Wednesday, October 25, 2017

News:: Amid Evil is a dark fantasy FPS with an old-school look

Publisher New Blood Interactive's latest project looks like it's from a different era. Amid Evil, like New Blood's Dusk and Rise of the Triad before it, channels id-era aesthetics in a modern day package.

Amid Evil has some major Heretic vibes. Its reveal trailer is full of dark cathedrals and imposing knights, as well as first-person melee and magical combat. 

Amid Evil is a dark fantasy FPS with an old-school look screenshot

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News:: Steam introduces digital gift cards ahead of holiday sales

Got friends who wait for Steam's holiday sales to buy a ton of games they might not get around to playing? Is that friend you? Now you can help your friend soften the blow by sending them digital gift cards that add to their Steam Wallet balance. Or, since that friend is you, have your parents/cousins/distant aunts help fund your habit.

Via: VentureBeat

Source: Steam



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News:: Traveller in Playtime: Haunting Ground

[Halloween is the perfect time to go back and play some hidden horror gems from days past - which is exactly what Kerrik52 does in his Haunting Grounds retrospective! I'm a sucker for PS2-era horror games, so hopefully this tickles your fancy as much as it did mine. Get your work on Destructoid's front page by writing a kickass blog - bonus points for bringing the spoop in these waning October days! - Wes]

Haunting Ground (AKA Demento) is a survival horror game made by Capcom. It stars Fiona and her canine companion Hewie as they try to escape a variety of crazies in the grounds of Belli Castle. It was supposed to be the fifth Clock Tower game, but became its own IP instead. But it still has much Clock Tower DNA in it, as it built around escaping a variety of stalkers, not unlike Clock Tower 3.

Traveller in Playtime: Haunting Ground screenshot

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News:: There's a Sonic Forces demo for Switch, but it's hilariously limited

Anyone willing to jump through a few hoops can get their hands on Sonic Forces ahead of its November 7 release. Sega put out a demo in Japan that's meant to show off three levels, but it's so needlessly restrictive that it doesn't really show off much at all.

As GameXplain notes in the above-embedded video, the three stages each have a one-minute timer attached to them. After that expires, it kicks the player back to the menu. It doesn't seem like enough time to finish any of the stages. In fact, it doesn't even seem like enough time to get a decent feel for how the game plays.

For those who are still interested, gaining access to the demo isn't too much trouble. All it requires is making a new Nintendo account, setting the region to Japan, and connecting the account to your Switch. That allows access to the Japanese eShop.

Even that nominal amount of extra work might not be worth it. Three collective minutes of gameplay doesn't make for much of a demo. Optimists might say that at least Sega's making sure you go fast. But that's some spin that even Sonic can't get behind.

The Sonic Forces Demo is Awful - Game & Watch (Nintendo Switch) [YouTube]

There's a Sonic Forces demo for Switch, but it's hilariously limited screenshot



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News:: Grab a new helmet while playing Decap Attack on your phone

In my quest to tangentially link all of my headlines of Sega's mobile offerings to the respective game, I drew a bunch of blanks with Decap Attack. What do you even title this? The oddball Genesis classic has you playing as some mummy looking creature that tosses its head at enemies to attack them. To say this game is weird would be an understatement, but its actually not a bad game.

If you're curious about Decap Attack, why not give it a try on your mobile device of choice? Sega has just added the game to their ever expanding collection of classic games, SEGA Forever, for Android and iOS devices. This new port includes bluetooth controller support, leaderboards and cloud saves along with a nice, low price of free. You can pay $1.99 to remove ads, if you wish to do so.

While I'm not sure if on-screen buttons would do this game any favors, I've actually managed to sit down and beat it in the various Genesis collections that I've owned. It is definitely worth at least a look for being so ludicrous and charming.

Grab a new helmet while playing Decap Attack on your phone screenshot

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News:: Four years later, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is coming to PS4 next month

Brotherhood may be Max's curse, but his latest game is about to break free from something else: Console exclusivity. It only took him four years to shed it.

