I missed a lot of news during my reluctant break, so let’s take a look at some of the recent video game announcements!
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Heads to the Wii U
The night my computer broke down, I intended to start a blog post about the possibility that Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (aka “Igavania”) had an upcoming stretch goal to bring it to the Wii U.
Well, fervor for this game’s Kickstarter is so strong, not only has its Wii U stretch goal been revealed, but it already crossed it. With seven days left in the campaign, its chances of meeting the PS Vita stretch goal look pretty good as well.
Ritual of the Night not being on the Wii U caused disappointment among fans, so this news was welcome indeed.
Resident Evil Zero Will Be Remastered
After the remaster of the remake of the first Resident Evil game (or as I like to call it, the REmake remake), I’d hoped Capcom would create a full REmake-style remake of Resident Evil 2. However, remastering Resident Evil Zero is a more logical follow-up.
Resident Evil Zero is the newest of the classic main-series titles. Like the Resident Evil “REmake,” it was released first on the GameCube and later ported to the Wii under the “Resident Evil Archives” name. And like REmake, it is now being remastered for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC.
The lack of a Wii U version is disappointing, but I fully expected it when I saw it was Resident Evil Zero. REmake and RE Zero’s Wii versions are both playable on the Wii U, so these remasters bring the Nintendo-exclusive Resident Evil titles to the other consoles.
Now, if a Resident Evil 2 remake is announced for everything but Nintendo, I’ll be less understanding… but there are many reasons to worry about the much-requested “RE2make” already.
For the time being, let’s show some optimism and take this to mean Capcom tested the survival horror waters with the REmake remaster and is ready to try it again!
Nintendo Humble Bundle
Humble Bundle is a great way to get games at a low price while supporting charity. Some bundles are better than others, but I’ve gotten some fantastic games from Humble Bundle… always PC games.
Until now! This new “Nindie” bundle features eleven indie games available on the 3DS and Wii U:
- Pay Any Amount
- Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition (Wii U)
- Woah Dave! (3DS)
- Mighty Switch Force! (3DS)
- Beat the Average
- The Fall (Wii U)
- OlliOlli (Wii U and 3DS)
- Moon Chronicles: Episode 1 (3DS)
- Sportsball (Wii U)
- Gunman Clive (3DS)
- Bit.Trip Presents… Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien (Wii U)
- Pay $10+
- Stealth Inc. 2 (Wii U)
- SteamWorld Dig (Wii U and 3DS)
That’s a nice selection of games, and they make the bundle pretty tempting. (Except Runner2. I hate that game. …Sorry, Bit.Trip fans.)
Bravely Second Localization Confirmed
In a 17-minute “Nintendo Direct Micro,” Nintendo confirmed that the sequel to Bravely Default: Flying Fairy, Bravely Second: End Layer, will be localized in 2016. After Bravely Default’s positive reception, localization of Bravely Second seemed likely, but it’s good to have positive confirmation.
Bravely Default is one of the many games I still need to play. Hopefully I’ll get it done before Bravely Second comes out.
Final Fantasy Updates
My feelings toward Final Fantasy XIII are less than stellar, but I’ve tried not to let that dampen my enthusiasm toward the series. Final Fantasy XV looks pretty cool, even if I am unhappy with how open it is.
(I know, I complained about FF XIII for being too linear, and now XV for being too open? Yes. Semi-linear is my favorite style. …I also miss world maps.)
Yesterday, Final Fantasy XV’s director, Hajime Tabata, revealed new details about changes to the game, such as the removal of the character called Stella. When Luna started to appear in trailers, some fans worried Stella had been cut. It seems their worries were founded.
According to Tabata, Stella was created for Final Fantasy Versus XIII. With the shift to Final Fantasy XV, and the story changes that involved, she no longer fit as well, so they decided to use a different heroine. On the surface, it may seem silly to replace her instead of simply changing the character, but as a writer, I understand.
To be honest, when I first saw Luna, thought she was the same character shown previously, but several fans who followed Versus XIII more closely are disappointed by the loss of Stella.
Stella Nox Fleuret
Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, a completely different character
Keeping the same last name makes me wonder if Stella is secretly still in the game, just in a new role… but for now, I’ll take their word for it. Stella is out, Luna is in.
I have not played the Final Fantasy XV demo, Episode Duscae, in part because I don’t have a PS4 or Xbox One to play it on. Well, it may not be coming to any other systems, but the game Episode Duscae accompanied is! Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is coming to Steam.
What I’ve heard about Type-0 has intrigued me, but I’m still a little uncertain. It gets mixed reviews, and I’ve heard it has some RTS elements.
On the other hand, it has a world map!
That’s it for this round up of important announcements I missed during my absence. Of course, there’s been other gaming news as well–Fallout 4 and the like. Let me know in the comments below any other recent video game announcements you would have included in this list, and stay tuned for an announcement that made me so excited, it deserves its own blog post.
