The Release List 04.15.09: Dokapon Journey, The Dark Spire, Air Conflicts, the Final Fantasy XIII Demo, and Demigod
Posted by Tommy Coloma on 04.15.2009
The DS gets a dungeon crawler for those who are old enough to remember Wizardry and The Bard's Tale as well as board game/RPG that rewards players for screwing their friends over, PS3 owners get to try out the Final Fantasy XIII demo, and the PC sees a Defense of the Ancients-inspired title.
It's yet another slow week thanks to the fact that Black Sigil and C.O.R.E. have been pushed back to May 12. Or is it?
This week's highlightsNote: Release dates are subject to change.
Dokapon Journey (DS) Dokapon Journey can best be described as an RPG with board game elements. Or maybe "RPG with Mario Party-like elements" would be a better fit. Instead of dice, players make use of a spinner to decide how many spaces they can move. You can land on tiles which represent stores, towns, items, exits, etc. Blank tiles contain enemies that must be fought. Many of the things that you have to do after landing on a tile require you to take part in a rock-paper-scissorsish "battle" to gain the upper hand. But don't let that scare you away - there is some skill involved there.
As with Dokapon Kingdom for the PS2 (for which, according to the official site, this is not a port of), the board game elements as well as the ability to absolutely screw your opponents over and humiliate them is more fun with other people than the computer. Thankfully, there is a single-card multi-player option. If you like board games, RPGS, and messing with people, this is the game for you.
the "Debut" trailer
The Dark Spire (DS)
Those who like classic Western dungeon crawlers have yet another game to look forward to in The Dark Spire. A party to build up? Check. Hallways filled with traps, monsters, and unknown objects? Check. Lots of grinding? Check. The possibility of getting completely wiped out in one fight? Ummm... Check!
Obviously, Wizardry and The Bard's Tale fans will want to take a look at this title. Those who liked Etrian Odyssey might find enjoyment here as well. Oh, did I mention that there's an old-school wireframe mode? Yeah, this is definitely a niche title, but if you're into games of this type or want to see what people saw in them back then, The Dark Spire is probably one of the better representatives of the genre you'll find these days.
the Dark Spire trailer
Air Conflicts: Aces of World War II (PSP)
This was apparently released last week, but since there aren't too many other releases that I wanted to talk about this week, I figured that I might as well give it some attention. Plus, there aren't really any good plane combat games like this on the PSP save for maybe Ace Combat X and Snoopy vs. the Red Baron, so it offers a nice change of pace from all the RPG remakes we've been seeing lately.
In Air Conflicts you can choose to fly for either the US, England, USSR, or Germany. You are given different missions which range from air support, to bombing, to taking out specific enemies. There are 240 missions so the game should last for a little while, especially if you only play a few missions here and there. Also, since you do more than just destroy every enemy in sight, there is at least some variety in your objectives.
Consumer alert: I've heard that there are long load times and that the aiming reticule can be hard to follow. You might want to wait for reviews to see whether or not these significantly affect the experience.
the Air Conflicts "Launch" trailer
Final Fantasy XIII Demo + Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete (Blu-ray Import) Advent Children Complete is already scheduled to be released in the US in June. However, it is very doubtful that we will get the privilege of trying out the FFXIII demo in English at that time. So, getting the demo along with this movie is pretty much the only way you'll be able to get some hands-on with the game until 2010 at the earliest. Of course, the demo is not in English, but you can be sure that there will be walkthroughs soon enough. As for the movie - we are actually in the same region as Japan as far as Blu-ray movies are concerned, so you should be able to watch it on your PS3. I'm not sure if there is an English audio track though, so proceed with caution.
the "Ruins of Midgar" trailer
Demigod (PC) Demigod is a full game inspired by the Defense of the Ancients custom map for Warcraft III. Essentially, it's a team-based RTS with role-playing elements. Your ultimate goal is to destroy the enemy's citadel on the other side of the map. In order to do that, your team must make itself powerful enough to break through the other team's defenses. This is done by taking over key capture points that are scattered throughout the world to give your team access to better options, items, and units. In addition, experience is gained by destroying the endless hordes of enemies that appear from the enemy's territory.
Depending on which Demigod you choose, you'll either be an assassin or a general. If you pick an assassin, you are put in control of only one unit, so your goal is to make your character as powerful as possible so that you can do things like defend, gain capture points, or directly attack the enemy's citadel. If you choose to be a general, you can play the game more like an RTS by taking control of the units you make. There are advantages and disadvantages for both and, consequently, the way you approach things in the game must change accordingly. With four assassins and four generals with different abilities to choose from, there should be enough variety to keep online play from getting stale (at least until people figure out which characters are easily exploitable).
Defense of the Ancients is still a very popular download even after all these years, so I'm sure that a lot of gamers are eying Demigod, if only to see how well it stacks up. Unfortunately, League of Legends: Clash of Fates, the spiritual successor to DotA, is scheduled for release later this year, so there isn't much time for Demigod to establish itself amongst avid DotA fans. But it's new and slightly more accessible (it being a stand-alone release and all), so it has gotten people to pay attention to games of this type. It at least got me to pay attention...
a developer walkthrough
The other US releases City of Heroes: Architect Edition (PC)
Cryostasis: The Sleep of Reason (PC)
Escape The Museum (Wii)
Guitar Hero: Metallica (PS2)
Samurai Shodown Anthology (Wii)
Still Life 2 (PC)
