Squeenix had some countdown thing that ended with a trailer for a TWEWY anime, and this:

EDIT: we got an English trailer, localization confirmed

This is absolutely a sequel and not a remake or something? I'm so paranoid nowadays because of how many remakes try to pass themselves off as new games.

If so, I'm here for it! Bring it to the West!

Zero said:

This is absolutely a sequel and not a remake or something? I'm so paranoid nowadays because of how many remakes try to pass themselves off as new games.

Did you watch the trailer? The cast is all new. The game isn't 2D. The battle system looks entirely different. Everything aside from the setting and general style looks entirely different.

Plus, the original game was in English, and this new game is clearly in Japanese!

@nate38 Yeah but there are games that add like an hour of new content with new characters then claim to be brand new!

I swear! Even though I can't think of any offhand!

Like, I STILL don't understand if the Miles Morales Spider-Man game is brand new or an expanded port. The messaging was so confusing.

Ooooooo!

I thought about picking up the Switch version when it came out, but I heard that it gimped the weird battle system, so I decided that if I ever felt the desire to replay the game, I'd just hunt down a DS cart.

And now they're making a sequel... should I rush to replay the DS game before it comes out!? Nah, I'll just play the sequel.

Is this the same team as the first game? Similar staff? I'm curious if they'll bring back everything that made the original so interesting. The combat so far looks like a pretty normal third-person beat-em-up.

English trailer is now up, localization confirmed. Same release date (Summer 2021)

@Secret_Tunnel Yeah based on what I've heard about the Switch port, the DS original is the way to go. The battle system is definitely not for everyone, but it's like nothing else I've ever played, so it's worth checking out if you can get it.

As for this new game, the gameplay looks more conventional for sure, but we haven't seen all that much of it so who knows. Looks pretty good anyway.

@nate38

Yeah, there were a ton of DS game series that got 3DS sequels that ruined the great sprite-based 2D art in favor of generic 3D models, but now that this is on the Switch and PS4 (huh, not PS5...), that graphical jump up seems to be enough to add some artistic flavor back in.

@Secret_Tunnel It'll probably hit PS5 eventually, but JRPGs often hit late in a console life because people still buy them in droves (in Japan) when they have abandoned other genres... for whatever reason.

@nate38 Are they changing the battle system to something more conventional?! That was like one of the main appeals to the game.

@Zero

Yeah, since the PS5 is backwards compatible with the PS4, this actually makes the most sense by far.

Zero said:

Are they changing the battle system to something more conventional?!

Have you still not watched the trailer!?

I mean, I guess it wasn't super clear in the trailer what was going on anyway.

I've watched it!

It's unclear! But it kind of looks similar to the old battle system to me?

@Zero I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that this PS4 game's battle system will not be built around controlling a duo of characters on completely separate screens, one controlled by the D-pad and the other by a touch-screen...

I just meant in the sense that it looks multi-character and action-based?

They could use dual analog sticks or... something!

I just hope it doesn't get too traditional.

I’m skeptical, but the trailer looked promising! Though maybe I’m responding to the incredible music I loved from the original.

The existence of a PS4 version makes me think that it will have a more traditional battle system, which is ok with me. I'm looking forward to giving it a shot.

There is a demo, if you haven't checked it out.

I just played through the original for the first time (after shelving it for over 10 years), and playing the demo right after felt… natural? It's over a decade newer so now it's 3D, and it's not on a DS so now the attacks are simply mapped to buttons (X, Y, L or R) with cooldowns. Seems a bit button-mashy early on, but fun.

The art style remains the same. Some new music, some familiar tunes reprised. Feels solid.

I just got the full game in the mail, can't start it yet. But the reviews are good!

Did anyone actually end up playing this? Seems like some chatter before it released and then nothing!

I started it up a few days ago. Seems pretty solid so far! As Guillaume mentioned, it definitely feels button mashy during the fights (I honestly don't remember how the battle system used to work) but otherwise it's neat. Game has a lot of style and the soundtrack is somehow laughably cheesy and super awesome to me at the same time.

Zero said:

Did anyone actually end up playing this?

I'm curious about this too! I've seen a bunch of RPG people say that it's really great. Is it worth playing if I haven't played the original in ten years and don't remember much about it? Is there stuff to miss?

@Secret_Tunnel I actually just finished this last night! I'd say it's worth playing, it's mostly the same good stuff from the first game (different battle system of course) and the story has a lot of twists and turns and all kinds of characters with various motivations and such.

As for not remembering much of the first, neither did I, and woah boy... this sequel definitely involves a lot of past characters and references plot points from the past and such. Honestly if you're going to play it I'd read a recap of the first game AND a recap of "A New Day" (which I guess was a bonus thing added to the Switch version of the first game) because it's all coming back in one form or another.

@Zero

Good to know! I think I'll replay the first game on DS and then watch the bonus stuff on Youtube.