Swery65, the creator of D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die and Deadly Premonition has left Access Games. Hidetaka Suehiro has been having some health problems over the last year and it seems that it has finally taken a toll on him. However his health condition is improving and he plans to get back to game development after he recovers.

Swery65 announced he was leaving the firm on Twitter. “Day 360, unfortunately I retired from Access Games after all. However don’t worry, because my health condition is getting [to] be fine. Love you!”

Last November, the developer announced he had to put his career on hold because he had been diagnosed with reactive hypoglycemia. Now that he has parted ways with Access Games, it’s unclear just what the man’s plans are or when those might take shape. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments section below.

I hope I will be back. Because I AM "SWERY65". #SWERISM #lifeisbeautiful https://t.co/BMwRup99qi

— Hidetaka SWERY SueHERO (@Swery65) October 31, 2016

Hidetaka “SWERY″ Suehiro has announced that he will be “taking a short break from game development” due to health concerns. The developer behind Deadly Premonition and D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die revealed that he is suffering from reactive hypoglycemia on the Access Games blog.

“I’m already slow enough at making games as it is, and I feel like all I ever do is make my fans wait…But I’ve decided that I need to take a rest here, so that I can hopefully continue to make games in the future.

“When I recover from my illness, I’m going to do my best to make games that are better and more awesome than ever before! Please keep cheering Access Games on!”

Suherio has always shown his passion for game design, even if his off-beat experiences garner mixed reactions from all. We wish him a speedy recovery and await his return to the industry.

Capcom’s Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition is now available for PS4, Xbox One and PC worldwide, bringing the 2008 action adventure title to current gen consoles. Of course it’s a remastered version of the original game handled by Access Games which brings 1080p visuals and a 60 FPS frame rate along with a whole smattering of new characters to play as. You can check them all out below.

Along with Dante and Nero, players will have a chance to play as Trish, Lady and even Vergil, each with their own unique attacks and combos. Trish makes use of Sparda, the ancient demonic sword, along with her dual pistols; Lady relies on handguns, machine guns and her own bazooka/grappling hook; and Vergil brings Yamato and his own brand of spells to combat.

What are your thoughts on Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition and will you be picking it up for consoles? Let us know in the comments below.

Swerey’s eccentric D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die, which released on Xbox One last year, and gained a cult following, finally releases on PC next week, and ahead of its launch, publisher Access Games has gone ahead and posted a list of the DLC that will be available for the title, along with the accompanying price tags.

The DLC will include everything, from in game costumes and items, to deluxe luxury items such as a digital art book, and a voice over script. It’s also mostly reasonably priced, so no one should find any cause to complain. The full list is:

• Swery’s Special Brew: Variety Pack (Lager, Ale, Stout DLC) DLC – $2.99
• D4 Digital Art Book DLC – $4.99
• D4 Voice Over Script DLC – $4.99
• Mini Soundtrack (four songs) – $3.99
• D4 DLC Pack (includes the aforementioned DLC) – $15.99
• D4 Deluxe Pack (includes game + aforementioned DLC) – $29.99
• SWERY Fan Outfit Pack (Coffee) DLC – $0.99
• SWERY Fan Outfit Pack (Tequila) DLC – $0.99

D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die releases on Steam, GoG, and Humble next week for $14.99. Stay tuned for more coverage.

Access Games’ D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die has finally been dated for the PC. After selling 1.3 million copies on Xbox One, the unorthodox adventure title will be releasing on June 5th for PC, according to director Hidetaka Suehiro on Twitter.

D4 on the PC will offer quite the number of differences from the Xbox One version. Aside from running at 1080p resolution and 60 FPS, it will include all previously release DLC as in-game content. Controls have been changed to accommodate mouse support, effectively removing Kinect from the equation during quick time events. You can also acquire all the DLC costumes and accessories like facial hair in-game itself.

A second season for D4 will also be arriving in the coming days so there’s plenty more for fans on both platforms to look forward to. What are your thoughts on D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more information.

We already knew that D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die was coming to the PC, thanks to game developer, SWERY. Now we have our first few screenshots of the PC version of the game, as well as the system specs. Porting a game like D4 from the Xbox One to the PC takes a little extra work because the controls that relied on the Kinect have to be removed. Access Games also says it has made controlling the game using a mouse and keyboard possible.

The user interface has been tweaked and the ability to change the PC settings has been added. The company says that 60 fps is possible, though that is going to depend on whether or not your computer can handle the settings needed to approach that output. The company also said it is going to bring faster loading times and a number of bug fixes to the PC port.

