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A release date has been set for the Nintendo Switch debut of Cosmic Star Heroine. People will be able to go through the turn-based RPG that pays homage to Phantasy Star and Suikoden on August 14, 2018. People will be able to find it in the eShop.

The Nintendo Switch version of Cosmic Star Heroine was revealed during Limited Run’s E3 2018 media briefing. No word on a physical release yet, but a trailer has been released sharing the latest version’s launch date.

Cosmic Star Heroine is immediately available on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and PC.

The post Cosmic Star Heroine Lands On The Nintendo Switch On August 14, 2018 appeared first on Siliconera.

Cosmic Star Heroine is coming to another platform. During the Limited Run Games E3 2018 media briefing, the port of the game was announced. People can buy a digital copy in August 2018. The physical release window has yet to be determined.

In Cosmic Star Heroine, players follow a government agent named Alyssa L’Salle. After being betrayed, she finds herself traveling between three planets to clear herself and save the galaxy. Along the way, she will recruit playable characters and NPCs who will aid her cause.

Cosmic Star Heroine is immediately available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and PC.

The post Cosmic Star Heroine Coming To The Nintendo Switch appeared first on Siliconera.

It has been a year since Cosmic Star Heroine made its PlayStation 4 and PC debut. Now, people have another way to play. The versions that appeared in April 2017 kept people trapped at a desk or in a living room, but the April 2018 PlayStation Vita release presents people with a number of new opportunities. It gives us a chance to take a RPG about traveling to multiple planets in a solar system on the go. It also gives people a reason to grab their system again to enjoy a great port.

As a reminder, Cosmic Star Heroine is a game that acts like a love letter to the Phantasy Star and Suikoden series, with a battle system that takes some cues from Chrono Trigger. Alyssa L’Salle is a galactic government agent who finds herself framed. Rather than running and hiding, she decides to fight back and save the day. This journey takes her to three different planets, Araenu, Nuluup and Rhomu. It results in her finding 11 playable allies who can her party and eventually take the lead in certain situations. It even means she finds other people sympathetic to her cause and willing to her on her space ship, which means more things to do at the hub or more when a team heads into the field. It is a great, well-paced game that pays tribute to the past while staying fresh.

What struck me when playing Cosmic Star Heroine on the PlayStation Vita is how well it looks and runs here. Since I am playing on the older, OLED model, there are times when I feel like the sprites seem crisper and more vibrant than they did when I went through the story on a standard PlayStation 4 with LED HDTV connected. There are smooth transitions with minimal loading between areas and the framerate seems very consistent. I did notice a small drop when the party would move from one map to another, but it would only last a moment. Everything seems to just flow.

There are some glitches present in Cosmic Star Heroine at the moment. In my case, I experienced two issues with the menu. One is that the cursor is not showing in the sub-menus. This is a known issue, however, and Zeboyd Games will have it fixed in the next patch. I also did have the menu freeze when I saved at the transition between chapters three and four. But then, the save was not corrupted and things were resolved when I exited the game and started again. I see these sorts of things as minor impediments, rather than actual issues.

One thing to note is that while there is a cross-buy option, there is no cross-save system. This means if you were playing it on the PlayStation 4 when it launched last year and have a save file, you can not transfer it over and continue your progress on the go. Robert Boyd actually addressed this issue on Reddit, noting that, “PS4 & PC use one save setup & Vita uses another save setup and trying to get them to play together nicely wasn't something I wanted to struggle with.”

While this might disappoint some, I did not bother me when I went back to Cosmic Star Heroine. When I beat it on the PlayStation 4, it took me about 12 hours. There is no new game plus option, so it is not like I would have been able to port things over. (Though, I could see this frustrating people who are still in-progress.) I took this as an opportunity to play it again and try to do everything. I know there were things I missed my first run, like some extra crew and weapons. By having it on a handheld, I feel like I have this extra time and opportunity to pull out my Vita and do extra exploring when I have a few minutes. And, since it does have a separate trophy list from the PlayStation 4 version of the game, it does mean more kudos for people who care about those kinds of accomplishments.

