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The Steam Spring Sale can often be overwhelming, with thousands of titles slashed in price, it can be hard to figure out which games are a good deal. There is also the problem of choice, and gamers don’t want to spend their hard earned cash on a game they don’t like. If you’re an RPG fan, then we’ve rounded up ten of the best RPGs in the Steam Spring Sale that are worth both your time and money.

Here are our recommendations for the best value RPGs in the Steam Spring Sale.

Chrono Trigger 2i592n

Chrono Trigger is one of the best games of all time, and while the Steam version isn’t the best, this Steam Spring Sale discount is still a bargain. One of the most iconic turn-based RPGs, Chrono Trigger is about exploring time periods, and getting dragged into a quest far bigger than yourself. With seven recruitable characters, and 12 different endings, Chrono Trigger set up many features that great RPGs use to this day.

Chrono Trigger is available for $3.74 until the end of the Steam Spring Sale.

Yakuza 0 142m2b

All of the Yakuza games are available during the Steam Spring Sale, but we recommend Yakuza 0 as a starting point if you haven’t played anything from the series. Yakuza 0 is not only chronologically the first game in the series, telling the back story to two of the series’ main characters Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima, but it’s also one of the best. This action RPG series is one that every RPG fan should try.

Yakuza 0 costs just $10.99 during the Steam Spring Sale.

Persona 4 Golden 375965

Like the Yakuza series, the modern Persona series including recent releases like Persona 3 Reload and Metaphor: ReFantazio, are all available during the Steam Spring Sale, but we’re recommending Persona 4 Golden. It’s one of the lesser played games in the series as it was a PlayStation Vita exclusive for almost a decade, and as all Persona games are standalone stories, it’s a great place to dive in. This turn-based RPG asks you to strengthen your friendships to unlock your true power.

Persona 4 Golden can be bought for just $11.99 during the Steam Spring Sale.

Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 Remix 2p16s

This one is more expensive than most games on this list, but it also includes four Kingdom Hearts games and two movies. Another classic RPG series, Kingdom Hearts blends Final Fantasy and Disney characters in an action RPG with a completely unique battle system. The Remix collection includes the first two mainline games as well as Birth By Sleep, Re:chain of Memories, and a cutscene collection from 358/2, and Re:coded. It’s a great starting point in the series.

Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 Remix costs $29.99 until the end of the Steam Spring Sale.  

Final Fantasy VII 171d2g

When it comes to classic RPGs there isn’t anything more iconic than Final Fantasy VII. You can also purchase the remakes during the Steam Spring Sale, but the original game is available at an incredible price. Take on the epic adventure, which sees Cloud and his clan travel across the continent, visiting different towns and cultures, and discovering who the true enemy is along the way, with a deep turn-based battle system.

The original Final Fantasy VII is just $4.79 during the Steam Spring Sale.

Nier: Automata 27205w

If you like RPGs that challenge your preconceptions, and break the fourth wall with unexpected twists, then action RPG Nier: Automata is for you. Not only does it look gorgeous even with its fast-paced combat system, but it combines this with its well-built world, and engaging storyline. With multiple endings that require multiple playthroughs to see them all, Nier: Automata asks you to question what you believe about the genre.

Nier: Automata costs just $15.99 during the Steam Spring Sale.

Live A Live 4v294

A gorgeous 2DHD remake of a classic turn-based RPG, Live A Live tells eight separate stories across different time periods, protagonists, and gaming genres, before they all align for one final adventure. Live A Live is a fighting game, a tower defense game, a stealth game, and a visual novel as well as an RPG, and it blends everything together beautifully and seamlessly. A must-play older game that everyone should experience.

Live A Live is available for $19.99 until the end of the Steam Spring Sale.

Lies of P 2y1y3z

A more modern game than most on this list – hence the price – we’ve added Lies of P as our soulslike of choice as it’s a great entry point for this subsection of the RPG genre. Far more story heavy than other soulslike games, Lies of P tells a steampunk Pinocchio story with challenging combat, and choices that have major outcomes on the story.