On November 8, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is coming digitally to PlayStation 4; on November 10, a physical edition of the game will be released. No prices have officially been revealed but it originally launched at $15. PS4 publisher Wired Productions has pre-orders available for the physical version, and that's set for £16 in the UK and $21 in the US.

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood was an Xbox One release window exclusive in 2013. It stayed that way for a year until it came to Xbox 360 and PC in 2014. Now, in 2017, the puzzle platformer has finally drawn a bridge to another console.

Colourful puzzle platformer Max: The Curse of Brotherhood comes to PS4 next month [PlayStation Blog]

Four years later, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is coming to PS4 next month screenshot



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News:: Freddy Krueger is up next for Dead by Daylight

The latest horror icon to join the Dead by Daylight roster is one my personal favorites, A Nightmare on Elm Street's own Freddy Krueger. I think he's a darn near perfect fit for an asymmetric horror multiplayer game that pits four survivors against one killer. His backstory, personality, and penchant for quips will give players plenty of material to work with if they want to put on a show.

He'll be available as DLC for the PC version starting tomorrow, October 26.

Aside from the character design, this video isn't too terribly much to go on, but it does remind me that I'm way behind on my Halloween movie watching. I'm in the mood for Masaki Kobayashi's painterly horror anthology Kwaidan, but I'll want to sneak some slapstick Freddy in the mix at some point.

Freddy Krueger is up next for Dead by Daylight screenshot



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News:: Action-plaftormer Cursed Castilla heading to Vita next month

Locomalito's brilliant arcade-style 2D action game Cursed Castilla is making its way to PlayStation Vita soon. It's not every day we get to talk about the system, much less in a positive light.

The digital edition will be out November 9 for $11.99, and there will also be a physical limited edition for $35 available only through Play-Asia, with pre-orders opening November 1. The latter includes:

  • A physical copy of the game (region-free)
  • A full-color instruction booklet (20 pages)
  • An official soundtrack CD (56 tracks / 70 minutes)
  • A 'Making of' photo book by Locomalito and Gryzor87 (32 pages)
  • A numbered collector’s certificate
  • A collector’s box (with a beautifully embossed logo)

Here's what Cursed Castilla is all about, in case you're unfamiliar.

In the mean time, you can take Jonathan's "Should you get it?" quiz for the 3DS version. It's exactly as he says, though: if you are in any way a fan of Ghouls 'n Ghosts, you're destined to love this game.

For that matter, the original version, Maldita Castilla, is still a freeware release on PC.

Action-plaftormer Cursed Castilla heading to Vita next month screenshot



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News:: Harvest Moon: Light of Hope coming to Steam November 14

New Harvest Moon? You bet I’m all over this.

Seems like Natsume is looking to celebrate its 20th anniversary with a new Harvest Moon game on Steam. Is this related to the success of Stardew Valley? Who can say. All I know is that that kind of rivalry is really great for us fans. Here's an excerpt from 'About the Game':

"Looking for a fresh start and some new surroundings, you set off on a voyage to begin your new life! Unfortunately, the weather has different plans, as your ship is hit by a monsoon, and goes down! You drift into a small harbor town, now in a shambles from the storm, where a young doctor named Jeanne saves your life. The town has essentially been deserted, but you're never one to back down from a challenge! It will be up to you to help rebuild the town and save the lighthouse...but it won't be easy! Nevertheless, with some hard work growing crops, tending livestock, and gathering materials for repairs, you will be able to make new friends, start a family, revive the lighthouse, and save the town, your new home!

• Collect important materials to rebuild the town and restore the lighthouse!
• Complete requests from villagers to unlock new areas and items!
• New and unique festivals, including the Dog Racing Festival!
• Learn to grow and mutate crops with user friendly UI and tutorials!
• Play as a boy or a girl, get married, and start a family!

