Kotobukiya has unveiled brand new pictures of their upcoming Ys VIII scale figures featuring Adol Christin and Dana Iclucia. First, they showed off the decomas (decoration master or painted prototype) of the red-haired swordsman, Adol. They previously gave a look at an unpainted prototype back in February, but now fans get to see him in his painted glory. Adol Christin’s figure is 1/7 scale and is will be available for pre-order starting June 18th.

You can check out pictures of Adol’s decomas below.

Next up is Ys VIII deuteragonist, Dana. Dana’s figure was announced back in September 2023, the same time as Adol. However, we have not seen a prototype of this figure, until now. Like Adol’s figure, Dana will also be 1/7 scale.

You can check out pictures of Dana’s unpainted prototype below.

What do you think of these figures so far?

SOURCE: Kotobukiya Official X Account (Adol Decomas, Dana Prototype)

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The previously announced demo for The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak is now available to download for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. While there is no native PlayStation 5 demo, the PS4 demo is playable on PS5. Players will be able to play through the Prologue in the Switch demo while those playing the PS4 demo will be able to also play through Chapter 1. Try out the series’ new battle system which allows you to change between action and turn-based combat on the fly. Save data from the demo can be carried over to the full game once it releases on July 5, 2024. PS4 demo save data will be compatible with the full PS5 version. As mentioned previously, there is no demo for the PC version.

You can check out the demo trailers for both the PS4 and Switch versions below.

PS4 Demo Trailer

Switch Demo Trailer

NIS America describes the game as follows:

About the Game:
In the aftermath of a brief war, Calvard is enjoying unprecedented economic prosperity. However, the public grows uncertain as the number of immigrants increases and questionable political reform runs rampant. Follow the spriggan Van Arkride on a unique request that will prove more than he bargained for. Will the nation fall into chaos?

The Story So Far…

The spriggan’s life is but one of many professions that has emerged from the Calvard Republic. Be it playing detective, negotiator, or bounty hunter, Van Arkride takes on the kind of work that legitimate sources can’t accept. Whether it’s best left out of the public eye or rooted in the dark corners of the underworld, almost any job is open for consideration.

The year is S.1208. A prim-and-proper young lady dressed in the uniform of an esteemed academy visits a rundown multi-tenant building in the Old Town district of Edith, the nation’s capital. With a most dignified gaze, she looks upon the plaque of the door before her. It reads: ‘ARKRIDE Solutions Office: Complicated Matters Only.’

Steeling herself, she knocks on the door three times.

“First thing in the morning…?” a relaxed yet surprisingly young voice grumbles with a yawn.

From the moment he opens the door to greet her, a new tale begins.

Key Details:

• A Case in Calvard: Follow the spriggan known as Van Arkride as he takes on a case that will change the nation’s fate…as well as his own. Explore the reaches of the Calvard Republic while immersing yourself in a rich story filled with action and intrigue.
• Spriggan to Action: Transition seamlessly between action field battles and turn-based combat with the revamped AT (Action Time) Battle system, and expand your arsenal with new Shard Skills, courtesy of the sixth-generation combat orbment, Xipha.
• Between Law and Chaos: Under the Alignment system, your choices and actions affect how your story unfolds. Your propensity towards Law, Chaos, and the shades in-between can influence your status in the city, who will ally with or oppose you, and even what jobs and dialogue options are available to you.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak is developed by Nihon Falcom Corporationa and published by NIS America, Inc. It is scheduled to launch in North America on July 5, 2024 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC. For more information on the game, you can check out its official website and follow NIS America’s official X account.

SOURCE: Press Release

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NIS America has announced a demo for their upcoming release, The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak. The demo will be available on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, and it is scheduled to release on June 4th. The PlayStation 4 demo will also be available on PlayStation 5. Demo save data can be carried over to the game’s full version once it launches on July 5, 2024. Unfortunately, a demo will not be available for PC players.

In addition to the demo news, NIS America also released the opening movie for the game. You can check that out below.

NIS America describes the game as follows:

About the Game:
In the aftermath of a brief war, Calvard is enjoying unprecedented economic prosperity. However, the public grows uncertain as the number of immigrants increases and questionable political reform runs rampant. Follow the spriggan Van Arkride on a unique request that will prove more than he bargained for. Will the nation fall into chaos?

The Story So Far…

The spriggan’s life is but one of many professions that has emerged from the Calvard Republic. Be it playing detective, negotiator, or bounty hunter, Van Arkride takes on the kind of work that legitimate sources can’t accept. Whether it’s best left out of the public eye or rooted in the dark corners of the underworld, almost any job is open for consideration.

The year is S.1208. A prim-and-proper young lady dressed in the uniform of an esteemed academy visits a rundown multi-tenant building in the Old Town district of Edith, the nation’s capital. With a most dignified gaze, she looks upon the plaque of the door before her. It reads: ‘ARKRIDE Solutions Office: Complicated Matters Only.’

Steeling herself, she knocks on the door three times.

“First thing in the morning…?” a relaxed yet surprisingly young voice grumbles with a yawn.

From the moment he opens the door to greet her, a new tale begins.

