Reopening the Chronicle

Last year's The DioField Chronicle was an interesting look at the tactics genre, and now in 2023, there's more of it in store. The DioField Chronicle is getting a free update in less than a week, adding more features and content to the Chronicle.

The new update for The DioField Chronicle arrives on March 5 at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET. It is free for all owners of The DioField Chronicle, so n????????????????????????????o need to purchase a separate piece of DLC either.

//twitter.com??/DiofieldGame/status/1??630893162976751618

This update includes a new story scenario, dubbed "Wal?taquin's Story." For those who have already played through the game, you can imagine how venturing into Waltaquin's side might be interesting to see.

Additionally,? the update is adding a Very Hard difficulty and Extra Mode difficulty, the latter for New Game+ mode. Also, a new weapon type for Magic Tomes is being added as well. Hopefully, that includes some new abilities and skills for users of Tomes.

You'll need to reach chapter 6 to access all of this, it seems. Story reasons are one thing, but it will probably also help to be familiar with The DioField Chronicle before tackling some of its newer challenges too.

A new chapter

Of the many, many RPGs that Square Enix released last fall, The DioField Chronicle is an odd one. But there's something about its fresh take on strategy and interesting world that's kept it in my mind, months after rolling credits.

So yes, I'm happy to see this game getting a free update and some post-launch additions. Waltaquin's side of the story felt like it was left hanging for future potential, and I'm curious to see where it goes, and if any of this hints at a follow-up. I'd certainly like to see The DioField Chronicle carry forward into another entry.

The free update for The DioField Chronicle arrives on March 5.

The post The DioField Chronicle is getting a? free update with new story and more appeared first on Destructoid.

Even more hell to pay this fall

The animated, lively strategy RPG series Disgaea's latest entry is coming to the west this fall. NIS America announced today that Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless is coming to PC, Switch, PlayStation 5, and PS4 in the west this fa??ll.

In this latest entry, the realm of Hinomoto has fallen under the control of a tyrannical force. Fuji, an "empathy-averse warrior gone astray," and his com??patriot??s will have to band together and take it all back turn-by-turn, square-by-square.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLlk74apf2Q

A bunch of new features are in store for the latest Disgaea, including a special feature called "Jumbificiation." This apparently makes characters really, really big. I certainly?? hope that won't affect my nightmares at all.

Additionally, Item Reincarn?ation looks to add even more reason to grind and upgrade. The A.I. auto-battle function is also seeing an update, which shou??ld be great for all those times you don't want to issue commands yourself.

A demonic strategy

The Disgaea series has always offered a signature blend of stylized, cartoon-y devils and immense replayability. Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless certainly looks to have more of both. The improved auto-battle options especially seem like a boon, given how much of my experience with Disgaea was grinding to make the numbers go up.

This newest Disgaea is already out in Japan, having released on January 26. But it looks like those in the west hopefully won't have to wait longer until this fall, and there are special editions on the NIS store for those who? really want to celebrate a new entry. It will also have both English and Japanese audio available, for ??those who like the option.

Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless arrives on PC, PS4, PS5, and Switch in the west this fal??l.

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Polish rings, fish, cook, and hang out with your wartime pals

A new trailer for Fire Emblem Engage details all the activities you'll be doing outside of combat. Fishing, cooking, training, and more take the spotlight in a lengthy look at the home base activities in Fire Emblem Engage.

The Somniel is a floating home that your protagonist calls their own over the course of Engage. The castle acts as your home base, where characters you've recruited hang ou??t and?? enjoy leisure activities, away from battle.

There are a few different categories of things to do in the Somniel, s??o we'??ll run through them one-by-one.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJrItZRyALY

Getting ready to fight

The first category we see in today's trailer is battle preparation, where many of the activities tie into future battle performance. Alongside the standard item and weapon shop, the Divine One (your protagonist) can also head over to the Ring Chamber to tend to their jewelry. These rings are a core part of Fire Emblem Engage, as they contain the spirit of Fire Emblem Heroes past and can enhance your allies in battle.

We see a good look at some crafting and stat-boosting you can do through creating and melding rings here. There are also skills to inherit, ranging from simple boosters to special traits. Bond Rings act as stat boosting equipment made from fragments, which can be combined and mel?ded for some good number buffs. Plus, you can polish the rings to keep the ring spirits happy.

Characters can duel for experience. A separate area, the Tower of Trials, will let you tackle trial maps for rewards. There's also an option to make and share your own battl?e maps with other players.

Social time

Of course, there are also ways to hang out with the various characters you've recruited in the cam??paign. A café will let you share a me?al with friends, deepening bonds and potentially boosting stats.

Shiny spots also hide items you can gift to allies, in order to build up your support levels. It's a Fire Emblem game, you know there has to be gift-giving and su?pport-enhancing?.

The little things

There a ton of other miscellaneous activities to engage in too. Clothes and accessories for characters can be purchased, to change up your allies' looks. There's a pet dog that just seemed to be part of caring for the Somniel in Fire Emblem Engage, who will give you rewards for giving it lots of attention. And there's a farmyard for animals, like your protagonist is building up their very o??wn Mother Base.

Engage in some fishing, get ??your tarot read, scan amiibo at the amiibo Gazebo for extra cosmetics and music, or work out for a stat boost going into the next fight. Heck, there's even a bizarre wyvern shooter side-game??.

There's really no shortage of things to do in the Somniel, it seems. And when it all gets exhausting, you can take a nap and be woken up by a member of your party. Fire Emblem Engage really seems to be pulling out all the so?cial stops.

The team looks to be adding a lot of home base activities for Fire Emblem Engage. We'll see if it, as well as the battles and more, come together in harmony next month. Fire Emblem Engage is due to launch for Nintendo Switch on January 20, 2023.

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The strategy RPG is making its way to Nintendo's portable console

Tactics fans keep getting more games, and that now includes a surprising port from Aksys Games. Record of Agarest War is making its way to Nintendo Switch in M??arch 2023.

This strategy RPG originally released in? 2007 in Japan, eventually making a western deb?ut on the PlayStation 3 in 2009. It's since been ported to many other platforms and now, years and years later, it pops up again on Nintendo Switch.

You can check out the trailer here:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjCvtrHq0kM

No details have been lis??ted yet about whether this will have any new enhancements or fe??atures.

Generations of war

If you're unfamiliar with Record of Agarest War, it's a strategy RPG with a dating twist. Developed as a collaboration between Compile Heart, Red Entertainment, and Idea Factory, you play as several different pro?tagonists embroiled in conflict.

But the way you navigate through the plot is, well, through generations. As the first protagonist, you can romance and marry one of several party members. Then, your child goes on to be protagonist number 2. This plays o??ut across several generations, with the chosen bride affecting the next hero's stats and aspects of their appearance.

So yes, fans of Fire Emblem: Awakening's child-unit min-maxing might want to take note. This is a bit of a surprise, as Agarest War has been a more niche series in the pantheon of SRPG discussion. But the genre has been surging, with both new titles and remasters of old classics. It looks like Aksys wasn't going to let Agarest War sit on the sidelines for this tactical resurgence?.

The news arrived as part of an Aksys announcement stream, alongside several other game announcements. Cuddly Forest Friends is set to arrive on Switch in 2023, Spooky Spirit Shooting Gallery heads to Switch in summer 2023, and Tengoku Struggle -Strayside- is set for Switch in 2024.

The post ?Record of Agar??est War is coming to Switch next year appeared first on Destructoid.

