News Dump - All This Pre-E3 Info

I know there's a whole lot of stuff swirling about that I haven't covered (I'm literally staring at a post-it note with eight bullet points as I type this) and that's simply because, well, E3 time is an adjustment.  Most of the time, you have to get used to scratching at news sites here and there for something, anything palatable enough to spread out over a few paragraphs to have something that you've written out that you're happy with.  But when E3 rolls around, there's just a smorgasbord of topics that you can pick and choose from and the first instinct is to cover all of them as Chance has been doing.  Unfortunately, I just...can't really do that.  I don't have it in me to cast that wide a net and update that many times, because it would take a lot of time and it would set a bar that I know I can't uphold for 99% of the year.  Regardless, assuming that I can find enough topics that I'm not -super- long-winded about, I can bring them up in a News Dump and hit a lot of points at once.  Which is clearly what the intent is here tonight.

First up is the news that the Vita will see a dedicated Youtube App at the end of June which is friggin' music to my ears.  If you spend the minute reading that post, you'll see about two sentences of information followed by a lot of Vita talking-up which is fine by me, since, as you can figure, there's not a whole lot that needs to be said about it.  It's Youtube.  On your Vita.  One of the bits of information states that it'll be the whole 'Youtube experience' straight through your account right there on the Vita which is fine enough, better even, than I would've wanted.  Just something that would've let me watch videos without any other fluff would've been fine enough, but I understand how there has to be the whole account thing everywhere regardless of anything.  However, it does make things a little bit easier if you're allowed to access your playlists of all sorts.

In fact, this alone can finally validate the entire "Watch Later" Playlist function of YouTube that I've never had occasion to use before now.  I know that I'll primarily use the App to keep up on my Let's Plays without relying on the computer so that I can then use that computer time more productively, so I welcome this eagerly and think it can't really come out fast enough.  On top of that, think of all the K-Pop I can discover through Youtube now.  Just think of it all.  And to think, I was considering checking out that Music Unlimited service for it.  Glad I dodged that bullet, huh?  But no, seriously, I can't wait to bring Youtube into my life in a more convenient way, considering the service itself is pretty convenient, if a bit unreliable in my experience.

Something funny to consider for a moment before the realization and full impact of it all hits you and you become blinded with rage is the fact that, until that post, pretty much every Vita specific post (and some ones that weren't) were basically demanding a specific Youtube App.  Or at least some way to support video play on the Web Browser or -something-.  Finally, it gets announced, and a new little nuance appears:  The fact that the description for the App (in all two sentences it's actually talked about) doesn't mention that you can take/upload video to youtube leaves people wondering if you can do that.  And specifically saying that the App will be terrible if it doesn't do that.  Sigh.  It just goes to show that some people, in fact, are never ever happy.

In other news, an Italian games retail site by the name of 16 Games seems to think that Hitman: Blood Money will be packed with two other games for an HD Collection.  I guess the proper way to say that is just to say that there appears to be three Hitman games getting the HD Upscale Bundle treatment, but I (and I imagine a few others) really only care about the Blood Money portion of the game, where Hitman 2 and Contracts seem....well, not like bonuses, but let's just go with extra.  Yes, 'extra' games along with Hitman:  Blood Money HD (which, well, it kind of already was HD because it came out on 360 but details) for the equivalent of $40, roughly.  (About $37 if you want to be real technical about it)  That's pretty much the standard for three game collections, and I'm pretty sure that I might be more than happy to pay that much money for another chance to play Blood Money, and with trophies to boot.

Curiously, the site only lists a spot for Playstation 3, which I suppose would make sense given that, as it is, it's a full upscale Collection, whereas on the 360 it would be upscaling two games and then reprinting the third, but that seems easier, even.  But it's not an HD-ifying thing, it'd just be redoing it/repackaging it, so I guess that's the idea is to...not do that.  Maybe.  I don't know.  I'm not really focusing on anything but being able to explore Blood Money again in prettier visuals while getting rewarded for getting Silent Assassin ranks on the levels and such.  Also partially dreading the idea of playing Hitman 2 simply because I have heard through many facets of the internet that it is...er....a less than ideal game.  And considering I own it for the XBox and have absolutely no memory of playing it, I would have to imagine that I did indeed play it and dislike it unfortunately.

