Capcom’s Monster Hunter World didn’t have a huge presence at this year’s Tokyo Game Show, which is kind of disappointing, considering the similarly muted showing at E3 2018 and Gamescom. Nevertheless, the developer did confirm two new Arch-Tempered Elder Dragons – Lunastra and Zorah Magdaros. Yes, Zorah Magdaros, the Elder Dragon that was more of a platforming and turret shooting hunt.

According to Youtube channel Arekkz Gaming, Arch-Tempered Lunastra will be arriving on October 4th and will be available until October 18th. Rewards for hunting her include tickets to craft the Empress Gamma set. Sakura layered armour, which seems to be a layered version for the Street Fighter 5 Sakura armour, is also coming. There’s no time frame on when Arch-Tempered Zorah Magdaros will arrive, but it will carry its own Zorah Gamma set.

For PS4 players, another new layered armour set will be arriving for Aloy armour. A new hunt to take down two Deviljho will allow for crafting the Aloy Gamma set, along with the layered armour. So it will be possible to look either partially or completely like Aloy from Horizon: Zero Dawn. Stay tuned for more information on release date and other info.

The Tokyo Game Show has been on a bit of a resurgent upswing over the last few years, and that continued with the just concluded 2018 edition. Organizer Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association announced that almost 300,000 people visited the show this year.

To be specific, 298,690 unique visitors were there this year, which is a record for the event; this is actually in contrast to last year, which now stands out as an aberration. Last year, the numbers were lower than 2016, so there was a dip that it is now clear was an anomaly. That said, we had early indications that the show this year would set some new records.

Of course, the bulk of the popular software shown off at TGS is the kind of stuff that the western market would not have much interest in— usually popular mobile games and the like. That said, we still did get to see some new announcements made for console games, as well as new footage for previously announced titles, so I don’t think anyone came away from the event unhappy (unless they were looking forward to footage from the Switch version of Dragon Quest 11, anyway).

Dragon Quest 11 was the very first game announced for the Nintendo Switch— back when it was still known as the Nintendo NX, in fact. So it’s been a bit puzzling to see the game basically be MIA for so long, even while other versions of the game have come out. That said, we got a new update on the Switch version of the game at the Tokyo Game Show, even though it… wasn’t exactly a whole lot.

Square Enix announced that the Switch version of Dragon Quest 11 will be called Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes of an Elusive Age. As you may have noticed, the “S” is new. According to Yuji Horii, the creator of the series, the “S” stands for “Switch”, “Special”, “Shaberu”, and “Seiyuu” (the latter two meaning “speaking” and “voice actor” in Japanese, which is because this version will have voice acting in Japanese, which none of the other versions have).

However, there is something to keep in mind— a lot of Japanese players don’t want voice acting in their Dragon Quest games. This is something Enix seems to be aware of, because Hokuto Okamoto, the producer of the game, explained, “Even though shaberu (speaking) will be taking priority… I think there are some players who would prefer Dragon Quest without voices, and we’re keeping that in mind. Horii will be able to say more about that at some point…”

I assume there will be an option in-game to turn the voices off, if nothing else. That’s all the information we have on the Switch version right now, however. No release date was shared. So now we wait.

Nintendo Switch 用ソフト『ドラゴンクエストXI 過ぎ去りし時を求めて S』の日本国内での発売が正式に決定いたしました！
発売日、価格等の詳細については続報をお待ちください。#DQ11 pic.twitter.com/NYni1NtLuj

— ドラゴンクエスト宣伝担当 (@DQ_PR) September 23, 2018

After earlier confirmation, Death Stranding had a pretty meaty stage presentation at TGS 2018, and though the highlight of the show may have been a short albeit very cool looking trailer, we got tons of info on its development otherwise too, shared mostly by Hideo Kojima and the game’s Japanese voice cast, who were all in attendance. Credit to YouTuber YongYea, who was tweeting updates with new information the entire time (you can find these tweets below).