Lies of P is on sale for $35.99 during the Steam Spring Sale.

Trails of Cold Steel 17145

Starting in 1989, there are few series that are as long-lasting as The Legend of Heroes, and almost all of these games are on offer as part of the Steam Spring Sale. Trails of Cold Steel is one of the best games to jump into as it includes a four game story arc with a satisfying start and end. Once you get into the turn-based RPG series there are so many other games to explore that your wallet might just regret grabbing this first game.

Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel currently costs $19.99 during the Steam Spring Sale.

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch 283m6h

One of the most popular RPGs from the PS3 era, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch combines whimsical storytelling, and the gorgeous art style of Studio Ghibli. Evocative voice acting brings the whole world to life as you feel as if you are living in a Ghibli movie while playing this turn-based RPG. This is the perfect game if you’re looking for somewhere whimsical to get lost in and escape.

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch costs $7.49 during the Steam Spring Sale.

The Steam Spring Sale is on now, and ends on March 20.

The post Ten Great Value RPGs to Grab During The Steam Spring Sale appeared first on Siliconera.

Neowiz announced a Senran Kagura: New Link crossover for BrownDust2. People can now get recurring characters Hikage, Yomi, Yozakura, and Yumi and go through a special event until October 31, 2024. 

All four BrownDust2 characters from Senran Kagura are heroines who are series staples, in addition to being regulars in the Japanese mobile game New Link. Yomi and Hikage are Hebijo heroines who have been present since the initial 3DS game. Both Yozakura and Yomi are Gessen ninjas who first showed up in Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus on the Vita.

People will get Yomi: Gentle Destroyer, Yomi’s SR gear, UR gear, and six costumes for free as part of this event. However, while the Hikage, Yozakura, and Yumi SR gear will be given out for free, those characters, UR gear, and costumes will be available via gacha banners. Note that after the event, the costumes won’t be in the Powder of Hope Shop and the gear won’t be able to be acquired. 

The official announcement listed details about all four characters and what we can expect from them. Here are their properties.

• Hikage: Kind Ruthlessness - 5-star Wind unit who deals Physical damage.
• Yomi: Gentle Destroyer - 5-star Wind unit who deals Physical damage.
• Yozakura: Fist of Conviction - 5-star Wind unit who deals Magic damage.
• Yumi: Dancing Snowflake - 5-star Water unit who deals Magic damage.

As for the story, it is in a Senran Kagura Event Pack. That runs until October 31, 2024. The seasonal events tied to it are the Shinobi Road shuriken minigame and True Orochi boss until October 17, 2024. This is also when the Hikage and Yozakura banners are live. The Akatsuki event involves wooden doll smashing and a Fiend Hunter boss between October 17-31, 2024. The Yumi banners will run then.

Here’s the trailer for the event that shows off all of four heroines’ official art for the game.

And here are a handful of screenshots showing their avatars in BrownDust2.

BrownDust2 is available on PCs and mobile devices, and the Senran Kagura: New Link crossover event brings characters from the series to the game until October 31, 2024. 

The post Senran Kagura Characters Come to BrownDust2  appeared first on Siliconera.

Neowiz released the Falcom DLC Pack for DJMax Respect V. This DLC adds ten tracks from the Ys and Trails series into the PC rhythm game. The pack is now available for purchase on Steam, and it also comes with an introductory 15% discount that reduces the price to $12.74 until March 20, 2024.

Some of the tracks in this DLC pack include "To Make the End of Battle" from Ys II, "Norse Wind" from Ys IX -Monstrum Nox-, Trails From Zero's "Inevitable Struggle," and the Trails of Cold Steel Japanese theme song "Ashita e no Kodou."

Other than the tracks, the DLC also adds a new interface skin featuring illustrations where the DJMax series' original characters cosplay and mimic key visuals from more titles like Trails in the Sky and Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana.

