Welcome to Digitally Downloaded’s weekly catch-up news feature, the catch-up coffee. With each issue I 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)!
Learn more about the gameplay from Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse
Technically, this video is labelled as “Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse,” but because editor-in-chief Matt and I have been referring to it at Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse (its Japanese name) up to this point, I’m continuing with that. Koei Tecmo has released a video regarding the upcoming remastered title (the game originally launched for Wii, only in Japan, as the series’ fourth title in 2008). In it, this version’s producer (Yutaka Fukaya) and the original version’s director (Makoto Shibata) play through part of the game set in Rogetsu Hall.
The story involved girls returning to an island where mysterious things happened during a festival they attended during their childhood. The goal, as with any Project Zero/Fatal Frame title, is to repel ghosts relying on nothing but a flashlight and a camera able to photograph the unimaginable. The old camera can seal away the ghosts’ power. Players can equip different lenses and films to capture even more powerful photographs. As for the setting, Rogetsu Island, it contains Western-style mansions and abandoned hospitals (always the creepiest). This footage features one such mansions.
Developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and published by Koei Tecmo, Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse will be released for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series, and Xbox One on March 9.
An adorable game, Rhythm Sprout launches next month
A handcrafted rhythm action game with original music and a “whacky” story mode, Rhythm Sprout is set to, well, sprout onto PC and consoles next month. The game has players stepping the the rhythm while fighting to the beat while following a quirky self-aware story. Follow Sprout, the Chosen Onion, on his adventure.
Each original music track goes together with a unique 3D environment, both fitting the same theme. All music is created specifically for the game. There are different level modifiers, such as Turbo Mode that speeds up songs or Mirror Mode that involved memory. There’s also Totally Random Mode, which constantly changes. Fight bosses, unlock new outfits and swords, and enjoy infinite post-game challenges.
Developed by SURT and published by tinyBuild, Rhythm Sprout will be released for PC via Steam/Epic, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series, and Xbox One on February 1.
There’s a new gameplay trailer featuring the story in Season: A letter to the future
The season of Season is almost upon us! The game will be released later this month, but for now I’m content with the newest trailer for it. This one highlights the game’s story and characters. Play as a young woman from a secluded village who is exploring the world while collecting memories before a cataclysm washes it all away. The game is described as a quest to discover a new world while documenting, photographing, and recording life.
Some of the key characters that players will meet are Kochi, Maytora, and Easel. Kochi is a young boy who takes the protagonist on a bike tour of the valley the day before it is flooded. Maytora is an outsider artist who documents the valley’s stories through her sculptures. And Easel is the last monk in the valley, left behind by his teachers and friends. Supper all of the through quiet moments of crisis. Help them. Remember them.
Developed and published by Scavengers Studio, Season: A letter to the future will be released for PC via Steam/Epic, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4 on January 31.
City builders meet fairy tales in Fabledom
Get ready to settle in a land where fairytales becomes reality in Fabledom. It’s described as offering “an accessible and intuitive way of playing city builders, no excel sheets nor optimization is required.” Simply put, it should be an intuitive city builder. Players will watch their village grow, follow the lives of their citizens, and see this kingdom’s relationship with others both rise and fall. After all, nothing stays the same forever.
Find the promised land, settle there, and flourish. That’s basically the entire game in a nutshell. Use resources to build and shape a city that can expand and thrive. Build the economy, exchanging resources with other kingdoms. The game focuses on love and candour, so players will find their king or queen to romance. Build an army to protect the kingdom from icky neighbours. The world is filled with giants, witches, flying pigs, and hidden secrets.
Developed by Grenaa Games and published by Dear Villagers, Fabledom will be released in early access for PC via Steam in Q2 2023.