XSEED Games Rings in the New Year with Stellar 2013 Lineup Including KILLER IS DEAD from SUDA51
A roster of hand-selected new Japanese-developed titles coming to fans across multiple platforms, including PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Vita and Windows PC
Torrance, Calif., (January 31, 2013) – XSEED Games, an independent-minded publisher, is celebrating the new year by announcing a robust lineup of action and RPG titles scheduled for North American release in 2013. Among the titles XSEED Games has revealed it will be publishing is the upcoming action thriller, KILLER IS DEAD™. Developed jointly by KADOKAWA GAMES and esteemed game creator, Goichi Suda (aka SUDA51), and his GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE studio, KILLER IS DEAD will be available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Other titles confirmed for release in 2013 include a host of handheld titles, such as the RPG adventure title Rune Factory 4 for the Nintendo 3DS™ hand-held system, as well as Ys: Memories of Celceta and Valhalla Knights 3 for the PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system. The company will also be releasing Ys I&II Chronicles+ on Windows® PC via Steam.
“XSEED is ringing in the New Year by sharing a glimpse of our upcoming lineup of great titles for 2013, including the exciting partnership for KILLER IS DEAD, the newest creation from KADOKAWA GAMES and SUDA51, which I personally selected to bring to the US market,” said Shinichi Suzuki, President and CEO of XSEED Games. “In the coming year, we will release an array of solid action and role-playing games that are sure to delight fans through a combination of high quality gameplay and well-crafted localization.”
The full lineup of XSEED Games titles includes:
KILLER IS DEAD
PS3™/Xbox 360®, Summer 2013 – Created by game legend SUDA51, this highly anticipated original game is set in a not-so-distant future similar to (but not the same as) the world we know now. The player takes control of an executioner named Mondo Zappa who wields a Japanese sword in his right hand and brandishes interchangeable weapons in his left artificial arm. His ultimate goal is to execute various heinous criminals scattered around the world and beyond.
Completely unique visuals and outstanding stylish action come together to deliver an unprecedented gaming experience in KILLER IS DEAD. This brand-new action title is being jointly developed by KADOKAWA GAMES and GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE, with SUDA51 lending his trademark sense of style at the helm. Deep Silver, the games label of Koch Media, will bring the title to the countries of Europe and Oceania.
Rune Factory 4
Nintendo 3DS, Summer 2013 – The first game in the Rune Factory simulation/role-playing series to be released on the Nintendo 3DS, Rune Factory 4 adds new romance options, the ability to select a male or female character at the game’s start, and has endless crafting, farming and cooking opportunities. The player becomes Selphia’s prince or princess and can manage the village, explore the countryside with townsfolk, or tame monsters in the wild to aid them in battle or help out in the fields.
Valhalla Knights 3
PS Vita, Fall 2013 – The fourth title published by XSEED Games in the popular Valhalla Knights action RPG series, Valhalla Knights 3 features a robust character creation system and brings intense seven-on-seven party-based combat to the PS Vita. Players can select from one of seven races and one of twenty job classes such as Fighter, Mage, Thief, Priest, Akatoki or Archer, while also equipping two sub-jobs. Players can adventure with a party of their own making or brave the wilds alone and seamlessly engage in real-time combat to earn skill points for upgrading and unlocking abilities unique to each job class.
Ys: Memories of Celceta
PS Vita, Fall 2013 – An extensive reimagining of (and pseudo-sequel to) Ys IV, one of the only Ys games never before released in the west, this title puts more enemies on screen than ever before and features the largest, most non-linear overworld in Ys history, boasting superlative graphics and a triumphant evolution of the fast-paced gameplay that has made this series a timeless action RPG mainstay. As the game opens, long-time protagonist Adol Christin finds himself alone, dazed and confused in a strange land, and must piece together his memories of how he got here and why, all the while struggling to determine whom he can trust.
Ys I & II Chronicles+
Windows PC (Steam), February – XSEED Games has delighted RPG fans for years by publishing multiple Ys titles from legendary RPG developer Nihon Falcom for handheld platforms and Windows PC, and now Ys fans can celebrate once more as an enhanced remake of the classic first two games in the Ys franchise comes to Steam for the first time. Including both Ancient Ys Vanished: Omen and Ancient Ys Vanished: The Final Chapter, this action RPG tells of red-haired swordsman Adol Christin’s inaugural adventure to defeat the evil forces blighting the isle of Esteria and uncover the mysteries of the eponymous lost land of Ys.
About the Game
Long, long ago, there was an ancient kingdom called Ys which prospered under the auspices of two heavenly Goddesses. Over time, the kingdom came to be known as Esteria, and its divine history was largely forgotten by all but the descendants of those who once preached the Goddesses’ will. The only reminder of this lost lore was a cursed spire at the foot of a giant crater, which locals came to regard as “The Devil’s Tower.”
Eventually, the men and women who called Esteria their home began mining a uniquely radiant silver from the nearby mountains, and development boomed. Towns were built, and the land became rich with life.
Then, all at once, monsters began to appear. Only a few at first – but soon enough, the land was swarming with them, and the Esterians had no choice but to hide in fear, remaining ever vigilant just to stay alive.
Our story begins with a young man who’d heard rumors of these misfortunes, and strove to verify them with his own eyes; a brave swordsman with an adventurous spirit bolstered by his own youthful naiveté.
His name was Adol Christin.
With no regard for his own safety, Adol set sail toward Esteria through a heretofore impassable barrier of neverending storms. There, he was destined to become ensconced within a 700 year-old mystery that would ultimately take him to a long-lost land nestled amongst the clouds…
Ys I & II Chronicles+ is the most modernized and up-to-date remake of Falcom’s classic franchise-spawning action RPGs from 1987 and 1988. Come see how the story began, and witness the birth of a legend!
Key Features
- Classic buttonless “bump” combat receives a full analog-enabled upgrade for gamepad users, and is augmented in Ys II by a robust magic system.
- Soundtrack selectable from among the original 80s FM-synth, an early 2000s MIDI-style remix or a modern studio performance by Falcom’s in-house rock band.
- Character art selectable from 90s-style portraits or more modern anime designs.
- Four selectable difficulty levels and optional boss rush mode grant players a true old-school challenge (if desired).
- Transform into a demon to speak with any and every standard enemy in the game, creating unparalleled depth that still impresses even to this day. (Ys II only)
- Unique Steam Achievements plus Steam Cloud support and leaderboards.
- Adjustable high-resolution PC graphics with a smooth, consistent framerate.
- Greater viewing area than in previously-available Ys I & II Chronicles editions.
- Decorative screen frames available from the earlier Japan-only Ys I & II Complete PC release, in addition to the more modernized full-screen viewport of previous Ys I & II Chronicles editions
“This will be an amazing year for us,” said Ken Berry, Executive Vice President of XSEED Games. “Our portfolio continues to expand and it’s evident by this stellar lineup of titles, so we’re excited to share more details and hear what our fans are most looking forward to playing in the coming year.”
Additionally, XSEED Games recently announced that the company will be publishing the highly anticipated action RPG title, Pandora’s Tower, on Wii™ this spring. More information on each of the upcoming products will be announced in the coming weeks and months. For more information on XSEED Games products, visit www.xseedgames.com. Fans can also follow XSEED Games on Facebook at www.facebook.com/XSEEDGames and Twitter at www.twitter.com/XSEEDGames.
