resonance-of-fate
Latest
Sega's JRPG Resonance of Fate pops up on PSN
The PlayStation 3 version of Sega and developer Tri-Ace's cult hit JRPG Resonance of Fate resurfaces on the PlayStation Network this week as a downloadable title, arriving more than four years after its initial retail release. In Resonance of Fate, players control a Private Military Firm who must trek across a dystopian Earth, fulfilling client requests and outgunning monsters in uniquely cinematic combat sequences. If you haven't yet experienced Resonance of Fate, this oddball scene in particular might win you over. It's...quite a thing. Resonance of Fate is priced at $19.99. An Xbox 360 Games on Demand version is also available. [Image: Sega]
Swag Sunday: Resonance of Fate (360) [update]
Update: We've closed the comments and will contact a winner shortly. Keep an eye on your inbox, folks! There you were, lazing away a Sunday afternoon, when out of nowhere we throw you into an arena and start resonatin' stuff. Nope, it's not a dream -- it's a weird allusion to tri-Ace developed JRPG Resonance of Fate. And rather than sit here reading our weird allusions, why not spend your time actually playing the game in real life? Well you're one step closer to that possibility if you enter our contest below, wherein we'll be giving one lucky winner one copy of the game for their Xbox 360. All you have to do is tell us about something so memorable from your life that it resonated throughout your own fate. Okay, okay, that's a bit serious. It can just be something memorable from your life, as long as it's clean and, preferably, funny. Drop it into the comments below and we'll pick one of you at random this week as a winner. You've got 24 hours starting ... now! Leave a comment telling us something memorable from your life, as long as it's clean and, preferably, funny. You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec, because of restrictive sweepstakes laws in the province, unfortunately -- we assure you that we love the Quebecois!). Limit 1 entry per person per day. This entry period ends at 8:01PM ET on Monday, April 19. At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive one copy of Resonance of Fate for Xbox 360 (ARV: $59.99). For a list of complete rules, click here. What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition. For more info on our policy, click here.
Resonance of Fate launches March 16 (yes, one week after Final Fantasy XIII)
We've already pointed out a handful of times that there are just a few too many JRPGs boldly standing up against Final Fantasy XIII's near-guaranteed dominance in terms of sales. It seems that at least one of those is moving out of its previously believed same-day release date with FFXIII, with Sega telling us in a press release yesterday afternoon that the it's "happy to announce that Resonance of Fate, the next RPG coming from tri-Ace, will be launching in North America on March 16" on both Xbox 360 and PS3. Clearly Sega is counting on die-hard FF fans to rush through the big release in under 168 hours, just in time for its bullet-riddled affair. We'll certainly see how it all shakes out in a few months when the sales numbers arrive, but we're betting the ground will be littered with chocobo feathers when it does. %Gallery-63415%
Resonance of Fate destined for European launch on March 26
JRPG Resonance of Fate, known by the equally ridiculous name of End of Eternity in Japan, will make its way to Europe on March 26, according to a Sega fact sheet. The title debuted to respectable numbers in Japan last month and currently has no official release date in the States, but GameStop seems to think it's March 9 -- yeah, that Final Fantasy XIII March 9. Now, go ahead and watch that four-minute opener to the game again. %Gallery-83379%
Dragon Quest VI remake approaches 1m Japanese sales in first week
The debut of the Dragon Quest VI remake for DS proves that a Dragon Quest game doesn't have to be entirely new to sell like crazy in Japan -- just new enough. In its first week at retail, January 25–31, the new version of the classic Super Famicom RPG sold 906,458 copies, according to Media Create, making it by far the top-selling game of the week. A pair of other newly-released RPGs also did quite well: the PS3 version of tri-Ace's shooty-RPG End of Eternity (we call it "Resonance of Fate") landed in second place on the weekly software chart with 118,088 units sold (the Xbox version charted respectably at #8, selling 27,048 units) and Ar Tonelico 3 hit #4 with 81,633 copies sold. Even the Japanese release of MAG managed to make it into the top ten! See the complete weekly top ten sales list after the break.