The question we’re all asking most often is- how far along into development is Death Stranding exactly? (Actually, the question we’re all really asking is when the game will come out, but just ignore that for now). Kojima says development on the game has progressed into the thick of things, with him either being on the controller everyday for playtesting, or supervising things such as the acting performances or the movement in the game.

About the acting performances, that’s where the bulk of information comes from. The Japanese voice cast for the game was recently revealed, and a fair bit of time was spent talking about them on-stage. One of the people confirmed for the game was Kenhiro Tsuda, who Kojima feels is perfect for the Japanese voice of Sam (who’s being played by Norman Reedus in the game’s English version). Kojima was so convinced of this, in fact, that he went around Tsuda’s agent and sent the actor a DM to offer him a role.

Akio Otsuka, who’s been the Japanese voice of Snake in Metal Gear Solid since the very beginning, plays the role of the commanding officer of the organization that Sam is part of- beyond that, neither Otsuka nor Kojima gave any more information about the character, but did hint very heavily that they have something very exciting in store. Otsuka also confirmed that so far only voices for the trailers have been recorded.

Otsuka also talked about how he’s been working on projects with Kojima for over twenty years, and is glad for another opportunity to do so. This sentiment was shared by Kikuko Inoue, who’s given the Japanese voice for several major characters in Metal Gear Solid games- Rosemary, Sunny, The Boss, and Chico. Inoue will be providing the voice for Lindsay Wagner’s character, while the voice for Lea Seydoux’s character will be done by Nana Mizuki (the voice of Paz Ortega in Peace Walker and The Phantom Pain).

Oh, and here’s something else that’s cool- Satoshi Mikami, who was the Japanese actor for Ocelot in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, is giving the Japanese voice of the character in Death Stranding being played by Troy Baker. Troy Baker played Ocelot in the English version of The Phantom Pain– which, Mikami feels, is a cool connection (and I agree). It also looks like Kojima asked Mikami to play the character as a “cool” villain.

Also, Kojima also confirmed that he’s found the person he wants to play the Japanese voice of the character being played by Mads Mikkelsen. Though he won’t be announcing that yet, he feels he’s the perfect fit. Additionally, Kojima also confirmed that though Guillermo del Toro has provided motion capture and his likeness for a character in the game (whom we’ve known about for a long time now), he didn’t actually give the character’s voice. That said, though the character is based on del Toro, Kojima has made him a funny character. Kojima feels he’s probably the funniest character in the game, with Otsuka’s character being next in line for that title.

Kojima was also asked by Tomokazu Sugita, the Japanese voice of Kaz Miller in Metal Gear Solid, and whether the actor will be involved in Death Stranding. Kojima responded by saying that Sugita hasn’t been cast “yet”. Additionally, he also spoke briefly about the release date, mentioning that there is no change on that front- but again, he added a “yet”.

Death Stranding is scheduled for a launch on the PS4, but a release for the game hasn’t yet been confirmed. Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more coverage.

4) Host: How far is DS into development? Kojima: Started by finding an office, finding engine, etc. Now, he's working on game from morning to evening, every day he's on the controller, supervising acting, movement, etc.

— Yong Yea (@YongYea) September 23, 2018

Voice acting:

16) Kojima feels Tsuda is perfect for Sam. Since he sounds like the Japanese voice of Steven MacQueen, he'd be perfect for Sam in Death Stranding.

— Yong Yea (@YongYea) September 23, 2018

18) Kojima feels as though he didn't make a mistake choosing Tsuda. It's as if hearing Norman in Japanese.

— Yong Yea (@YongYea) September 23, 2018

21) PS: Inoue plays Lindsay Wagner's character, Nana plays Lea Seydoux's character.

— Yong Yea (@YongYea) September 23, 2018

36) Mikami (Japanese Ocelot) plays the character acted by Troy Baker (MGSV Ocelot).

