News by Matt S.
Sekai Games, the specialist visual novel localisation outfit, probably should have held an E3 conference of its own, because it has announced a whole lot of exciting projects. More than we saw in certain conferences this year for sure (*cough* Ubisoft and Bethesda). Across Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation VR, and even the humble Vita, Sekai Games has more than enough coming to keep our eyeballs reading.
This one is a courtroom drama, set in a futuristic world where humans have cyberbrains (!). I’ve always wanted Phoenix Wright or Danganronpa in VR… trials are just that much cooler when you can physically look around the courtroom. This one lands in June this year.
Root Double: Before Crime After Days – Nintendo Switch
This is one of those survival stories, which will no doubt be filled with all kinds of hard moral choices and the like. As the description says: “With lethal radiation leaking everywhere and not enough anti-radiation medication to last until lockdown lifts, the survivors make discoveries that are more and more grim. In their struggle for survival, in a deathtrap full of fire and radiation, they learn that doubt is their greatest enemy, and trust their greatest asset.”
Fault: Milestone One – Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita
This one is pretty well regarded over in PC world, and it will make its console debut in summer (winter for Aussies etc) on Switch, and fall (spring) for the PlayStation consoles. It’s a story about a princess and her royal guardian, heading out on a journey together. Coming of age story? Romance? We’ll just have to wait and see. It is a gorgeous game though.
Tokyo Chronos – PlayStation VR
This VR adventure is a suspense mystery, in which time has frozen over and eight childhood friends are brought together in being trapped in the weirdness. You’ll need to decide who lives and who dies in this one, so the stakes are pretty high. It lands in August of this year.
Heart of the Woods – Switch
This is another supernatural suspense game, with a strong concept and some gorgeous art. As per the description: “Maddie Raines has had enough. After years of serving as manager, editor, and general business-handler for her best friend Tara’s popular paranormal vlog channel, she’s finally ready to move forward with her own life. But when she agrees to take one last trip with Tara to the mysterious village of Eysenfeld, she’s suddenly swept up in a dangerous supernatural crisis that will change the course of both of their lives forever.”
We’ll need to wait a little longer for this one – it’s a 2020 release.
World End Economica – Switch, PlayStation 4, Vita
In World End Economica, humanity has begin to colonise the moon. You’ll follow the story of a fellow called Haru, who is looking to accumulate an enormous amount of wealth in order to get himself to “stand where no man has stood before.”
Ya gotta love the way that wealthy people try to find ways to waste their money. This one’s coming in winter (summer for those in the southern hemisphere) of this year.
Narcissu: Lumiere Eternelle Edition – Switch, PlayStation 4
Now this one could be a tear-jerker. It’s a visual novel about terminal illness, dying, and the relationship between those leaving and those left behind. It promises to be thought-provoking and deep (you would hope so, given how difficult the material is), and a more mature kind of story.
I don’t know if I’ll necessarily want to play this game, but I feel like we all probably should. It too is a winter (summer for the south) release.
Undead Darlings: No Cure for Love – PlayStation 4
Finally, there’s a PlayStation 4 port of the PC visual novel/dungeon crawler Undead Darlings in the works. This is a game by ex-NISA alumni in Mr. Tired Media, and it’s been in development for quite some time now. It’s a bright and cheerful game about a group of zombie girls, and promises plenty of hilarious hijinks to go with the Wizardry-style dungeon crawling action.
– Matt S.
Editor-in-Chief
Find me on Twitter: @digitallydownld
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