PREVIEW EVENT: ANIME SHOWCASE AT BANDAI NAMCO
The other day, my activity as a Journalist, drove me back to the birthplace of the legendary poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Frankfurt am Main. Had been invited by Bandai Namco Entertainment to create an Anime Showcase. The Publisher gave us the possibility of his still unreleased Anime titles to play, a first conclusion to make, and make you finally, the decision whether it’s worth it in the hype train for the said title to enter. (Here’s the obligatory train whistle insert)
Among other things, I had the opportunity to see the recently announced Arcade football title, Captain Tsubasa , and the first official press-Build pre-test. Fittingly, there was also the Jersey of the protagonist as a gift, awesome! Overall, I had about five hours to test five titles, and since I haven’t had some in a Demo that took longer than 15 minutes, it is therefore difficult to make a conclusion. Still, I don’t want to share with you my impressions!
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4
In two months appears to be the next part of the Pirate Warriors series: One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4. As it is typical of the game series, the fourth branch as a Beat – ‘em-up. At first glance, has not changed in relation to the previous so much. But we come first to the content of the Games: what have I ever played?
In the approximately 15-minute Session, I was allowed to sniff in the first Mission on Whole Cake Island in. Not controlled my Surprise, I was the protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, the anime’s, but rivals Charlotte Katakuri, which connoisseurs will be a familiar face. In the finished game you can play, of course, the legendary straw hat, but also other pirates, such as Big Mom or Kaido, for the battles will be available.
In addition to the classic Button-Mashing, there was during the 15 minutes really much to do. Unfortunately, the screen was loaded so full that it was hard finding my way. The title looked very visually appealing, and also the exaggerated staged combos, which were my character, were beautifully designed, but in combination with the fast Gameplay and the felt tens of thousands of units on the Display, suffered from my brain but a bit of an information Overdose.
To be honest, I Beat ‘em ups, but not really, that’s why I can forgive my conclusion also, only with a slightly subjective Note. All in all, I think that One Piece Fans will definitely enjoy the fourth offshoot of the Pirate Warriors series will be, especially since the attention to Detail even for a One Piece novices like me, is recognizable. Personally, I couldn’t predict the game, however, what should not be in view of the fact that my experience with the Anime of which does not exceed 50 follow brand, surprising, finally, the Anime has now more than 900 episodes.
My Hero One’s Justice 2
The first My Hero Academia implementation is still in my head seared. Then, at the end of 2016, the title was one of the most well-known animation series in the Japanese room, and also a lot of people from my environment who have with anime and nothing else on the hat, began to take an interest. Of course, it wasn’t long until the first video game on the market was, and is, scarce two years later appeared in My Hero One’s Justice. For my taste a slightly uninspired implementation of the Japanese-Hits. The Story Mode offered hardly anything interesting for series fans and also the battle system was very simple and did not have enough substance to motivate long-term. For me as a self-Fighting-Game Aficionado called a disappointment at full length. A hour, I had time to convince myself that it was part of Two pieces, the errors of the first.
I have played the Versus Mode against the AI. To choose from some well-known faces of the anime, but also characters who are only recently in the animated series, and to recognise up to now only for readers of the Manga were were. Unfortunately, my concerns, and the combat system has changed only a little, to hardly any came true but. The Move list does not represent the associated characters pretty closely, but tries to improve through innovation. Moreover, as in the first part, too little complexity to be able to become a serious competitor in the Fighting Game Genre can offer. Especially since there is no special feature is, that My Hero One’s Justice 2 to show for it has.
For me remains only to hope that the Story mode has to offer-Interested enough to keep them on the Ball. The Versus Mode is simple for my taste, to be competitive something that will come long-term motivation of the title intended to harm.
One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows
Not for long, then we may not the invincible hero Saitama also self-control….What? We play the name One Punch, You don’t give at all? Properly, in fact! Throughout the Story we can control, namely our own created heroes. Contrary to my expectations we not draw the protagonists of the anime, but a blank slate. A cool idea, because a particularly large strength of the Japanese animated series, the World Building is. So it is for our hero to claim and tedious ranks, until you must face great dangers.
Simultaneously with the plot of the series, after we play our own story, which intersects at certain points with that of the anime. Him title to move with his hero in open areas of a Client to the other, and doing their tasks. In between, you beat rogue, in the way. Not only is the premise of his own name, but also the combat system has a Twist, which makes the title for me much more Interesting.