War and politics in HD-2D

A new trailer for Square Enix's upcoming Triangle Strategy has dropped, detailing all the different facets of gameplay. And from politics and intrigue to blades and magic, it's all a??bout your convictions.

Square Enix's tactical RPG follows Serenoa, a young lord and heir of Wolffort,? living i?n one of the three nations enjoying the peace following an old conflict. Yet his betrothal to Frederica, meant to solidify the peace, ends up giving way to conflict that will ripple across the continent.

This new trailer highlights the story and characters that will join Serenoa on his journey, whom you might have already met while playing the Switch demo earlier this year. The art looks absolutely gorgeous, both in 2D illustration and on the HD-2D plane Square Enix has constructed. Triangle Strategy is carrying forward a lot of Octopath Traveler in its aesthetic, and it's working pretty well.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqv3Es1oJyE

We also get more of a look at Triangle Strategy's combat, which seems like it might scratch that turn-based strategy itch. Battles remind me of Final Fantasy Tactics or Tactics Ogre, while the choice-based narrative looks to creating branching paths and decision?s that will alter your course, both in battles? and in the narrative at large.

Triangle Strategy remains one of my most anticipated games headed into 2022, if only because it's such a strong mix of things I personally enjoy: strategy, style, and political intrigue all rolled into one. And with Square Enix directly addr?essing the concerns and comments from their demo, I'm hopeful this one is going to occupy my Switch's hard drive space for a ??while.

Triangle Strategy will launch for Nintendo Switch on March 4, 2022.

This article has been updated to clarify that Serenoa is heir to Wolffort.

The post New?? Triangle Strategy trailer is full of intrigue and c?ombat appeared first on Destructoid.

Arriving on February 4

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics

The post Here’s an exclusive look at the new Dark Crystal game appeared first on Destructoid.

Yessssss hmmmmmmmmmm

Remember that Dark Crystal game? We sort of heard about it at E3 this year and that?? it would have a vague "2019" release ?date, but like many of those projects that drift into December with a looming window, it's been pushed into 2020.

Announced by way of the PlayStation Blog, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics is coming out on February 4, 2020, on PC, PS4, Xbox One and Switch. Tactics boasts 80 battles as part of a full campaign, with expanded lore for the Gelfling heroes and the world of Thra as a whole. In true SRPG form it'll sport 15 jobs to choose from, which I hope have enough depth ?to keep things interesting for that lengthy story mode New Game+ is also teas??ed.

If you haven't watched the new Netflix serie??s yet: do it. Not only does it show us how lovely practical effects can be in this age of CGI (though there is some of that), it features a host of incredible performances that elevate the project above the "80s comfort food" motif that it gives off at first glance. If you have seen it, make sure you don't miss the "making of" featurette.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics Launches February 4,?? 2020 [PlayStation Blog]

The post That new Dark Crystal strategy RPG will launch in February, well after the Netflix show’s debut appeared first on Destructoid.

'Beyond normal and hard'

There's going to be a lot of Fire Emblem to go around the table after Three Houses launches this year. So we know that Nintendo is releasing DLC that will run? through April 2020, allowing for an already ??long tail. But thanks to a tweet from Nintendo of Europe, we also know that the publisher plans on giving us at least one free update.

According to the tweet, there will be a free DLC update later this year for something "beyond normal and hard mode," that adds "an even harder" difficulty setting to the game. This mode isn't named in the tweet, but "difficult," "lunatic," and "maniac" have been monikers that have described more challenging settings in the past. Typically, these esoteric alterations allow for even more restrictions for players in addition to st??at changes, like an increase in enemy counts and more skills for enemy elites.

As I mentioned in my review, I immediately started a second run of the game with a new house after finishing my first. I replay Fire Emblem games frequently, so the more modes to accom?modate longevity,?? the better.

Nintendo of Europe [Twitter]

The post Fire Emblem: Three Houses will get ‘an even harder mode’ as free DLC later this year appeared first on Destructoid.

Meet Bartek and Hubert

One of the greatest things about Destructoid is its sense?? of community. I've made life-long friends here and meet folks who share the same passion as myself nearly every single day.

Bartek Kubica, who resides in Poland, is one of those people. I came across his Final Fantasy Tactics board game blog last month and was completely enamored. It's not just because Tactics is one of my favorite RPGs of all time: this creation is a masterpie??ce throug??h and through, as it was literally years in the making.

I had the chance to cha?t with Kubica (and his collaborator Hubert) about how this whole process started and what exactly goes into making your own painstakingly accurate tabletop adaptation.

Like a lot of us, Kubica started off early in the world of gaming, but had a particularly early introduction to card games and Dungeons & Dragons. At roughly 13 years old he had a D&D group and even ran his own campaign over time, which he credits as "the basis for deciphering the RPG systems" of his future Tactics game. He studied the rules of games like Magic or the Pokemon card game and saturated everything he could when it came to Warhammer 40K. By the time he started to build his "Ivalice board game" concept, he already had all of the knowledge he needed. Basic custom concepts of Tactics through GameShark m??odding is the only ins?piration he needed to make his own.

But you can have all the knowledge in the world and not actually do anything with it. How long did it take Kubica to make everything from start to finish? "Countless hours over eight years," he replied. "The most important for me was to combine the world known for Tactics, Tactics Advance/A2, Final Fantasy XII, Revenant Wings and Vagrant Story. The idea matured in parts, sometimes I spent whole days creating, writing and noting, and sometimes I let the fermentation of ideas do its work. Along the way the project had some bumps and turns but I never gave up. From the beginning of this project to this day, I think about Ivalice every day and make notes, even when buying groceries." ?We have a bunch of exclusive images Kubica sent over in the gallery below if you haven't seen it yet.

Actually playing it is a lot more intuitive than you'd think. Kubica says you basically create your character by choosing ??a race and you can be on your way. The actual game is played kind of like chess, but with a twist: "Imagine that the figures on the board can not only move horizontally, but also up, they can carry and use weapons, and cast spells. Each pawn has its own class-like job, which determines how many squares it can move, its skills, its life points, and so on." Kubica states that as you go on you can unlock more jobs like the Black Mage and the Dragoon, which are akin to using the bishop or rook in different ways.

There's a custom board, too, representing the varied environments of the Tactics universe. Kubica notes, "Going further along this trail, each fight takes place on a chess board whose fields have different heights and obstacles that I built from polished wood, metal and papercraft and various decorative elements. Characters with their statlines are presented in the fo?rm of character sheets in the program, which calculates their attack strength, hitpoints, chances of hit, stats like that. We, the players, roll dice to see if the action of our characters has been successful and what value will be its attacks or the spell. Of course I changed and added my own rules, for example critical rolls: each action effect can be doubled with a 5% chance."

W??hat sets this adaptation apart is the digital aspect, which Kubica worked on with help from his friend Hubert "Majster" T. Kubica calls this facet "crucial to the smooth gameplay" of his creation, and in the digital era, "it's worth taking advantage of these comforts" to make things better. Hubert chimed in to explain how it all works on the digital end: "Basically, the program, which is called HeroCard, works like an interactive character sheet, and a character or monster is created from scratch (name, race, gender, then initial job and zodiac sign). The program was created to deprive the game of boring aspects, such as calculating statisti??cs."

Hubert wrote it using JavaFX, and has allowed customizations for various HP and MP values as characters evolve, and even "save or load" or "change jobs" options. What's crazy is that they also utilize a subroutine called "Clockticks," which simulates an action bar and can tell which character is going to go next (!). Hubert gave us a visual representation of how it works, which you can view here.