Cosmic Star Heroine is an enjoyable game that tells a new story while keeping in mind some classic game concepts. It ran very well on the PlayStation 4 and PC. Now, it does just as well on the PlayStation Vita. The spritework fits well on the system, with framerates that feel consistent and no loading issues. It does omit cross-saves, which does keep people from continuing the same adventure at home and on the go. Still, PlayStation Vita owners in search of a new RPG may want to keep it in mind.

Cosmic Star Heroine is available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and PC.

The post Cosmic Star Heroine Fits Well On The PlayStation Vita appeared first on Siliconera.

The portable version of Zeboyd Games’ Cosmic Star Heroine has a release date in North America. PlayStation Vita owners will be able to purchase it from the PlayStation Store on April 24, 2018. The European release date is not yet final, but it should launch shortly after the North American version.

Cosmic Star Heroine is going to be a cross-buy title. People who already own the PlayStation 4 version of the game will automatically own the PlayStation Vita version when it launches, while those who buy the PlayStation Vita version next week will also get a PlayStation 4 copy.

Zeboyd Games originally launched the Cosmic Star Heroine Kickstarter back on October 1, 2013, and it was fully funded by October 31, 2013. Its story is inspired by Phantasy Star, with a battle system similar to the one used in Chrono Trigger and character recruitment reminiscent of Suikoden. It launched on the PlayStation 4 and PC in April 2017. 

Cosmic Star Heroine is immediately available for the PlayStation 4 and PC.

The post Cosmic Star Heroine Comes To North American Vitas On April 24, 2018 appeared first on Siliconera.

Cosmic Star Heroine is a love letter. Zeboyd Games has crafted an RPG that pays tribute to so many JRPGs people grew up with. It calls back to Phantasy Star, Chrono Trigger, and Suikoden in such special ways. While it of course never replaces any of these games, it has these winks and nods that shows its appreciation for these long-departed games and pays homage to them. It incorporates ideas while still doing something new.

Cosmic Star Heroine’s connections to Phantasy Star feel strongest, in particular Phantasy Star II. Alyssa is a spy for an interstellar organization, implied to be a government agency. This could be seen as a reference to Rolf, who was an agent of the Motavian government. Rolf has a foreshadowing nightmare in the prologue to Phantasy Star II, something that happens to Alyssa within the first few hours of Cosmic Star Heroine. Not to mention Alyssa’s name references both Phantasy Star’s Alis Landale and Phantasy Star IV’s Alys Brangwin.

The scope of Cosmic Star Heroine’s story matches Phantasy Star’s. In each one, we aren’t limited to a single planet. Our story takes us to three different planets, not to mention some asteroids. The Phantasy Star series has always done similar things, allowing us to go to different planets. We’d visit Palma, Motavia, and Dezoris, three planets with three very different ecosystems. Cosmic Star Heroine takes us to Araenu, Rhomu, and Nuluup for similar explorations. In each one, different cultures are highlighted and represented as we try to save the day.

Cosmic Star Heroine’s story doesn’t take as much inspiration from Chrono Trigger, but it does make one very splendid reference. There’s a year-round Freedom Festival on Araenu. It calls to mind Crono’s time at his own event. Alyssa can visit some stalls, take part in a scavenger hunt, play rock, paper, scissors for a prize, and even take part in a fight against a worthy foe in an “arena.” Instead of Gato, it’s a green cat alien named Paws. (A race that is a callback to Phantasy Star’s Musk Cats.) Unfortunately, there’s no clever rhyme.

The battle system is what most people will point to when bringing attention to ways in which Chrono Trigger influenced Cosmic Star Heroine. Enemies can be seen on each map. When you make , a turn-based battle immediately begins in the field. Each character has special skills that can be used, with elements offering an opportunity to easily deal extra damage. There are even team attacks that can be triggered when Alyssa and an ally have filled enough of the gauge to work together on a special. Alyssa does have to have a specific shield equipped to make this possible.