Here’s the recommended system specs:

• OS: Windows 7 64-bit edition or Windows 8 64-bit edition.
• CPU: Intel Core i7 4770K @ 3.5GHz or AMD CPU or equivalent.
• Memory: 8GB RAM.
• Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 or AMD Radeon HD 7850 (VRAM 2GB).
• Display: Supports 1920×1080 resolution.
• DirectX: DirectX 11.
• Hard Disk: Hard disk with 20GB of free space.
• Sound Card: DirectX 11 compatible sound card.
• Other: Keyboard and mouse required. Compatible with Xbox Controller using XInput.

And the minimum system requirements:

• OS: Windows 7 64-bit edition or Windows 8 64-bit edition.
• CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 @ 2.83GHz or AMD CPU or equivalent.
• Memory: 6GB RAM.
• Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 or AMD Radeon HD 6870 (VRAM 1GB).
• Display: Supports 1280×720 resolution.
• DirectX: DirectX 11.
• Hard Disk: Hard disk with 10GB of free space.
• Sound Card: DirectX 11 compatible sound card.
• Other: Keyboard and mouse required. Compatible with Xbox Controller using XInput.

Check out some new screenshots that also got released today and tell us what you think.

D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die creator SWERY made fans of the game a little happier today when he confirmed that his game is going to be coming to the PC. Previously the game was an Xbox One exclusive. While SWERY had talked about before about offering D4 on other platforms, the fact that it was actually published by Microsoft seemed to severely limit what those platforms might be.

Last month, he seemed to also tease gamers by showing his creation off on the PC at GDC. When he unveiled that particular build he was clear that it had been made specifically for GDC but as previously pointed out by us, he wasn’t exactly coy about his desires to eventually bring the game to the computer.

SWERY made the announcement in the only way that anyone should expect to make the announcement. He took to Twitter to answer a fan’s question and did indeed answer that question with a short, sweet and to the point answer with just a bit of snark at the end. “Yes. D4 will be release for PC. ”

In the past, SWERY hasn’t been shy to voice his displeasure about the rollout of D4 on the Xbox One. He felt as if Microsoft didn’t trumpet the game enough, instead just issuing a short statement that it had officially arrived. One has to wonder if he might get a little more fanfare for the upcoming release for the PC version. As of now, there is no information on when D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die might hit the PC but it’s a safe bet it will be later this year.

Access Games’ D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die is available on the Xbox One and had a very surprising deal at the recent Tokyo Game Show when it was dated and released within the same 24 hour period. Now that the game is out and Xbox Onefans have had their chance with it, is there a possibility of it coming to other platforms?

Director Hidetaka Suehiro or SWERY doesn’t think the PS4 is a possibility. In fact, on Twitter, Suehiro clearly said, “Sorry. Never” in reply to the same.

He further stated that, “You can’t play D4 on PS4 forever. Sorry. Have to buy [an Xbox One] or find kind friend.”

Though on being asked whether it would come to PC, he replied that, “I have to do a lot of [public relations] now.” This related to the Xbox One version. It certainly leaves the door open and honestly, this wouldn’t be the first time an Xbox One “exclusive” came to PC, as Ryse: Son of Rome and Dead Rising 3 have shown.

Access Games has revealed that its upcoming Xbox One exclusive D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die will be releasing on September 19th for Xbox Live at $14.99. Yes, that’s tomorrow and no, there hasn’t been any prior indication that this would be happening.

The game comes from the warped mind of Hidetaka ‘Swery’ Suehiro who is known for his work on Deadly Premonition. Tomorrow’s release will include the game’s prologue and two beginning episodes. Kinect isn’t required to pull off the gestures showcased in the game, which is a relief considering the motion camera is no longer bundled with most consoles, and more content is reportedly on the way.

Check out the launch trailer for D4 above and marvel at some of the stranger things going on above. Will you be picking up D4 tomorrow for the Xbox One? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and stay tuned for more information from TGS 2014.

(Source)

Unfortunately, Nier’s developer, Cavia, was shut down following the game’s release, and absorbed back into AQ Interactive, its parent company. But that hasn’t stopped the Drakengard team, who reunited at Access Games, from making Drakengard 3. And man, is this game something.

