Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

Even after revisiting the storyline so many times, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is a dream come true for fans. A fully 3D world to explore, fast-paced and exciting combat against classic foes like Frieza and Cell, and running through the entire saga with stellar production values – it truly had everything. CyberConnect2 even tossed in some Dragon Ball Super content as DLC with Super Saiyan Blue and battles against Whis and Beerus. If you’ve ever wanted to play through everything Dragon Ball Z-related and actually enjoy it, then Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is the definitive experience.

Koei Tecmo have released not one, but two, trailers for the newest entry to their anime adaptation, Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle. Both trailers are focused on the Anti-Personnel omni-directional mobility gear from the original anime. While the first video has focus on the human vs human combat with the new ability, the second is focused entirely on how it’s used against the game’s main antagonists, the huge and terrifying Titans.

The game is an expansion to Attack on Titan 2 (which you can see our take on here), and will be sold both as a DLC add-on to the base game, as well as a standalone title. Final Battle will extend into the third season of the popular anime and will include over 40 characters, including original, never before seen ones not featured in the anime.

Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle will be available for PlayStation 4, Switch, Xbox One, and PC on July 5^th in both its standalone and DLC forms, and you can see the new gear and its uses on each enemy type below.

Koei Tecmo has now announced their financial results for the fiscal year that ended on March 31, 2018. Overall, the company has enjoyed positive results and report growth in all the relevant areas. The company expects further growth in the coming year, as the Japanese home console market continues to achieve significant growth. We also get to learn the sales figures of the company’s recent titles such as Dynasty Warriors 9 and Attack On Titan 2. 

Koei Tecmo has been enjoying success with its long-running series Nobunaga’s Ambition as the series has shipped over 10 million units. When it comes to recent games, Fire Emblem Warriors sold over 1 million units, Dynasty Warriors 9 sold 730,000 units worldwide and Attack on Titan 2 sold 520,000 units. The company also expects further growth with both consoles games as well as with smartphone games. The company will also continue releasing titles from their recognized series while also working on new IPs, according to the financial report.

Overall, it has been a great year for Koei Tecmo and it looks like the coming year will also be a good one for the company.

Sony has released the PS4 sales charts for games sold digitally for the week between March 19 and March 25 and Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom has topped the charts. Valkyria Chronicles 4 comes in at the second position, which is surprising since it had performed better than Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom when it came to retail sales.

Monster Hunter World comes in at fifth place for this week, after having performed exceptionally well for quite a long time,while Attack On Titan 2 has fallen to the 13th position which is a fairly significant drop. Of course, the really interesting information is to do with the competition between Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom and Valkyria Chronicles 4. We’ll have to wait and see which game comes out on top eventually, once both retail and digital sales are taken into account.

You can check out the full list of games on the sales charts below.

1. Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
2. Valkyria Chronicles 4
3. Undertale
4. Battlefield 1 Revolution
5. Monster Hunter World
6. Final Fantasy X/X-2 Remaster
7. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Game of the Year Edition
8. Tales of Berseria
9. Battleborn
10. Final Fantasy IX
11. Minecraft
12. The Evil Within
13. Attack on Titan 2
14. Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana
15. Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX
16. Final Fantasy VII
17. Rainbow Six Siege: Advanced Edition
18. Star Ocean 3 ‘Til the End of Time – Director’s Cut
19. Simple Series G4U Vol.1 The Mahjong
20. How to Survive – Zombie Island 2

While you could be forgiven for thinking Attack on Titan 2 roughly covers the story of the anime’s second the season, the game actually covers a great deal of season one’s story once again. In Attack on Titan 2, you play as a nameless, faceless character, a Scout who witnesses the events of the show alongside its cast of characters, and the vast majority of it only covers the first season. As a result, it often feels like the game is retreading much of what the first game already did, with a lot of the same story beats and cutscenes, and even a lot of very familiar missions and boss encounters.

"While Attack on Titan 2 is an improvement over its predecessor in several ways, it, too, makes some errors of its own that hold it back from ever being anything more than “pretty good”."