Fall through the four minute opening to Resonance of Fate
For what it's worth, every bit of Resonance of Fate we've seen so far looks mighty enticing. From gorgeous screenshots, to long dramatic CG trailers, to those full of bullets (and even some gameplay), Tri-Ace's upcoming RPG certainly gives us the impression it'll be a blast to play -- heck, we even enjoyed our first hands-on with the game back at TGS 2009. All that said, even in light of the four-minute-long opening we've dropped above (from the Japanese Xbox 360 version, titled End of Eternity), we're about as worried as can be for any game set to release alongside Final Fantasy XIII. Will the intensity of the opening scene's suicide jump entice you enough to snag a copy over the much ballyhoo'd Square Enix release? We're not quite sure, but it certainly got our zipper-clad boots all in a tussy. %Gallery-83379%
Sega offers up a mess of new Resonance of Fate screens
We'll be frank -- there are quite a few JRPGs heading to consoles in the next few months. From Last Rebellion to White Knight Chronicles to Final Fantasy XIII, it's kinda hard to get excited for yet another in Resonance of Fate. That being said, the game's screens and video have thus far been unbelievably impressive (with the new gallery below serving to further that point), and our last hands-on with game was fairly positive. We'll do our best to remember all of that when the game releases on the same day as FFXIII. Seriously. %Gallery-83379%
Last Rebellion heading to Europe March 12, US 'in February'
You can imagine our surprise when we discovered Nippon Ichi's Last Rebellion had gotten itself a release date -- it's been nearly nine months since we last heard anything on the title (and that was its announcement!). The game's set to hit PlayStation 3 consoles on March 12 in Europe and 'February' for North America, just in time for those of you who love JRPGs yet are stridently against the purchase of Final Fantasy XIII. In fact, between the release of FFXIII on March 9, Resonance of Fate launching the same day, and now this, we're inclined to rename the whole month with a JRPG theme. How about "Manarch?" Maybe "Marchic?" Perhaps "Marchlotsofbeltsandzippers?" Alright, alright -- we've clearly gone too far. %Gallery-63008%
Resonance of Fate demo available on Xbox Live and PSN in Japan
Interested in Resonance of Fate but afraid of being burned by another tri-Ace RPG? If you have access to a Japanese PlayStation Network account or (less likely) a Japanese Xbox 360, you can sample the game today. Sega released a demo of the gunplay RPG in Japan, with a tutorial that Siliconera reports is easy enough to follow along with even in Japanese. We were able to suss out the mechanics during TGS with little issue, but we doubt the downloadable demo includes a Sega rep, as our TGS demo did. What won't be easy to follow along with is the story and dialogue -- but referring once again to Star Ocean 4, maybe that's not the worst thing.
Here's a bunch of pretty moving pictures from Resonance of Fate
Listen, we don't need to understand the primary language used in a trailer to know that it's completely awesome. After the break, you'll find a six-and-a-half-minute-long Japanese trailer for Resonance of Fate (or, as its called overseas, End of Eternity), and while we don't really understand what's being said, the video possesses plenty of the universal language: Totally rad gun ... shooting. Gun action. Firearm discharging ... coolness. Okay, there's not really a word for the video's awesome properties, but we trust that you'll know them when you see them. %Gallery-67029%
Resonance of Fate destined for Japan on January 28
Resonance of Fate was given a North American release window of spring 2010 way back in May, leaving the question of its Japanese release (as End of Eternity) unanswered -- until just now. Sega previously launched a cute "count-up" site to reveal the date, which has finally arrived at January 28, 2010*. The official game site now shows this information, as well.Earlier this month, producer Mitsuhiro ShimanoIn told Joystiq that, with Resonance of Fate development on schedule, Sega had the freedom to set the Japanese release date "when it's going to be the best time to fully reach the potential." Apparently, the best time is ... a month after Final Fantasy XIII?*Note: At the time of this posting, our browser still shows that several hours remain, suggesting that the counter is based on one's local time zone.[Via Andriasang]
Interview: tri-Ace and Sega on Resonance of Fate
Immediately after I got my first chance to play Resonance of Fate, with my ears still ringing from virtual gunfire, I met with director Takayuki Suguro (tri-Ace) and producer Mitsuhiro Shimano (Sega) to discuss the futuristic title. In our brief chat, the developers talked about the unique setting, the guns, and the difficulties of making both a multiplatform game and a game designed for a worldwide audience. And if you ever wondered what tri-Ace does to unwind after a hard day at the RPG mines, that happens to come up too. %Gallery-63415%
TGS 2009: The Recap Post
Last week, the Tokyo Game Show brought in over 100 posts worth of news, previews, interviews, galleries, and videos. Clearly, a lot happened. If you're looking for a comprehensive list of all the goings-on during TGS 2009, Joystiq has you covered -- and organized! Click on a platform below to scan the highlights: (On the far right: that's "News" and "Culture" on the top and bottom, respectively)
TGS 2009: Resonance of Fate trailer, now with 100% fewer bullets
The first TGS trailer for Resonance of Fate (End of Eternity in Japan) had us very excited due to its unique John Woo-inspired bullet-riddled action. However, the second (and presumably last) trailer for the game from the game show goes back to traditional JRPG form by focusing exclusively on the game's heavy-handed story.While there's chance for greatness in tri-Ace's upcoming story, we can't say that's what's keeping us interested in the game. For once, could it be that a JRPG is keeping our attention more for its gameplay than its pre-rendered cutscenes?
