Media Create has released the video game software and hardware sales figures in Japan for the week ending March 17th. Ubisoft’s recently released open world looter shooter, The Division 2 has topped software sales, selling over 63,000 copies in its debut week. The game topped UK sales charts as well, in spite of a significant drop in sales over its 2016 predecessor. Interestingly enough, those figures are also lower than what Anthem sold in Japan in its own debut week.

Meanwhile, One Piece: World Seeker has also had a pretty strong debut, charting in second position with over 51,000 units sold. Devil May Cry 5, which topped the charts last week, is now in third place, having sold over 33,000 copies. Meanwhile, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe are still holding strong in the next two positions, with sales of nearly 21,000 and 17,000 respectively.

On the hardware front, the Switch is still the highest selling console of the week, but has seen a significant drop in sales, moving nearly 57,000 units as opposed to last week’s nearly 70,000. The PS4, on the other hand, has held steady at over 32,000 units sold (base PS4 and Pro model sales combined).

You can take a look at the full software and hardware charts below.

Software Sales (followed by lifetime sales)

1. [PS4] The Division 2 (Limited Edition Included) (Ubisoft, 03/15/19) – 63,817 (New)
2. [PS4] One Piece: World Seeker (Bandai Namco, 03/14/19) – 51,039 (New)
3. [PS4] Devil May Cry 5 (Capcom, 03/08/19) – 33,149 (149,350)
4. [NSW] Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Nintendo, 12/07/18) – 20,706 (2,953,145)
5. [NSW] New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (Nintendo, 01/11/19) – 16,997 (516,540)
6. [NSW] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo, 04/28/17) – 11,288 (2,178,288
7. [NSW] Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! / Let’s Go, Eevee! (Bundle Editions Included) (Nintendo, 11/16/18) – 10,112 (2,178,288)
8. [PS4] LoveR (Kadokawa Games, 03/14/19) – 9,985 (New)
9. [PS4] Judgment (Sega, 12/13/18) – 8,677 (263,407)
10. [NSW] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Limited Edition Included) (Nintendo, 03/03/17) – 8,479 (1,325,825)
11. [NSW] Super Mario Party (Bundle Version Included) (Nintendo, 10/05/18) – 8,429 (1,055,218)
12. [NSW] Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition (Bundle Version Included) (Microsoft, 06/21/18) – 9,955 (640,825)
13. [NSW] Splatoon 2 (Bundle Version Included) (Nintendo, 07/21/17) – 7,516 (2,962,831)
14. [PS4] 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim Music and Art Clips (Atlus, 03/14/19) – 5,872 (New)
15. [PS4] Samurai Warriors 4 DX (Limited Edition Included) (Koei Tecmo, 03/14/19) – 5,330 (New)
16. [PS4] Kingdom Hearts III (Limited Edition Included) (Square Enix, 01/25/19) – 5,236 (790,805)
17. [NSW] Samurai Warriors 4 DX (Limited Edition Included) (Koei Tecmo, 03/14/19) – 4,704 (New)
18. [PSV] Kenka Bancho Otome 2nd Rumble!! (Spike Chunsoft, 03/14/19) – 4,704 (New)
19. [NSW] Kirby: Star Allies (Nintendo, 03/16/18) – 2,883 (743,782)
20. [NSW] Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo, 10/27/17) – 2,760 (1,962,818)

Hardware Sales (followed by last week’s sales)

1. Switch – 56,954 (69,766)
2. PlayStation 4 – 25,015 (25,154)
3. PlayStation 4 Pro – 7,206 (7,208)
4. New 2DS LL – 4,040 (4,424)
5. New 3DS LL – 892 (1,182)
6. PlayStation Vita – 870 (3,002)
7. 2DS – 793 (112)
8. Xbox One X – 91 (83)
9. Xbox One – 45 (14)

[Gematsu]

One Piece: World Seeker is the latest action-adventure game based on the series from publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment and developer Ganbarion. It is the first open-world One Piece game released so far and one that doesn’t just retell the story of the anime/manga. In World Seeker, players once again take on the role of Monkey D. Luffy, the franchise’s main protagonist, as he’s joined by his crew the Straw Hat pirates.