Attack on Titan 2 feels like a bit of a lazy sequel because of this at times. It does a decent job of being a good jumping in point if you’ve never seen the anime or even played the first game, so if this is your first Attack on Titan experience, this issue won’t matter much. But for those who’ve played the first game, a lot of this feels very familiar. Admittedly though, the world that the anime and the manga portray is an inherently fascinating one, as are the characters that inhabit it, and Attack on Titan 2 does a great job of recreating that.

That said, much like the first game itself, Attack on Titan 2’s strengths lie in the actual acts of fighting titans and of traversal using the ODM. Developers Omega Force have managed to perfectly encapsulate the thrilling, fast-paced movement and action that the anime is known for. Using the ODM to zip around the environments while managing your momentum, without ever touching the ground never stops being fun and exhilarating, and combining these movements with attacks against titans during combat scenarios is just as much fun.

Controlling your character in the middle of hectic battles is usually quite smooth, and battles have a nice and fast flow to them. Interestingly enough, there’s also some level of strategy involved. In addition to having party members with their own attacks and skills, you also have to set up different kinds of bases across the battlefield that provide different kinds of support, from offensive to defensive to providing you with more blades and gas (which is what you need in combat and to power your ODM respectively). These bases come in pretty handy in fights where you’re facing a large number of enemies or when you’re up against a stronger titan, and knowing which ones to place and where to place them is important.

There’s also the matter of where you attack the titans you’re fighting against. Going for brute force can be an effective option, but using specific attacks to cut off their limbs or to slice their neck not only proves to be a more effective strategy that brings a better and more fluid flow to the combat, but also rewards you with materials that you can later use to upgrade your weapons and equipment. The upgrade system, surprisingly enough, is plenty of fun too. It’s not very deep, and it’s not like farming for parts in Monster Hunter, but it brings a nice layer of strategy to battles.

"Using the ODM to zip around the environments while managing your momentum, without ever touching the ground never stops being fun and exhilarating, and combining these movements with attacks against titans during combat scenarios is just as much fun. "

Unfortunately, as the game progresses, the combat does tend to get a little repetitive. Objectives and missions in Attack on Titan 2 don’t have a lot of variety, and ultimately the game has you doing the same thing repeatedly- killing titans. Sure, that’s the point of the game, after all, and in and of itself killing titans is a lot of fun, but when you have do it repeatedly with not much to break the monotony for the entirety of the game, it can get a little grating. There are a few side missions that can be unlocked, but most of them are either too brief or too uninteresting.

What leads up to those side quests is quite more interesting, though. Since the character you play as is also a Scout, you’re with the show’s cast of characters the entire time, and outside of battles, Attack on Titan 2 lets you interact with these characters and develop friendships with them. It’s kind of like Persona-lite – often you get dialog choices, and picking the right choice at these moments increases your bond, while finishing story missions does so too, and having better friendships with these characters opens doors to better and more skills and abilities.

It can be a fun distraction, and for fans of the show, interacting with these characters outside of battle and getting to know more about them and this world can be a fun exercise (something that can also be accomplished by reading the protagonist’s journal). That said, the dialog choices themselves are aren’t really “choices”, since there’s always only one correct answer the game expects you to give if you want to improve your bond, and it usually makes it pretty obvious what that answer is. As a result, they end up feeling somewhat shallow.

Attack on Titan 2 also has an online mode and a co-op mode. Co-op is essentially a string of short, isolated missions that you can dabble in with other players to earn rewards, and it probably won’t grab your interest. The competitive multiplayer, on the other hand, is quite enjoyable. It sees two teams of four players fighting to see who can kill more titans. You can always let the opposing team whittle down the titan’s health before striking the landing blow and stealing their kill- conversely, the same can happen to you too. These matches are usually a great deal of fun.

"Objectives and missions in Attack on Titan 2 don’t have a lot of variety, and ultimately the game has you doing the same thing repeatedly."

Attack on Titan 2 is an entertaining game, there’s no doubting that. Traversal is fluid and energetic, combat is fast and exciting, and the game portrays the anime’s world and characters very well. However, it feels like a retread of its predecessor way more than it should, and it also can get quite repetitive as it continues to progress toward the finish line. These flaws hold it back from being a much better game, but the end result it still a pretty solid effort that you can get a good fifteen to twenty hours of enjoyment out of.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

To learn more about the game and its development, Gamingbolt spoke to Koei-Tecmo’s President and CEO Hisashi Koinuma.

