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Monday marked the date of Nintendo’s “Direct Mini,” the first Nintendo Direct put out in almost four months. An eight-minute showcase announcing upcoming Nintendo titles, this Direct focused on games from Nintendo’s partner companies, and left fans feeling divisive – some loving the announcements, with others feeling underwhelmed. Here’s a quick rundown of what was shown:
The first announcement made was for downloadable content to be added in 2019’s Cadence of Hyrule, a rhythm/action-adventure game set in the world of the Legend of Zelda series.
Three DLC packs were revealed, the first of which being a character pack, allowing for players to try out different attack styles with such characters as Shadow Link and Impa. The second DLC pack features new melodies to play through, with quintessential Legend of Zelda pieces remixed in different musical styles. The last of the DLC is that of additional story content; titled “Symphony of the Mask,” this new content will have players assuming the role of the enigmatic “Skull Kid,” a character able to change his abilities based on the mask he wears. The content is available to be purchased altogether as a Season Pass, or separately should you desire, with the first DLC Pack available for purchase now. A version of Cadence of Hyrule with the DLC already included will be available October 23rd for those who have yet to experience the game.
The next announcement was for Rogue Company, a brand-new IP with a cinematic trailer resembling the aesthetics of Astral Chain.
Being an online multiplayer third-person shooter, the gameplay bears resemblance to much of the games we’ve seen that utilise similar formulas – Fortnite, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, etc., though it is unclear if this game will feature a Battle Royale mechanic. Cross compatibility will be available from the game’s release, allowing you to play across PS4, Xbox One, Windows, and Switch platforms. While the cyberpunk aesthetic from the cinematic trailer doesn’t seem to translate too much into the gameplay from first impression, the gameplay does look satisfying enough for an online shooter. More information about the game, as well as availability to play a beta version, can be found at roguecompany.com.
The third game reveal comes from 2K and Saber Interactive, with the announcement of WWE 2K Battlegrounds. A standard multiplayer wrestling sim, the game features a free-for-all brawl with four player capacity. Not much mechanically has been shown, though it does appear that certain moves used on your opponents can be followed up with special animations utilising characters rendered in the background of the wrestling arena. The game has a September 18th release date and has been made available for pre-order.
The final announcements are perhaps the ones that sparked the most interest online, with video game developer Atlus (known most in the West for their Persona series) announcing an HD remaster of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, a PS2 cult classic released back in 2003. This HD remaster on the Nintendo Switch will feature higher quality graphics and is hinted towards having full voice-acting this time around, which was absent from the game’s first release. Given Atlus’ increased popularity in the West, this turn-based Japanese RPG seems like it will be a treat for both newcomers and old fans alike. The game will be available to purchase in Spring of 2021, though as with the aforementioned titles, release dates are subject to change due to the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the Nocturne reveal, Atlus finally released an extended cinematic trailer for Shin Megami Tensei V, which was officially announced almost three years ago. Though there was still nothing shown in the way of gameplay this time around, the trailer gives us a better look at both the protagonist we will be playing as (pictured below), as well as the state of the game’s world – a dilapidated Tokyo cityscape ravaged by demons. Much of the deeper qualities of the game remain ambiguous at the moment, but a simultaneous worldwide release set for 2021 has many excited about the possibilities. Given that the game is set to release within the next year, more developments are surely to come within the next few months.