Here is the complete list of tracks included in the Falcom DLC Pack:

1. "Ashita e no Kodou"
2. "Blue Destination"
3. "To Make the End of Battle"
4. "Genesis Beyond the Beginning"
5. "Inevitable Struggle"
6. "To the Future"
7. "Norse Wind"
8. "Silver Will"
9. "Step Ahead"
10. "Sunshine Coastline"

The Falcom DLC pack is the first in DJMax Respect V to add music from Japanese non-rhythm console games. Neowiz started releasing DLC packs that added new songs when it ended the game's Early Access period with a full release on March 12, 2020.

The company had released packs with tracks from other rhythm games like Cytus, Deemo, Muse Dash, Chunithm, and Groove Coaster. It also added DLC songs from the Chinese mobile game Girls' Frontline and the South Korean MMORPG MapleStory.

DJMax Respect V is available worldwide on PC via Steam.

The post Falcom Ys and Trails Music DLC Appear in DJMax Respect V appeared first on Siliconera.

A free-to-play mobile game based on Zatch Bell is now available in Japan. The title of the game is Zatch Bell: Towa no Kizuna no Nakama-tachi, which can loosely be translated to Zatch Bell: Friends Forever. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

The game first came out in Japan on January 17, 2024 and it's for the show's 20th anniversary. While it’s free to , you may need to pay real money in order to purchase more in-game currency. In other words, it follows the classic gacha mobage business formula. The game itself generally follows the plot of the show, but has its own original characters and storylines. The voice actors from the Zatch Bell returned to record additional lines for the mobile game. As for its gameplay, you have to raise your characters, as well as cards, and learn skills in order to defeat enemies. There is also a Bond system in the game.

Zatch Bell originally ran in Weekly Shonen Sunday from January 2001 to December 2007. Toei Animation released an anime adaption of it, as well as two films, from 2003 to 2006. The story follows Kiyo Takamine, a schoolboy, and the titular Zatch Bell, who is a Mamodo. They participate in a tournament to decide the king of the Mamodo world, and fight alongside other Mamodo and their human partners.

Zatch Bell: Eien no Kizuna no Nakama-tachi is readily available in Japan on mobile devices.

The post New Zatch Bell Mobile Game Is Out in Japan appeared first on Siliconera.

Neowiz released the new Lies of P holiday update, which includes Christmas cosmetic items for P. People should see them all in your inventory immediately after updating to 1.4.0.0.

The announcement for the new items appeared on Steam. However, the company did note that the Mac version of the update isn’t ready yet. The primary addition this time is the set of three new items for P to wear. However, the Japanese localization also apparently ended up adjusted as well.

As for the three Lies of P holiday update Christmas items, there are essentially two hats and one facial accessory. The Earnest Reindeer’s Antlers are a pair of brown antlers for the top of his head. P can wear a Midwinter Night’s Red Nose, which is a red ball on his nose to make him resemble Rudolph. Finally, the Winter Festival Peaked Hat is a Santa hat. 

This appeared alongside a Lies of P Holiday Edition bundle. Until December 21, 2023, people can get a $63.99 bundle on Steam that includes the main game, Deluxe upgrade, and soundtrack.

Even more Lies of P content is on the way. A Director’s Letter video released back in November 2023 noted that DLC will be released for the game. There is also a sequel in development. 

Lies of P is available now on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.

The post Lies of P Christmas Items Appear in Holiday Update appeared first on Siliconera.

Rain falls against cobblestone, dull yellow lights penetrating through the gloom that has settled over a once opulent city. Puppets made of steel wander the streets in vague patterns, circling rooms filled with the bodies of the humans that occupied these buildings. Their eyes glow red, a color of recognition and warning as they stumble towards you. This is far from the Pinocchio fairytale Lies of P draws inspiration from, but it makes for a compelling setting as it pulls various themes and narrative threads from the popular fable. While the game attempts to spin its own yarn, drawing from FromSoftware's catalogue of games in some bid to replicate their tried and true style of action RPG, Lies of P tries and sometimes succeeds at what it sets out to do. While it may not hit every mark, it's a show in what can happen with an ambitious developer takes enough creative liberties with an established IP to make it interesting.