Key Details:

• A Case in Calvard: Follow the spriggan known as Van Arkride as he takes on a case that will change the nation’s fate…as well as his own. Explore the reaches of the Calvard Republic while immersing yourself in a rich story filled with action and intrigue.
• Spriggan to Action: Transition seamlessly between action field battles and turn-based combat with the revamped AT (Action Time) Battle system, and expand your arsenal with new Shard Skills, courtesy of the sixth-generation combat orbment, Xipha.
• Between Law and Chaos: Under the Alignment system, your choices and actions affect how your story unfolds. Your propensity towards Law, Chaos, and the shades in-between can influence your status in the city, who will ally with or oppose you, and even what jobs and dialogue options are available to you.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak is developed by Nihon Falcom Corporation and published by NIS America, Inc. It is scheduled to launch on July 5, 2024 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC in North America. It will support English text and both English and Japanese audio. For more information, you can follow NIS America’s official X account and check out the game’s official website.

SOURCE: Press Email

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USERJOY has announced that The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War, a mobile game based on the anime of the same name, is now available worldwide. It is available for Android and iOS mobile devices and for PC. The PC version was announced and implemented for the game’s global launch. Trails of Cold Steel – NW originally released in December 2023 for mobile devices in Japan.

You can check out a promotional video (PV) for the game below.

USERJOY describes the game as follows:

■ The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War – Game Introduction
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War is a cross-platform game that USERJOY developed based on Falcom’s classic Trails series. Set between Trails of Cold Steel II and Trails of Cold Steel III, it focuses on the dramatic events of the Northern War. Players will uncover the unexpected truths of the Northern War through the perspective of the protagonist, Lavian Winslet. Experience the full narrative of the anime and join beloved heroes from the Trails series, such as Rean Schwarzer (voiced by Koki Uchiyama) and Alisa Reinford (voiced by Yui Horie), along with new companions in an exhilarating new story and adventure.

■ Classic Strategy for Exciting Tactical Combat!
This game features the classic strategic elements of the Trails series, including the well-known Orbment system. Players can enjoy the familiar Quartz and employ formation strategies to enrich battles with endless strategic challenges. The characters’ S-Craft abilities are also faithfully recreated with unique 3D animations, providing a cinematic visual experience that makes players feel like they’re on the intense battlefield of North Ambria with their favorite Trails characters.

To celebrate the launch, new players will have the chance receive up to 100 free draws, an SSR selector, and even a free SSR Tio Plato. You can check out more details on the launch celebrations below.

■ Launch Celebration! Generous Newcomer Rewards – up to 100 Draws and 16 SSR!
To celebrate the launch of The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War, the team has prepared abundant newcomer rewards. Just complete specific tasks to receive 100 free draws and an SSR selector box. Additionally, clearing the main chapters will also earn players up to 13 more SSR characters, making a total of 16 free SSRs and over 120 draws!

• Launch Celebration Rewards:
  Day 2: Receive SSR Tio Plato
  Day 7: Receive SSR Selector Box
  Special Tasks: Complete the Newcomer Contract for 100 free draws!
  Special Tasks: Complete the Elite Gathering for 20 special draws and an SSR Selector Box!
  Complete Main Chapters: Earn up to 13 SSR characters!

■ Take advantage of the 7-Day Login Rewards! Get the Popular SSR Character Tio Plato and another SSR Selector Box!

The team has also prepared generous 7-day login rewards. Log in for seven consecutive days to receive the highly popular SSR character Tio Plato from the Trails series, an SSR Selector Box, 10 gacha tickets, and 10 attribute gacha tickets! These special rewards are exclusively for new players! Download the game now and start your adventure in Zemuria!

 

• 7-Day Login Rewards:
  Day 1: 500 JC
  Day 2: SSR Tio Plato
  Day 3: 10 Gacha Tickets
  Day 4: Special Quartz Selector Box III
  Day 5: Purple Equip Set Selector Box
  Day 6: 10 Attribute Gacha Tickets
  Day 7: Special SSR Selector Box

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War is available now for Android and iOS devices and PC. You can download the game from the Google Play Store, App Store, and from the official website. For more information, you can follow the game’s official X account.

SOURCE: Press Release

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Nihon Falcom has revealed the platforms and launch date for the newest installment in the Trails series, The Legend of Heroes: Kai no Kiseki -Farewell, O Zemuria-. The game is scheduled to launch in Japan for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on September 26, 2024.

You can check out a new Web CM for the game below. The Web CM showcases some of the characters in action and also gives a look at some returning faces from past Trails games.

Original Web CM

English Subbed (Sedulous Setsuna)

The Legend of Heroes: Kai no Kiseki -Farewell, O Zemuria- will be available both physically and digitally for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Physically, the game will be available in both a standard and limited edition. The limited edition comes with the following:

• A physical copy of the game for PS4 or PS5
• Mini original soundtrack
• “KISEKI 20th” Metallic Card Collection 2004-2024
• “KISEKI 20th Anniversary” Memorial Pins
• Zemuria BGM Collection DLC

Those who pre-order the game will receive a DLC costume for returning character, Rean Schwarzer. The outfit will be his Thors Military Academy -Branch Campus- instructor uniform. The standard edition of the game will cost 8,800 JPY (physical and digital), and the limited edition will cost 11,500 JPY. You can pre-order the game from Nihon Falcom’s online store now (Standard Edition, Limited Edition).