"Setting aside its issues with the source material, the story of World Seeker is still pretty interesting and feels almost like a genuine One Piece filler story. While there are moments when the story needlessly drags on, it does have a lot of great moments."

One Piece World Seeker features an original story and setting made just for the game. Series creator Eiichiro Oda supervised the story of World Seeker and even created two new characters for it. It takes place on Jail Island where Luffy must not only rescue his crewmates but also help the island’s inhabitants resolve a long-growing conflict and prevent another war for ownership and control of the island and its resources.

Apart from the entirety of the Straw Hat crew, World Seeker features quite a large number of recognizable faces from the One Piece universe, including Marines Akainu, Kizaru, Kuma, Tashigi, and Smoker; Sabo of the Revolutionary Army; CP-0’s Rob Lucci; and Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji from the Germa 66. Then there are the previously mentioned two new characters created by Oda for the game – Jeanne and Isaac.

But even while Oda was involved in the creation of the game, several of its elements easily conflict and are inconsistent with the manga’s story. Some of these include the game featuring outfits of the Straw Hat crew from older arcs while also featuring characters introduced in latter arcs of the anime/manga. There’s also the inclusion of Akainu and the expected and massive significance of him and Luffy meeting again that the game just brushes off.

Setting aside its issues with the source material, the story of World Seeker is still pretty interesting and feels almost like a genuine One Piece filler story. While there are moments when the story needlessly drags on, it does have a lot of great moments. The dialogue between Luffy and his crew as well as the game’s other characters are also reminiscent of the anime/manga and the flow of the story is decently enjoyable.

"While the character models are pretty well-executed, they just look out of place in the game’s world. The different locations in the game also look quite bland, generic, and not at all reminiscent of any location in the One Piece universe."

One Piece: World Seeker features cel-shaded character models placed in a traditionally 3D-modelled world as opposed to both being cel-shaded, which poses quite a dilemma for the game. While the character models are pretty well-executed, they just look out of place in the game’s world. The different locations in the game also look quite bland, generic, and not at all reminiscent of any location in the One Piece universe.

The game also doesn’t provide much variety when it comes to enemy character models as it reuses many of the models and only adjusts them slightly to make them look different. While it is expected that a game like World Seeker would end up reusing character models for generic enemies, a larger variety of designs would have been very appreciated. Nonetheless, character animations both in-game and during cutscenes are quite decent.

As previously mentioned, World Seeker is the first game in the series to feature open-world gameplay. Switching to an open-world style, as opposed to the linear style of some previous titles, allows not only the developers but also the players the freedom and opportunity to introduce and experience more of Luffy’s abilities outside of combat. It also allows players to tackle the game’s many challenges and missions differently depending on their playstyle.

Many of the game’s maps allow players to access missions from different angles and some missions let players either go all out and fight or use stealth to take down enemies one by one.

Players also have access to a skill tree that can unlock and upgrade Luffy’s abilities that range from different attacks and defensive moves, boosts to his HP and other stats, to abilities that help him move around and explore the environment.

"While the game’s wide range of abilities make exploration and combat quite interesting and enjoyable, the combat does end up tending to be repetitive and tedious."

The game features several of Luffy’s abilities from the anime/manga and implements them in rather interesting ways. Luffy is able to switch between Observation Haki and Armament Haki modes, each giving him a different moveset and playstyle. Simply put, his Obvervation Haki mode gives him faster, single-target attacks as well as a dodge while Armament Haki equips him with slower, area-of-effect attacks and a block.

Luffy can also build up a Tension bar that can be used to unleash ultimate attacks such as his signature Red Hawk attack, activate Conqueror’s Haki, or transform into his Gear Fourth mode. The different modes and abilities the game gives players access fits its open-world style quite well and makes progressing into the game stay fresh as you unlock more. Lastly, the game also features equipment that can be crafted and equipped to increase Luffy’s attack or defense.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the gameplay is Luffy’s ability to extend his arms to reach out to ledges or trees and pull himself to them, which makes traversing the game’s world much more convenient and provides players access to different ways to travel around the map. The ability can also be upgraded to allow Luffy to slingshot himself into the sky and glide for a short time for even faster traveling.