"The game plays like a hack n’ slash, but it’s really an action RPG. Zero has access to four different weapon types - swords, spears, combat bracers and chakrams (think the circular throwy thing of death from Xena) – each of which has normal and special attacks as well as built-in combos, and can be upgraded between missions with gold you’ll acquire from defeating enemies and finding chests."

Drakengard 3 takes place in a dark fantasy world ruled by five sisters whose songs have the power to alter reality, an ability they use to bring peace to the world around them. Everything’s fine and dandy until Zero, the oldest sister, shows up to murder the rest of her kin for reasons that aren’t initially clear. Thing don’t go well. Zero is seriously wounded, as is her dragon companion, Michael. Zero recovers, but not without cost. When she returns, she’s sporting a prosthetic arm and a strange flower where her right eye should be, and Michael has been reincarnated as an inept pacifist named Mikhail who has no bladder control and acts more like a five year old than a dragon.

For all that, though, the mission hasn’t changed: Zero’s sisters need to die, and she has to kill them. The game plays like a hack n’ slash, but it’s really an action RPG. Zero has access to four different weapon types – swords, spears, combat bracers and chakrams (think the circular throwy thing of death from Xena) – each of which has normal and special attacks as well as built-in combos, and can be upgraded between missions with gold you’ll acquire from defeating enemies and finding chests. She can also block, parry (with a perfectly timed block), and dodge, as well, which makes Drakengard 3 pretty standard as far as hack n’ slash games go.

The wrinkle is that Zero has the ability to switch weapons on the fly. Switching weapons mid-combo causes you to enter a slow-motion state for a couple seconds, which means that you can pull off a full combo, switch weapons, and continue that same combo with another weapon before your enemy has time to react. This is exceptionally useful against larger foes and can lead to some truly ridiculous numbers on the combo counter (I’m talking about the low hundreds here) as many of your foes have no choice but to sit there and take the continuous punishment that Zero dishes out.

"But Zero doesn’t just hack n’ slash. Every now and then, she’ll mount her dumb dragon and fly through the air, often taking on huge boss monsters or large groups of enemies in rail sequences that resemble the Panzer Dragoon series or in large, free-form encounters in open environments. "

Wasting enemies will fill up a flower-shaped meter, and after you hit a certain threshold, Zero can enter the incredibly powerful mode, which boosts her speed and damage considerably, in addition to making her nearly invincible. In a nice touch, the meter doesn’t have to be full for Zero to enter this mode, and you can leave it at any time, making it ideal for large foes and groups of weaker enemies, too. It’s these little things – the upgrade system, parrying, and the weapon change combos – that keep Drakengard’s combat interesting in the long run. It’s not a particularly deep experience like, say Devil May Cry, or Ninja Gaiden, and there’s a lot of fun to be had in acquiring, mastering, and upgrading the games thirty plus weapons.

But Zero doesn’t just hack n’ slash. Every now and then, she’ll mount her dumb dragon and fly through the air, often taking on huge boss monsters or large groups of enemies in rail sequences that resemble the Panzer Dragoon series or in large, free-form encounters in open environments. Mikhail doesn’t always control as well as you want him to (for instance, it’s very difficult to land without hurling yourself at the ground with his dash attack), but the sections are great fun overall, mostly because they come right when you want them and don’t overstay their welcome, and that provides a nice change of pace from the hacking and the slashing. Also, roasting giant beasties and tiny soldiers as a dragon is a ton of fun, no matter how you spin it.

That’s about all there is to Drakengard 3 from a gameplay perspective. It’s not an incredible game, but it is a solid one that will keep you entertained, and the continual unlocks ensure that there’s always something new to learn and play with, and hey, you get to ride a dragon. Unfortunately, the game’s presentation doesn’t fare as well. The graphics are dated, most notably the environments, which are pretty low-res, but on the upside, you do travel to a lot of different places, from deserts to forests, and the variety makes each section play a little differently.

"Unfortunately, the problems with the environment don’t stop with the visuals. Enemies are also prone to getting stuck in the environment, meaning they’ll sometimes find themselves inside of hills or atop places that there’s absolutely no way to get to. "

Unfortunately, the problems with the environment don’t stop with the visuals. Enemies are also prone to getting stuck in the environment, meaning they’ll sometimes find themselves inside of hills or atop places that there’s absolutely no way to get to. This never caused me any real problems, even when I had to kill an enemy to proceed, because I could usually find a way around the issue, such as a ranged attack or a weapon that was long enough to pierce through a wall just enough, but it’s still annoying when you have to stop what you’re doing and try to figure out how to break the game that’s already busy breaking itself.

