Welcome to Digitally Downloaded’s weekly catch-up news feature, the catch-up coffee. With each issue I 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)!
7 Days to End with You is being released next month
The world is a better place when games come to Nintendo Switch, though I may just say that because I’m in love with the system. Part puzzle game and part visual novel, 7 Days to End with You will be launching on the hybrid system early in the new year – though not too early, we all need time to play our holidays gifts after all.
The game is all about deciphering a language that you don’t understand. Deduce the meaning of words, then try to understand them one piece at a time. The meaning of the word is left up to the player. Relationship builds depending on the words interpreted. The world changes based on the player’s understanding of the language. It could end up being a short, ordinary story or a long, peculiar one. The story takes place over seven days. The Nintendo Switch versions come with slightly different endings and brand new ending exclusive to this edition.
Developed by Lizardry and published by PLAYISM, 7 Days to End with You will be released for Nintendo Switch on January 26, 2023. It is currently available for iOS/Android and PC.
Mindhack launching in Early Access in April
For those of us in the Nothern hemisphere, April means springtime: lots of rain so that plants can flourish (well, maybe not so much these days, but this isn’t a talk on global warming). So an April launch for visual novel Mindhack makes sense, considering it’s about turning evildoer’s minds into a flower garden. It’s a bit weird, I suppose, but there’s some fascinating about it as well.
Play as a genius hacker who can get into and destroy other peoples’ minds. You’ll hack the brains of dangerous criminals and rewrite their personalities to make them as cuddly as a fuzzy sheep. The gameplay alternates between discussion and typing sequences. In the discussion sequences, learn about the dystopian world and interact with characters. In the typing sequence, hack and rewrite the prisoner’s mind by entering specified words. It sounds a bit complicated, but it shouldn’t be. The cast of villains includes an urchin gang leader, a fanatic from a cult, a monster from another planet, and a demon king.
Developed and published by VODKAdemo?, Mindhack will be released in Early Access for PC via Steam on April 6, 2023.
The first English trailer for Loop8: Summer of Gods is here
Loop8: Summer of Gods is described as a narrative-driven time-travelling RPG that uses an emotion-based AI system where the player’s decisions and interactions impact their emotions and the story ultimately told. Interactions impact how allies perform during combat, so decisions can also change the outcome of battle. Thanks to the time-travelling ability, mistakes can be fixed or new paths charted out. It’s an August that never ends.
Story-wise, the game is a coming-of-age adventure that follows Nini and his classmates as they try to defeat demonic entities who have forced humanity close to extinction. Nini was raised on a failed space station, but returns to earth to spend his summer at one of the planet’s last remaining sanctuaries. Nini is gifted with Demon Sight, or the ability to reset the world. Each loop allows him to relive August over and over until he gets it right, or until the Kegai finally get what they want.
Developed by Marvelous and SIEG Games, and published by Marvelous and XSEED Games, Loop8: Summer of Gods will be released in Japan for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One on March 16; it will be released for PC on March 31. The western launch is expected in Q2 2023, so not too far after.
Learn about the story in this trailer for Tales of Symphonia Remastered
The Tales series lies somewhere between cult classic and iconic, I’m not too sure where to place it. I do know, though, that returning to Symphonia seems like a grand idea. The world is dying, and there’s legend of a Chosen One that will rise, the land being reborn. The lines between good and evil aren’t always so clear. The fate of two interlocked worlds hangs in the balance, so Lloyd and his friends try to save them both.
The Remaster features graphical enhancements (obviously) and improved gameplay. The battles are real-time, and players can combine hundreds of special attacks and spells. Play with up to three friends in local co-op. The anime cutscenes are cel-shaded, easily one of my favourite styles.
Developed and published by Bandai Namco, Tales of Symphonia Remastered will be released for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One on February 16 (Japan) and 17 (worldwide), 2023.