The Legend of Heroes: Kai no Kiseki -Farewell, O Zemuria- launches September 26 for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in Japan. If you’re interested in the game, you can check out its official website and follow Nihon Falcom’s official X account.

SOURCES: Nihon Falcom Official X Account, @SedulousSetsuna (For English Subbed Web CM)

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Blue Archive The Animation, the anime adaptation of Nexon’s popular mobile game, has finally received an air date in North America. The anime will begin airing May 24, 2024 at 0:00 AM UTC (May 23 at 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT) on the Blue Archive Global YouTube channel. The North American stream will have English subtitles.

You can check out the opening animation below.

Blue Archive The Animation is produced by Yostar Pictures and studio CANDYBOX. The anime began airing in Japan and countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific on April 7th. The anime was licensed in Southeast Asia and the Pacific by Medialink. Medialink streamed the episodes on the Ani-One Asia YouTube channel. Seven (7) episodes have already aired in the areas mentioned.

Senseis in North America will finally get to officially watch Blue Archive The Animation in English starting May 24.

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Aksys Games has announced an official launch date for their localization of Tokyo Xanadu eX+ on Nintendo Switch. This port will have all extras added in the PS4 version, include all previously released DLC, and will feature an updated localization. It is scheduled to launch on July 25, 2024 in the west. The game was previously thought to release in June due to the February announcement trailer’s description.

You can check out the release date announcement trailer below.

Aksys Games describes the game as follows:

EXPLORE A BRAVE NEW WORLD!

10 years ago, a colossal earthquake devastated Tokyo and changed the lives of its inhabitants forever. The city has since been rebuilt and life has slowly returned to a semblance of normalcy.

However, behind the veil of this newly rebuilt metropolis lies another world, one with a sinister secret. The earth- quake that originally destroyed Tokyo was actually caused by the emergence of a mysterious and lethal shadow world known as the Eclipse.

Now, action must be taken to thwart the legions of the Eclipse and ensure the protection of peace!

KEY FEATURES

• This updated version of Tokyo Xanadu includes all additional content for the game and a revamped localization of the story.
• New Scenarios!
  Enjoy unique tales of the Wielders that weren’t depicted in the main story. Once you’ve completed the game, get access to an all new quest and carry on the adventure!
• New Playable Characters, New Monsters, Dungeons and Bosses!
  Play as the mysterious knight, White Shroud. Brandish unrivaled strength and the powers of light to take down vile monsters and vicious bosses! Plus, new dungeons filled with fierce new monster types and giant bosses to battle!
• New Modes: “Time Attack” and “Boss Rush”
  In Time Attack, defeat various bosses that appear in the main story as quickly as possible. In Boss Rush mode, you can battle each boss one after the other.

Tokyo Xanadu eX+ is available for pre-order now. An online exclusive edition is available in Aksys Games’ Online Store which includes a 4-CD soundtrack featuring 88 tracks from the game.

Tokyo Xanadu eX+ launches July 25, 2024 in the west for Nintendo Switch. For more information you can check out its official website.

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Aniplex has announced that the artbook included in the PlayStation 4 physical limited edition for the English release of TSUKIHIME -A piece of blue glass moon- will have two modified pages. The artbook will not be altered for the limited edition on Nintendo Switch.

Aniplex went on to state that while the artbook would be altered for the PlayStation 4 release, the game itself will not be altered for both the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch versions.

You can check out the full statement below (via the game’s official X account).

Notice regarding the English release of TSUKIHIME -A piece of blue glass moon- pic.twitter.com/o27E2wlpux

— TSUKIHIME -A piece of blue glass moon- (@tsukihime_en) May 1, 2024

This isn’t the first time something has been altered due to Sony Interactive Entertainment’s policies. Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal had an entire game mode removed prior to its release on PlayStation 4. Not even more well known titles were safe, as Devil May Cry 5 was also hit with extra light censors in its western PS4 release, though those were eventually removed. This, however, is an interesting situation as Aniplex is owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan, which is under the same parent company (Sony) as Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE). It appears other companies under the Sony umbrella are not exempt from SIE’s publishing policies.

TSUKIHIME -A piece of blue glass moon- launches June 27th, 2024 for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. If you’re interested in the visual novel, you can follow its official X account and check out its official website.

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A new video giving information and showcasing the battle system for The Legend of Heroes: Kai no Kiseki -Farewell, O Zemuria- has been released via Dengeki Online’s YouTube channel. The battle system showcase includes looks at updated Craft animations, and the video shows a comparison between the animation in Kuro no Kiseki and the update animation in Kai no Kiseki. In addition to the updated Crafts, the new Awakening and B.L.T.Z. mechanics were shown.