The Suikoden tributes are quite obvious too. After Alyssa strikes out on her own, one of the first things that happens is the acquisition of a new base of operations. In the Suikoden series, it wasn’t uncommon for the hero and his allies to “liberate” a location and turn it into their castle. The same happens with Cosmic Star Heroine. As you travel through what will soon become Alyssa’s ship, you’ll even see the signs directing you to future locations. The downside is, it isn’t nearly as well fleshed out. I donated a couple thousand coins to a woman in a shelter so she could start her own shop, hoping it meant she’d set up roots on my ship. It didn’t happen. There are different locations, but you don’t have that sense of growth where recruiting people means new facilities.

There is Suikoden-style recruiting, though. You can find agents who will your Cosmic Star Heroine party as s. Some of these will agree to tag along after asking them. Others require you to find an item, beat a mini-boss, or bring a certain person along before they’ll up. Once they’re part of your party, they can be selected as an aid on the menu to offer some sort of benefit to your group. For example, this could mean bonuses like extra experience, more damage against certain kinds of enemies, and stat boosts. It isn’t as intensive as Suikoden was, but it does bring it to mind.

I just wish Cosmic Star Heroine had the sense of substance as games like Phantasy Star, Chrono Trigger, and Suikoden. This is a wonderful game. It feels like it rushes through its plot. It could have added some filler towns and dungeons, and I wouldn’t have minded that extra content at all. Things happen so quickly, with quests to obtain things like Chahn’s ultimate Gunmancy popping up before you know it. It could have used the same sort of padding classic JRPGs offered.

Cosmic Star Heroine is a game that helps you the good times. It is reminiscent of so many classics, but it doesn’t feel like it is exploiting those fond memories. Instead, it’s using them to expand on and create its own gameplay and world. Every time one of these references comes up, its great to see how Zeboyd used the ideas to enhance their own endeavor.

Cosmic Star Heroine is available for the PlayStation 4 and PC. It will come to the PlayStation Vita in 2017. An Xbox One version of the game is also in development.

The post Cosmic Star Heroine Offers Many Callbacks To Classic JRPGs appeared first on Siliconera.

It’s Wednesday, which means Siliconera is streaming a game! This week, I’ll be playing Cosmic Star Heroine. This Kickstarter success story is a turn-based RPG from Zeboyd Games that takes inspiration from Phantasy Star, Chrono Trigger, and Suikoden. I’ll begin playing starting at 12pm PT/2pm CT/3pm ET.

We’ll be picking up in the thick of Cosmic Star Heroine. Alyssa has left the spy industry she trained with and trusted and been planet hopping a bit. This has brought her to the planet Nuluup, where she’s investigating some disappearances. She’s just landed and is about to enter the planet’s major city with Psybe, an alien from the planet Rhomu who is essentially a cybernetic ant bard.

Cosmic Star Heroine is available on the PlayStation 4 and PC. PlayStation Vita and Xbox One versions are also planned. Past Siliconera live streams can be seen on our YouTube .

The post Watch Siliconera Play Cosmic Star Heroine appeared first on Siliconera.

Cosmic Star Heroine has been priced. The PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita game will be $14.99. As it’s a cross-buy game, that means you will get both the handheld and console version of the turn-based RPG for that price. Last October, it was confirmed that the Limited Run Games physical copies will be $25.

Zeboyd Games has also released a full trailer for Cosmic Star Heroine. It shows Alyssa and some of her allies as they participate in battles and explore their world.

People will be able to find Cosmic Star Heroine on the PlayStation Store in summer 2016. The original release estimate from the Kickstarter campaign was December 2014.

The post Cosmic Star Heroine Will Be A Cross-Buy Game appeared first on Siliconera.

Zeboyd Games announced that it has teamed up with Limited Run Games for a physical release of Cosmic Star Heroine on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita.

It’ll cost $25 and be in limited supply – how limited hasn’t been outlined yet, but Zeboyd did say there will be more than 1500 copies.

If you backed Cosmic Star Heroine’s Kickstarter for $200 or higher then you’ll get a physical version of the game on the PlayStation platform of your choice. Everyone who backed at the $3,000 will automatically get both physical versions.