Kubica has played his own game "hundreds of times," and says that there is a solo adaptation, but recommends a larger group for a full campaign run. After being asked if Square Enix should pursue an official tabletop adaptation, Kubica answered with a resounding yes. "I wouldn't be offended if Square Enix asked me to realize this," he half-jests, and says that "Tactics is the perfect opportunity for an adaptation to this day, and I'm surprised why no one ever came up with it." He even has a basic idea of how VR and AR applications could work. After that wistful thought, Kubica ends the interview with his favorite Tactics?? moment and a shoutout to everyone that made this vision possible, which I'll post in full:

"I have many beloved moments from Tactics, such as the beginning, with the phrase 'don’t blame us...blame yourself or god', but the one that was most memorable to me, is when Ramza and Delita played on the blades of grass. [It's such a] sentimental and emotional moment, strongly reverberating in the background of the rest of the game. Yatsumi Matsuno games are masterpieces in both storytelling and mechanics, hence my love Tactics Ogre. The decisions that the player must make and the answers that he must give are etched in the memory of everyone who has experienced this experience. Naturally, I spent many hours with Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, a lighter version for the soul. I really like the hidden gems Ring of Red and Grand Knight History. I want to thank Chris and Destructoid for this opportunity and I want to thank everyone that supports me: above all my lovely Kamila! My family, and my friends, Artur, Hubert, Kuba, Łukasz, Maciek and Piotr. People from PPE: Roger, Enkidou, Mrs. Marta, from Reddit, Raptor team."

A big thanks to you for reading Destructoid!

The post We talked to the two minds behind the killer fa?n ma??de Final Fantasy Tactics board game appeared first on Destructoid.

1.2.0

Just over a month ago Wargroove was unleashed into the world and players immediately took to it. Partly because of the general lack of high profile SRPGs in the current market (Into the Breach comes to mind), but also no doubt due to its Advance Wars aesthetic.

It just got even better too with a large quality of life patch that smooths out some of the game's rough edges. The main event is the checkpoint system, which you can set anywhere and allows you to return to a specif?ic point in a campaign battle after death. The difficulty system is also completely overhauled, with five settings (story, easy, medium, hard, and custom). The game currently defaults to "hard."

Multiplayer also got some huge enhancemen?ts, like the ability to add AI to online games (huge) and nine more co-op maps. General improvements include faster skips (for things like cutscenes) and? reworked menus. In a game where you're going to spend most of your time in menus, that's a welcome fix.

Wargroove is currently available on PC?, Switch and Xbox One. It'll see a PS4 release sometime this year amid a fight from Sony to?? make cross-play as difficult as possible.

Quality of Life Patch [Wargroove]

The post T??actical RPG Wargroove just got a massive quality of life patch appeared first on Destructoid.

Not to be confused with ValKilmera Chronicles, of which we have no copies

Dtoid is the best gaming site around -- no contest! Except this contest. Which is for Valkyria Chronicles 4 for Steam.

Can you believe t?hat, after a month and a half of giving out free games every single day, I haven't given out a single one featuring a dog wearing a hat? And not just any dog -- one that's a trained medic and will r?ush into battle to help fallen soldiers?!

Who's a good boy?! You're a good boy, Ragnarok!

Do the responsible thing and win a free Steam copy of Valkyria Chronicles 4 so you can give Ragnarok treats.

Take it away, SEGA!

A Continent Engulfed in the Bitter Flames of War! Commander Claude Wallace and his childhood friends set out to fight in a desperate war, but bone-chilling blizzards, waves of imperial soldiers, and the godl??ike powers of the Valkyria stand between them and victory.

Game features include:

• A Coming-of-Age Story in a Time of War - Valkyria Chronicles 4 takes place in the same timeframe as the original Valkyria Chronicles, but focuses on a whole new cast o?f main characters. Players will take command of the eager, young Commander Claude Wallace, engineer/heavy weapons?? extraordinaire Riley Miller, hotheaded Darcsen Raz, ice-cold ace sniper Kai Schulen, and more. Together, they will experience the painful realities of war--but will the bonds of Squad E's friendships survive the frozen battlefield?  
• The Next Generation "BLiTZ" Battle System - The part overhead turn-based strategy, part RPG, and part real-time 3^rd person shooter "BLiTZ" battle system returns to the field. New features include an explosive new class called the Grenadier, numerous offensive/defensive battleship ?support options, chances for a unit to have a "Last Stand" action before death, and more. Plus, fight the imperial threat with more units on larger-scale maps than ever before.
• CANVAS Aesthetics - The series' signature hand-drawn visual style is back and overhauled for the newest generation. Inspired by watercolor compositions, the CANVAS Graphics Engine blends visual element?s of reality and imagination to create an expressive world filled with colorful emotions. Watch the journey of Squad E unfold like an interactive painting!
• The Return of a Legendary Composer - The illustrious Hitoshi Sakimoto, original composer of the Valkyria Chronicles series and countless other emotional epics, returns to provide a sweeping orchestral score for Valkyria Chronicles 4.

In addition to being an awesome game, the PC version supports supports 4K resoluti??ons and an u??nlocked framerate. How's that for PC perks?

To enter for your chance to win, comment below telling us your favorite animal trained for combat situations. My flamingo, Eduardo, was a world-renowned martial artist. He exuded confidence and stood for balance in all facets of life. He's the?? only soldier to date to ever win the Pink Heart, the most prestigious award a flamingo can earn. He will be missed.

Our 11 Steam winn??ers will be drawn on Friday, October 5. Make sure you comment using a Dtoid account, and that your profile is up to date with your current email address. If I can't contact you, I can't send our dog medic to come rescue you, and you'll have to stick wit??h Jeff the human. He sucks.

Valkyria Chronicles 4 is available now on Steam, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch.

The post Contest: Win Valkyria Chronicles 4 for Steam appeared first on Destructoid.

A game in the hand is worth two in the digital library

Wanna know what really upsets me? Digital-only titles. I've never been a big fan of digital media, and with the way current consoles are all constantly connected to the internet many developers have gone -- whether willingly or not -- big-time into digital-only. It sucks. ??I miss physical discs and carts.

The kind folks over at PM Studios understand my plight, which is why they've released a physical version of their SRPG collection Mercenaries Saga Chronicles. A?nd they understand your plig??ht of not receiving any free games, so they've given us a copy to give away!

Mercenaries Saga Chronicles is a collection of the Mercenaries Saga games, a tactical SRPG series that first appeared on mobile devices and 3DS. Using a grid to strategically position your allies, you'll bat??tle armies o??f invaders as you swing swords, fire arrows, and hurl magic to get the upper hand in battle. You choices both in battle and outside of it will determine the path your heroes take, and ultimately the ending you receive. This collection includes:

• Mercenaries Saga: Will of the White Lions -- Tells the story of Leon, the comman?der of the White Lions mercenaries. He’s hired to fight against bandits and monsters, but unexpected events draw him into war.
• Mercenaries Saga 2: Order of the Silver Eagle -- Follows Claude, the captain of the Kingdom's Order of the Silver Eagle team. Unable to protect Prince Laz from the poison of an assassin, he sets off on a mission to find t?he antidote.
  
• Mercenaries Saga 3: Gray Wolves of War -- Follows Marion, the commander o?f the Gray Wolves mercenaries. He works with the Kingdom's force?s to deal with the uprising of the Liberation Army.
  

The collection marks the first time that all three games are playable on consoles,?? so don't miss out on your chance to own a copy!