I do admit that, as I have sort of made it clear here, I really don't harbor all that much towards Hitman 2 nor Contracts as I only barely remember playing Contracts (though I think I liked it) and what I already said with 2.  Still, Hitman games are Hitman games and I'll be glad to dip into them when I want to scratch that itch.  Since I don't think I'll be dipping into Absolution right when it comes out, even if I do have a real enjoyment for the games.  Mainly because I am kind of bad at them at first, and I'd rather be able to play that at my leisure than feel like I have to pop it in, kick ass and be ready for the next big game that comes out, since Absolution hits in November where I imagine everything else will hit as well.  That kind of tactical thinking will surely help me when I play the games finally, though.  (Mostly kidding, of course.)

Finally, one of the more "Alright, figured that, but cool to know" bits of news is that Soul Sacrifice is going to be in Non-Japan Countries. While that specifically mentions North America, Europe is getting the game as well, which was confirmed on the PAL blog that I'm not linking to because honestly, just believe me okay.  This is two-fold good news because not only do we just not have to worry if it's getting localized for the long long months between now and release, but it is yet another game that Vita owners can point at for the detractors saying that the Vita isn't getting any 'unique experiences' or 'new IPs'.  Because Soul Sacrifice, while it might be using the 'Souls' name as kind of a spring-board (very loosely if so), is definitely going to be a rather unique experience unless you can point out any other game that will let you rip out your spine and use it as a magic sword until you die.

Of course, this means that more thought will have to be given to the game by myself and people expecting to get it that had the nebulous feeling of "Well, whenever it comes out, I'll have known what the Japanese release was like, etc. etc." where that has now possibly been replaced by the idea of a World release, or at least a quick localization process, leaving not too much time in between.  And it is certainly a game that you'll have to give a little thought to before playing it because, for as unique as it's going to be, it's also a little intimidating since it basically works upon your psyche as you play.  "You -can- use these giant awesome attacks", it whispers to you, "for a priccccccccccce." and unless you know the price or just how it can be integrated into the Single-Player portion of the game (as I'm assuming it has one) it's a real head-scratcher.

Sites and sources and material for the game have already said that the cost of some of the attacks is literally your life.  A last resort attack that you spring because you know you're going to die and choose to go out fighting, as per Excalibur.  Or a spell that you use to give the last bit of your life force to your fellow warriors as a buff.  That's been mentioned, but I don't think something specific has been attached to it.  I also initially heard that Salamander was going to be a spell that has you ignite your character to bring fire and brimstone to your foes at the cost of, again, your life, but apparently it will only cause severe burns.  Or maybe there will be some different prices for Single-Player and Multi-Player versions of the spells?  Maybe!  Again, these are all the questions we'll have to answer before the game actually comes out, but at least we know for sure that it will be coming out.

Yasuhiro Wada Working on "Project Happiness", Nobody Cares But Mogs

As you know, I am a man who enjoys a Harvest Moon game as others enjoy a vintage wine or a fine cigar, and as you might also know, I understand I am in the minority on this.  Granted, the games sell, which is why they keep getting made, but they don't sell a lot, nor do I suspect they're properly enjoyed or appreciated by the gaming 'mainstream' as a whole.  Sometimes I think they're looked upon with the same amount of scorn that is gazed upon the Dynasty Warriors games and similar titles (yet never on yearly Sports releases), and that's honestly a real shame because the games have a little bit of a magic to them if you give them a chance.  Well....most of them at least.  Okay, yeah, even Innocent Life, yes, I went there and you all know that I'm telling the truth.  At least, anybody who has spent at least a little bit of time with a Harvest Moon game can understand the pull it has, and that's something that you can't fake, nor industrialize; you have to just give it that little bit of a spark to let it come naturally.

I say all this because the man behind it all, the man who started Harvest Moon as an attempt to create the happiness and fulfillment of a good clean day of work in a video game, has announced that he's working on a new series appropriately codenamed "Project Happiness".  And....that's about all the information that there is on it.  No announcement of what consoles it'll be on, when to expect it or even what kind of game it'll actually be.  Just that it's coming out in Japan, Europe and North America thanks to a partnership between his new company, TOYBOX, Rising Star Games and Natsume.  And you know what?  (Wait for iiiit......wait for iiiiiiit....) That's all I need.  I won't have to worry about the localization, so that pretty much lays it down that there is a good chance that I will be able to pick up this game, no matter what it ends up being on.

