Operation Backlog Completion 2026
Nov 132020
 

There have been several “Ultimania” books released for the Kingdom Hearts series over the years, but they’ve never been available in English.

So every time an Ultimania comes out, most of us rely on fan translations to learn about the interviews, explanations, and other story details included in these books.

For the first time, however, a Kingdom Hearts Ultimania is getting an English release.

Dark Horse Books will publish Kingdom Hearts Ultimania: The Story Before Kingdom Hearts III on June 15, 2021 for $44.99, with preorders available now.

Titled Kingdom Hearts Series Memorial Ultimania in Japan, this was first released in 2014 as a recap of the games leading up to Kingdom Hearts III.

So no, we won’t be getting new insight into Kingdom Hearts III and the upcoming new saga from this.

But even though it’s an old one, it’s exciting to finally get an official English Kingdom Hearts Ultimania. Hopefully this will just be the first of many to come.

Nov 112020
 

The Silver 2425, a collection that includes Suda51’s The Silver Case and its sequel The 25th Ward: The Silver Case, is coming to the Switch next year.

The news made me realize that while you can still read my review of The Silver Case, my 25th Ward review (which I reviewed on another site as a freelancer) is gone. Even the Wayback Machine can’t find it.

So in honor of these games coming to the Switch, I’d like to revive my 25th Ward: The Silver Case review and talk about a weird sequel to a weird game.

The Silver Case is a strange, confusing visual novel with adventure game elements that had me intrigued in the story even when I didn’t know what was going on. The 25th Ward is much the same, and I’d say it’s even weirder.

Sometimes it’s a dark, grim noir mystery, while other times it veers into dark humor. That aspect came through much stronger than in The Silver Case. There are times when The 25th Ward is hilarious, but never in a way that really distracts from its disturbing tone.

The gameplay can be tedious, and just like in its predecessor, it feels unnecessary at times. The story is the major focus.

Set six years after The Silver Case, it follows three different stories this time. These three stories slowly come together, and there are connections back to the original game, too. It can be pretty difficult to follow, and the whole thing is strange and surreal, but once again I found myself invested in the story – not to mention waiting to see what wild and bizarre thing it might do next.

The 25th Ward: The Silver Case is not a game for everyone, but if you enjoyed The Silver Case, you’ll probably enjoy its sequel too.

While the Switch version of The Silver 2425 hasn’t been confirmed for an English release yet, the English website mentions it and Suda51 said during the announcement that he’d like to release it in English. Have you played The Silver Case or The 25th Ward? Are you interested in The Silver 2425? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Nov 092020
 

Since November 7 has become known as “N7 Day,” it’s a chance each year to get Mass Effect news from BioWare.

This year, the hopes came true, as they confirmed the long-rumored next-gen remasters of the Mass Effect Trilogy, in a collection called Mass Effect Legendary Edition due out in Spring 2021, and also teased the next Mass Effect game.

Well… “teased” might be a little strong, since all they really did was confirm they have a new Mass Effect currently in development from a “veteran team.” However, they also shared an image (pictured above) together with the news.

The image shows a ship on an unknown planet with four silhouetted figures standing next to it.

If you check the URL of the image in the announcement, its title appears to be “mud skipper,” suggesting that’s the name of this new ship (or type of ship). The silhouettes seem to include a salarian, a drell, and possibly an angara.

Based on the possible presence of an angara, the new game is most likely Andromeda 2. This has caused some division among fans, since some hoped the next game would be completely removed from Andromeda. Personally, I don’t mind. I had mixed feelings about Andromeda, but there’s nothing inherently wrong with its setting. If Andromeda 2 has more interesting worlds, better dialogue choices, and (please) a better villain, it could be a great game.

Dragon Age 4 will probably be out first, and that will probably help shape how confident I am in the next Mass Effect game, as well.

Meanwhile, I doubt I’ll get the Mass Effect Legendary Edition, but it reminded me that I never actually played the Citadel DLC despite all the praise it gets. Maybe I ought to finally do that.

Are you planning to buy the Mass Effect trilogy remaster? What are your hopes for the new Mass Effect game? Share your thoughts in the comments!