Lies of P is a great demonstration of how game developers can use a public domain IP to create something unique, unlike previous attempts to capitalize on other stories like Robin Hood or King Arthur to little effect. Because it is fairly loose with the source material, it feels more or less like a narrative that draws inspiration from Pinocchio, but creates something that is still fundamentally itself. You have the hallmarks of Gepetto the Puppet Maker, but his role is recontextualized in a world where the significance of his craft bears an entirely different light. Instead of a man who so desperately wanted to create a son of his very own, he is complicit in the tumultuous puppet uprising in Krat due to the very nature of his craft.

That said, the narrative of Lies of P falls somewhat flat. Due to a lackluster localization, with a lot of the game’s flavor text suffering from numerous grammatical errors. It feels Neowiz wants to offer the trappings of an evocative, gothic horror title, but it doesn’t quite stick the landing. Outside of the sometimes spotty localization, voice acting for its rather small cast of characters varies. Some performances feel strong for what the game is trying to evoke, while others feel like the direction for the actor was simply to speak into the microphone with the intention to appear mysterious. So while Lies of P has a lot of promise, the narrative often falls short.

However, the game is gorgeous. The visuals are extremely polished. The environments are absolutely stunning regardless of where you are, be it blood filled sewers, the melancholy city of Krat that seems to be stuck in perpetual rainfall, and beautifully detailed buildings that are inspired by 18th century European architecture. Light reflects from puddles in the streets, and you can see individual water droplets splash against the cobblestone. Fire is vibrant, and the light fixtures have a warm, incandescent glow. It’s clear that a lot of work was put into the various environments, and it pays off. The atmosphere in the game is great, and outside of it feeling derivative of FromSoftware’s Bloodborne, the art direction is inspiring. But this is probably one of the best parts of Lies of P, outside of its character animations.

[caption id="attachment_984252" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Image via Neowiz[/caption]

Outside of some that feely wholly ripped from the aforementioned Bloodborne, the flourishes our little Pinocchio makes with his weapons are impressive. Each animation has its own kind of weight to distinguish between weapon types, which branches out not just in how heavy a weapon is, but also what kind of damage it does. For example, Pinocchio’s strikes are far faster and have a baked-in backstep when you are using the Wintry Rapier’s Blade and Handle. But the Greatsword of Fate has a much larger blade and its swings are wider, having a much larger hitbox and dealing more damage at the cost of quicker stabs. You also have to sharpen your weapon intermittently through the use of your prosthetic arm, which has a nice animation, but sometimes breaks up the flow of combat. There are also at least a dozen different weapon combinations to facilitate different styles of gameplay, with customization options for mixing and matching these weapons appearing fairly early on — though Lies of P will generally facilitate one of two.

These being focused on the guard, and perfect guard, mechanic or dodging. I found dodging attacks to be extremely ineffective by comparison to guarding. Dodges feel heavy, and ineffective by comparison to guarding, and sometimes the window of invulnerability feels a bit too short to really facilitate riskier playstyles. Yes, you can absolutely play the game without guarding, but it isn’t advised. Guarding not only allows you to take reduced damage, but if you strike immediately after guarding, you can recover any health that might have been chipped away with an attack if you strike fast enough. However, perfect guards are what the game is focused around since a majority of enemies in the game will perform successive follow-up attacks that feel built around guarding, and not dodging.

