interesting of the JP April Fools’ “jokes” isn't really a joke at all, but an interest check.

This is Prayer to Death, a 1v1 Virtual-On-like third-person head-to-head combat game by Arika. Arika has been hinting about working on a new, original project for a while in-between doing contract work for other companies like Tetris 99 and Chocobo GP, and Prayer to Death looks to be that game. Unveiling new projects on April 1^st is becoming something of a tradition for Arika: they first showed off what would become Fighting EX Layer as a proof-of-concept on April Fools Day a few years back, then announced the mobile version of FEXL on April 1^st a few years later, and then the Switch version of FEXL last year, so this is most certainly a real thing.

It is, however, not a sure thing. Much like with FEXL's initial reveal, Arika's putting Prayer to Death out there to gauge reaction and see if it's worth continuing to develop. This kind of game is fairly niche, and a small dev/publisher like Arika has to be very choosy about where its resources go. But if you like what you see here, commenting on Arika's Twitter or Youtube and RTing the trailer will help show your enthusiasm and interest. I'd like to see Prayer to Death happen!

So let's get on with this week's no-foolin’-at-all news!

E3 2022 IS DEAD, LIKE, EXTREMELY DEAD

Right as I was prepping the opening, news started circulating on Twitter that companies and certain media/influencer types had received word that the digital version of E3 2022 – the replacement for the physical, in-person E3 – has also been cancelled, which… if you've been reading this column for a while or even have just been watching the way game announcements are disseminated nowadays, is hardly surprising.

What is surprising (and somewhat annoying) is that the Entertainment Software Association – the industry lobby that funds the show – is still trying to convince everyone else (and possibly themselves) that E3 2023 is a thing that is going to happen. Their official statement:

“We will devote all our energy and resources to delivering a revitalized physical and digital E3 experience next summer. Whether enjoyed from the show floor or your favorite devices, the 2023 showcase will bring the community, media, and industry back together in an all-new format and interactive experience… We look forward to presenting E3 to fans around the world live from Los Angeles in 2023."

I don't think shitcanning the 2022 show is going to raise any confidence among potential exhibitors or attendees of a theoretical 2023 event, guys. But hey, if you want to waste money attempting to keep E3 on life support instead of using it to oppose game preservation efforts, be my guest.

Meanwhile, Geoff Keighley was circling above the dying E3 2022, ready on social media to swoop down upon its corpse with self-promotion the moment it collapsed.

Look forward to that, I guess?

ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD 2 OR WHATEVER IT'LL WIND UP BEING CALLED IS DELAYED TO 2023

Well… yeah, that header says it all. Zelda BotW2 isn't happening this year. Here's the official announcement, straight from Epona's mouth:

You heard the man. No Zelda until Spring 2023. Personally, I want developers to not be overworked and under constant pressure, so I'm cool with this. Look at it this way: you've now got more time to enjoy that enormous backlog of games you have (something that might get even bigger soon with a certain Sony announcement).

But because everything is a conspiracy theory nowadays, there's a group of folks who believe that this is Nintendo covertly announcing a Switch 2/Switch Pro for Spring 2023. There is some historical precedent for this: Both Twilight Princess and the original Breath of the Wild were delayed, then revealed to be launching on Nintendo's new-at-the-time platform alongside the system it was originally planned for. I have serious doubts about this, but it's not completely implausible… just highly unlikely, seeing as how the Switch is still doing very well in its various forms.

SONY ANNOUNCES ITS GAMEPASS COMPETITOR SERVICE TO A RESOUNDING “meh”

The rumors circulating that Sony would detail its answer to Microsoft's extremely popular Xbox GamePass service were spot-on. Earlier this week, Sony unveiled the particulars of its new service, which merges PlayStation Plus with PlayStation Now and adds a few other benefits… to a general reaction of “that's all?”

The new, three-tiered service operates as follows: PS Plus Essentials is the same as the current PS Plus, meaning you get the usual 2 free games a month, cloud saves, online multiplayer, and so on, and it costs the same as before. PS Plus Extra is $14.99 USD a month ($99.99 USD for a year) and offers you a library of downloadable PS4 and PS5 games, mostly proven hits from across the consoles’ lifespan. The final tier, PS Plus Premium, lets you download or stream PS1/PS2/PSP games, stream PS3 and PS4 games, and offers exclusive demo version of games. Premium is $17.99 per month, or $119.99 for a year. (It should be noted that in markets where game streaming isn't available, this tier will be called Deluxe and offer exclusively downloadable content instead.)

Yeah, this sounds a lot more like Nintendo Switch Online's Expansion Pass than the Xbox Game Pass, doesn't it? While you could argue that tying everything into a tiered PS Plus subscription is less confusing than the sometimes-separate-unless-you-buy-Ultimate Xbox Live and Xbox GamePass, if you don't play online much then you've still got the option to enjoy GamePass at a cheaper price. The other big thing is that Sony's indicated that new releases will not be available on this service – a stark contrast to Microsoft, who have not shied away from putting heavy hitters like Halo Infinite on GamePass day one. The ability to access a massive catalog of both brand-spanking-new and old titles is what's helped make GamePass so successful. Sony's just looking obnoxiously stubborn and protective. No, you will not get to hang out with Mad Dad Kratos unless you pay the traditional 59.99, cheapskate!

