The catch-up coffee: Monday, January 30, 2023

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)!

Trek to Yomi launching for Switch… today!

Actually, the “today” thing is a bit hazy: what is today in Australia is not today elsewhere, so it may be another 24 hours before the game drops. Either way: Trek to Yomi is set to release on Nintendo Switch. When it first released for other platforms (listed below) in May 2022, Matt described it in his review as being both “deceptively straightforward” and “a creative vision of extreme focus.”

A young swordsman, Hikori, swears to his dying Master that he will protect his town and its people against all threats. He’s bound to duty, but also facing tragedy. He will fall against evil forces, but also have a heroic return to make good on his failed promise. The game features a cinematic prevention, including camera angles and visuals reminiscent of classic samurai films. The soundtrack is designed to feel authentic to Feudal Japan.

Developed by Flying Wild Hog and published by Devolver Digital, Trek to Yomi will be released for Nintendo Switch on January 30. It is also available for PC via Steam/Epic/Microsoft, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, and Xbox One. Basically, it was already available everywhere except Nintendo Switch.

Fuyukara, Kururu coming to consoles this May

Romance visual novel Fuyukara, Kururu is just about ready to be released for two consoles (it is already available for PC). It’s a murder mystery set at a boarding system school, isolated from the outside world, where the immortal girls live. The immortals follow an aging/de-aging cycle where they grow to become an adult then Benjamin Button it and de-age to become a baby once more, then the cycle repeats for eternity. To graduate, they much be deemed a prodigy by an outsider.

Shihon-chan’s headless body has been found in the mediation room! Murder is generally fine, what with immortality and all, but it’s considered taboo to decapitate a body and hide their head because a body can never be revived. The discovery ruins the girls’ peaceful school life.

Developed by Silky’s Plus and published by Entergram, Fuyukara, Kururu will be released physically (and presumably digitally) for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on May 25 in Japan. A limited edition will also be available.

Hunt a giant nature-infused tiger in Wild Hearts

Omega Force and Koei Tecmo have released a new trailer for its upcoming monster hunting game, Wild Hearts. (You can learn a bit more about the game here.) The trailer shows off the Golden Tempest hunt, when players seek a giant nature-infused tiger that wields golden wind to protect its territory. Hunters will use the game’s “innovative” Karakuri crafting technology to adapt their battle plan and attack strategies.

Like Trek to Yomi, Wild Hearts is set in a fantasy feudal Japan. That’s where the comparison ends, though. Nature-infused beasts once lived peacefully, but are now rampaging across the countryside and altering their surroundings. This costs lives. After a fight with a winter wolf, the player becomes the bearer of life-sustaining technology. Their powers will grow as they set out to restore balance in the world.

Developed by Omega Force (A Koei Tecmo studio) and published by Koei Tecmo, Wild Hearts will be released for PC via Steam/Epic/EA, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series on February 17.

Psychological thriller Loretta set for a PC release next month

Loretta makes the player an accessory to the heroine’s crimes, leading her through a self-crafted nightmare. It’s a story about a betrayed woman, her husband’s infidelity, relationship problems, and difficulty with the 1940s era. The developer names lots of inspiration, from American 20th century art, Andrew Wyeth, Edward Hopper, film noir from the 1940s and 1950s, Alfred Hitchcock, a movie called The Reflecting Skin, and two books – Stephen King’s 1922 and Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita.

In 1947, Lora and Walter Harris move to a family farm. He’s a writer, and she’s a housewife. Both are unsuccessful. The family is going through financial difficulties, made worse by the fact Walter owes people from New York money. He keeps that a secret, but Lora suspects him. She also thinks he’s having an affair. Lora gave up her job and dreams to support a husband she doesn’t even love. She learns that Walter’s publishing house insured his life, and a plan is born. The game is described as a story-driven adventure game; gameplay consists of choosing phrases in dialogue, interacting with objects, and making decisions while planning a murder and getting rid of the evidence.

Developed by Yakov Butuzoff and published by Dangen Entertainment, Loretta will be released for PC via Steam/GOG on February 16. It will be released at a later date for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.