While the game’s wide range of abilities make exploration and combat quite interesting and enjoyable, the combat does end up tending to be repetitive and tedious. Most of the fights, including some of the boss encounters, are also quite easy, which contributes to their tediousness. Making enemies more difficult and varied while also introducing more unique mechanics in the boss fights would have made combat enjoyable all throughout.

"There’s a lot to enjoy in One Piece: World Seeker, especially for fans of the series. But it’s also mired with the same faults of many other games in its genre."

Apart from the main story, World Seeker also expectedly features a large number of side missions and activities. Side missions can be discovered throughout the game’s world or from Luffy’s companions through its Karma social system. Sadly, the side missions are all rather generic and don’t really offer anything new in terms of gameplay. On the other hand, the side quests offered by Luffy’s companions may unlock additional cutscenes for players to experience.

There’s a lot to enjoy in One Piece: World Seeker, especially for fans of the series. But it’s also mired with the same faults of many other games in its genre. In spite of the One Piece franchise providing so much potential for design and gameplay, World Seeker still feels a lot like another generic anime/manga-based action-adventure game. But those who are able to forgive the tedium of its gameplay could still enjoy it a lot.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

Devil May Cry 5

Ever since Devil Trigger exploded on the scene, we’ve been counting the days until Devil May Cry 5 was in our hands. Picking up after Devil May Cry 4 (and not DmC: Devil May Cry, thank goodness), the sequel sees Red Grave City invaded by a powerful demonic force. It’s up to Nero, Dante and a new playable character V to set things right. Nero has obtained some significant upgrades since the last game with the Devil Breaker, an item capable of unleashing different abilities depending on the equipped prosthetic. Dante can use his motorcycle that transforms into dual buzz-saws as a weapon and V can…summon familiars? That’s the Devil May Cry we know and love – it’s out on March 8^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

It’s not Dark Souls. It’s not Bloodborne. It’s not even Tenchu (FromSoftware clarified that a full stealth playthrough is not possible after all). So what is it? Set in a fantastical 16^th century Sengoku Japan, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a combination of fast-paced combat, skillful swordplay and wild cards like an axe and grappling hook hidden in a prosthetic arm. Focusing on an old samurai fighting to rescue his lord, Sekiro takes us on a sprawling journey filled with intrigue and adventure. What horrors await though and how does resurrection really work? We’ll find out on March 22^nd when it releases for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn

A remake of Kirby’s Epic Yarn, which launched for the Wii and pretty much kickstarted the yarn-based graphical style, Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn is coming to the Nintendo 3DS on March 8^th. It will have new modes, new power-ups and even lets you play as Meta Knight and King Dedede in different sub-games. Co-op has been removed having an awesome platformer with a lovable art-style like this on the go works nicely.

Dead or Alive 6

Team Ninja’s Dead or Alive series has been fairly dormant since the design shift in Dead or Alive 5. Dead or Alive 6 continues that trend, offering even more gorgeous environments and sharp characters to go with new mechanics. Simple, devastating combos are possible with the Fatal Rush and new Break Blows can be performed when the gauge is full. With 26 characters, a quest mode, story campaign and the same dynamic gameplay as its predecessor, Dead or Alive 6 is looking to be an intriguing return for an iconic franchise.