I recommend watching the trailer if you want to know more about what to expect. Looks like we’ve got some of the old festivals back, though I’m not sure why they’re claiming the Dog Racing Festival is “new and unique” when it was in the N64 and PlayStation Harvest Moon games. I think it’s all a part of the classic Harvest Moon tradition of selectively remembering their own game features.

November 14 is coming up soon, so make sure you’re ready to get your copy. I know I’m interested in seeing how well Natsume can bring their game onto PC, especially now that we have Stardew Valley to compare it to.

Harvest Moon: Light of Hope coming to Steam November 14 screenshot



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News:: Middle-earth: Shadow of War's season pass has four expansions for $40

Middle-earth: Shadow of War, an already big game, is going to get even bigger in the coming months. That's how the triple-A content machine is built.

Warner Bros. has outlined the four planned expansions for Shadow of War. It's two story add-ons and two additional tribes. Here's WB's description of each, with an awful lot of Tolkien-sounding words:

Middle-earth: Shadow of War's season pass has four expansions for $40 screenshot

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News:: Steam now lets you send digital gift cards

While I prefer the personal touch of hand-picking a game on Steam, gifting it to a friend, guilting them into playing it, and getting annoyed when they never do, there's an alternative: digital gift cards.

Valve is now letting Steam users buy digital gift cards (ranging from $5 up to $100) that they can send to people who have been on their friends list "for at least three days." There are a couple other caveats -- you can't buy cards using your existing Steam Wallet funds, and the money you send "will automatically be converted into your friend's currency" -- but it's otherwise self-explanatory.

The gift cards can be used for games, microtransactions, or items in the Steam Community Market.

Valve added that we'll still be able to gift individual games as usual, which, good. I can continue sending people copies of Binary Domain in the naive hope that they'll give it the time of day it deserves.

Steam Gift Cards [Steam]

Steam now lets you send digital gift cards screenshot



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News:: Are you crafting any spooky pumpkins this year like this Bokoblin-o-lantern?

I never made Jack-o'-lanterns all that much as a kid.

Maybe every other other year, if that? I was always bad at using a knife to cut anything resembling an actual face (and we never bought those fancy tools), so I think I just gave up eventually. Stencils (like the ones The Pokemon Company provides yearly) made things a lot easier, but I'm still nervous that after putting in a ton of work some punk will just chuck it into the street.

Alas, I've been putting it off, but this Bokoblin-o-lantern posted by MyNamesNotTaylor on Reddit might get me to reconsider. My wife and I have at least one idea floating around, but it's not game related! Mostly, I just want to see if you guys have anything in mind, or have any pictures still lying around from past pumpkin conquests.

My Bokoblin-o-lantern [MyNamesNotTaylor]

Are you crafting any spooky pumpkins this year like this Bokoblin-o-lantern? screenshot

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News:: The Mummy Demastered's director is ready to take on Frankenstein, Wolf Man, and the Black Lagoon

The Mummy Demastered was released just yesterday and it's already gotten more positive press than any film-to-game adaptations in recent memory. This is despite the fact the film it's named after is no longer in theaters, and the star of the movie (Tom Cruise) doesn't even appear in the game. It instead stars a series of faceless special ops soldiers who could easily be the player, which is just one of the ways it takes advantage gaming's strengths as a medium.

It also capitalizes on Konami's near-desertion of a couple of its classic franchises. The Mummy Demastered is basically a Castlevania game starring one of the Contra guys. Combine that with fantastic art (some by River City Ransom: Underground co-creator Bannon Rudis) and an amazing soundtrack, and you have a game that scratches an itch that both fans of games, and of classic universal horror icons, can easily get behind. 

