Monthly Archives: June 2019

Circuit Superstars Announced by Square-Enix at E3 2019

The Square Enix Collective announced a new game in their lineup during E3 2019 – Circuit Superstars, which is a unique racing game. It will launch in 2020 on the Xbox One, Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC. Circuit Superstars will combine arcade-style racing with a more realistic driving model, that will let players jump in and race, but also provides a higher skill-ceiling for those seeking it. Rallies, GT, Classic Cars, and even trucks are some of the race types players will be able to enjoy.

Original Fire Games is a six-person team, originally started by three siblings from Mexico (Carolina, Carlos, and Alberto Mastretta). Together they have a combined total of 14 years in game development, as well as more than 15 accumulated years of real motor racing experience – and it’s this experience they’ve drawn from to make an accessible game with a realistic edge.

“Over the last three decades we have seen a fascinating evolution of racing games,” says Carolina Mastretta, Director & Producer at Original Fire Games. “And these days, we can drive almost any type of car on amazing recreations of the best tracks in the world. However, we believe it’s time to try something different, and we want to do this by reviving a style that pioneered the racing genre decades ago.”

Phil Elliott, Director of Indie Publishing at Square Enix (and avid racing fan) is excited to be bringing Original Fire’s debut game onboard. “Here at Square Enix Collective, we’ve been hoping to find a great racing game for some time – and we’re so happy to be working on Circuit Superstars. It’s one of those rare games that has charm and style, but also an edge to the handling that makes you strive to get better with each lap you drive.”

Dragon Quest Builders Announces Release Date and Downloadable Demo

A free demo for Dragon Quest Builders 2 was revealed during the Square-Enix Press Conference, and it’s arriving on June 27th, 2019. This demo will let players get a feel for the gameplay, introduce new story and characters, as they prepare to deal with the Children of Hargon. The power of creation is gone from the land, and it’s up to the Builders to bring it all back. They will also be several bonuses for people who pre-order the game, as well as for players who had the original Dragon Quest Builders and Playstation Plus users.

The Digital Deluxe version comes with the Season Pass, that includes three DLC packs that will come after launch – these will give access to recipes, hairstyles, clothing and new areas to explore. The Season Pass can also be purchased separately for 20.99. The Season Pass information is listed below. Dragon Quest Builders 2 releases on July 12th on the Playstation 4.

All pre-orders: Will receive recipes for an in-game Medicinal Herb Decoration, a Dragon Quest Logo Decoration, and a Chimaera Wing Decoration.
Physical pre-orders from select retailers: Will receive an adorable magnet sheet featuring the heroes, building blocks and iconic slimes, at participating retailers.

Digital pre-orders: Will receive in-game Sigil Block recipes for players looking to decorate their buildings with icons denoting the sun, stars, moon, water, and soul, as well as a DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2 PlayStation®4 system theme.

PlayStation Plus users: Users from July 12th will receive a Pixel Decoration of Legendary Heroes as well as a Portrait of Legendary Heroes recipe.
Players with a save from DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS: Will receive a classic Builder Outfit from the original title and the obstinate Dragonlord’s Throne recipe.

Season Pass Information:

  • Hotto Stuff Pack – Includes more than 40 recipes to help players design and decorate structures in the style of the Hotto Steppe – a popular resting area in a distant land. Players will also gain access to an all-new island with the materials needed to build these new recipes.
  • Aquarium Pack – The world of DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2 has become your oyster. A fishing island awaits you, where you can learn how to catch and breed 40 different fish that can be added to your own DIY aquarium. Unlock an additional tool, the fishing rod, as well as customization options and apparel fit for a waterbound adventure.
  • Modernist Pack – This set includes over 70 recipes for modern-looking structures, hairstyles, and clothing. Build a luxury hotel, modern condominiums and more with the largest new set of recipes yet.

Final Fantasy VII Reveals an AVALANCHE of Information During E3 2019

Square Enix brought the Final Fantasy VII Remake information and footage to E3 2019, showcasing an in-depth gameplay feature, and information on the special editions, ahead of next year’s release. The Final Fantasy VII Remake is a reimagining of the classic RPG, and the first part of it will feature a fully standalone experience in the city of Midgard, that will provide a perfect starting point to the series. Final Fantasy VII Remake will also have a hybrid battle system, combining the ATB system with real-time combat to create strategic, fascinating battles.

The Deluxe Edition, available to pre-order now, contains a hardback art book featuring stunning concept art, a Mini-Soundtrack CD, Summon Materia DLC allowing players to summon Cactuar in game, and a Sephiroth SteelBook® Case. The Digital Deluxe Edition contains a digital art book, a digital Mini-Soundtrack, and Summon Materia DLC allowing players to summon Carbuncle and Cactuar in game. Final Fantasy VII Remake will be available first on the Playstation 4 on March 3rd, 2020, with an English, Japanese, French and German voiceover, and English, French, LatAm Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian, German and Spanish subtitles.

The “1st Class Edition” includes all Deluxe Edition content, the Carbuncle Summon Materia DLC, as well as a Play Arts Kai Cloud Strife and Hardy Daytona box set (bundled separately), which is available to pre-order in limited quantities from the SQUARE ENIX Store.

