In anticipation of the Tokyo Game Show later this month, PlayStation broadcasted a special event called the PlayStation Lineup Tour where they made a number of announcements and gave updates on some anticipated games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. We heard from the Yakuza studio, Square Enix, and even SNK for some very special announcements.
Kingdom Hearts III & VR Experience
With Kingdom Hearts III seemingly around the corner, updates on the game seem to be coming more frequently. The latest KH3 trailer shows Sora and friends crossing paths with Baymax from Big Hero 6, along with a new Keyblade, and a chapter with characters from Tangled. We also get a sneak peek at some of the new Gummi Ships and the combat we can expect in those levels.
In addition to the new trailer, Square Enix also announced Kingdom Hearts: VR Experience for the PlayStation VR. Coming for free this holiday season, the VR experience is a 10-minute interactive video with a collection of highlights from the Kingdom Hearts series. There’s no official date yet for this title.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered
Square Enix announced it’s bringing back the original Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles to the PS4 and Nintendo Switch in 2019 with a remastered edition. It’s Gamecube-era multiplayer action RPG that utilized Game Boy Advance systems to play, and serve as controllers with a second screen you could navigate menus with.
Out of all of the Square Enix RPGs that could have been ported to Switch, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles was at the top of our list. Regardless of the clunky hardware necessities, the co-op fairy tale adventure is an absolute blast to play with friends — and replacing that with internet connectivity only increases the accessibility and give this game the opportunity to shine it deserves.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles spawned a number of sequels after its initial success, and the remaster will be the first time it will appear on a non-Nintendo platform.
Project JUDGE
Completely out of left field, Yakuza studio Ryu Ga Gotoku turned heads with it’s CG trailer for Judge Eyes (Project Judge). The game follows a heavy-handed narrative where you play as a lawyer and investigator solving a series of mysterious murders. Fueled by revenge, truth, and explosions — the story trailer definitely sets the stage for an expansive world.
Sega knows that CG-only trailers don’t do a game justice, so they were generous enough to hand us a gameplay trailer as well. In it, we see a mix of Yakuza-style gameplay with a touch LA Noire investigating. Our protagonist can stealthily follow suspects around, observe their movements, and when confronted — duel it out in over-the-top smooth Yakuza style combat. Quick-time events flesh out chase scenes a bit, but the hand to hand combat is where the game seems to really shine.
Similar to the Hitman series, you can don a variety of disguises to trick NPCs into letting you into their facilities. Once inside, you can look for evidence by breaking into rooms and snapping pictures with your phone. The trailer even showed drones as an option for collecting evidence.
In classic Yakuza fashion, there’s going to be tons to do when you’re not actively working on a mission. You’ll be able to play all sorts of original mini-games from drone piloting to pinball to…whatever the rocket launcher game is.
Project JUDGE will release in 2019 for the PS4.
Samurai Spirits
Fans of 90’s fighting games can rejoice with the announcement of a new entry in the Samurai Showdown series — coming to PS4 in 2019. Utilizing Unreal Engine, Samurai Spirits appears to draw heavily from the graphics in Street Fighter 5. The few seconds of actual gameplay we see in the trailer shows some tight combat, flashy moves, and lots of blood. Samurai Spirits is expected to release in 2019.
The last Samurai Showdown came out in 2008 for the Xbox 360.
Project Prelude Rune
A title most people probably know very little about, Project Prelude Rune is developed by a new Square Enix studio called Studio Istolia — led by Hideo Baba, the former producer for the Tales of series of games.
The teaser trailer doesn’t have much to show, other than a Breath of the Wild style reveal of what the coloring book brought to life looks like. Although we don’t know much, we can expect the game to be a JRPG of some sorts and for it to release on the PS4.
Everybody’s Golf VR
Sony’s foray into golf games is one that has truly stood the tests of time. Formally known as Hot Shots Golf in North America, Everybody’s Golf is a 20-year-old series with seven main entries under its belt — the most recent being the 2017 PS4 title that won best sports game from one of our writers last year.
The newest entry is a fully immersive VR experience that sees the series shift into first-person. The game allows players to use their PS Move or regular Dualshock 4 controller as a golf club. Everybody’s Golf VR is slated for release sometime in 2019.
Déraciné
While FromSoftware may be busy slashing away at Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, they still have enough resources to collaborate with Studio Japan to create an exclusive PSVR experience. Announced at E3 2018, Déraciné is a narrative-driven game that mixes an eery old-film aesthetic with a somber, melancholy soundtrack. Players take control of a spirit summoned by a young girl in a boarding school and must build bonds with the students in order to prove its existence.
The release date trailer shows some new shots of the inside of the boarding school and teases the story a bit through the words of one of the girls. Déraciné will be available on November 6, 2018, for digital download, or exclusively at GameStop for a physical copy.
Project Awakening
CyGames is a studio that may not be on your immediate radar. Developers of primarily mobile games like Shadowverse and the upcoming Nintendo published Dragalia Lost, CyGames doesn’t have a ton of experience developing for consoles — other than Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner HD Remake for PS4 and Steam.
That’s not to say that Project Awakening shouldn’t be on your radar. The PlayStation Lineup Tour video shows some impressively tight gameplay that looks to rival Monster Hunter. The beast in the trailer doesn’t hold back any punches, traversing around the landscape with ease and bashing you into walls like a fly. The combat seems to emulate that of Monster Hunter with a bit of a faster pace.
There isn’t much to say about Project Awakening yet, but it is in development for the PS4 and will release in Japan and the U.S.
Gungrave G.O.R.E
Gungrave VR hits PS4 quickly next month, but the cult-classic series is getting a core entry to the series next year in Japan as Gungrave G.O.R.E. Not much is shown in the teaser trailer other than our revered gunslinger, but in a previous interview, the developers stated that Gungrave VR is a prequel for G.O.R.E.
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There was so much more to show at the PlayStation Tour Lineup, including new trailers for Left Alive, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and a number of PSVR games like Kill X and Deemo. Expect even more gameplay trailers, updates, and surprises at Tokyo Game Show September 20th through the 23rd.
Published: Sep 10, 2018 10:43 am