Brandish: The Dark Revenant comes to North America in January

XSEED games announced last week that Brandish: The Dark Revenant will be available via PlayStation®Store in North America in January 2015.

Brandish: The Dark Revenant is an action role-playing video game developed by Nihon Falcom. It was originally released in Japan in 1991. The upcoming English version that will be published by XSEED games will be released on the PlayStation Portable.

Brandish: The Dark Revenant is a top-down dungeon crawler that puts the player in the role of swordsman Ares Toraernos as he climbs his way through over 40 sprawling floors of monsters, traps and puzzles in an attempt to escape a long-forgotten underground labyrinth.

Crunchyroll now accessible on Wii U

Nintendo has announced that Wii U owners with a broadband Internet connection can access the Crunchyroll application, a platform for anime and Asian dramas.

Wii U owners can download the free Crunchyroll application in the Nintendo eShop.

Premium Crunchyroll members will be able to begin watching shows immediately.

Wii U owners who are not yet Crunchyroll members can sign up for a 14-day free trial of premium membership via the application or at the Crunchyroll website.

Square Enix and Bandai Namco at Jump Festa

Jump Festa is an annual exposition in Japan featuring anime and manga.

Square Enix and Bandai Namco both had new game trailers at the latest Jump Festa event that ended recently.

Square Enix released trailers for Final Fantasy Type-0 HD and Final Fantasy XV.

Bandai Namco released trailers for Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, J-Stars Victory VS+, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 and Dragon Ball XENOVERSE.

Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance

NIS America announced last week that Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance will be released in the west for the PlayStation 4 in the fall of 2015. It had been scheduled to be released in Japan on 26 March.

Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance is a tactical role-playing game developed by Nippon Ichi Software. It will be the fifth in the Disgaea series.

The game tells of the evil demon emperor Void Dark devastating numerous Netherworlds after coming to power. The player will have to lead the young demon Killia as he travels across the Netherworlds to gather an army to rebel against Void Dark.

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD

Final Fantasy Type-0 is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix in October 2011 for the PlayStation Portable. A high-definition port, Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, is scheduled for release for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in March 2015.

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is set in Orience, a land divided between four nations: the Dominion of Rubrum, the Militesi Empire, the Kingdom of Concordia and the Lorican Alliance. Gameplay focuses on Class Zero, a group of students from the Vermillion Peristylium, a magical academy in the Dominion of Rubrum. When Rubrum is invaded by the Militesi Empire, the students of Class Zero are called to fight the forces of Militesi.

Over the past month, Square Enix has released several videos for Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, including a cinematic trailer and a video introducing some of the characters styled as a news report from the game.

Steins;Gate

PQube has announced that Steins;Gate will be coming to the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2015 for both Europe and North America.

Steins;Gate is a Japanese science-fiction interactive visual novel developed by 5pb. and Nitroplus that was released for the Xbox 360 on 15 October 2009 and subsequently to other platforms. It follows a band of young students who discover the means of changing the past through text messages using a modified microwave. However, in the process, the students become entangled with SERN, an organisation that threatened the world through its research into time travel.

Steins;Gate has been well-received by critics. Mike Geib at Twinfinite calls it "one of the best examples of the medium" while Kevin Mai at Rockmandash Reviews calls it "one of the BEST experiences I've ever had in any medium ever".

Crusader Kings II: Way of Life released

Paradox Interactive released Crusader Kings II: Way of Life, the latest expansion for the Crusader Kings II franchise, on 16 December. It is available on the Windows, Mac and Linux platforms.

Way of Life bolsters the role-playing aspects of Crusader Kings II. It gives the player the ability to fine-tune his methods of intrigue by allowing him to set a focus for his character that will influence the types of events that the character will experience.

Together with the launch of Way of Life, Paradox Interactive released three limited collector’s editions of Crusader Kings II, each with unique offerings.

Elite: Dangerous launched

Elite: Dangerous, a space game developed by Frontier Developments, was released for the Windows PC on 16 December.

Elite: Dangerous is the fourth installment in the Elite series and the first in the series to feature massively multiplayer gameplay.