To enter to win, simply comment below telling us the unit you command and your reason to wage war. I am the fearless leader of the Taco Troupe, which has found itself under fire f?rom the dreaded Burrito Brigade. Our war is an endless struggle for culinary supre??macy!

As this is a physical prize, you'll need a United States mailing address to win. Please make su?re you comment from a Dtoid account wh??ich has your current email address on file. Our winner we be drawn on Monday, September 17.

Mercenaries Saga Chronicles is available now from PM Studios in stores and on the Nintendo eShop. Looking for more chances to win? Head over to Nintendo Enthusiast to increase your odds!

The post Gi?veaway: Get your hands on a physical Switc?h cart of Mercenaries Saga Chronicles appeared first on Destructoid.

It ain't The Avengers though

We are creeping ever closer to the release of Disgaea 1 Complete. The remastered 2003 JRPG will be hitting western shores this Fall, and publisher NIS America are popping out videos? ??to whet fans' appetites.

This latest trailer introduces us to heroes Captain Gordon and his "lovely assistant" Jennifer, along with moody rival Kurtis and faithful robot Thursday. They're a pretty unlikely bunch of scamps, but as this trailer's title tells us, they're "Earth's Mightiest?? Heroes". Marvel might want a word with you about that.

Already available in Japan, Disgaea 1 Complete is coming to PS4 and Nintendo Switch on October 9 in North Ameri??ca and October 12 in Europe.

The post Disgaea 1 Complete trailer introduces ‘Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ appeared first on Destructoid.

Celebrating the 15th anniversary of Disgaea

Disgaea is still a big name in the strategy RPG business??, even if it doesn't carry as much weight as it once did. It was pretty much the de facto SRPG for a long, long while, and helped cement NIS' authority as a strategy titan. Over the years they've tried to recreate the raging success of the original, and even went back to its world with a full sequel.

Now they're going back to basics with a remaster, dubbed Disgaea 1 Complete in the west. We were previously in the dark as to when the western version would arrive, but this week at E3 NIS has revealed that Complete will launch on October 9 on both PS4 and Switch with a simultaneous?? release.

"Fall 2018" no more! If you haven't played it yet, now is the time. The original Disgaea is still? one of the craziest, over-the-top video games on the market.

The post The long awaited Disgaea 1 remaster will? launch on October 9 on PS4?? and Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

Instead we got Tactics Advance and A2

Final Fantasy Tactics is generally considered to be one of the best SRPGs of all time. Born out of the 32-bit era, Tactics not only brought Ivalice into the world, the connected universe that's shared by myriad Squaresoft games, but it also helped redefine the entire SRPG space in a post-Tactics Ogre world.

It was popular enough to warrant several ports and even a PSP remake, but its sequels ended up getting sent off to the GBA and DS instead of a proper console. According to its director Yasumi Matsuno though, there was a full sequel slated for the original PlayStation. Dubbed Final Fantasy Tactics 2, the ?project was pl?anned and was even at the point where it had assets (that Matsuno has released).

Unfortunately due to complicati??ons with whether or not to outsource the game and confusion with a swap from 3D to a 2D hexagon-based visual style, the project was canceled. While this isn't the entire story, what's crazy is that Square didn't just...re-create the original with a new narrative? Square has always struggled somewhat capturing lightning in a bottle with followups, and this anecdote helps explain why.

Final Fantasy Tactics [Livedoor via Nova Crystalis]

The post Final Fantasy Tactics director g??ives us a glimpse at the s?equel that never was appeared first on Destructoid.

'Disgaea 1 Complete'

Disgaea 1 Complete is a pretty monumental release for the series, not just in terms of the impact the original made and how it's going to be reintroduced to a new generation, but the fact that it's dropping on PS4 and Switch. Typically NIS chooses one or the other, or toys around with various re-releases (even the original Disgaea saw a port on DS after it arrive??d on PS2 and PSP) rather than a simultaneous one.

All that aside, NIS just gave us the first video footage of Disgaea 1 Complete, and yep, it looks like Disgaea alright. We get a good look at the new art style, as well as a general overview of the strategy RPG madness that the series entails. If you've never played it before it's a ?grid-based SRPG that takes place in one of the craziest, most anime universes ever created. Various follow-ups have ha?d their highs and lows, but folks generally consider the original to be one of the most pure forms of the concept.

Disgaea 1 Complete will arrive earlier in Japan on July ?26, and in the "fall" in th??e west.

The post Here’s the first footage of the Disgaea remake appeared first on Destructoid.

'This fall'

We've heard a fair bit about the Disgaea 1 remake recently, known in Japan as "Disgaea Refine." Like the fact that it's coming this year in the east on PS4 and Switch, or that it features remastered HD? visuals, or that it's getting a shiny new collector's edition that's typical of NIS.

But just this morning NIS America has confirmed that it's coming west "this fall," so everyone will be able to get into the action without having to import it. There wasn't ever really any doubt as Disgaea is their big money maker in the west, but it's nice to know eit?her way.

PS4 and Switch is a pretty nice tandem combo -- NIS typically goes with either Sony or Nintendo when it ?comes to their strategy RPG line.

The post The Disgaea 1 ?remake is coming west ??on Switch and PS4 appeared first on Destructoid.

For PS4 and Switch

NIS has revealed the look for Disgaea Refine, its upcoming remaster of the original Disgaea, set for PS4 and Switch later this year.

You can get a quick comparison shot below between the two visual styles (old and new), and I have to say it looks like a nice little upgrade. NIS explains that they tried to get the look as close to Disgaea 5 as possible. Other than that it's basically the same exact game, offering?? up ridiculous amounts of stuff to do as you attempt to level your party up to 9,999 and reincarnate them for higher bonuses.

There's also going to be a limited edition v??ersion when it hits Japan for 9,200 yen -- which comes with a tear-off deskt??op calendar and a selection of the soundtrack.

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In Japan

Disgaea Refine, the remake of the original and still-beloved Disgaea, is coming soon in Japan. By way of Dengeki PlayStation we now know ?that it's arr??iving on July 26 in the region on both PS4 and Switch. It'll also sport a limited edition SKU with a soundtrack, special box, and a calendar.

I know that despite how many Disgaea iterations that NIS pumps out, folks still find themselves going back to the? original. Although I like just about every entry in its own special way they've been working at re-creating the magic of the original for a while -- and now we're getting a straight remake that'll do just that.

It's hard to settle on a platform, especially since Sony has been its home for so?? long, but recently Nintendo has been giving them a run for their money.

Disgaea [Dengeki PlayStation via Gematsu]

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Confirmed for Japan, likely worldwide in a matter of time

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle came out last August and has already ?dropped a few add-ons by way of its season pass, but ther??e's more DLC to be had if Ubisoft has anything to say about it.

Oddly enough the game isn't even out in Japan yet, and while Ubisoft is handling the publishing in the west, Nintendo is stepping in directly ??for their home region. When that happens it might get the first bit of story DLC alongside of its official launch -- as an intrepid eShop user has ??spotted a release window for the story expansion of June 2018.

There's a lot up in the air at the moment, but al??l signs point to a worldwide story DLC release in June or whereabouts that summer.

Switch Nindies [Twitter]

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More SRPGs!

Over the course of the last few years or so Circle Entertainment dropped a low key series called Mercenaries Saga over the iOS, Android, an??d 3DS platforms. And you know what they say -- the Switch is the new 3DS -??- so naturally it's coming to Switch.

