North American game publisher XSEED Games have been known for publishing and localising many JRPGs in the past, such as Corpse Party for the PlayStation Portble and The Last Story for the Wii. Just recently, they have announced their publishing lineup for 2013, and boy there are many big games on the horizon.
Here is XSEED’s lineup for 2013.
Killer is Dead
Created by Suda51 (Goichi Suda) and his team at Grasshopper Manufacture, Killer is Dead is his next wacky video game, after Lollipop Chainsaw that released last year. The game iss et in a not-so-distant future similar to our own world, the game puts players in control of an executioner named Mondo Zappa, who executes criminals around the world with a Japanese sword in his right hand and an artificial left arm with changing weapons.
Multiple screenshots have been revealed and shows that the game has a stylised design, like most of Suda51’s previous games. XSEED will be publishing the game in North America, while in Europe and Oceania the game will be published by Deep Silver Games. Killer is Dead will release in summer this year on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
Pandora’s Tower
The long awaited North American localisation of one of the Wii’s finest JRPGs will finally be releasing this year. Pandora’s Towers released in Japan back in March 2011 and in April 2012 in European countries. Developed by Ganbarion, the game takes the classic fairytale theme of a maiden in distress, and has the hero is tasked with slaying over a dozen giant monsters and collecting their flesh in order to free his beloved from an evil curse.
The game is one of the anticipated games on the Wii and was part of Operation Rainfall, an operation launched by North American Wii gamers to pressure Nintendo of America to localise three major RPGs, Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and Pandora’s Tower.Since then multiple other operations started. The game will release in North America on the Wii in spring this year.
Rune Factory 4
Releasing for the Nintendo 3DS is the sixth entry in the Rune Factory series. Rune Factory 4 will be the first in the series to release on the 3DS and has many new additions and features. The game 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. Like in previous games, it is more of a focus on gathering monsters and taming then, similar to Harvest Moon. Rune Factory 4 will release on the Nintendo 3DS in 2013.
Valhalla Knights 3
Valhalla Knights 3 is the fourth game in the series, after Valhalla Knights 2: Battle Stance, and will release for the PlayStation Vita. The Action RPG features a robust character creation system and host a massive 7 party combat system on the 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 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. Valhalla Knights 3 will also include multiplayer which will pit 7 on 7 party battles, in a hectic action RPG environment. XSEED will be publishing the game and releasing it on the Vita in fall this year.
Ys: Memories of Celceta
The Ys series is one of the largest RPG series there is, releasing on a large selection of platforms, and now it is coming to the Vita. Ys: Memories of Celceta is a sequel to Ys IV and will be developed by Nihon Falcom, the original developers of the games. The game will feature 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. The game released in September last year for Japan. Ys: Memories of Celceta will be published by XSEED Games and release sometime this year on the PlayStation Vita.
Ys I & II Chronicles+
Ys I & II Chronicles+ is a enhanced remake of the first two Ys games on the PC. 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.
The game will be for PC only and can be bought through the online distribution service, Steam. You can even pre-order the game now for a 15% discount. The game will have full support for Steam achievements and Cloud Saving, and will include a selection of options and settings that are standard in modern PC games. Ys I & II Chronicles+ will be published by XSEED Games and release on Steam later this year.
