The official Japanese trailer offers an example of how it looks. People will take photos of peoples’ faces or uses ones on their camera roll. This will then be used in a WarioWare style minigame that is only a few seconds long and involves using a touch screen to achieve a result. For example, one instance in the video involved eating corn, and another getting critters off of a person’s face. Another minigame involved unwrapping two people who’d been covered in bandages like a mummy, with only their eyes visible. Even some of the sound effects bear similarities to WarioWare ones.

Here’s the full Japanese trailer.

The last entry in the WarioWare series was Move It, which appeared on the Switch. That entry’s minigames involved motion controls, as the name suggested. Prior to that, WarioWare: Get It Together’s gimmick involved multiplayer, with up to two people in the campaign and four otherwise each using a Joy-Con to pick a character and play through the microgames. 

Pictonico will come to Android and iOS devices on May 28, 2026. 

The post Nintendo Preparing WarioWare-like Pictonico Mobile Game appeared first on Siliconera.

Over the past few years, Square Enix has been replacing the old Final Fantasy XI servers with newer and stronger ones. Fujito explains that the newer servers allow for virtualization, which makes them easier to maintain. Instead of physically restarting the server, they can just run a process for that.

Fujito adds that these server replacements are for letting the game continue service, rather than so that the team can add more content without overloading them. If they wish to update the servers to further develop the game, they would need to make proper plans to do so. Currently, even though the servers have been virtualized, they’re still the same as before, so they’re simply maintaining the systems and programs.

At the end of the interview, Fujito floated the possibility of new developments to the game once he secures more resources. Since there hasn’t been any new story since the Voracious Resurgence, he would like to do something about that. However, the people he needs are working on other projects, and so he would have to wait until they’re free. At the same time, he is asking engineers to look at the middleware for resource management, so once they’re done with that, they can make new cutscenes again. Right now, they’re laying the groundwork for more potential content.

Final Fantasy XI is readily available on the Windows PC.

The post Final Fantasy XI Server Replacements, Story Teased appeared first on Siliconera.

Most of The Shorekeeper’s accessories involve the butterflies she’s known for. We only get two face plates with her. One features a rather blank and neutral expression, while her eyes are closed in the other. Her Stellar Symphony Rectifier, which itself resembles a butterfly and is her signature weapon, is included. So are two blue butterflies with their own stands that can be posed around her.

Here’s how she looks:

The Shorekeeper ended up being a rather popular Wuthering Waves character following her release, leading to multiple figures of her. One of the last ones was a standard scale figure. It debuted back in 2025. There are also a number of acrylic standees of her. Orders direct through the company will come with a special illustration, but we don’t know what that will look like yet.

The Wuthering Waves The Shorekeeper Nendoroid will show up in Japan in October 2026, and we’ll see the figure appear worldwide in Q2 2027. The game is available on the PS5, PC, and mobile devices. 

We may earn a commission if you purchase from certain links. Learn more here.

The post Wuthering Waves Shorekeeper Nendoroid Comes With Butterflies appeared first on Siliconera.

Two types of PlayStation Plus subscriptions are affected by this price increase. The first is the one-month option. That currently costs $9.99 / €8.99 / £6.99, and that will go up to $10.99 / €9.99 / £7.99. The three-month one is also going up, with the cost there going from $24.99 USD / €24.99 EUR / £19.99 to $27.99 / €27.99 / £21.99. If someone is subscribed now, they will still have access to the original lower price unless they live in India or Turkey.

When bringing up why prices are changing, Sony only cited “ongoing market conditions.” It didn’t explain if this is due to costs on their end going up regarding games and promotions. Currently, costs of items in the tech area are going up due to RAM shortages caused by AI and data centers, lingering tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, and issues tied to the Iran War. 

This also comes after PS5 and PlayStation Portal prices went up again. Sony increased those costs at the beginning of April 2026. When that happened, it blamed “continued pressures in the global economic landscape.”

PlayStation Plus one-month and three-month subscriptions will cost more starting on May 20, 2026 worldwide.

We may earn a commission if you purchase from certain links. Learn more here.

The post New PlayStation Plus Subscriptions Will Cost More appeared first on Siliconera.

A tentative schedule for the showcase is set, since it won’t only feature announcements regarding future updates for Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy. When the presentation starts, it will first focus on the final round of a beta test tournament. About two hours later at 2am PT/5am ET/6pm JST, the actual updates will appear. Producer Naoya Matsumoto will be present for this portion and discuss things to come.

Here’s the placeholder for the Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy first official update broadcast.