Certain characters can utilize Awakening by consuming  the Trance gauge during Field Battles. By doing this, the character can temporarily increase their combat abilities. With the B.L.T.Z system during Command Battles, if a character performs a normal attack, Craft, or art while having the AT bonus “Blitz” a BLTZ Chain or BLTZ Support will activate. This can help turn the tide of battle with benefits such as increasing the effectiveness of Crafts and arts. (Information taken from Kai no Kiseki‘s official website. Trance gauge name taken from name next to depleting gauge in Field Battle Awakening showcase.)

You can check out the full video showcase below, as well as shorter videos just showcasing the battle gameplay.

Full Video Showcase

Craft Comparison Video

Field Battle Awakening and Command Battle B.LT.Z. Showcase

The Legend of Heroes: Kai no Kiseki -Farewell, O Zemuria- is scheduled to launch sometime in 2024. While no platforms have been officially announced, it’s safe to assume it will release for PlayStation 4 and/or PlayStation 5 based on the button icons in the gameplay showcase. For more information on the game you can follow Nihon Falcom’s official X account and check out the game’s official website.

SOURCES: Kai no Kiseki Gameplay Showcase, Hansuke (@Hansuke21)

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A new mobile game in the Madoka Magica franchise, Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Magia Exedra, has been announced for release in 2024. The game is planned and distributed by Aniplex while Pokelabo and f4samurai will develop it. Pokelabo will handle the game’s operation. No other information on the game, such as its gameplay, story, and staff, have been announced at this time.

Aniplex and f4samurai previously worked together on another Madoka mobile game, Magia Record. Magia Record is currently still in service in Japan while its North American server ended service in 2020. Pokelabo is known for their work on the now shutdown mobile game, SINoALICE.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Magia Exedra is scheduled to launch 2024 in Japan. If you’re interested in the game, you can follow its official X account and check out its official website.

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Ahead of the game’s launch on April 26, 2024, SHIFT UP took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and assured players that Stellar Blade would be uncensored in all countries, including Japan. This is certainly great news as sometimes games would have to be edited to meet certain guidelines, whether it be by a country’s rating organization (such as the ESRB, PEGI, or CERO) to meet a certain age rating, or even by the console’s parent company. Being able to get through all that regulatory red tape and still come out with the game uncensored for every country is quite the achievement, and Shift Up should be proud.

A special music video promoting the game featuring K-Pop star, BIBI, was also released recently. You can check that out below.

If you’re interested in the game, a demo is currently available to download on the PlayStation Store. You will be able to carry over your save data from the demo to the full game once it launches.

Stellar Blade launches on April 26 exclusively for PlayStation 5. The game will support multiple languages including nine voiceover options (Japanese voices locked to Japan version). You can check out the game’s official website and X account for more information.

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The second major DLC for Fate/Samurai Remnant, “Record’s Fragment – Yagyu Sword Chronicles”, is available to download now. In this new content, Miyamoto Iori and Saber must investigate and solve mysterious murders taking place in the streets of Edo. Players will get to work together with a new Rogue Servant, Yagyu Munenori (CV. Chikahiro Kobayashi), to find the one responsible for these killings and bring peace back to Edo.

In order to access the DLC, players must reach Chapter 3 “My Mind Bides on the Battlefield”. You can select the new content once you’re able to move freely on the Edo Map.

You can check out the DLC’s trailer and some screenshots below.

Fate/Samurai Remnant DLC Vol. 2 “Record’s Fragment – Yagyu Sword Chronicles” is available to purchase now for $14.99 USD in PlayStation Store, Nintendo eShop, and Steam. The DLC is also a part of the game’s season pass which can be purchased for $39.99 USD (PlayStation Store, Nintendo eShop, Steam).

Fate/Samurai Remnant is available now for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.  The game is developed by Omega Force and published in North America by KOEI TECMO America. It is a spin-off of TYPE-MOON’s popular Fate franchise. For more information, you can check out the game’s website and KOEI TECMO America’s social media channels (Facebook, X Account)

If you’re interested in trying out the game, a demo is currently available for multiple platforms (PS4, PS5, Steam, Switch). You can check out our review of the main game HERE.

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Hololive fan game, Holo X Break, is now available to download for free on Steam. The game is published under the holo Indie brand and developed by KayAnimate (Kay Yu), known for their work on HoloCure. It is a beat ’em up where you control hololive talents to take on the members of holoX.

You can check out the game’s trailer below.

Holo X Break will implement online multiplayer at a later date. Players can still play with friends online using Steam’s built-in “Remote Play Together” feature while the developer works on implementing the online multiplayer mode. You can read the full statement regarding the online multiplayer below.

The game is described as follows:

It was your usual daily life over at hololive HQ in Holo City, until one day their CEO mysteriously disappears!

Moments later, a nefarious organization who called themselves “holoX, the Secret Society” announces their plans to take over the world! Play as the talents of the Vtuber group Hololive to fight your way through the minions of holoX and put a stop to their plans in this classic style beat-em-up!

