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'Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight' damaged my fictional friendships
Finishing a Japanese role-playing game is always bittersweet. There's a feeling of euphoria, of course, that comes with beating a final boss and watching the credits roll. But it also means saying goodbye to party members that you've spent 30, 60 or potentially hundreds of hours with. The best games in this long-running genre make you truly care for their supporting characters. They flesh them out with interesting backstories and complex personalities that slowly change over time. By the end, they're friends first and damage-dealing lackeys second.
'Demon's Souls' servers are shutting down for good February 28th
One of the coolest things about From Software's original, brutally difficult Demon's Souls was the in-game messaging system. No, you weren't able to pen letters to your friends, but you could drop hints anywhere you wanted in the game — before a nasty drop or difficult set of enemies, for example — that other players would then see as they made their way through the virtual wastelands. Such a system required servers, however. Those holding Demon's Souls' messages have been maintained for years with various reprieves from threatened shutdowns. Now, however, it appears that publishers Sony and Atlus are shutting down the servers for good as of February 28th, 2018.
The best PlayStation 4 games
There's a big reason why the PlayStation 4 is the best-selling console: It has a smattering of games that you can't play anywhere else. Think: blockbusters like Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Horizon: Zero Dawn and Bloodborne. But even if Indiana Jones simulators and massive open worlds where you hunt down robo-dinosaurs aren't your thing, there are still plenty of exclusives to pick from. Whether it's the best baseball video game franchise, a choose-your-own-adventure horror or an engrossing social simulator/JRPG hybrid, there's a lot to play on Sony's latest console. And then there are games from massive third-party publishers like Activision and Ubisoft, along with quirky indie offerings to round out the selection.
Atlus will release 'Shin Megami Tensei V' on Nintendo Switch
Nintendo and Atlus have finally revealed what they've been cooking up for fans since they announced their collaboration in January. The fifth main entry in the Shin Megami Tensei (SMT) franchise is coming to the Switch, and according to GameSpot, it's a console exclusive. Atlus, which is perhaps more widely known for developing SMT's spinoff Persona, has released a teaser trailer of SMT V showing its modern Japan setting, its monsters and (as is par for the course for an SMT title) lots of blood. Think of the SMT franchise as a crazier and darker RPG with Persona's monsters.
Atlus tried to take down a PS3 emulator advertising 'Persona 5'
Atlus has been infamously protective of Persona 5 even before it came out, and it looks like that hasn't changed a bit. The game developer has submitted a DMCA takedown notice against the creators of the PS3 emulator RPCS3 and their Patreon crowdfunding page. Emulators typically fall within the legal gray area of copyright law -- they don't infringe on anybody's intellectual property, but they can run illegal ROMs that do. However, as Kotaku noted, RPCS3's Patreon included updates about how far they are on getting Persona 5 to run on the emulator.
Three new 'Persona' spin-offs are coming, including 'Q2'
Atlus has just announced a trio of new Persona spin-offs. Following on from the 2015 PS Vita rhythm game Persona 4: Dancing All Night are a pair of new Dancing titles based on Persona 3 and Persona 5. A pair of trailers show Aigis and co. bopping to the Persona 3 soundtrack in Dancing Moon Night, while the Persona 5 team shows of its moves in Dancing Star Night. Both games will come to the PlayStation 4 as well as Vita.
Atlus is bringing three great JRPGs to North America for the 3DS
The Switch may have already arrived, but you may want to wait a bit before putting your 3DS in storage. Atlus, which you might know as the studio behind Persona, has just announced that it's releasing three Japanese RPGs for the handheld in the US and Canada. One of them is the latest entry in the Etrian Odyssey franchise, while the other two are remasters of Radiant Historia and Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, two critically acclaimed games originally released for the Nintendo DS. Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth is a dungeon-crawling, map-drawing game chronicling the journey of an adventurer on a quest to reach the top of a towering Yggdrasil tree. It'll be available sometime this fall.
Atlus has change of heart over 'Persona 5' streaming restrictions
Since launching last month, Persona 5 has already comfortably earned its place among the JRPG greats. Yet for streamers, this highly acclaimed title has become more of an archaic headache than a gaming highlight. Upon launch, developer Atlus forbade fans from streaming any content past a certain point in the game, threatening to hit 'offending' fans with copyright claims or even to ban their account. Now, after community outrage, the developer has decided to relax its punitive stance.. slightly.
'Persona 5' took me back to Tokyo
Two years ago I took my first trip to Tokyo. The city exceeded my wildest expectations, an addictive blend of ramen, neon nightlife and tranquil parks. I spent a fortnight exploring the place, absorbing every street, shrine and video game store that wandered into my peripheral vision. It was a glorious adventure, and I would give anything to go back there.
'Persona 5' US release delayed to April 2017
The localized, English version of the highly anticipated JRPG Persona 5 just got an official release date. According to Atlus's John Hardin, Persona 5 will land on PlayStation 4 and PS3 consoles in the US and the rest of the west on April 4th, 2017, with both the Japanese and English dubs available as a free DLC.
'Persona 5' and other Atlus games are coming to Europe
If you're a fan of the Persona series and its stylised take on the JRPG formula, good news -- Persona 5 is coming to Europe. The region was notably absent when the game was announced for the US last month. Now we know why -- Atlus and Sega are relying on Deep Silver, the publisher of Homefront: The Revolution, to distribute the title across the continent. It's an unusual move given that Sega is a publisher in its own right, and perhaps indicative of a wider business decision. Aside from the occasional Sonic game, there's little for the company to get behind these days.
