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Best of the Rest: Danny's picks of 2014
ATTENTION: The year 2014 has concluded its temporal self-destruct sequence. If you are among the escapees, please join us in salvaging and preserving the best games from the irradiated chrono-debris. Fantasy Life Sometimes, you just wanna sidequest. For those times, there's Fantasy Life. Fantasy Life is fun in the way that checking off items on a checklist is fun. There's a solid action-RPG here from Professor Layton series creator Level-5, sure, but much of my time in Fantasy Life was spent completing sidequests, crafting equipment, and hunting down component items so that I could craft more equipment and complete more sidequests. You don't even have to kill anything to complete the game - you can smith, cook, sew, and alchemize your way to victory if that's the way you want to play it. Fantasy Life is an endless grind that remains compelling even after I've completed hundreds of its quests. If you don't fit into its niche, you'll be bored immediately. If you're a specific breed of completionist, Fantasy Life is impossible to put down. In either case, beware.
PSA: D4, MX vs. ATV now on Games with Gold
As the calendar flipped to January yesterday, Xbox Live Gold members are now able to download this month's free games on Xbox One and Xbox 360. As revealed in December, Xbox One owners with a premium Live subscription can now pick up Access Games' quirky adventure D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die free of charge. Subscribers get two games on Xbox 360 this month: Offroad racer MX vs ATV Alive and CD Projekt's The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. D4 will be available throughout the month while the two previous-generation games are on a split schedule. MX vs ATV Alive is free until January 15, then The Witcher 2 will be available to download at no cost on January 16 through the end of the month. Lastly, according to the Microsoft Store, last month's Xbox One game Worms Battlegrounds is still available to download for free. [Image: Microsoft]
Joystiq Streams: October's first horror stream is D4 for Xbox One
October is here, dear friends. The long toiling wait of summer heat and madness has ended, and now is our opportunity to sit in the dark, willfully scaring the ever-loving crap out of ourselves. That's the Halloween way! While survival horror big guns like Alien: Isolation and The Evil Within are still on the horizon, there's a perfectly good psychological freak out sitting right on the Xbox One: D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die, the latest from Deadly Premonition mastermind Swery. Don't think of D4 as a game of all-encompassing spiritual dread or slasher gore. Think of it more as a psychological thriller that makes you feel like you're going insane because of time travel. And murder. And ladies who act like cats. On Joystiq.com/Twitch at 4:00PM EST, Jessica Lynn Conditt (@JessConditt) will fire up the Xbox One and her Kinect to be tortured by Swery's oddball adventure all over again. Anthony John Agnello (@ajohnagnello) will be hanging out in the chat, answering your questions and ranting about Deadly Premonition. That's Joystiq.com/Twitch at 4:00PM EST, when we broadcast on the regular every Tuesday and Thursday. We stream all kinds of off hours, though, so if you never want to miss a show follow us on Twitch! [Images: Access Games]
D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die review: True Kinective
D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die is a surprisingly layered, dense game – especially for a linear, point-and-click adventure about a man with a bullet in his forehead and the ability to travel through time. It's equal parts gruesome, funny and quirky, combining elements of sci-fi with classic cop drama and thriller tropes. However, the most surprising aspect of D4 isn't its story – it's how well the Xbox One Kinect controls work. D4 is wonderfully weird, and it's a fun Kinect game, to boot.
Deadly Premonition designer's D4 out on Xbox One tomorrow
Surprise! D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die, the cel-shaded mystery game from Deadly Premonition designer Hidetaka "Swery65" Suehiro, debuts on Xbox One tomorrow, September 19. The $15 downloadable marks the start of D4's episodic series, and Suehiro told Eurogamer it includes the prologue, first and second episodes. Later episodes are due at an undisclosed date. If you've played 2010 psychological horror Deadly Premonition, you'll know some of what to expect from D4. Just as Suehiro's cult hit riffed on the surrealism of Twin Peaks, D4 looks to bring its own batch of weird to the party. You play as David Young, a detective who's lost his memory following the unsolved murder of his wife. However, the amnesic gumshoe has a special power up his sleeve: the ability to travel back to the past by touching certain objects. Check out the launch trailer below the break.
