• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Confirmed: Legend of Heroes Zero no Kiseki Coming to PlayStation Vita

Varion

Member
How complete of a story IS Shining Force III Scenario 1 versus Trails in the Sky 1? At least with Trails in the Sky you know there's a chance we'll see the rest, whereas I think Shining Force III was announced WITH explicit plans to not release the rest here.
And with a ridiculously out of character fake ending at that. They're sort of similar though - both games feel deceptively 'complete' until the ending cliffhangers, but have a bunch of plot threads that when you look back weren't even close to fully addressed.

Trails is much more dependant on its story than SF3 was though.
 

Eusis

Member
In fact, it seems like XSeed and Falcom's deal is working out real well.
Issue seems mainly WHERE they can release it, unlike Shining Force III the original games are PC native rather than developed specifically for a complicated system that'd make it a pain to port from, doubly so since SFIII did weird things like using the sound processor to aid the graphics. Then of the newer games, well, they already got the ball rolling by porting Zero to Vita, so even if they have to cut out 75-90% of the VA chances are probably reasonable that will come over if the other two in between do, and I'm guessing Ao and Nayuta are poised to make Vita jumps too unless Zero tanks.

And with a ridiculously out of character fake ending at that. They're sort of similar though - both games feel deceptively 'complete' until the ending cliffhangers, but have a bunch of plot threads that when you look back weren't even close to fully addressed.

Trails is much more dependant on its story than SF3 was though.
Point... on both accounts. After Golden Sun I'd be weary about seeing a Camelot story through to its end, even though it sounds like Shining Force III was their best work.
 
How complete of a story IS Shining Force III Scenario 1 versus Trails in the Sky 1? At least with Trails in the Sky you know there's a chance we'll see the rest, whereas I think Shining Force III was announced WITH explicit plans to not release the rest here.

That, and there's a Trails in the Sky anime that covers the second game, but I consider that a last resort to look into should Xseed die or at least straight up say it's not happening, nevermind the fact no one seems to have licensed the anime.


For SF3, there could have been (most likely was) explicit plans to axe the other 2, but I didn't know that at the time. And I'm sure Trails is a more complete story, but like you said there's a chance that we won't see any more of this Trilogy, given how far behind they are and how dialogue intensive the series is.

That's why I cant bring myself at this time to play Trails. Given all the praise Trails has gotten and how many say that any jRPG fan should play it will only lead to me being even more disappointed if SC doesn't pan out.
 

Aeana

Member
Praise the Sun!

I hope this is the trails in the sky sequel!

Zero no Kiseki is the fourth game in the Kiseki series (Trails in the Sky is the first). It was already released for PSP, the Vita version is just an enhanced port with voice acting and improved graphics and stuff.
 
I'm playing FC right now, and desperately want the other games in English, since my Japanese is still pretty rough. That said, since I am in Japan, I will pick up any of the PC versions I see of the other games, but the only one I have seen so far is FC. I still came pretty close to getting it, since it was going for under 2000 yen, and I got Ys Origin at the same Hard Off for 1200 yen, and desperately want some similar Falcom boxes (some of the most classy PC packaging ever and a great artbook and manual).
 
The biggest problem with the SC OVA is that trying to fit a story this gigantic into two hour long episodes is akin to suicide. It's just not possible.

As a result, even within the first volume alone, it makes huge changes to the way things play out/when and where characters appear.

As a Kiseki fan, I loved that I got to see some of my favorite characters moving and talking onscreen. I can't suggest it as a replacement though. If Zero comes over but not SC and 3rd, only then would I say watch it as a last resort so you have a general idea of what's going on.

Also, for importers, just know that this is a very text heavy franchise that often times uses a lot of difficult, rare kanji. You have been warned.
 

Aeana

Member
We should be able to expect this version to look at least this good:

4voKr.jpg


Which was already a dramatic improvement over the PSP version. Going by the changes listed on the blog, they'll be improving the graphics more, adding better shadows and water and stuff. And hopefully also improving the awkward PSP geometry that was still in the PC version.
 
Nothing has been said that Trails in the Sky is the only one coming out.

Wasn't saying that was concrete, my bad. I keep reading the LTTP Falcom thread looking about for some inkling of an English release of SC so I know I can at least wrap up that particular part of it.
 

Eusis

Member
I know nothing beyond XSeed's previously-established hatred of sequels.
Well, at least I PROBABLY don't have to worry about Ys Celceta given the positive comments about Ys sales. And they DID do well with Wild Arms, the bigger problem there seems to be that the series is DEAD entirely. And Valhalla Knights had multiple games come here for some fucking reason.
 

