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)!
Two visual novels coming West courtesy of Aniplex.EXE
Two months ago, Aniplex announced its new visual novel brand, Aniplex.EXE. The publisher has now announced its first two titles. ATRI: My Dear Moments is developed by Frontwing and Makura. Adabana Odd Tales is developed by Liar-soft. Both titles will launch for PC via Steam in the West (and Japan) sometime this year. Here’s a peek and the brand as well as the VNs:
ATRI: My Dear Moments is set in the near future, when a sudden and inexplicable sea rise has left much of the current land underwater. As a result, when Ikaruga Natsuki returns to his countryside home he finds it nearly entirely swallowed up by the sea. He has no family, only the ship and submarine left to him by his grandmother as well as all her debts. While exploring his grandmother’s laboratory ruins with a debt collector, they find a girl asleep in a coffin at the bottom of the sea: Atri. She’s a robot, but so realistic in looks and emotions it can be hard to believe. And so the story begins between Natsuki and Atri.
Adabana Odd Tales begins when a girl finds herself confronted by a monster in a dark and unfamiliar forest. A boy appears just in time to save her, wielding a brush as though it were a sword. He is Kurofude, and he recognises her as Shirohime. Kurofude explains that they are in Adabana, a realm of illustrated books; it is their duty to travel through the realm looking for signs of distortion in the tales.
“Heartfelt adventure” Hazel Sky being released this year
From Brazilian developer Coffee Addict Studio and Taiwanese publisher Another Indie, Hazel Sky is a heartfelt adventure about a young engineer facing both his destiny and his desires, torn between engineering and artistry. It will be released this year for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Here’s the reveal trailer:
Shane is sent to the flying City of Gideon to pass a test that every Engineer must face before actually taking on the role. If he fails, he will be banished. To pass, he has to fix all kinds of flying machines and explore the world while connected via radio to another trainee engineer. In turns out, their friendship is rather illicit.
The developers states you can jump, climb, swing, and slide your way through the challenging Trials. The flying machines are often quite beautiful, albeit unbelievable. Shane will also be learning the fates of those who face the Trials before him, including those who failed. Is it possible to find peace and tranquility in the world?
Take a look at character customisation in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Nintendo has released a couple of videos via Twitter that showcase the many character customisation options in the upcoming Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Take a look at the Twitter thread:
Check-in Procedures ② At the counter, they’ll ask for your name and birthday, and then they’ll take a picture of you for your passport. Take as much time as you need to get yourself looking just the way you want! pic.twitter.com/kJQjUDIREc— Tom Nook (@animalcrossing) February 26, 2020
Upon starting the game, players will be able to customise their name, birthday, and appearance. Later on, players can change their appearance via a mirror or dresser – that’s right, no more trips to the salon! Appearance options include skin tone, hairstyle and colour, eye style and colour, nose/mouth, and cheek customisation.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons launches on March 20 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. A limited edition console themed for the game will be launched a week earlier, but the pre-orders are sold out for it worldwide.
DJ music game Fuser coming from Harmonix
You know Harmonix. Even if you think you don’t know, you likely actually do. Harmonix is the developer most known for both the Guitar Hero and Rock Band series, but has also released a DJ game before titled DropMix. Those titles are required peripherals, though, so let’s get this out of the way: there is no special gear required for Fuser. Just a regular controller attached to whatever system you’re using. Phew. Here’s the reveal trailer:
The game allows players to blend vocal tracks, bass lines, and other instrumentation from over 100 tracks spanning multiple genres. Artists featured include Lady Gaga, 50 Cent, Lizzo, Lil Nas X, and dozens more. “With FUSER, we are delivering the ultimate music fantasy as a game,” said Steve Janiak, CEO of Harmonix, via a press release. “Music today is an experience. It’s not just people listening to albums any more – it’s recording and sharing videos of you singing along to your favorite songs, watching your favorite bands play at festivals, and sharing hit music with your friends. FUSER puts players at the center of all that by letting you mix and share some of the biggest hits on your way to becoming a festival headliner.”
Fuser will be released later this year (so soon!) for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