-Play as different talents of hololive, such as the talents of Generation 5’s “NePoLaBo”, each equipped with their own unique abilities and super attacks!
-Find various kinds of equipment that will change the way you play each time!
-Use quick consumable defensive or offensive items to change the tide of battle
-Fight action packed boss battles against the members of holoX
-Up to 4 players local with online in an upcoming update
-Easy to pick up and get right into the action
-Challenge harder difficulties that will put your skills to the test!
-The “X” in the title is silent.

If you’re interested in Holo X Break or HoloCure, you can follow the games’ X account and the developer’s X account for more information.

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A demo for upcoming action-adventure game, Stellar Blade, is now available to download for free on PlayStation 5. The demo will allow players to play up to the first boss fight. Those who complete the demo will be able to carry their save data over to the full game when it releases on April 26.

The demo will have the following language options (which will be the same in the full game):

Voice Over: Korean, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Latin Spanish.

Text: Korean, English (US), French, Italian, German, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Arabic, Turkish, Thai, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese.

As covered previously, the Japanese voice overs are locked to the game’s Japan release. Lip synching is available for the Korean, English, and Japanese voice overs.

For those who missed it, you can check out a teaser for the demo below.

You can also check out a behind the scenes video promoting the demo below.

「Stellar Blade」 demo, available for download NOW! pic.twitter.com/g4TiQrzPNf

— StellarBlade (@StellarBlade) March 29, 2024

Stellar Blade is an action-adventure game coming exclusively to PlayStation 5 on April 26, 2024. The game is developed by Shift Up, more recently known for their work on GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE. Stellar Blade is currently available to pre-order both physically and digitally. If you’re interested in the game, you can check out its official website and follow its official X account.

The post Stellar Blade Demo Now Available, Save Data Carries Over appeared first on oprainfall.

At AnimeJapan 2024, new information was revealed for Blue Archive The Animation, including the long-awaited reveal of Sensei’s design in the upcoming anime.

First of all, on the 1st day of the event, a new trailer promoting the anime was revealed, you can check that out below.

On the 2nd day, Sensei’s character design was finally shown and you can check that out below. Sensei will be voiced by Sakata Shogo. Sakata-san has previously voiced characters such as Aki Hayakawa (Chainsaw Man) and Usato (The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic).

In addition to Sensei’s debut, a good chunk of the anime’s first episode premiered for both the in-person audience and those watching the livestream. You can check out the premiere below (starts at 42:51).

AnimeJapan 2024 Day 2 Stream

Blue Archive The Animation begins airing on April 7th, 2024 on TV Tokyo. It is produced by Yostar Pictures and studio CANDYBOX. For more information, you can check out its official website and follow its official X account.

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Sword Art Online Alternative Gun Gale Online II, the follow up to the 2018 Sword Art Online Alternative Gun Gale Online TV anime, will begin airing in October 2024. The main cast returns to reprise their roles, including Tomori Kusunoki as LLENN. Studio 3Hz also returns as the anime’s production company.

The cast and staff is as follows:

 [ CAST ]
LLENN: Tomori Kusunoki
Pitohui: Yoko Hikasa
M: Kazuyuki Okitsu
Fukaziroh: Chinatsu Akasaki

[ STAFF ]

Original Work: Keiichi Sigsawa (Dengeki Bunko)
Original Illustration & Character Design Concept: Kouhaku Kuroboshi
Director: Masayuki Sakoi
Series Composition / Screenplay: Yosuke Kuroda
Character Design & Chief Animation Director: Yoshio Kozakai
Music: DAITA, Daisuke Shinoda
Animation Production: Studio 3Hz

You can check out the broadcast date announcement trailer below.

English Trailer

Japanese Trailer

In addition to the broadcast announcement, the first season will also be rebroadcast starting in July 2024.

Sword Art Online Alternative Gun Gale Online II is a TV anime adaptation of Keiichi Sigsawa’s light novel of a similar name. The first season aired from April 2018 to June 2018 and was produced by Studio 3Hz. The second season will begin airing in October 2024. If you’re interested in the anime, you can check out its official website and follow its official X accounts (English, Japanese).

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TYPE-MOON visual novel, TSUKIHIME -A piece of blue glass moon-, will release on June 27, 2024 for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. Previously, it was only known that the title would release sometime in Summer 2024, so this is welcoming news for fans that have been looking forward to the game’s release. TSUKIHIME -A piece of blue glass moon- is a remake of 2000 Windows PC visual novel, Tsukihime.

The game’s official website describes the visual novel as follows:

The celebrated visual novel from Kinoko Nasu and TYPE-MOON is born anew…

TSUKIHIME -A piece of blue glass moon- collects the two tales that make up the “Near Side of the Moon” portion of the original Tsukihime: Arcueid’s scenario, “Moon Princess,” and Ciel’s scenario, “Midnight Rainbow.”

Creator Kinoko Nasu has painstakingly disassembled and rebuilt the story, updating the setting to 2010s Tokyo and expanding the narrative. This reimagined presentation will exhilarate players with its hard-hitting tension and realism.

Featuring beautifully evolved visuals, animations, and music, TSUKIHIME -A piece of blue glass moon- presents a fresh take on TYPE-MOON’s genre-defining classic.