"Anime fans don’t necessarily play games, so to create a game that anime fans would enjoy was a big challenge. Working on enjoyable collectable elements, character interaction elements and other areas of the game that these fans enjoy was key to incorporate."

What were the biggest complaints from the first game and what kind of changes are you make in Attack on Titan 2?

The number of characters is what we heard, and although we focused a lot on the Omni-Directional Mobility gameplay in the first game, this time we focused on more realistic Titan action, more interactions with characters from the original anime, and online functions.

How challenging is it to make a game based on anime and then adapting it to a game?

Anime fans don’t necessarily play games, so to create a game that anime fans would enjoy was a big challenge. Working on enjoyable collectable elements, character interaction elements and other areas of the game that these fans enjoy was key to incorporate.

What kind of improvements did you made to the game’s engine, physics and the size of the world?

We improved several areas of the game such as destruction, creating realistic building destruction, the titan actions, and visual improvements (in 4K) to name a few, but we did not change the size of the world.

The game will have a central hub, just like from the previous game. However what kind of changes you have made to this hub in the sequel?

In A.O.T. Wings of Freedom the camp was just a resting place between battles, but this time players can see soldiers’ daily lives in a city format, and players can interact with characters in different places, allowing them to experience events not in the anime or manga.

The movement system has been tweaked and the Titans are much more aggressive in the sequel. What can you tell us about these changes?

In A.O.T. Wings of Freedom we focused on Scout attacks (attacking the Titans and ensuring the action felt good), but this time we focused on making the action more realistic, so we used different movements, like those seen in the manga, and improved the AI.

"Since the Titans are stronger and more aggressive, players can create weapons that can battle Titans of that caliber. There are also some weapons with added effects such as flames, as well as a wide array of different designs."

The Omnidirectional Movement System is one of the most unique elements of Attack On Titan 2. How did this mechanic came to be and how will it impact gameplay?

The Omni-Directional Mobility Gear movement system was introduced in the first game, and the controls were close to what was seen in Season 1 of the anime. The focus was on ease of movement and the cool feeling of being able to control it yourself in-game. This time we worked hard to ensure it was even better and more enjoyable to move around.

What can you tell us about the new skills and abilities that players will have in the game?

Some of the new skills we’ve introduced into A.O.T. 2 are the Hook Drive and Buddy Action, as well as stronger actions. There are also skills specifically for use in Town Life!

Attack on Titan was a bit easy once you learn all the gameplay mechanics. Do you think you will be upping the difficulty for the sequel?

Yes, and I think it will be according to players’ expectations!

Please tell us about the crafting system and how it will impact the gameplay.

There is no ‘crafting’ in the game but weapon development is more in-depth than the previous game. Since the Titans are stronger and more aggressive, players can create weapons that can battle Titans of that caliber. There are also some weapons with added effects such as flames, as well as a wide array of different designs.

"Not everything can be destroyed – Wall Maria can’t be, for example. Buildings in the game though can be destroyed; if any area looks like it can be destroyed it can be!"

Are the environments totally destructible this time around?

Not everything can be destroyed – Wall Maria can’t be, for example. Buildings in the game though can be destroyed; if any area looks like it can be destroyed it can be!

What resolution and frame rate does the game run on Xbox One X and PS4 Pro? Will you have separate modes for 4K and 1080p TV owners?

PS4 Pro and Xbox One X have a higher, steadier, frame rate than the base steady 30fps. The PS4 Pro is 4K and 1080p, while the Xbox One X are according to the hardware specifications.

And what resolution and frame rate does the base versions of PS4 and Xbox One run at?

The base consoles will run at 30fps and 1080 on PS4, and 30fps and 900p on Xbox One.

Microsoft had made it compulsory for developers to support the Xbox One and Xbox One X i.e cross compatibility. In case of Attack on Titan 2, do you think this will hold back the Xbox One X version in any way?

It had no negative effect on this title.

Any plans to support HDR on consoles?

There are no plans to support HDR on consoles.

Is there anything else you want to tell us before we let you go?

