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Oninaki Demo Now Available

 Video games  No Responses »  Tagged with: ,
Jul 242019
 

A demo for Tokyo RPG Factory’s upcoming action RPG Oninaki, which we’ve discussed in the past, is available now on all platforms.

The demo has two modes: “Story Mode,” which takes you through the start of the game (and will let you transfer your progress to the main game), and “Battle Mode,” which gives a deeper look at the combat than what is available in the story demo.

I haven’t finished the demo yet, but I played the start earlier today, and I’m intrigued.

Remember when we discussed the premise of Oninaki and how dark it seems? A world where you aren’t allowed to grieve for dead people and might be killed if your grief prevents someone’s soul from moving on certainly sounds depressing, and it’s even clearer in the demo.

I’m not crazy about the main character yet, but some of my favorite games have protagonists who start out unlikable. I’m interested in seeing where the game takes this grim premise.

Gameplay-wise, I wish it was a turn-based RPG, but the action combat felt fine to me. I also enjoyed the look at daemons, lost souls you bond with to use their special abilities in combat. They have their own skill trees, and it sort of reminded me of Blades in Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

Oninaki’s demo has already left me with a better impression than Lost Sphear’s did, although I still need to finish it. Did you try the Oninaki demo?

Oninaki Looks Good So Far

 Video games  1 Response »  Tagged with: ,
Apr 292019
 

We only spoke briefly about Oninaki when it was announced during February’s Nintendo Direct, but it looks like it could be an interesting game.

Oninaki is the third game from Square Enix’s Tokyo RPG Factory studio, after I Am Setsuna and Lost Sphear. Unlike those, Oninaki is an action RPG.

In a recent interview with the PlayStation Blog, Tokyo RPG Factory shared some new details about the game. Reincarnation is a key part of the game’s world, and the main character is a Watcher who helps ensure Lost Souls can move on.

Now, grief for someone who has died can make them become a Lost Soul, so people try not to feel strong emotions. Sometimes Watchers need to kill the people’s whose emotions are preventing a soul from moving on.

That sounds like it could get pretty dark. Later on in the interview, they describe it as a dystopia.

A new trailer is also available, introducing some of the characters and showing more combat.

I still wish Tokyo RPG Factory had stuck with turn-based RPGs, but this game looks like it might surpass their previous two. The story definitely has potential, and I hope it ends up being as interesting as it sounds right now.

In the meantime, I probably should play Lost Sphear sometime… What do you think? And what do you think of what we’ve seen of Oninaki so far?

Astral Chain, Dragon Quest XI S, and More!

 Video games  2 Responses »  Tagged with: , , ,
Feb 152019
 

The recent Nintendo Direct had some great announcements, and one of the biggest surprises was Astral Chain from PlatinumGames.

When the trailer started up, I wasn’t too interested at first. It just struck me as another action mech sort of thing.

Then as it went on, I realized there was more of a focus on the story than I expected. It started to look like a game I might enjoy. I even wondered at one point if it was some sort of Xenoblade Chronicles X thing, except the combat and buildings didn’t seem quite right.

Then the credits showed Kamiya’s name and PlatinumGames, and I was in.

Astral Chain is a new action game for the Nintendo Switch from PlatinumGames, set in a near-future world where a special police force is set up to fight mysterious creatures attacking the world.

It’s also coming out on August 30, so most likely before both Bayonetta 3 and Babylon’s Fall.

(PlatinumGames had also been working on Granblue Fantasy: Relink, but they’ve departed from that project under unclear circumstances.)

I’m a little disappointed that we still haven’t seen anything more from Bayonetta 3, and I keep expecting them to announce a Wonderful 101 port/sequel, but Astral Chain looks really cool and I can’t wait until they reveal more details about it.

The Nintendo Direct also included the official reveal of Dragon Quest XI S… or its full title, Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition, which will have the ability to switch between the HD graphics and the 16-bit style, as well as new content.

I have Dragon Quest XI for the PS4 and planned to start it as soon as I finished God of War, but I held off because I didn’t want to have it in progress when Kingdom Hearts III came out. Now I’m conflicted over whether I should wait for the Switch version or not.

It also turns out that the Rune Factory series isn’t dead! Rune Factory 4 is being remastered for the Switch, and Rune Factory 5 is in development. I’ve never played a Rune Factory game before. Should I?

And Tokyo RPG Factory is trying its hand at an action RPG with Oninaki. I’m a little disappointed they moved away from turn-based, but I’m cautiously optimistic.

What did you think about these games, and the Nintendo Direct overall? What are you looking forward to the most? And when will we learn more about Bayonetta 3?