Final Drakengard 3 DLC features Nier-inspired costumes
Just under a month after its initial release, Square Enix's Drakengard 3 has wrapped up its DLC plans with one final batch of add-on content aimed at fans of past series entries and beloved franchise spin-off Nier. This week's new DLC includes a set of ability-enhancing costumes inspired by character garb from the previous Drakengard games and Nier, along with a creepy new baby head helmet for Mikhail (shown above). Other additions include new music packs and alternate narration that enables Japanese voiceovers. Previously, Square Enix launched Drakengard 3 story DLC that expanded the roles of the game's antagonists, adding extra in-game weapons and unlockable trophies as a bonus. [Image: Square Enix]
Drakengard 3 rolls out story DLC starring Zero's sisters
Square Enix has deployed a collection of story mode DLC for its PlayStation 3 hack-and-slash action game, Drakengard 3, giving players new insight regarding the game's bizarre world and outlandish supporting characters. Each DLC chapter in Drakengard 3 stars one of protagonist Zero's sisters – the ones players are meant to defeat in the game's core campaign. Purchasing an add-on chapter also gives players access to an exclusive in-game weapon set and a new batch of unlockable trophies. Drakengard 3's DLC chapters are available individually for $5.99 each, or together in the Sisters Prologue Bundle for $29.99. [Image: Square Enix]
Drakengard 3's launch trailer promises a bloody good time
Square Enix has rolled out a blood-soaked trailer to commemorate this week's launch of its PlayStation 3 action game Drakengard 3, a collaborative project between former members of Nier creator Cavia and Deadly Premonition developer Access Games. Our pre-launch stream showcasing the first hour of gameplay also comes highly recommended for fans of Cavia's bizarre output and/or dragon urination. [Video: Square Enix]
Drakengard 3 flies out in May, downloadable only in Europe [update]
Update: North America joins the Drakengard 3 party the day before Europe on May 20, with the game priced at $50. As revealed on the PlayStation Blog, Square Enix has an appropriately surreal tiered pre-order system in place, in which the earlier you order, the more extra stuff you get. Square Enix also unveiled the action-RPG's collector's edition today. For $80, you'll get the game with its Japanese box art, a prequel novella, a game and soundtrack sampler, a two-sided collectible poster, and various bits of in-game content including prequel DLC starring One, the sister of the protagonist Zero. It'll be only available through the Square Enix online store, and just 5,000 units are being produced. Original story: Drakengard 3, the first main entry in Square Enix's action-RPG series in eight years, is due in Europe and other PAL territories on May 21. According to the YouTube description on Square Enix UK's newly released trailer, the PS3 game will only be available as a PSN download in Europe, while North America is getting a retail release as well. There's no news yet on a release date for North America beyond a 2014 window. Drakengard 3 is a prequel to the original game, and it has a mysterious connection to the Cavia-developed spin-off Nier. No surprises, then, that some members of the now disbanded Cavia team are on board at Access Games, the studio behind Drakengard 3. [Image: Square Enix]
Drakengard director 'can't have enough money' to make PS4 entry
If you're a Drakengard fan interested in the completely hypothetical "Drakengard 4" reaching the PlayStation 4, you should know that Drakengard 3 Director Yoko Taro shares the sentiment! Unfortunately, wanting something doesn't generate mounds of cash, and Taro's response to a fan on Twitter explained that while he hopes to make such a PS4 title, he "can't have enough money for development." Initial calls for Taro to take the project to Kickstarter were reasonably met with Taro noting that Drakengard is a Square Enix IP. Perhaps Taro's funding budget will be re-evaluated if enough fan interest is generated when Drakengard 3 spreads its wings over Western territories in 2014.
Deadly Premonition up for pre-purchase on Steam for 10 percent off
Did you hear that, Zach? Deadly Premonition: The Director's Cut is up for pre-order at Steam for 10 percent off of its regular price. My coffee warned me about it this morning. Did you opt out of coffee-relayed push notifications? That's unwise, Zach. Originally launched as a budget Xbox 360 title in 2010, Deadly Premonition's off-kilter, Twin Peaks-inspired horror narrative won it cult classic status among players who were willing to overlook its technical shortcomings. A revised version, Deadly Premonition: The Director's Cut, premiered for the PlayStation 3 earlier this year, and was recently Greenlit for a Steam release. Deadly Premonition: The Director's Cut will launch on Steam on October 29, just in time for Halloween. Dressing up as the Raincoat Killer this holiday is optional, but recommended.
Deadly Premonition gets 352-page companion app for iPad
Deadly Premonition received a companion iBooks app for iPad this week, Rising Star Games announced. Priced at $9.99, the Deadly Premonition: The Director's Cut The Official Visual Companion is 352 pages long with over a hundred "interactive elements." The book offers players the chance to peek into the creative notebook of director Hidetaka Suehiro (also known as Swery65) to learn more about the development of this odd cult favorite. The interactive book includes three maps and concept art for the game as well as a soundboard and soundtrack. It arrives ahead of the Steam launch of Deadly Premonition: The Director's Cut, which is set for Halloween.
Drakengard 3 heading west in 2014
Drakengard 3 will launch in North America in 2014, Square Enix announced in a recent PlayStation Blog. The PS3 game is developed by Access Games, a team composed of developers from the original Drakengard and Nier. As a prequel to original game, Drakengard 3 has players switching between aerial and ground-based combat throughout the fast-paced adventure. The game's story features two sister goddesses that can create magic through song, one of which fights alongside a dragon. Drakengard 3's Japanese release, known as Drag-on Dragoon 3, was delayed to December 19 as of late August.
