Posted Dec 17th 2008 1:05PM by Alan Tsang Filed under: News
Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu has reviewed the upcoming Level-5 RPG White Knight Chronicles and they weren't too impressed it, giving the PS3 exclusive a score of 29/40 (7,8,7,7). The reviewers didn't care for a number of elements in the game, such as the in-game menus, battle controls, chatting (apparently it was difficult to chat while moving around) and overly simplistic battle system. However, they did praise the game's customizable combos, epic battles and gorgeous looking world. Finally, the game length is said to clock in at about 30 hours.
This doesn't bode well for White Knight Chronicles -- but do keep in mind that Famitsu has had rather strange opinions in the past -- they gave the universally panned Haze a 34/40 (9,8,9,8).
Level-5's first big PS3 RPG, White Knight Chronicles, is hitting Japan very soon. In order to get the populace ready for this epic adventure, the official Japanese site now features a beautifully illustrated prequel manga. Simply click on "Special" at the top of the site to get a peek at the first issue. Sure, it's in Japanese, but for fans that are eagerly awaiting this game, this is a nice way of seeing the expansive world of WKC.
Posted Oct 8th 2008 11:45AM by Alan Tsang Filed under: News
Japanese gaming magazine Dengeki PlayStation reveals in its latest issue an online co-op mode for the Level-5 RPG White Knight Story. This online mode is independent of the story mode, but will feature characters from the single-player mode. Here is how it works: a lobby will accommodate 16 players, who will then be separated into groups of up to four in order to tackle quests and challenges. This mode will also give players a way to chat with one another. White Knight Story will be playable at TGS, so we'll let you know our thoughts on the game when we get some hands-on time with it.
With a Japanese release date finally hammered down for White Knight Story, expect to see a barrage of new info and media pouring in the following months. To kick start this impending influx of cavalier RPGness, we've found some delectable screenshots of Level-5's new adventure. You can see the new images in our gallery below; be sure to check them out.
Posted Sep 17th 2008 9:30AM by Alan Tsang Filed under: News
According to this Famitsu scan, the PS3 exclusive White Knight Story will be released on Japan on December 25th. The four-page story features an interview with producer Akihiro Hino. A subtitle has been unveiled, which translates to Ancient Beat. Aino tells us development is nearing the end but not completed. The producer claims this is the most epic title he has worked on and mentions an aspect of the game that is only possible on the PS3. Unfortunately, no word yet on a release date outside of Japan.
[Via PS3Hyper -- thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Posted Sep 5th 2008 3:00PM by Alan Tsang Filed under: News
Oops! Looks like we were a bit too eager to report on White Knight Story's release date. Yesterday we stated that the latest issue of Famitsu pegged the PS3 exclusive RPG's Japanese release date as December 11th. A flip through the actual magazine doesn't reveal the same date; in fact, the date is still unannounced.
We were getting worried about White Knight Story. The yummy PS3-exclusive RPG from Level-5 looked incredible ... but then it disappeared off everyone's radars since its last showing at TGS 2007. Looks like it's a lot farther along than any of us could've imagined, with the RPG getting a Japanese release later this year. Famitsu reports that White Knight Story will be available in Japan on December 11th, just in time for the holiday season.
We're eagerly awaiting TGS next month so we can get our grimey Western hands on the upcoming game. With the game nearing completion, we're hoping to be very impressed by what we see.
Posted Aug 29th 2008 10:00AM by Alan Tsang Filed under: News
Some have been complaining lately that the PS3 is lacking in JRPGs, but most people forget that White Knight Story was mentioned in a Sony presentation as a game that will launch this fiscal year ending in April 2009. All we have from the PS3-exclusive Level-5 RPG thus far has been infrequent updates of screenshots and concept illustrations. But a tease on the official websites at Sony Japan and Level-5 tells us that's all about to change: "The days of wakening are coming soon." (translation courtesy of PS3Hyper) Speculation range from an announcement at Tokyo Game Show or some information in an upcoming issue of Famitsu. Stay tuned!
