August 2019 33
Most Anticipated Video Games from Japan
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles – Summer 2019
This was one of the most pleasant surprises of last year – the announcement that Crystal Chronicles was making a return. The original was pretty hard to play properly as you needed a Gamecube, 4 x GBA and Link cables and a social calendar that got three friends round to your house with regularity.
With four people it was super fun, but as a result, not many people got to try it the way it was meant to be played.
Now, particularly on Switch, this will be much easier to do and enjoy. It’s a relatively simple hack and slash at heart – go though the levels, kill the bosses. But visually it’s a delight and the soundtrack is just wonderful.
Code Vein – PS4, Xbox One – September
This was supposed to come out last year, but Bandai Namco pushed it back to improve it.
I am also fine with the fact that this is Bandai Namco’s attempt at a more weeb-based Dark Souls experience. Honestly, I think I must have written the word ‘Souls’ a thousand times in this feature, which shows just how pervasive it’s got in terms of defining its own genre. While I’m not a fan of that particular fact, I do still very much like the look of this. I am in some ways in awe of the quality of Dark Souls world building and atmosphere, but I do find it relentlessly miserable which generally isn’t my jam. Code Vein takes a more supernatural (and crucially comparatively colourful) spin on a post apocalyptic/dystopian setting.
Here the powerful are fuelled by Blood Tears – a special… thing… which give them their gifts, which they use to vanquish their foes.
Persona 5 R – ??? Switch ??? – WHEN?!
What even is this? Smart money is on this being Persona 5, with extra bits coming to Nintendo Switch – and who doesn’t want that? Basically, the best JRPG in recent times on the best console in recent times. Yeah, you heard right – I’m not even trying to hide my console bias any more. For the record:
1/ Nintendo Switch (best console)
2/ Xbox One X
3/ PC (essential – like water, air, red wine and digestive biscuits)
4/ Vita (ex-best console)
5/ PS4 (FYI: dead console)