Deadly Premonition: Director's Cut riding into Steamville on Halloween
The Director's Cut of Deadly Premonition heads for PC on October 31, so if you like your Halloweens hot, Steamy, and completely weird, then you're in luck. After speeding past Greenlight, SWERY65's cult favorite has a date on its newly unveiled Steam page but not yet a price, although we do know pre-purchases will be available two weeks prior to release, according to publisher Rising Star. Deadly Premonition poured a fresh cup of Director's Cut for PS3 earlier this year, the re-release revamping graphics and gameplay. The PC version of Director's Cut adds exclusive DLC, although what that comprises, like so much in this game, is a mystery.
Deadly Premonition heads up latest round of Steam Greenlight picks
Director SWERY65's intensely bizarre action-adventure game Deadly Premonition is headed to Steam after earning community approval in the latest round of Steam Greenlight votes. Critics weren't quite sure what to make of Deadly Premonition when it was originally launched in 2010 for the Xbox 360, earning it the dubious distinction of "Most Critically Polarizing Survival Horror Game" in the 2012 Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition. The upcoming Steam release is based on the recent PlayStation 3 port Deadly Premonition: The Director's Cut, which features a redesigned control scheme and a new batch of bonus content. Fourteen games and two software titles were chosen in Steam Greenlight's most recent community vote, including Krillbite Studio's Kickstarter-funded horror game Among the Sleep, 2D fighter parody Divekick, and the free Half-Life: Opposing Force remake Operation Black Mesa. A full list of today's newly-Greenlit games is after the break below.
Deadly Premonition: The Director's Cut heads to Steam Greenlight
Cult favorite Deadly Premonition is one of the biggest names yet on Steam Greenlight, after publisher Rising Star promised an "enhanced" version of the Director's Cut should the eccentric mystery game get voted through. Among the other Director's Cut additions, the PC edition is set to get exclusive DLC. "Rising Star Games is an extremely community-driven publisher and our vocal fans have been calling for a PC version of this game," said Rising Star Games COO Martin Defries, "So using Steam Greenlight gives those fans the chance to make a difference." Developer Access Games first brought the divisive Deadly Premonition to Xbox 360 in 2010, followed by the Director's Cut PS3 version for the west earlier this year. Our coffee forgot to warn us about a possible PC version, didn't it Zach?
D4 and Quantum Break share 'time travel mystery' genre
Hidetaka "Swery65" Suehiro and Remedy Entertainment seem to be pilfering inspiration from the same muse, though handling what it extracts in very different ways. Swery65's Rainy Woods – which would later be retooled and released as the horror-focused title Deadly Premonition – and Remedy's thriller Alan Wake led fans and critics to compare both games to the landmark David Lynch and Mark Frost cult-hit series Twin Peaks. While Swery65's title ditched many of the similarities to the show when it changed its name, comparisons linger, such as Deadly Premonition's strange characters, mysterious setting, and a protagonist's proclivity for "damn fine coffee." Alan Wake also featured similar elements. Though these similarities are undoubtedly coincidence, it appears the Finnish team at Remedy and the Japanese team at Access Games have once again tapped the same creative vein for the theme of each team's next title. Swery65's D4 and Remedy's Quantum Break are completely different in look and gameplay style, yet they share a startling similarity: both are time travel mysteries structured episodically and coming exclusively to the Xbox One. Though completely separate universes, both games have themes focused on time manipulation. Which timeline would you like to explore?
Deadly Premonition director's D4 scheduled for Xbox One [Update: Trailer!]
Get ready for SWERY's (Access Games' Hidetaka Suehiro) patented brand of weirdness; his new project, simply titled D4, made it into Microsoft's showing of their upcoming Xbox One games at E3 2013. Not much information about it exists at the moment, outside of its status as an episodic murder mystery -- much like the director's cult hit from 2010.%Gallery-191152%
Deadly Premonition: The Director's Cut trailer questions everything
Do you even know what's in your coffee? Is that even coffee in your cup?
Report: Drakengard 3 coming from Access Games and original Drakengard team
This week's Famitsu reveals a sequel to the weird PS2 series Drakengard (or Drag-on Dragoon as its known in Japan.) Square Enix's Drag-on Dragoon 3 reunites members of the original Cavia Drakengard team, including director Taro Yoko (who also directed Nier), producer Takamasa Shiba, and character designer Kimihiko Fujisaka.The team formerly worked together at Cavia, and are now working on this game under the banner of Deadly Premonition studio Access Games. Drag-on Dragoon 3 stars Zero and One, two sisters who can create magic through song. The sequel reportedly maintains the fast action of the original, and the blend of ground combat and dragon riding. Famitsu reports it'll be out on PS3 in Japan this year.