Enemies in Lies of P will glow red when they are performing a Fury Attack, which means that their attack can be stopped with a perfect guard. These attacks also deal more damage than normal attacks, and in some cases in the late game will kill you with a single hit if you haven’t increased your Vitality stat — which I avoided doing at all costs, because that’s just how I play these games. What makes perfect guarding so strong, outside of not taking any damage when one is performed, is that successive perfect guards will open up an enemy to being staggered. The health bar of an enemy, or boss, will have a thick white outline when they can be staggered with a charged attack, which can then be chased with a stronger follow-up attack. Ideally, encounters are based around guarding and boss fights are significantly easier if you watch their attack pattern, guard, stagger, and perform your follow-up attack. This is basically the core gameplay loop. It isn’t a terrible one, but Lies of P lacks the tightness of the games it’s so obviously trying to emulate, which can make it feel frustrating or sometimes unfair.

[caption id="attachment_984253" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Image via Neowiz[/caption]

Similar to other FromSoftware games, Lies of P features the exact same check-point system through finding Stargazers, which are the game’s bonfires or lamps. It also functions on the same kind of healing system, but this game actually allows you to replenish one of your Pulse Cells by successively attacking enemies. This makes boss fights a little more lenient by comparison, because if you play it safe, you can replenish a Pulse Cell for an extra emergency heal. It also has the exact same level up system as FromSoftware titles, with you needing to kill enemies and bosses to obtain Ergo to use at Stargazers to increase your stats. These include Vitality, Vigor, Capacity, Motivity, Technique, and Advance. The game doesn’t do a great job explaining these to you, and you more or less need to figure out what these stats do on your own by fiddling around. A lot of Neowiz's title feels built around experimentation, even if it more or less wants you to take the same path based on its reliance on the guard system.

In of accessibility, Lies of P does allow you remap both controller and keyboard controls, and does have a subtitle option. However, that is effectively the extent of it. That said, in of performance, it is great. I had no issues whatsoever, running on the “best” settings, with the game never stuttering or crashing.

Lies of P is a game that draws inspiration from a handful of things that have remained within the popular consciousness for good reason, and at the very least attempts to set out and build upon the foundations set by those inspirations. And while it will more than likely please those looking to scratch the itch Bloodborne left behind, its lackluster localization and generally narrow playstyle may leave some wanting. Especially after the release of Armored Core VI, which is hard to hold a candle to by comparison. That said it’s a game that has a lot of ideas, some that manage to hit and others that sort of slide off. Ultimately, Lies of P is an interesting spin on an age-old fairy tale and attempts to fill the hole Bloodborne left behind, and it really tries its best to do so.

Lies of P will release on September 19, 2023 for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

The post Review: Lies of P Revives an Age Old Fable appeared first on Siliconera.

Toei Animation revealed a new free-to-play smartphone game based on the Zatch Bell anime and manga series. Applications for the closed beta test will open August 24, 2023. The registration period will remain open until September 6, 2023. The game is being developed by South Korean company Neowiz, and it is a three-way collaboration to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the anime airing on April 2003. [Thanks, PR Times!]

The Japanese title of the game is Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Towa no Kizuna no Nakamatachi (Towakizu for short), and it roughly translates to Zatch Bell! Companions of Eternal Bonds. The closed beta test is scheduled for mid-September 2023 and will be limited to 2,000 applicants. The system requirements are at least an Android 10 with 4GB RAM or more or an iPhone 8 device with an iOS 13.0 system or higher.

The game has been described as an RPG where players create bonds with their favorite mamodo and create teams to defeat enemies using a variety of skills and techniques. Aside from classic returning characters, the game will also include new original characters and story elements.

You can check out some screenshots from the game here:

[gallery columns="5" size="medium" link="file" ids="979985,979986,979987,979988,979989"]

On March 2022, the Zatch Bell manga sequel titled Zatch Bell! 2 appeared on online manga reading websites.

The new Zatch Bell smartphone game will be available on 2023 for Android and iOS devices. The game will be free to play and will include microtransactions.

The post Zatch Bell Smartphone Game Revealed for Anime’s 20th Anniversary appeared first on Siliconera.

Pinocchio-inspired Soulslike Lies of P now has a release date, along with a demo. The game will be releasing on September 19, 2023 for the PC, PlayStation and Xbox platforms. A demo was also announced, and it's available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.

