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Here is the newest Fragile video, which like all the others, makes me want to cry a little.  There are a few exciting firsts in the video, mostly getting to hear different character’s voice actors.  We are able to hear Psy’s voice, Kurou’s voice and even the PF’s voice which is female.  As I mentioned earlier, I imagined the PF sounding like C-3PO – I was way off.

I also noticed a lot of wildlife in the video like a bunch of cats and a dog.  The cats seem to be helping Seto find Ren in some way, as they appear in larger numbers once he finds her in the caged area.  I think this is a cool way to provide guidance in a world where there aren’t many humans.  I like the idea of following around ghosts and cats.

When it comes to a translation, most of what is said is kind of random and disjointed.  The main idea is that Seto is searching for Ren and all the support characters seem aware of this.  When Psy asks him why he wants to find her, Seto says he just wants to be with someone and tell her his story.  Psy then asks what he’ll do when he meets Ren, who admits he doesn’t know, but there are already too many lonely people in the world.

Kurou seems amused by Seto’s quest and expresses his disgust with humans.  I wonder if Kurou doesn’t realize that he is a human, or if he is actually a ghost.  The latter may explain his cat-like eyes, a feature most humans sadly lack.

I also managed to find a few videos of actual Fragile gameplay.  They are all rather short, but show some of the ways that Seto can interact with his surroundings.  I noticed that it is possible to crouch, switch to first person mode and examine objects.  Certain objects will have a green glow around them.  This means that they can be acquired or will trigger an event.  To view the rest of the videos go here.

I am impressed by how smooth the player’s control of Seto appears.  I like how it’s possible to have him walk one direction, while shining his flashlight in another.  My only concern is that battles may be a little too hack and slash, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

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All Kotowari articles concerning Fragile can be found here

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Fragile’s Japanese release is about a month away, so Bandai-Namco has released this commercial to generate some hype.  The girl in the video seems to be hanging out with her friends, having a good time.  She suddenly thinks to herself ”I am with everyone, but why am I all alone?”  This is a reference to the game’s first trailer way back when.  The song in the background is by Teshima Aoi and is included in the OST which comes with the game in Japan.  Soon I will begin a mad search for the OST for download.

In addition to the CM, some more information about Seto’s gear has been revealed.  This time it’s about the different flashlights he can wield.  I didn’t even realize there were more than 1, but there are actually 3.  The following screens are of the 3 different flashlights all being shown on the same spot:

Standard FL	High-Performance FL	Mysterious FL

As you can see, the standard flashlight provides the weakest amount of light and will probably be an initial equipment.  The high-performance flashlight on the other hand, is extremely bright.  With it, Seto will be able to spot ghosts and demons sooner, and the light will weaken enemies a bit.

When it comes to the mysterious flashlight, it has no affect on enemies, but it does have one special purpose:

The caption on the wall reads “It seemed like we were saved“

Certain walls and other areas have hidden messages that only the mysterious flashlight can reveal.  What could be the benefits of reading these messages…

Some info on conversing with the ever comedic P.F (personal frame) has been explained as well.  At any time while exploring, by standing the Wii remote vertically, the P.F will make some random humorous commentary:

For some reason I imagine the P.F’s voice sounding like C-3PO.  If the Wii wasn’t region protected, I think I would seriously consider ordering myself a copy and camping out in front of Foxes’ Wii.  I guess I will just have to hold my breath until Bandai-Namco (hopefully) announces a NA release.

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All Kotowari articles concerning Fragile can be found here

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Bandai-Namco revealed a bit more info concerning their upcoming Wii title Fragile: Goodbye Ruins of the Moon, and has released the game’s cover art, which I love.  You can view it by clicking the banner above.  Here’s hoping the North American cover art won’t be unnecessarily altered…  If you want to see the art without the logo you can find that here. 