In addition, details of the game’s voice cast were unveiled, including:

  • Cloud, voiced by Cody Christian (All American, Teen Wolf)
  • Barret, voiced by John Eric Bentley (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Independence Day: Resurgence)
  • Aerith, voiced by Briana White (Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, Occupants)
  • Tifa, voiced by Britt Baron (GLOW)
  • Jessie, voiced by Erica Lindbeck (Spider-Man, Persona 5, ThunderCats Roar)
  • Biggs, voiced by Gideon Emery (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Teen Wolf)
  • Wedge, voiced by Matt Jones (Breaking Bad)
  • Sephiroth, voiced by Tyler Hoechlin

Ashes of Oahu Development Blog – Take Down Outposts, Liberate the Island

Ashes of Oahu

Ashes of Oahu’s Wyrmbyte have a new developer blog, which can be found at this link. It talks about Outposts in Oahu, which are bases scattered about that are up for the taking from the hordes of the Pig God. A crucial part of gameplay, the more outposts the Raiders have, the more powerful they become – you want to curtail that at all costs. So the goal is to destroy their Raiders and take over their homes for yourself. The first Outpost players will come across is the Hanamura Parking Lot Outpost, which is heavily guarded.

There are several ways you can assault an outpost. Sometimes you’ll be best served by sniping guards from long distances, at other times you’ll want to sneak up on guards using the bushes to provide Kai with cover. Each outpost, however, will require slightly different tactics and you’ll want to adjust accordingly. Some outposts may not provide any bushes where you can hide, while another is in a location where the player has no mana to pull from. The Raiders will actively patrol the outposts searching for intruders. You can use this to your advantage and toss rocks to distract a Raider.

Be careful, they can and will call out for help if someone/something is suspicious, but you can throw rocks and things to distract them. Ultimately this is an important part of gameplay, and whomever controls an outpost, the encounters in that area will be affected by them- if you control it, you may see more of your allies/that faction, and if it’s controlled by Raiders, you’ll see more of them to deal with.

The Surge 2 – E3 2019 Trailer

The Surge 2 is coming from Deck13 and Focus Home Interactive, in the next part of an Action-RPG series. They revealed during E3 2019 that the game will release on September 24th, 2019, and the video also features a song by The Prodigy, The Day Is My Enemy. Those trapped within the walls of Jericho city face a technological apocalypse that threatens to consume all, and it’s up to you to reveal the truth of this disaster. The Surge 2 will release on PS4, Xbox One and PC, and while the rich and wealthy live above all without fear, those without have to deal with self-evolving nanobeasts and other horrors.

Square Enix E3 2019 Conference Highlights

Few games for the Playstation were as iconic or as groundbreaking as Final Fantasy VII. Square Enix began its showcase with the remake of one of the most powerful and compelling stories in video game history.

We saw an amazing extended gameplay of Final Fantasy VII Remake where Cloud and Barret encounter a fearsome Scorpion Sentinel boss. It was great to see some of the gameplay mechanics in action.

Square told us how excited they are about this project, which is understandable, since it originally catapulted them into the modern gaming age. We then received an extended version of the trailer they debuted during a concert yesterday, including a first look at Tifa and Sephiroth, as well as the March 3rd 2020 release date.

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Remastered coming to Switch was announced some time ago, but it will also be arriving on PS4 and Mobile Devices, with online cross play.

The Last Remnant, which as Ragachak says was criminally underrated, is being released in a remastered version on Nintendo Switch as of tonight, June 10th, 2019. Perhaps this will give the game the attention it always deserved.

Dragon Quest Builders 2 was up next, and this game is exponentially larger than its precursor. I hope to see Ragachak play it when it releases July 12th. There will also be a demo available June 27th. So far, it looks like this might be exclusive to PS4.

All new world premier Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers trailer raised the roof. Final Fantasy XIV shows that it continues to be a force to be reckoned with in the MMORPG world.

SaGa series re-emerges from the shadows with two new titles: Romancing SaGa 3 makes its debut in the west with an HD remastered version. This will not only find its way to consoles, but also mobile devices. SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions is also in development for European and North American Audiences.

War of Visions, a Final Fantasy Brave Exvius spinoff, also looked really damn good.

Outriders, a brand new People Can Fly studios IP, will show up some time in Spring 2020, and the cinematic has me quite intrigued. 1-3 players will drop in and out of this co-op shooter set in an all new universe. Frankly, I’m happy to see all the co-op games this year!

Oninaki will arrive August 22nd of this year for Switch and Steam, and looks to have some heavy potential.

Final Fantasy VIII gets a remaster announcement. Another one that might be a PS4 exclusive, but that’s speculation based on the fact the only place I could find the trailer was the PS4 YouTube channel.

Finally, Marvel Avengers will have single player and co-op, and an original story line. The game will drop May 15th of 2020. Travis Wilingham, who has voiced Thor in the past, will do so again for the game, and Laura Bailey, his co-star on Critical Role, will voice the Black Widow.