We talked to Austin Ivansmith, the game's director, about that approach to pitching and developing The Mummy Demastered, how long it took to make,  why games like this are rare these days, what the ancient Egyptians would have thought of it, and a lot more. Check it out and then let him know in the comments which of Universal's Dark Universe headliners you'd like him to take on next. I know that both he and mega movie studio will be watching

The Mummy Demastered's director is ready to take on Frankenstein, Wolf Man, and the Black Lagoon screenshot

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News:: Forza fan turns Lamborghini into Xbox One controller

In the past I'll admit to spending more than I probably should have on peripherals such as arcade sticks, Jamma boards and Neo-Geo carts. But that buyer's remorse I felt melts away upon hearing of this story from France, which takes gaming hardware to the next level of expenditure.

A French gamer/car enthusiast, known on social media simply as POG, has converted his Lamborghini Aventador to work as a controller for the Xbox One, with the express intention of using it to play the recently-released Forza Motorsport 7. By projecting the game onto his garage wall, POG is able to give himself the kind of racing experience money, apparently, can buy.

It's a very neat little project, and the video itself is pretty amusing, even if I do feel completely on edge just watching him burn down the streets in his lovely-looking Ferrari. Call me old fashioned, but I'd probably stick with the Out Run mobile.

Gamer turns $400k Lambo into controller [TechSpot]

Forza fan turns Lamborghini into Xbox One controller screenshot

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News:: Amazon Prime members won’t have to pay for ‘premium’ Alexa skills

Amazon's latest perk for Prime subscribers? "Free" access to premium Alexa skills. It's starting small, with Prime members getting access to an additional six Double Jeopardy! clues within the Jeopardy! skill. If you aren't ponying up for Prime, but are smitten with the game, those half-dozen hints will run you $1.99 a month, and you can subscribe to them directly within the skill itself.



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News:: You can pre-load Mario Odyssey's gloriously tiny 5.2GB file now

Nintendo has had pre-loads ready for a little while now, but it doesn't make the news that Mario Odyssey can be pre-loaded now any less sweeter. If you happened to have pre-ordered the game you can download it now, at which point it'll unlock after it's actually out on October 27.

Given that it's not massive in size (it's 5.2GB, much, much less than many other worse looking Switch games) and lacks a true multiplayer component odds are you won't run into much trouble downloading it last-minute or right at launch, but preparing for a possible eShop outage is always a smart thing to do.

Stay tuned for our Odyssey review.

You can pre-load Mario Odyssey's gloriously tiny 5.2GB file now screenshot



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News:: The Collector's Edition of Dragon Ball FighterZ does not contain the Fighter Pass DLC

Though we received news earlier this week of a "Fighter Pass" for Bandai Namco's upcoming Dragon Ball FighterZ, allowing for the pre-purchase of eight additional warriors. It appears that most expensive release of the game does not contain the DLC pass.

The Ultimate Edition of the ArcSys-developed slapfest comes with the game itself, a commentator pack, an anime theme pack and the aforementioned Fighter Pass, this is retailing for around $110. The Fighter Pass itself will be available for purchase separately at about $35.

However, the game's Collector's Edition, which includes the game in steelbook packaging, some art cards and an eight-inch figure of poster boy Goku, does not come with the Fighter Pass. This set is retailing for around $140. Bandai Namco confirmed the exclusion on Twitter.

This led to comments from furious fans that a set with such a high price tag would not also include the DLC. Mark Julio ("MarkMan"), Bandai Namco's Tekken community manager, remarked on twitter that fans shouldn't "expect free season pass/DLC just bcuz you pay for a collector’s ed."

However you choose to pick it up, or not, Dragon Ball FighterZ launches on PS4, Xbox One and PC on January 26 in NA/Europe and February 1 in Japan

The Collector's Edition of Dragon Ball FighterZ does not contain the Fighter Pass DLC screenshot



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News:: Mega Man Maker does what Capcom didn't

Years back Capcom was set to release a Mega Man level creator project that pre-dated Nintendo's Mario Maker called Mega Man Universe. Given the massive history Capcom could have drawn from (think of say, Battle Network assets mashed up with old school titles), it could have been something truly special. But alas, it was a victim of the Mega Man Apocalypse, where basically every vestige of the Blue Bomber outside of compilations and re-releases was erased.

