Bandai Namco is pushing its Venus & Braves RPG development team hard at the moment to get its latest Wii role-playing game completed as soon as possible and the latest screenshots that have been made available just go to show exactly how much progress has been made on at least the visual aesthetics of the title so far.

Various new screenshots have appeared via the game?s official Japanese blog and show just how far the game has come since its original unveiling late last year when most thought it looked very rough around the edges. Check out the new screenshots below:

According to IGN?s Wii channel, the game transitions seamlessly into battle as players are pitted against all varieties of creatures, including some who move in groups. During the heat of battle, players will have to keep making use of the Nunchuk in order to keep the protagonist moving around, whilst the buttons of the Wii Remote will act as means for performing attack maneouvres, with weapons being selected depending on the enemy currently being faced. Further into the game, the main character, Seto, will meet at least three other characters: Ren, Sai and Kuro. Ren is the white-haired girl who is the subject of Seto?s search, whilst Sai is another female character who crosses paths with Seto half-way through the adventure. Finally there is Kuro, a boy who is on a mission, just like Seto, attempting to search through this world of ruins for something dear to him. Kuro?s search is centered in the Tokyo Tower area as he attempts to find the location depicted in a picture that he believes will lead him to the revelation of he forgotten past.

With Fragile due for a 2008 release in Japan, more details are expected at this year?s Tokyo Games Show in September and with any luck there will also be news of a Western release?

Source: Nintendic

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I found this image while browsing on the net and thought that because we only recently posted about the Chrono Trigger DS Port that was announced that it would be a good idea to post this. I am not a translator but it shows a page of images and text on the Chrono Trigger DS Port currently under way.

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The Italian based company Kiki Technology has planned to develop an ambitious RPG designed specifically for the iPhone. The RPG will be created with a traditional 2D RPG look, featuring more than 100 hours of gameplay and once players complete the game in solo mode, multiplayer mode will be unlocked, which will transition the player into the MMORPG aspect of PanfobiA.

PanfobiA is not the only game with MMORPG in mind, Aurora Feint, the puzzle based RPG also has plans to expand their world into the MMORPG realm. MMORPGs on mobile handsets does sound a bit crazy, but there are some promising aspects to it.

The problem with MMOs on the desktop is you can only play it when you are at home and carrying around a laptop isn?t always easy and Internet connectivity is hard to come by when traveling.

An iPhone MMO game on the other hand could be accessed practically any where there is a wireless signal, and the iPhone?s size being so compact you?d always have it with you.

Although that does sound great, the one major downfall is battery life, everyone knows MMO’s are notorious time sinks, and the fact that games in general are the most hardware intensive applications you can run on the iPhone. Based on those two points, it?s hard to imagine a full MMO experience on the iPhone unless you plan on being tethered to a power outlet.

It?s good to see developers aiming high, the iPhone was meant for greater games than just puzzle and card games.

Source: OSX Reality

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Thats right, I could hardly believe it when I first heard it too.
Apparently Square Enix are making a DS port of the SNES classic, Chrono Trigger. I heard it will be a direct port with all the same characters and story, but just with added functionality to take advantage of the Nintendo DS features.

Now this is got to be now on my top 10 list of games I am looking forward to.

We will bring you latest news on this as we get it.

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The official site for Sega’s forthcoming RPG on the DS features some
gorgeous music, stunning character art, and a series of CG movies that have me immediately hoping for a western release.

The big budget role-player has been created by Image Epoch, the
developer, made up from members of the team that created classic RPG
Xenogears. It’s well worth a look if you’re interested in the genre, and
you can join me in crossing your fingers that Sega decides it’s worth
localizing. It’s out in Japan on September 25th.

Source: WiiWii Tv

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Square-Enix’s Infinite Undiscovery kicks off a quartet of games coming
from the famed RPG developer. Coming in September, Infinite Undiscovery
mixes modern touches, such as real-time combat, with some classic
elements. One of these classic elements is locking out content to gamers
who play on lower difficulties. Play on easy and you will be warned that
some content will not be a part of your experience. Choose normal and
you will see “most” content. That means there are some bonuses for
playing Infinite Discovery on hard, a concept that was quite the norm
back in the ’80s.

You play as Capell, a member of the Liberation Force. The game begins
with you escaping through the dungeon of a castle. Early on you meet
your first companion, Aya. You don’t get to play as Aya (or any of your
party members), but instead must rely on the AI to accurately back your
play in combat.

You can offer some guidance to Aya. Hit the right bumper and you bring
up the connect menu. From here you can direct a character to use
specific “connect actions” in combat. For Aya, that means long-ranged
attacks such as the Ravaging Raptor and the Peacock Plume. While Capell
is moving in for melee attacks, Aya will assist as instructed.

Combat is fairly simple. It’s light and heavy attacks which can lead to
some brilliant animations in the proper combination. Some of the
finishes are truly impressive. What’s not so impressive at this stage is
the framerate, which dips when more than two enemies are on screen.
Square-Enix has time to smooth this out, which will need to happen for
gamers to truly enjoy the real-time combat.

Along with a sword and some slick combat moves, Capell has a flute at
his disposal. Over the course of the game, you will learn new tunes,
which will act like spells. It’s unknown how many tunes you can learn or
if there is any sort of upgrade system for the flute.

