Unhappy information, guys. It is the final day of Tokyo Sport Present 2024. PC Gamer has been on the present for the final three days and, as detailed in earlier studies (see hyperlinks above), it has been present for PC avid gamers and PC gaming. After analysing the newest tendencies at TGS 2024 in each our Day 1 and Day 2 studies, we have then moved on to key Japanese recreation writer sales space deep dives. Yesterday, in our Day 3 report, we coated Sq. Enix, Sega, and Bandai Namco’s choices, whereas as we speak we will give attention to Capcom, Konami and SNK.
Capcom might be the strongest Japanese recreation writer in the meanwhile due to the persevering with success of its evergreen IPs, which embody Avenue Fighter, Monster Hunter, and Resident Evil. The most recent video games in these collection, all playable on PC I would add, equivalent to Avenue Fighter 6, Monster Hunter: World, and Resident Evil 7: Bio Hazard, not solely have been critically acclaimed however have offered very well, too, and that is stored momentum on the Osaka-based gaming software program home excessive.
Enter Capcom’s large push at Tokyo Sport Present 2024, Monster Hunter Wilds, which builds on the success of Worlds with a wide range of enhancements. This open-world recreation is produced by the son of the founding father of Capcom, Kenzo Tsujimoto, and Monster Hunter Wilds introduces a extra informal method and ‘social’ component to the franchise.
It’s nonetheless doable to play the sport purely in solo mode (because it was when it launched on PSP) however there’s a large focus now on co-op play, so when you play solo then the co-op is simulated by AI. The true solution to play, although, is in multiplayer, with different actual gamers becoming a member of the monster-hunting enjoyable.
Basically, the way in which to explain Monster Hunter Wilds, although, is ‘extra’, because it simply delivers extra or expands on every thing in Monster Hunter: World. For instance, now you can deliver a number of weapons on any hunt, and people weapons can now be modded, too, including layers of customisation.
Extra, too, in that every one the NPCs are absolutely voiced, including to the manufacturing values and immersion. There’s clearly much more open world to discover and hunt on this time round, too, and enormous group areas designed to enchantment extra to informal avid gamers.
Lastly, in Japan no less than, Wilds is delivering extra within the sense of its collector’s version, too, with the extremely model providing a literal Monster Hunter bike to trip round on (see above picture). The associated fee to you and me? $1250! Loopy. Monster Hunter Wilds remains to be a methods out, launching on 28 February, 2025.
Over at Konami’s sales space, there are two video games being pushed, and each of them are remakes. As I famous in our Day 1 report, remakes and remasters are being favoured lots proper now by Japanese publishers as they’re cheaper to make than a model new AAA recreation, and likewise thought-about a safer guess, which is one thing that retains shareholders completely happy. Which means we have large pushes on Steel Gear Strong Delta: Snake Eater and Silent Hill 2 at Konami’s Tokyo Sport Present 2024 sales space.
Some of the extremely rated video games in your complete Steel Gear saga, even now with out its authentic creator on the wheel, Hideo Kojima, this remake has nonetheless drawn large crowds on the Tokyo Sport Present 2024. However, being trustworthy, regardless of simply being a remake of a earlier recreation, I can see why it has been so in style.
This new remake won’t solely be simply because it was when was launched in 2004 (it is a very devoted remake tonally), but in addition—and that is for me the actual large information—it’s introducing upgraded gameplay mechanics and digicam strategies that had been launched in later video games within the collection. This implies Snake now handles and appears higher than ever.
Now look, there’s arguably solely to this point a remake can go when it comes to sustaining curiosity in a collection, however my feeling is that if Snake Eater is an enormous hit (and it appears like it will likely be at this level), then I really feel it might be the best car to rekindle the Steel Gear fires for followers in a post-Kojima world. The sport is loosely slated to launch in 2024, however I’ve acquired a sense it would slip into 2025. Let’s wait and see.
Then there’s the Silent Hill 2 remake. Curiously, the sport is not being developed by a Japanese studio however a western one, the Poland-based Bloober Workforce. What is going to please followers of the unique recreation, although, is that Bloober is approaching this remake with an eye fixed to make it very genuine and just like the unique expertise. Devoted for certain. Clearly, Silent Hill 2 won’t be as giant because the latest, very profitable, Resident Evil 2 remake, however personally I believe that as we by no means acquired a correct sequel to this recreation, it’s a good level to start out. If this remake sells properly then it is perhaps sufficient to get one greenlit.