The publisher just announced that the system is getting a brand new version called Mercenaries Saga Chronicles, which inc??ludes all three games for the first time in the west, and the first time the original is on a Nintendo system (it was?? previously just on mobile). As studios scramble to put basically everything in their library on the Switch, owners of the system only continue to benefit.

It's strange to t?hink that just a few months ago studios were hesitant to bring anything to Switch, much less convert Wii U Kickstarter?? promises to it or bring new games to it, but here we are with everyone making a mad dash into this money pit.

Circle Entertainment [Twitter]

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When history and cute girls collide

When a Japanese adult game's?? naughty parts are cut from the console release, there are some instances where it retains its charm. This shows that the product can stand on its own two feet.

After I turned Zipang into the strongest nation in Eiyu*Senki - The World Conquest, the strategy game's amusing take on war and history prov??ed to me that the removal of its sex scenes didn't ruin its quality. Since Steam's guidelines about nudity are different from Japan's CERO rating system, this resulted in JAST USA giving us an edited product that'?s more risqué than Fruitbat Factory's PS3 version.

Eiyu*Senki - The World Conquest (PC [reviewed], PS3, PS Vita)
Developer: Tenco
Publisher: JAST USA, Fruitbat Factory (PS3)
Released: March 30, 2012 (JP PC 18+), September 26, 2013 (JP PS3), May 29, 2014 (JP PS Vita), November 12, 2015 (EU PS3), November 24, 2015 (NA PS3), October 24, 2017 (NA PC 18+), November 10, 2017 (Steam)
MSRP: $29.99 (Steam), $39.99 (PC 18+), $65.00 (PC 18+ Limited Edition), $90.00 (PC 18+ Collector's Edition)

From beginning to end, the idea of Eiyu*Senki focusing on the player declaring war on different nations for? a good cause was amusing in its own right. During the journey, you'll come across the cast and their enemies making fun of each other before they exchange blows. It helps that the silly aspects are established in the beginning, which involves the main heroine, Himiko, being introduced as a klutz going up against a female version of Nobunaga. The??n it breaks into a fish-out-water story about the lead, Chihaya, ending up in the game's world.

Since his purpose in the story is for the player to insert themselves into the game, the lead acts as a decent aspect to balance the zany cast. The other thing that made him stand out is that his origin ended up being different from other trapped-in-another-world titles. Even though the reveal was a nice surprise, it didn't save Eiyu*Senki's serious story beats from being weak.

Despite the comedy and cast being Eiyu*Senki's strong points??, a decent chunk of its major events wasn't on the same level. Part of it was due to pacing issues since ther??e are huge gaps between the serious bits and the game's other aspects. In certain cases, there were entertaining gags to accompany some of the scenes where characters explained things. As the endgame segments led to some wonderful moments, my bond with the gang made the final obstacles feel worthwhile. I guess it's thanks to the title giving you the chance to know your entire army well.

During my review-in-progress, I covered a few of my favorite alternate female historical figures' silly quirks and habits. Another one that came off as random was Ivan the Terrible being in an S&M relationship with Rasputin. Thanks to these silly moments, I was interested in seeing the types of characters that pop up during the war segments. Since we spend a majority of the game with them, it helps that Oyari Ashito's (Littlewitch Romanesque's Art) desig??ns are adorable, alon?g with having some warm color palettes.

Other than the war-related missions, you can learn more about your allies through bonding events. The rewarding part about them is that your units learn new skills from these segments. Since they can be done before you enter a battle, they serve as a nice activity for those who want to conquer the world at a steady pace. If you try to go through every scene, it can take around 50 hours to conquer Eiyu*Senki's lands.

Eiyu*Senki's turn-based battles play out in a basic manner since they feature minimal animations and simple commands. While its mechanics remain the same, the other features add more depth to the game. Each unit can only participate in a fight once, so players have to set up different teams when they attack a region's cities. Then you have to ?worry about your opponents getting stronger while you're at odds with them, which is an effective way to keep players alert.

With money playing a role in making your troops stronger, this format complements the game's focus on conquering other lands. Your team's strengths and weaknesses are based on their fighting style, which helps end confrontations faster. However, things can go bad in an instant since most units are vulnerable to more than one equipment type. Depending on the location, you might get the chance to trigger special events where you can take over an area quicker than expected, such as finding the shortcut to the leader's base. A??ll in all, these systems work great in adding variety to the fights, along with making your actions feel risky.

As I got close to every girl in the game, I only saw a few images with nudity. While I came across three segments where the sex scenes were cropped to look softcore, the majority of them were implied through dialogue appearing on a black screen. The other parts that showed off the goods were in pictures with perverted stuff that falls into the M rating. For those who'd prefer to play it on Steam with the uncut visuals, there'??s an official adult patch that's available on JAST's Website. While you have to pay for it, it's nice that total price of the edited game an?d the extra update is cheaper than buying the company's uncensored English release.

In terms of the game's score, they went well with themes ?present in each segment. When you reach the title screen, you're presented with a catchy tune that mixes bagpipes with orchestrated music as they prepare you for the silly tone. I found it interesting that Tenco used a relaxing vacation-like song for the map theme since it keeps you focused while you decide between declaring war on a nation and spending time with on??e of your units. Also, it was refreshing to see that the battle theme is based on the nations you face.

Eiyu*Senki's main story may have been its weakest link, but its large assortment of characters managed to steal the show. Throughout my quest to rule the world, it felt like I was going through an enjoyable harem anime series. Combined with its management features that put you in intense situations, there's plenty of content to keep things entertaining on the battlefield. With the Steam version having a bi?t of nudity, this release is perfect for those who don’t mind fan service but can't stand 2D sex scenes.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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All is fair in love and war

Whenever a game lets the player pick a romantic partner, there's a chance they'll engage with other peo?ple in a debate over who's the best candidate. If your oppo?nent disagrees with you, then their reply will contain the s-word and your favorite character in the same sentence. Of course, this confrontation can happen with other mediums.

The romance strategy title, Eiyu*Senki - The World Conquest, may not bring an end to this conflict, but you got to give it props for letting the player partake in a harem. While its sex scenes were cut in the Steam release, this version shows more goods than its all-ages PS3 port from 2015.

Eiyu*Senki - The World Conquest (PC [reviewed], PS3, PS Vita)
Developer: Tenco
Publisher: JAST USA, Fruitbat Factory (PS3)
Released: March 30, 2012 (JP PC 18+), September 26, 2013 (JP PS3), May 29, 2014 (JP PS Vita), November 12, 2015 (EU PS3), November 24, 2015 (NA PS3), October 24, 2017 (NA PC 18+), November 10, 2017 (Steam)
MSRP: $29.99 (Steam), $39.99 (PC 18+), $65.00 (PC 18+ Limited Edition), $90.00 (PC 18+ Collector's Edition)

Without the adult content, Eiyu*Senki is left with its silly premise about Zipang (Japan) taking over the world. The random part about this objective is that it's meant to help everyone ove??rcome a disaster. With the setting being in a realm where every historical figure is a woman, I felt like I was going through a cheesy war-themed ??harem anime.

Each character is amusing, and the concept of nations becoming close friends after a war contributes to its campy tone. The cast may exhibit signature tropes found in the harem genre (such as the girls who fight over the guy and the one who acts like a sister figure to the protagonist), but the?ir traits go well with the story. My favorite moments include Lancelot being a foodie who wants?? to try every area's signature dish, along with Marco Polo's obsessive crush on Kublai Khan.

