Granblue Fantasy: Relink for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC, and Persona 3 Reload for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC are the highlights of this week’s Japanese video game releases.
10.01.2024 - 19:37 / gamesradar.com
Tales of Seikyu, an upcoming co-op fantasy farming sim blending Rune Factory vibes with Japanese folklore, is the first new game of its kind to really catch my attention in as long as I can remember.
I grew up playing a lot of Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing, likely as an unconscious counterbalance to the myriad gruesome horror games I was probably way too young to be playing. Likewise, it's perhaps a very natural response to the state of the world that we've seen an absolute onslaught of self-styled "cozy" games in recent years; a computerized crusade for the cute and cuddly in the face of real-world anxieties. At some point though, I felt we'd become spoiled for choice. And then they kept coming.
I still find a lot of value in the cozy contingent of modern games, the problem is there's just too damn many, and not enough that are doing anything new or interesting. Farm, fish, craft, build, romance, and on, and on, and on. There are some standouts for sure - the one where you're a cat comes to mind - but by and large, I fear this particular market is grossly oversaturated.
Tales of Seikyu, though, now here's one I can sincerely say I can't wait to get my world-weary, trembling hands on. First of all, it's based in a world inhabited by Japanese yokai; spirits, each of which have their own fascinating folkloric histories often rooted in tragedy. You, as the player character, have built a house in the countryside of a haven protected from these vengeful ghosts, but one that's home to its own assortment of weird and wonderful inhabitants, from "the flamboyant and perpetually tipsy bar owner, Yoji" to "Otter Andolini, a former mafia boss who now cherishes peace at his beloved dock."
Yes, you'll grow crops, craft items, get to know more than 30 unique personalities, and customize your farm and living space in familiar grids, and just chill out, man, but there's so much more here that really makes Tales of Seikyu feel fresh. For example, one of its key twists is the ability to don ancient masks and literally transform into creatures, including a charging boar for tilling soil and a water slime to dive for sunken treasure. You can also take to the skies as a crow tengu to make traversing the enchanted lands that much easier and more exciting.
"We drew inspiration from various mythologies and monsters from folktales around the world. This led us to create a world that brings together Monsters, Youkai, and Gods. In Tales of Seikyu, most of the villagers are based on Asian folktales, but you will also encounter monsters from Western stories like vampires or minotaurs. Players can witness how these diverse creatures coexist, form societies, and even establish romantic relationships with them," said developer ACE
Granblue Fantasy: Relink for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC, and Persona 3 Reload for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC are the highlights of this week’s Japanese video game releases.
ATLUS has premiered the first 50 minutes of Persona 3 Reload.
A couple weeks ago, I gushed about a new fantasy farming RPG that caught my attention amid so many other "cozy" games for its roots in Japanese mythology. Well, I decided to check up on its Kickstarter and, hot damn, I'm clearly far from the only one excited about Tales of Seikyu.
Cygames has released a new live-action commercial for Granblue Fantasy: Relink, which began airing across Japanese television today.
After putting 2,460 hours into The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, series superfan Bobby Blue Holliday has turned to Tears of the Kingdom and now spent over 1,500 hours on a self-imposed quest to become "the first player on the planet to manually cap all materials in-game."
A PlayStation developer has revealed that the company is planning a large array of PC ports of their top games later in the year.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and Tekken 8 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC, and Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island for Switch are the highlights of this week’s Japanese video game releases.
Publisher Spike Chunsoft and developer MAGES. will release the PC versions of romance visual novels Memories Off, Memories Off 2nd, Omoide Ni Kawaru Kimi Memories Off, Memories Off Sorekara, Memories Off #5 Togireta Film, Memories Off6 T-wave, and Memories Off Yubikiri No Kioku via Steam in Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese, the companies announced. Release dates were not announced.
Hey, gamers! Hold onto your controllers because Eversoul just dropped a bombshell – they’re calling all warriors to join their closed beta test (CBT) for the upcoming Japanese launch! The sign-ups kick off starting January 16, 2024, until January 29, 2024, followed by a testing period from January 30, 2024, at 15:00, to February 3, 2024, at 23:59. Plus, there are some severe perks involved with being an Eversoul Beta tester: Ten General Summon Tickets for every tester!
We’re continuing this month’s IGN First on Dragon’s Dogma 2 with a detailed look at its new, robust character creator. The original Dragon’s Dogma had a pretty intense character creator, but Dragon’s Dogma 2 has upped the ante for just how detailed you can get for your character and ideal Pawn.
Nintendo has announced that it’s making a donation to the Japanese Red Cross Society to support those affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake, which struck Japan on January 1.
Developer Team Ninja has updated the PS5 store page for its upcoming open-world action title Rise of the Ronin, offering more details on the various factions that are part of the game’s story and setting of the Bakumatsu era.