New Releases: January 10-16th, 2019

Sure, January’s first few days were rather lackluster, but finally there’s a reason to rejoice. With new releases like Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition, Onimusha: Warlords, and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe arriving this week, it’s like the holiday season is here all over again. Too bad, the trend of substantial discounting ended in December.

Header image: Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, Switch

PlayStation 4
Hitman HD Enhanced Collection (digitally, $TBA)
Onimusha: Warlords (digital, $19.99)
Smoke and Sacrifice (digital, $11.99)
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition (physical and digital, $49.99)
The Grand Tour Game (digital, $14.99)
Vane (digital, $24.99)
YIIK: A Postmodern RPG (digital, $TBA)

Switch
A Ch’ti Bundle (digital, $15.99)
ACA Neo Geo Ragnagard (digital, $7.99)
Animus (digital, $7.99)
BQM: Block Quest Maker (digital, $14.99)
Brick Breaker (digital, $9.99)
Bury me, my Love (digital, $4.99)
Caveblazers (digital, $11.99)
Clock Simulator (digital, $3.99)
Combat Core (digital, $19.99)
Double Cross (digital, $14.99)
Ethan: Meteor Hunter (digital, $9.99)
Everything (digital, $14.99)
Forever Forest (digital, $14.99)
Gnomes Garden 2 (digital, $4.99)
Grab Lab (digital, $4.99)
Hive Jump (digital, $9.99)
HoPiKo (digital, $6.99)
Inside My Radio (digital, $9.99)
Knock ‘Em Down! Bowling (digital, $14.99)
Lightseekers (digital, free)
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight (digital, $14.99)
Neko Navy – Daydream Edition (digital, $11.69)
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (physical and digital, $59.99)
Onimusha: Warlords (digital, $19.99)
Overdriven Reloaded: Special Edition (digital, $7.99)
Pang Adventures (digital, $9.99)
Pic-a-Pix Pieces (digital, $7.99)
Planet RIX-13 (digital, $4.24)
Retimed (digital, $14.99)
SEGA AGES Out Run (digital, $7.99)
Snowboarding The Next Phase (digital, $9.99)
Stellar Interface (digital, $11.69)
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition (physical and digital, $49.99)
Tetraminos (digital, $9.99)

Xbox One
Hitman HD Enhanced Collection (digitally, $TBA)
Hive Jump (digital, $9.99)
Onimusha: Warlords (digital, $19.99)
Planet RIX-13 (digital, $TBA)
Smoke and Sacrifice (digital, $11.99)
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition (physical and digital, $49.99)
The Grand Tour Game (digital, $14.99)

3DS
Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey (physical and digital, $39.99)

PC
Aftercharge ($17.99)
Blacksmith ($9.99)
Catherine Classic ($19.99)
Combat Core ($13.59)
Cuboid Keeper ($6.29)
Onimusha: Warlords ($19.99)
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition ($49.99)
The Butterbies ($TBA)
The Forgettable Dungeon ($TBA)

Robert’s Pick: The Xbox One’s backwards compatibility is the rare instance of a hardware manufacturer not opting for the money grab, with roughly half the Xbox 360’s titles making the jump onto the newer hardware (530 out of 1010). However, as Jay has mentioned in videos, some great RPGs like Tales of Vesperia, Star Ocean: The Last Hope, and Magna Carta 2 have never been adapted for the One. With the release of Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition, we can finally give up hope on the former, as we shell out for an edition that offers HD output, a few new music tracks, and some DLC costumes.

Sure, it’s fifty dollars worse that hearing Microsoft announce that they’ve made Vesperia, especially if you own a hard copy. But if you’re a die-hard RPGer or relied on a PlayStation 3 during the seventh console generation, it’s definitely worth picking up (and is probably the second-greatest genre entry with a lead named Estelle). I’ve always found the action-driven combat in the Tales series to offer a gratifying reprieve from turn-based system. Here’s Vesperia’s ‘Evolved Flex-Range Linear Motion Battle System’ is a well-oiled machine, goading gamers to keeping damage chains rolling. Plus, Yuri Lowell is a bit more mature than the conventional naïve protagonist, making for a satisfying experience.

