Operation Backlog Completion 2026
Jul 192021
 

Dragon Quest XII remains a mystery in many ways, as we still don’t know much about the game itself.

We know from the announcement that there will be some changes to the combat system and possibly a darker tone, and that the story is already complete.

And now we know that those changes, whatever they turn out to be, might be around for a long time.

According to a new interview with Square Enix’s CEO Yosuke Matsuda, translated here by Gematsu, Dragon Quest XII’s development is “taking into account the next 10 to 20 years of the Dragon Quest series.”

He went on to say that, “There are parts that remain consistent with the traditional image of Dragon Quest, but new elements are also necessary. After all, as a brand we always need to innovate.”

Of course, some people are interpreting “new elements” to mean that the series is going to feature action combat from now on, but we still haven’t gotten any clear information about how the combat system is changing. There’s no reason to assume it will be something extreme.

It does sound like they’re planning a notable shift for the series in general, though, or it wouldn’t be necessary to mention that they’re thinking ahead to the next 10-20 years. Here’s hoping it will be a good move, not a disappointment!

How do you feel about the fact that Dragon Quest XII might set the tone for the next decade of Dragon Quest and beyond? What do you think the changes will be like?

Jul 142021
 

This year is the 25th anniversary of the Persona series, and Atlus has opened up an anniversary website.

The website doesn’t say a lot yet, but it teases seven announcements to come.

The first is set for this September, while the last is autumn 2022, with five announcements in between. Before you get too excited, these probably won’t all be for games – but at least some of them should be.

And there’s very good reason to believe one of these announcements will be the official reveal of Persona 6.

In addition to the announcement teasers, Atlus also has revealed anniversary-themed merchandise. One is an acrylic stand featuring posters for each mainline entry in the series. It doesn’t include spin-offs, only the main games… and two “secret” posters at the end.

The merchandise also includes trading cards of the main protagonists… with the final one also being “secret” for now.

A secret image alongside the main protagonists and two secret posters alongside posters of exclusively mainline games really makes this look like Persona 6 is being teased.

As for the others… we’ll just have to wait and see. The first announcement is set for September!

What do you expect the Persona projects to be? Do you think Persona 6 is one of them, and what do you think it will be like?

Jul 122021
 

We have yet to see more from Final Fantasy XVI, but it sounds like development is going quite well.

In a broadcast about Final Fantasy XIV (which I didn’t watch since I don’t want to see spoilers for the later expansions), Yoshida discussed Final Fantasy XVI briefly after Yoko Taro joked that he wants to write its scenario.

According to the translations here, Final Fantasy XVI’s scenario is complete and voice acting has entered the final stages – including the English voice acting.

They want their next reveal to include combat and other features that haven’t been shown yet and want it to be the sort of trailer that makes everyone want to get the game after seeing it.

Apparently they were surprised by the number of people who expected it to be shown at E3, since it wasn’t announced as part of their lineup. It probably won’t be featured at TGS, either (although it sounds like that isn’t completely out of the question). Once everything for the game is set, we’ll get to see it.

While I’m dying to learn more about Final Fantasy XVI, I don’t mind this approach. It’s good to know the scenario is complete, and I’ll be looking forward to that eventual trailer. I hope they’re still able to show it this year.

Some people seem to be taking this as a sign that the game won’t be out for a long time, but the voice acting being in its final stages makes me think the opposite. Maybe the release date isn’t too far off after all.

How do you feel about this approach to Final Fantasy XVI, with the developers waiting for one big reveal instead of a slow release of information? When do you think we’ll see Final Fantasy XVI?