E3 2017 is here and it’s brought lots of new details regarding Sonic Forces, Sonic Mania, Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. First up we have a new trailer for Sonic Forces which shows us a little more gameplay of each of the 3 gameplay styles as well as the reveal of a new villain. The new villain looks like a Sonic-styled hedgehog but he has a glitchy look about him. His reveal is prefaced with the symbol for infinity which has many speculating the character is called Infinity or Infinite. Check out the trailer below:
IGN have also posted 7 minutes of direct feed Sonic Forces gameplay that showcases the PS4 Pro version of the game. Worth mentioning is the brief look at the avatar menu which sees the customer character wearing some rather snazzy Mega Drive-branded footwear. Sonic Forces launches on PS4, Xbox One, PC and Switch in Q4 2017. You can watch the new gameplay here:
Now we move onto Sonic Mania and more specifically the Nintendo Switch version. IGN have had some hands-on time with this version and shared 6 minutes of gameplay which features Act 2 of Green Hill Zone complete with a reveal of the stage’s boss. We also get another look at the Mirage Saloon stage. Sonic Mania launches on PC, Switch, PS4 and Xbox One on August 15th 2017. Take a look below:
Next up we have a new trailer of the PS4 Yakuza remake, Yakuza Kiwami. The game will release on August 29th 2017 and if you pre-order now you can secure a limited edition steelbook case. Check out the new trailer below:
Finally we have a new trailer for Yakuza 6 which also reveals the game’s subtitle, The Song of Life. The trailer reveals a portion of the game’s story which sees Kiryu discovering that Haruka has had a baby and Kiryu is trying to learn who the father is. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is due for release in early 2018 for PS4. You can watch the new trailer by clicking the embed below:
Okay so Bubsy is not a SEGA property but the original 2 games did appear on the Mega Drive and publisher Accolade are intrinsically connected with a big part of SEGA history (click here to read more), so we have to let you know that Accolade are back and they’re publishing a brand new Bubsy title called Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back. Yes, really.
Developed by Black Forest Games who are responsible for the rather good Giana: Twisted Dreams, Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back is clearing riffing on the first two Bubsy titles and offers a 2.5D aesthetic, a whole host of yarn-based gimmicks and a snarky attitude to boot.
Check out the announcement trailer by clicking below:
Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back will launch on PC and PS4 in Autumn 2017.
The inevitable Shenmue III delay has arrived! Shenmue III will now release in the 2nd half of 2018.
It had previously been slated for a December 2017 release but as was previously revealed, Shenmue III was not scheduled for an appearance at this year’s E3 which put a 2017 release into doubt.
Yu Suzuki announced the delay himself in the latest Kickstarter update and has said, “By utilising new technologies, we have been able to discover new possibilities and expressions. In many ways, the game has become bigger and more beautiful than I initially expected. We do, however, need more time to deliver the game to you.”
Shenmue III will not be published by SEGA but instead by Sony. The game will eventually launch on PC and PS4.
SEGA’s new Crazy Taxi mobile title, Crazy Taxi Gazillionaire, is out now for iOS and Android mobile devices.
The Demiurge-developed title is a “clicker” game where you control a fleet of taxis in an attempt to make as much money as possible. Do you think the Crazy Taxi license is a good fit for this type of game? Let us know in the comments below.
In the meantime, why not watch the launch trailer?
In addition to this new title, the iOS and Android port of the original Crazy Taxi has now been updated to be free-to-play so if you’ve been tempted to try it, now you can except with ads in the menu transitions.
There is also a gorgeous new trailer full of hand-drawn animated sequences by Tyson Hesse and it also includes the reveal of Stardust Speedway (past) as a new stage. Check it out:
In one of the most self-aware moves I’ve ever seen from SEGA, Sonic Forces will include a customisable character that you can create. This custom character is the third playable character option that was teased for inclusion in Sonic Forces and they come with additional abilities that include a grappling hook and a flamethrower.
The customisable character will have 7 species for you to build your character from and each of them has specific extra abilities. The 7 species are listed below:
Rabbit — Has longer invincible time after receiving damage
Wolf — Automatically draws in rings when near them
Cat — Keeps one ring after being hit
Dog — Restarts with five rings after the player dies
Bear — Blows away enemies with a homing attack
Bird — Flies high with double jump abilities
Hedgehog — Collects rings when getting damaged
You can check out the first footage of the customer character in action via the trailer below:
We also get an extended look at the custom character in action in the dilapidated city stage which is now officially known as Park Avenue. Check it out below:
Platinum Games’ over-the-top, third person shooter Vanquish will launch on PC on May the 25th. This new port comes with enhancements like an uncapped framerate and support for 4K displays.
Pre-ordering on Steam also gives you access to a Digital Deluxe Edition that includes a digital art book, a downloadable sample soundtrack, avatars and wallpapers. Owners of the recently released PC version of Bayonetta are also entitled to 25% off when they purchase Vanquish. Check out the announcement trailer below:
In a new video from Unseen 64 and Did You Know Gaming?, former Vision Scape Interactive developer Matt McDonald claims that their Sonic Extreme tech demo, which was pitched to SEGA as a new Sonic skateboarding title, was in fact stolen by SEGA and used for the basis for the Sonic Riders franchise.
The demo predates Sonic Riders and was discovered by a private collector who obtained the Xbox dev kits that contained the original demo used for Vision Scape’s pitch. McDonald recounts a story where he pitched the game to Yuji Naka himself who was allegedly impressed by the demo and even went as far as to green-light the development of the game if Vision Scape could produce a design document for the finished title.
SEGA then refused to maintain communication with Vision Scape, who had only been hired to work on the animated cut-scenes for Sonic Heroes. After Vision Scape completed the cut-scenes, their contract with SEGA ended and the development of Sonic Extreme never progressed. It is during this time that McDonald claims SEGA held onto the idea and developed it further in-house to create Sonic Riders.
Vision Scape had signed a non disclosure agreement with SEGA during their time working on the Sonic Heroes cut-scenes that said that any material they pitched to the company would become an intellectual property of SEGA, so sadly McDonald can’t legally press charges against SEGA. You can check out the rather fascinating video on this discovery by clicking the embed below:
Cult teen-horror FMV title Night Trap (which SEGA fans will remember for its infamous SEGA/Mega-CD port) is to be re-released on PS4 and Xbox One for the game’s 25th anniversary.
Originally developed for the unreleased Hasbro Control-Vision, the FMV adventure game was originally supposed to use VHS tapes and it’s these tapes that have been sourced to provide the in-game video used in this 25th anniversary port.
The port is not being handled by SEGA but an independent studio called Screaming Villains. Screaming Villains have also made the game’s theme song available for free download from their website.
Limited Run Games will also be producing a physical release for the PS4 and the artwork has been made to resemble the American SEGA CD and 32X artwork. While pre-orders are not available yet, it might be worth subscribing to their mailing list so you’re the first to know when the physical version will be made available.
SEGA are bringing another Japan-exclusive to the West in the form of Valkyria Revolution, the latest game in the Valkyria Chronicles series of strategic RPGs. Valkyria Revolution sees you taking control of 5 characters with different skills and abilities and sending them into battles with soldiers and even mechs. There’s now a wide variety of weapons to use that include ranged weapons and melee weapons. The striking “painted” visuals of the original also return thanks to the game’s custom GOUACHE rendering engine.
Check out the announcement trailer below:
Valkyria Revolution will get a physical release on both Xbox One and PS4 while the PS Vita version will be digital only. All versions will launch on June 27th 2017.
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