The release date for Lies of P was announced as part of Summer Game Fest 2023 in a new trailer. The trailer also showed off a bunch of Pinnochio's abilities, including his ability to use an umbrella as a weapon. A showcase of environments and enemies was also shown. Pre-orders are also available now, with a Digital Deluxe Edition containing additional costumes and 72 hours of early access.

Here's that new trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJTsQeWLEYo&ab_channel=IGN

Lies of P is an action RPG that sees you playing as Pinocchio as he searches for Geppetto. The team at Neowiz had previously shown off gameplay earlier this year through IGN.

Lies of P releases on September 19, 2023 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC, and the demo is out now.

The post Lies of P Release Date Announced, Demo Out Now appeared first on Siliconera.

Neowiz and Gree Entertainment will develop a new mobage based on Danmachi, or Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?. Players from around the world will be able to play it. The one exception to this will be China. [Thanks, GameBiz!]

The name of the game is unknown, as is the genre. According to Seung-Chul Kim, the representative and Co-CEO of Neowiz, the companies will work hard to create a game that is full of the original IP’s fun and excitement. The reason why they decided to create a game based on Danmachi is because of how much global interest there is in the series. More information on the Danmachi mobage will appear some time in the future.

Danmachi, or Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, is a light novel, manga, and anime series. Aside from the one that Neowiz and Gree Entertainment are working on, there are two games based on the series. They are Infinite Combate and Memoria Freese. It follows the story of adventurer Bell Cranel, who is the sole member of the Hestia Familia. He and his companions explore the Dungeon, an underground labyrinth, to defeat monsters and collect shards.

The Danmachi mobage is in development.

The post New Danmachi Mobage is in Development appeared first on Siliconera.

A new gameplay trailer for Lies of P appeared on IGN’s Twitter . At around two minutes long, it gives an overview not only of the game’s worldview, but also of Pinocchio traversing through its environments. Lies of P is an action adventure game in the vein of Dark Souls, drawing inspiration not only from the story of Pinocchio, but also the Belle Epoque era of French history.

You can watch the trailer for Lies of P here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yDx7Px6yMU

The trailer does not really give any concrete information on the plot. NEOWIZ West did post a story trailer for Lies of P about a year ago that gives more detail on what to expect. Since the game will be a souls-like, it will likely focus on dodging and blocking rather than a hack-n-slash combat system.

In Lies of P, you play as Pinocchio, and you must fight through the violent city of Krat in order to find Geppetto. Since Pinocchio is a puppet just like in the original fairy tale, he will likely be able to upgrade his body to learn new skills or use new weapons. In the trailer, Pinocchio fires a beam from his left hand.

Lies of P is in development for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and Windows PC, and it will come out in 2023. More information on it will come out during IGN FanFest, which will be on February 17-18, 2023.

The post Lies of P Gameplay Trailer Shows Off Pinocchio’s Moves appeared first on Siliconera.

A good way to describe Aka is a game about seeing where the wind takes you. There are quests you can do. There is land you can farm. However, you can also lay on a beach and gaze into the sky. You might also go to nap on top of a large capybara. You have options, and there’s nothing telling you what to do or when, even though time does gradually . It’s a chance to kick back, but it also means that it can be aimless and more than a little frustrating.

Aka only knew battle. The red panda, like many, fought in the War. Once it ended, there’s the question of what’s next. After time spent fighting and bloodshed, it is time to be useful for another reason. So, Aka heads to an island “paradise” another fellow soldier, Thom, mentioned. There comes an opportunity to relax and live a kinder existence.

As a freeform sort of game, you can do what you want in Aka. You carry a sword, but only use it to do things like cut grass or craft. There is a farming element, but you don’t sell goods for money. You use them for occasional recipes to fulfill requests. You can place furniture and decorations in certain spaces, if you like. People are there to talk to, though you might not get incredibly close to all of them. There are also four small islands to explore, with points of interest on each.

