News by Lindsay M. and Trent P.
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)!
Charge your Vitas – the handheld isn’t dead yet
By Lindsay M., News Editor
If this past weekend has proven anything, it’s that the PS Vita is alive and well (although becoming more and more of a niche market). I’ve got news on four – four! – titles coming to the console. First up is perhaps the most surprising release; available now is 2064: Read Only Memories, which was labelled as cancelled back in October but has risen from the grave. It’s cross-buy with the PlayStation 4 so if you own it there, you can download it to your Vita for free. The game is set in a future world completele with intelligent machines and genetically-modified humans, with the player embodying a journalist searching for his robot friend’s creator.
Another cross-buy game coming to the Vita is Stardew Valley, expected sometime next year. It’s already available on all other consoles, so why not? The Harvest Moon-inspired title will have cross-save information but won’t support multiplayer on the handheld. And next is Papers, Please, a favourite of mine on my iPad about a border inspector trying to weed out smugglers, spies, and terrorists amongst the throngs of immigrants and (for some reason) visitors. Use documents, fingerprints, and more to determine if those passing are who they claim to be. I used to hate ports, but it seems like the porting devs are stepping it up for the Vita.
I tried to save the best for last, so here it is! Memories Off: Innocent Fille is launching in Japan on March 29 for the Vita and simultaneously for the PS4 and PC. The 5pb-published game is the latest in a long-running love/adventure series, and will be available in Japanese, and simplified and traditional Chinese. The game is about a boy who is accepted into his dream school, somewhere far away where nobody knows him. But reuniting with old friends seven years down the line gets… complicated, to say the least.
We’ve all been waiting for this: more info on Media Molecule’s Dreams!
By Lindsay M., News Editor
Our prayers will be answered sometimes next year as the PS4-exclusive Dreams is set to (finally) be released. Media Molecule is behind some of the biggest PlayStation titles, including the Little Big Planet series and Tearaway, so we trust the developer with our game-based lives. And there’s more good news: a trailer!
There were also two new gameplay videos released; one is showcasing Eye gameplay and the other is a live demo. Dream’s story is actually three intertwined stories, focusing on Art and the characters he creates in his dreams. Two playable characters appear when he’s asleep, Francis and Foxy, each with their own unique weapon abilities. The game’s tutorial consists of half-finished dreams, asking the player to complete them; as long as you don’t want to create your own assets, you can spend an excessive amount of time here alone.
But what can actually be created and shared with others? Playable levels, music videos, animated films… the opportunities are limitless. What I love is that “curators,” or those who are great at finding levels in a specific genre, will actually be rewarded. It’s not just the playing that matters anymore, it’s also the mere act of discovery.
Firewatch developer reveals next project
By Trent P., Contributor
Revealed during The Game Awards, the latest project from Campo Santo was a world premiere exclusive to the show. What transpired was a few seconds of a duo on camel back, while I was shouting about to my co-worker what game it might be. Only to have the base drop at the screen revealing the developers and the music changing from an Aladdin style symphony to LPs Muddy Waters. (After a quick slap in the face and Googling the song due to forgetting it somehow, it once again became my jam.)
The pitch behind In The Valley of Gods is a single-player title set within Egypt during the 1920s. The protagonist is an explorer and filmmaker who has travelled to Egypt with their old partner with the hopes of making an impossible discovery a reality while making an incredible film.
With a large development team compared the studios debut title, the game is expected be released in 2019. While not tomorrow, it can be expected to be worth the wait: Firewatch is a special narrative driven journey with a majestic soundtrack wrapped around it, so we hope for the same from In The Valley of Gods.
Show the DJ business Max Respect early next year
By Lindsay M., News Editor
Oh my goodness, was that pun ever bad; it possibly even fell flat on its face. Oops. Anyway, one of the longest-running rhythm game series is making a comeback. The DJMax name has been with Sony PlayStation since 2006, yet hasn’t seen a release in seven long years – but it’s baaaaaack! Developed by Rocky Studio and published by Neowiz, DJMax Respect will be launched on the PlayStation 4 in the first quarter of next year.
Ki Won Less, the CEO of Neowiz, describes DJMax Respect as an homage to the series. It is definitely a title for the fans: it includes every single song from the series to date, including DLC. That means 147 songs total, 40 of which are brand new and created specifically for the game. The classic songs are remastered to run at 1080p/60FPS.
For the first time, the DJMax series is going multiplayer, with both local and online options. There is an achievement system, leaderboards, and collections. It is currently available in Southeast Asia as a physical and digital release, but the Western version will be digital-only. If you can’t wait, the current Eastern version does have English subtitles… but won’t be compatible with Western DLC. Choices, choices!