The options for players are similar to those in any other Fighting Games, the jumping difference is that One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows designed, to be defensive to play. How exactly I mean? Well, anyone who knows the Anime knows is sure to Saitama, the hero who defeats everything with one blow. And that is exactly what has been done to a Mechanics. In some of the conflicts our character is significantly weaker than his opponent, by the need to on other heroes during the fight, wait, I had to be careful to avoid as efficiently as possible damage. In addition to the heroes arrivals, there are also some Events, such as natural disasters, which can affect the course of the fighting. What has me a little disturbed, is the outdated graphics, which is not the year 2020 to meet.
To be honest, it was One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows until the Anime Showcase is not yet on my Radar, what is the innovative Gameplay Design, however, definitely has changed. Can only hope that the rest of the game, hours feel like the First!
Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris
Sword Art Online was my first Anime, and although I from the second season mostly was disappointed, I have the third given a Chance. Fortunately, because otherwise I would have the new title Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris little to no respect. The role-playing game tells the plot about the current Arc: Alicization. Phew, what am I glad this name can not pronounce. The choice of a Mission in which I was allowed to the virtual world Underworld to explore, or a boss battle against Alice, a Antagonistin and later companion of our hero, Kirito stood by me either.
No matter whether Exploring or Fighting, the complexity of all the possible systems and game mechanics brought my head to smoke. Not even the included Cheat-Sheet, with a brief description of the Controls was able to help me. I was thrown have done in the Demo without a Tutorial, almost arbitrarily into the game, it made me not get any easier. The battles take place in real time and can be paused to give his companions commands. Who Games of this type knows, by that I mean you, Dragon Age, knows that there is a certain amount of time, in such circumstances, find your way around.
After some time, I had roughly an idea of what I’m doing, so I ventured to the boss fight. This was beautifully staged and was the Equivalent of the anime. In principle, me was able to convince the video game in the area of the optics full. The fight was quite difficult, which is probably located to a large extent to my ignorance. In General, I had the whole time the feeling that I’m not going to the game and not Vice versa. Finally, I can’t request a Demo, to me all of the mechanics within a few minutes to teach, on the other hand, I was not involved, therefore, the possibility of me completely on the experience. Because I am with my judgment pretty careful, but I would still lean me out the window and claim that the title has a lot to offer, if you get involved with it.
Captain Tsubasa
How do you say so beautiful? The Best for last! And just as it was for me when Testing the video games Bandai Namco Entertainment. Who does not know Captain Tsubasa? And no, I do not mean kicker, and Woe betide any of you have confused it! Captain Tsubasa is probably the most famous soccer Anime, and also was in the ‘ 80s, especially in Germany very popular. With a Reboot from 2018, the football animated series, daring to the youth of today and because of that were not enough, there are as a Follow-up to this year, a private game for the Anime, which deals with the rise of Tsubasa Oozora from the school sports to the professional League.
I had the opportunity to with one of two Teams to play either against the AI, or the friendly PR contacts of the Publisher. Alternatively, I could decide between the Toho Academy and the Nankatsu Middle School, the latter school has the name Tsubasa Oozora give under the own ranks. Each of the players has their own active and passive abilities, which have an impact on the game style. There are also combo Moves, which involve more than one player, and thus, several players can be executed. But that is not all! Typical for the Sport, it’s about to get the Ball into the goal. Thus, the flow of the game from the core principle is to titles very similar to other football.
A big difference is, however, but in any case, completely exaggerated staging. Anyone who knows the Anime knows what I reports. The balls that are being Shot by two players at the same time, player, the acrobat just between shots, it could hardly be more banal. Which is not to say that this is something Bad, on the contrary, this is exactly what convinced me of Captain Tsubasa. And this Exaggerated does not stop the Gameplay impact. None of the said things is about a sequence, but a “normal” game for the players.
If I had to quote my notebook, would be my conclusion only out of sheer synonyms for the word fun, but I find it hard to articulate myself in this respect, different. The Arcade title has not tied me up for no reason until the last Minute to my chair. The game principle is fun and the smart Design lays the Foundation for a System which can benefit from the variety of players and skills immensely. Can only hope that Bandai Namco Entertainment, unlike the competition, the player base for a variety of footballer to the cash register asks, then can Captain Tsubasa a place in my games collection to be sure.
CONCLUSION
The Anime Showcase has shown me once again what Bandai Namco Entertainment has everything in the Store, and that is what we this year can look forward to. Of course, there were some titles that I was personally less convinced, than of the other. In the conversation with other journalists on the ground, but also me, once again, clear that the spirits, particularly around video games, get a divorce.
