Today I chose to take a snow day and call out of work. That means I was able to go to all the websites which are normally blocked at my job! I haven’t heard much about 7th Dragon so I decided to check out the game’s main site to see if there have been any major updates.

An introduction movie was added which shows a few screenshots as well as some cutscenes.  I was pretty impressed by the later half of the video (0:35-end) which shows a battle between a dragon and a party.  Here all the jobclasses are introduced in quick succession showing the chibi and normal form of each member of the jobclass.

Seventh Dragon comes out in Japan this March, and I eagerly await hearing something about its Western release so I can make my team for real!

Related Entries:
Sega Announces Seventh Dragon for Nintendo DS
7th Dragon: That’s a Lot of Dragons
Tokyo Game Show 2008 Highlights

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_{click for higher quality video}

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.

Related Entries:
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.

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

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The Final Fantasy XIII trailers which Square-Enix showed at DKΣ3713 and this year’s Tokyo Game Show have finally been uploaded on the web.  This time it’s not a video of the trailer taken with a digital camera…  The videos are really nice quality and show some impressive graphics.

Final Fantasy Versus XIII - Trailer 5:02

This video lacks any voice acting by the game’s characters.  I am not sure if this is done because Square-Enix does not want to reveal who they have chosen to do the voice acting, or they don’t want to reveal anything about the story.  You can tell that in some scenes sound effects have been added, but still no voices.  Curious.

The game has a very Western look; many people including the main character Noctis wear black suits.  Also the surroundings are primarily urban, but much more spacious than urban areas in Japan.  The unknown figure at 3:27-3:32 looks a lot like a member of the Italian mafia, fully equipped with a pin-stripe suit.  Some people believe that he and Noctis are related due to similar eye features.

We still know nothing about the battle system of the game, which is both exciting and frustrating.  What we do know is that many team members from the Kingdom Hearts series are listed as working on Versus.  Also, there are many scenes of Noctis flying through the air smacking the crap out of some poor saps.  This sounds like evidence that we can expect a more action-oriented title.

I love the part where Noctis confronts Stella (3:55-4:11) and it seems like they are going to embrace each other or something, but they end up fighting instead.  I love misdirection.

Can anyone tell what the guys are looking at when they get out of the car?  It looks like the bridge is underwater or something.

Final Fantasy XIII - Trailer 3:11

This Final Fantasy XIII trailer starts with Pulse, the wilderness below the futuristic Cocoon.  Some large fauna wander the Pulse, which appear unthreatening since Sera/Sara/Sarah seems to live along side them peacefully enough.

A few summons, Siren, Ifrit, and Carbuncle are shown.  Carbuncle is summoned by Sera from a strange disc.  Summons appear to play a large part of the story in Final Fantasy XIII, having some connection with the mysterious fal’Cie.  This makes me wonder what part summons will play in Versus…

Soon after, Lightning’s raid on Cocoon begins.   Cocoon in contrast to Pulse seems dangerous, a parallel I find kind of cool and different from most RPGs.  Usually towns and cities are safe havens from the creatures that live in the wilderness.  This feeling may only be for the early stages of the game, it’s hard to say.

Final Fantasy Agito XIII - 1:29

This is the Final Fantasy XIII I admit I know the least about.  The title seems to be a strange fusion of MMO and Final Fantasy, providing both standard and online content.

The battle system reminds me of Crisis Core and even Final Fantasy X-2 to some degree.  It appears turn-based (ATB to be specific) and battles seem quick and smooth.

I am excited about the prospect of a partially online Final Fantasy.  I never got into FF11 out of fear of forfeiting my life.  Perhaps Agito is a good middle path between addictive and normal gaming.

Related Entries:
Exciting Square Enix News From DKΣ3713
Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII Update

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This video recently appeared on Atlus’s official Devil Survivor site.  I am glad to finally get a good look at the game’s battle system, even if it is only for a few seconds.  It answers some of my burning questions.

The video begins with Atsurou moving next to a Pixie.  Note the way his sprite’s orange bag flaps when he walks – nice touch.  Then it’s Yuzu’s turn.  Here are her available commands:

MOVE
COMMAND
YUZU (possibly status)
END TURN

She chooses to enter a command, selecting Pixie as her target.  The screen switches to a view of her target (it’s almost like a first-person tactical RPG).  Here her only options are attack and guard.  Yuzu finishes the Pixie in one attack and gains some EXP.  You can note here that she has no demons stocked yet, as they would appear on this screen in her “team.”

The Pixie is shocked that she lost to a human, and decides to join up with the team.  I don’t think every defeated demon will join up; my guess is that this was an event scene.

A tactical MegaTen title for the Nintendo DS – I am indeed excited.

Related Entries:
Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor: Pocky Shaman
Devil Survivor: Battle Details

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