And I am going to get it.  No matter if it's a friggin' Wii U launch title, no matter if it's about getting stuck in a traffic jam with -wacky hijinks- ensuing, no matter if it's download-only.  (Okay, this one might be a deal-breaker depending, but I'm just saying)  I think we all get excited for games for entirely different reasons, whether we're excited because it's going to pit this character in this situation and it's so different than the norm, or because it just looks like it's going to press all of your good buttons, and I am certainly excited for whatever this project will be, because I am almost guaranteed that it will be a wholly unique experience.  It's a dangerous thing to say, I realize, but with the amount of time I've spent on Harvest Moon games of all types, the enjoyment I've gotten from them, I think it's safe to say that Wada has enough clout to expect forty to sixty of my dollars for whatever he wants to put out there.

And that's what it comes down to here for anyone else, I imagine, is just what -type- of game it's going to be, and what we can expect going into it.  The press release simply states that it's "Filled with adventure, discovery, and wonder" which could mean any number of things in all honesty, especially when you consider how willing Wada is to create a completely non-traditional game.  The answer is 'very willing', if you haven't guessed by now, and I think that in itself should be applauded, even if you don't really 'get' the Harvest Moon games.  I just have to surmise that, when it guarantees "Project Happiness will warm the hearts of gamers both young and old!", I'm inclined to believe that such a thing is possible.  Though, I suppose that I might be biased because I might just think that Wada can make anything possible in a video game and that it'll be magical and wonderful and include rainbows and such.  I dunno, I kind of get that impression reading this back and I don't really mean to come off that way.

For my own part, I don't know if I 'expect' anything from Project Happiness in terms of just what it's going to be.  However, I do know what I would like it to be, though I'm not so sure how possible it'll be, nor if I'll even be close to what's going to happen here. I seem to recall that Harvest Moon was created because Wada simply wanted to make a video game that made the person playing it Happy, and he eventually came across the idea that a game that allowed a person to play out a day in the life of an everyman would do that.  In fact, if I'm recalling correctly, the farming aspect of the game didn't come into play until he realized that players would want something 'tangible' to attach to, and literally went with something that the players could cultivate, to 'rate' themselves after in the vegetables that grew and the animals they raised and, eventually, the profit they made from the tasks.  I have to wonder just what would've happened if he hadn't added that in, because I really doubt the game would've been nearly as successful without that.

With that said, the climate of gaming is much, much different nowadays, and it's that much harder to gauge just what can or can't be successful, considering that it takes more than a good idea, hell, a good game, to get that success.  But given that Wada's apparently going to try to recreate that feeling, that hope of instilling Happiness in a player (at least, that's what I gather from the codename), I'm hoping for another type of life simulator.  Maybe not a farming one, but perhaps something a little closer to The Sims, where you just pursue happiness for both yourself in playing the game how you want and your character who is directly affected by what you chose to do with them.  Something a little more modern than out-in-the-country-farming-things, but not futuristic, nor overly 'urban'.  I harbor no illusions that the game will intend to be 'action-packed' or anything like that and in fact hope it won't be.  Even Rune Factory levels of 'action' might dampen my excitement a bit.  But not too much.

Certainly, if I'm completely off-base, I don't think I'll be too disappointed because even just this, the anticipation I feel for whatever the game could be, is good enough for now.  More news will come during or after E3 (as it will be shown behind closed doors during), so hopefully we get a few nice tidbits of information for me to gorge upon.  I'm not even sure I'm 'hoping' for anything, though if I am, it's certainly my idea of a Life Simulator, as Harvest Moon is, alongside Farming mechanics, though hopefully without the farming mechanics...or without them being the focus on the game.  Really, something as open as life 'can be', where it's just "make money to get by" with all sorts of avenues to do that would be nice.  But I'm getting a little esoteric in my thoughts, so I'll just reign them in before I go a little too crazy.  We'll just have to see just what's coming from the mind of Wada next, and you know I'll probably be the first to tell you.  (Or the second, if Chance brings it up first, being in Super-E3 mode as he is.)

I Should Be Doing a Big E3 Post...

....But I can't help but watch this Metal Gear Rising:  REVENGEANCE trailer.  Again and again and again and again.  Honestly, though, can you blame me?  Just watch it yourself and tell me that either A) That is not something you would watch over and over again or B) You at least understand why it's something that I am compulsively watching and re-watching.  Because at least one of those two responses has to be true for you unless you're just a new reader who just so happens to dislike the direction in which REVENGEANCE (all caps every time) is going with all the freedom of being a side-story that doesn't feature Snake as a main character can offer.  In which case, Hi!  Thanks for reading.  Now tolerate my incoherent ramblings of how much I love everything about the game, or read any of my other non-Metal Gear Rising related posts, of which there are probably hundreds at this point.