A small team of fans managed to create a "Maker" of their own though, and released Mega Man Maker earlier this year. Just this week Version 1.1 hit, which provides extra content like items, tools, and weapons to use. Right now Maker clocks in at "46 enemies, 29 level objects, 12 bosses, 24 special weapons, 40 backgrounds, 129 tilesets, and 63 music tracks."

It also has an amazingly adorable mouse cursor with little googly eyes.

Version 1.1 [Mega Man Maker] Thanks Jeff!

Mega Man Maker does what Capcom didn't screenshot

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News:: Charles Martinet, voice of Mario, will be at London GAME store for midnight launch

Charles Martinet, the English voice of Nintendo's world renown hero Mario, will be in attendance at the GAME store in the Westfield centre, Stratford, London for the midnight launch of new title Super Mario Odyssey.

Martinet will be expected to attend the meet and greet session on Thursday October 26 from 10:30pm until 00:30am, to celebrate the launch of the highly anticipated Switch title. Those hoping to meet the man himself would be advised to get to the store early.

Charles Martinet, a Nintendo employee since 1990, first voiced Mario in 1995 in the title Mario's FUNdamentals. Martinet's most recognisable work came the following year, as the voice of the long-running protagonist in Super Mario 64. The 62-year-old actor has also lent his vocal talents to games such as Skies of Arcadia, Skyrim and Super Punch Out!!

Charles Martinet, voice of Mario, will be at London GAME store for midnight launch screenshot

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News:: Final Fantasy XIV's Ultimate raid tier is the toughest challenge yet, and only hardcore players can see it

Square Enix just dropped a small update this week for Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, adding a new difficulty tier into the mix.

Well, the word "small" is relative, because for some people, they're going to be chipping away at its main event for weeks, if not months.

Final Fantasy XIV's Ultimate raid tier is the toughest challenge yet, and only hardcore players can see it screenshot

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News:: SNES Classic supposedly back in stock at U.S Toys R Us stores Friday

Speaking to Polygon, a U.S Toys R Us representative has said that they expect SNES Classic consoles to be in stock in their stores on Friday October 27th.

The stock is said to be being brought in along with further Switch console shipments in anticipation of the success of Nintendo's Super Mario Odyssey, which launches the same day. "Since quantities are limited, we encourage customers to get in line before doors open (normal/local time) on Friday morning for a chance to purchase” the representative said.

No mention was made of quite how big said shipment would be, but regardless, I can expect throngs of people at many a Toys R' Us door come Friday morning, whether there for Switch units, SNES Classics, or just the game itself. Good luck to any and all going for the much-sought-after retro console.

The article goes on to say that retail chain GameStop have also stated that they expect to take stock of more SNES Classics "Over the next two weeks."

SNES Classic back in stock at Toys R' Us Friday [Polygon]

SNES Classic supposedly back in stock at U.S Toys R Us stores Friday screenshot



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News:: Everything you need to know about Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp

It's been more than a year since Nintendo announced Animal Crossing would be making its way to smartphones. In that time the company has been mum on details, leaving fans to wonder just what type of game it would be. The big challenge for Nintendo and its mobile ventures has been crafting something that is tailor-made for a smartphone, captures the essence of the series, is able to stand on its own, and gets people excited about the company's next console offering. After seeing the game in action, I have very little doubt Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will do just that and more.

Everything you need to know about Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp screenshot

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News:: Bungie dev says third-party software being the cause of Destiny 2 bans is "Internet BS"

Bungie's space odyssey Destiny 2 launched this week on PC and was hit with an instantaneous controversy. Many players are reporting that they are already banned from the sci-fi shooter as they were using third-party applications such as Discord, OBS and Fraps whilst playing.