Eusis

Member
I hope you own an iOS device!
Actually, I had looked at some of that news again, and I THINK that's just an Aeria developed social game, not the series ported over. The idea of getting THAT but not the core games is even more disappointing.

EDIT: Wait, no, seeing trilogy again. Wonder where I saw it that DIDN'T mention the trilogy, or if my memory's just gone to hell.
 

omgfloofy

Banned
Kinda worried about finishing Trails in the Sky if it's the only game coming out here...I hope the Vita ones at least come out

Well, the problem is, the Vita ones will probably hurt XSEED more than the current status, considering the primary issue with things being the size of the script.

We should be able to expect this version to look at least this good:

4voKr.jpg

At least, unlike the Chinese version, we can expect this to run without crazy-go-nuts DRM and sound issues, and control issues all over the place. That's the only reason why I've not touched it. I apparently can't even install it on one machine- and I uninstalled it and unregistered it from the other machine that was having the sound problems, now I can't reinstall it BACK to that machine

Really. From my experience, the Chinese version is a complete and total mess. The only good thing about it IS the graphics. And I can't even go digging around in it because it's all locked down like you wouldn't believe by SecuRom 8.

I hope you own an iOS device!

Hilarious that. You've pretty much decided that that's all we're getting it on, despite the fact that there has been no word whether or not we're getting SC. I'm sure that the kind of reaction to that led to a bunch of other people jumping to conclusions with other games all over the place.

The problem is, unlike with SC, you DO realize that XSEED has outright stated that they can't justify bringing HMH2 or RGC2 out in English? SC still has no statement on it. Take that as you will. I've mentioned before- they can say something, they can't say something. No matter what it is, people will assume that it's not coming out.

Until I hear XSEED *outright say* they're not bringing out SC, I will not assume as much. It took them about a year and a half to translate FC. If you look at it as them finishing FC about a month before its release, it's been a year since it's come out. SC has a script that is two times larger than FC's. I can even photograph my scenario books (Falcom's published scripts) to prove this if you don't believe me.

EDIT: Oh, wait., I've already done so:
http://twitpic.com/5grzjj
http://twitpic.com/5grviu

I'm pretty sure SC is being worked on. Until I hear an official statement otherwise, I will continue to believe as much. A game doesn't get translated just overnight.
 

Eusis

Member
Well, the circumstances ARE different for each of those games. Retro Game Challenge was likely an expensive license (and a game released on an expensive format), Half Minute Hero 2 took years after the original to come out, and NEITHER ended on a cliffhanger that demanded been seen through to the end. I half expect Trails in the Sky did better than those as well, even if the massive localization undercut higher revenue. That, and it was in part of a large deal for Falcom, the Namco Bandai deals seem to be one by one and their relationship with Marvelous seems odd period.

I wish those two came out, or at least Half Minute Hero 2, but I'll just have to content myself with the fact we at least got the first ones AND they were complete.

And honestly, for iOS I worry more about translation quality, it'll be a hollow victory if we get all three games only for the other two to have the translation quality we saw from Bandai.
 

Eusis

Member
The fact we got Jikandia made me think for some reason HMH did well.

XSEED has said otherwise.
Admittedly HMH doesn't have the excuse of an expensive license either, not unless they seriously overpriced it or something. It did come out at a time when the PSP wasn't healthy and they were busy with Falcom games though, so I wonder if those could've been factors?

EDIT: No, wait, it came out August 4th last year. Man, I'm not sure the window's even closed on that game, though they DID announce Grand Knights History rather than that and that's about a month younger.
 

duckroll

Member
A bit more information about the release has popped up. The game will cost 6090yen and it will be released in Summer 2012 by Kadokawa Games. Oh and one thing I didn't mention before. It seems that aside from the conversations all being fully voiced now, they're also making it such that the portraits in conversations are animated as well as they talk.
 

omgfloofy

Banned
The fact we got Jikandia made me think for some reason HMH did well.

XSEED has said otherwise.

Admittedly HMH doesn't have the excuse of an expensive license either, not unless they seriously overpriced it or something. It did come out at a time when the PSP wasn't healthy and they were busy with Falcom games though, so I wonder if those could've been factors?

