The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

“Killing monsters” is Geralt’s calling and while The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt didn’t have dragons or other monsters on the scale of previous games (with some DLC exceptions), there were still a number of beasts to fell. The creepy Leshens, hulking Fiends, Wraiths, Wyverns and much more await your blade. Fair warning though – the combat isn’t nearly as compelling as Monster Hunter, you can’t mount monsters, and much of the preparation falls to blade oils, potions and skills. It’s still fun though and the various side quests feel unique and interesting.

Some of you may remember having played either of the two games in Omega Force’s action role-playing series called Toukiden. The same team from the company that worked  on this series is now working on a brand new title that is not going to be the next installment in the Toukiden series as some may have hoped.

When Omega Force celebrated  their 20th Anniversary Commemoration  Concert recently, Toukiden’s Producer Kenichi Ogasawara stated, “We have not announced a packaged title since Toukiden 2, but as we are currently working on another project at Omega Force, once we can finish it properly, I would like to make a new Toukiden, so please wait a little while longer”

We’ll have to wait and see what this new game is that the team is working on but this project is supposed to be a “surprise title” which makes it even more intriguing. Additionally, it’s also great news to hear that the company plans to eventually get around to making the third game in the Toukiden series. Since we haven’t even received any information about the team’s current project, it will probably be a long while before we hear news of the development of Toukiden 3. 

Thanks, GameWatch, via Gematsu.

The meat of what Toukiden Kiwami brought to the table is still very much at the core of this sequel, while dropping some of the baggage. Slayers who used to fight for humanity from the shadows now stand brazenly and openly in defiance of a massive Oni invasion called the Awakening, and during the first major battle to defend humanity the player is flung through time and space to a far away village ten years in the future. A plot contrivance to reset carried over files from the last game? Sure is. But much like most games from this studio, you only need to carry as much interest in the plot as you want. You can freely ignore it because the part that matters is the slaying.

"Missions no longer take place in segmented areas you teleport to and from. Rather you’ll gather your party of fighters and then seamlessly move into an open world to explore."

The spirit of collection and upgrading still exists within Toukiden 2, but your monster Oni hunting carries with it a constant feedback loop of getting new gear to grow in power, so you can fight stronger enemies to develop even stronger gear. Fighting earns equippable Mitama which help tailor your playstyle and keep the repeat of the feedback loop from getting repetitive. At the core, Toukiden 2 still has much in common with a certain famous Capcom series at a basic level- it’s how you’re doing it now that makes this feel like its own beast.

Structure is where Toukiden 2 begins to differentiate itself. You still have a choice of several different weapon classes to help flesh out the details of your play style, and can freely experiment, but missions no longer take place in segmented areas you teleport to and from. Rather you’ll gather your party of fighters and then seamlessly move into an open world to explore. Sub-missions and random battles can now be found in the world, giving it more of a living, breathing nature and while there is less diversity than the sectioned off areas offered before, I appreciated the near elimination of the transitions and accompanying loading times. Fast travel does exist to cut out the fat as well, keeping huge hikes at bay.

Many areas are at first choked in the poison Miasma of the Oni and need to be liberated, but you can only handle so much exposure at once. The time limit isn’t so strict as to be stifling, and it’s only in specific areas, helping it not feel overbearing or cheap and instead encouraging the player to take a measured approach to exploration and double back to improve their equipment if the going gets rough.

"In addition to your main Mitama, you can now define one to an Evasion skill and an attack still, providing triggerable buffs that allow you to further build on your play style"

Mitama still play a large role within the players load out. These souls of dead warriors still control your on field selection of powers and can be defined as different classes like power, speed or defence. In addition to your main Mitama, you can now define one to an Evasion skill and an attack still, providing triggerable buffs that allow you to further build on your play style and giving you that much more of a reason to swap around different Mitama frequently as you obtain them. It’s a small change that elevates so much.

Combat in general feels far more kinetic than before. Where as Kiwami kept things fairly tame with how combat flowed, Toukiden 2 introduces the Demon Hand and weaves it into many of the things you do on the battlefield. Somewhat like a telekinetic tether, the demon hand can grapple an enemy and launch you toward it for an attack. In the case of the larger Oni, you can use it to leap up towards weak points or just to get out of range. With the proper co-ordination between human team members, one can hold back a body part while the rest of the team takes full advantage of the opening. Adding that touch of ridiculous that makes the other games Tecmo does so fun helps make Toukiden 2 feel less Monster Hunter and more like its own thing.

Still having the Playstation Vita taken into account, Toukiden 2 doesn’t exactly look like the powerhouse visually that it otherwise could have. There are better details in the environments textures, and nicer animations than Kiwami offered while still having roots as a PSP game. Effects are minimal and there isn’t much else to say besides they do the job and aren’t going to do much to impress anybody. The audio design meshes with the animations nicely to give the act of combat a weight and amazing crunch, but the music is gone from your head no sooner than the game is turned off, leaning on the same “Feudal Japan” music you’ve heard many times.