Still, Sony's library of old games is undeniably excellent, and if they can offer me the ability to download and play rare and expensive PS1/2 obscurities at a good price (and with acceptable emulation quality) then I could see myself tempted to throw a couple extra bucks their way. But I'm definitely in the minority, so I think the middle (Extra) tier is likely to be the most popular choice for the masses… but a lot of folks might just ignore the additions entirely and stick with the standard PS Plus. I guess we'll see how it'll play out. Now, when do we get free Crunchyroll with our PS Plus subs, Sony…?

NEW GAME+ EXPO DELIVERS SOME PLEASANT SURPRISES

It's that time again for niche publishers like Idea Factory, Aksys Games, NIS, Natsume, and Inti Creates to show off what they've got in store for later this year! While New Game+ conjures up images of RPGs, there was a lot of variety in the types of games showcased: scrolling action games, visual novels, dungeon crawlers, action-RPGs, open-world adventures, just a nice little mix of stuff. Let's have a look at what was shown.

Pocky & Rocky Re-shrined is one I'm super excited for. It might look like a simple remake of the SNES game at first glance, but there's a lot more going on and I am here for all of it. It's nailed down for a June 24^th release date on Switch and PS4.

One of the most pleasant surprises of the show was NIS America announcing they've licensed Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief for Switch and PS4. This is a game developed by Acquire, the folks behind the criminally underappreciated Way of the Samurai open-world games, but instead of an honor-driven samurai, you're a desperate career thief attempting to save his daughter from illness by doing what you do best. This is a remake of a PS2 title of the same name that never made the voyage overseas, and if you've played the Way of the Samurai titles you'll have a good idea of what to expect. And if you haven't played Way of the Samurai, you still might want to check Kamiwaza out. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Also coming from NIS is a compilation of Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure and La Pucelle: Ragnarok… two games which weren't actually published by NIS when they first released in North America, since NIS America didn't exist. But now they do!

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is also coming to PS5, which seems a bit unnecessary… but hey, if more people play it, that's swell!

Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 now has a global release date of June 28^th on Switch. Also, Keiji Inafune has emerged from hiding to oversee its development. Will this be his successful parole appeal from the prison of public perception?

Also, the super-adorbs kemono shooter Horgihugh and Friends will launch June 16^th on Switch. June's lookin’ like a pretty swell month for retro-style action fans.

Hey, how about a stylish Japan-themed, sprite-based roguelike before you get into the action stuff? Here's Samurai Bringer, launching next month on the 21^st of April on PS4/Switch/PC via Playism.

There's also Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi, a hardcore dungeon-crawling RPG published by Aksys and developed by Wizardry-like specialty developer Experience Inc. The PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC versions are already out, but if you must have Undernauts on the most advanced hardware available, then you'll be good to go this summer.

Idea Factory International had a nice surprise in Dusk Diver 2 for Switch. This is a Taiwan-developed action game from JFI Games. If I'm not mistaken, this might be IFI's first offering that wasn't originally published by their Japanese branch. I'm hoping this will be a sign that they're open to publishing more games from China and Taiwan, because dang, this looks pretty rad! If you can't wait for the console release, both this and its prequel Dusk Diver are currently available on Steam for PC.

Speaking of IFI, they're revisiting their first published otome game release with Amnesia: Memories on the Switch. I enjoyed this game quite a bit when I played through it a few years back, and since the audience for these sorts of games has grown since then, I hope it'll find more fans. Later in the year we'll get Amnesia: Later X Crowd, a compilation of two “fandiscs” that were originally released for the PSP. (Are they considered fandiscs when they're on a cart…?)

But that's not all for IFI's women-targetted offerings. Check out Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei, coming to Switch on the 28^th of June.

Aksys isn't going to let IFI monopolize all of the otome announcements though! Here's Jack Jeanne, a Switch visual novel where heroine Kisa is admitted to a prestigious drama school… that happens to be all-male! Looks like some amusing gender hijinks will be in store.

There's a fair bit more to the presentation, which I recommend watching in full, but I think that covers the highlights. Man, I am going to be SO BUSY playing stuff in June…

ASSORTED NEWSBITS

• MOON. -Re:make- has been announced for Switch. No, this isn't moon, the Yoshio Kimura-helmed RPG deconstruction… though, like that game, MOON. -Re:make- does have a place in gaming history: it was made by many of the staff who would go on to form storied visual novel maker Key. No word on if any staff are returning besides artist Itaru Hinoue, though.
• Shueisha, the massive Japanese publishing house best known among anime fans for being the overlords of all things Shonen Jump, are starting up a games publishing division called… Shueisha Games. Their announced games so far are mostly indie titles through their Shueisha Creators CAMP initiative, but they're promising bigger things down the line, including a “smartphone game by a prominent studio” with art by a Shonen Jump artist, along a new title co-published with a “major publisher” with a “major game studio” developing. Very intriguing…

• There's another Valis collection releasing. The Valis: Fantasm Soldier Collection 2 includes PC Engine Valis IV, the original Valis for Megadrive, and weird spinoff game Syd of Valis, also originally on the Megadrive. Still no sign of the PC-88 originals, though…
• Look, I am so goddamned tired of talking about Activision-Blizzard, if you want to read about one (of many) lawsuits they've settled for a frankly insulting amount you can click here

That's another week for the books, then. Since it's April Fools’ Day, I invite you all to post your favorite company gags in the forums. Or, if you hate Aprils 1^st with a burning passion, you can still discuss everything going on this week, like the death of E3, the delay of Zelda, and all those fresh announcements. As always, the link to join in is just below. Take it easy and enjoy the weekend, and try not to be too disappointed when that awesome announcement you saw online turns out to be complete BS, OK?