Finally, the second game will be released! We would like to thank everyone who played A.O.T. Wings of Freedom and provided us with a lot of feedback; thanks to this we have been able to power up this game for the fans and we hope you will enjoy playing it for a long time! For players new to the series, the action packed and intense battles against the Titans will provide an exciting experience, so we hope you will try out A.O.T. 2.

Fear Effect Sedna

It was the February of 2000 when Fear Effect first released in the West, ushering players in its animated supernatural action. The franchise has been pretty much dormant since Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix in 2001 but Fear Effect Sedna gives us some hope. It’s an isometric, tactical strategy title with pausable action and sees the return of Hana and Rain four years after the first game.

There’s an ancient statuette that needs to be “lifted”, Glas has a mysterious client and a strange organization is watching from the shadows. Surely things won’t get out of hand this time, right? Fear Effect Sedna arrives on March 6^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Warhammer: Vermintide 2

The forces of Chaos and Skaven, together at last and wreaking havoc on the world. Who do you call but a merry band of heroes out for loot – er, justice? Warhammer: Vermintide 2 will have new levels set in Helmgart, a Heroic Deeds system for adding modifiers and unique settings to levels, and five heroes with 15 distinct career paths and skill trees.

To further sweeten the deal, the game’s first DLC Death on the Reik will be available for free on pre-order. Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is out on March 8^th for PC so those seeking a dark medieval fantasy title with four player co-op might want to check it out.

Kirby Star Allies

The pink puffball is going back to his bread and butter with Kirby Star Allies. Like the best games in Kirby’s history, Kirby Star Allies is a side-scrolling platformer full of colourful vistas. This time around, Kirby uses hearts on his enemies to convert them to his side, thus combining abilities together for deadly results.

If you’re playing with friends, then up to three can hop in and take control of your allies, running a pain train – sorry, we mean “Friend Train” – on your enemies. Kirby Star Allies arrives for the Nintendo Switch on March 16^th.

Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom

Following delay after delay, Level-5’s Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom is en route to release (it’s even gone gold). This isn’t your typical sequel to Wrath of the White Witch – Revenant Kingdom takes place centuries later and focuses on the conflict between the mouse and cat tribes. When the former starts a coup and cat tribe king Evan is unceremoniously outed, he starts a crusade to rebuild his kingdom.

Along the way, players will pick up new allies, indulge in building their own kingdom and partake in skirmishes when they’re not fighting random foes in real-time battles. Though Studio Ghibli isn’t working on the stunning visuals, character designer Yoshiyuki Momose and composer Joe Hisaishi do return for that signature Ni no Kuni vibe. Launching for PS4 and PC, Ni no Kuni 2 is out on March 23^rd.

Far Cry 5

Hope County is a dangerous place, especially when the cult have invaded all walks of life. You play a sheriff who’s new in town – and fully customizable – with the intent of stopping the group, once and for all. Along the way, you’ll encounter Guns for Hire each with a cause to fight for, whether it’s snipers like Jess, pilots like Nick and whatever Hurk seems to be in this series.

Gameplay elements like hunting wildlife, liberating camps and inflicting general havoc on the world will be returning. There will also be new features like fishing, taming animals, and building relationships to uncover new areas and missions. Far Cry 5 releases on March 27^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

MLB The Show 18

SIE San Diego Studio may only really have one “main” franchise but its results are indisputable. MLB The Show 18 will continue providing a professional baseball experience with its immersion and graphical fidelity. This time around, there will also be a revamped Road to the Show mode, a new rating system for Legends, an improved Exchange system, upgrades for one’s create-a-player being tied into playing certain positions and much more.

There’s also the return of Retro Mode which brings a more arcade-like experience to the forefront. MLB The Show 18 is out on March 27^th for PS4.

Sea of Thieves

Some might consider Sea of Thieves to be a last-ditch effort for Microsoft. Others might see the Rare-developed shared world experience as little more than a cartoony pirate adventure with heaps of accordion playing. Either way, Sea of Thieves is definitely unique, combining treasure hunting with ship combat and swash-buckling. The mix of PvE and PvP is something that’s a bit concerning, especially with the potential for griefing. But hey, it’s a pirate’s life and it’ll be on Xbox One and Windows 10 come March 20^th.

