News by Lindsay M. and Matt S.
Welcome to Digitally Downloaded’s regular catch-up news feature. With each issue we will bring you the best news that you may have missed. Grab the biggest mug you’ve got, fill it with your favourite brew, and catch up with us (and our favourite news anchor, Dee Dee)!
Prepare to be brave, as Lionheart has a release date
News by Lindsay M., News Editor
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but most (if not all) of the writers at DDnet are huge fans of JRPGs. Our love (or at least respect) of Japanese games in general bind us together, and I’m quite certain that means I’m not the only one excited for the impending release of Lionheart. The Japanese fantasy RPG developed by Shiisanmei and published in the West by Fruitbat Factory promises beautiful illustrations, 50+ hours of playtime, and a magical labyrinth. Here is the English opening; the video is about a year old but still delightful:
Leon Lionheart is a young adventurer. In fact, adventure runs in his blood: his father also explored the Magic Labyrinth named Libra Corridor. While in Libra Corridor, someone comes across Leon and forces him to help them due to his unusual skillset. The party of two – Leon Lionheart and Justicar Maria Sinkirk – soon grows to include former mercenary Orsin and Emma the nun.
The game features ten playable characters, over 100 different types of monsters, and three difficulty options (casual, normal, heroic). Lionheart will be released on PC via Steam on July 31. For a game that promises so many dozens of hours of playtime, the price is remarkably low: $19.99 USD.
Keep It Together is a charming Aussie game worth noting
By Matt S., Editor-in-Chief
“You play a coat full of rats pretending to be human.” If that isn’t the strangest concept for a video game that you’ve heard all year, then you’ve played some exceptionally strange games. It is, however, a real game brought to us by an Aussie indie developer, and it’s all kinds of cute and charming.
At the same time as being cutesy, it’s a game that’s addressing some genuinely important themes around social anxiety and depression, and how these things can affect people. So it’s not just a game, it’s also a good cause.
In Keep It Together, you need to hold down keys to provide responses to various humans so that you don’t upset them to the point that you’re unmasked as the bunch of rats that you are. A game will start out simple enough, but before long you’ll have to hold down all kinds of different key combinations in awkward combinations and sequences; imagine Twister, but on your keyboard. The game releases at the end of the month on itch.io, and potentially Steam down the track.
Pixar is finally coming to Kingdom Hearts
By Lindsay M., News Editor
D23, a convention celebrating all things Disney, was held over the weekend. It was a lot of movie announcements and trailers, but every now and then a glimmer of video game news would pop up. If I were a Kingdom Hearts fan (I know, blasphemous, but I’ve tried) what I would be most excited about is the news that the Pixar universe is finally colliding with Square Enix in the upcoming Kingdom Hearts III. Here’s the latest trailer:
Combining the worlds of Toy Story and Kingdom Hearts seems like the Square Enix equivalent of peanut butter and jelly: it just makes sense. “The narrative will be an original story exclusive to Kingdom Hearts III, and the gameplay with feel characteristic of the ‘Toy Story’ style and aesthetic,” said Tetsuya Nomura, director of the Kingdom Hearts series.
The brand new story brings together Toy Story legends with Kingdom Hearts heroes, mirroring the visual style of Toy Story. To celebrate the new trailer, mobile title Kingdom Hearts Union Cross will be offering a Sora medal – the first time a KH3 character medal has been included in the game. Get the medal simply by logging in between July 16 and August 16. Other new Disney worlds to join the Kindom Hearts universe include Hercules and Big Hero 6. Kingdom Hearts III is promised to launch next year, but I wouldn’t hold your breath on that one.
Fight for survival in this hand-drawn title from the creators of Jotun
By Lindsay M., News Editor
If this issue of the Catch-up is any proof, July 2017 has turned out to be an unexpectedly exceptional month for new titles. Lionheart. Keep It Together. And now add Sundered to the list, as the game released on PC/Mac/Linux and PlayStation 4 on July 28. And a launch date announcement means a new launch trailer, so let’s take a look!
Sundered is developed by Thunder Lotus Games, a Montreal-based indie company. You may recognize the name, as the company is also behind Jotun (which Pierre-Yves previewed here). To celebrate the release of Sundered, a limited physical edition of Jotun has been released – and I mean limited, as there will only be 4,800 copies printed by Limited Run Games. But that’s not what I want to focus on, because Sundered looks to be every bit as amazing at the developer’s inaugural title.
In the game, salvation hangs on the choice between resisting or embracing the evils of a corrupted world. Eshe (I love the name!) is trapped in the horrific world, and to defeat bosses she will have to use the power of corrupted relics. At the cost of her humanity, of course. It sounds almost Fable-esque, no?