But while no boundaries or obligations makes for a peaceful life simulator, it sometimes doesn’t make for a good game. A good example is the farming mechanic. Thom says to check in for tips when you start planting. However, there’s a whole ecosystem approach in which certain plants placed next to each other is necessary for optimal growth and survival. But all Thom talks about is how carrots and onions should be next to each other to keep pests from killing them. Beeatrix gives you flower seeds to plant, but I couldn’t just till a spot of land and place a tulip seed. There’s a card game you can play with the Inventor, but there’s no tutorial explaining what you are trying to do or how it works. Too much is left unsaid.

There are also literally no boundaries sometimes. Aka is a game with an isometric perspective. However, it isn’t always clear where the barriers are or platforms begin or end. There will be invisible walls occasionally keeping you from falling off of some spaces, but not others. This is especially a problem at the edges of islands, as more than a few times I’d fall off of the side of a spot, then “land” in another screen as it turned out that was the end of the map and entrance to another location. But then, maybe Aka’s sense of direction is just bad? Sometimes, I’d find when I was trying to water or plow one spot of land, I would hit another instead?

More inventory room, both in your Aka’s room and on-hand storage, would also be appreciated. You can hold items. You will find a lot more than that. Some items are even ones that, after you grab them, can’t be placed in a space in the world. For example, I found a totem early on. I took it. Once I got out of its cave and outside Aka’s home, I couldn’t just… set it down as a decoration outside. Into a valuable inventory space it went. Did you collect a lot of tin can trash? Or maybe items that you just don’t want anymore? You need to spend time heading to town to visit the one dedicated recycling center and garbage can.

The nature of Aka also means it is a game in which you don’t get to really know everyone. While Aka is friends with Thom and we’ll see insights into the past, we don’t really get to know the island neighbors. There’s the illusion of community, but you don’t connect in the same way you do in titles like Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley. Yes, the koala I play music with on the beach is cool, but I just know we jam together. There are wasted opportunities here.

Aka is also an incredibly buggy game. When I first started playing on the Switch, it crashed a few times while exploring. When I was fulfilling a quest to repair a boat, the necessary requirements remained on-screen even after the NPC disappeared. Aka would sometimes get locked in a position performing an action. While I’d be able to move still, it would be impossible to take any additional actions unless I quit and reloaded the game.

Aka on the #NintendoSwitch has some... issues. (This happened even while trying to change equipment and pressing B.) pic.twitter.com/k5zxLi7Zjo

— Jenni Lada (@JMariye) December 16, 2022

The idea of Aka is fine, but the execution isn’t there. It is a pretty and relaxing enough game when it works. However, it often isn’t behaving as it should, which really gets in the way of taking it easy.

Aka is available for the Nintendo Switch and PC.

The post Review: Aka is a Game That Sets Players Adrift appeared first on Siliconera.

New Game Plus Expo 2022 will be back again on March 31, 2022. The presentation is a stream in which companies like Aksys, Idea Factory International, Inti Creates, and NIS America show up to go over new games heading to North America and Europe. This year, people will be able to catch it at 8am PT/11am ET/5pm CET on Twitch. This will mark the second year in a row that the presentation will appear in March. (The first one appeared in June 2020.)

Here’s the full list of companies that will be showing off games at New Game Plus Expo 2022.

• Aksys Games
• Idea Factory International
• Inti Creates
• Natsume
• Neowiz Games
• NIS America
• Playism
• PM Studios
• Rocket Panda Games
• Skystone Games

As a reminder, a few of these companies already have some and announced games that could appear at the show. Aksys could discuss Mon-Yu or show some of its Switch otome games. The Switch and PC versions of Neptunia x Senran Kagura will show up from Idea Factory International this summer. NIS America also has games like NIS Classics Volume 2 and Yurukill on the way.

New Game Plus Expo 2022 will be held at 8am PT/11am ET/5pm CET on March 31, 2022. It will eventually appear on YouTube after the Twitch stream.

