Ragnarok Odyssey | Review (Vita)

When I fist approached Ragnarok Odyssey, I was expecting a game derivative of Monster Hunter, but with more anime-themed silliness. I was afraid, because as much as I like to admire Monster Hunter from afar, I am super terrible at it and my initial eagerness at the beginning of each game quickly turns to discouraged sadness after the first big dinosaur monster stomps me to death. Much to my chagrin, Ragnarok Odyssey turned out to be much more in line with the likes of Phantasy Star Online with a slight touch of Monster Hunter, which is much more appetizing to me both because PSO was a game in which I was much less terrible.

Orgarhythm | Review (Vita)

Aquire largely has a history in stealthy ninja games, being the creators of Tenchu, Shinobido, and Way of the Samurai. Fans of those games tend to know exactly what they’re going to get when a new game in one of those series drops, and are also usually satisfied with the results, regardless of budgetary limitations. Interestingly, in recent years, Acquire has branched out from their feudal comfort zone, delving into new genres with games like What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord? and Sumioni, the former being an RPG and the latter being a touch screen action game. With Orgarythm, published by XSEED, Acquire has given a defiant middle finger to genre convention, and come up with an auto-scrolling real time strategy music rhythm game. No, I did not just make that up. 

Way of the Samurai 4 | Review (PS3)

 

August 2012 marked the fourth time a North American publisher ventured to give Way of the Samurai another shot. Never much of a success critically or otherwise, the series has managed to hang on through a small, dedicated fanbase and the word of mouth that tends to come with. To give developer Acquire credit where credit is due, they have clearly put forth a lot of effort to make each sequel a more full experience than the last. This time around, Acquire focused largely on streamlining the experience, making it easier to make your way through the myriad options you’re presented with the moment you start the game.

Unchained Blades | Review (PSP)

 

Imagine, if you will, a group of famously talented members of the Japanese gaming industry getting together and collaborating on…a first-person dungeon crawler. Weird, right? But, at the same time, pretty cool? Well, it actually happened, and Unchained Blades is the result. Toshio Akashi (Lunar!) and Takashi Hino (Grandia) teamed up along with a dozen anime and manga artists to create something that revels in tradition, yet at the same time manages to feel unique. Oh, and they got some guy named Nobuo Uematsu to compose the main theme of the game…

XSEED Bringing Unchained Blades to PSP on June 26th; 3DS Version to Follow

XSEED Games announced that previously the unveiled Unchained Blades will hit the PSP as a digital-only release on June 26th, with a price point of 29.99. Later on in the year, a 3DS version of the game will also be released. Unchained Blades is a dungeon crawling RPG with a first person point of view, and it directed by Toshio Akashi, known for the classic Lunar series. It is also being written by Takashi Hino, known for his involvement in the Grandia series.

Ys Origin | Review (PC)

The PSP is gasping for breath on its deathbed, and the Vita hasn’t quite established itself as a vehicle for sales yet. Where can smaller franchises like Ys go that, while storied and popular in their own niche, can’t quite afford to take leaps of faith? The answer is Steam. Our friends over at XSEED Games have finally done what would’ve made sense a while ago and brought the Ys series to a platform in which it has the potential to reach many more gamers. They first tested the waters with the original version of Ys: The Oath in Felghana (Previously released in the form of a PSP port), and have followed that up with Ys Origin, a game that has never seen North American release before.

Sumioni: Demon Arts | Review (VITA)

XSEED Games has been running on a solid, quality localization streak for quite a while now, not only bringing out trustworthy franchise titles (Ys, Lunar, Legend of Heroes) but also a slew of exciting new properties that would have otherwise gone unnoticed by North American gamers (Corpse Party, Retro Game Challenge, Half-Minute Hero). The sad truth that any localization company faces is that eventually, they’re going to get a hold of a dud. Sumioni: Demon Arts, XSEED’s debut PlayStation VITA release, has some neat ideas but ultimately falls directly into that category.

Corpse Party | Review (PSP)

The PSP may be a dying console, with very few game releases in the works for the past few months in order to make way for the Vita, but that doesn’t change the fact that 2011 has seen some of the best and most surprising localizations from companies such as NIS America, Aksys Games, and the heroes of this review, XSEED Games. In fact I’d go as far to say that 2011 has been one of the best years in the history of the PSP to own one, especially if you’re into zany Japanese games of various genres. The game I’m here to rant, and possibly even rave about is, of course, Corpse Party, a game that, as far as the U.S. is concerned, essentially came out of nowhere. Corpse Party (Known in Japan as Corpse Party: Blood Covered – Repeated Fear) is an update of a remake, and interestingly enough, this is the first commercial version of the game.

Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky | Review (PSP)

The XSEED, Falcom, and PSP sexy jRPG love triangle continues with Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, the first game in the third trilogy (Yes, you read that correctly.) of the Legend of Heroes series. I was completely unaware of the existence of this franchise when XSEED gave us a copy, and now that I’ve spent a few weeks with the game, I really feel like I’ve been missing out on something. Trails in the Sky is not without flaws, but this game is just so charming and earnest that I always find myself happily chuckling at something every time I pick it up. In a genre that is bogged down in angst and convoluted melodrama, that really makes Trails in the Sky stand out.

Ys I & II Chronicles | Review (PSP)

Ys is one of those wacky, obscure-in-America-but-popular-in-Japan JRPG franchises that I’ve perpetually intended to try but never have. From what I understand, one of the neat aspects of Ys that sets it apart from most big JRPG series is a somewhat connected continuity in the narratives between each game. Unlike Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, which start from scratch with each entry, Ys games all focus on the adventures of Adol Christin, an armor-clad swordsman with red hair and not much to say. I’m not sure how connected they are beyond a consistent main character, but the idea of following a hero through more than one journey seems like a lot of fun.