If it's not obvious by this point, I have pretty much grown to love everything about REVENGEANCE since the last time I talked about it which was basically when it was revealed.  Since that point, I've grown more and more giddy for the game by the day, and with this new trailer for the game, it almost seems like sweet sweet vindication for being so excited about it.  Granted, I doubt a whole lot has -really- changed, aside from it seeming a lot faster paced (certainly the hitting things who don't instantly fall apart is there - see the part of the video where Raiden wails on that guy with....a naginata?) but it does do a good job of being high-intensity.  So much so that I feel like I have to calm down from watching it (be it my enthusiasm or because I'm drawn into it that much) to be able to actually write anything about it as I am now.  And even now, it's still running....just in the background.  So I'm just listening to the narration of it alongside Depeche Mode's "Wrong" out of friggin' nowhere.

I will applaud the trailer's usage of the 'zan-datsu' mode that has managed to stay in the game and be utilized properly despite the drastic overhaul of the core gameplay.  Even though I -know- that I won't be able to do that to -every- enemy (at least, not before wailing on them ala "Every other Action Game"), knowing that I -can- do that eventually is quite the payoff - especially since they've shown it used in some stealthy ways.  On top of that, the speedy parkour, the aerial juggles, the spinning a Gecko by an unbreakable chain, it's all wonderful and was used rather masterfully if I do say so.  This is pretty much the perfect "Get Hype" trailer, though I admit that I am incredibly biased in saying that considering, well, I just love this game already, despite not even really being well-versed in Platinum Games.....games.  I have yet to grab Vanquish, my copy of Bayonetta sits un-played considering it's the PS3 version, my backlog and the fact that I'm not playing my PS3 until we get some cool days, and my time with MadWorld has and continues to be short, but rather sweet.

Maybe it's that level of unfamiliarity that makes this perfect for me, however.  I can go into this unspoiled by their previous works to just take what's here at face value because I can have that faith.  I'm told Platinum Games are rather masterful with action games, as the constant praise for Bayonetta being 'the best action game to date' will attest to, and they certainly know how to make a trailer.  The game mechanics are solid in that you -cut- and things -die-, wherein the challenge and the gameplay comes in to describe the how, the difficulty to do that, and to etch out just how satisfying it will be.  Going into this with nothing, I can just take it as it is and imagine it's very satisfying considering that, unless something changes from now and release, you can at least cut a few things in the environment to whichever angle you desire, making anything a tool of destruction in your capable hands.  Again, I point you to the trailer at the point where Raiden cuts through a pillar to cut a guy in half, as well as the part where the leg of a radio tower or something gets cut up and then it moves to something big (presumably the thing that just had its leg cut) falling onto a car.  Presumably because it was cut.  By Raiden.

I think it's indicative that, out of -everything- that's been leaked, announced and said as a possibility, this is the -only thing- that I can talk about tonight.  I can't form cohesive thoughts about anything else because I'm just stuck on this trailer, so I'm not going to try.  I can't even say anything about Resistance:  Burning Skies, despite beating it today, because it's like "Psh, whatever, REVENGEANCE TRAILER".  So, yeah, I hate to say it, but that's all for me tonight.  I'll be playing Burning Skies again ala the New Game+ and will likely get through it again so I'll be well prepared to talk about it tomorrow.  Or...at least, that's the plan.  I'm not sure if it'll be a review or just a straight-talk about the game because it doesn't really....invoke a whole lot.  I'm sure if I were assigned to review it, it would be a challenge, far beyond simply finding the words, which makes me hesitant to attempt it.  We'll see what formulates, however.  For now, I'm just going to watch this a few more times and imagine all the ways I will cut fools with this game.

Update!:  It's worth mentioning (which is funny considering I've meant to mention it for two nights in a row and forgot to edit it in) that anyone who purchases Zone of the Enders HD Collection gets Early Rising Demo Access, but whether that's in the form of the disk containing the demo, or merely coming with a download code is unknown at this point.  I'm hoping for the former, of course, since the demo is likely going to be a couple gigs, but it will likely be the latter.  As such, it won't have any impact whatsoever on my intention to get the Zone of the Enders HD Collection (Though it might push me to double-dip as I was starting to think I might just wait for the Vita version, and barring some terrible porting I am -definitely- getting the Vita version), but if the stars align and I get to play the demo just by putting in the disk, then that would be a great bonus.  Definitely something to keep an ear to the ground about.