"The audio design meshes with the animations nicely to give the act of combat a weight and amazing crunch,"

Additionally, controls on the home console still feel like they were carried right over from the limitations of the Playstation Vita, ultimately making things feel cramped in strange ways they really shouldn’t. It’s unfortunate that Toukiden 2 didn’t offer some more customizable controls to allow spacing out, and on occasion I tripped up during combat encounters not because I wasn’t skilled enough to execute, but because the game failed to notice I was holding the trigger to modify that attack into a use of a power.

Toukiden 2 does a lot of great things to separate itself from the shadow of Monster Hunter, and playing to the strengths of the developer has done a lot to turn Toukiden into a far more open, creative and kinetic game, while not betraying what people loved about it in the first place. While still clearly tied to handheld limitations, which results in a few frustrations, the overall package of Toukiden 2 forges its own path and anyone interested will love jumping back into the life of a slayer once again.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4

While Koei Tecmo is one of the Japanese publishers that has whole heartedly embraced Steam and PC gaming as a platform to put their games on, its PC ports thus far have been lacking, shoddy efforts that barely do the cursory minimum. However, they are promising that things will be different for the upcoming PC version of Toukiden 2, the open world sequel to the PS Vita exclusive original action hunting game.

According to the game’s Japanese site, the PC version of the game will feature enhanced graphical options, as well as 60 frames per second. These enhanced settings will include options for texture detail and depth of field sliders.

Toukiden 2 is set to release for PC via Steam, PS4 and PS Vita later this month on March 21. Will you be picking up the PC version? Are you interested in the game at all? Make sure to let us know in the comments section.

Super Bomberman R

Your first thought is probably, “Konami is making a game that people actually want?!” Yes but it’s surprising to see it be Super Bomberman R and that too exclusive (currently at least) to the Nintendo Switch. Regardless, our favourite bomb-thrower is back in his 2D grid-based domain with a 50 stage story campaign. Multiplayer is the main appeal of the series though. Super Bomberman R features eight player competitive play for the old-school masses who simply want to blow up their friends. Look out for it launching with the Switch on March 3^rd.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Arguably the most hotly anticipated Zelda title of all time, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is Nintendo Switch’s flagship launch game. Link returns in a Hyrule far larger than anything seen till now and will once again face the forces of evil. How is everything connected to the Ocarina of Time, if they’re indeed connected at all? Dynamic weather, wide-ranging landscapes, looting mechanics and a new Zelda are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Breath of the Wild which releases on March 3^rd for the Switch and Wii U.

Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey

The Atelier story may be unfamiliar to most at this point and Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey won’t really change that. However, if you’re looking for a solid JRPG series with enough alchemy to make Edward Elric’s head spin, you’ve come to the right place. Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey will feature a time limit like the previous game and you’ll be gathering items and synthesizing them together with Catalysts changing up their bonuses. Those interested in combat can take four party members into battles and see abilities and tactics change depending on the weather and time of day. Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey will arrive for on PC, PS4 and PS Vita on March 7^th.

Lego Worlds

The sandbox exploration title featuring the lovable Lego art-style is finally out in March for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Lego Worlds has actually been in Steam Early Access for a while and impressed us with its sheer variety of worlds, vehicles, NPCs and more. Plus you can ride dragons, encounter Bigfoot (and incinerate him accordingly) or just cross the sea in a grand pirate adventure. It releases on March 7^th with a Nintendo Switch release also coming in the future.

Nier: Automata

Break-neck hack and slash action, open exploration, side-scrolling platforming, overhead bullet-hell battles – Platinum’s Nier: Automata nearly has it all. The explosive action RPG turned heads with its demo in December and the awesome combo-ridden combat and expansive locales have us salivating. You can even venture out into the world to find your previous corpse and animate it to fight for you. Don’t even get us started on the boss battles. It’s out on March 7^th for PS4 in North America.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands

The recent open beta presented a new region and challenges but the consensus is clear – this isn’t your average Ghost Recon. Set in Bolivia, Ghost Recon: Wildlands features an open world to explore with vehicles and multiple tactical approaches to completing objectives. Go it alone with AI teammates or rope in three friends to bungle missions together. Partake in higher difficulties and prove your mettle as a Ghost, ideally after the open beta when Ubisoft tweaks the AI some more. The possibilities are endless when Ghost Recon: Wildlands arrives on March 7^th.

Star Trek: Bridge Crew

The oft-delayed virtual reality title from Ubisoft sees you (and your friends) occupying the eyes and ears of the USS Aegis. A story campaign is included, taking place after Star Trek (2009) but players can also engage in randomly generated missions as well. The main hook of Star Trek: Bridge Crew is that each player of a total four can take on a different role. You could occupy the Captain’s chair while someone else serves as engineer. Star Trek: Bridge Crew finally arrives on March 14^th for PS4.