Mikami: He's the voice of Ocelot, so we have that connection.

— Yong Yea (@YongYea) September 23, 2018

29) Akio Otsuka: I can't say who I play yet, but…

— Yong Yea (@YongYea) September 23, 2018

30) Kojima: His setting has been confirmed. Host: Can we see it? (Akio Otsuka's character art appears on screen)

— Yong Yea (@YongYea) September 23, 2018

31) Kojima: The new character is the president of the company Sam works for.

— Yong Yea (@YongYea) September 23, 2018

33) Kojima: He's the captain of the same company/agency Sam works with. We can't say who yet but please be excited.

— Yong Yea (@YongYea) September 23, 2018

34) Translator's note: perhaps more appropriate word instead of "captain" is "commanding officer".

— Yong Yea (@YongYea) September 23, 2018

43) Kojima: It's super hard to find someone to voice Mads, but I've found him. I won't say who. I'd offend Mads fans in Japan if I chose wrong, but he's perfect for Mads.

— Yong Yea (@YongYea) September 23, 2018

44) Kojima: Mads's character is a super important role, so keep a lookout soon.

— Yong Yea (@YongYea) September 23, 2018

45) Kojima: We got someone else to voice Del Toro but the mocap is by Del Toro. Akihiko Ishizuku is the voice of Del Toro, mainly an American film dubber. Since he's Del Toro, we want to make him funny and interesting. He speaks the most in the game.

— Yong Yea (@YongYea) September 23, 2018

46) Kojima: Second in line is probably Akio's character (the black mask).

— Yong Yea (@YongYea) September 23, 2018

55) Inoue: Do we have a casting for Sugita (Japanese voice of Kaz)? Kojima: We can't assign a character for him at this time.

Kojima: The release date for Death Stranding hasn't changed… yet. Please wait a bit more for it. Thanks.

— Yong Yea (@YongYea) September 23, 2018

Hideo Kojima had confirmed a stage presentation along with a trailer for Death Stranding at Tokyo Game Show 2018, and true to his word, he’s blessed us with yet another glimpse of his upcoming megaton. If you were hoping for the new trailer to pull back the curtain a bit on just what the hell is going on in the game, or when it might release, or anything else that is substantial- there’s none of that in there. But if you’re expecting an extremely cool trailer with lots of excellent visual imagery, you’re in for a treat. Take a look below (courtesy of GameSpot).

Troy Baker, who was confirmed to be involved in the game, is front and centre in the latest trailer, and delivers an expectedly amazing voice performance in this one minute long trailer. Norman Reedus’ Sam is in there too, but he’s mostly silent (which is something The Walking Dead fans will be very familiar with, I’m sure). There’s also more of that black oil-like substance that we’ve been seeing ever since we first heard of Death Stranding– a lot more of it, in fact. It even takes shape to turn into something straight out of Bloodborne, actually.

Death Stranding still doesn’t have a release date, but at least this trailer keeps the hype train running. As for a release date- maybe at The Game Awards in December? Keep your fingers crossed.

Following the recent extended trailer, even more gameplay has emerged for Square Enix’s Kingdom Hearts 3 during Tokyo Game Show 2018. While we get to see more from Toy Box, the world of Pixar’s Toy Story, it’s a little different from the last gameplay demo. This time around, there’s a doll that’s seemingly possessed by the Heartless. Check it out below.

Of course, the world of Frozen is also revealed in more detail. Our heroes are shown sliding down a hill on Goofy’s shield, as an avalanche and enemies follow them. At the end, they battle against three flying ice-based enemies. It’s here that we see Sora utilizing his Keyblade transformations for dual guns, and eventually a rocket launcher that fires magic.

Chaotic as it appears, combat looks extremely fun and responsive all around. Kingdom Hearts 3 will be releasing on January 29th, 2019 for Xbox One and PS4. Head here to see a short gameplay clip of Sora battling Aqua of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep fame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsDTJ7a2mpE

Much like it did in Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition, Capcom will be implementing microtransactions for Red Orbs in Devil May Cry 5. This was confirmed by GameSpot during its time with the action hack and slash at Tokyo Game Show.

