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'Diablo III' on Switch is a comprehensive, faithful port
Rumors were swirling for weeks ahead of Blizzard's heavily hyped Diablo announcement on Wednesday. Were we to see a potential spin off series, perhaps an all-new sequel to the long-running franchise? Nope, because Diablo III is coming to the Nintendo Switch this fall.
Switch RPG ‘Octopath Traveler’ gives you too many roles to play
Nintendo's Switch was in desperate need of a roleplaying game, and Square Enix's Octopath Traveler, with its retro pixel-art feel, heeded the call. The unashamedly old-school game draws inspirations from myriad RPGs of the past but centers its story on eight (!) protagonists -- if that's even possible. For anyone that has experienced JRPGs from the glory days of the SNES and the PlayStation, the battle system, level progression and job classes are easy to understand. The story, however, is a messy one. Eight heroes is several heroes too many.
Action-RPG 'Code Vein' delayed until 2019
Just a month after Bandai Namco revealed a release date for the much anticipated RPG Code Vein, the company says it's now delaying the launch until next year. Originally expected to drop this September, Code Vein is a Dark Souls-meets-anime mash-up that's created a lot of excitement since its announcement in 2017, which according to Namco is the reason for its postponement. In a release, the company's vice president of marketing and digital Hervé Hoerdt said they made the decision in order to "further refine its gameplay in an effort to exceed the expectations fans already have of the title."
Free 'Pokémon Quest' RPG released today on Nintendo Switch
The newest Pokémon game is available right now for Nintendo Switch owners. Just announced at a press conference in Japan, Pokémon Quest features creatures from the series' Kanto region, but with a Minecraft-ish blocky appearance. The game is advertised as "free to start" so we'd expect some pay options, but it also includes new Power Stones that can upgrade your monsters and help them become any kind of Pokémon you'd like. Plus, if you don't have a Switch, Nintendo plans to release versions of Pokémon Quest for iOS and Android. Beyond that free-to-play game, the company also announced a new "core series" game that will be released in the second half of 2019, and two new Pokémon Let's Go games for Switch that connect to the Pokémon Go mobile game.
What we're playing: A new Atari Lynx game in 2018
This week on IRL, we're taking a break from the norm. It's a poorly kept secret that our managing editor, James Trew, has an Atari Lynx fetish. At last count, he owned seven of the things, not to mention every game ever made for them. But while Atari officially abandoned the Lynx way back in the '90s, that hasn't stopped creative types from producing new games for the system. Wyvern Tales is one such game, a labor of love by a solo developer that took eight years to build from scratch. It's the Lynx's first JRPG, and according to James, it's pretty impressive. Let's get weird.
Adored indie game 'To The Moon' could become a movie
Indie game To The Moon developed a cult following since its 2011 release, with the heartbreaking RPG earning kudos for its plot and memorable soundtrack. It's about two doctors who try to help a man (kind of) fulfill his dying wish of going to the moon -- by going into his mind and creating artificial memories. A sequel, Finding Paradise, followed last December, but the saga doesn't end there: creator Kan Gao says there's a To The Moon animated film adaptation in the works.
Nintendo partners up for a money-printing mobile RPG
With all eyes on the Switch and the console's new Labo cardboard peripherals, it's easy to forget Nintendo is now very much a mobile game developer, too. In Nintendo's latest financials, however, its mobile games received only a passing mention, and Mario Kart Tour is still a ways off. But it turns out Nintendo has other mobile titles in the pipeline. It's been working with developer Cygames on Dragalia Lost, a Japanese-style action RPG. You may know Cygames as the company behind the digital card game Shadowverse, but otherwise it typically makes titles aimed squarely at the Japanese market, like the hugely popular Granblue Fantasy.
'Underworld Ascendant' teaser reveals a reborn dungeon crawler
Ever since veteran developers successfully crowdfunded their spiritual successor to Ultima Underworld, there's been a looming question: how would the prototypical 3D action RPG translate to the 21st century? You now have an idea. OtherSide and 505 Games have released a teaser trailer for Underworld Ascendant that illustrates how the reborn dungeon crawler will work. More than anything, it's clear that this isn't just a hack-and-slash. You'll be rewarded for ingenuity and stealth, such as building bridges from magic-laced barrels, or using a water arrow to shoot out a light Thief-style. There's even some wall running for Mirror's Edge fans.
Square Enix pledges to fix the PC version of 'Chrono Trigger'
Square Enix is going to make it right for Chrono Trigger fans. In late February, the publisher dropped the classic JRPG onto Steam, but it was the oft-derided mobile port from six years ago -- not the original SNES game from 1995. To right that wrong, Square Enix will patch the game with an option to switch between the current visuals and "the original graphical style" of the game.
CrunchyRoll's first game is based on 'DanMachi'
Anime streaming network CrunchyRoll is making a video game based on the Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? series. The free-to-play Memoria Freese/Dan-Memo is available for both Android and iOS and will feature in-app purchases and an original storyline from the show's first season. Series creator Fujino Omori is handling writing duties, with Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Inori Minase, Saori Ōnishi and others lending their talents to the voice cast. And don't worry about dubs here: CrunchyRoll promises there will be Japanese voices with English subtitles.
