Visual Novel News:
Shiravune have announced the upcoming release of Icha Icha Steady, the (18+) fandisc for Study § Steady on June 17th 2022. A preorder discount of 20% is available on this fandisc focusing on your lover-slash-fiancee, and cohabitant, Yuu Omaezaki.
Another announcement by Shiravune – Meteor World Actor: Badge & Dagger releases on Steam and Johren on June 10th 2022.
It describes itself as a superpowered detective noir, where maverick detective Ruka Hiryu pursues criminals by day—and ices perps by night.
In Muv Luv news, Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse was expected to be released this Winter, but has now been delayed to Summer. More news on The Eternity You Desire (KimiNozo) will be released at a later date.
JAST USA have now released that Chaos-L’s eroge, Neko Night. This is a more adult-orientated visual novel, with the premise being that God has sent two catgirls to make babies with you. This fully voiced binaural ASMR title is recommended to be experienced with headphones.
MangaGamer has now released Higurashi When They Cry Hou – Rei on MangaGamer and Steam.
Higurashi When They Cry Hou – Rei contains several arcs with renewed art and both English and Japanese support. It has been described as an epilogue or fandisc to the main story.
More Visual Novel News
- My Little Dictator, a dark-comedy parody of WW2 coming out today (6th June)
- Sky in your eyes, a visual novel about life in a post soviet country announced for June 30th release on Steam
- Demonheart: The Ice Demon releases a demo
- Multiple EVNs available in Queer Game Bundle
Gaming News:
While E3 was canceled this year, that doesn’t mean the many gaming announcements aren’t going to be revealed. There’s quite a lot to go through, so let’s compact it down to the best bits:
The first big announcement was a brand new trailer for the ninth generation of the Pokemon series! Titled Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet respectively, the new trailer reveals a large world to explore, multiplayer, and the two brand new legendary Pokemon coming to the game. As a nice cherry on top, after the trailer was released, Toby Fox, better known as the creator of Undertale, announced that he was responsible for the game’s new field theme.
Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet will release exclusively for Nintendo Switch on November 18th.
Watch the trailer for Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet
Next up is the return of SEGA’s fast-footed mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog! As a part of IGN’s First series, the website is releasing exclusive coverage and reveals throughout June for Sonic’s next big console outing: Sonic Frontiers. As of now, two showcases of gameplay have been revealed, finally giving fans their first look into how the game will play.
Sonic Frontiers launches for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC this holiday season.
Watch the exploration showcase for Sonic Frontiers
Watch the combat showcase for Sonic Frontiers
Last, but not least for the game reveals was Sony’s recent PlayStation State of Play event. There were some pretty big announcements in this event alone, so here are the biggest ones:
It’s been rumored for quite a while, but we finally have confirmation that Capcom is working on the next big remake for the Resident Evil series! Resident Evil 4 is a game that needs no introduction, but it’s the next remake in the franchise to make use of the now-famous RE Engine. We got a quick glimpse at some iconic locations and shots from the original game, though how the game will play or how the original story will be adapted is yet to be seen.
The remake for Resident Evil 4 launches for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC on March 24th, 2023.
Watch the announcement trailer for the Resident Evil 4 remake
But that wasn’t all, as Capcom gave us a better look at another highly anticipated title that was announced earlier this year. Street Fighter 6 got a full reveal at the event, revealing a city hub you can freely explore, Chun-Li and a new character, Jamie, joining the roster, and the game’s bold new urban aesthetic that makes use of the aforementioned RE Engine. Outside of the trailer, the game revealed a new mechanic called the Drive system, along with multiple control options for both purists and newcomers to the franchise.
Street Fighter 6 arrives for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC in 2023.
Watch the trailer for Street Fighter 6
One of the PlayStation 4’s greatest games is coming to a whole new platform! Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered is getting a PC release thanks to the help of Nixxes Software and will be released for both Steam and Epic Games Store on August 12th.
Watch the Marvel’s Spider-man PC announcement trailer
A brand new action JRPG is coming from the all-new Studio Sai: Eternights! This title is going for quite a mix of genres; while it’s mainly a JRPG, the game takes heavy inspiration from Atlus’ Persona series with dungeons to explore, a day-by-day progression system, and dating sim mechanics allowing you to romance one of the game’s numerous other characters.
Eternights launches for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC in early 2023.
Watch the announcement trailer for Eternights
Finally, to close out the show, Square-Enix finally revealed a new trailer for Final Fantasy XVI! The trailer showcases how important the classic summons will be in this new installment, even adding in summon battles. Though combat outside of giant deities was also shown, giving us a glimpse at the fast-paced action available to players. And, of course, we got small glimpses into the game’s narrative and characters.
Final Fantasy XVI releases exclusively for PlayStation 5 in Summer 2023.
Watch the Final Fantasy XVI Dominance trailer
While on the topic of Square-Enix, one of the company’s most notable members has decided to leave the studio. For the last 27 years, Shinji Hashimoto has played a big role in some of Square-Enix’s largest franchises. Starting out as the promotional campaign manager for Final Fantasy VII, the massive success of the title led to him becoming the brand manager for the entire Final Fantasy franchise. Not only that but he was also noted for being the co-creator of the Kingdom Hearts series, which also became a huge franchise for Square-Enix. He’s done a lot for the company, though on May 31st this year, he retired from Square-Enix, releasing a video message to make the announcement.
Anime News:
Kyoto Animation’s next project has been revealed, and it’s a sequel to one of their past series. Sound! Euphorium is getting a third season that will be released in 2024! That sounds like a long way away, and it is, though fans won’t have to wait two years for more content from the franchise. It was also announced that an OVA based on the Ensemble Contest Arc will be released in 2023 which will be released both theatrically and on BluRay!
Watch the Season 3 teaser for Sound! Euphorium
Those of you who loved Disney+’s anime anthology series, Star Wars Visions, will be happy to know that there’s more to come! The anthology series will continue with a second volume that is set to release in Spring 2023.
Upcoming Releases:
Mario is returning to the soccer field this week with the release of Mario Strikers: Battle League! If you’re looking for a more chaotic version of this timeless sport where tackles are encouraged and throwing items across the pitch aren’t grounds for an immediate red card, this might be the game for you.
Mario Strikers: Battle League launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch on June 10th.
An anime/gaming aficionado, experienced content creator and lovable goofball. Name a game genre and Seamus has likely played it… yes, even that one. Follow him @TrueStorySeamus