“It is currently not possible to upgrade your tier to get a physical copy, however, we do hope to give Kickstarter backers first shot at preordering a physical copy if they so desire,” Zeboyd said.

More information on how to pre-order the physical version of Cosmic Star Heroine will be issued in the future.

The post Cosmic Star Heroine To Get A Physical Release on PS4, PS Vita appeared first on Siliconera.

Zeboyd Games is hoping to have its 16-bit sci-fi RPG Cosmic Star Heroine available on PlayStation Vita at the same time the game launches on other platforms – PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

In a Kickstarter update, the studio said that its original plan was to get the entire game finished and then get to sorting out the PS Vita version during the beta phase. However, due to recent reports from other indie studios about struggling to optimize their games on Vita – such as the now cancelled PS Vita version of Galak-Z and the PS Vita version of Not A Hero which is “proving to be an issue”– Zeboyd decided to test out the PS Vita version earlier than it planned.

“Initial performance was pretty much unplayable (single digit frame rate at times), but after spending a little less than a week on optimization, we've got it running over 30 fps most of the time (dropping briefly with certain actions),” Zeboyd writes. “It still has a ways to go (want to make that 30 fps or higher ALL THE TIME), but we still have more things left to optimize and don't predict any major issues.”

The studio also made note that these improvements to the PS Vita version should benefit all versions of the game, especially the PlayStation 4 version, which it reckons will run at a steady 60fps.

The post Cosmic Star Heroine Should Be Available On PS Vita At Launch With 30fps appeared first on Siliconera.

Zeboyd Games has put together a media kit for its 16-RPG Cosmic Star Heroine. As such, there’s a bunch of new screenshots that show off new environments, enemies, battle scenarios, inventory, and cutscenes.

Cosmic Star Heroine is due to arrive on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Xbox One later this year. It follows exposed government spy Alyssa L’Salle as she uncovers a conspiracy concerning her employer, and is hunted down by her old enemies.

You can get a look at some of the screenshots below. The rest of them can be viewed on Zeboyd’s website.

The post New Cosmic Star Heroine Screenshots Show Battle Screens, New Sci-Fi Environments appeared first on Siliconera.

Zeboyd Games has discussed the progress that has been made recently on sci-fi RPG Cosmic Star Heroine in a January update.

First off, there are two new screenshots. The one above shows the main characters walking across a steel bridge. The screenshot below shows Alyssa's quarters at the Agency of Peace & Intelligence.

Secondly, Zeboyd reckons that the game will take about 10-14 hours to complete, with an additional 3-6 hours added to that if you were to take on the major side-quests. And that’s not including New Game+, of course.

Regarding those side-quests, Zeboyd says that they’re not like the ones in its previous games, i.e. small monster fights with loot at the end. In Cosmic Star Heroine, the side-quests are attached to all the playable characters except Alyssa. “We're having a lot of fun with these (including some homages to some of our favorite games) and hope you will too,” Zeboyd wrote in the update.

Next, Zeboyd revealed that the game will have optional VR battles. While in a dungeon, you’ll be able to enter a VR mode from the menu in order to fight random enemies for XP and loot. “And in your base, there will be a special VR battle unit that you can use to fight extra hard bosses - these won't give XP or money but they will give you special rewards like powerful equipment the first time you beat each one,” Zeboyd wrote.

Zeboyd also says that its toying with how to handle difficulty in Cosmic Star Heroine, focusing on three options: multiple difficulty choices, a main difficulty with optional content for more challenges, or gameplay modifiers that make the game harder but reward you more.

The post Cosmic Star Heroine Could Take Up To 20 Hours To Complete appeared first on Siliconera.

Zeboyd Games showed off its turn-based, sci-fi Japanese-style RPG Cosmic Star Heroine at the PlayStation Experience event recently. Siliconera was able to play the demo and came away with good impressions.

That’s not too surprising considering that the game is inspired by Chrono Trigger, Phantasy Star, and Suikoden II – you know, just a few of our favorite games.

