News by Lindsay M., News Editor
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)!
Here’s the Kingdom Hearts III launch updates schedule
I feel like I’m one of the few folk who never managed to be pulled into the Kingdom Hearts series. I love the idea, but in practice I found it clunky and boring. However, I know this is a rather unpopular opinion, and I do understand the lure for the millions of fans of the series. And so, here’s the launch update schedules for Japan and North America!
In Japan and the rest of Asia, Kingdom Hearts III launches on January 25. At 00:00 JST on that day, the 1.01 update will be launched, comprising mostly of big fixes. At the same time, the Memory Archive (a sort of digest of the series’ story to date) will be added to the game’s title menu to be viewed at any time. 24 hours later, at 00:00 JST, the Epilogue video content will be available to those that have completed the game and seen it’s ending. And on January 31, a “secret” in the form of a video will be made available for those who have both seen the ending and fulfilled certain gameplay criteria (depends on the difficulty level).
Those in North America and Europe will have to wait a little bit longer; the game is due for release on January 29 in those territories. The 1.01 update will be available on launch day. The Epilogue video will be available a day later, on January 30. The secret video will launch on the same day in NA and Europe as it does in Japan, on January 31. Happy playing!
Baroque Syndrome now available on Japanese smartphones
I’ve seen some complain on social media about the recent surge in older visual novels being made on mobile devices. These people are, quite frankly, cuckoo bananas. Visual novels can be such amazing, immersive experiences that I’m glad to see the current generation of NV lovers opened to the past. Last week, Baroque Syndrome joined the growing list of visual novels available on smartphones — although only in Japan. Here’s a gameplay video:
The game was originally released in 2000 for the original PlayStation. It is a prequel to 1998’s action title Baroque on the Sega Saturn; It has actually been ported several times, including to iPad (our review here).
Baroque Syndrome is available for 600 yen via the iOS’ App Store or Android’s Google Play.
Monster Hunter: World / The Witcher collaboration dated
Originally announced last month, Monster Hunter: World is planning a collaboration with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Originally planned for early this year, the free update to Monster Hunter: World will be available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on February 8.
PlayStation®4『モンスターハンター：ワールド』×『ウィッチャー３ ワイルドハント』のスペシャルコラボレーションが2019年2月8日(金)配信予定の無料大型アップデートで登場決定！！#モンハンワールド #witcher3 pic.twitter.com/NCiLyIivpr— モンスターハンター：ワールド公式 (@MH_official_JP) January 11, 2019
In this event, Geralt — the protagonist of The Witcher series — finds himself in the New World where he meets members of the Research Commission. It promises to feature quests that bring the RPG experience of The Witcher to Monster Hunter: World.
Updates to Monster Hunter: World are planned far past this collaboration. Console Version Update 4 is the last title update planned, and brings Arch-tempered Nergigante to the game. Towards the end of the year, a massive expansion pack is planned, titled Iceborne.
Holy Pototoes! goes to space
It’s the series I never knew I needed in my life until now, when news of a sequel broke. How did I miss the original Holy Potatoes!? The sequel, We’re In Space?!, is a management sim where you manage a spaceship. Here’s a trailer:
The goal is to expand and upgrade your ship while voyaging through space and engaging in turn-based combat. The real fun in the game will surely be micro-managing your crew until you’ve created the greatest ship ever made. There’s a casual mode that promises “stress-free pew-pew action,” so I know what I’ll have my game set to!
Holy Potatoes! We’re In Space?! is developed by Daylight Studios and published by Rising Star Games. The PlayStation 4 versions of the title will launch on January 15, while the Nintendo Switch version will be available two days later on January 17.