Yeah. Per Jess on the XSEEDGames twitter account, Half Minute Hero was one of their worst selling games ever. Which is really sad. :(
 

Eusis

Member
Yeah. Per Jess on the XSEEDGames twitter account, Half Minute Hero was one of their worst selling games ever. Which is really sad. :(
Geez, probably didn't even CONSIDER localizing upon it's announcement. Vanillaware games are probably safer bets, so I can't really blame them for going with GKH instead despite the fact it sounds really uninteresting. And I'm guessing XBLA sales weren't impressive, otherwise I imagine they'd have heard about THAT and gotten on HMH2 even if it was DD-exclusive.
 
Hilarious that. You've pretty much decided that that's all we're getting it on, despite the fact that there has been no word whether or not we're getting SC.

Every single time the topic comes up with people from XSeed, they dial back expectations a bit more (from "it's definitely coming soon!" to "it's coming sometime!" to "we're still working on it so we hope it'll come out someday, maybe!") At this point there's hardly still a plausible window for XSeed to localize and release even one, much less two, text-heavy RPGs on the dead PSP platform.

Well, the circumstances ARE different for each of those games. Retro Game Challenge was likely an expensive license (and a game released on an expensive format), Half Minute Hero 2 took years after the original to come out

I can't really blame them for failing on either (well... I can, and I do, but it's probably not fair of me), but after the ridiculousness with RGC it is very hard to assume that the offhand statements of XSeed employees in interviews have much relation to their actual localization decisions.
 

biocat

Member
I really hope that Ao no Kiseki comes to Vita soon, too. I am 97 hours deep into Zero and I MIGHT wait on the sequel if I knew I could play it by next winter or so.
 

Grimmy

Banned
Apparently that iOS release company may have access to XSEED's materials, and at their piecemeal schedule may be able to actually achieve more than XSEED has...

I thought XSEED already said that they are absolutely not involved in the smartphone versions?


The fact we got Jikandia made me think for some reason HMH did well.

XSEED has said otherwise.

Jikandia wasn't released by XSEED. I'm pretty sure Aksys din't have full info on HMH's sales.
 

omgfloofy

Banned
I really hope that Ao no Kiseki comes to Vita soon, too. I am 97 hours deep into Zero and I MIGHT wait on the sequel if I knew I could play it by next winter or so.

According to the article in Dengeki PS, it doesn't seem like they'll consider it until after Nayuta is out... but they do want to do an 'evolution' version of Ao.



I thought XSEED already said that they are absolutely not involved in the smartphone versions?

Jikandia wasn't released by XSEED. I'm pretty sure Aksys din't have full info on HMH's sales.

This is correct.
 

thetrin

Hail, peons, for I have come as ambassador from the great and bountiful Blueberry Butt Explosion
I really hope this means it hits the states. I'll pick it up no matter what, but translating Falcom games into English is doing God's work.
 

vall03

Member
we don't even know yet what Aeria is planning for iOS so Im not going to bet on it until its finalized... still hoping for Vita versions so that chances for the first trilogy would at least increase a bit...
 

Takao

Banned
A bit more information about the release has popped up. The game will cost 6090yen and it will be released in Summer 2012 by Kadokawa Games. Oh and one thing I didn't mention before. It seems that aside from the conversations all being fully voiced now, they're also making it such that the portraits in conversations are animated as well as they talk.

So much effort to be poured into a game Kadokawa is going to send to die...

I thought XSEED already said that they are absolutely not involved in the smartphone versions?

They don't have to be involved. Their translation is owned by Falcom who can give it to Aeria.

Jikandia wasn't released by XSEED. I'm pretty sure Aksys din't have full info on HMH's sales.

Actually, as Aksys would subscribe to the NPD report, they should have had HMH's US sales totals. Which is why I thought there obviously had to be a reason why they jumped for Jikandia.
 

Eusis

Member
Actually, as Aksys would subscribe to the NPD report, they should have had HMH's US sales totals. Which is why I thought there obviously had to be a reason why they jumped for Jikandia.
Jikandia may be distanced enough to have considered it worth attempting anyway. Or Aksys hoped it'd be more successful or something.

I can't really blame them for failing on either (well... I can, and I do, but it's probably not fair of me), but after the ridiculousness with RGC it is very hard to assume that the offhand statements of XSeed employees in interviews have much relation to their actual localization decisions.
Yeah, I can understand that, though I'm not particularly frustrated with them. Maybe I just didn't care ENOUGH to see the sequels even after enjoying the original games, though it doesn't help that RGC WAS a bit of a letdown (too bad it sounds like RGC2 avoids that) while HMH2 took years to even come. Even if this fails to come out I'm not sure I could stay TOO upset with Xseed, not unless they look for another series of the same caliber that begs to be fully brought out. Corpse Party could be close I guess, but it sounds like the first is all there was originally planned to be anyway.
 