Bonus Post: Jet Set Radio HD's Soundtrack Has Less Cuts

Despite previous claims of the remake of Jet Set Radio having just over half of the total tracks the comprised the different releases of the game, Sega has used the above video to assure us that the list isn't quite that short.  Featured is the remix of Dragula by Rob Zombie that was featured in the North American release of the game.  It's one of the more divisive tracks on the overall OST, but more importantly, it's one of the songs that wasn't listed in the original release of what songs would grace your speakers (or headphones) for the remake.  This means that, if there was a song you were absolutely hoping for that seemed like it didn't make the cut, have faith, for Sega might just be able to pull this one out.  Now, if only they could go back in time and expend this much effort for the Crazy Taxi remakes.

Side-note:  After watching a Let's Play of Jet Set Radio to get me in the mood for the game, I have to say that I am really grateful for the locked frame rate that the game seems to have from the trailers.  Also, I'm pretty sure it was said that it would be locked, but that's kind of the norm for the releases.  I don't know if it's just because the guy is playing on an emulator (while owning a copy of the game) or if the original version was so choppy, but it gets near -painful- to watch sometimes with how low the FPS dips.  No matter what the issue is, I'm assuming that it -won't- be an issue when I'm rockin' the game on my Vita.  Best not disappoint on that, Sega.

Update!:  So, for once, "Stay Tuned" meant "For just a little while" instead of a month or so, and it's since been revealed that Jet Set Radio will have "99.9%" of the original soundtrack of 30 tracks.  Only two are confirmed cut (Which means it's 93.3% but details) so that means most of the groovy memories will come back to you while playing the game on whatever console you desire.  I am going to post the full tracklist now, which I admit that I am stealing wholesale from Chance because, hey, he pointed it out to me. (Also go to this page if just to see the trailer there because I'm not embedding it too.)

By Hideki Naganuma (SEGA)

“Grace and Glory”

“Humming the Bassline”

“Let Mom Sleep”

“Moody’s Shuffle”

“Rock It On”

“Sneakman”

“Sweet Soul Brother”

“That’s Enough”

By Guitar Vader

“Super Brothers”

“Magical Girl”

By Deavid Soul

“Dunny Boy Williamson Show”

“Miller Ball Breakers”

“On the Bowl (A.Fargus Remix)”

“Up-Set Attack”

Also including such popular tracks as …

“Electric Tooth Brush” by Toronto

“Everybody Jump Around” by Richard Jacques

“OK House” by Idol Taxi

“Bout the City” by Reps

“Funky Radio” by B.B. Rights

“Mischievous Boy” by Castle Logical

“Yellow Bream” by F-Fields

“Just Got Wicked” by Cold

“Dragula” by Rob Zombie

“Slow” by Professional Murder Music

“Improvise” by Jurassic 5

“Patrol Knob” by Mixmaster Mike

“Recipe for the Perfect Afro” by Feature Cast

“Funky Plucker” by Semi Detached

Joystiq informs me that Deavid Soul's "Yappie Feet" and O.B. One's "Many Styles" are the two missing tracks from the soundtrack which is a shame.  I've heard "Deavid Soul" being tossed around a lot as one of the soundtrack highlights, so that one of his songs is off will likely be a little bit of a blow to the overall product.  Still, provided you have ways to get that song (legal ones, I'm watching you), you can likely play it while playing the game if you have the Vita version.  Or..the 360 version.  Maybe the PC version.  Not the PS3 version.  Sadface.

E3 Rumor: Playstation Plus Vita Support Inbound

A fairly typical Plus month.

It's that magical time of the year just before the other magical time of the year - The E3 leaks.  (Of course, the other magical time being E3, I figured you all knew that and okay, shut up Mogs)  However, thus far, there hasn't been an actual whole lot that's rumored to appear or anything that's...er, super big.  Even what I'm going to talk about tonight is less "big awesome surprising news" and more "Hey, -just- this side of being late-to-the-party", but it's welcomed and appreciated nonetheless.  And while a lot of us preface rumors with a whole lot of "Now, it's a rumor, so don't look into it too much", but just think about it like this:  When was the last time there was a reported rumor that didn't come true?  Even silly things like MercurySteam making a 2(.5)D Castlevania end up being true, so it's hard to -not- believe these things when you hear about them at face value.

Regardless, today's 'rumor' states that Playstation Plus is coming to Vita alongside a sort of revision of the service; an upgrade, really.  The upgrade is set to have 'top-tier titles' for subscribers (I...don't know what this means) as well as, obviously, exclusive updates for people who might just happen to be Vita-only subscribers.  This will likely mean one PS3 and one Vita game free per month, as well as some meted out discounted/free DLC among the two systems, ensuring each individual store gets roughly the same amount of content, so as to not show 'favoritism', considering Plus subscriber will mean just that, regardless of whether you're PS3-only, Vita-only or both.  I'm not too sure if they'll be able to integrate the Auto-Update thing into the Vita proper, but I imagine it'll get access to the Cloud Saves (which would be extra handy for it, considering some data is stored with the actual game data itself and is a hassle to back up by other means) on top of everything else.

