Operation Backlog Completion 2026
Dec 192022
 

The next Kingdom Hearts mobile game, Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link, was supposed to have a closed beta test this year.

(And yes, it seems Missing-Link is the correct way to write the title.)

The closed beta was delayed, and a recent update on its progress also included a mysterious new emblem.

Well, now the Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link “Prototype Test” has been announced.

This is not a closed beta test, but a smaller-scale test of the game’s functions. It’s only available in Japan and is limited to iOS devices. An actual beta will follow later.

What’s more interesting to me is the new artwork (pictured here) from the website. This is our first real look at Missing-Link, and why can’t I un-see Bloodborne?

At first I saw a tweet that only had a smaller portion of the art, as well as the game’s logo, and I laughed because the character’s outfit reminded me of Bloodborne. Then I got to see the full art and paid more attention to the architecture, and now it makes me think of Bloodborne even more!

I’m not alone in thinking this, and I’ve enjoyed all the Bloodborne Missing-Link memes I’ve been seeing.

So, what can we take from this key art? Despite the Yharnam jokes, the setting appears to be Scala ad Caelum. A lot of fans think the character standing by the lamp post in the background might be Sigurd due to the similar hat and style.

There’s a lot we still don’t know about Missing-Link. It’s set sometime between KHUX and Dark Road, but that’s about it. We also have that new emblem to consider – a new enemy type, perhaps?

Here’s hoping we’ll have more substantial details about Missing-Link before too long, now that things are finally moving again.

Dec 162022
 

We knew it was in development, and now it’s officially been announced: the next game in the Ys series.

Ys X: Nordics will be released for the PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch in 2023.

As detailed here by Gematsu, it is set somewhat early in the series’ timeline (it seems to take place after Ys II) and follows a young Adol exploring a bay made up of numerous islands.

In keeping with this setting, you’ll have control of a ship, which you can use to explore the oceans and fight naval battles.

Now, earlier this year we discussed an interview in which the next Ys game was said to have a “completely different” system. Not only will you have a ship in Ys X, but it also features a new combat system called the Cross Action system.

There will be two combat modes, a Solo Mode in which you control one partner with a partner attacking on their own, and a Combination Mode in which you control both characters as once.

It sounds interesting, so I hope we get to see a trailer with this combat system in action.

Meanwhile, Falcom also announced Ys Memoire: the Oath in Felghana for the Switch for spring 2023, a remastered version of Ys: The Oath in Felghana with newly voiced scenes, the option to switch between classic art and new art, and a high-speed mode and other features, as detailed by Gematsu.

Localization hasn’t been announced for either game yet, so we’ll have to wait a bit to learn when we’ll be able to play them. I still have plenty of Ys games to catch up on in the meantime…

What do you think of Ys X?

Dec 122022
 

It’s been a while since we last heard about Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis, the upcoming mobile game intended to cover the entire Final Fantasy VII Compilation.

It was supposed to receive a beta test this year, but that never happened.

Well, a new trailer has finally comes out, and it turns out the Ever Crisis closed beta test has been delayed to summer 2023. That’s quite a delay, especially for just the beta.

The new trailer shows a glimpse at how you’ll select episodes to play through, combat from different points in the timeline, and a few other scenes, including a look at the Chocobo Farm, where it seems you’ll be able to trade medals for a Chocobo.

(Seeing the “Draws” menu option reminds me that this is unfortunately a gacha game, but I’m still hoping it won’t be too intrusive.)

We also get another look at short-haired, younger Sephiroth at the end of the trailer.

A few scenes show characters fighting in scenes where they don’t belong, but previous interviews had implied that’s a thing for replaying chapters, so I’m not too worried about it. I have mixed feelings about Ever Crisis since I’m not a fan of gacha games, but I’m still interested in seeing what it will be like.

What do you think of Ever Crisis’s latest trailer?