E3 Sideshow – Xseed
The weeks leading up to E3 are without a doubt some of the most exciting of the year for a gamer. Whether it’s the anticipation for something that has been rumoured, or simply looking forward to whatever surprises are in store.
In all the hustle and bustle, it’s easy to lose track of some announcements that get made in the lead up to the show itself, especially as companies that aren’t attending also like to join in and reveal what they have in store for customers in the coming months and years.
This maiden entry in E3 Sideshow will detail the recent reveals made by Xseed, possibly my favourite niche publisher, in no small part thanks to their work with the Legend of Heroes series. Without further ado, here’s what Xseed has in store for the rest of the year:
Summer 2015
Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Season Fairytale combines the PopoloCrois story and setting with the mechanics of Story of Seasons. Much like last years Persona Q, which combined the world of Persona with the gameplay of Etrian Odyssey, this crossover is a farming/life sim is sure to keep 3DS players busy.
Senran Kagura – Estival Verus is a spin-off of the popular 3DS side-scrolling fighting series. If you’d prefer your over-developed and underclothed schoolgirls in HD, the PS Vita and PS4 should be able to cater for you.
Winter 2015
Onechanbara: Z2 Chaos is the series’ first foray on to current gen consoles. Part Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 with a dash of Dead Island, if bikini-clad, katana wielding zombie killers sounds like something you’d enjoy, this should hit the spot provided you own a PS4.
Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson is the next main series entry in the franchise, continuing on the 3DS. With a host of new features, it’s sure to please fans of the original game.
Spring 2015
Corpse Party: Blood Drive – Closing off this visual novel-esque horror series is the third instalment on the PS Vita, complete with fully 3D graphics rather than the 2D sprites of the previous games. To make things even spookier, binaural sound in included, although you’ll have to bring your own brown trousers.
In a double whammy, Xseed showed off two Earth Defence Force games: Earth Defence Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space and Earth Defence Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair, releasing for the PS Vita and PS4 respectively. Both are updated remakes of earlier titles in the series featuring improved visuals and a bevy of new content. Both titles will emerge during Spring of this year.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel Parts One and Two – Undoubtedly one of developer Falcom’s flagship series along with Ys, the Legend of Heroes is a legendary (pun intended) JRPG series that has lagged behind in recent years due to the scope of the translating effort required to localise the games into English. Although it means having to skip over a few entries for now, Trails of Cold Steel looks to continue the series high watermark for story and turn-based battle mechanics. Cross-save functionality will be included to the benefit of those Sony loyalists who own both platforms.
At the risk of editorialising, I’m ridiculously excited for more Legend of Heroes. With Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter due in the next few months, I could be spending quite a bit of time on my Vita.
Let us know in the comments if Xseed have got your blood pumping with any of these announcements!
Stephen del Prado