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2

So Anthem was kind of “eh” and Destiny 2 is kind of “meh” but hey, at least The Division 2 is almost here. Moving from the snowy reaches of Manhattan to the overgrown and chaotic Washington D.C., The Division 2 still offers some tight cover-based shooting and loot to collect. Along with three Dark Zone districts and new civilian settlements that can be contributed to, there’s also a significant focus on end-game with the Black Tusk faction, Specializations with their own unique abilities and weapons, and Invaded missions that pose tougher challenges. The Division 2 arrives on March 15^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Yoshi’s Crafted World

Not one but two cutesy platformers in March? We’re fine with that. Yoshi’s Crafted World from Good-Feel is coming to the Nintendo Switch on March 29^th and sees the Yoshis on an adventure to restore the Sundream Stone. Though it’s essentially a 2.5D platformer, the game mixes gameplay up by allowing objects in the background and foreground to be interacted with. The “flip” mechanic has been toned down since its initial reveal and it’s now more of an additional run through a level for collectibles. In its current demo though, Yoshi’s Crafted World is tons of fun and we can’t wait to dig into the final game.

The Sinking City

Known better for its Sherlock Holmes games, Frogwares embarks into the realm of cosmic horror with The Sinking City. Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s work, The Sinking City focuses on detective work and investigation – how certain quests are resolved will depend on the number of clues that players can suss out. The story sees private investigator Charles W. Reed looking into the cause of a flood that hits New England, driving everyone mad. Dare we say the one who lays dreaming is responsible? The Sinking City is out on March 21^st for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

One Piece: World Seeker

Jump Force may have fizzled but One Piece: World Seeker gives us hope. It’s developed by Ganbarion of One Piece: Grand Adventure and Unlimited World RED while the story takes us to Jail Island in the New World. Luffy and crew will fighting in an open world space while characters like Kizaru, Kuma, Smoker and Akainu make appearances. If the bombastic action of the other games was any indication, expect One Piece: World Seeker to be a blast. It arrives on March 15^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Tropico 6

El Presidente never dies and Tropico 6 may be his biggest caper yet. Spanning four eras like the previous game – Colonial, World Wars, Cold War and Modern – Tropico 6 provides an entire archipelago of islands to manage instead of one island. The adventure also extends beyond the islands as agents can steal various wonders of the world for you. Research has been revamped, citizens are simulated in greater detail and you can even customize the look of your own personal dictator. And can you say election speeches? Tropico 6 arrives on March 29^th for PC.

Left Alive

Square Enix’s Left Alive is one of the stranger releases of next month. It features the talents of Armored Core series director Toshifumi Nabeshima, Metal Gear Solid character designer Yoji Shinkawa and mech designer Takayuki Yanase. The focus is on survival, stealth and third person shooting with three different protagonists to play with. Oh and you can pilot mechs in some places. Despite all of that, Left Alive looks intriguing and could provide some kind of update on the Front Mission universe. It’s out on March 5^th for PS4 and PC.

The Walking Dead: The Final Season – Episode 4 “Take Us Back”

It’s been a turbulent ride for the final season of The Walking Dead. We’re not just talking about the closure of Telltale Games or Skybound Entertainment stepping in to finish the last two episodes. The game itself has seen Clementine and AJ committing atrocities, doing their best to stay sane and survive while protecting their new home. With the fourth episode “Take Us Back” marking the end of Clementine’s journey, will the series drag us back into the emotional pits of despair? Or provide a happy ending after all?

After having a pretty strong showing at Gamescom 2018 with reveals for Dontnod’s Twin Mirror and Supermassive’s Man of Medan, Bandai Namco Entertainment is now heading to Tokyo Games Show. The publisher announced its lineup recently and confirmed either new trailers, playable games, or both for attendees for several titles.

For the important console and PC games that will be at the show, see below. A more comprehensive list (which includes mobile and browser games) can be found on the Tokyo Game Show 2018 website. More information on a proper schedule and timings for live streams will be provided later.

Numerous big-name titles like Ace Combat 7, Soulcalibur 6, and God Eater 3 will be playable, along with having new footage. Soulcalibur 6 is out in October, so this is a good time for trying it out beforehand. Ace Combat 7 is releasing in January 2019 but God Eater 3 still doesn’t have a release date. The former is in development for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

Interestingly enough, Bandai Namco’s other hack and slash title, Code Vein, isn’t listed for the Tokyo Game Show. We know the project was delayed to 2019, but no other information has emerged since then. Tokyo Game Show will take place from September 20th to 23rd so we’ll see if things change.