TGS 2009: Hands-on: Resonance of Fate
The stylish Resonance of Fate (End of Eternity, as it's known in Japan) blends a semi-turn-based, conventional RPG battle system with a high-speed action game -- with guns. Guns fall into three categories: machine guns, handguns, and grenades. (Machine gun–class weapons do "scratch damage," which depletes an enemy's life, but leaves the possibility for it to regenerate over time.) I got to check out the TGS demo before interviewing its developers, giving me this opportunity to tell you about it. More importantly, though, the experience gave me something to talk to the developers about (more on that later), and in turn I avoided a very awkward social interaction. %Gallery-63415%
Resonance of Fate sends us to bullet hell in TGS trailer
Sega has seemingly forgotten that Tokyo Game Show hasn't started yet, by releasing a brand new trailer for its upcoming Resonance of Fate (aka End of Eternity in Japan). Tri-Ace is breaking the JRPG norm by creating a trailer that isn't entirely comprised of CG cutscenes. There is a lot of gameplay footage here -- and as noted earlier, it's bizarre.Resonance of Fate creates a rather distinct look for itself by giving its main characters guns, and moves that would make Chow Yun-Fat jealous. It's entirely over-the-top, and gives the game an original feel missing from tri-Ace's previous works. It'll be interesting to see if Japanese gamers will pry themselves away from Final Fantasy XIII long enough to give this game a fair shake.[Via Sega Nerds]
Impressions: Resonance of Fate
You won't see enormous breasts in this game, we were told by a Sega producer, as he started playing through an untranslated Resonance of Fate. While this is rarely used as a selling point (especially in games), he wanted to emphasize the gritty "realistic" look of tri-Ace's upcoming RPG. Gone are the over-the-top wacky hairdos, cute talking mascots, giant swords and neon-colored hover-vehicles that seem to permeate nearly every Square Enix JRPG. Instead, this fantasy world is meant to resemble our own. Granted, the people of Bazel, the fictional world in which Resonance of Fate takes place, still have perfect hair and outfits from the trendier shops of Shibuya. It may still not jive with the American sensibilities of "reality," but it's certainly a far cry from tri-Ace's other current-gen efforts, Star Ocean and Infinite Undiscovery. Resonance of Fate is being billed as a significant departure for tri-Ace. Its first non-Square Enix-published game comes with a brand new graphics engine, and a few new ideas to boot. The word "cliché" was uttered more than once during the presentation -- to describe exactly what the team is trying to avoid. Considering the studio's track record, we obviously had our doubts. %Gallery-63415%
New Resonance of Fate screens feature anthropomorphic canines
It's not often we're able to do this so long before a game is released -- before we've ever even seen the game on a screen other than the Joystiq Blogtop 3000s™ we're assigned -- but we can categorically name Resonance of Fate as our game of the year as of this morning. Why, you ask? Three simple words, friends: Dogs wearing jackets. New screens of the game, coming from Japan (likely from End of Eternity, the Japanese title of RoF), look, in certain cases, a bit less than thrilling. Sure, the game's CG trailer looked like 95405000 yen, but we're talking still shots of RPG gameplay here -- not exactly life-altering stuff. That being said, well, there's a dog. And he's wearing a jacket!
The fate of tri-Ace/Sega's new RPG is a turn-based one
New details about tri-Ace's latest RPG, Resonance of Fate, have surfaced, shedding some light on the game's battle system. As if resonating with the fate of most J-RPGs, RoF is your standard turn-based affair, though it does try to shake things up by blending in some potentially strategic damage rules and pseudo-real-time combat (think Eternal Sonata).The way battles play out is a little something like this (as laid out by 1UP): the player chooses a party member and controls one character at a time. While in control of this character, a timer counts down signifying the duration of this character's actions, which include running around and shooting stuff up. Interestingly, enemies don't have their own individual turns; instead, they attack at the same time while the player's character is currently in action mode. This means enemies can only target the character that's currently being controlled. Additionally, different damage types add to the strategic gameplay. There are two known types: direct damage, (which is a basic attack) and scratch damage (which is a weaker attack that allows HP to slowly regenerate). We're not sure how this all plays out, but we're assuming there might be more damage types to be discovered later, as the game seems to revolve around guns and ammo (possibly linked to ammo type?). Perhaps, we'll find out more at E3 next month. That is, if RoF shows up.
First Resonance of Fate trailer features bullets, drama, and bullet drama
Sega today released the newest trailer for Resonance of Fate / End of Eternity, and boy is it dramatic. While it doesn't give away anything new about the tri-Ace developed game than last time around, it is, in fact, a proper American trailer and not just footage from a presser in Japan (read as: not in Japanese).A woman steps from an impossibly high ledge, bullets fly in every direction, a face is pushed, and somewhere in there, things go "totally extreme" and the guitar solo kicks off. The (totally CG at this point) graphics and world give off an almost Cowboy Bebop-esque/future film-noir vibe that we could see ourselves digging. Oh, but the trailer's music? It's awful. It was actually better in the Japanese trailer. You've been warned!