Matt’s Pick (Editor, DigitallyDownloaded): Onimusha! Now, admittedly, most of what Onimusha was gunning for (Sengoku + Japanese demons + horror + hard game) has since been done by Nioh… and done so much better, but Sengoku + Japanese demons + horror + hard game is a pretty good blend, and Onimusha is a historical artifact well worth playing all over again.

The game doesn’t look too bad by modern standards, either. Onimusha was always about aesthetics over realism, and while the character models look a little clunky, those gorgeous pre-rendered backgrounds still carry a wonderful sense of a dark fantasy Japan with them. Coupled with some pretty slick swordplay, the only thing that really lets Onimusha down is the PlayStation 2-era English voice acting. It’s not Resident Evil-bad, but it’s not great either.

Anyhow, given that it’s a series that most of us probably assumed we’d never get to play again, I’m certainly glad to have had the opportunity to relive Onimusha: Warlords.

Ryan’s Pick: The masochist in me would love to relive dying on the last stage before I got Muramasa in the original Onimusha, I unfortunately will have to pass on this remaster. I feel my time is better spent on Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition. While it is a port, it still is very much worth your time because this version is the Japanese PS3 version of the game that never made it to the West.

$49.99 will get you the additional content that was in the Japanese PS3 version of this up-rezed port, and it is available for all consoles which is pretty great. It features more voice acting, new playable characters, and also dual audio. Call me a purist but I really have to play my RPGs with original voice acting. Although last year my JRPG tastes leaned towards DQXI’s traditional turn-based battle system, like Robert I too am looking forward to a bit more action with the Linear Motion Battle System to start this new year of gaming.

Jay’s Pick: Kudos to Matt for going against the grain but being one of the world’s biggest Tales fans that I am, I’m going to have to go with Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition this week. Now, it may not be the Tales entry that inspired my legal name change (that would be Xillia) and it’s also a Tales entry I’m yet to commemorate with a tattoo but Vesperia is quite often referred to as the best game in the series. And for good reason.

For non-Japanese speaking fans, this will be the first opportunity to experience a substantial amount of new content from the Japanese-exclusive PS3 version, and even better than that is being able to play it on-the-go if you’re a Switch lover, or in 4k with unlocked framerates on your PC gaming rig.

I never thought I’d say this about a 10-year-old throwback but Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition is a breath of fresh air. It has constantly reminded me over the past few days why I fell in love with the Tales series. Skits are skits, and not just a cheap way to offload 500 pages of exposition-filled story. The battle system is simpler but with far more freedom than modern entries. Travel is done on an overworld, and overworlds are something that just never should have gone away. Add a cast of characters that may very well be the most endearing in the entire franchise and you’ve got a JRPG that has earned every ounce of thunderous praise it’s received over the years.

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.

15 comments

  1. You guys are some Tales loving stooges. Glad to see some appreciation for the series. You don’t see that kind of consensus on most (maybe any) sites.

    Jay, please tell us more about your tales ink!

    • I have a DBZ tattoo that I got on my 19th birthday. No regrets 7 years later.

    • I’ve got a Cruxis Crystal right forearm, Kratos Aurion in his Judgement outfit on my left forearm, and both Gaius and Agria from Tales of Xillia on my right arm/shoulder.

      My next tattoo will be Edna from Zestiria 🙂

      • Cool!

        I have Chie Satonaka from P3. Green and Yellow Track Suit.

      • And that’s just the Tales tattoos xD

        I’ve got Vegeta, Sailor Mercury, various pokeballs, Mewtwo, The Rain and The Power cards from Cardcaptor Sakura, Gladiator Class Crest from Aion, Darth Malgus Lightsaber, Old Republic Sith Empire emblem, Beatrix from FF9, Kuja & Trance Kuja from FF9, and a couple of quotes adorning my arms at the moment.

        It has been a long time since my last one, I have tons more planned but tattoos are expensive >.<

  2. Catherine Classic was a cool surprise today. Waiting for some deals on it from non-Steam key sellers.

  3. PSVitaBestSystemEver

    Vesperia for me. So glad to hear the voice work that wasn’t in the 360 version. For me, it’s worth paying for.

  4. I have Momodora for PC. Great Metroidvania and I’m glad it’s on other platforms.

  5. Onimusha got really hard but I remember having fun with it. It would be interesting to see where my skills are at in 2019.

  6. Picking up Tales of Vesperia. Maybe for Switch depending if the framerate holds up.