Management plays an important role in fights as you alternate between attacking territories and defending your own. The battles play out in a turn-based manner, with your unit's strength and their position determining the outcome. All in all, their basic format works well in keeping people engaged since you need to have multiple parties for each scenario. If you decid??e to take on the large nations first, then you're given better items for taking a huge risk. Thanks to this option, my quest for world domination felt more rewarding.

Unlike the PS3 port, this release contains illustrations filled with uncensored breasts. However, there are some images in Eiyu*Senki's early segments where the characters a??re covered up, such as a scene where a girl has candle&?nbsp;wax on her nipples. Since I came across the uncut pictures later in the game, Steam's policies likely played a role in the edits being made.

At the moment, I managed to conquer Asia, Macedonia, and the Americ??as' major cit??ies. From the looks of it, I have a bit to go before the world is mine. As the game begins to reveal more things about the true enemy, I'm interested in seeing if the narrative's serious parts are on the same level as its comedic segments.

_{[This review-in-progress is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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Alive and kicking!

Earlier this year, the Valkyria franchise was in a bad state with the release of Valkyria Revolution, which released to poor scores and some of the worst sales in the history of the franchise. It seemed like it was about to be laid to rest, among the numerous IPs in the Sega graveyard, despite t?he success of the re-release for the original game. However, it would appear that those fears were for nothing, ?as the company has announced the next main entry in the franchise will be deploying in 2018.

Oh, and also that it will be coming to all ?major? consoles instead of just Sony consoles.

Many features of what made people fall in love with the original will be returning in the newest installment. Hitoshi Sakimoto, the composer for the series and other works such as Final Fantasy XII, will be in charge once again for the orchestral soundtrack. The CANVAS graphics engine will be returning as well and overhauled fo?r the new generation of consoles, providing the distinctive visuals the series is known for. H?owever the biggest confirmation is the new features to the battle system, such as a new Grenadier class, a "Last Stand" action before a units death, along with promises of larger-scale maps than ever before.

There is one curious absence from the announcement trailer however. While the game was confirmed for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, there is no announcement of a PC port. Which is a shocker, as what numbers can be found indicate it sold just over 900 thousand units, and can be partly attributed to the revival of the franchise interna????tionally.

That being said, I'm just happy to have more Valkyria Chronicles. It's one of the few franchises that I can say I double dipped on, buying the PlayStation 4 port despite having the PC version. Hopefully it lives ?up to the original game, which I consider to be one of my favorite games of all time.

The post Valkyri?a Chronicles 4 announced for 2018, coming to PS4, Switch, Xbox One appeared first on Destructoid.

Best Match, anyone?

Back when Bandai Namco announced Kamen Rider City Wars for the Android and iPhone, the trailer didn't reveal how it would play. Than??kfully, their second ??video confirms that it's a mix between a strategy RPG and a beat 'em up.

Aside from battling grunts and monsters as your favorite Riders, you'll get to build your own city. Of course, this feature grants the heroes different benefits. While the whole thing looks decent, the game deserves props for letting players listen to every Kamen Rider opening theme for free.

Since I started watching Kamen Rider Build, I was happy to hear "Be the One" during the new trailer. If Robo Panda Z's favorite Kamen Rider Gaim character, ?Oren Pierre Alfonso/Kamen Rider Bravo, isn't playable, then this game is worthless. In all seriousness, we'll have to see if its roster goes ?beyond the main Riders.

Second PV for Kamen Rider City? Wars Released with Additio??nal Information [Daisuki Toku]

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This isn't a prank

Ever since the strategy RPG Makai Kingdom came into existence, we were in??troduced to an extra character named Asagi, the main heroine of an upcoming game. Instead of receiving her own project, she continued to make ??cameo appearances in a majority of Nippon Ichi Software's titles. Of course, her predicament became a running gag.

Right when things seemed hopeless for Asagi, the company gave her the chance to shine. Unfortunately, her title, Makai Wars, is on Android and iOS. Since the game went from a PSP project to a PS3 title be??fore its mobile form, the whole thing feels like a cruel joke.

Based on Makai Wars' first screenshot, it might become the Fire Emblem Heroes of the Disgaea series. If the franchise's priceless humor is present, I co??uld see Asagi's situation being one of the title's highlights. In the meantime, we'll have to see if this thing will actually come out. Either way, it's going to be awhile before we recover from this news since the wai?t was too long.

Makai Wars announced for iOS, Android [Gematsu]

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His name is Scrumptious

I’ve been a big fan of The Behemoth ever since I first played Castle Crashers. I was familiar with their Newgrounds content, but never really took the plunge until the genre defining beat-'em-up la?nded on Xbox Live Arcade in 2008. It was almost revelatory in how good that game was, along with having a plain colorful and hilarious art style. I immediately became a fan and eagerly waited for their next release.

BattleBlock Theater took quite awhile to hit the 360, but I eventually ended up grabbing it and loving that game, as well. The Behemoth has such wild creativity and reckless disregard for established conventions that it seems like everything they craft is gold. Pit People looked to be more of the same, at le??ast from an aesthetic standpoint.

When I gave the game a shot at RTX this weekend (s?omehow missing it at PAX this?? past March), I can’t say I walked away from the single-player portion all too excited. The multiplayer, though, is a totally different beast and definitely has the hallmarks of another instant classic.

While previous Behemoth games have dealt with action-oriented games, Pit People shifts genres entirely to become an SRPG. This is a game very much in the vein of Fire Emblem or Advance Wars, just without the severe punishments of permadeath or the overwhelming tactical depth of commander powers. Pit People is sort of a more complicated game of rock-paper-scis??sors that features a healer who is a c?upcake.

The wonderful lunacy of the artists at The Behemoth shines through with these character designs, even if some are repeated from past efforts. Their specific brand of simplified facial design and potty humor is all present and accounted for, as well as the vocal styling of Will Stamper (voice of Hatty Hattington in BattleBlock Theater) making a return as an overly pissed off a??nnouncer.

There is also some incredible music to keep you occupied as you deliberate your movements. Seeing as how the game is an SRPG, you’ll plan out your characters' movements to then be enacted upon hitting go. You move pieces around a grid like a tabletop RPG and the game does behind-the-scenes ca??lculations to determine who is attacking what, on what grid, and for how much.

I suppose it isn’t the most in-depth system around, or even the most logical, but it helps to balance out the various? types of units you’ll take control of. I didn’t get an exact understanding of the different strengths and weaknesses, bu things like helmet-clad characters will have higher defense against blunt weapons and ranged fighters will be exceptionally weak to up-close confrontation.

The battlefields, themselves, can also feature ?obstacles that can hinder or help you, based on the positioning of your characters. You might need to flee from an opponent's oncoming juggernaut, for instance, but the shortest path is through a spike trap. Do you risk the small bit of damage to escape, or shift around to try and get behind your enemy or even run to the aid of your healer? It can become very complex against a human opponent, which is where I feel the game truly shines.

The campaign is fun, don’t get me wrong, but it mostly works for its sense of humor. Like I mentioned earlier, your healer is a cupcake and one of the side-quests I encountered had me saving his cupcake friend. The enemy leader was the birthday boy and he had stolen my cupca?ke’s friend as a gift to himself. I had to advance onto him through his army to prevent him from eating the other cupcake. What the hell did I just wri??te?

Still, from the short demo I played, the computer AI doesn’t seem all too bright. I’m also not sure, exactly, how the overworld map works. You can free?ly move around and even avoid battles, but since the game features traditional RPG leveling, you’d want to engage in those skirmishes. The pacing, through, can slow to a crawl as you meticulously try and plot out where you’re moving, what quests you’??re trying to complete, and how you can get around foes on the overworld screen.