Lineup

11-11: Memories Retold (PS4, PC) – Trailer
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (PS4, XBO, PC) – Playable, Trailer
Chou Tousouchuu & Chou Sentouchuu Double Pack (Switch) – Playable, Trailer
Digimon Survive (PS4, Switch) – Trailer
Dragon Ball FighterZ (PS4, Switch) – Playable, Trailer
God Eater 3 (PS4, PC) – Playable, Trailer, Live Stream, Stage
Jump Force (PS4, XBO) – Playable, Trailer
Kamen Rider: Climax Scramble (Switch) – Playable, Trailer
Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker (PS4) – Trailer
Neko Tomo (Switch, 3DS) – Playable, Trailer
One Piece: World Seeker (PS4) – Playable, Trailer
Pro Yakyuu Famista Evolution (Switch) – Playable, Trailer
Soulcalibur VI (PS4, XBO, PC) – Playable, Trailer
Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun (Switch) – Playable, Trailer
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition (PS4, XBO, Switch, PC) – Trailer
Tekken 7 (PS4, XBO, PC) – Live Stream, Stage
Tokyo Ghoul: re Call to Exist (PS4) – Trailer

With E3 2018 out of the way, Gamescom 2018 in Cologne, Germany is the next big expo to look out for. To kick things off early, Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe has announced its line-up, which will include 11 playable games.

Eight of the games in question are:

• Jump Force
• SoulCalibur 6
• Dragon Ball FighterZ on Nintendo Switch
• One Piece World Seeker
  
• Code Vein
• Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
• My Hero One’s Justice
• Naruto To Boruto: Shinobi Striker

Hervé Hoerdt, Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe VP of marketing and digital, provided a general statement about the publisher’s presence at the show. “Gamescom is one of the best opportunities to give our fans an early, first-hand look at some of our biggest upcoming titles – and 2018 is no exception,” he said. “This year’s line-up includes the return of fan favourites such as SoulCalibur, Dragon Ball and One Piece, as well as all-new titles such as the mashup of the greatest-ever manga and anime characters in Jump Force.”

Hoerdt also made sure to mention a new project that would be appearing at the show. “We’re also proud to announce a brand-new co-publishing project at the show we think our fans will be very excited about. Stayed tuned for more information.”

What could the other playable games be? Perhaps Twin Mirror, the new narrative adventure mystery developed by Dontnod Entertainment (of Life is Strange fame)? It’s also possible that the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Larian Studios’ Divinity: Original Sin 2 are playable, seeing as Bandai Namco is the publisher.

Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe will be in Hall 6 – B41 and Gamescom will run from August 21^st to 25^th. Expect other publishers to announce their presence for the show in the coming weeks.

You know what a One Piece game needs? I’ll tell you what it doesn’t need: an open world. And yet, because no game in today’s market can not be an open world one, here we are with the upcoming One Piece World Seeker being an open world title. And that open world in the game is what is highlighted in the brand new trailer for it that Bandai Namco just released.

At least the world looks well made, and I am sure fans of the anime and manga will be delighted that the full world of the series is explorable for them. The trailer also shows off some combat scenes, and to top it all off, is in 4K too- which does well for the game’s art style, at the very least.

One Piece World Seeker is due out on PS4, Xbox One, and PC some time later this year in North America and Europe (the Japanese release will be earlier, and PS4 only, as is the norm).

Bandai Namco has confirmed that its open world action adventure game based on the hit anime/manga series One Piece, One Piece: World Seeker, will be coming to western markets. Unlike in Japan, where the game only launched on the PS4, the game will be coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC in western markets.

Bandai Namco hasn’t shared any exact or specific release date for the game yet. We know it is due out in 2018, but that’s all we know. That said, Namco did promise that the ‘swashbuckling’ spirit of the franchise will be maintained in the new game. They also shared some brand new screenshots for it, which you can see for yourself below.

The game does look really pretty- it will be interesting to see how well it does once it launches. One Piece is one of the most popular Japanese properties in the west- surely, that will help the game pull some big numbers, too.