Welcome to Digitally Downloaded’s weekly catch-up news feature, the catch-up coffee. I will bring you the best news you may have missed with each issue. 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)!
Before I begin my usual four stories, I do have a bit of bad news about Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1, Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2 Sisters Generation, Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth3 V Generation, and Death end re;Quest: Code Z. All four titles were originally set to launch for Nintendo Switch, but will no longer launch for the platform in North America and Europe due to “the contents… not complying with Nintendo Guidelines.” Death end re;Quest: Code Z will still be released for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 next year.
AI Limit will launch slightly behind schedule, in March 2025
Post-apocalyptic wasteland sci-fi ARPG AI Limit was shaping up nicely when Matt gave his first impressions of the game earlier this year. Further back, in January, publisher CE-Asia announced the title would launch sometime in 2024. The release date has now been finalized and — as you probably guessed — it won’t hit that initial target. It doesn’t fall too far behind, though, as it will be released in late March 2025.
Set in the distant future, AI Limit follows a woman named Arrisa in a post-apocalyptic world infected by a mysterious substance known as Mud. Monsters have taken over, and the few remaining people struggle to survive. Arrisa is something called a Blader, and can regenerate. She is on a quest to unveil the truth behind the apocalypse and begin a new world. Arrisa goes through countless deaths and rebirths, but that doesn’t mean she’s weak: she’s skilled and often finds opportunities that let her turn the tide and dominate.
Developed by Sense Games and published by CE-Asia, AI Limit will be released for PC via Steam and PlayStation 5 on March 27, 2025.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure launches for Nintendo Switch in late January 2025
I’ve been waiting for this one! Hello Kitty Island Adventure is finally leaving Apple Arcade exclusivity and coming to Nintendo Switch in about six weeks! It was announced for the platform during July 2024’s Nintendo Direct, and it is right on schedule. Set on an open-world island, the game has you meeting Hello Kitty and her Friends, solving puzzles, cooking food, and more. You can customize your avatar and your cabins. It features eight regions, iconic characters, year-round events, and the option to play with multiple people.
The game is available digitally via Nintendo’s eShop, in both standard and deluxe editions. The Deluxe Edition helps you catch up to the Apple Arcade version. It includes the base game and three Deluxe Bundles to start you off with a bang — and you’ll receive Legacy Event items! The Starter Bundle includes 10 Friendship Blossoms, 3 Friendship Bouquets, 10 Island Bouquets, and 50 Strawberry Crates. The Crafting Bundle includes 50 of each Dye colour, 100 sticks, 45 Iron Ore, and 50 Rubber. I’ve saved the best for last, the Event Bundle. It includes over 300 items and rewards from in-game events taking place from 2023-2024. These events include 2023’s Spooky and Give & Gather Celebrations, and 2024’s Luck & Lantern, Hugs & Hearts, Month of Meh, and Under the Sea Celebrations. No FOMO here!
Developed by Sunblink, Hello Kitty Island Adventure will be released for PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch on January 30, 2025. PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 versions are expected to follow.
PQube is bringing K-Pop Idol Stories: Road to Debut to Western territories
K-Pop Idol Stories: Road to Debut is a video game form of love letter to the world of K-Pop. The sim game puts you in the role of a manager for multiple K-Pop talents, and you will manage their schedule, pick their music, and choose their fashion. PQube will publish the game in the West for PC and consoles in 2025.
Learn about your trainees to understand each one’s backstory, personality, and strengths. A “perfect” team will consist of diverse and dynamic singers. It’s up to you to decide what kind of manager you will be. Are you disciplined and straightforward, or caring and compassionate? Plan the idols’ schedules, impacting the team’s growth and the story’s direction. Minigames make you part of the process, whether you’re hitting the right pitch or memorizing dance moves. (I have zero idea why a manager would have to physically participate, but whatever.)
Developed Wisageni Studio and published in the West by PQube, K-Pop Idol Stories: Road to Debut will be released for PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series in 2025.
Superhero workplace comedy game Dispatch has been announced
Dispatch has some big names attached to it. It is developed by the writers and directors of Tales from the Borderlands and The Wolf Among Us, and voice talent includes Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), Laura Bailey (Marvel’s Spider-Man), Alanah Pearce (Cyberpunk 2077), and Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction). But I’m more interested in the concept: Robert Robertson’s AKA Mecha Man) mech-suit is destroyed and he’s forced to take a desk job at the superhero dispatch centre. He is put in charge of rehabilitation for a group of ex-supervillains, and you (as Robert) will manage your roster, navigate office relationships, and rebuild your suit with an end goal of revenge.
Every decision will impact the narrative, whether from break room banter or life-or-death field situations. These choices affect your relationships with the heroes, their allegiances, and the story’s path. Review ongoing emergencies and deploy heroes to deal with them (right or wrong, it’s up to you). Everything you say or do has risks and rewards that can cause lasting consequences.
Developed and published by AdHoc Studio, Dispatch will be released for consoles and PC via Steam in 2025.
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