Power up

[Green Gibbon!]

http://www.ninokuni.jp

I've had my eye on this since it was first announced, like, 3 years ago. It's so low-profile, though, I always forget about it and just as soon as I do, some other small announcement or batch of screenshots is released and I'm all like, "Oh yeah, when is that coming out?" It's like finding a bag of gummi bears that you forgot you bought in the back of your cabinet.

So anyway, now it's apparently coming to PS3. Which is great, because it way too awesome to be crammed into a 2-inch screen (or a pair of 2-inch screens). I wonder if the PS3 version is an enhanced port or if it's a different game entirely?

[CM August]

I'm somewhat ashamed that the title immediately brought to mind Altered Beast.

RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE

[Dr. BUGMAN]

Supposedly they're complementary games.

[Green Gibbon!]

Complementary in what sense, I wonder?

[Dr. BUGMAN]

14:49 -- Level 5 will try to make the two versions different games in the same world so players can enjoy both.

14:48 -- It will get its own version of the Magic Master book.

14:48 -- 2011 release date for the PS3 version.

14:47 -- Are these different games?

14:47 -- The PS3 version seems to have a different subtitle.

http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/0 ... live_blog/

I'm sure both will be enjoyable on their own merits, though.

[Esrever]

The 2D cutscenes look gorgeous -- I mean, of COURSE they do -- but I'm really disappointed the rest of the game is in 3D. Even in the DS version (which has 2D painted backgrounds), the characters are all 3D models. Talk about a missed opportunity! Level 5 partners with one of the greatest traditional animation studios in history to... make a game that looks disturbingly like Eternal Sonata!

[Green Gibbon!]

I dunno, I think it looks pretty good. Maybe I'm just thrilled to see a new RPG that doesn't look like it was scraped off the floor of a gay rave, but it certainly doesn't look as overtly saccharine as Trusty Bell. The first thing that came to my mind was Dark Chronicle, which is definitely a good thing.

The DS version would definitely benefit from some hand-drawn character sprites, though. I don't think I've ever played a game (ever) that managed to stitch 3D models and 2D backdrops together in a believable (or aesthetically pleasing) way. Sadly, we've reached a time when hand-drawn sprites are so rare, they're a goddamn selling point.

[Segaholic2]

I'm not sure what to think. I kind of watched the first trailer (my attention was partially diverted) and the gameplay looked kind of similar to White Knight Chronicles to me, which was so boring to me. So, so boring.