Essentially, when using a Divinity Statue – the de facto means of upgrading characters with Red Orbs earned in-game – players will have an option to spend real money on the same. Director Hideaki Itsuno noted that this was an option to allow more choice for players.

“With giving people the ability to purchase Red Orbs, it’s something we want to give people as an option,” he said. “If they want to save time and just want to get all the stuff at once, those people can do that.”

As many are aware, Red Orbs can be used to purchase new moves and abilities for characters. The pricing of said moves will depend on their difficulty though. “The first thing is the stuff that we feel people should want to get first is made cheaper. So people will think, ‘Oh, this is cheap so I’m just going to buy this.’

“But then for the stuff that’s going to be harder to use and master, we make that more expensive. Partly because of you save up for that you’re not going to be able to buy as many skills, so you’re going to have the time to learn it.”

While many may decry the implementation of microtransactions in a single-player game, Red Orbs can still be earned by playing normally. Furthermore, the abilities and moves unlocked are still very much dependent on player skill. We’ll see how this change affects the leaderboard rankings and overall flow of progression once Devil May Cry 5 actually launches.

Speaking of which, the game is out on March 8th, 2019 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Head here to see some gameplay for Dante along with appearances from Trish, Lady, and third playable character V.

Square Enix’s perennial Final Fantasy 15 will be receiving more crossover content in the near future. The publisher announced at Tokyo Game Show that there would be new content tied to Terra Wars, the mobile game developed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, with the character Sara making an appearance.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider will also have crossover content, but in the form of special themed clothes and radio music for the Regalia. DJ Yoshitaka of Bemani Games will be developing remixes for the title, and even more cosmetics from a crossover with mobile title DJ Nobunaga are coming as well. All of this content will be out on September 25th, while you can also expect Final Fantasy 15 content to appear in the above games.

As for future content like the DLC Episodes Ardyn, Aranea, Lunafreya and Noctis, they’re still scheduled for early 2019 launches. Also, after being delayed from its initial Summer launch, the standalone release of Comrades will receive a new release window later.

Square Enix has been on fire with Kingdom Hearts 3 footage at Tokyo Game Show 2018. During a lengthy stage event, however, the developer showcased a rather interesting clip featuring Aqua (from Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep) and series protagonist Sora. Seemingly corrupted by the Darkness, Aqua is a boss battle for our intrepid hero. Check out the short segment below.

The last we saw of Aqua was actually in Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage. Included with Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, Aqua’s journey through the Realm of Darkness is revealed as she battles Heartless and seemingly does everything possible to avoid corruption. However, despite King Mickey seemingly rescuing her, it doesn’t seem like Aqua escaped unscathed.

Regardless, it seems like Aqua will join Sora, Donald, and Goofy in their quest to gather the seven guardians of Light to battle Organization XIII. Kingdom Hearts 3 will release on January 29th, 2019 for Xbox One and PS4. Stay tuned for more information in the meantime.

https://youtu.be/tORuUe1oIUQ?t=1916

During a stage event for Ace Attorney at Tokyo Game Show 2018, Capcom showcased Ace Attorney 123 Phoenix Collection, a compilation containing Phoenix Wright 1, 2 and 3. It will be releasing in early 2019 for Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. However, this collection will also come to the West next year as Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy.

Till now, the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy has only been available on Nintendo 3DS, so this allows non-handheld owners to try it out as well. Along with Japanese and English options, players can adjust dialogue window transparency, text speed, and the volume for music and sound effects. There are also 10 different saves for each game and language, offering enough wiggle room for choices.

If that weren’t enough, the UI and artwork have effectively been remade roo, providing even more detail than before. Check out out the English trailer below and let us know if you have any “Objection!”s in the comments below.