Author Archives: InTheSky

Margaret is also Coming to North America in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax

InTheSky August 30, 2014 Leave a reply

Earlier this month we wrote about Margaret’s announcement as post-launch DLC for Persona 4 Arena Ultimax. Siliconera confirmed earlier this week through a statement made by Atlus USA that Margaret will also be available for download in North America one week after the game’s release date of September 30th. At the very least, it is good news that the North American version and the Japanese version of the game will be on par with each other content-wise. Hopefully the European release date is announced soon with all content in tow.

Yakuza Zero is a Prequel, Younger Kiryu and Majima are Protagonists

InTheSky August 28, 2014 1 Reply

Famitsu is offering more details on the newly and officially announced Yakuza Zero. Keeping in line with the numbered titling, Zero will be a prequel to the first Yakuza game, starring a 20-year old Kazuma Kiryu and a 24-year old Goro Majima as playable characters. The game takes place in the late 80’s and will further expand the origins of these two characters, whose friendship/rivalry has endured throughout the franchise. Players will travel through the iconic Yakuza city of Kamurocho in Tokyo (pictured above) and Osaka’s Soutenbori, a city that reflects the Kansai region of Japan and is home to the Omi Alliance, a powerful yakuza group.

Hit the jump to check out character bios for Kiryu and Majima, and their new looks! I’ve also included a personal musing about why localizing this game would be particularly excellent for the franchise in the West, please read it!

Etrian Odyssey II Untold: The Knight of Fafnir Release Date, Price, and More Famitsu Details

InTheSky August 27, 2014 Leave a reply

This week Famitsu announced new information for Etrian Odyssey II Untold: The Knight of Fafnir. The game will be released on November 27 of this year and will retail for ¥5,980. First-print copies of the Etrian Odyssey II Untold: The Knight of Fafnir will come with a music CD which includes the game’s main theme and a handful of other selections. To note, Etrian Odyssey Untold, the remake of the first game, came out on June 27, 2013, and Atlus has been working on other games such as Persona Q and Persona 5 in the meantime.

Famitsu also mentioned some interesting new additions to this version of Etrian Odyssey II. A cooking system is being introduced which allows you to make up to 70 different food items using materials from gathering points or defeated monsters. So far as we know, the food is meant to be sold and the money from those sales meant to expand the town. There is also a new character named Regina set to make an appearance. She is an elite chef and the cabinet minister’s granddaughter.

It also appears that an updated version of the Grimoire Stone system introduced in Etrian Odyssey Untold will be present in this game. Players will now be able to exchange Grimoire Stones with other in-game characters, with other players via StreetPass, and even “recycle” the Grimoire Stones, though the meaning of recycling has not yet been fully explained.

There is currently no official announcement on whether or not this game will be localized. All four of the mainline entries received at least a North American localization and Untold was also localized. Hopefully Untold’s continued presence at eShop’s sales help to support the franchise’s continued presence outside of Japan.

Credit to Gematsu for the coverage.

Phantasy Star Online 2: Episode 3 New Content Recap Video

InTheSky August 26, 2014 Leave a reply

Sega uploaded a Youtube video showcasing the new content for Phantasy Star Online 2: Episode 3. It shows off the Bouncer class, the new planet Harukotan, some new bosses, the new Casino and some of its games, new Arks Lobby look and features, new customization abilities, gameplay features, and balance changes. This update will also introduce several new voiced characters. It’s a content-packed video – hit the break to check it out! And be sure to check out the PSUBlog for an extensive breakdown of the new content being offered, including a preview of the “Chapter 1” quest which sets into motion your involvement in the conflict between the Shirokotans and the Kurokotans.

And if you have a Japanese PSO2 account, enjoy the launch of this new content tomorrow, August 27th!

Shining Resonance B.A.N.D. System, Battle System Preview

InTheSky August 21, 2014 Leave a reply

In our last major write-up for Shining Resonance, we learned about Sega’s desire to impress upon players the use of music and nature as conceptual focal points for the game. Images for the B.A.N.D. system were released then, but not with any real explanation of what it was about. Siliconera offers some insight here. In addition, this entry from the BeastNote blog (a fanblog for Japanese fighting game community news that also covers other games, like Shining fighting game Blade Arcus) offers additional insight into the game from translations off of the official Shining Resonance website. Hit the break to learn more!

Phantasy Star Nova Early Copy Bonuses, Vita Pouch, PSO2 Character Appearance Announced!

InTheSky August 20, 2014 Leave a reply

Pictured above is a special Phantasy Star Nova-themed companion pouch for Vita systems. Siliconera writes that this item will be available when Phantasy Star Nova releases in Japan (November 27) and priced at ¥2,280. It’s sold separately, and sure to be in extremely limited availability, so this will surely be a collector’s item in the future. Have to love the satin-y, royal blue interior.

