Wikipedia says that Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars is a "role-playing game with turn-based battles." Yawn. If you went by that description alone, you'd surely pass on playing yet another turn-based JRPG. Lucky for me, I snuck a peek at Atlus's recent press release about the game, and not only do you get to partake in battles - you also get to flirt with pretty girls until they like you enough to help "gather energy" and "create" powerful warriors called Star Children. Making babies to save the world is undoubtedly a unique concept.
I can't remember the last time I was outright speechless after a Nintendo Direct, but this is definitely one of those times. Excuse me while I gather myself..... wait, what?! In a twist that nobody could have predicted but is definitely awesome all the same, Nintendo announced earlier today that a game tentatively titled Hyrule Warriors exists. It's a Zelda game, but it's also not. I was nervous at first too.
I remember when I was younger, I played Star Wars: Republic Commando, and to me the coolest thing about it was where it took place in the Star Wars chronology. Set between the second and third prequel film, the game put you in the shoes of an elite team of Clone troopers known as Delta Squad, tasked with important missions and exposing for the first time what boots on the ground as a clone actually feels like. It was pretty awesome, and as Star Wars nut I was all over it. Though not as big a Lord of the Rings fan as I am Star Wars lover, I've since come to acknowledge Peter Jackson's opuses from the early 2000s as the better films.
Gran Turismo 6 is an exceedingly frustrating masterpiece, if there ever was such a thing. Though the staples of the series remain (mainly unparalleled and exceptional controls, and at-times gorgeous visuals), problems that have persisted since the early days have far overstayed their welcome by the series' sixth incarnation. Turismo die-hards have no-doubt already bought this, but if you're new to racing, you'd be wise to consider all of your options first. If you do opt for GT6, though, you'll likely have a wonderful time.
If you haven't heard of the Atelier series, there are very few who would fault you - it's undoubtedly more of a thing in Japan than it is here. That said, the now almost 17 year-old JRPG franchise has quite the storied history, spanning many years and 7 different systems. The newest entry, Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky, has been out in Japan since June, but will finally be arriving stateside this Spring. To celebrate, Tecmo Koei has made the game's opening movie available online, and more importantly, opened up preorders for those who feel the need to put down $5 before March. Hey, you never know - this thing could be flying off the shelves come Spring! Shelves? More like digital shelves. Zing! (I say "zing" after compliments.)
Gamers, rejoice! I know it took many months, if not years to recover from Elijah Wood's tragic exit from gaming as we know it - what, you didn't know? This is the man who hosted 2005's timeless, classic gaming program, MTV Presents: The Next Generation Xbox Revealed. Mixing Frodo with Kameo: Elements of Power was essentially my wildest, sexiest dream brought to life, and since that day nothing in the entire industry has ever really excited me. That is, until now. Elijah Wood. Is back. And he's voice acting for Double Fine's Broken Age.
Remember Microsoft's massive $1 billion injection of capital into Xbox One development? You know, the effort that will result in 15 Xbox One exclusives in the console's first year? As if that goal isn't challenging enough, Microsoft has revealed that its recently-established development studio in Victoria, British Columbia will be closing its doors.
For those wanting nothing to do with the 2DS's plasticky, chunky, and decidedly Fisher Price-y look and feel, it may be hard to imagine the system as anything more than a cheaply-made Mario and Pokemon peddler. Nintendo, meanwhile, takes no issue openly admitting that fact, and continues to do so with today's 2DS-centric announcements. According to Big N, Pokemon X and Y 2DS bundles are coming to the US, and will be widely available December 6th. That's just two days from now!
If world immersion is your biggest sticking point when gaming, oftentimes a good MMORPG can be the best possible stopgap - and one that you may find yourself playing for months and even years after an initial purchase. Before Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, I hadn't been properly hooked on an MMO since trying World of Warcraft nearly eight years ago, and despite my love for Square Enix's latest I never could get it to run all that well on my antiquated not-even-gaming laptop. Sure there's the PS3 version, but why buy that amidst rumors of a superior PS4 entry just around the bend? Lucky for me (and thousands of others, no doubt), Square Enix has revealed that the successfully revived MMO will hit the PlayStation 4 this April, with a beta beginning February 22nd.
If we want to kill cable in the traditional sense, we're going to need more original, exclusive programming ala Netflix's House of Cards and Hulu's The Wrong Mans. Even Amazon has hopped on the original content bandwagon with its political comedy Alpha House. Not one to be left in the dust, it appears Sony will be taking a similar tactic in the near future with something called PlayStation productions.
