Earlier today, XSEED Games, the studio responsible for publishing games such as Legend of the Heroes series and Senran Kagura, revealed plans to publish three indie games to consoles.
The first game they plan to publish is Shantae: Half-Genie Hero for PS4, Vita, and Wii U. The Shantae series has existed since 2002 on the Game Boy Color, and was revived thanks to fan support with the recent Shante and the Pirate’s Curse. This particular game was brought to life on Kickstarter, and plans to continue the dancing genie’s adventures. Not much is known about the story, though Risky Boots has been revealed to be an antagonist as in other games.
Along with a physical release, there will be a special edition that comes with a CD containing over 20 songs from the soundtrack of the game, priced at $29.99 for each version. A release date has yet to be announced.
The second game is Touhou: Scarlet Curiosity, starring the vampire Remilia Scarlet. The story follows her trying to find excitement, as she’s bored with immortality after 500 years. She proceeds to hunt a new monster to see if she can have fun again. But the monster also destroys her manor while looking for her — ultimately leading to a journey of vengeance, and hopefully, fun for her as she takes tries to take that mansion back.
Unlike other games in the IP, this Touhou goes from bullethell gameplay to more of an action-RPG feel, taking inspiration from Ys. Aside from Remilia, you can also play as her maid, Sakuya Izayoi. Despite a change in gameplay, the game description states that dodging waves of projectiles and complex patterns is still very important. Touhou: Scarlet Curiosity is slated for a digital release on the PS4 in the fall.
The final game is Exile’s End, a game taking place in the future as a mega-corporation called Ravenwood sends a team of mercenaries to a remote mining planet in hopes of finding the Company President’s lost son. Things grow dire as the mercenary’s ship goes down. Of all the escape pods launched to save themselves, only private Jameson makes it unscathed on the alien planet and must fight to accomplish his mission. The story is said to become more complex, and even offers multiple endings, too.
The game itself is a 2D sidescroller, described as “part Metroidvania and part cinematic platformer, drawing heavy inspiration from classics of the genre like Out of This World and Flashback: The Quest for Identity.” Exile’s End is set for a digital release on PS4, Vita, and Wii U later this summer.
XSEED Games plans to have all three games playable at E3 from June 14th to the 16th this year at the LA Convention Center.