'Persona 5' delayed in the US until February 2017
Unlike Final Fantasy XV, which will be released simultaneously in Japan and the US, Persona 5 will have a split release, and the English translation won't come until February 14th, 2017. That's five months after the Japanese release date of September 15th, 2016.
'Persona 5' gets a new trailer and release date in Japan
Persona, one of the most stylish and contemporary JRPG franchises, is almost ready to make its debut on the PlayStation 4. Developer Atlus held an event today in Japan for the next instalment, Persona 5, dropping a new trailer and plenty of tantalizing gameplay details. More important, however, is the game's new release date: September 15th, 2016. For now that's strictly a Japan date -- there's no word on when a localized version will launch on the PS3 and PS4 in the West. Still, it's a promising development given the game has been delayed multiple times.
Nintendo Direct roundup: 'Mario Maker,' 'Splatoon' and more
Today's Nintendo Direct featured a light feast of sci-fi adventures and fantasy tales, including a new Star Fox game, the return of classic Super Nintendo games (exclusive to the New 3DS handheld), a new Kirby game and the announcement of Monster Hunter Generations for Western audiences. Phew. But that wasn't everything -- we've collected the best trailers and tweets from today's Nintendo Direct below. Feast on this:
Styluses at the ready, Etrian Mystery Dungeon hits in April
Atlus crossover Etrian Mystery Dungeon welcomes map-makers and roguelike-ramblers on April 7. as shown in yesterday's news-stuffed Nintendo Direct. It's $40 for the pleasure of more chartwork, and Atlus is chucking in a free soundtrack with pre-orders and a "limited first-run printing." The new due date applies to North America's retail shelves and eShop, and there's no word yet on a European release. To see how Etrian Mystery Dungeon fuses its franchises, check out the latest trailer below the break. The 3DS game draws character classes and skill trees from the Etrian Odyssey series, while the randomly-generated dungeons and the top-down monster-mashing have a distinct Mystery Dungeon flavor. It's still an Etrian game, however, so you can expect to scribble out some maps on the 3DS' bottom screen.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 3DS remake arrives stateside next year
Atlus announced today that it will publish a revamped version of its 2011 Nintendo DS strategy-RPG Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 for the Nintendo 3DS next year in North America. The publisher notes that Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker "nearly doubles the content of the original Devil Survivor 2," offering a re-localized script, voiced story mode dialogue, and an all-new episode that continues after the events of the game's initial release. The new chapter slots into Devil Survivor 2's narrative by default, and veteran players can jump immediately to the new content at the game's outset. Record Breaker follows up on Devil Survivor Overclocked, a remade version of the first game in the series that launched for the 3DS in 2011. Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker is slated to hit retail and Nintendo's eShop in North America in "early 2015." [Video: Atlus]
Fan-made Persoronpa Q mash-up looks beary interesting
This fan-made recreation of the Persona Q opening with Danganronpa characters is a little old and it's also quite spoiler-ish, but we figured it's still worth highlighting because, well, it's fantastic. Also, since it's apparently open season on crossovers in Japan, maybe it will nudge Atlus and Spike Chunsoft in the right direction, hmm?
Etrian Mystery Dungeon plots odyssey to Americas in 2015
The Etrian Odyssey and Mystery Dungeon crossover is confirmed for the Americas, with Atlus publishing in spring 2015. Titled Etrian Mystery Dungeon, the 3DS mesh of RPG questing and roguelike dungeons is due on retail shelves and the eShop with a $40 price tag. Along with today's announcement, Atlus revealed some details on what to expect from its latest marriage of series. Etrian Odyssey fans can level up heroes through familiar skill trees and "up to 10 classes" that include Landsknecht and Runemaster, before taking on dungeons in four-man parties. Meanwhile, Mystery Dungeon aficionados will be accustomed to the series' randomly generated, loot-stuffed dungeon crawl. As for the perspective, the roguelike wins out on that count; Etrian Mystery Dungeon goes with Spike Chunsoft's top-down, third-person perspective rather than Etrian Odyssey's traditional first-person view.
Persona Q DLC schedule and price points
Persona Q players, listen up. Atlus has laid out the game's DLC release schedule, including prices for each piece. Persona Q launched yesterday, alongside a free bit of DLC, the Kaguya sub-Persona. Available on December 2, the sub-Persona Orpheus Telos is free, while Magatsu Izanagi and Thanatos are $2 apiece. On December 9, players will be able to purchase Margaret, Elizabeth and Theodore navigator voices for $3 each. On December 16, Marie and Nanako voices will be available for $3 each. Atlus has also released a series of four videos designed to help players navigate the labyrinths. See those below. Also, check out our review of Persona Q – overall, we found it to be "excellent." [Image: Atlus]
Etrian Odyssey's next crossover maps out Mystery Dungeon
Just as Persona Q hits the West, Atlus revealed that another Etrian Odyssey crossover is speeding rather than crawling its way onto 3DS. Etrian Odyssey and the Mystery Dungeon sees the map-making dungeon crawler series mix it up with Spike Chunsoft's long-running roguelike, best known in the West for the recent Pokemon spinoffs. The portable mash-up will be in Japanese hands in just a few months' time, starting March 5, 2015 to be specific. As Tiny Cartridge notes, the last time Mystery Dungeon broke out of its Pokeball was some six years ago, when Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon trotted onto Wii. As per the recently-unveiled Etrian Odyssey 5, details are scant at the moment beyond a new trailer, which you can check out below the break. That includes word of a Western release, but both series have traditionally found their way abroad in recent years. Plus, there's some English text right at the end of the video: "Dungeon RPG is forever. This is the new origin."
