On the horizon

I'm not entirely sure how this thread will play out or if it's necessary but let's see.

A big part of the fun of being on forums is being able to spread the word about the lesser titles that you may be playing in the near future, I'm not necessarily talking about indies (although those can be included) but even some titles from the bigger studios that will likely reach a smaller, 'niche' audience. After all, we all know about the big budget AAA releases headed our way (the likes of Assassins Creed, CoD, Battlefield etc) and those games will likely be getting their own threads in due course but I wonder if those (anticipated by some) slightly less known titles deserve a thread too. And this is why I thought I'd start this thread.

By way of kicking things off, I thought I'd mention some of those games that I'm looking forward to.

For the remainder of the year, things on the PS4 front are still too quiet for my liking and the only thing I'm really keeping an eye on is Lords of the Fallen (due 31st Oct and already pre-ordered). It's being touted by many as a European flavoured slightly more forgiving Dark Souls and the influences are clearly obvious in some of early gameplay footage. 

As for the Vita, things are slightly better, somewhat surprising given that Sony are doing all they can to distance themselves from the thing. I'm really looking forward to Freedom Wars (looking to be another game that fills the gap created by no proper Monster Hunter game) and Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines (because I can't resist a traditional JRPG). Although both have been confirmed as heading to our shores and soon, I don't believe a firm release date has been pinned down for either. Whilst on the JRPG front, there's also the release of Tales of Hearts R (Nov 14th and another already pre-ordered) that I'm eagerly awaiting.

On the PS3, it's really only Tales of Xillia 2 (due next Friday) that I'm looking forward to. Admittedly, not necessarily a smaller game but still one that will only appeal to a niche audience. I absolutely loved the first game so I hope that this doesn't end up being another Symphonia: Dawn of the New World  

There's also the likes of DAI, The Witcher 3 and Bloodborne incoming but those are likely to be worthy of their own threads nearer the time.

*Now time to watch the thread die*

One of the more offbeat games I'm looking forward to is Murasaki Baby by Ovosonico on the PS Vita. It's a side scrolling games very much along the lines of Limbo and Escape Plan where you use the touchscreen to manipulate the games environments to guide a baby safely through the levels.

I was keen on Murasaki Baby when it was first announced but I am concerned it'll be too similar to Limbo, a game that I really didn't get on with.

PorcusHawk wrote:I was keen on Murasaki Baby when it was first announced but I am concerned it'll be too similar to Limbo, a game that I really didn't get on with.

It's now got a release date and it's very, very soon, next Wednesday, 17th September to be exact. Might finally be able to dust off my long neglected Vita!

megablast16 wrote:It's now got a release date and it's very, very soon, next Wednesday, 17th September to be exact. Might finally be able to dust off my long neglected Vita!

Yeah heard that, will keep an eye on your opinions (should you get it) as I'm still very much on the fence with this.

PorcusHawk wrote:

megablast16 wrote:It's now got a release date and it's very, very soon, next Wednesday, 17th September to be exact. Might finally be able to dust off my long neglected Vita!

Yeah heard that, will keep an eye on your opinions (should you get it) as I'm still very much on the fence with this.

 

It's getting some decent reviews but I've heard it's very short, about 3 hours max to 100% it, so I may wait till it appears on Playstation Plus now.

The new launch trailer for Metroidvania/platformer/light RPG game Ori & The Blind Forest, out next week. I've been looking forward to this since last E3 and it looks absolutely gorgeous!

I've been playing the demo of Codename S.T.E.A.M. on 3DS.  I hadn't heard of it before catching a mention of its North American release on twitter, completely off my radar despite being something that would appeal.  It is a turn-based squad tactical RPG but more Valkyria Chronicles than Fire Emblem in terms of the play mechanic.  

Set in steampunk Victorian London, it is about the formation of a squad of heroes from folklore, literature  and myth (so far, I've come across John Henry, the steel driving man, and I've read that Tom Sawyer and Randolph Carter are in it too) by Abraham Lincoln (voiced by Wil Wheaton,  apparently).  They are needed, as far as I can make out from the demo,  to thwart an alien incursion.

Ticks all my boxes and I will definitely be getting it come its release in May.  If you have a 3DS, download the demo - it is a solid game.  One drawback is the alien movement turn can take a while (longer than in Xcom or Fire Emblem)