Reddit was filled with claims from players stating that they had been unable to play the game, with some saying that they believe their ban hit due to them having overlays from third-party applications, such as streaming or chat software, open at the time.

However, a blunt statement on Twitter from Destiny 2's project lead, David Shaw called the idea that the company bans its players for using third-party software "Internet BS", saying that Bungie "do block programs from pushing their code into our game. Most overlays work like that. We don't ban for that tho."

As of this writing the situation is ongoing, with no reinstatement of the banned players or any further word from the developers.

Bungie dev says third-party software being the cause of Destiny 2 bans is

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News:: Ding dong the Kinect is dead, as Microsoft ceases its production

I remember being at E3 for the unveiling of the Kinect, back when it was commonly referred to as "Project Natal." Because Microsoft heavily advertised the hardware in the bathrooms of the Anaheim Convention Center there was a running joke that Microsoft was always watching you, a stigma that it never really shook off as it tried to peddle the device on us all the way up through the Xbox One era.

Eventually, the hype stopped. The Xbox One's extra processing power required to utilize it really hurt Microsoft in their race against Sony (remember when many XB1 games were 720p compared to the PS4's 1080p?), and eventually its inclusion was downplayed, and removed from console bundles.

That was a few years ago though and it was shambling on, until this week. According to Co.Design, Microsoft has shut down manufacturing for the Kinect altogether, and once retail stores sell out, that's it. They'll continue to support it, but eventually, you won't be able to buy a new one.

While it was often ridiculed by gamers, the Kinect's legacy lives on as an impressive piece of tech, as the first real consumer-facing tracker. Much like some VR devices however the public at large didn't really take to it, so despite selling 35 million units since its debut on the 360, Microsoft fought an uphill battle getting players and developers alike to support it. What was once a device that was supposed to have a parasitic relationship with your cable box, TV, and beyond, eventually just ended up being a force for trolling and pausing Netflix.

May all our plastic blocks rest in piece, next to our Mad Catz Rock Band instruments.

Exclusive: Microsoft Has Stopped Manufacturing The Kinect [Co.Design]

Ding dong the Kinect is dead, as Microsoft ceases its production screenshot



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News:: Microsoft ceases production of the Kinect

Microsoft has been slowly chipping away at the Kinect's usefulness and features across its platforms, yet today's news still comes as something of a shock. The company announced today to Co.Design that manufacturing for the motion sensor input device has been shut down.

Via: The Verge

Source: Co.Design



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News:: Xbox One consoles could support premium wireless speakers

Xbox is jumping aboard the WISA train. Microsoft's console is the first gaming brand to become a member of the trade group known as the Wireless Speaker and Audio Association. That makes it the odd one out among audio and electronics manufacturers like Bang & Olufsen, Gibson, Harman/Kardon, and LG. By signing up, Xbox will be able to partner with its WISA cohorts to provide support for more high-end wireless hardware.

Source: WISA Association (pdf)



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News:: Yet another Kingdom Hearts compilation may be on its way

Earlier this year, after mostly missing out on the series for its entire run, I finally put down the cash to pick up Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX on the PS4 thinking it would be the final compilation of the series to see release. Turns out that line of thinking is probably wrong.

According to two product listings on Amazon.de and Koch Media, another series bundle is on its way that will include 1.5, 2.5, and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter PrologueReleased earlier this year, Prologue features Dream Drop Distance from the Nintendo 3DS, Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover, an extended cinematic that sums up the story of the Foretellers from the mobile title Kingdom Hearts Unchained X, and Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep - A Fragmented Passage.

It's my own damn fault. This series has more compilations than the frickin' Namco Museum. Either way, I expect a formal announcement sometime soon with a release date early next year to get people psyched up for Kingdom Hearts III

Kingdom Hearts PS4 Collection listed at Amazon Germany, Koch Media Store [Gematsu]

Yet another Kingdom Hearts compilation may be on its way screenshot



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