News by Lindsay M.
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)!
The next title in The Dark Pictures Anthology has been announced
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes just launched last week (of course, we’ve got a review for it here and a video about its mechanics here). There’s a tradition where the next title in the series is announced when one gets released, and this time around is no different. For whatever reason, the developer and publisher didn’t post the trailer, so here it is courtesy of Bigdaddyjende on YouTube:
The next game in the series will be The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me. The title is a bit more familiar than the others (Man of Medan, Little Hope, House of Ashes) and alone reminds me of movies like The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It. The trailer, however, makes it clear the game has the opportunity to go much farther than a typical scenario where someone gets possessed and kills people and then gets exorcised so everything is fine again. The trailer’s narrator literally says that killing is a true art form, from watching the life bleed out of someone to hearing them plead for release. It sounds dark and gory and I’m definitely intrigued.
Developed by Supermassive Games and published by Bandai Namco, The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me is considered the season one finale of the series; the series itself is supposed to be eight games total, so logically there is room for one more season comprised of four titles. The first three games were released annually, so expect to see The Devil in Me sometime in the second half of 2022.
It’s finally happening: Fantasy Life Online is coming west!
I was starting to think this would never happen, so I’m thrilled at the announcement that Fantasy Life Online is coming west. Fantasy Life is one of my top three 3DS titles. Set in a fantasy world made up of different locales, the player is asked to investigate strange occurrences. It fits solidly in the sim and RPG genres, combining the two impeccably. Nothing has come close since it launched in the west in 2014. That’s why Fantasy Life Online, a free-to-play game for smartphones, is so important. It is a direct sequel to the first title, originally being named Fantasy Life 2. Here’s an older Japanese trailer for Fantasy Life Online:
There will be two beta tests: one closed, and one open. The first, closed, will go from October 28 to November 5, only on Android, and only in Argentine, Australia, Canada, Finland, Malaysia, and Romania. All data will be erased after the beta test, but all money spent in that time will be refunded in double in the second (and open) beta test.
Developed by Level-5 and published by Boltrend Studios, Fantasy Life Online will be launching soon enough for western smartphones and tablets. It first launched for iOS and Android in Japan over three years ago, in July 2018 (hence why I thought I’d never get my hands on it).
Stardew Valley developer announces ConcernedApe’s Haunted Chocolatier
There is no game with a fan base quite like that of Stardew Valley. It’s following and grown over the years, and despite being launched nearly six years ago, it remains extremely popular. The developer has now announced an upcoming title, and puts its name right in the title: ConcernedApe’s Haunted Chocolatier. It’s a sim about running a chocolate shop that is, well, haunted. Here’s a trailer:
The gameplay involves gathering ingredients, making chocolate, and running the shop. Stardew Valley is a bit more humble, while ConcernedApe’s Haunted Chocolatier is more fantastical. In a blog post, the developer explains, “Chocolate represents that which is delightful. The haunted castle represents the allure of the unknown. The ghosts represent the imprint of the past. All of these things are important. However, don’t think for a moment that, because this game features ghosts in a haunted castle, it is an evil or negative game. On the contrary, I intend for this game to be positive, uplifting and life-affirming.”
ConcernedApe’s Haunted Chocolatier is currently slated for release on PC, though the developer has every intention of bringing it to the most popular consoles as well (maybe even mobile, too). The game is still a way’s off, as Concerned Ape writes: “This is all largely talk at this point. While the video I put together may look like the game is at an advanced stage of development, there is still a ton of stuff to do… So, please understand that it will be a while before this game is done.”
A-train: All Aboard! Tourism is coming to PC
Business-sim game A-train: All Aboard! Tourism has already launched for Nintendo Switch, and is now nearly ready for a PC release. In the game, the player becomes president of a railway company, using the railroad to help towns develop. When the station is built, the people will gather, and towns will be created in the surrounding areas. Destinations need to be easy enough for tourists to access, so railways, ferries, and buses are all fair game for getting there.
There are some new features that will be available in the PC release. Four have been announced so far. First, there are two new scenarios. Second, the cityscapes are high definition. Third, the game supports mouse and keyboard, in addition to controller and touch controls. Finally, players can specify which direction trains will depart from.
Developed by Degica Games and Artdink, A-train: All Aboard! Tourism will be released for PC via Steam on December 7. The Nintendo Switch version launched in March.
