namco-bandai
Latest
Naruto whips up Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 on PS4, Xbox One, PC
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 is heading West next year for Xbox One, PS4 and Steam. Bandai Namco Europe described the coming Storm as a "final massive strike" from the cel-shaded brawler series, following last year's two million-selling entry. "The Storm series continues to be one of our most popular franchises and its leap to the new generation of hardware ensures that it won't stop now," said VP of IP Strategy Herve Hoerdt.
Dark Souls' Steam migration delayed, prepare to die next month
Dark Souls PC owners can throw another log on the bonfire, because they have to wait until December for the game to transition over to Steam. Namco Bandai says it's finalizing the nuts and bolts of moving the action-RPG from Games for Windows Live to Steam, and more testing means the company's targeting the transition for next month rather than this one. In its original announcement, Namco said owners will be able to redeem Dark Souls on Steam by using their GFWL tokens at no extra cost. Saves and achievements can survive the journey during a short migration period, but GFWL rankings will be flattened by a figurative cannonball rolling down a metaphorical staircase.
Metareview: Lords of the Fallen
It appears reviewers do not take the same masochistic pleasure from Lords of the Fallen as they did from similar games like Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. Critical reception to the game veered mostly toward the lower end of the acceptable spectrum, with reviews noting Lords of the Fallen was a little close to its source material and didn't move the self-flagellation genre forward. Our own review said that "when Lords of the Fallen stops providing the challenge, its other objective flaws are highlighted."
Lords of the Fallen review: Fallin' in and out of love with you
PC, Xbox One, PS4 There is a brand of player that sees impossible odds, sees fiery, poisonous, roaring death from all directions, and greets it all with an insane grin – and then turns up the difficulty. For everyone else, there's Lords of the Fallen. This is not a necessarily an insult. There is no shame whatsoever in Lords of the Fallen being what many will immediately identify as a brazen riff on the special niche From Software has built for themselves with the Dark Souls series, especially when it's in the interest of a much more accessible game. Accessible is a good thing. Inferior, however, is not. There's plenty of both to be found here.
Metareview: Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
We handed Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS four and half stars, calling it "the most feature-complete, compelling Super Smash Bros. entry to date," and setting it right alongside Fire Emblem: Awakening and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds as a game that every 3DS owner should play. Critics around the web seem to agree that Super Smash Bros.' first outing on 3DS is worthy of high praise, though experiences with online play seem to vary across the board. Our own experience was fairly positive, depending largely on the geographical proximity of opponents. One critic notes lag issues in local multiplayer, especially in 4-player matches. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS launches in North America on October 3.
Super Smash Bros. 3DS review: Only the strong
It may not be the undisputed industry leader these days, and Nintendo currently faces stronger competition than it ever has, but one thing you can't take away from the Japanese gaming giant is its wealth of iconic, beloved characters. From Mario to Link to Donkey Kong (and on through another few dozen familiar names), Nintendo is responsible for the majority of gaming's most famous faces. In hindsight, the idea to combine them all into one massive fighting game nostalgia bomb was sublime genius, and the Super Smash Bros. games have been among Nintendo's most popular releases on each console they've reached. It doesn't hurt that the games have all been solidly constructed from a combination of unique fighting game mechanics and spot-on controls, but let's be frank, people are buying these games because they're the best way to punch Pikachu in his cute, smug little face. That all might change with the latest entry in the series, however. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (that's the full title) is as much a trip down Nintendo's memory lane as any of its predecessors, but there's more meat here than in prior games. More to see, more to do, and all of it is built on the most solid fundamentals the series has yet seen. But is all of that enough to survive the franchise's first jump to a portable system? And what of the new online components, which have been a key failing of prior Super Smash Bros. games? Nintendo, along with development partners Namco and Sora, seems pretty confident, and the more time I spend with Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, the more I see why.
God Eater 2: Rage Burst terrorizes Japan on PS4, Vita
Bandai Namco Producer Yusuke Tomizawa announced the action-RPG God Eater franchise will live on. During Sony's Pre-TGS media briefing, Tomizawa revealed God Eater 2: Rage Burst is coming to PS4 and Vita in Japan. With the addition of Sony's console, Tomizawa said – via a translator – the franchise can live on and allow the developer to try new things. God Eater 2 first launched on the PSP and Vita, in Japan, in 2013. The Burst branding indicates an expansion of the original sequel, similar to the re-release of the first game in the franchise under the banner God Eater Burst in 2010 (Japan, 2011 worldwide). God Eater Burst added new characters, story and monsters.
Wang tough, 'small delay' to Shadow Warrior console ports
Shadow Warrior isn't slicing and dicing into consoles until October 24 in the UK, Bandai Namco revealed in a release schedule sent to Joystiq this morning. As VideoGamer reports, a statement from developer Flying Wild Hog suggests the delay to the PS4 and Xbox One ports is likely to be reflected stateside, while both Amazon and GameStop are now listing the US release for October 21. "Bringing Shadow Warrior to PS4 and XB1 has proven to be a challenge for us as we want to make sure the player experience is perfect," reads the statement to VideoGamer. "In play testing we have been focusing in on the controller inputs and response. We recognized that we needed more time to improve this as Shadow Warrior is an old school FPS and this demands perfection. Sadly this means a small delay in the release date, but Lo Wang needs to be at his best on these shiny new consoles."