In multiplayer, though, you just get straight into the batt??le and need to put on your thinking cap against a perso??n just as intelligent as you. Even though I had only put in roughly 30 minutes of game time, I had an epicly close battle with someone due to our basic understanding of the rock-paper-scissors style combat.

It was a wild time trying to chase down his heavy, grunt-spewing unit while I was avoiding spike traps and moving my archer out of harm's way. The turn-based nature of the game never even became a factor because I got to engage with the player either via smack talk or even suggestions on move?s. It was great to have that element of discussion going while waiting for my turn to commence.

You just don’t get that from the single-player, though I’m guessing that may be due to me starting in a tutorial. Even so, I’m perfectly fine with Pit People being yet another Behemoth game that excels at its multiplayer element, because even Castle Crashers and BattleBlock Theater were much more enjoyable with buddies.

So while the fact that Pit People isn’t an act?ion-based game might scare you, don’t be worried. The Behemoth’s peculiar style of game making still shines through in every facet of this new title. In a lot of ways, this is the best multiplayer experience they’ve crafted thus far. I’m eager to see if the rest of the game can hold up.

The post Pit People has some exceptional multip??layer and a ta??lking cupcake appeared first on Destructoid.

Now 50% less game-breaking!

“We need ??????????????????????????wealth and power,” my huskarls would say. “Those with po??wer are meant to be feared. Take what is yours.”

“No, I will not spread this ??negative, derogatory stereotype of Vikings that will inevitably reflect upon us in popular media!” I replied. “We will be kind Viking??s. We will build alliances. We will trade.”

Suddenly, the day was upon us. A new w??orld, a strange new people. “We come in peace, to build alliances and trade with your leaders,” I decl?ared.

Long story short, about half an hour later I had sacked? their convent and punched all their nuns. See? I p?unched them, not stabbed them.

Behold Hildiridr ?Mæginbjarna??rdottir, the kindest goddamn Viking.

Expeditions: Viking (PC)
Developer: Logic Artists
Publisher: Logic Artists
Released: April 27, 2017
MSRP: $29.99 

Back when Expeditions: Viking released, I painted it as a fun, but deeply flawed title – flawed in that it was so bugg?y I couldn't actually finish it. While a number of bugs remain, enough have been fixed that I can finally render judgment upon the game in its entirety – just as the characters are ever-so constantly judging you.

Your father is very deceased, having perished across the sea while exploring Britannia, and the position of Thegn (Thane) falls to you. While most respect you personally, the shadow of your incompetent father looms large, and everyone from drunken cousins (now deceased and/or exiled) to the Big Bad next door (innocu?ously named Skule Skullcleaver) views you and your land as easy pickings. This forms the impetus for the campaign – whether you're off to trade with Britannia (like I arguably set out to do) or plunder it ??(like I arguably set out to do), the clock to save your territory is always looming overhead.

There's a lot to take in with Viking. I can't really tell you how long it runs, because I'm not sure how much time I spent playing the core game, and how much time I spent clicking around the map on barrels and boxes, totally ignoring the truly lovely visuals and attempts to engage me in favor of finding one more hit of honey – that mead isn't going to craft itself.

Some of the most engaging quests are those concerning religions and superstitions. Expeditions: Viking is a historical title, but the lines between fairy tale and reality can blur as beliefs guide (or blind) the eyes of the populace. Are people disappearing due to giants, ??or more mundane reasons? What's the deal with the cult of heathens in the woods? Are there really spirits inside that burial mound demanding sacrifices? It sure beats quests like “kill the wolves,” “kill the bandit,” o?r “find out if that guy really stole that pig.”

Yes, that's a quest. Yes, yes he did. There isn't even an option to steal the pig for yourself.

When you finish up ?preparations in Denmark, you set off for Britannia in your mighty longship – my own being aptly and accidentally named the MINE – for adventure, plunder, and main storyline pro?gression. There I found that, despite some intense religious and oddly-brief language differences (it's like Star Trek!), people weren't all that different from my own. Namely, they still ex??pected me to solve their problems for?? them, and this often ends in bloodshed; it's not even always my fault (It's often my fault)!

While there are no curveballs thrown during the course of the game – no matter who you side with, it all follows roughly the same progression – the way in which the story and characters react to your decisions make up for the lack of surprises. There may not always b?e rewards or consequences for something you've done, but the actions you've taken are constantly referenced. While the immediate plotlines are only rarely affected by past decisions (?You're railroaded pretty hard), my choices to spare individuals and brutal??ly stab others came up quite frequently. I think this may have been a sore spot with the Northumbrians, who found themselves more frequently on the latter end of things.

When you're not exploring new places, breaki??ng barrels, and punching clergy for their gold, you'll be traveling the overworld map. Between the major landmarks are camping spots, with different levels of food, security, and shelter. This functions as a minigame where you assign tasks like guarding and hunting to increase security and food (but depletes the wildlife), as well as practical tasks like turning herbs into medicine, using that medicine to heal wounds and illness (this ha??ppens constantly), and repairing or crafting items.

Initially, camping is a worthwhile side-activity; many camps are occupied, meaning you'll have to kill or beat up the current occupants so you can rest and eat (your rations, not the former occupants). It also serves to break up the monotony of travel. However, it will quickly turn tedious. Good camping spots are rare (and usually waste time to reach), the computer usually picks inefficient routes to your destination, and for the life of me, I can't understand why I can??'t sleep, eat, or heal in towns. Wouldn't I heal faster in a warm bed than camped in the middle of a swamp? For that matter, your bodily functions seem to pa??use when you're on your longship, so the moment you step onto solid land, your party is hit with days or weeks of fatigue and hunger.

Desp?ite all the talk of choices and? role-playing, I can't emphasize enough that Expeditions: Viking is a tactical strategy game at heart. There are plenty of situations where you can talk your way out of combat, but this is not a forgiving time period we're talking about. You'll be ambushed in the streets, people will frequently fight you simply for the sake of doing so (you do have some really nice stuff, I don't blame them), and there are simply a great deal of quests that can't be resolved with a silver tongue - or silver, for that matter.

Once you're in combat, ??up comes the familiar hex-combat, but you're stuck standing pretty much wherever you were, so I hope you got a good spot. When the enemy goes first, this usually means your protagonist or healer will go down in the first round, because you were??n't able to hide them behind y?our shield-bearers. The system is based around the ridiculous power of archery, countering them with shields, and breaking through those with axes, but you've got?? lots of tools at your disposal. My personal favorite was Leadership, which allowed teammates to move faster and strike again, and really any skill or item that let me set? things on fire, regardless of its effectiveness.

Early on, you can get by pretty well just smashing everyone's faces in and going through shields li??ke they're tissue paper, but at some point, quite abruptly, equipment and AI tactics catch up to you. At that point, it becomes a matter of using that giant pile of skills efficiently, and it's really quite satisfying to set up a team combo. A particular favorite was to use Taunt to lure archers in from afar, where my melee units would get free whacks (often decapitating them). You are able to fail a number of missions and the game will keep going, but ??where combat is involved, your failure usually means reloading, you being dead and all.

So how?? about those bugs from before? Since my original review, a number of patches have resolved game-breaking bugs, fixing problems from the very beginning of the game to the very end. A number of missing UI errors have been cleaned up, and, most noticeably, I can actually finish the game! However, I cannot guarantee that there aren't more to be found, since I didn't replay it from the beginning – I've done more than enough Q?A testing for Viking, thank you.

