Welcome to Digitally Downloaded’s regular catch-up news feature. With each issue we will bring you the best news that you may have missed. Grab the biggest mug you’ve got, fill it with your favourite brew, and catch up with us (and our favourite news anchor, Dee Dee)!
SWERY’s The Good Life launches next month
It’s almost time to finally get my hands on The Good Life! The debt repayment RPG directed by the infamous SWERY (Deadly Premonition, The Missing) is about a small town with a big secret: the resident humans turn into cats and dogs! It’s a bit of a weird premise, yet, but I’ve been enthralled since its announcement and happily backed it on Kickstarter. Earlier this week, the release date was announced via a new trailer. It also shows off some gameplay. Take a look:
Naomi is an American photographer who has just arrived in a small British town, the so-called happiest town in the world. She’ll have to take photographs to repay her debt, but that’s not her only option to pass the time. She can explore the town, try out new recipes, grow and harvest her own crops, change her style, renovate the house and garden… oh, and she’ll investigate a murder while riding a sheep. All typical actions, no? Naomi will attempt to uncover the “happiest” town’s darkest secrets, but to do so will take some time, making all those other things quite important to her survival. The best part? Naomi can also turn into an animal, which can do things human Naomi cannot!
Developed by White Owls Inc. and Grounding Inc., and published by Playism, The Good Life will be released on October 15 for PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.
It’s time for another Nintendo Direct!
I don’t think video game fans light up an any announcements quite like those shown in Nintendo Directs; actually, the mere announcement of one has become huge news unto itself.
Nintendo Direct will stream at 8:00 a.m. AEST on September 24, which is 6:00 EDT on September 23 for those in North America. It can be viewed via YouTube (with three different versions: Europe, Japan, United States) and Nintendo’s official site (again, there are three options: Europe, Japan, United States).
Cupid Parasite launches this November
The timing of this news is unreal: yesterday Matt published a review of an Otomate visual novel, which spurred a secondary video about why Otomate games are the best, and here’s news about another one coming west! It’s about love and reality television, which should be a phenomenal combination. First, check out Matt’s review of Olympia Soirée here, and his video about Otomate visual novels here.
Cupid Parasite is set in the fictional, glitzy city of Los York. Lynette is a bridal advisor at a dating marriage agency called Cupid Corporation. Her job is to consult trendy singles to make their romantic fantasies a reality. Lynette has another job, though. A secret job. She is Celestia’s Goddess of Love, Cupid herself! The Parasite 5 are five men that are completely hopeless in love, and Lynette is going to find their perfect matches via a reality show. I’m willing to bet Lynette finds her own true match through the process, but only time will tell!
Developed and published by Idea Factory, along with developer Otomate, Cupid Parasite was originally released in Japan in August 2020. The game will be released on November 2 in North America and November 5 in Europe for the Nintendo Switch. Pre-orders for a physical limited edition begin on October 4; the edition includes the game, a steel case, a hardcover art book, a keychain set, a collector’s box, a two-disc audio drama (how novel!) and an exclusive trading card.
Horror-puzzle game Dying: 1983 launches in Japan early next year
A new adventure in the Dying franchise, Dying: 1983 is a horror-themed first-person exploration puzzle that allows players to freely explore 3D environments while using props to solve puzzles to discover the truth behind the scenes. Here’s the latest trailer:
Beneath what we see in the world with our eyes, there is another reality where madness grows and foreign objects operate by their own rules. Understanding these objects is key to exploiting them for the sake of survival. The gameplay I mentioned above is the same as the game’s predecessor, although this time there are three times as many puzzles and five times the scripted text.
Developed by NEKCOM and published by Game Source Entertainment, Dying: 1983 will be released on February 17, 2022, in Japan and for PlayStation 5. It includes Japanese audio and English, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese text. The title will also launch later for PC via Steam and PlayStation 4. A demo is playable at this month’s Tokyo Game Show for those in attendance on-site.