Styx: Shards of Darkness

Cyanide’s fantasy stealth sequel sees the return of Styx as he infiltrates Körangar to find out more about the alliance between Dark Elves and Dwarves. Cloning, traps and invisibility return along with ropes and grappling hooks for traversing to higher areas. Co-op support has also been added, allowing you and a friend to sneak together. With a new engine and higher production values, Styx: Shards of Darkness could a decent time-waster for stealth fans when it arrives on March 14^th for Xbox One, PC and PS4.

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Shepard is gone but the intergalactic journey of exploration continues. Mass Effect: Andromeda follows a new crew helmed by Pathfinder Alec Ryder with the player assuming control over either Scott or Sarah Ryder. Conflicts with new enemies called the Ket, an improved Mako, larger levels and open world activities to partake in, improved movement, revamped combat mechanics for switching classes and load-outs on the fly – the only real criticism at this stage is how long we have to wait. Mass Effect: Andromeda releases on March 21^st for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Toukiden 2

There’s a new Toukiden out in March and no, it’s not Age of Demons. Taking place two years after the events of Toukiden Kiwami, the Slayers return to do battle against the demons. With a focus on open world exploration, you’ll now engage in battles seamlessly, identifying which regions to assault based on their hazard levels. Hunting Grounds also make a return along with a new day and night system, customization options. Those suffering from a Monster Hunter hangover take note – Toukiden 2 arrives on March 24^th for PS3, PS4, PS Vita and PC.

Vikings: Wolves of Midgard

Gauntlet meets Norse mythology in Vikings: Wolves of Midgard. Travel the world as a hulking male warrior or a nimble shield maiden, battling ice demons and growing your Viking village with rescued survivors. Combat is complex with different abilities like projectiles, charging attacks and much more. Each character has their own unique attacks and the sheer beauty of this frozen wasteland makes it worth a look for its co-op. Vikings: Wolves of Midgard is out on March 24^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix/Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix

Okay, so Final Chapter Prologue may have been a venerable mixed bag of sorts for the Kingdom Hearts faithful on PS4. But with the release of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5/2.5 Remix this March, you get a lot more Kingdom Hearts goodness for your buck. Along with Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts 2: Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Final Mix as playable games, you get 358/2 Days and        Re:coded as cinematic retellings. Will they help you understand the whole convoluted mess of a story? Probably not but both HD remaster collections arrive on March 28^th for PS4.

MLB The Show 17

Have you seen those hair textures? You must have seen those hair textures but regardless, there are plenty of other reasons to check out SCE San Diego’s MLB The Show 17. There’s the Retro Mode which throws the action back to the two-button controls of yore and Road to Show, a branching storyline mode packed with excitement. Want a team of Legends and All-Stars? Diamond Dynasty’s got you covered and we can’t wait to see how this all looks when MLB The Show 17 releases on March 28^th for PS4.

Strafe

Old-school Doom/Quake action meets rogue-like mechanics in Strafe. This pixelated first person shooter from Pixel Titans pays homage to the granddaddy of all shooters while featuring randomly generated levels, gore that constantly remains in your surroundings and tons of replay value. Strafe also supports Oculus Rift for those who want to frag out in virtual reality – it’s out on March 28^th for PC, Mac OS X and PlayStation 4. Now if only Glory Kills could be patched in post-launch…

Has-Been Heroes

Frozenbyte’s rogue-like RTS/turn-based strategy hybrid is something different. It follows a team of heroes as they escort some princesses to school. Baddies lie in the way and along with collecting tons of epic loot to vanquish them; you’ll need to think on your toes amidst the constantly approaching enemies. It’s an interesting mix of strategy and action, one that we didn’t expect given the studio’s last major release Shadwen. Has-Been Heroes releases on March 28^th Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch.

The original Toukiden was great, an excellent evolution of the hunting genre back when standard bearer Monster Hunter was floundering with the less than impressive Monster Hunter 3 games (and before it rebounded beautifully with Monster Hunter 4). Now, the sequel to that game – the open world, console focused hunting action game that is Toukiden 2 – will finally answer the question of whether or not these games would be as fun on consoles as they are on handhelds.

Toukiden 2 has been confirmed for a western release by Koei Tecmo- it will launch in Spring 2017, and best of all, it will be coming to PlayStation Vita in addition to the PS4 and PS3 versions. This should have been a given, since the game launched on all three of these platforms in Japan, but given how the Vita versions of games are often glanced over in localizations, the confirmation is appreciated nonetheless.

You can check out a new, anime style trailer for Toukiden 2 below. Let us know in the comments section if you intend on getting the game.