In addition to the cover art, a new character profile has been released to the public:

In addition to the news of Sin, we now have a few screenshots of some cut scenes from the game.  They reveal a mysterious young girl who appears to be (like many others) a phantom or ghost.  She meets Seto, and appears friendly.  She may even be giving him something in the screenshot on the right, but I obviously can’t confirm this.

I find it interesting to see how Bandai-Namco, a Japanese company, produces a game taking place after the end of the world, versus Bethesda’s Fallout 3 which features similar themes.  When I saw this girl I was reminded of a trip I took in Fallout 3 to an abandoned elementary school.  At one point between blowing the heads off Raiders I noticed the floor was littered with tiny skeletons, obviously belonging to children. 

While I found this disturbing, giving a face to the dead makes it more personal, which I feel pulls the player in emotionally.  Fallout 3 seems cold and distant about the end of days, where Fragile’s quiet sadness seems to provide more powerful storytelling.  It’s like comparing an action movie to a Yasujiro Ozu film.

Related Entries:
All Kotowari articles concerning Fragile can be found here

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The end of the world sure looks bittersweet in this newest CP for Fragile: Goodbye Ruins of the Moon.  As I was watching the video, it dawned on me that I recognized the singer of the cripplingly sad song–it is Teshima Aoi. 

The song which made me first know about Teshima was Teru no Uta (テルーの唄), or Therru’s Song from Studio Ghibli’s animated film Gedo Senki (Tales from Earthsea).  Here is the song that made my Japanese teacher cry when he heard it on the radio while driving to work, along with some scenes from Gedo Senki.  Brace yourself. 

Real men cry too… Real men cry too… 

Teshima Aoi performed live at Bandai-Namco’s Fragile booth on the last day of Tokyo Game Show 2008.  So far she sings two songs for the game, the opening theme entitled Light (光), and the ending theme entitled Moon’s Warmth (月のぬくもり).  I am not sure which song appears on the video, but I am guessing it is Light.  You can check out Teshima’s main website here.

This video is the longest yet when it comes to Fragile.  It appears some force tries to come between Seto and Ren being together.  I think there were about 3 scenes where they were seperated by a fence or something…

I was glad the video showed some of the support characters and even gave them a chance to talk!  I think Psy (the floating girl) may be my favorite character.  I love her character design and the way she talks.  I wish I had a ghost friend!

Related Entries:
All Kotowari articles concerning Fragile can be found here

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Fluency in Japanese certainly is not necessary to appreciate the goings-on at this year’s Tokyo Game Show.  Thanks to the internet, neither is actually being in Japan at any point in your life.  Dengeki’s website has several videos highlighting different video game publishers and their booths at TGS.

The videos are for the most part devoid of language, simply focusing on the scenery and the games themselves.  Here are some links to the videos, enjoy!

Opening Video
Square Enix	Sega	SCEA
Marvelous	Level 5	Konami
Koei	Capcom	Bandai Namco

Did you notice a lot of women dressed in elaborate outfits?  They are called Companion, or Companion-san, and each booth has their own.  In some cases, a particular game may even have exclusive companion-san often clad in cosplay.

Companion-san walk around their relative booth providing hand-outs and answering questions about games.  They are quite knowledgeable, and (most of the time) their outfits are pretty awesome.  Famitsu made a compilation of all the different outfits, which you can check out here (part 1) and here (part 2).  Also, Dengeki has one other video featuring the elaborate outfits as well.  You can check that out here.

And now, Kotowari’s awards for best, and worst Companion outfit at TGS 2008!

BEST	WORST
Capcom’s Monster Hunter 3 (TRI)	Square Enix

Good show Capcom, you even have me a little excited for the next Monster Hunter.  I would also like to give honorable mention to Microsoft as much as it pains me.  They had not one, but two really cool outfits.

Really Square Enix? All that talent and that’s the best you could do?  Was Tetsuya Nomura taking a nap or something?  Next year get him to design some belts and zippers!

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ALL OF THEM

Roy capcom, konami, marvelous, namco, sega, sony, square enix 1 comment