Of course, I imagine this functionality will need a firmware update and this is just me speculating and is no way included in the rumor itself, but while they're updating the firmware.....I'm still hoping that PSOne functionality for the Vita is included.  Not even because I'm planning on using it, not even because I'm miffed that it's not in already (I'm not so much, though), and not even because I'm getting tired of seeing it whined about everywhere, but just because that would be a great fuckin' move.  There was a lot of shit-flipping when Nintendo announced that not only was the Wii going to support SD saves or whatever a few years back, but that it was going to support it right now because 'hey we just pushed out the firmware for it while I was speaking about it'.  People really like that sort of "I'm waving my hands and MAGIC happened!" effect, so long as it's not announcing a brand new console that is in stores this very moment, and for something big like that, it would be a big boon.

I've said it a few times, but it would make a lot of sense for their presser, especially with Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale being showed off since I imagine a lot of classic characters will be in the game.  Well, -games- because it's quite obvious that the game will see a Vita version, but that's neither here nor there.  Something like "since we're honoring characters that really built the Playstation brand, it's only fair that we allow everyone to see these Playstation Classics for themselves.  To that end, PSOne games are now available to be played on your Playstation Vita" or something like that.  A little more flowery or whatever, but I'm sure you get the angle that I'm suggesting the take on it.  It's a pretty standard one, really, but always a crowd-pleaser, especially if it would mean that people get to play their Final Fantasies and other RPGs and Tomba! games and whatnot on the go.  I admit, it's technically a little far-fetched to expect, so I'm not exactly expecting it, but if it happens, oh man, will I be bragging about it.  After all, I'm really just suggesting timing since PSOne Support is an inevitability, clearly being worked on in the months since the Vita saw release.

Still, no matter what does or doesn't get added to the Vita at E3, it -is- heavily suggested that you go ahead and dip into Playstation Plus, at least for E3 (which means grabbing a 3-month voucher as I plan to do) since there are some 'surprises' lined up for Plus members apparently.  From the head content manager for SCEE's PS Plus means that it will likely be a -thing-, and hopefully not exclusive to PAL.  (I really doubt it will be, of course)  Granted, they're supposed to hype this stuff up, but I imagine this is genuinely something pretty 'cool', so I'm going to go with it.  At the worst, I'll just open myself up to a few time-sensitive free games and discounts that might push me into grabbing some Playstation cash despite being low on the real thing.  At the best....well, who knows?  And that's part of the fun.  Only a few more days until we find out!

3DS Castlevania is Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate

So, last week, we heard tell of a possible Castlevania game for the 3DS involving MercurySteam or possibly not, it was kind of sketchy and now, thanks to a reveal through Nintendo Power Magazine and sites covering it, of course we now know the full extent of the game's ambition.  And, boy is it ever ambitious.  Also potentially off-putting to everybody who might have been interested in the game for their own reasons, as the reality seems to be some weird sort of amalgam of everything that both rumors (which were the same rumors, technically) could have been.  But at the same time, I think that this could just in fact be a really neat thing for Castlevania fans out there.  Though, hey, there are clearly just people out there who are never happy with anything ever, so no real surprises when there's a sort of skepticism (at best) for the game already, despite it only having a little bit of info and a screenshot above.

The game, officially titled Castlevania:  Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate, because bitches love subtitles, is a companion piece to Castlevania:  Lords of Shadow released 2010 on consoles and PC, as part of it takes place two and a half decades following Lords of Shadow.  Though, the direct connection, I'm not sure about since I never played LoS, and the posts only mention Trevor and Simon Belmont, but no Gabriel Belmont.  Of course, since some of the lovely commentors decided to spoil LoS possibly, I might have an inkling as to why (which, if that's the case, ugh), but regardless, that's not what I'm interested in.  What I -am- interested in is the fact that I said Trevor and Simon Belmont are both involved in MoF and are, in fact, both characters.  You see, Mirror of Fate is set to have -four- characters playable through the entire thing of it, of which the two Belmonts are the only announced characters.