Scenario, Director: Kinoko Nasu
Character Design: Takashi Takeuchi／Art Director: Koyama Hirokazu
Graphics: Takao Aotuki, Shimokoshi, Shimaudon, Sunadorineko
Animation, Scripting: BLACK／Scripting: Urushinohara／Programming: Kiyobee
Music: Hideyuki Fukasawa, Keita Haga／Logo Design: WINFANWORKS
Main Theme: ReoNa “Seimeisen” (SACRA MUSIC)／Opening Animation: ufotable
Planning & Production: TYPE-MOON

The voice cast is as follows:

• Ryosuke Kanemoto as Shiki Tohno
• Ikumi Hasegawa as Arcueid Brunestud
• Kaedo Hando as Ciel
• Shino Shimoji as Akiha Tohno
• Kana Ichinose as Hisui
• Yuuki Kuwahara as Kohaku

Pre-orders for the limited physical edition are available now from multiple outlets and will cost $79.99 USD. The limited edition comes with a physical copy of the game, a collector’s box, and a special material book, TSUKIHIME Material I -material of blue glass moon-. Digital pre-orders are not open at this time.

TSUKIHIME -A piece of blue glass moon- launches June 27, 2024 for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. If you’re interested in the game, you can check out its official English website and follow its official X account.

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Nihon Falcom has announced a new Tokyo Xanadu project in celebration of the game’s 10th anniversary. While the exact release date and platforms have not been revealed, we at least know the game will be an Action RPG, just like its predecessor.

You can check out the project’s announcement teaser below.

Nihon Falcom also released an Investor Relations (IR) news release regarding the new project. You can check out a description of the game below (Translation by Gematsu).

It has been 10 years since the release of Falcom’s first modern-day action RPG Tokyo Xanadu…

Set in Japanese city of Kyoto, this new game depicts the story of juveniles who travel around the otherworldly realm known as “Xanadu.”

While it shares the same world as Tokyo Xanadu, which is set in the Japanese city of Tokyo, the setting is all-new. It is currently in development as a “completely new title” with all game systems built from the ground up, so please look forward to it!

Tokyo Xanadu first launched in Japan for PlayStation Vita in 2015. It was followed by an enhanced port (eX+) for PlayStation 4, Windows PC, and Nintendo Switch. It was also released in the West for the same platforms, with the Nintendo Switch version scheduled to launch in the summer of 2024. If you’re interested in the new Tokyo Xanadu project, you can check out its official website and follow Nihon Falcom’s official X account.

SOURCES: Nihon Falcom X Post, Nihon Falcom IR News Release, Gematsu

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Author’s Note: This review may contain minor spoilers pertaining to the story. The main character will be referred to as the Captain throughout this review.

I must admit, even though I love Action RPGs, I was very hesitant in reviewing Granblue Fantasy: Relink. For those who don’t know, Relink takes place in the same world as the RPG browser game, Granblue Fantasy. While I have played the browser game before, the most I’ve done is complete the prologue and roll for characters whenever I get the chance, I haven’t even finished chapter 1 of its story. So, my knowledge of the story and characters is minimal, at best. Granblue Fantasy has been around for almost a decade now, so I feared my lack of knowledge of the game’s lore and world would negatively affect not only my enjoyment, but my understanding of the events that occur in the game. So, after playing through the game’s story, was this Granblue newcomer able to enjoy Relink, or is it only for true veterans of the series?

Granblue Fantasy: Relink follows the Captain and the Grandcypher crew as they enter a brand new area, the Zegagrande Skydom. After a tumultuous entry, the Grandcyper crew finds themselves in the small town of Folca where they meet the local Mr. Fix It, Rolan. Rolan is trusted throughout the Skydom, so of course when a dangerous situation arises in the neighboring town of Tempeal, Rolan is asked to help the citizens. The Captain, the good-natured individual that they are, volunteers to assist Rolan in his efforts. However, what seems to be a straightforward mission quickly devolves into chaos as the Grandcypher runs into a group known as the Church of Avia. The Church of Avia runs off with the Captain’s friend, Lyria. Now, the Captain and crew must work to save Lyria from Avia’s clutches, and perhaps save the entire Sky Realm during the process.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink’s story is pretty straightforward; you could guess what direction the story is heading as you play it. That wasn’t a bad thing, though, as it was written well enough to keep me engaged and interested throughout my playthrough. The characters’ chemistry, especially that of the Grandcypher crew, helped keep me engaged as well. What I especially liked about Relink’s story is how welcoming it was to newcomers of the Granblue Fantasy franchise. They didn’t rely too heavily on past events, only referencing them sparsely throughout the game. And even if there were terms that I didn’t understand, I could read up on them in Lyria’s Journal. Lyria’s Journal is fantastic and can be easily accessed from the pause menu. It includes a glossary of terms used throughout the game (such as Astral and Primal Beast), information on the characters you meet throughout the game, and even gives a summary of the events that occurred before Relink. Not only that, you can rewatch past story cutscenes from Lyria’s journal whenever you want, provided you’re in town. This is great for those who want to rewatch a cutscene with a different gender Captain. And yes, you can change the Captain’s gender and name whenever you want from the pause menu, and this will automatically be reflected in Lyria’s Journal. So, you can rewatch the entire game’s story with a different gender Captain without having to replay the game, and I find that to be a fantastic addition. Cygames did not have to go out of their way to implement this feature, but I very much appreciate it.

