Well now, E3 2016 is done, and… it actually went really well all things considered. Sure, EA and Ubisoft didn’t offer much with their press conferences, and the PC gaming show was still a bust. But a solid showing from Microsoft and a quality, well composed showing from Sony, and a super in-depth showcase of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild made for a pretty good now. There were only a few major surprises, mostly due to a series of leaks, yet the number of things that annoyed me were at an all time low… which actually makes me really happy.
The number of things I missed from earlier in this week are actually quite few, and to compensate I originally planned on going over the game I’m looking forward to… but I already gave my impressions, and there’s nothing else I have to say about any of them. Well, until I get my hands on them.
I’ve been asking when and if the Dragon Quest series would be returning to the west for a while, and over three years after its initial Japanese release, Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past is still coming to North America and Europe on September 16th, 2016. I’ve been whining about getting this since the remake was announced, and while the game does look like a compelling and enjoyable RPG in its own right, I effectively promised that I would buy this game at launch. Which I will, even though I’ve more or less reduced my 3DS into a Pokemon machine after growing frustrated with some of the design elements, and Nintendo’s refusal to release the regular New 3DS in the west. Yes, I’m still upset about that!
Heck, I haven’t even played my copy of Majora’s Mask 3D because I know it won’t be the most optimal experience. On that note, developer of the 3DS versions of Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask and co-developer of Legend of Legacy, Grezzo, is making an original game entitled Ever Oasis. The game is an action RPG of sorts, centering around a desert town that the main character is tasked with defending and expanding by venturing into the realms of the expansive desert around them while accompanied by an assortment of various party members. A pretty simple premise that manages to look alright, decently fun, and competently crafted, but not the most remarkable thing. Likely due to the rapidly aging hardware of the 3DS. On that note, it is likely that this will be a swansong of sorts for the system when it comes out in 2017.
The other co-developer of Legend of Legacy, Furyu, has been working on a Persona-esque Vita game named Caligula, and as one final announcement from E3, Atlus USA announced that they will be localizing the game with a release window of spring 2017. For those unaware, Caligula is centered around a group of students who have been reliving their high school life for years and eventually decide to rebel against the confines that are keeping them trapped in this world. It actually looks and sounds pretty interesting, and there’s a decent chance that I’ll actually check it out on Vita, as chances are the game’s going to stay there… and die there.
That is all I found to be newsworthy. I sweat, post-conference E3 gets drier and drier every year… Well, I need to add something to elongate this post… here’s my schedule for upcoming game reviews for 2016… along with a tentative schedule for my upcoming novels, novellas, and… a massive project that I’ll maybe get to before I turn 30.