The post New Game Plus Expo 2022 Will Be Held in March appeared first on Siliconera.

Neowiz and Round8 Studio offered a first look at Lies of P gameplay, their Dark Souls-like game inspired by the tale of Pinocchio, will work. While the video doesn’t highlight the “lying” mechanic or crafting, it does show off fighting. People can also see how Pinocchio, who is a mechanoid puppet, might change his body to add a grappling hook or other accessories.

In Lies of P, Pinocchio is attempting to become human. That means searching Krat to find Mr. Geppetto. It’s a dangerous place filled with opponents who appear to be both human or mechanoid. People will need to find and combine weapons and alter Pinocchio’s body. They’ll also have to lie. Depending on choices people make, his story could experience different twists.

Here’s the first Lies of P gameplay trailer. As mentioned, this is early footage. However, it offers an idea of how Pinocchio will fight in this Souls-like. It also shows some of the mechanoid foes he’ll face.

Lies of P is in development for PCs. When it does launch, it will be playable in Brazilian Portuguese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish, and both Simplified and Traditional Chinese. Its Steam page and official site are open.

The post Dark Souls-like Lies of P Gameplay Shows Pinocchio’s Search for Geppetto appeared first on Siliconera.

Major characters from multiple The Legend of Heroes games are now in the mobile, free-to-play RPG Brave Nine. Officially, this is a The Legend of Heroes: Hajimari no Kiseki crossover. However, Lloyd Bannings and Rixia Mao from Zero no Kiseki and Ao no Kiseki and Rean Schwarzer and Juna Crawford from the Trails of Cold Steel games show up too as a result. The event began on March 11, 2021 and added a dungeon, exchange post, and three characters. There are also themed Soul Gear Packages that will be available until April 1, 2021.

The official website offered additional details about the crossover. People can acquire the three The Legend of Heroes playable characters via two ways. The five-star warrior Divine Blade Rean is a free unit available for all players. The five-star defender Special Section Lloyd and four-star star Three of Swords Swin will appear in the Chance Up Recruit gacha alongside Rean. The event dungeon will have other character appearances and a chance to get Mishy Badges for the special Exchange Post. You can get The Legend of Heroes Companion characters Juna, Nadia, and Rixia there or via the gacha.

Brave Nine is available for both Android and Apple iOS devices. The Legend of Heroes Brave Nine event will run until April 1, 2021.

The post The Legend of Heroes Brave Nine Event Begins appeared first on Siliconera.

Bless Unleashed released worldwide in March for the Xbox One and publisher Neowiz Games is bringing the MMORPG to PC via Steam in early 2021.

The game is a reboot of Bless Online, the free-to-play MMORPG which released worldwide as an Early Access title for Steam in May 2018. However, the Steam version of Bless Online closed in September 2019. Bless Unleashed was released as a free-to-play title published by Bandai Namco for Xbox One in March 2020 with similar early access available through paid Founder Packs.

Here's a message from the developer:

Greetings!
We are absolutely thrilled and excited to be able to announce that we are in preparation for our Bless Unleashed PC platform launch!

Bless Unleashed is dynamic combat- driven, vast open-world MMORPG, and our players will be able to explore the world of Bless Unleashed and experience the treacherous, and menacing dungeons with other friends and foes right from your PC. Not only will Bless Unleashed be available in the console platforms, but we are preparing to bring the game through Steam and blessunleashedpc.com.

Our players can look forward to the developers of Bless Unleashed, Round8 Studio in cooperation with NEOWIZ to focus on smooth and in-depth communication with our s in order to bring you the highest quality game experience and services based on our player's needs.

We promise to strive to bring future news and updates swiftly through our social media channels and also on our homepage at blessunleashedpc.com

May the gods be with you, always.
NEOWIZ Round8 Head of Development

Bless Unleashed is currently available for Xbox One and will release for PC via Steam in early 2021.

The post Bless Unleashed Will Release for PC via Steam in Early 2021 appeared first on Siliconera.