But, you’re probably asking yourself if there’s a way to get to know the Grandcypher crew even more, outside of the Main Story and Lyria’s Journal. Well, I’m happy to say there is. Relink has a nice mechanic called Fate Episodes, and these can be accessed through the Quest Counter in town. Every recruitable character in Relink has a Fate Episode, and these tell players each of their backstories, what they did before the events of the game, and also what they get up to during Relink. Each chapter of the Fate Episode is unlocked based on Main Story progression, which Fate Episode chapters you’ve read, and what level the indicated character is. So, if there’s a character you’re really interested in, I’d suggest you focus on leveling them up first to fully read their Fate Episode. Not only do Fate Episodes develop your favorite characters, they even give you incentive to read them. Every time you read a Fate Episode chapter, it increases the character’s stats, and some chapters will increase the character’s Sigil slots. You’ll get to learn more about the character, plus they’ll get stronger too! The only negative thing I’d say about Fate Episodes is I wish there were in-game cutscenes instead of walls of text, this would’ve gotten me more invested. However, I appreciate that these were fully voiced by the character.

Most of the characters in the game did not develop much throughout the game’s Main Story, most of their development was locked behind the Fate Episodes. So again, if you really care about the Grandcypher crew, read the Fate Episodes. The one with the most development in the actual Main Story was the Church of Avia member, Id, and I did enjoy seeing his motivations and demeanor evolve throughout the story. I wish the other two big members of the Church of Avia had more screen time to develop, so I’m hoping they’ll revisit them sometime down the road. Another issue I had with the game’s story is that recruited characters don’t have much presence, if any, in the Main Story. Sure, they’ll have special dialog during certain Main Story areas, but they don’t show up in Main Story cutscenes nor are they really addressed at all throughout the Story Chapters. They’re just sorta there, and I wish they had more interaction with the main Grandcypher crew throughout the story.

The gameplay of Granblue Fantasy: Relink is very solid. I will admit, when I read PlatinumGames was no longer working on the game, I feared the gameplay would take a massive hit. Thankfully, Cygames proved me wrong. In combat, you take control of one character and have three additional party members. Normal attacks are performed using the X button, A button is jump, Y button is a special action that changes depending on the character you control, the B button allows you to initiate a Link Attack if the enemy’s stun gauge is maxed, and holding the RB button and pressing X, A, B, or Y allows you to perform Skills. I’ll use Narmaya as an example for the special action. If you press the Y button while using her, she changes stances between Dawnfly or Freeflutter. Dawnfly is great for taking on hordes of enemies while Freeflutter can be used to wail on single enemies. Other than these, you can hold the directional buttons to use items or click both the right stick and left stick at the same time to activate your Skybound Art (SBA). SBAs can only be used once the SBA gauge is at 100%, and these are super special attacks with nice animations. If you use the SBA while your party member’s SBA gauges are at 100%, they will also perform an SBA which causes a Chain Burst. The Chain Burst’s damage increases depending on how many members perform their SBA. You can change your party member’s SBA behavior in the Options menu to match your combat preferences. Once you get used to all of these options, you can string together beautiful chaos to decimate foes. I had a ton of fun fighting in Relink, especially against bosses, since each one has their own unique patterns that you have to learn if you want to be effective against them. Another great thing about the combat is, surprisingly, the party AI. CPU party members are actually very helpful in combat, using their skills at the right time and are great at staying alive. In fact, there were times when I died more than the CPU members and they had to keep saving me. It’s refreshing having CPU party members that don’t hold you back.

While I do love the combat, I did have some minor issues. First, they don’t tell you what each directional button item does. These aren’t even in the Inventory menu, so you can’t even read what they do, it’s a lot of guesswork. Next is the camera. While it is good most of the time, if you get too close to a wall or corner, the camera can get a bit crazy. Finally, I would’ve liked to have an option to change your playable character mid-combat. I do understand why that isn’t an option, since there is a multiplayer portion to this game and you shouldn’t be able to take over someone else’s character. But, it would’ve been a cool option to have if the game knows you’re playing Offline and with CPU party members.

You can strengthen characters by leveling up, using Mastery Points, equipping Sigils, and upgrading weapons. You level up through the usual methods: defeating enemies, completing Counter Quests, and completing Side Quests. Characters that aren’t in your party will still gain experience points during Main Story missions, but not during Counter Quests, so keep that in mind. Mastery Points are used to unlock nodes in a character’s Mastery Tree. These nodes can range from increasing stats to increasing a character’s resistances, and can even unlock more skills or Sigil slots for them. Mastery Points are gained through leveling up, completing Counter Quests and Side Quests, opening treasure chests, etc. The great thing about Mastery Points is that they aren’t limited to one character; they’re shared across all characters. So, if another character levels up and you don’t particularly like using them, you can use those Mastery Points to strengthen one you do like controlling. I do appreciate the development team doing this because it makes it easier to strengthen your favorite characters. Sigils are like accessories that give different benefits to your characters, such as increasing stats, increasing your critical hit rate, strengthening your combo attacks, etc. These can really give your character the extra edge they need to dominate foes. You can upgrade your weapon at the Blacksmith and even forge new ones there. Each weapon has its own special trait, such as increasing a character’s HP or increasing their effectiveness against an enemy’s weak point. So it’s beneficial to upgrade a certain weapon based on your playstyle. Additionally, you can change a weapon’s traits by imbuing it with Wrightstones. This can be done at the Blacksmith, but I didn’t find any need for Imbuing throughout the Main Story. Increasing your weapon’s max level requires materials, and most of these can be found by doing Counter Quests, and that is where most of the grinding is performed.