Inventory management appears to be an important element of gameplay.
That’s going to make things tough, since the inventory screen opens in
real time. So if you are in the midst of a heated battle, you’re going
to get worked pretty hard going through the menu system. So prep before
you hit combat.

In the demo, which shows off the start of Infinite Undiscovery, you and
Aya must make your way up a series of stairs while a massive red ogre
(with blue tribal tattoos no less), charges after you. Along with a
number of guards attempting to block your progress, there are wooden
barriers closing off the stairs that need to be destroyed. The ogre will
charge from behind, but will also climb up the sides of the stairwell to
get at you.

Eventually, you and Aya are cornered. You have no choice but to battle
the ogre and remaining guards. Fortunately, someone lined the walls with
explosive barrels. Have Aya take them out with her bow and you can do
some serious damage to the ogre without getting smashed.

RPGs are always difficult to judge at a show like E3. Ten minutes of
play doesn’t give a very good sense to the game world or even the RPG
elements. The combat, while simple, is fun. The production value seems
to have the same quality Square-Enix gives to every title. Expect some
gorgeous CG cut-scenes and a heavy dose of story. So, in other words, it
will probably be awesome.

But without having more significant time with Infinite Undiscovery, it’s
hard to say for certain that Square-Enix will deliver. Let’s hope so.

Source: IGN

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“Thank god!” Is all I have to say about this, one less RPG to make me
want to buy a 360.
Namco Bandai will grace PS3 owners with Trusty Bell this Fall.
Originally released on the 360 last year, the PS3 verison of the game
thankfully won’t be just a port of that. The PS3 verison will feature
new playable characters, bonus dungeons, new outfits, extra cutscenes
and new multiple endings.

As it stands 360 has a few more exclusives(Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope,
Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, Tales Of Vesperia) I wanna play, but here’s
hopin’ some of them go multiplatform(namely Tales Of Vesperia)

Source: RPG
Lamer

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BioWare has unveiled details of their next massive RPG, at least one
that is not Mass Effect 2, and the team is going back to the old
Baldur?s Gate days with Dragon Age: Origins. The game will contain all
of the mature and complex storytelling BioWare has become known for and
add that into the classically fantasy driven world.

?Dragon Age: Origins is a dark heroic fantasy that doesn?t pull any
punches. Our fans are in for the most emotionally intense gaming
experience we?ve ever created, and we hope to surprise them with just
how dark and gritty it gets,? said Ray Muzyka, co-General Manager and
CEO of BioWare and VP of Electronic Arts.

Here?s some of what you can expect from Dragon Age: Origins. Combat will
scale dependin on the size of your party. A large party can combine
their powers to take down massive enemies, or an invading army of
sprites. Yes, I think there should be more sprites in video games. Magic
spells can be combined to create epic combos. Of course, this is a
BioWare RPG so your characer will have a multitude of areas to level up
and improve in. Just like in Mass Effect you choose your character?s
backstory and the world sees you in that way.

Dragon Age: Origins is scheduled to release on PC in early 2009.

Source: Cinema
Blend

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While not mentioned during the company’s annual E3 media briefing in Los
Angeles, EA Mobile did make a surprising announcement in the form of
Wolfenstein RPG for mobile.

The series, which is known as being the original first-person shooter
ever created, is making the leap into role-playing this November in
North America under the direction of id Software.

You’re cast in the role of BJ Blazkowicz, leader of a special forces
outfit that has been tasked with assaulting Castle Wolfenstein. In the
mission to shut down the Nazi Paranormal Division, you’ll encounter 32
different enemies across nine levels of first-person RPG goodness.

Along with the main campaign, id Software promises two mini-games as a
bonus. We’ll keep you up to date on this as news becomes available.

Source: Pocket
Gamer

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More out of the blue totally-didn’t-see-that-one-comin’ news from the sidelines at E3 this afternoon is that Square Enix’s long-awaited Final Fantasy 13 will no longer be PlayStation 3 exclusive. Yep, you read that right, it’s July 14th (not April 1st), and I’m fresh out of hyperbole: Xbox 360 fans are getting Final Fantasy XIII.

Will wonders never cease.

According to Shacknews and others, who caught the story during this morning’s Microsoft’s E3 press briefing, the title’s coming to Xbox 360 at some undisclosed future point:

“Available on Xbox 360 at launch in North America and Europe,” said Square Enix. “We believe that bringing the game to Xbox 360 will allow us to provide a game to even more fans in North America and Europe.”

Good on Square Enix. I mean hey, with all respect to the relationship Sony’s cultivated with Square Enix since last century’s Nintendo huff-and-puff, the PS3’s install base plus the Xbox 360’s currently six-million-larger install base don’t exactly add up to chump change, y’know?

Also: Does this imply anything wobbly about Square Enix’s confidence in the PS3’s salability? Neither company would ever come right out and say directly, but it sure looks that way.

Update: The latest story coming out of Square Enix’s press conference today is that the game will only see its way to Xbox 360s on U.S. shores, which makes a certain amount of sense when you consider Microsoft’s failure to secure even half a beachhead in Japan. (It’s
also a surefire way to ensure that situation doesn’t change.)

Also: Final Fantasy Versus XIII, an action-RPG entree in Square Enix’s polymorphous “Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII
Compilation,” remains 100% PS3-exclusive.

Source: PC World

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