In the game, the player controls a spaceship to explore, fight, trade and hunt through an open world galaxy based on the real Milky Way. It is a world dominated by three superpowers: the Empire, Federation and Independents. The conflicts between these superpowers provide the player with a plentiful supply of different missions across the galaxy to choose from.

Suikoden II available on PlayStation Network

Suikoden II, a role-playing game released by Konami for the original PlayStation console, became officially available digitally on the PlayStation Network on 9 December.

Suikoden II is the second installment in the Suikoden series and features a rich plotline with a large cast of characters. In the game, the player takes on the role of an orphan hero who, with his friend Jowy and his orphan sister, Nanami, become involved in a war between the Highland Kingdom and the City States.

Combat consists of up to six in a single party and several team members or enemies can attack simultaneously. The game's magic rune and skills system encourages players to use strategy in combat.

While the original release of the game in the late 1990s was not a great commercial success, it was well-liked by many critics and gamers who have played it. Indeed, Jason Schreier at Kotaku calls it "one of the greatest RPGs ever made".

Metal Gear Online to be released with Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Konami Digital Entertainment has released a video of Metal Gear Online, which will be released as the multiplayer mode for the upcoming game, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

The upcoming Metal Gear Online is the third iteration of the multiplayer game and focusses on tactical team operations. It features a class system that more uniquely defines the strengths and abilities of player characters on the battlefield.

As for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, it is claimed to be the largest and most ambitious addition to the series to date. It focuses on the hero of the series, Snake, and follows the events of the recently-released prologue, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (see my post on the latter). It is set in a series of huge open-world environments that incorporate changing weather conditions and gradual day-to-night transitions during missions which is supposed to impact stealth-based gameplay.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain will be released in 2015 to Windows PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Godzilla the Game

Bandai Namco Games announced last week that Godzilla the Game will be coming to the Americas in the summer of 2015 on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.

In the game, the player controls Godzilla and has to destroy cities and environments to take out each area's Energy Generator while collecting as much G-Energy as possible. The G-Energy can then be used to power up Godzilla, increasing both his physical size and his offensive and defensive skills.

New video for futuristic real-time strategy game, Etherium

Focus Home Interactive released a new video last week for its upcoming real-time strategy game, Etherium.

Developed for the Windows PC by Tindalos Interactive, Etherium has a futuristic setting with three playable factions, each with its individual characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, technologies and special skills.

In the solo campaign, the player controls one of the factions and is free to progress in a non-linear fashion in his fight for control of etherium, the main resource in the game. The player has to manage his resources, expand his colonies and extend his control of the map to assemble an army to defeat his opponents.

The game also has a multiplayer mode where up to four players can compete simultaneously.

Etherium is scheduled to be released early next year.

The Game Awards 2014

The Game Awards 2014 was held in Las Vegas on 5 December, with the Game of the Year award going to Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Among the other awards given, the Developer of the Year award went to Nintendo, the Best Shooter award went to Far Cry 4, the Best Action/Adventure award went to Shadow of Mordor, the Best Role Playing Game award went to Dragon Age: Inquisition, the Best Fighting Game award went to Super Smash Bros. Wii-U, the Best Family Game award went to Mario Kart 8 and the Best Sports/Racing Game award went to Mario Kart 8.

The Crew released

The Crew, an action-driving game developed by Ivory Tower and Ubisoft Reflections and published by Ubisoft, was released on 2 December for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Windows PC.

Below is the launch trailer.

See also my earlier post on the game.

Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin

Bandai Namco Games has announced that Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin will be launching in the Americas on 7 April 2015 on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and Windows PC/Steam.

Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin will include the three previously released DLC packs - Crown of the Sunken King, Crown of the Old Iron King and Crown of the ivory King - along with the following features:

● Additional NPCs added for an enhanced story experience.
● Parameter adjustments for improved game balance.
● Augmented item descriptions.
● Improved online matchmaking functionality.

Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows PC versions of the game will also get additional upgrades to graphics, sound and performance as well as an increase in the maximum number of online players in a single session.