There are four types of areas you can explore in Relink: the towns, the Grandcypher, Main Story areas, and Counter Quest areas. Towns act as the hub area. Here, you can upgrade your equipment, purchase materials, sell any loot, accept Side Quests from citizens, recruit new characters, and even find treasure. Recruiting new characters requires a Crewmate Card, and you get more of these as you progress the Main Story or complete certain Counter Quests. There are 15-plus playable characters to choose from, and you start the game off with six of them available. An issue with the recruitment system is that you can’t try out the character before choosing them. You can only access the practice menu after recruiting them, which is rough if you end up choosing a character whose gameplay doesn’t gel with you. A way to get around this is saving before you recruit, turn off Autosave in the Options menu, recruit the character, practice with them, and then reload your save. This way, you can try out every recruitable character before permanently using your voucher. It’s a very roundabout way, which could’ve been circumvented if there was an option to try out the character before recruiting. The Grandcypher allows you to practice with your current character to tackle Time Attack and Score Attack modes. Time Attack involves destroying Sir Barrold as quickly as you can, while Score Attack calculates how much damage you can inflict on Sir Barrold before time runs out. Very simple minigames, but I appreciate them adding these options. Speaking of minigames, I do wish they had some available in the towns of Folca and Seedhollow. Give me a reason to stay in town a bit longer. There’s literally a fishing pond in Folca, let me go fishing! It just would’ve been a nice break from all of the fast paced action.

Main Story areas are the bulk of where the gameplay takes place. These are semi-open maps full of enemies, treasure chests, and other collectibles such as Archive entries and Wee Pincers. I call these semi-open since there is an obvious path to get to your goal, but you have the freedom to explore the map as much as you want before reaching the set goal. There are special monuments called Hallowed Ground scattered throughout the map, and these act as checkpoints and areas where you can save and heal. Siero, our resident adorable merchant, also magically appears at these monuments, giving you the options to purchase goods and access the Blacksmith. You can also return to town whenever you want during these stages, in case things get too rough for you. Once you return to the stage, Archive entries are pieces of information that give you some lore, and these are relatively easy to spot due to how they shine. These are saved in Lyria’s Journal after you find them. Wee Pincers are collectible little crabs you can find throughout the Main Story. Unlike Archive entries and materials, these do not shine or have a different color at all, so you really have to search the map thoroughly to find them – which comes to my one big issue with these Main Story areas: there’s no minimap. The most the game gives you is a compass at the top of the screen with a marker telling you where the story destination is. It doesn’t even mark where collectibles you’ve found are. So, if you find a treasure chest and forget to open it, you’re gonna have to search for it all over again. I do appreciate the lack of a minimap slightly, since it makes me actually look at the environment when exploring, and it does give a big sense of accomplishment once you find a collectible. However, if you’re trying to find 100% of collectibles in the game, having no minimap becomes more of a nuisance.

Counter Quests are quests you accept through the Quest Counter. These have specific goals you need to finish to complete missions, and they are also side goals which will increase your quest rating and rewards. Counter Quests can range from defeating bosses to defending Hallowed Ground to defeating all enemies. These are where you can play online multiplayer with your friends, but I didn’t try this function out since I tend to play solo. Counter Quests take place in specific areas of Main Story maps you’ve previously visited. There’s not much room for exploring in these quests, these are mostly a combat affair, which I do like, cause I do love the game’s combat. Most of the postgame content involves these Counter Quests, especially if you want to fight even tougher enemies and completely max out your characters and weapons.

Sail the skies and continue to page 2 ->

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Bandai Namco has announced that SWORD ART ONLINE Last Recollection official ambassador and hololive 2nd Generation talent, Minato Aqua, will join Last Recollection as a playable character on March 7th, 2024. She will be available in the free 1.15 version update after clearing the required sub-quest. Based on the images provided, it appears she may be able to dual wield like Kirito, and has her own bed talk event and CG.

Minato Aqua was appointed the game’s official ambassador in July 2023 and is a huge fan of the Sword Art Online series. She debuted for hololive’s 2nd Generation in August 2018 and has amassed a YouTube subscriber count of over 1.9 million. She also has 1.6 million followers on her X account.

SWORD ART ONLINE Last Recollection launched October 6, 2023 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. It continues Kirito and the crew’s adventures in Underworld. For more information, you can head to its official website.

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