Of the enduring bugs I experienced, the worst is one that effectively di?sables camping. Camping still works, but all of the status messages disappear, forcing you to guess at what you're doing. Logic Artists seems to have reduced its frequency of occurrence down from 100% to something much rarer??, but when it does crop up, it's time to quit/reload/perform arbitrary tasks to try and fix it (I still haven't figured out what does the trick).

Do y??ou know who this character is? Neither do I! This person, and many others like her, just seem to pop into my game unannounced during random encounters, then disappear forever. Maybe I brought along some baggage carriers I was unaware of, but I don't rec??all packing any archetypes in my longship.

Expeditions: Viking has been as much of a trial as it? has been an adventure. It desperately needed even another month in developmen?t to work out the kinks in its system, and even now (a monthish later), it has its share of problems. Despite that, it's damnably endearing. The story's morally gray, fantasy-free atmosphere is refreshing, with a great sense of humor. Add to this a visceral, varied, if somewhat unbalanced combat system, and the result is something I look forward to playing through again in the future... assuming it works.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Expeditions: Viking appeared first on Destructoid.

Out on May 19 in Europe

Have you taken our Disgaea 5 Complete quiz yet? Well, you should!

If you don't have time for it (or maybe scored something in the neighborhood of? 25-74) you can check out the demo instead, which is now live on the North American eShop. Yep, just North America for now, as the European demo isn't scheduled to go live until May 19.

Or you could just use the magic of cross-regional accounts and create a North American profile right now to do??wnload it ??for free. The actual game will ship on May 23 in the US if the demo does grab you.

It should! It's a great SRPG, and since most Disgaea games are only tangentially related (if at al?l) you can dive right in without having played any previous iterations.

The post Disgaea 5 Complete demo now live on th??e Switch eShop appeared first on Destructoid.

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Your father is dead, pretty much everyone wants your territory, and your only allies are in the mysterious lands across the seas. You're forced to kill your cousins at your father's remembrance for their impudence, and forgiving their uncle for his ignorance will damn you in the eyes of your people. Expeditions: Viking developer Logic Artists wastes no time in emphasizing that your normal fantasy-style RPG morality need not apply here. Certainly, there is a peaceful route to be had, but th?e time period – and Vikings as a whole – are not known in popular culture for their peaceful and loving ways, and one may need to be cruel to be kind.

Unfortunately, a vast array of (hopefully soon resolved) pre-release bugs and an endless stream of patches has prevented me from finishing my journey of conquest (or “trade&rdq?u?o;) before its release, but there's still plenty to talk about this sequel (and precursor) to Expeditions: Conquistador.

Expeditions: Viking (PC)
Developer: Logic Artists
Publisher: Logic Artists
Released: April 27, 2017
MSRP: $29.99

Your titular character is whatever you make of it, and it's easy to be overwhelmed once you hit the character creation screen. I am reminded strongly of Wasteland 2, where a limited number of choices, aesthetically, leads to a complicated statistics/skills chart. Here, it's taken a step further, with upwards of a hundred active and passive skills. At a loss, I picked the “Leader” preset, making my character incredibly strong, endlessly charismatic, fairly perceptive, kind of squishy, and a goddamn butterfingers. Seriously, I couldn't get a critical hit if the enemy threw themselves onto my sword (my chosen weapon, alongside a sturdy shield and a variety of support buffs). Are the presets perfect? No, but they give you a pretty solid idea of what skills and statistics comple??ment each other. 

Viking appears to be broken in?to two campaigns; your initial setting in Denmark, and across the seas in Britannia, each with a strict time limit. The former can be thought of as a surprisingly lengthy tutorial; building your longship, filling out your crew, and righting wrongs… or causing additional wrongs, probably because they're in the way of something shiny. You'll need a ?lot of those shiny things (represented by the “valuables” commodity) to make up for any situation wh?ere stabbing doesn'?t work.

Despite what I just said, a surprising amount of the game can be resolved directly through being a genera??l dick to everyone you meet, then stabbing them. It even seems to be fairly profitable – churches in particular are quite vulnerable to the ol' “stab and grab,” but when your goal is to make allies as much as earn wealth (It does seem that outright conquering may be an option), there are times you ??have to play along. There are also times the game outright makes you play a?long, just to make sure you don't muck it up.

If you do choose to play along, there are a lot of quests as you progress. So far, I have never felt overwhelmed by sidequests, but while the lords acknowledge me as a powerful foreign dignitary, everyone else says, “Oh, a Viking. Can you go stab this guy for me? I'll give you this item.” It seems even in a historical RPG, I'm solving everyone's problems for them, with some being legitimately involving, and some being tedious busywork, but in all cases, smartly and often wittily-written. The main quest-lines I've explored have been thematically interesting, but involve a great deal of going from Point A, to Point B, and repeating this extensively. While they remain enjoyable, the constant backtracking really slows things down.

Overworld movement drops the hex tiles of Conquistador entirely, and navigation is fairly simple, although the camera does like to reorient itself anytime a screen load happens. Like any good Western RPG, the key feature is less about finding quests and more about findin??g items that don't belong to you – I feel like an inordinate amount of my time has been spent breaking open barrels and crates for the various crafting and trade resources. These lootables are scattered across gorgeously-created landscapes and villages, and?? when you're done smashing everything for tar and rope and iron, it's all just lovely to look at.

Once in combat, those tiles come right bac??k, and you're popped into a fairly traditional turn-based strategy system??. Your melee attacks will always hit, while ranged attacks, which are even more powerful, are tempered by a more traditional percent??age-based system. I personally found all of t?he weapons to be useful, but the structure seems to be based around a rock/paper/scissors counter system: You need axes to beat shields, shields to beat bows (and slings), and bows to beat everything else. Thrown into the mix are blessings of the Norse gods, witchcraft poisons, tripwires and caltrops, and Christian guilt (really) to mix things up. Skills are earned so quickly, it's a while before you very suddenly realize your en?emies have advanced to a point where you desperately require every one of those skills to survive. Unlike Conquistador, failure does not appear to be an option.

When it works, the combat is satisfying and possesses a great deal of impact, heads and arms flying with each critical. I'm still running into a lot of problems that sully this experience. When you run into combat from the overworld (say, ambushed in town), the enemy will go first. There are no formations, so your leader is in front. By the end of the first round, your leader will be dead?. During a particular boss fight, this lack of ability to pick formations meant my leader or chief damage dealer were tak??en out immediately.

There are also currently a great number of crashes and bugs. I cannot possibly list for you every one of them I have run into; at a certain point, I've started to feel less like a reviewer and more like a QA tester. Characters will be missing from scenes, descriptions routinely missing from the UI and the game. A particular fight took me two hours because they kept using fire arrows, and extensive fire particles seem to crash the game (ruining my favorite item, the fire pot). Other fights had me win, simply because the AI forgot to spawn.

The game has an extensive morale system, where your choices affect the moods of your hird (your party), based on their ethical standings. Your character is a self-insert, and?? should always have great morale – they're the Thegn, the leader of your people!

My morale is -8. The normal cap is -5. I dro??p t??o enemy mental attacks like a sack of potatoes. Anglo-Saxon potatoes!

Logic Artists seems genuinely interested in fixing these?? bugs, even if many of them continue to be present for launch today. Ideally, the game will continue to be patched as I make my way towards the end. While I've enjoyed my time with Expeditions: Viking so far, despite its problems, there is still much to see, many to meet, and at leas??t one more church to loot??.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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