Besides that, first print copies of Phantasy Star Nova will feature three special bonuses attached. The bonuses are all codes. There is one code contains a recipe set enabling the player to make costumes for male and female characters of either race, in addition to ten 200% experience point multipliers for items. Another code contains a variety of fun miscellany, including a music CD with the Phantasy Star Nova main theme for your character’s room, an assortment of costumes, and a couple of tickets whose full purpose has not been outlined yet.

One code in particular is especially noteworthy – if you share this code with friends, it will allow them to purchase the digital version of Phantasy Star Nova, with all of the first print bonuses in tow. The discount itself is quite generous (Japan recently enacted a VAT hike, in addition) but the inclusion of the first print bonuses makes this a pretty compelling and provocative bargain.

Perhaps if Sega were to localize this game in Western territories, a move such as this would entice a sizable amount of buyers, especially those looking for something to add to their Vita library and open to the suggestions of friends. In its own right, this third bonus code is a pretty aggressive yet generous move. It’s hard not to notice, speaking both for myself and as someone who loves buying only physical copies of games.

In any case, the PSUBlog contains great images previewing the costume content contained in the bonus first-print codes, so be sure to stop by. Also there will be some Phantasy Star Nova and Phantasy Star Online 2 cross promotion going on, with PSO2 characters Zeno, Afin, and Echo available as accompanying party characters if you have PSO2 data from the Vita version on your memory card! A look at the characters below:

Etrian Odyssey 2: Knight of Fafnir Companions, Website Updates

InTheSky August 16, 2014 Leave a reply

Atlus has been quick to roll out content in promotion for Etrian Odyssey 2: Knight of Fafnir. The official website has been updated with character bios and plenty of artwork. There are even some Twitter icons here for those interested. If you visit the blog (last updated on the 11th, as of this writing), you can also check out some preview BGM’s!

Recently, Siliconera translated the character bios for the accompanying party characters. Currently there are five bios up on the site, describing the same five you see in the picture above. Two have already been introduced: the protagonist, who is second from the right and a bit obscured, and Princess Arianna in the center. We know now from this other Siliconera writeup that the protagonist’s power is called Fafnir, as referenced in the game’s subtitle. Hit the break to learn more about the other three characters pictured, and to sample one of the background music pieces!

Phantasy Star Nova Battle Demo Early Impression Reports, Video

InTheSky August 14, 2014 Leave a reply

By now the recently released Phantasy Star Nova “Battle Demo” has spent a decent amount of time in the Vita’s of curious players. Thus far much of the promotion for Phantasy Star Nova has come in the form of cinematic trailers and screenshots, so the glimpse that the demo offers into tri-Ace’s progress is important. This NeoGAF thread contains some discussion of the demo, along with some in-game screenshots and a nice 18-minute video recorded by GAFfer twentytwo22. The video walks through a variety of the in-game menus and showcases a generous amount of gameplay. It also features voiced commentary to add context and comparison to the gameplay. Several users seem to have found the demo enjoyable (though it is noted that it’s quite easy to get KO’d!) but framerate issues seem to be a recurring grievance.

Sega is taking feedback on the demo through this survey, but it may be difficult to navigate the survey for those who aren’t already familiar with Japanese. Still, it’s important outreach from Sega and hopefully the feedback serves the developers well.

Hit the break to watch the video!

Awesome Valkyria Chronicles Cosplay Video

InTheSky August 12, 2014 Leave a reply

It’s been a while since we’ve written about Valkyria Chronicles. Last I wrote of them, I highlighted some cool content featuring the series. Once again we have another opportunity to showcase something for the series: a fanfilm courtesy of cosplaying group AAAandgirls from the Czech Republic. It’s not meant to seriously reflect the original Valkyria Chronicles’ content as it takes a lot of liberties, but it is more about a fun romp featuring people portraying some elements of the Second Gallian War anyway. Check it out!

Valkyria Chronicles-Fanfilm by AAAandgirls

Watch this video on YouTube

Credit to Kotaku for their news posting on the video.

Phantasy Star Nova Gigantes Feature: Alkyone and Gration

InTheSky August 10, 2014 Leave a reply

The Gigantes, the biomechanical titans of Phantasy Star Nova, are freaky in their designs, if a bit over the top and wacky. The PSUBlog wrote about two of the Gigantes a while ago; here’s a spotlight on these menacing creatures. It should be noted that while a special attack during a state of rage is only currently noted for these two Gigantes, it could very well be the case that all Gigantes have such an attack available to them. And do keep in mind that these two aren’t featured in the upcoming Battle Demo.

To start! Pictured above is Alkyone. Alkyone is modeled after a jellyfish, and sports flamethrowers at the end of its tendrils. It can either spray multiple fire waves from each flamethrower or shoot one massive fireball at its enemies. Apparently Alkyone can also deploy ink that will darken the players screen, even though jellyfish can’t ink! For a look at the second Gigantes, hit the break.