Level 5's ambitious and mysterious RPG, White Knight Chronicles, has undergone a bit of a face-lift since its first trailer shown a couple of years ago. It's difficult to explain -- the graphics haven't necessary gotten better (we won't say either way until we stare at the game itself on a 1080p screen), but the style seems to have gotten a few tweaks. These screenshots from TGBus show the new style in an old context: most of them seem to come from the old trailer, but with the new style. A few screens appear new, also: the gigantic Knight battles a nasty enemy. In motion, we're sure it looks cooler, but that's all we can say for now.
Sony's Strategy presentation today revealed more than just a video download service. Some other little tid-bits of info spilled out as well. Firstly, as seen above, White Knight Story is aiming to be out this fiscal year. That means sometime between now and April 2009. No doubt we'll be seeing more of the game, as well as a less-vague release date at E3 next month.
A weather and news service was also revealed as part of a new Life With PlayStation brand. This will feature an interactive globe showing real time weather reports and headlines from all over the world. This feature will also support geo-tagged photos (awesome) and other features which will be released over time. Again, we'll probably hear more about this whole Life With PlayStation brand at E3.
Finally, it's been confirmed that the PSP will gain direct access to the PlayStation Store at some point during this fiscal year. Sadly, there are no more details than that. While this is definitely getting us excited for E3, we have to wonder whether Sony are keeping back any actual surprises for the event. Is it possible that they could have all this and more to reveal to us next month?
It's been a long time since we've seen or heard anything regarding Level 5's upcoming RPG, White Knight Chronicles (the "chronicles" moniker seems popular for this generation of RPG's, really). However, Jeremiah at PS3 Forums slapped up a ton of scans from magazines in pretty excellent resolutions. Our grammar has taken a vacation because our minds are twisted in horrid ways from thinking about this game.
A lot of the scans seems old, many of the pictures we've probably posted before, but just in case these are updated screens (we think the above image is showing off the improved graphics, but aren't sure) or a new page here or there, we're bringing them to your attention. Let's hope this game pops up at E3 or TGS later this year.
We know, it's like Famitsu has new scans of this game every time we turn our heads. While it might not be important to some, it's worth noting in these scans that your characters do in fact change their clothes. This is something we're sure Level 5 is carrying over from Rogue Galaxy and it's nice to see them implementing it again. Or if that doesn't interest you, there are a few more battle screenshots to check out, including some of a giant knight battle. There's also a few images of the new enemy the knight is fighting -- it looks pretty creepy even in concept art form. Enjoy!
Magazines just love Level 5's White Knight Story. Famitsu has released some new looking screenshots and, while a bit fuzzy, show off some brighter colors than we've really seen so far. We've got another screenshot of the battle system in progress, the main character and two others staring down a bunny-dog-like creature, and then a giant boss that can only be described as ... um ... trendy? He's got a nice scarf. And giant club. Enjoy!
Japanese magazine Gemaga released a few more screenshots of White Knight Story and while we'd like to offer more than that, it's all we've got for now. The screens cover the basics: one page describing a lot of characters and key features of the title (transforming into a giant knight, character creation function, etc), and a few other pages consisting of character close-ups and one picture of the battle system in action. The last of these is intriguing because a new enemy is revealed and if that's a normal fight, well, seems there are going to be a lot more types of creatures than the faceless soldiers seen in demos thus far. But it's probably a boss, prior to knight transformation. If only!
Posted Oct 20th 2007 3:00PM by Nick Doerr Filed under: News
New characters, new system details, and some new concert art decorate the interwebs today as White Knight Story's official site has gotten an update. We'll bullet a list and give you the rundown of what you'll find below, if you don't feel like searching on your own quite yet.
Several new pieces of concept art, including some airships, castles, and what we assume is a dungeon etched into the side of a mountain, akin to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Pretty much everything under the System menu is new -- character creation details we can't read (it is now touted that you can create female characters, too apparently), the battle/combo system is explained as well as your White Knight transformation ability.
Under the Character tab, you can see what seems to be the bad guys, led by the stereotypical long, white-haired badass. Lame, but we'll forgive Level 5 for now as we're basing this on assumption. There's a girl with a big ugly frog pet, A dude, and a Moogle-like creature. Oh, also a neat picture of some of the big Knights.
It's a quick update to run through, but if you're a fan of the game, nay, a fan of the idea of a truly next-gen RPG on your PS3, it should give you the grins to check out. If not, no worries. We'll keep you posted on any White Knight Story news we come across!