SNK: Deadly Fury: Metropolis of the Wolves
Lastly SNK is getting again to what was within the Nineteen Nineties for all of us. I nonetheless personal a Neo Geo AES, the white rental model the truth is, as all of the CD variations (included the CDZ by no means launched exterior Japan), so to see SNK again is gorgeous. The as soon as kings of the versus fighter style are making new video games and, sure, releasing them on PC on day one.
SNK’s sales space at Tokyo Sport Present 2024 is large and, what’s extra, the brand new Deadly Fury recreation really appears good, with lengthy queues of Japanese avid gamers lining as much as get hands-on with a demo. I solely managed to play it as soon as as we speak as a result of these queues, but it surely feels nice to play. Whether or not or not it can go on to problem Avenue Fighter 6 and Tekken 8, although, stays to be seen.
There’s some large information for this recreation, too. After speaking with SNK’s folks right here at TGS 2024 they informed us the sport’s first DLC will see some Avenue Fighter characters like Ryu and Chun Li be part of the motion. All of the sudden I am remembering previous SNK versus Capcom fighters like SVC: Chaos.
Now, I realise that there was some criticism of this new Deadly Fury by some purist versus fighter followers, and sure I can see the place they’re coming from to a level. I do not assume Metropolis of the Wolves has been created although purely with the versus fighter purists in thoughts, although. It is extra about SNK, beneath its new possession, making an attempt to get again to the place it had within the Japanese gaming business within the Nineteen Nineties, and that requires video games with broad enchantment. As such, if Metropolis of the Wolves is successful with extra informal avid gamers, not simply versus fighter fanatics, then that will probably be thought-about a win for the corporate. The sport is deliberate to be out on 25 April, 2025.
TGS 2024 Indie Sport of the Yr: Nightmare Operator
Lastly, I would similar to to name out what I take into account to be the indie recreation of Tokyo Sport Present 2024, which is DDDistortion’s Nightmare Operator. Of all of the indie video games proven off on the present this 12 months, of which there have been greater than ever, that is the one which I believe goes to be large hit. Naturally, the sport is coming to PC and will probably be playable by Steam.
Nightmare Operator is an motion horror shooter about looking Youkai (demons and spirits) within the haunted ruins of a dystopian Tokyo. Sounds neat, proper?! It rocks wonderful PS2-era-style graphics and delivers suspenseful third-person capturing motion. What’s extra, it has very low minimal {hardware} specs (Intel Core i5-2300 or AMD FX-4350, 4GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 (1GB) or AMD Radeon HD 6570 (1GB), 4GB of space for storing), so I am already eyeing it up to be used on Steam Deck. There isn’t any launch date, but, however one to regulate as we transfer into 2025.
Tokyo Sport Present 2024 wrap-up
Okay, that is it, the top of our four-day overview protection of the Tokyo Sport Present 2024. We actually wish to speak about many different video games right here on the honest however, as you possibly can think about on the world’s largest online game present, we would be right here till subsequent 12 months if we did. It has been present, one which has actually pushed dwelling to me (and loads of colleagues right here on the present) simply how a lot PC gaming is on the rise inside the Japanese gaming business (the place traditionally it has been greater than a bit ignored).
PC gaming has all the time been there when it got here spherical to having curiosity in video games from large Japanese builders, like Konami, Capcom, Sq. Enix and Bandai Namco, however now these studios have lastly dropped their console gaze and are trying on the PC as a precedence, launching all their new video games on it, and more often than not on day one and with sturdy ports. The times of by no means getting console exclusives or, if we did, them coming to PC years later and as a buggy mess appear to be over.
What’s extra, this shift by the large Japanese publishers is being partnered by an enormous indie and smaller studios surge in Japan, too. Because of the spiralling prices of manufacturing main AAA video games, there’s now a larger inflow than ever of video games being made by smaller groups, equivalent to Nightmare Operator and Platform 8, for instance, which might be additionally coming to PC day one. The result’s an thrilling explosion of Japanese gaming goodness coming to PC, and that is nice information for PC gaming.
For the second that’s all, although. Keep in mind although that when you like PC gaming information and studies from Japan about its online game business, then you possibly can all the time comply with our part Made in Japan, which we publish each month in PC Gamer journal. Our subsequent challenge, for instance, comes with an unique interview with the director of Sq. Enix’s new RPG remaster, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven. Mata ne!