Grimmy

Banned
They don't have to be involved. Their translation is owned by Falcom who can give it to Aeria.

Is this your assumption or you have something to back this up?

Actually, as Aksys would subscribe to the NPD report, they should have had HMH's US sales totals. Which is why I thought there obviously had to be a reason why they jumped for Jikandia.

NPD isn't the total US sales. There's downloads, and even retail-wise it's not the total since it excludes Walmart, etc.
 

Takao

Banned
Jikandia may be distanced enough to have considered it worth attempting anyway. Or Aksys hoped it'd be more successful or something.

There is the chance that Aksys got Jikandia so cheaply that HMH sales totals could've still been profitable for them.
 

Takao

Banned
Is this your assumption or you have something to back this up?

I don't know in this specific case, but generally if you license something all things you create for that license are usually the property of the license owner. XSEED licensed Falcom's games and are translating them, therefore Falcom probably owns their translation. IIRC XSEED's script for HMH was used for the XBLA game, as well as Acquire's self published iOS ports of Wizardry. XSEED had nothing to do with either release.

NPD isn't the total US sales. There's downloads, and even retail-wise it's not the total since it excludes Walmart, etc.

Okay? You use NPD data to get a good grasp of the sales of the game. If HMH sold 1200 copies in the NPD report I don't think Aksys will suddenly think 10,000 must've been sold on PSN and Wal-Mart. Especially given Aksys had actually released PSP PSN exclusive titles and have seen their sales potential first hand.

Edit: Just before anyone freaks out, I don't know HMH's sales. The stuff in my post are just made up numbers.
 

Eusis

Member
Something I wonder about actually: how text intensive IS Trails in the Sky 3? If it's significantly lighter than the first or something then I could see that actually being fairly safe if the second comes out, with a PSN focused release and a limited UMD one if there is one at all.
 

omgfloofy

Banned
Is this your assumption or you have something to back this up?

I don't know in this specific case, but generally if you license something all things you create for that license are usually the property of the license owner. XSEED licensed Falcom's games and are translating them, therefore Falcom probably owns their translation.

I can probably poke around and find out for sure on this in the morning/afternoon tomorrow.
 
Can it be played without ever playing SnK the 3rd?


Not the easiest question in the world. Haha. Zero and Ao technically form their own story with brand new characters, but the old ones play some important roles and the connections to the overall plot shouldn't be underestimated.

3rd ties in pretty directly to the events of Zero and Ao, and I could definitely see someone being confused by some new characters if they haven't played it.

That being said, it's definitely possible and you can still enjoy the game. I would just suggest playing 3rd if you have the ability to do so.
 

Ratrat

Member
I just finally beat Zero about a month ago, but I am totally excited about playing it again on Vita with the better graphics (presumably at least as good as the Chinese PC version, hopefully better) and voice. After replaying the Sora series and finally playing Zero, the Kiseki series has moved into position as my favorite RPG series. I just need to play Ao now before Nayuta comes out.

high praise indeed! shame not too many people know about it.
 

Varion

Member
Can it be played without ever playing SnK the 3rd?
Not really recommended. 3rd was basically intended from the start to be the game that bridged the first two Sora games and Zero, and so there's a fair amount of important plot related stuff in there that's pretty important to Zero, and without it a few bits won't make much sense (or won't have the impact they should). There's a few sub plots in particular which depend pretty heavily on the player having played 3rd, then there's a whole lot more information on the Church which continues to play an important role, and there's a few other plot threads which still haven't been fully addressed even at the end of Ao that seem like they'll be important to know about.

So yeah, much like just starting from Zero in general you can do it if you must and you'd likely still enjoy it but I don't think any series veteran would really recommend it to get the full experience.

Something I wonder about actually: how text intensive IS Trails in the Sky 3? If it's significantly lighter than the first or something then I could see that actually being fairly safe if the second comes out, with a PSN focused release and a limited UMD one if there is one at all.
It seemed to me playing it to have the smallest amount of the text of the three, but still a very sizeable amount. I have no numbers to back that up though.
 

omgfloofy

Banned
It seemed to me playing it to have the smallest amount of the text of the three, but still a very sizeable amount. I have no numbers to back that up though.

It's not the smallest of the three. The scenario books prove it.

FC's is 400 pages, SC's is 800, and 3rd's is just around 620.
 
Top Bottom