Ubisoft revives 'Might & Magic' as a mobile strategy RPG
Might & Magic is back, but not in the way you were probably hoping for. Ubisoft has revived the beloved RPG series as a mobile battler called Might & Magic: Elemental Guardians, chock-full of colorful and chibi-esque creatures to collect. The first batch of screenshots reveal a four-person party and various wave-based opponents to dispatch. Ubisoft is promising a "fast-paced strategic battle RPG" with a Pokémon-style elemental system, monster evolution (from "loyal" to "legendary") and customizable Glyph equips. In combat, though, it seems each monster is limited to three abilities — preparation, then, will probably be where the real depth lies.
'Octopath Traveler' heads to Nintendo Switch on July 13th
Square Enix's gorgeously retro game, Octopath Traveler, is arriving on the Switch very soon. Nintendo has revealed on today's Direct stream that the game, developed by the same people behind the critically-acclaimed RPG series Bravely Default, will be available on July 13th. The game giant has also introduced two new characters you can play as: a merchant named Tressa, who can acquire new items from just about anyone, and Alfyn the apothecary, who has the ability to dig for more information than any other character.
A new 'Fable' game is reportedly in the works
A brand new Fable game is in the works, or so says a number of sources close to the rumored project. According to Eurogamer, UK developer Playground has been given the job of creating a new, big-budget revisit to the fantasy world of Albion, and while franchise owner Microsoft said in a statement that it does not comment on rumor or speculation, all signs seem to give the reports credibility. For a start, November 2017 saw Playground openly reveal its plans for its first ever non-racing game, described only as an open-world action RPG. Meanwhile, Xbox boss Shannon Loftis has made no secret of Microsoft's fondness for the franchise.
Gear VR was the 'Evolve' and 'Left 4 Dead' studio's savior
"Chaotic." That's how Turtle Rock Studios president Steve Goldstein described the 14 months between its last AAA game, Evolve, being effectively killed and now. The four-hunter-versus-one-gigantic-monster online multiplayer game struggled to retain players after it was released for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in early 2015. Last June, Evolve transitioned from a $60 game to a free-to-play one. As a result, it went from roughly 100 players per month to more than 15,000. You'd think that would have been enough to keep the lights on, but you'd be wrong. Four months later, publisher 2K Games pulled the plug, saying that while the servers would remain online for the foreseeable future, the game wouldn't be getting any more updates. "It was absolutely looking bleak, but sadly that's not unusual in our space," Goldstein said. "Everyone who works here knows that they are taking a risk, right? That's not a problem unique to us." If all you've paid attention to are headlines on gaming and tech news sites, you'd think that Turtle Rock has been on the ropes ever since. But in the last year or so, thanks to Oculus' aggressive investments in virtual reality games and other experiences, Turtle Rock has been quietly building a mobile VR safety net in case its next $100 million project goes the way of Evolve.
Retro sci-fi RPG 'Songbringer' arrives for PS4, Xbox One, Mac and PC
The pixel art-infused RPG Songbringer is a love letter to old-school role playing games, and we've been looking forward to its release on PlayStation 4 for a while now. The sci-fi title is out now and available on Xbox One and Windows 10, too. The game is $20 on all platforms, including PC and Mac on Steam and GoG.com, starting today.
'Secret of Mana' remake gameplay video delivers throwback fun
Less than two weeks since it was announced, Square Enix is offering the first look at gameplay from the Secret of Mana remake. The clip is from the demo unveiled as part of the developer's Pax West showcase, which was captured in a Twitch livestream. It boasts almost ten minutes of in-game footage from the highly anticipated remaster of the classic RPG.
'Final Fantasy XV' comes to your phone this fall
Square Enix is bent on bringing Final Fantasy XV to every platform imaginable, and that includes the phone in your pocket. It just unveiled a Pocket Edition of the road trip role-playing game that will hit Android, iOS and Windows 10 (yes, despite its dwindling influence) this fall. Its first episode will be free to play, while you'll have to fork out an unspecified amount to continue the tale of Noctis and crew. The title includes the "main story" and characters, but don't expect a carbon copy of the game you can buy on your console.
‘Secret World Legends’ expands into disaster-ridden Tokyo
The Secret World was rebooted in June as the free-to-play, shared-world RPG Secret World Legends and it just received the first of three updates that will expand the game into a "disaster-ridden and monster-infested" Tokyo. Tokyo: Back to the Beginning brings hours of added gameplay and expanded storyline as well as a slew of new enemies.
New 'Dungeons & Dragons' site manages the rules so you can just play
Dungeons & Dragons, the quintessential pen-and-paper game, is more popular than ever, thanks to Twitch channels like Geek and Sundry and podcasts like The Adventure Zone. But it's one thing to listen or watch a presentation crafted by seasoned gamers and another to actually run your own adventure. Players may get frustrated by the hundreds of pages of rules and quit before they've even had their first goblin encounter. Wizards of the Coast and social gaming firm Curse aim to fix this with the launch of D&D Beyond, a website and app intended to take care of all the fine print and number crunching, leaving dungeon masters and players free to focus on crafting a good story.
Classic RPG 'Pillars of Eternity' is headed to consoles in August
Fans of classic role-playing games have had a lot to be happy about these past few years. The isometric genre has seen somewhat of a resurgence lately thanks to high-profile crowdfunded games like Wasteland 2 and the Divinity series -- both of which got console ports, no less. That trend continues with the news that Pillars of Eternity will make its way from PC to consoles as well. As the name suggests, Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition will pack all the expansions and patches from the PC version when it is released August 29th on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