Dark Souls 2 DLC still locked for EU PS3 season pass holders [update]
Update: Perhaps we're a lucky charm. Shortly after this post went live, users on the game's Facebook page began reporting the DLC issues are now resolved, and PS3 pass holders in Europe can download the content for free. Bandai Namco's yet to confirm that officially. Original Story: European PS3 season pass holders for Dark Souls 2 are currently unable to unlock content they've already paid for, despite it being available for everyone else. The second of a trilogy of DLC, Crown of the Old Iron King, launched this week with no hitches on PC and Xbox 360, but for EU owners of the PS3 pass it shows up as requiring purchase. This may seem like another of the game's nefarious lateral challenges, but the only solution at present is to buy the DLC, which is a pretty terrible solution since you've already ponied up the cash. Bandai Namco apologized for the error and warned PS3 pass holders to not purchase the content while it tries to fix the problem.
Amazon: Wii U game pre-orders up following Gamescom
With all the news that surfaced last week during Gamescom, it makes sense that video game pre-orders would increase at retailers like Amazon. As it turns out, the biggest winner coming away from the show is Nintendo, as Wii U games saw the biggest boost in pre-orders on Amazon (8.67 percent). By comparison, pre-orders for PS4 games rose 5.16 percent and Xbox One games increased 2.81 percent. The largest increase for a single game was 42.3 percent for Slightly Mad Studios' Project Cars. Bandai Namco announced a limited edition version of the game last week, which likely spurred new pre-orders. Rounding out the top five are Rise of the Tomb Raider (30.25 percent), Bloodborne (16.08 percent), Hyrule Warriors (11.77 percent) and Quantum Break (10.77 percent). You'll find the full list of the top ten games whose pre-orders increased on Amazon after the break, courtesy of MCV.
Project Cars' Limited Edition parks five cars in your garage
Bandai Namco revealed a Limited Edition version of Project Cars today, which will include a copy of the game, collectible book and five drivable legendary cars. The collector's book, titled "Project Cars: By Racers 4 Racers," offers a behind-the-scenes look at the game's development and influence from its community during Slightly Mad Studios' crowdfunding process in 2011. The five cars featured in the collector's edition are: The Ford GT40 Mk IV, the BMW M1 Pro Car, the McLaren F1, the Sauber C9 and the Mercedes-Benz AMG C-Coupe DTM. Those that pre-order either the Limited Edition or standard versions of the game will also receive the Modified Cars Pack, which includes three cars: The Ruf CTR3 SMS-R, the Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster and the Ariel Atom 3 Mugen. Project Cars will launch in November on Xbox One, PS4 and PC. The Wii U version of the racing game, which replaced the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions in November 2013, was previously delayed by the new publisher to 2015. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Tales of Xillia 2 preview: Black and white
While you can rarely base much off an RPG's opening hour or so, Tales of Xillia 2 quickly establishes some of the things it's doing the same as its 2013 predecessor, and some of the things it's doing differently. The most obvious difference is the new central hero, Ludger Will Kresnik, and how the game presents him. It's not just Ludger's look that grabs you, with his dapper navy shirt and yellow tie overshadowed by his half-and-half black and white hair - right down to differently colored eyebrows. Unlike the last game's heroes, it's something that isn't there that claims your attention: his voice. Ludger is mostly a silent protagonist - in the hour and a half I played, the young man only spoke in grunts, mumbles and other monosyllabic noises. That reflects the other most obviously new part of the game, namely the dialogue choices Ludger can make.
Rise of Incarnates beta causes carnage next week
Bandai Namco will begin a closed beta period next Friday for Rise of Incarnates, the two-on-two fighting game from the Tekken and Soul Calibur creators. Those in Europe and Australasia can get in the testing phase by signing up on the game's official website. The doors to the beta program open at 9:00 a.m. CET (8:00 a.m. UTC) on Friday, August 8. It will last ten full days, ending at the same time on Monday, August 18. Announced in April alongside its initial alpha program, Rise of Incarnates is a free-to-play PC fighting game that features humans with god-like powers battling in mostly-destroyed, yet real-life locales. The beta will include New York City and Paris-based levels that allow players to use the environment to their competitive advantage. The program's limited character roster starts with four fighters: Mephistopheles, Lilith, Grim Reaper and Ares. The fifth playable character, Brynhildr, is expected to join the roster on August 13, along with the Paris level.
