Operation Backlog Completion 2025

Psychonauts 2 Has a Publisher, Set for 2018

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Feb 062017
 

Psychonauts 2 has a publisher and a release window!

Starbreeze Publishing has become a “major investor” in the Psychonauts 2 project and will publish the game in 2018.

I’ve never played anything developed or published by Starbreeze, although one of their games (Brothers: A Tales of Two Sons) is in my backlog. Double Fine feels Starbreeze is a perfect partner for Psychonauts 2.

So far, they’ve only discussed digital options, but I hope they decide physical releases are worthwhile for at least some platforms. Currently, Psychonauts 2 is planned for the PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, and Xbox One.

It is set after both the original game and the upcoming VR game, Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin, but you won’t need knowledge of those games to play it.

In this new story, Raz arrives at Psychonaut headquarters, excited to finally become an official Psychonaut, but soon finds himself torn between the laws of the Psychonauts, his loyalty to his friends, and a secret mission that could undo everything for which he has fought so hard.”

Finally, they released some concept art and a tiny amount of gameplay footage in a new video.

When I discussed video game crowd-founding, I mentioned my worries about the campaign. And… I still have concerns. I can see Psychonauts 2 getting too ambitious and spiraling out of control, or stumbling the way Broken Age did.

But Psychonauts is one of my most-recommended games, and I want to believe the sequel will do it justice.

Tales of the Rays Actually Looks Like a Tales Game

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Feb 032017
 

Tales of the Rays is the next free-to-play mobile game in the Tales series… but unlike previous games such as Tales of Link, it actually looks like a Tales game.

It follows two new characters, Ickx (really?) and Mileena, who team up with characters from across the Tales series to save the world from the shadow of destruction.

Notably, Tales of the Rays has a story written by Takumi Miyajima, who wrote for Tales of Symphonia and Tales of the Abyss (and Arc Rise Fantasia).

It also features a new variant of the typical Tales combat system, the “Advanced Flick-LMBS.” In other words, it’s the Linear Motion Battle System designed for touchscreens.

Finally, it has a world map, dungeons, and 3D cutscenes. All of these things make it sound less like a typical mobile RPG and more like a true RPG that happens to be made for mobile devices. Check out the new trailer to see Tales of the Rays in action.

It looks pretty interesting.

Tales of the Rays is due out this year in Japan for iOS and Android. They haven’t said yet if it will get a Western release… but if it does, I just might try it.

The Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Celebration Has Begun

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Feb 012017
 

Final Fantasy’s 30th Anniversary Celebration has officially begun.

Yes, 2017 marks 30 years since Final Fantasy began. It’s crazy to think it’s been around this long.

Square Enix has invited fans to share their Final Fantasy thoughts and memories with the hashtag #FF30th in honor of the anniversary, but that’s not all. This should be a year of Final Fantasy excitement.

They began the celebration with an Opening Ceremony filled with little pieces of Final Fantasy news: no dramatic announcements, but enough to get things rolling.

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age Release Date

The PS4 remaster of Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, will be available on July 11 in North America and Europe, and on July 13 in Japan and Asia.

Notably, The Zodiac Age is a remaster of the Final Fantasy XII International Zodiac Job System, not the original form of the game. IZJS was previously available only in Japan, and most fans consider it to be the superior version.

On a related note, World of Final Fantasy will be getting a new free DLC Champion, Balthier from Final Fantasy XII. They didn’t give a release date for Balthier yet.

Final Fantasy XV DLC

Three pieces of Final Fantasy XV DLC now have release dates:

  • Booster Pack (free version) and Booster Pack+ – February 21
  • Episode: Gladiolus – March 28
  • Episode: Propmpto – June

Although I enjoyed Final Fantasy XV, it seemed frustratingly obvious that some content was being saved for DLC. I’m not sure how I feel about it, but maybe the reviews for these character episodes will be spectacular.

Gladio’s DLC will also include Gilgamesh.

In a new Weekly Famitsu interview, Tabata discussed their progress on VR content and his hopes for a PC release. He also said that making more regions explorable could be possible in the future, but it would take a year’s worth of work to make one.

And according to him, no particular parts of the story were cut out of necessity… which I find a little hard to believe.

Dissidia Final Fantasy: Opera Omnia

Japan is getting a new Dissidia game for iOS and Android. It is available today, February 1.

Final Fantasy VII Remake

And what’s the game on everyone’s mind? The Final Fantasy VII Remake! Not only is 2017 the 30th anniversary of the series, it’s also the 20th anniversary of Final Fantasy VII.

Square Enix unveiled the key visual, which features Cloud and Sephiroth.

(They also released a Kingdom Hearts 3 screenshot celebrating Final Fantasy VII’s anniversary.)

Producer Yoshinori Kitase was also interviewed in Weekly Famitsu. While he didn’t give many concrete details, he mentioned his hopes to “sustain interest” in between releases, because each part of Final Fantasy VII Remake will be separated by more than a few months.

He also said the battle system’s base has been solidified with the help of Tetsuya Nomura and Mitsunori Takahashi. He didn’t confirm or deny the presence of Materia, but said they’re “not going to remove the things that were popular in Final Fantasy VII.”

Finally, he hinted at Square Enix’s interest in a Final Fantasy VI remake.

More Upcoming Final Fantasy Games

And finally, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age and Final Fantasy VII Remake aren’t the only Final Fantasy games in production.

According to brand manager Shinji Hashimoto in his Weekly Famitsu interview, “various projects” are in production, and they’re “not just limited to home games.”

All right, so anyone could have guessed they’re working on something new for Final Fantasy, but this opens the door for speculation. Personally, I’m hoping for more World of Final Fantasy. World of Final Fantasy is a terrific game, but did it sell well enough for a sequel?

What do you hope to see from the Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary?

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