Operation Backlog Completion 2026

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Trailer Shows New Content

 Video games  4 Responses »  Tagged with: , ,
Jan 102025
 

Yesterday, Nintendo shared a new trailer for the upcoming Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition.

I’m still in shock that we’re finally getting a Xenoblade Chronicles X remaster, and the new trailer made me even more excited.

It shows some UI improvements (including the text being bigger now), an on-screen Overdrive guide, and similar adjustments, but the best part for me is the greater look at the new content.

We knew from the announcement trailer that the Definitive Edition would expand on the original game’s final scene, which showed a mysterious figure known as the “Black Knight” in the art book. The new trailer expands on that… and more.

The final part of the trailer shows a new area, with floating islands that the player is exploring. This will most likely be the area we explore in the new story content. It looks beautiful, and I can’t wait to see what secrets it holds.

But that’s not all.

Besides the Black Knight (now with a few hints as to his identity), we also see a new character in strange armor who appears to be an ally, as well as a new Qlurian character.

The especially interesting thing about the Qlurian is that she was also in the art book.

Named Neilnail, she never appears in the original game, but now it seems she’ll have a role to play in the remaster.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is a game I wanted for a long time just because a port or remaster would increase our chances of getting a sequel. Now, it looks like it will not only expand the epilogue with new story content, but also include content that was originally planned but didn’t make it into the final game. The only disappointing thing for me is that they still haven’t revealed any sort of special edition.

Are you planning to get Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition when it launches on March 20?

Capcom is “Making Preparations” for The Great Ace Attorney’s Anniversary

 Video games  2 Responses »  Tagged with: , , ,
Jan 062025
 

Since we had all of our end-of-year / start-of-year posts to go through, I held off on discussing this until now, but it’s been on my mind ever since I saw it.

Each December, many video game developers and publishers make a short statement about what they have planned for the next year. These are often vague, but sometimes they offer intriguing hints about upcoming announcements.

From this year’s messages, translated here by Gematsu, there was one in particular that caught my eye.

You see, 2025 is the 10th anniversary of The Great Ace Attorney.

It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole 10 years since The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures first came out in Japan on the 3DS. We had to wait all the way until 2021 to finally get an official localization! Now the second game in particular has become one of my all-time favorites, and there’s nothing I’d like to see more than more Great Ace Attorney games.

Anyway, Kei Hashimoto, a programmer with Capcom, said that they’re “making preparations to ensure everyone can enjoy the 10th anniversary” of The Great Ace Attorney.

That statement doesn’t necessarily mean they’re making a new game. It could be anything. It could just be merchandise, or even a special event in Japan. It’s too early to get excited.

On the other hand, we still don’t have a satisfactory explanation for the mysterious Van Zieks captions, and I still hope they were misplaced dialogue from a Great Ace Attorney Investigations game. Between the captions, the 10th anniversary, and this statement about celebrating, I can’t help but feel a little more optimistic.

Click for major The Great Ace Attorney 2 spoilers
Also, 2025 is the Year of the Snake, and Kazuma’s prosecutor design has snake inspirations/motifs, so basically this would be the perfect year for a game with him as a central character.

I remain hopeful that a new Ace Attorney game will be announced this year. I’d assumed it would be Ace Attorney 7, but if we get a new Great Ace Attorney game instead, I certainly won’t complain.

How do you think Capcom intends to celebrate the 10th anniversary?

Operation Backlog Completion 2025

 Video games  6 Responses »
Jan 032025
 

It’s getting worse!

So, after finishing 66 games in 2023 instead of the 100 I’d hoped for, I set last year’s backlog goal at 75 games… and finished 45.

The reasonable thing to do now would be to drop this year’s goal to 50, but I’m going to stick with 75. After all, last year’s numbers were hindered by me playing some very long games. If it repeats itself this year, then I’ll consider lowering the goal.

Operation Backlog Completion 2025

So how about those specific goals? Out of the 26 games I said I intended to play last year, I finished 5, have 2 in progress, and intend to start 1 this month. Plus one was delayed, so that doesn’t count.

Okay, that’s better! For this year, I’ll keep the remaining games from that list and add my most-anticipated games of the year, plus Stellar Blade because I intended to play it last year but got sidetracked by other games (and Nine Sols, because I was a backer), which gives us:

  • Batman: Arkham Knight (followed by Arkham Origins)
  • The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings (followed by The Witcher 3)
  • Dragon Quest XI
  • Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition
  • Yooka-Laylee (unless I decide to wait for the remake)
  • Aurion: Curse of the Kori-Odan
  • Dies Irae
  • The Great Gaias
  • Trails in the Sky the 3rd (followed by Trails from Zero)
  • Triangle Strategy
  • The Good Life
  • Tokyo Xanadu eX+
  • Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
  • Final Fantasy XVI
  • Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (assuming it comes out)
  • Metaphor: ReFantazio
  • Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
  • Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
  • Stellar Blade
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Professor Layton and the New World of Steam
  • The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy
  • Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition
  • Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
  • Nine Sols

Of course, quite a few of these are long games, so I might be setting myself up for failure. But they’re games I’ve intended to play for a long time, and maybe this will be the year!

(Speaking of which, last year did not end up being my “Year of Trails,” since I only played one. And it was long. Very long. But hey, aiming to finish two this year will at least put me on the path toward catching up.)

I still believe I’ll play every game on my backlog someday. Do you have any specific gaming goals in mind for this year?

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