FROM Software Game Announcements (Multi-)

FROM software announces new games at this year' s TGS and opens up official websites.

By Jin Sakimoto | Sept. 21, 2004

Amongst all the excitement of Sony' s and Nintendo' s press conferences yesterday, smaller Japanese firm FROM Software announced some new pre-TGS details of four of its new games, including some tantalizing first details on its PSP Armored Core. FROM mentioned that it' s been about 10 years since it arrived on the scene, thus the theme of the announcements and current product lineup is " giving back in gratitude."

First comes the PSP-specific spin-off of the mecha action series. Producer Mr. Nabeshima commented that he does not think portables are as well-suited to white-knuckle action as they are to games that primarily tax your brain. Therefore, in Formula Front players will not be controlling the mecha directly, but upgrading with them A.I. chips to control their patterns in a strategy game. Players will choose missions from a world map and assemble mechs to fight, sometimes using special battle chips for more complex abilities; these chips will open up as the game progresses. Saying they consider this new kind of Armored Core the " bright, sporty" kind of game, FROM also confirmed that using the PSP' s memory sticks and wireless multiplay that it' s planning elements like uploading your data to a PC and online battling.

Next, FROM gave a few new details on the next in the mainline Armored Core series, Nine Breaker, scheduled to be released next month in Japan whose official Japanese website just opened today. The mission mode from previous games has been scrapped in favor of a one-two punch of just training and arena modes. Training will not be required, but gamers can choose to utilize among 150 helpful programs in everything from the basics to the super-hardcore challenges. The arena will see a new system used to generate enemy players, facilitating enemies that correspond more to your preferences. All parts for the mecha will be available from the beginning of the game, and saved data from Armored Core: Nexus will garner bonuses, but the team says it' s also focusing on tightening the balance.

One last mecha game saw the limelight at the conference, this time for the Xbox. Otogi series producer (the second game of which is scheduled for U.S. release in October via Sega) Masanori Takeuchi' s collaborative vision of a super-visceral destruction ride sidles away from the Armored Core series into original territory with Metal Wolf Chaos. Ready for a Bad Dudes-style plot? The main character of the game is supposedly the 47th president of the United States and the main villain, the vice president! Responding to a nasty attack, the president will lead an effort to restore justice to America with the mighty power of armored mecha called (originally) Powered Suits!

Like Otogi, large parts of the environment will be destructible to encourage such wanton behavior as ramming into objects and crushing them from a mighty jump in the air, that is, should you run out of bullets or ammo for the huge cannon that can blow up puny little foot soldiers. Aiming for something much speedier than Armored Core, mecha will be equipped with backpacks to store all their weaponry delights in during battle. The game will also be compatible with Xbox Live for rankings and downloadable goodies.

Last on FROM' s list at the conference was Story of Hero Yo***sune, the recently announced PS2 game to take place in the ancient Japanese era between 1159-1189. The player will control the legendary figure known to many Japanese, as well as some of the other popular characters of the time, cutting through each stage in history. Only Yoshistune will be able to played directly, but using to the square, circle, triangle, and X buttons, he can order the other heroes to do things like " volley" or " charge." Unlike some of the other recent Japan period piece action games announced, this one is unlikely committed to drawing the attention of those that admire a certain popular Ogawa NHK dramas, which has been a talking piece among Japanese press lately. The intention is to be more along the lines of a beautiful, CG-riddled action game with RTS elements that sees the battlefield conditions change similarly to KOEI' s Dynasty Warriors series.