Surviving Mars

You probably know Haemimont Games better for its Tropico franchise and the underrated Victor Vran. Surviving Mars is another mix of strategy and city building but the difference is you’ll be establishing a colony on Mars. Facets like electricity, oxygen, food supply and proper construction are only a few things that make for a successful colony.

The sleek retro sci-fi aesthetic meshes well with the mysteries that players can uncover, including a weird sphere that shows up suddenly (Traveler, is that you?). If Surviving Mars sounds like your idea of a good survival experience, it’ll be out on March 15^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

A Way Out

Between lambasting the Oscars and making a name for himself, its easy to focus on the controversy that A Way Out creator Josef Fares generates. Regardless, the game itself looks as appealing as the day it was showcased at E3 2017. Taking on the roles of Leo and Vincent, players must escape from a prison. Sounds easy enough but both convicts are controlled by different players, thus making for an experience where Leo has to distract a guard, probably watching a cutscene in the process, while Vincent sneaks by.

That cooperation and depth of choice with each playthrough is what will ultimately carry the experience but we’ll see for ourselves when A Way Out launches on March 23^rd for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Attack on Titan 2

Anyone who’s played the original game – or watched the anime – knows what to expect. Fight Titans in large areas, zip around in your vertical maneuvering equipment and put a quick end to the general villainy. Attack on Titan 2 will do more than just continue the story though – its campaign can be played in co-op and players can create their own characters.

The AI will apparently be smarter and the difficulty ramped up but hopefully, there will be less monotony in the post-story activities as well. Releasing on March 20^th, Attack on Titan 2 is coming to PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PlayStation Vita and Xbox One.

One of the most popular anime series in Japan at the moment will be getting another video game adaptation shortly; Attack on Titan 2 by Koei Tecmo is going to be a follow up to their earlier hack and slash title based on the series, and it is due to launch in just a few weeks.

When it does launch, PS4 Pro and Xbox One X owners will find that they get enhanced visuals and functionality for the game on their systems. Speaking exclusively to GamingBolt, Attack on Titan 2 producer Hisashi Koinuma-san mentioned that the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X versions of the game will have higher frame rates and higher resolutions than the base console version.

“PS4 Pro and Xbox One X have a higher, steadier, frame rate than the base steady 30fps. The PS4 Pro is 4K and 1080p, while the Xbox One X are according to the hardware specifications,” Koinuma-san said.

As for the base PS4 and Xbox One versions? “The base consoles will run at 30fps and 1080 on PS4, and 30fps and 900p on Xbox One,” he said.

Of course, fans of Attack on Titan are unlikely to be pixel counting as they play through the game. Attack on Titan 2 is due to launch on March 20 for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS Vita, and PC.

Last time around, we had reported  on a new trailer for Attack on Titan 2 which showcased the town life in the game. Now, a new gameplay video has been released by Koei Tecmo and we get to see some combat sections in the game. What’s unique about this promotional video is that we get to see Mikasa Ackerman’s voice actress Yui Ishikawa and Armin Arlelt’s voice actress Marina Inoue play the game.

Combat in the game looks like a lot of fun with the really fast movements and free mobility available to the player. It’s also fun to see these voice actresses play the game because it’s evident that they are invested in their characters and in the game’s setting. It’s seems that they’re having a lot of fun just zooming past with the different characters and taking down Titans.

You can check out the entire video below. Attack on Titan 2 will first be out in Japan for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS Vita and PC on March 15. In North America and Europe, the game will release on March 20 for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=406&v=ytFFwcNmo_0

A new trailer has been released by Koei Tecmo for Attack on Titan 2. This trailer focuses on the ‘town life’ system in the game and shows how players can interact with companion characters in town, how players can make their own scout, and much more.

The town is where players will spend their time when away from battle and it’s also a good place for players to engage in customization of characters. Here, players can choose to change the appearance of any of the familiar characters. This is also where players can strengthen their equipment and skills so as to prepare for battle. Additionally, players can access the ‘Titan Research Room’ when in town and capturing titans will net the player certain rewards. Finally, players will be able to complete side missions in town and town life will also impact the progression of the main story.

Attack on Titan 2 is based on the second season of the anime series and is set to release for the PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One in North America and Europe on March 20, 2018.