They might say that this is the Year of the Pig, but as far as I’m concerned 2019 will be the Year of the Beast, with the hugely popular mobile title, Fire Emblem: Heroes, finally getting beast units as of earlier this month! The first confirmed units (all from the Radiant Series) will be Tibarn, Leanne, Reyson and Nailah.
These are all great (especially Tibarn), but this got me thinking though … what fluffs, birbs, or dergons did I want to come to the game? After all, if you include the sprinkling of beast units over the more recent titles, there’s a fair few to choose from. So, here you go, my five picks of beasts I want to see in Fire Emblem: Heroes!

Situated in Prestwich, Tri-Heart Interactive is a community driven video game development company that alters the game’s development based on the feedback they receive from the public. Their ambition is to let their fanbase and newcomers to the video game fandom to feel like they are actually included in the aforesaid game’s development. Their current project is a game of our audience's interest called, "The Otterman Empire"

Kickstarter is a hit and miss, it’s a mixed bag and it’s responsible for successes such as Rad Rodgers, Shovel Knight, Undertale, and Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (in spite of it’s inferior to its predecessor, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse). There are times when some indie video game developing teams manage to meet the promises which they’ve set out to do in the first place and there are a few disgraceful rotten apples that didn’t bother to deliver the physical or digital backer rewards. I’m looking at all of you, Dante Basco, Jonah Feingold and the movie team behind Bangarang: A Short Film Before Rufio! Aside from Mighty No. 9 and Yooka-Laylee, this monstrosity of a horrendously mediocre film will be forever be named, shamed and frowned upon. If Dante Basco, Jonah Feingold and the film team have the gall to show their dishonourable faces on Kickstarter again in the future, you can bet I won’t be supporting them whatsoever under no circumstances.

As a result, potential and future backers refuse to trust Kickstarter with their hard-earned money. When I take my current frustrating experience as a backer with Bangarang: A Short Film Before Rufio into account, I can’t say I blame them. Therefore, this is why I usually back projects at the last minute, if not never at all and why I’m, admittedly, still sceptical about Griff the Winged Lion due to how slow it’s raking in cash by the dozen at the moment. It depends on what the project is about.

About Vulpine: Vulpine is a charming open-world game where you survive as ridiculously well-armed animals. Explore beautiful environments to hunt for food, gather resources, and search for signs of lost civilization. However, nature is not as peaceful as it seems to be... Ferocious monsters and endless dungeons stand in your way. Gear up and arm yourself to the teeth to take back your world as one of many different animals: fox, wolf, bear, rabbit, and more! Play solo or hunt as a pack with your friends!

Funding Site: Kickstarter

Funding End Date: Wed, September 21 2016 8:10 PM CDT

Funds Needed: $30,000

Funds Raised as of posting: $10,161 (Not Yet Funded)

From the creator of Home is Where One Starts... comes The First Tree, a third-person exploration game centered around two parallel stories: a fox trying to find her missing family, and a young couple dealing with a tragedy in theirs. Players take control of the fox on a poignant and beautiful journey that crescendos at the source of life, and perhaps results in the understanding of death. Along the way, players uncover artifacts and stories from the young couple’s life as they too become intertwined in the fox’s journey towards The First Tree.

The game is currently in development and is set to release in early 2017 on PC and Linux, to start.

The sequel to the Wii U hit Freedom Planet is in development over at Galaxy Trail. Announced in December, the game has a planned beta release of mid-2017. We'll keep you updated on progress and when that beta becomes available. Join the heroes of Avalice as they face their greatest challenge yet! An ancient terror has emerged from the depths of the ocean. Merga, a water dragon from Avalice's oldest and deadliest war, has been freed from her crystal prison as a consequence of the Kingdom Stone's destruction. War is imminent once again, but this time, the heroes are split between sides. As friendships are tested, will the girls stand united when Bakunawa rises?

Night in the Woods is an upcoming adventure game from Infinite Fall, featuring dozens of animal characters, a hand-drawn world filled with things to interact with, and an intriguing story filled with wit. After a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2013, the three-person team is finally getting close to releasing its creation, with a planned release on PC and PS4 this year. 

The team was at E3 to show off the game, which garnered lots of praise while there. Alec Holowka from Infinite Fall sat down with PlayStation.Blog to show off the game and talk about what to expect when it releases:

Discover more about Night in The Woods and download a "ghost story" for the game that you can play right now: http://www.nightinthewoods.com/

About BattleGoats: BattleGoats is a War-style card game where players alternate turns in card battle to determine a winner using the highest number value. Number values change as the game goes on. The person with the last card in play wins. Rules are easy to pick up and games play in as little as 5-30 minutes for groups of 2-6 players.

Funding Site: Kickstarter

Funding End Date: Sun, May 15 2016 11:15 PM CDT

Funds Needed: $3,000

Funds Raised as of posting: $4,312 (Funded)