Lords of the Fallen challenges you to pick it up in October
Lords of the Fallen brings its dark fantasy action-RPG gameplay to North America on October 28, with Europe penciled in for October 31. No word yet on US prices, but in the UK it'll be priced £50 on PS4 and Xbox One, and £30 on PC. Lords of the Fallen pits you as Harkyn, a convict and a meaty slab of a man who has to step up when the army of a fallen god threatens his world. That unyielding world is matched by combat and gameplay systems designed to keep players on their toes, rather than going in with gung-ho recklessness. According to Executive Producer Tomasz Gop, the third-person action-RPG "has all the layers, all the complexity, all the mechanics, all the elements of very advanced tactical combat." For more on Lords of the Fallen, check out what Anthony thought of it at E3. [Image: Square Enix]
Bandai Namco pulling Tales of Phantasia, soon to be 'unusable'
After mere months on the App Store, Tales of Phantasia iOS will soon stop being available or even playable in any way. As Touch Arcade discovered, Bandai Namco quietly posted an update on the app's iTunes page, noting it will remove the game from the store on August 28. Not only will Tales of Phantasia iOS not be available after that, but Bandai Namco says "the app and all associated services will become unusable." That's likely because of server shutdown, since the game requires players be online to save. In the update, Bandai Namco apologized for the inconvenience, but it didn't explain why it's removing the game. We've reached out to the publisher to learn more, but we suspect the move has something to do with the mixed reception the iOS version received.
Bandai Namco to distribute next-gen racer Project Cars
Slightly Mad Studios' next-gen racing game Project Cars now has the support of Bandai Namco. The publisher agreed to distribute the game globally on Xbox One, PS4, PC for Windows and SteamOS as well as Wii U. Project Cars is slated to launch in November. The realism-fixated racing sim began as a crowdsourced World of Mass Development project in September 2011, two years after Slightly Mad Studios launched Need for Speed: Shift. It was originally planned for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 before the developer added the Wii U to its list of platforms in January 2012, then ditched Xbox 360 and PS3 in favor of their next-gen counterparts and SteamOS in November 2013. One year later, Project Cars will arrive as one of the PS4's first Morpheus games in addition to its support of the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. [Image: Bandai Namco]
November is where the Tales of Hearts R is for Europeans
Namco Bandai pumped out a Tales of Hearts R release date for Europe and Australasia this morning, confirming the JRPG is coming to the regions on November 14. There's no word on North America yet, but we'd expect the Vita remake stateside around the same time. The original DS game never made it out of Japan, but 7th Chord's remake brings the series' frenetic real-time combat to Western Vitas for the first time. As Siliconera reports, the remake introduces a fairly beefy array of additions, including full 3D graphics, new anime cut scenes, full voice acting across the main story, The localized version offers Japanese audio with subtitles, while Gematsu reports it'll be a GameStop exclusive in North America, though it'll also be available via PSN.
Behold the ultimate Dark Souls 2 troll
There's nothing worse than someone invading your Dark Souls 2 session and murdering you. At least, that's what we thought before seeing this guy troll his would-be assassins. All it takes is an enemy's equipment and a lot of patience. Watch for yourself. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Vita RPG Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment coming to EU
Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment is a multiplayer Vita game based on an anime in which characters play a massively multiplayer virtual reality game. This, the Inception of gaming, is confirmed now for Europe, Australia and New Zealand, where Bandai Namco's releasing it on the PS Store in July. The Vita RPG's concept certainly won't be unfamiliar to fans of the .hack series, especially how players (not real-life ones!) who die in the VR game also die for realsies outside of it. Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment does place more emphasis on romance and building up relationships, as showcased in a trailer for the Japanese version. Namco says SAO fans can expect to bump into characters from the light novels, anime and manga. The game's also been confirmed for North America, although there's no word on a release date beyond "summer 2014." On the plus side, all Western versions come with a free HD version of PSP game SAO: Infinity Moment, which was previously limited to Japan. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Dark Souls 2 ships 1.2 million to West in first three weeks
Death factory Dark Souls 2 shipped out 1.2 million copies to North America and Europe in its three weeks at retail. From Software's action-RPG launched in early March, just ahead of Bandai Namco's fiscal year-end, so the shipping figures published today are as of March 31, 2014. That means they don't include last month's PC release, nor do they include sales in Japan because From self-published the game over there. With all that in mind, the third Souls game is showing good progress compared to its direct predecessor; Dark Souls took around a month to ship 1.5 million units worldwide. Around this time last year, From revealed total Dark Souls sales had risen to just under 2.4 million. Looking at Bandai's Namco's end-year report, Dark Souls 2 was Bandai Namco's strongest software performer across the 12 months, although Vita and PSP entry God Eater 2 proved a strong hit in Japan with 700,000 units shipped. Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z shifted 620,000 units worldwide, while JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle hit 500,000 units ahead of its Western arrival last month. Bandai Namco's retail and arcade games contributed 155.5 billion yen to net sales, which converts to around $1.5 billion, and the company expects to hit similar numbers this fiscal year. Overall, Bandai Namco posted a net profit of 25 billion yen ($246 million), although that is down 22.6 percent year-on-year. However, the company expects that figure to rise by 11.8 percent for the coming fiscal year. [Image: Bandai Namco]
