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Shop Watch August 2010

By Russ | August 1, 2010 at 4:01 pm

August is a tough choice between Ys Seven and Valkyria Chronicles 2.  If I had a decent PC, I’d throw Elemental in there as well.

If I was bitching about the DS last month, this month I’m bitching about the PSP. Ys and VC2?  I’m a huge Ys fan, and Valkyria Chronicles is the best game of this generation so far, so having both of those in one month is a bit troublesome.  I’d best see how the PSP’s connection to my TV works.

I have been slowly going through Kingdom Hearts Math in anticipation of Birth by Sleep, but Birth by Sleep will have to wait until the other two are completed.  To give you an idea of how long it takes me to get through a game, I’m still on my first playthrough of Resonance of Fate.

The first part of August takes a small break from games.

Titles shipping August 17

City of Heroes: Going Rogue Collection, published by NCSoft (PC).  The latest expansion for City of Heroes/Villains allows players to switch sides.  In true superhero fashion, good guys can go bad and bad guys can fight for justice, since they’ll never be good.  Seriously, I fail to see how anyone can completely absolve Super Pedo of his sins.

Dawn of Heroes, published by Majesco (DS).  I would really like to see more of this game, but it keeps getting pushed back.  It’s a western strategy RPG with cute graphics.  The videos I’ve seen make the game look solid.  This is a title to keep an eye on.

Ys Seven, published by Xseed (PSP).  This game makes me happy.  Adol and Dogi find themselves in jail, but even in the slammer people request Adol to save the world.  Street cred, yo. A limited edition is also available.

Titles shipping August 24

Elemental, published by Stardock (PC).  You might remember Stardock as the name behind Sins of a Solar Empire and DemiGodElemental seems to be in the same, awesome, time-sucking boat they are.  A limited edition is also available.

Titles shipping August 31

Valkyria Chronicles 2, published by Sega (PSP).  It should take two weeks to beat Ys Seven and then enjoy this title.  VC 2 has the combat of the first game, but takes place around the academy all Gallians must attend.  The premise may seem weak, but I love the sweet, sweet combat of the original.

Some Advice:  Ys titles, as much as I love them, are bargain-bin bound.  I bought a copy of Ark of Napishtim on the PS2 for $5 once, and the PSP version for $12.  Unless Xseed makes the title nice and rare – a possibility considering Sony’s desire to have the PSN store be the place to buy – the titles will probably drop in price.

Stardock is a publisher mostly known for its Digital Distribution.  Elemental will probably be a better bet on their website, if it isn’t at this moment.

City of Heroes will be on sale somewhere shortly after launch.

K-Mart is Sega’s best friend right now, and may have a good deal on Valkyria Chronicles 2.

The Future:  Final Fantasy XIV drops in September for the PC with a PS3 launch in 2011.  There’s no estimated 360 release yet, so it will be interesting to see how the game plays out over time.  Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep also launches in September, and it will be a hit for the PSP.  October is chock full of Fallout: New Vegas, Fable III, and Arcania; though the latter of those three may get pushed back.  DC Universe will challenge City of Heroes and Champions Online for Super MMO-dom in November.  It’s being developed by Sony, so no 360 release on that title either.  Several other games, such as Guild Wars 2 and Final Fantasy: 4 Warriors of Light will fill in time for players as well, with Ys: Oath in Felghana of particular interest to me.  The end of the year is shaping up to be rather nice, if a little online heavy.

All retail games (with the exception of those marked as street-dated) will be in stores one day after their release. Release dates also tend to be shipping dates. All release dates are subject to change.  Games available for download will have varying release. The views of this column do not reflect the views of RPG Land.

Topics: Shop Watch