Weekend Announcements July 21st-23rd Pt. 1: Demetrios, Happy Dungeons and More

By Rebecca Smith,

Over the past few days, we've seen the announcements of 23 titles; so many that we've had to split them into two articles. Amongst the many different genres that are covered in part one, there's a .hack//G.U. collection, a new instalment in the BlazBlue franchise, a chance to get medieval in a whole new way, a war between cats, a strategic battle against the Kronkoids, a point & click investigation into a drunken robbery, attempts to shoot down the TLF, a realistic gold mining simulator, a happy dungeon crawler, a quest for revenge in Imperial China and several Japanese titles that are making their way west. Without further ado, here they are:

.Hack//G.U. Last Recode

If you've never played any of the .hack//G.U. action RPGs then later this year might be a good time to start. Last Recode is a collection of the three titles in the franchise, .hack//G.U. Rebirth, .hack//G.U. Reminisce and .hack//G.U. Redemption. The games take place after the events of the original .hack franchise. Players take on the role of Haseo, who is trying to avenge the death of his friend's in-game avatar Shino, an act that put her in a coma in real life. The games will be updated to 1080p, 16:9 widescreen picture, and 60 fps frame rate. There will also be gameplay balance changes, enhanced battle balance, a new Cheat mode that allows players to begin with full stats, and more features to be announced in the future. The collection will also get a physical edition in North America alongside the worldwide digital Playstation 4 release.

BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle

The latest instalment in the BlazBlue franchise will be arriving next year, although we're not exactly sure where. The game promises a "dream-team" of characters who have never before been seen together in a 2D fighting game. Arc System Works’ Konomi Higuchi will be assuming the role of lead character designer. Those that have already been confirmed to appear include Ragna the Bloodedge (BlazBlue), Yu Narukami (Persona 4 Arena Ultimax), Hyde (UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH) and Ruby Rose (RWBY). More characters will be confirmed as we get closer to the game's release.

Blue Reflection

GUST Studios’ latest JRPG will be coming to the west on Playstation 4 on September 26th. The original IP puts players in the shoes of Hinako Shirai. After a tragic accident ends her ballet career and forces her to close off her heart from the rest of the world, she returns to ordinary school life. Her life changes again when her new best friends, Shijou twins Yuzu and Lime, give her the powers of a Reflector. Now able to travel between reality and a parallel dimension called The Common, she can have any wish she desires as long as she protects the world from the devastating forces of the Sephira that are a threat to humanity itself.

CastleStorm VR

After bringing their renowned pinball franchise to VR at the end of last year, Zen Studios is now bringing Castlestorm to VR owners too. This time players will be put directly onto the field of battle where they'll get to dodge every arrow as it whizzes past their ears, hear every battle cry, watch horses gallop past and feel every ballista shot as they "get medieval in a whole new way". You'll get to try this out for yourself when the game is released for Playstation VR on August 1st.

Cat Quest

The Gentlebros' open-world 2D action-RPG puts players in the role of a cat who has joined a long-lost race of dragon slayers called the Dragonblood. When your sister is captured by a mysterious cat called Drakoth, together with your guardian spirit Spirry, you set out to save your sister and the world of Felingard. Combining real time combat and dungeon crawler style exploration, players will collect loot, complete quests and meet many of the characters that live across the massive continent. The game is aiming for Playstation 4 in Q4 2017.

Comet Crash 2: The Kronkoid Wars

Pelfast's real-time strategy title tasks players with defending civilization and defeating the Kronkoids. Fight for control of the comets that they've sent to wreak havoc on your planet so that you can gain access to advanced technologies. Collect rock resources that can be sold to fund maze-like tower systems, weapon upgrades and massive armies. As well as the features found in PS3 title Comet Crash, players will be able to tackle a new 54 stage single-player campaign, new enemies, big bosses and an online multiplayer mode. The title will release exclusively on Playstation 4 on August 8th.

Demetrios – The BIG Cynical Adventure

After a release on PC and PlayStation Vita, COWCAT's mix of Point & Click and Visual Novel will be appearing on Playstation 4 on August 1st. Protagonist Bjorn Thonen is an antique dealer and all-around slob. After returning drunk to his Parisian home, he is robbed. Together with his neighbour, Sandra, he must conduct his own investigation into the robbery, but nothing is ever as simple as it seems. Citing inspiration from classics like Broken Sword and Runaway, the game promises an 8-12 hour adventure that will suit both genre beginners and experts.

Demon Gaze II

Kadokawa Games' dungeon crawler will be coming to the west on Playstation 4 and Vita this fall. Asteria once enjoyed complete harmony, blessed by the sun and the sea. Despite its peaceful facade, the land's citizen were exploited and their pain took the form of demons created by Magnastar. Now the Revolutionist Party is looking to overthrow him. Players assume the role of the Demon Gazer who must use their ability to wield the power of demons to liberate the citizens of Asteria.

End Space

Having gained control of the resource-rich Tartarus Sector, the UTC has stretched its resources thin. The insurgent Tartarus Liberation Front is attempting to disrupt UTC supply lines and mining operations and they can't be ignored any longer. As a new recruit into the cadre of elite contract pilots, you're tasked with protecting the interests of the UTC. Orange Bridge Studios' space combat simulator has been built for Playstation VR. The turret guns on your Minos Starfighter aim wherever you look while your ship's speed and direction is controlled by gamepad. The title will also include PS4 Pro enhancements when it is released on September 19th.

Gold Rush: The Game

Code Horizon's realistic gold-mining simulation title was aiming for CA$10,000 in Kickstarter funding. With seven days still to go, it has smashed through that target and sits at nearly CA$110,000 at the time of writing, more than enough to bring the game to Playstation 4 in the future. Players begin as a wannabe gold miner who only possesses the most basic of equipment to enable them to find their first gold nugget. As time goes on, you'll get better equipment and find new claims. Eventually, you'll be able to dig multiple claims simultaneously and will find yourself as the richest man in Alaska. The game offers unique Alaska-inspired stories, realistic mining processes and machinery, deformable terrain, a day/night system and a four season cycle.

Happy Dungeons

ToyLogic's action RPG franchise finally makes it to Playstation 4 in the form of Happy Dungeons. The free-to-play title sees you and up to three friends hacking and slashing through dungeons filled with over 1500 equipment items, charming characters, enemies and a whole host of surprises. Having just allowed players to sample its gameplay in last weekend's open beta, the game will be releasing fully in September.

HIDDEN DRAGON LEGEND

MegaFun Games' 2.5D action platforming game will appear on Playstation 4 next month. Set in Imperial China, competing factions are all after the powerful Dragon Cauldron, an object that grants inhuman powers albeit at the cost of sanity and reason. One of these factions has cast a spell on the player and turned him into a puppet who is forced to kill for others. He must settle the score and seek revenge on his masters. You'll need to use your skills in combat, acrobatics and puzzle-solving, as well as increasing your fighter's skills as you see fit through an extensive skill tree.

Will you be looking to purchase any of these titles?

Written by Rebecca Smith

Rebecca is the Newshound Manager at TrueGaming Network. She has been contributing articles since 2010, especially those that involve intimidatingly long lists. When not writing news, she works in an independent game shop so that she can spend all day talking about games too. She'll occasionally go outside.