Anyway, as you weren’t with us at PlayStation Experience, all we could offer you were words of our playing experience at the time. But Zeboyd Games has now ed a 30 minute video of the alpha demo that Siliconera was able to play.

You can watch the video for yourself above. Obviously, as you aren’t able to play it yourself, it’s probably still worth checking out our hands-on preview of the game.

If you didn’t know, Cosmic Star Heroine follows one of the galactic government’s top agents, Alyssa L’Salle, as her identity is exposed by her employer, causing her to gain legions of fans but also attracting the attention of her greatest enemies.

It’ll be coming to Windows, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita in 2015. There’s more information about the game on its website.

The post Here’s 30 Minutes Of Chrono Trigger-Inspired RPG Cosmic Star Heroine appeared first on Siliconera.

With as big and busy as the PlayStation Experience was, I decided to spend a lot of my time looking at the booths and kiosks that weren't as packed. It was because of this that I found what I believe was the biggest surprise at the show. Namely, that Zeboyd Games' Cosmic Star Heroine had a playable demo at the event. Despite being about halfway through the development processes, with the developer at the point where they have the basic structure and engine build and are working to get the content put together, a sampling of what to expect was there.

Ever since I heard Zeboyd Games' Kickstarter pitch, talking about how Cosmic Star Heroine would take inspiration from games like Chrono Trigger and Suikoden II, I've been excited about the endeavor. I've been dying to see more about it, and there it was. True, it was a build running on a PC, but that didn't matter. It was there in a playable form, with three of the 11 playable party before me.

The Cosmic Star Heroine demo began with Alyssa and two of her team, Chahn and Dave, heading to a planet to explore an abandoned facility. The three quickly learn they aren't the only people there, as a group of terrorists is nearby. Not to mention, the planet is full of hostile, native creatures. It isn't a good place to be.

Which was evidenced both in the number of hostile creatures roaming around, as well as the forboding ambiance. Cosmic Star Heroine was very clearly channeling Chrono Trigger, with its detailed character sprites and environments, as well as a system where enemies appear on the field and wandering into their range instantly triggers a turn-based battle on the spot.

The actual battle system, however, is totally original and makes a lot of sense. Each character has a number of skills or actions they can use. Alyssa is a standard, balanced character with standard attacks, a water spell, a ability, and a healing ability. Chahn is a healer and master of gunmancy, summoning guns for attacks. Dave uses lightning spells, but can also hack the environment to help allies/attack enemies and use various abilities. The thing is, most non-standard abilities can be used once before the character has to recharge. It makes sense, because you wouldn't be able to spam certain attacks in real life.

Cosmic Star Heroine also relies on "style". Attacking successfully and other skills boost style, which increases damage output and chance of status effects being inflicted on enemies. Being knocked out depletes style completely, so a big part of battles in even the demo involved boosting character's style for big rewards. For example, in the boss fight I made frequent use of Alyssa's Inspiration ability to make her allies' attacks stronger and Dave's Grind ability to up his style.

What I really liked about the Cosmic Star Heroine PSX demo, though, was the attention to detail. Even though this was a demo built for the event, Zeboyd Games went out of their way to put personality into it. Early on in the demo, Alyssa and her team discover a bomb that is poisoning the planet. Alyssa wonders if someone could tweak it so it heals, rather than hurts. Dave said good luck finding someone who would willingly do so, working under harsh conditions. It felt like a hint at a future sidequest.

Even the treasure chests had meanings. There was nothing in any of them, given this was a demo where I couldn't change equipment or use items, but each had a special message. One had Alyssa finding cat ears, which she decided she'd rather not wear. Another was a matryoshka chest, filled with many smaller ones. There was even a chest with a PlayStation Experience flyer in it. It was the little things that added personality and style.

Even the demo's ending was forboding. Once someone beat the boss, they were treated to a little segment suggesting the encounter wasn't the end, and found Alyssa separated from her team and on her own. Oh, those cliffhangers!

There was only downside, and it was something Zeboyd Games' Bill Stiernberg said they would be fixing in the final build. At one point in the demo, a gun could be acquired for Chahn that added a new ability. It also allowed trees to be cut down in the map area to create new paths. The thing is, it wasn't obvious how it worked outside of battle, and I had to have it pointed out to figure out what I needed to do next. Fortunately, none of you will have to worry about that happening to you.

