In their continuing mission to act as publisher for every possible Japanese video game that at least one person in North America wants to play, XSEED Games has announced that Killer is Dead is far from the only title that they are bringing to the West in 2013.
First up on XSEED’s lineup is the release of Ys I & II Chronicles+ for Windows PCs sometime this month. Far from simple ports of the first two games, these will be “enhanced remakes” of the classic games that also mark the franchises’ first appearance on Steam.
Next up XSEED plans to fulfill the wishes of every Wii owner who signed on for Operation Rainfall, and bring Pandora’s Tower to North America. The company didn’t reveal exactly how widespread the release for the localized Wii game will be, but it is set to launch on March 26, 2013 for $39.99.
The fan favorite simulation/role-playing game Rune Factory 4 is set to release for the Nintendo 3DS sometime this Summer, presumably around the time of Killer is Dead‘s launch. This game has players become Selphia’s “prince or princess” as they grow their village, explore the countryside, cook, farm, and explore the new romance options.
Fall will bring the RPG Valhalla Kinghts 3 and Ys: Memories of Celceta to PlayStation Vita owners. Memories of Celceta‘s release is particularly exciting because it will be the first time that the reimagining of Ys IV will be launched for Western audiences.
XSEED Games is quickly becoming the go to source for Western gamers with a taste for Japanese games that otherwise would not have been localized. Hopefully the niche focus will pay off for them, because there are not many companies willing to take such risks.
We will keep an eye out for the exact release dates for all of XSEED‘s titles and let you know as soon as they are announced.
Full press release below:
XSEED Games Rings in the New Year with Stellar 2013 Lineup Including KILLER IS DEAD from SUDA51
A roster of hand-selected new Japanese-developed titles coming to fans across multiple platforms, including PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Vita and Windows PC
Torrance, Calif., (January 31, 2013) – XSEED Games, an independent-minded publisher, is celebrating the new year by announcing a robust lineup of action and RPG titles scheduled for North American release in 2013. Among the titles XSEED Games has revealed it will be publishing is the upcoming action thriller, KILLER IS DEAD™. Developed jointly by KADOKAWA GAMES and esteemed game creator, Goichi Suda (aka SUDA51), and his GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE studio, KILLER IS DEAD will be available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Other titles confirmed for release in 2013 include a host of handheld titles, such as the RPG adventure title Rune Factory 4 for the Nintendo 3DS™ hand-held system, as well as Ys: Memories of Celceta and Valhalla Knights 3 for the PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system. The company will also be releasing Ys I&II Chronicles+ on Windows® PC via Steam.
“XSEED is ringing in the New Year by sharing a glimpse of our upcoming lineup of great titles for 2013, including the exciting partnership for KILLER IS DEAD, the newest creation from KADOKAWA GAMES and SUDA51, which I personally selected to bring to the US market,” said Shinichi Suzuki, President and CEO of XSEED Games. “In the coming year, we will release an array of solid action and role-playing games that are sure to delight fans through a combination of high quality gameplay and well-crafted localization.”
The full lineup of XSEED Games titles includes:
KILLER IS DEAD
PS3™/Xbox 360®, Summer 2013 – Created by game legend SUDA51, this highly anticipated original game is set in a not-so-distant future similar to (but not the same as) the world we know now. The player takes control of an executioner named Mondo Zappa who wields a Japanese sword in his right hand and brandishes interchangeable weapons in his left artificial arm. His ultimate goal is to execute various heinous criminals scattered around the world and beyond.
Completely unique visuals and outstanding stylish action come together to deliver an unprecedented gaming experience in KILLER IS DEAD. This brand-new action title is being jointly developed by KADOKAWA GAMES and GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE, with SUDA51 lending his trademark sense of style at the helm. Deep Silver, the games label of Koch Media, will bring the title to the countries of Europe and Oceania.
Rune Factory 4
Nintendo 3DS, Summer 2013 – The first game in the Rune Factory simulation/role-playing series to be released on the Nintendo 3DS, Rune Factory 4 adds new romance options, the ability to select a male or female character at the game’s start, and has endless crafting, farming and cooking opportunities. The player becomes Selphia’s prince or princess and can manage the village, explore the countryside with townsfolk, or tame monsters in the wild to aid them in battle or help out in the fields.
Valhalla Knights 3
PS Vita, Fall 2013 – The fourth title published by XSEED Games in the popular Valhalla Knights action RPG series, Valhalla Knights 3 features a robust character creation system and brings intense seven-on-seven party-based combat to the PS Vita. Players can select from one of seven races and one of twenty job classes such as Fighter, Mage, Thief, Priest, Akatoki or Archer, while also equipping two sub-jobs. Players can adventure with a party of their own making or brave the wilds alone and seamlessly engage in real-time combat to earn skill points for upgrading and unlocking abilities unique to each job class.
Ys: Memories of Celceta
PS Vita, Fall 2013 – An extensive reimagining of (and pseudo-sequel to) Ys IV, one of the only Ys games never before released in the west, this title puts more enemies on screen than ever before and features the largest, most non-linear overworld in Ys history, boasting superlative graphics and a triumphant evolution of the fast-paced gameplay that has made this series a timeless action RPG mainstay. As the game opens, long-time protagonist Adol Christin finds himself alone, dazed and confused in a strange land, and must piece together his memories of how he got here and why, all the while struggling to determine whom he can trust.
Ys I & II Chronicles+
Windows PC (Steam), February – XSEED Games has delighted RPG fans for years by publishing multiple Ys titles from legendary RPG developer Nihon Falcom for handheld platforms and Windows PC, and now Ys fans can celebrate once more as an enhanced remake of the classic first two games in the Ys franchise comes to Steam for the first time. Including both Ancient Ys Vanished: Omen and Ancient Ys Vanished: The Final Chapter, this action RPG tells of red-haired swordsman Adol Christin’s inaugural adventure to defeat the evil forces blighting the isle of Esteria and uncover the mysteries of the eponymous lost land of Ys.
“This will be an amazing year for us,” said Ken Berry, Executive Vice President of XSEED Games. “Our portfolio continues to expand and it’s evident by this stellar lineup of titles, so we’re excited to share more details and hear what our fans are most looking forward to playing in the coming year.”
Additionally, XSEED Games recently announced that the company will be publishing the highly anticipated action RPG title, Pandora’s Tower, on Wii™ this spring. More information on each of the upcoming products will be announced in the coming weeks and months. For more information on XSEED Games products, visit www.xseedgames.com. Fans can also follow XSEED Games on Facebook at www.facebook.com/XSEEDGames and Twitter at www.twitter.com/XSEEDGames.
