Let’s face it; there’s just not a great range of 3DS titles out currently. How long ago was the release date of the console again? At the moment it’s hard to 3DS owners to truly feel like their console was worth the relatively large sum of money they paid for it, having utterly destroyed Super Mario 3DS, which in my opinion was the only decent title on release. We’ve seen a few more worthy titles be released recently, with mixed success, but the true potential of the 3DS is still yet to be shown. Having done a small amount of research to reaffirm my faith in the console, here’s a small list of some titles coming out soon that are sure to excite skeptics and fanboys alike.
Cattlevania: Mirror of Fate
Taking place 25 years after the events of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Catlevania: Mirror of Fate promises to be something of a redeemer. Considering the abysmal reception Lords of Shadow got (which by the way, has a sequel on the way. Great idea, Castlevania team!), it’s easy to label the franchise as dead.
Mirror of Fate seeks to revive both the series and our faith in it, boasting features that, fingers crossed, will spark a new era of Castlevania games.
Players take control of up to four characters over the course of the adventure, with Trevor Belmont taking the lead protagonist position, supported by Simon Belmont, with the other two playable characters yet to be revealed. Each player is said to have a unique set of skills, requiring you to switch between them to fit your given situation.
Co-operative play is supported, with rumors of Wii-U and 3DS co-op compatibility.
The 3DS cameras will also be used for a mysterious ‘mirror’ function, as well as a problem solving mechanism.
This is where my excitement meets dread: the combat system is said to be very similar to Lords of Shadow. This is countered by the fact that the game, although 3D, is primarily played in a 2D style, much like that of the Gameboy Advance titles.
Heroes of Ruin
How does Diablo on your 3DS sound? Too good to be true? Almost. Heroes of Ruin promises a Diablo-esque dungeon-crawling, lootfest in your hands, on the go. Players choose from one of four classes: Vindicator, Alchitect, Savage and Gunslinger, each boasting an impressive level of variety and depth between them.
It’s your standard dungeon-crawler affair, with tonnes of loot, heaps of monsters to kill, but with the added feature of puzzles along the way. Whether these puzzle utilise the features of the 3DS remains to be seen, but in any case, I welcome the addition of puzzles. In fact, I’d go so far as to raise the question as to why puzzles haven’t been implemented in these types of games in the past.
As you’d expect (or at least hope for), there is co-op support, whether over wi-fi or just between friends, boasting ‘drop-in, drop-out’ gameplay. Additional content will also be available through Spotpass.
Gameplay is akin to Diablo and such related games; however, from what little gameplay I’ve seen, there is more of a action-rpg feel, requiring a little more button-mashing.
Fire Emblem: Kakusei
It’s been a while since a Fire Emblem game has really grabbed me–due in large part, I think, by the lack of PAL releases of the franchise–since the GBA titles. They were fantastic games that paved the way for a myriad of strategy games containing, or attempting to contain, the anime charm that really breathed life into the series.
Therefore, I think I can be excused for flailing excitedly like a little girl as the prospect of a brand spanking new Fire Emblem on the 3DS.
You’ll have the chance to create your own character and customise them as you please, which the developers promise will still play a large role in the story. There is a new dual system, which basically allows for joint attacks from adjacent characters on the field. The world map system from certain previous releases in the franchise is back, allowing players a certain degree of freedom, giving free roam access to missions, shops, etc.
One of the more ‘hardcore’ elements of the series is the death system, which typical in previous releases, does not let your dead characters respawn. The developers have added a new ‘casual’ mode of play which will allow for spawning of dead characters.
The game is already out in Japan, not surprisingly, but has not yet been given an EU release date.
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