Before you move on to other articles, let me share two more Cosmic Star Heroine tidbits. First, Zeboyd Games mentioned it would like it to be a cross-buy title, since the game is coming to the PS4 and Vita. Second, the team hopes to have cameos of characters from previous games, like Cthulhu Saves the World and Breath of Death VII, perhaps even having them as recruitable agents. Keep that in mind, and perhaps let it keep you hyped about what I think could shape up to be Zeboyd's best game.

The post Cosmic Star Heroine Was An Unexpected PSX Surprise appeared first on Siliconera.

For its turn-based sci-fi Japanese-style RPG Cosmic Star Heroine, Zeboyd Games has employed the help of HyperDuck SoundWorks to compose a “SciFunk” soundtrack.

You’ll be familiar with the sounds of HyperDuck if you played action-RPG Dust: An Elysian Tail, as it composed all of the music for that game, too.

“For the Cosmic Star Heroine soundtrack, we initially wanted to harness our own personal love for 80′s and 90′s film, game, and anime music, going from the Blade Runner soundtrack scored by Vangelis, to the Lethal Weapon soundtracks scored by Michael Kamen, David Sanborn (Saxophone), and Eric Clapton (Guitar), from the Grandia soundtrack scored by Noriyuki Iwadare, to the anime soundtrack of Bleach scored by Shirō Sagisu,” Chris Geehan of HyperDuck wrote on the PlayStation Blog.

To show off what all these influences resulted in, HyperDuck has released a preview of the soundtrack for all to listen to. You can listen to Cosmic Star Heroine’s Title Theme, the First Battle Theme, a track titled Cyberpunk, and another Teaser. Below is the Spy Theme, which in Geehan’s words, is for “when that episionage knob is cranked to 11, and it’s time to spy hard or go home spyin’… er, tryin’…”

As to what Cosmic Star Heroine is, it’s a turn-based sci-fi RPG in which you play Alyssa L’Salle, one of the galactic government’s top agents. She ends up uncovering a dark conspiracy, and upon doing so, the government outs her as a spy to the public. This sends loads of adoring fans after her, but also alerts all the enemies she’s created over the years to her identity and whereabouts.

The game has 2D pixel art, and is inspired by Chrono Trigger, Phantasy Star, and Suikoden. You’re able to build up your own spy headquarters by recruiting your own agents and customizing the building. Enemy groups don’t stand still but will patrol the map, and when you engage them, you’ll fight on the same map.

Cosmic Star Heroine was successfully Kickstarted for a release on Windows, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita. You can pre-order the PC versions on Zeboyd’s website.

The post Preview The Sci-Funk Soundtrack For Cosmic Star Heroine RPG appeared first on Siliconera.

While we've seen a bunch of retro fantasy RPGs, there aren't that many retro sci-fi RPGs. Breath of Death VIIi developer Zeboyd Games will fill the void with Cosmic Star Heroine. This game blends the combo battle system from Chrono Trigger with the expandable base in Suikoden and the character & world design of Phantasy Star.

The girl with the beret is Alyssa L'Salle, the protagonist in Cosmic Space Heroine and a spy that saved the galaxy at least once before the story begins. When she uncovers a conspiracy involving her government, her identity is revealed and her old enemies want to hunt her down. Cosmic Space Heroine was announced for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita as well as PC and Mac.

Sony Computer Entertainment also announced a bunch of other indie games at PAX Prime. Warframe from Dark Sector developer Digital Extremes will be exclusive to PlayStation 4. Road not Taken is in development for PS4 and Vita. VVVVVV is coming to Vita. Samurai Gunn will get PS4 and Vita ports. Also Octodad: Dadliest Catch, a PlayStation 4 launch title where you move an octopus around leg by leg, will have PlayStationMove .

The post Cosmic Star Heroine Fills The Classic Phantasy Star Void On PS4 And Vita appeared first on Siliconera.