Herrow everybody, and welcome to another edition of This Week In Games, a weekly feature where I tell you who Jack the Ripper was.
Every week I go on Gamespot.com and look at what games are coming out. From there, I pick some of the more interesting (for better or worse) games that are seeing a release this week. Then I do a little research, wave my magic wand, and tell you a little bit about each game.
The release dates are North American because that's where I'm from. Generally you'll see similar release dates in other major gaming countries, but I'm not from there so I focus on where my hood is. You feel me? I promise I won't talk like this anymore. Let's get on with the fun.
September 14
Notta.
September 15
Reprisal Universe
Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Strategy
Gameplay: http://store.steampowered.com/app/319560/
Think Populous when you think of this game. You raise your land, develop your tribe, take on other tribes, master Totem Powers to do battle... all that good stuff. If you're into this kind of thing, then this is something you should check out. It's already technically out, but it's hitting Steam this week.
The Masterplan
Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Strategy/Action
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFF3iQbBOF8&list=PLHVUIGUZ1rjerc6W8XTIOREYf4IszGZ0n
The Masterplan is a game where you pick the perfect team to commit heists. It has a top-down view like Hotline Miami, but it is a different game because it's all about planning and perfecting your mission. Think Hotline Miami meets Payday, and you have a pretty good idea of what this is offering. It looks awesome, and it hits Early Access this week.
September 16
ArcheAge
Coming Out For: PC
Genre: MMORPG
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ9AnXZGKYs
ArcheAge is a free-to-play sandbox MMORPG. Don't leave just because you saw f2p and MMORPG, because not all of them are bad. For example, I think Neverwinter got an undeserved bad reputation. So does ArcheAge look like something that you should invest your time in?
I would say yes. I am probably going to give it a try, but read this blurb from their website and make your own mind up: "Adventure in an open-ended MMORPG freed from predefined paths and progression. Build massive castles and lay claim to lands whose riches fuel a deep, player-driven economy. Band together to protect your fortune in epic siege battles and naval combat – or live the life of an outlaw, prying glory and coin from foes left in your wake."
Mursaki Baby
Coming Out For: PS Vita
Genre: Platformer/Puzzle
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc3rV2U9HFY
I'm really excited for this, but unfortunately I don't own a PS Vita and can't afford one. I've been into this since I first saw it at, I think, E3 because I absolutely love the visuals, the art design and the trailer. You basically use the touch screen to make the main character move and solve puzzles in a terrifying, surreal world. I don't know if the game is going to be anything special from a strict gameplay perspective or not, though I'm inclined to believe it will be. However, the art alone makes it worthy of a pickup.
Fairy Fencer F
Coming Out For: PS3
Genre: JRPG
Gameplay: http://www.gamespot.com/videos/fairy-fencer-f-official-trailer/2300-6417275/
Truthfully I don't know a lot about Fairy Fencer F, but it was already released in Japan and is now coming over here this week. It looks to me to be like a normal JRPG, so if you're a JRPG nut then you can check it out. It probably won't get much of a following otherwise, simply because JRPGs have a more niche audience than they did when I was growing up.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call
Coming Out For: 3DS
Genre: Rhythm
Gameplay: http://www.gametrailers.com/reviews/avj8hm/theatrhythm-final-fantasy--curtain-call-review
The video above does a really good job of describing everything, but in case you don't want to click it, here's Theatrhythm in a nutshell: it's a rhythm game starring Final Fantasy characters where you get to listen to classic Final Fantasy songs and in typical fashion for the genre, hit buttons at the right time. I'm not huge into rhythm games, but this one is interesting to me because I love Final Fantasy music and that alone makes the game somewhat enjoyable. It has light RPG elements but they appear to be insignificant.
Cooking Mama 5: Bon Appetit!
Coming Out For: 3DS
Genre: Simulation
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-qjZ_OvMLU
Cooking Mama 5 was released in Japan earlier this year, and now it is coming over to North America. If you're interested in this, you probably are already familiar with the game, but in case you aren't... here's a description from somebody who has no interest or experience with the game: it's a cooking simulator where you use the touchscreen to prepare food. There must be an audience for this.