Obviously, considering that the game is using both of those Belmonts at least, time travel is going to be an element of the game, but whether it's you as the player actually traveling through time, or just the story time-skipping for you between characters remains to be seen.  I imagine it will rely moreso on whom the last two characters in the game will be.  Of which they could literally be anyone, given the tenuous link here is "takes place in Dracula's castle" which is, in itself, a twisting nether of a labyrinth that seems to have a different layout every time it's summoned into existence for whatever reason.  Meaning, I assume, that -anyone- who's been in Dracula's castle at one point or another could potentially be a character in the game, as well as leaving the door open for yet more new ones for whatever reason.  Because the likes of Soma Cruz and witches and such just aren't enough, I guess.

So, in terms of how this matches up with the rumors, it's a pretty simple case.  MercurySteam was rumored to be attached and they are, lo and behold, thanks to the Lords of Shadow connection.  Despite that, the game was rumored to be 2D and, apparently, Mirror of Fate will be 2.5D as you can see above.  Perhaps more than just a new perspective on the camera as that looks, but not true 3D, nor not completely 2D.  Given that the game is focused on 'non-linear exploration', I would say that that qualifies it as a Metroidvania, so there's that as well, but I may just be wrong on that, of course.  And, of course, while I don't think this counts as -the- Lords of Shadow sequel, it certainly is -a- Lords of Shadow sequel, so there's that one as well.  Blam, blam, blam, what was the possibility of two rumors is neatly folded into one complete rumor that was proved to be an actual thing, which is....a little surprising, I must say.  I imagine we'll see the game in motion at E3 and might even possibly see the new characters for it.

For my part, I'm kind of lukewarm to the news, but considering that's the high-end of what I could be for it, I'd say that's good.  If the game had ended up being a 3D Castlevania game on the 3DS, I wouldn't have been interested at all (considering the N64 ports on the 3DS, Castlevania 64 would be fresh on my mind and...eurgh, that game...) and might have in fact been anti-interested, but a Metroidvania game (which this more or less -is-, damn the extra ambition to it) certainly wouldn't light a fire under my backside for a 3DS anymore than anything else would.  The fact of the matter is that I'm unfortunately just resigned to getting a 3DS at some point, as I'm sure we all are, so this will likely be a game I pick up when I finally take that plunge.  But it's not, nor could it be, a system seller for me, no matter how it turns out.  Of course, I am in the minority here.

My Thoughts: Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale Line-Up

Now that we know that the game is officially a thing, but it lacks a roster to look at just yet (likely an E3 reveal), it gives us all an opportunity to have mini-arguments about who should be in the game and why.  And there's obvious characters out there that will be in the game, even if it's just a rumor at this point (Cole, Drake and Snake, looking at you three) which we don't even need to talk about.  But without knowing just how big the official roster (minus DLC) will be, that gives us quite the bit of space to work with in terms of just who and how many people will make it in.  Clearly, I like to make baseless, terrible predictions about things, so you know I'm going to get in on this, and I hope I don't whiff too many of the ideas here, though I admit openly that some of them are going to be more "Wouldn't it be cool" versus "What I actually think".

Who:  Crash Bandicoot

Why:  He's friggin' Crash Bandicoot.  Many a person's first experience with a Playstation console, and, for a time, one of the 'Unofficial' Playstation Mascots.

 

Now, I know I just said I didn't want to go with the obvious characters but, unfortunately, Crash might not be as obvious (or possible) a choice as you might think.  As many of us remember, Crash started out as a game brought to us all by Naughty Dog (who remains as a second-party studio to Sony to this day) and saw four titles released under their guidance (the three main Crash entries and Crash Team Racing) before the series went off to other companies and eventually other platforms such as the original XBox and GameBoy Advance and the DS.  Despite that, I imagine that Crash is a character that is still solidly associated with Sony Consoles, which would make him a good choice.  To that end, I would like to remind everyone of the commercials that featured Crash in that sort of Playstation Vs. Nintendo spot at the very least, which I'm sure a lot of us remember, if we haven't been pointed in that direction before.  As an added bonus, looking over the summary on Wikipedia leads me to think that Activision might have the IP rights who, as we all know, also have another series that could do to see an inclusion in the All-Stars.

As for his fighting style, being that my knowledge of Crash is...er...rather limited and vague, I'm not too sure on just what he'd be like.  Punches and kicks as standards, maybe a fruit-throwing move to give him some range, and a headstomp as an aerial attack.  Of course, I think that the movesets will be more focused towards what finishers and/or specials they have than anything else.  To that end, a callback to Crash Team Racing is a must, where he hops into a rally car and, well, drives around, taking out anyone in his way.  Everything else could be something of a wash, so long as he has that friggin' car to drive over some people, especially since I do believe that Crash Team Racing is quite highly regarded by racing and Crash fans alike.  Even going so far as to be the better Kart Racing game even when put up against Mario Kart, though I'm not sure just how much actual competition is there.

