New Releases: September 20th-26th, 2018

Woefully, cell-shaded tanks are rather rare in gaming. But peer across this week’s schedule of new game releases and you’ll find two titles that showcase armored vehicles rendered in a delightful hard-drawl style. If neither Valkyria Chronicles 4 or Metal Max Xeno tickles your fancy, there’s a wealth of other titles, especially on Switch. From a compilation of Capcom coin-op brawlers to a visual novel that depicts a search for romance before the Chinese National College Entrance Exam, Nintendo’s hybrid is having another fruitful week.

Header image: Gaokao.Love.100Days, Switch

PlayStation 4
8-Bit Armies (digital, $TBA)
Metal Max Xeno (physical and digital, $39.99)
Punch Line (digital, $TBA)
SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy – Thief Arthur (DLC, $TBA)
The Crew 2: Gator Rush (DLC, free)
Think of the Children! (digital, $12.99)
This Is the Police 2 (physical and digital, $29.99)
Toon War (digital, $4.99)
Valkyria Chronicles 4 (physical and digital, $59.99)

Switch
A Case of Distrust (digital, $14.99)
A Gummy’s Life (digital, $14.99)
ACA NeoGeo Aggressors of Dark Kombat (digital, $7.99)
Arcade Archives Rygar (digital, $7.99)
Broken Age (digital, $14.99)
Broken Sword 5: The Serpent’s Curse (digital, $29.99)
Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle (digital, $19.99)
Cities: Skylines – Nintendo Switch Edition (digital, $39.99)
Debris Infinity (digital, $4.99)
Gaokao.Love.100Days (digital, $9.99)
Hover (digital, $24.99)
Legendary Fishing (digital, $29.99)
Light Fingers (digital, $19.99)
MagiCat (digital, $4.99)
Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae (digital, $11.90)
My Brother Rabbit (digital, $14.99)
Oh My Godheads: Party Edition (digital, $14.99)
Reigns: Kings & Queens (digital, $7.99)
Retimed (digital, $14.99)
Snake vs. Snake (digital, $2.79)
SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy – Thief Arthur (DLC, $TBA)
South Park: The Stick of Truth (digital, $29.99)
Speed Brawl (digital, $19.99)
Spider Solitaire F (digital, $5.00)
The Card: Poker, Texas hold ’em, Blackjack and Page One (digital, $4.99)
The Gardens Between (digital, $19.99)
Think of the Children! (digital, $12.99)
This Is the Police 2 (physical and digital, $29.99)
Ultimate Chicken Horse (digital, $13.49)
Valkyria Chronicles 4 (physical and digital, $59.99)
Velocity 2X (digital, $15.99)
Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country (DLC, $29.99)

Xbox One
8-Bit Armies (digital, $TBA)
Anodyne (digital, $9.99)
Hollow Knight (digital, $TBA)
My Brother Rabbit (digital, $14.99)
The Crew 2: Gator Rush (DLC, free)
This Is the Police 2 (physical and digital, $29.99)
Valkyria Chronicles 4 (physical and digital, $59.99)

Vita
Punch Line (digital, $TBA)

PC
Dakar 18 ($49.99)
Hyperspace Delivery Service ($8.49)
Pummel Party ($13.49)
Punch Line ($TBA)
Rams ($11.69)
Sakura Day Mahjong ($2.99)
Star Control: Origins ($39.99)
The Crew 2: Gator Rush (DLC, free)
V-Rally 4 ($TBA)
Valkyria Chronicles 4 ($59.99)
Witch Thief ($17.99)
Zerocar: Future Motorsport ($7.36)

Robert’s Pick: I was enamored by the original Valkyria Chronicles when the title was released a decade ago. Unlike most games with a strong strategic foundation, the game’s BLiTZ system made each turn feel lively thanks to real-time movement. Yet, there was an undeniable tactical component driving conflict, goading gamers into forecasting the actions of their rivals. Unfortunately, it sold poorly stateside, and the franchise got moved to the PSP. The third iteration didn’t even get localized and it’s probably best to not even mention Valkyria Revolution, the 2016 spin-off.

This week’s release of Valkyria Chronicles 4 not only brings the franchise onto a Nintendo platform, but looks to revitalize the qualities of the original game. With the West more cognizant about Japan’s gaming output, I’m hoping that public reaction is different this time around. Few games capture the thrill of reconnoitering a battlefield while also making you care about its characters through intricate storytelling.

Ryan’s Pick: Let it be known that strategy games are one of the few genres that I just am pure terrible at playing. This may seem strange due to some of my past work experiences, but it’s the absolute truth. However, this week I must give respect where it is due, and thus my pick goes to Valkyria Chronicles 4.  The visuals alone have won me over, as the CANVAS engine really does deliver the “textual onomatopoeia” that Sega touts. The hand drawn feel with colors bleeding into each other really makes the visual experience memorable.

With larger maps, and more units per map, I definitely cannot wait to see how the  BLiTZ system plays. Interception Fire is a new mechanic, so I really am looking forward to see how this affects choices in Command Mode. Lastly, and most importantly, I’m prepared to run things over in hand-drawn tanks, so that alone wants me to pop a Rangaid and jump into the fray.

Zack’s Pick (Senior Editor, RPG Site): Having covered Valkyria Chronicles 4 in a review for RPG Site, I can speak with a certain amount of authority that I had a fantastic time with the game. After having played through Valkyria Chronicles 1 and Valkyria Chronicles 3 (never played VC2) and absolutely loving my time with those games, I walked into VC4 with a certain amount of assuredness that I would at least have a solid experience.

While I still think Valkyria Chronicles 3 is the better games in terms of overall cohesiveness with the Dirty Dozen approach to storytelling, Valkyria Chronicles 4 delivers on several different fronts that make the overall package very much a worthy follow-up – even if it does play it mostly safe in execution. I would highly recommend checking this game out whether you’re a Valkyria Chronicles fan or a strategy RPG fan in general. You are sure to find just as much to love about the game as I did.

Matt (Editor, DigitallyDownloaded) is at Tokyo Game Show. Let’s hope he finds a Miku cafe as well.

About Robert Allen

Since being a toddler, Robert Allen has been immersed in video games, anime, and tokusatsu. Currently, his days are spent teaching at two southern California colleges. But his evenings and weekends are filled with STGs, RPGs, and action titles and well at writing for Tech-Gaming since 2007.

8 comments

  1. Best of luck, Matt. Don’t blow your whole bank account on hentai.

    I can wait on VC4. This will drop by Xmas.

  2. So The Crew 2 got free DLC. Not going to play an online only game though. They’re turned off the servers and killed too many games before.

  3. I was hoping for a launch discount with Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle. 🙁

  4. You forget the two new Sega Ages games.

  5. Valkyria Chronicles 4 for me. I love the series. So glad to see it comes to move systems like Switch.

  6. Waiting on some reviews for Star Control: Origins.

  7. Gaokao.Love.100Days is a Chinese VN? Cool!

    Have fun Matt. I need to go one day.

  8. I noticed you didn’t put the games available for the Nintendo Switch Online membership.