The Waste Land
Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Metroidvania/Platformer/Action
Gameplay: http://www.indiedb.com/games/the-waste-land (there's a video on the main page)
Indie developers seem to really love Metroidvanias (which is a combination of Metroid and Castlevania if you've never heard the term). Players also seem to like the organic exploration in these games because they often don't really tell you what to do, but with smart game design can be fun. It can be a real blast figuring out where to go once you get the right item or talk to the right person. This game looks like a worthy addition to the genre, so make sure to pick it up if you can.
September 17
Spacecom
Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Strategy
Gameplay: http://www.polygon.com/2014/8/27/6074767/spacecom-4x-strategy-fast-and-made-for-multiplayer
Spacecom is a 4X strategy space fleet command game with a focus on multiplayer. Use your tactics that are up in your brain to do battle with rival fleets when this game drops this week.
Cosmonautica
Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Simulation
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHpyxIW7deo
In Cosmonautica you manage your space ship, trade and do battle. The game looks to have a sense of humour and this looks like a neat little simulation game so it's worth a play.
September 18
Endless Legend
Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Strategy
Gameplay: http://ca.ign.com/videos/2014/04/18/endless-legend-video-preview (Alpha footage)
Endless Legends exits Early Access and gets a full release this week. It looks like a gorgeous 4X strategy game with a lot of depth. There are a bunch of side-quests to do along with the main game, and some RPG elements to go along with it, with customizable skill trees, crafting gear and level-ups. There's more to it, but I will end this by saying that this game could be something special.
Shadowrun: Dragonfall (Director's Cut)
Coming Out For: PC
Genre: RPG
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyUktyFHrb4
I haven't played the Dragonfall expansion, but I can speak from experience that Shadowrun Returns is a welcome... rebirth of Shadowrun. It's not as good as the old SNES one, but it's pretty damn good on its own merits, so I can only imagine Dragonfall is great too. The Director's Cut expands on it with new missions, music, endings, etc. If you already have Dragonfall you get the updates for free.
Elminage Gothic
Coming Out For: PC
Genre: RPG
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYbOLrnHLtM (it's in Japanese)
Released on PSP originally, it is now making its way to PC. Part of a neglected genre, the old-school dungeon crawling RPG, Elminage Gothic hopes to make enjoying big dungeons enjoyable again. These types of games were so popular at one point, and it's nice to see them still being made here and there.
September 19
Wasteland 2
Coming Out For: PC
Genre: RPG
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYtc5Y96coM
Did you play the original Wasteland? Do you like classic computer RPGs? Do you like RPGs where your choices in conversations directly impact the world around you? Do you like RPGs with tactical combat? Do you like post-apocalyptic RPGs? If you answered yes to any of these, then this is an important release for you.
I haven't actually played the original Wasteland, but I'm incredibly excited for this to finally see a full release. I can't wait to sink my teeth into this RPG that is going to take up dozens of hours of my time. I can't wait to experience the rich story where what you do actually has an effect on things. This is the biggest release of the week for me, along with Murasaki Baby.
Life Is Feudal: Your Own
Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Sandbox MMORPG
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMzMLo0hQ_c
I've never heard of Life Is Feudal before, but it seems ambitious, and definitely a lot different than other MMORPGs. When you think of MMORPGs, you no doubt have a certain idea in your head because for the most part, they're pretty similar to one another. There are differences between games like World of Warcraft and Guild Wars 2, for example, but they still follow pretty similar models.
From my understanding, Life is Feudal doesn't have level caps or levels at all, no grinding, quests that are more about becoming familiar with game mechanics rather than being something you do daily. The gameplay consists more of terraforming, meaning you can dig tunnels, manipulate the terrain, build cities underground or above ground, or build walls. The combat is different than other MMORPGs, and the gameplay seems to consist of doing medieval things like sieges and wars. There is crafting, and other game features that I'm not getting into.
The first thing that comes to my head when I think of this game is a game like Rust. They're quite different than one another and it appears that Rust has more emphasis on survival, but the idea of basically just being in a world populated by other people and living, while occasionally killing each other, seems very similar to this influx of games of this type. I'm not trying to say Life is Feudal is copying because they're a lot different, but there are similarities that I enjoy. Still, they'll offer very different experiences.
It hits open Early Alpha this week.
September 20
Nothing.
There are a lot of releases this week, especially from smaller studios, or at least from studios developing games that may not get the mainstream recognition that they deserve. Surely there is something this week that you are interested in.
Did I miss anything of importance to you? Let me know in the comments below or tweet me on the twitter thing @ArtBathednCrime
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