Who:  Cloud Strife

Why:  Because Squeenix sells, especially anything with a connection to Final Fantasy VII.  On top of that, you'll find a lot of people who got into RPGs out there specifically because of the game, which likely makes it one of Squeenix's most popular commodities.

Taking advantage of the fact that Third-Party characters have been confirmed to be in the game, this is the one I'm throwing down as a 'should' if not necessarily one that I think will be in.  There's no real two ways about it:  Final Fantasy VII and the Playstation 1 as a result of that was a massive success, and despite there being a PC port of the game (Yeah, you might not have known that.  I have a copy....somewhere.) many still think of it as a Playstation-exclusive game.  It helps that, from Seven to Twelve, the Final Fantasy series was pretty much Playstation-exclusive and even still leans more towards the Playstation brand while throwing ports here and there at the DS and GBA.  Cloud, I think, would be a big boon for the roster of the game, which is my primary reason for the suggestion, as I know his inclusion alone would put the game on a lot of radars.  Though, even if not specifically Cloud, I'll be surprised if there's not a presence from Squeenix at all; that being said, my second guess here would be Tidus from Final Fantasy X which was, as we know, the first FF game to come on the PS2, insanely popular (sales-wise), and is the only Final Fantasy game that is getting a PS3/Vita Port.

Cloud's (or Tidus', depending on who they go with) movelist would be, likely, the easiest one to make out of many of the possible entries, considering that fighting is kinda what he does.  As well as the whole Dissidia thing, which, while they wouldn't directly take that move-list, there's a good chance you'll see a lot of influence from it.  The Special Attacks are similarly easy as they could just be Limit Breaks corresponding to the levels that exist.  Omnislash (or the upgraded version) would be the Level 3, whereas Level 1 one could be Braver and Level 2 could be any of the Level 2 or 3 Limit Breaks like Blade Beam or Finishing Touch.  I mean, it pretty much writes itself here, so if nothing else, it would be incredibly easy.  Also flashy, which helps the game's overall look as well, being that they're really going for the flashy aspect.

Who:  Alucard

Why:  Because of a little game called Castlevania:  Symphony of the Night that saw a whole lot of success on the PSOne.

This one......okay, this one is a bit of a reach, admittedly.  Maybe even a -lot- of a reach, but, like Cloud, I imagine Alucard's inclusion in the game would be a big boon to it, even if he's not the most noted character.  That my only real reasoning is because of Symphony of the Night on PSOne (later on, having been redone in the Dracula X Chronicles for PSP, also known as "The game where you have to play that other Castlevania game to get SotN") and its cult-hit popularity is a bit telling, and while I'm not an uber-fan of the game, a lot of people -are-.  Which means that you cannot tell me that you don't know anybody whose ears wouldn't perk up at the mention of Alucard being included in Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale.  He even fits the general bill of inclusion, what with being an "All-Star" that happened to be featured in a "Playstation" game that was, as a bonus, incredibly popular.  Stranger things have happened, after all!

Similar to Cloud, I imagine Alucard's moveset wouldn't be all that difficult to imagine and implement, though it might end up a little 'strange' if it goes as I imagine.  Considering the wealth of weapons that appear in Symphony of the Night that Alucard wields, different attacks could simply be attached to the more-known ones there, as well as some of his latent son-of-Dracula powers, like the whole Fireball thing.  Then again, those powers might be better served for the specials, depending on just which ones they're anticipating on using.  Being that I don't think Alucard got to make use of Item Crashes, that leaves that out technically, but who knows.  Even outside of that, the special moves don't necessarily need to be actually from the game in which the character is possible, so long as it's something the character would obviously be able to use in certain situations where a lot of power is needed.  Regardless, I don't think there's a lot of "Gee, what can he do" when it comes to Alucard, were he to be in the game.

Obviously, these are just my predictions, and I admit that I did try and go for the more "Hmm" choices (Crash aside) rather than the obvious.  I might do another post about the more obvious choices (as in, things that use First or Second Party Characters), but for now, this is good.  Seeing as we're this close to E3 without some good leaks, it might be a slow news week anyways, and whether I get Resistance:  Burning Skies tomorrow or not is not a guarantee.  Though I will be getting the Gravity Rush demo and will have likely played it at least twice over by the time I sit down for a post.  Hmm.  I guess we'll see!