The characters fare a little better, especially in the cutscenes, where they actually look quite good. They aren’t as appealing in-game, but the game is carried by a visually distinctive art style, and the strength of the designs themselves often makes up for any technical failings in the visual department. The main visual issue, however, is the framerate, which drops any time there are a lot of enemies on screen. It’s never really a problem, because the framerate never dips to the point where the game becomes unplayable or actively interferes with the gameplay, but it can be a bit grating in bigger engagements.

But you don’t come to a game like Drakengard 3 for the graphics, or really, even for gameplay. You come to a game like this for the other aspects: the story, the characters, the art style, the dark world, and yes, the ridiculously crude (and funny) jokes. In that regard, Drakengard 3 is amazing. The juicy center to Drakengard 3’s orange is Zero, and as you may have guessed by now, she’s not a very nice person. She mocks or murders pretty much every character she comes into contact with, and constantly belittles her companions, be they Mikhail or one of her disciples, often in a sexual fashion. When Zero kills one of her sisters, she takes her Disciple, literally and figuratively.

"It would be really, really easy to dislike all of these characters, but the interparty chatter between both the disciples themselves, and each party member and Zero, is frequently well-written and voice acted, and it’s easy to like almost all of them despite their many flaws."

Pretty despicable, right? And yet, Zero is oddly sympathetic, and only becomes more so as the game goes on. Her reactions to the things around her – the other characters, who are almost universally terrible people outside of Mikhail, the ridiculous plot twists, and silly game segments – will often mirror your own, and you’ll find yourself relating to her more and more as the progresses. Her disciples are much the same way, though nearly all of them are sexual deviants who are into some really weird stuff. Seriously, one’s a sadist, another is a masochist, the third is a perennially horny old man with, in the game’s on words “a massive member,” and the fourth is a insufferable narcissist who constantly spouts false trivia as fact.

It would be really, really easy to dislike all of these characters, but the interparty chatter between both the disciples themselves, and each party member and Zero, is frequently well-written and voice acted, and it’s easy to like almost all of them despite their many flaws. Serious praise must be lavished on the localization team, because this is a game that doesn’t sound like it was written in Japanese and then translated. It sounds like it was a game written in English, and that’s a rare feat.

The story bounces between darkly serious and joyously irreverent, and the game takes a lot of joy in skewering itself as it makes fun of game design tropes, the player’s expectations, leveling systems, and Japanese character design. It’s the little things, like when Zero questions why she got experience for solving a simple puzzle or when she speaks directly to the game (and the player) when it has the audacity to end without her permission. Everything wraps up in a bizarre and fairly disappointing ending, but Drakengard 3 doesn’t actually end there.

"Drakengard 3’s odd like that. It’s a game that makes you think: about game design, about the way games portray violence, about characterization and how characters that start off as horrible people can become incredibly sympathetic."

The game has multiple endings, or branches, each with a different take on the story, and the further down the rabbit hole you go, the more you’ll learn about the characters, the story, and the world. Each ending adds something significant, and a full understanding of the game isn’t possible without having seen every ending all the way through, so when the final ending asks you to unlock and upgrade every single weapon in the game to attain it, which will require a significant amount of grinding in the game’s side missions, you’ll probably want to do it to see things through because you’ve become so invested in the game’s world.

Drakengard 3’s odd like that. It’s a game that makes you think: about game design, about the way games portray violence, about characterization and how characters that start off as horrible people can become incredibly sympathetic. It’s a game that isn’t afraid to use its content to make a point about video games, and one that constantly subverts your expectations. Zero may be hyper-sexualized, but she owns it. The only sex that takes place in the game happens on her terms, and most of the time her conversations with her disciples about sex end in her either denying them outright and telling them to shut up or taking them down a peg by mocking their performance.

And when the game starts using multiple endings to make points about the nature of game narrative and design… man. Yeah, Drakengard 3 is that kind of game. It’s not perfect; in fact, it’s got a lot of flaws. But I can think of very few games that have engaged me on the same level, or made me laugh as much, or made me think as much, or constantly surprised me as much, and I loved it for that. It won’t appeal to everyone. Some people will be turned off by the game’s intense violence, crude humor, and graphical issues. But if it sounds interesting to you at all, I urge you to play it. It’s not what I expected, and I love it. It’s flawed, and beautiful, stupid and deep, all at the same time.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation  3.