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)!
Apathy: Narugami Gakuen Nana Fushigi to launch in August
Get ready to be scared in horror visual novel Apathy: Narugami Gakuen Nana Fushigi, which will be coming out this August for Nintendo Switch. It all starts out innocently enough: a first-year student and member of the newspaper club decides to write a feature based on scary stories told by seven storytellers from the upperclassmen. Things start to go haywire when he arrives to the meeting and there are only six people. Here’s a new launch date trailer:
The student, Shuichi Sakagami, starts the meeting without waiting on the missing seventh person. He never even considered another option. But a disturbing atmosphere fills the room, and the six people are ready to share. You can’t tell me you’re not dying to know how scary these stories are. The game is supposed to be a “massive-scale story,” so don’t expect to get through it quickly!
Developed by Mebius and Shannon, and published by Mebius, Apathy: Narugami Gakuen Nana Fushigi will be released for Nintendo Switch on August 4 in Japan. There will be two editions available, standard and limited. The limited edition includes an art book/strategy guide, soundtrack, drama CD, and short story.
Time on Frog Island to be released in Q3 2022
Trading Time: A Croak Tale has has a name change, and it will now be known as Time on Frog Island as to better represent the experience. The sandbox puzzle adventure game will be released in the third quarter of this year. It’s all about exploring at your own pace and paving your own path on a strange island after a man is shipwrecked. The locals don’t speak his language, and aren’t exactly easily able to help give him what he needs to fix his boat. Here’s the latest trailer:
Trading isn’t easy, and it sounds like a lot of “trade for this to trade for that to trade for the other that, that will get you what you need.” The developer calls it a spaghetti network of trades. It’s also possible to help out the locals, so who knows what that could yield. New items can be discovered by fishing and farming. The main goal, though, remains fixing the boat. You’ll always need to give or do something in return for what you need. Fixing the boat also involves solving puzzles to get to the required items.
Developed by Half Past Yellow and published by Merge Games, Trading Time: A Croak Tale will be released for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series, and Xbox One.
Paradise Killer coming to more consoles
Set on an island that regenerates every few millennia, Paradise Killer is an open-world murder mystery game. Alien worshipers release psychic power into the universe, meant to feed it and eventually resurrect fallen gods. Unfortunately, this power also attracts demons, who eventually corrupt each island and the Council has to birth a new alternate reality. The next island is set to be the perfect one, but the Council is murdered and Paradise is killed. Lady Love Dies is summoned for exile to solve the crime by building an airtight case against the killer. Here’s a new trailer:
When the game launches in March, it will include some new content. Current owners (PC, Nintendo Switch) will also get the new stuff, including music, quests, rewards, and collectibles. Current-gen (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series) versions will feature some shiny things, such as a 4K resolution, ray tracing, fast loading, haptics, and a day/night light bar cycle on the DualSense controller.
Developed by Kaizen Games Works and published by Fellow Traveller, Paradise Killer will be released for PC via Epic, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, and Xbox One on March 16. It originally launched for PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch in mid-2020.
Haven update adds new couple alternatives
There is something really special about Haven. It’s about a couple who have escaped to a forgotten planet and try to settle into the unknown world. It can be played alone or co-op, but either one both characters are played at the same time. Until now, Yu and Kay have been female and male. With this update, players can use the existing woman-man colourless, but also as Yu and an alternate (female) version of Kay or Kay and an alternate (male) version of Yu. It sounds a bit confusing, so take a look at the trailer:
It’s important to note the gender change has zero impact on the story, it’s just a player’s personal preference. The alternate characters look very similar to the original Yu and Kay, and two new actors have provided voicework for the alternates. They will still be exploring the planet, looking for materials to fix their ship and set up a home. There are moments of the everyday among moments of fear, as some are trying to tear the pair apart.
Developed and published by The Game Bakers, Haven is available for PC via Steam/Epic/GOG, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series, and Xbox One.