The only upcoming event we’re aware of for Dissidia Duellum is a Final Fantasy Record Keeper one. That shows up at the end of May 2026 and only involves new Abilities. The last characters added were Rikku from FFX and Clive from FFXVI. This presentation could provide a roadmap for future updates regarding more characters. It might also go over plans to remedy certain issues. For example, one problem the game had lately had to do with Bursts and Abilities triggering when facing bosses.

Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy is available for mobile devices, and the first presentation going over game updates will air in Japan on May 23, 2026.

The post Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy Update Arrives This Week appeared first on Siliconera.

Namco Legendary Mountains follows the same principles as Suika Game, but with the element of 3D as in Fruit Mountain. Different icons from the company’s series’ appear in clear bubbles. We toss them at a black plate from different angles, and we can also move around the edges of it to shoot from different positions. If we combine like items, they merge to create a new, bigger one. Using the official trailer as an example, tossing two Pac-Man items at each other will cause them to combine and become Taizo Hori from Dig Dug. If two Taizos hit each other, they become Mappy the mouse. 

Here’s the official trailer that shows exactly how the process works. It also confirms appearances of items from Druaga and Xevious.

This is one of many takes on this particular type of puzzle game from Bexide. Fruit Mountain was first in March 2024. It was followed by a Hololive Vtuber variant called Hololive Treasure Mountain. A multiplayer version called Fruit Mountain Party showed up in April 2026.

Namco Legendary Mountains will come to the Switch, Switch 2, and PC worldwide in Summer 2026.

The post Next Bexide Mountain Game Is Namco Legendary Mountains appeared first on Siliconera.

These FFVII Ever Crisis wallpapers are divided into two types, with some being replicas of the in-game home screen backgrounds of Aerith, Cloud, and Tifa in their dresses and some being original ones of official art of them. The home screen ones are divided into two parts. One of them features Aerith and Tifa together in their Gorgeous Dress and Elegant Dress (Mature Dress), respectfully. The other features Cloud in  the Classic Dress we’d earn from the Chocobo Sam sidequests in FFVII Remake. The mobile versions of the wallpapers feature them each alone and then all together.

Here’s how those wallpapers look:

Square Enix hasn’t suggested what the next event or crossover could be in FFVII Ever Crisis. The company brought back the FFXIII items in April 2026. Before that, it continued the ongoing Dirge of Cerberus storyline with its second part, so we could see the third portion of that start in the near future.

Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis is available on PCs and mobile devices, and FFVII Remake is available on the Switch 2, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. The Corneo Cup: Open Bridal Audition event ends in FFVII Ever Crisis on May 27, 2026. 

The post Aerith, Cloud, and Tifa Wear Dresses in Official FFVII Ever Crisis Wallpapers appeared first on Siliconera.

To start, someone needs to enter the email tied to their Sega Account. They’ll then be emailed a code that grants them access to the survey and continue. The first questions in the Persona 3 Reload localization survey are fairly typical and ask where someone played the game, which translation they used, how far they got in the JRPG, if they enjoyed the game, and which elements they did and didn’t enjoy.

It’s once you get to the seventh question of the Persona 3 Reload localization survey that Atlus actually asks what you thought about the translation. It starts by asking if things sounded natural and was grammatically correct and then if the tone was correct. After that, a question comes up asking if people sounded like they were “in-character.” The follow-ups to that ask if certain characters were handled especially well or poorly, and we’re able to select as many options as are applicable. This includes major and minor characters, and there is a write-in section. After asking about characters and dialogue, we’re asked our opinion about the menus and UI. The final few questions are all write-in ones where we can cite specific situations we liked and didn’t like, as well as leave feedback on other Atlus games. 

We’ll see Persona 3 Reload in another game soon. An event featuring protagonist Makoto and other characters will show up in Persona 5: The Phantom X worldwide. 

Persona 3 Reload is on the Switch 2, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. 

The post Persona 3 Reload Localization Survey Asks About Its Translation appeared first on Siliconera.

The tone of the actual stories in Goddess of Victory: NIKKE can vary, depending on the nature of enemies, situations, and special events, but Outpost: Off-Duty Tales will focus on calmer, happier moments. This is based on the initial piece of key art, description, and title of the first episode. Shift Up specifically mentioned it will look at “everyday moments” and show what it would be like on a “relaxing day.”

The debut episode of this Goddess of Victory: NIKKE anime style project will be “The Counters – First Time at the Outpost.” That refers to the squad that consists of Anis, Neon, Rapi, and Shifty. The key art for the series shows, from left to right, Neon, Rapi, and Anis with Modernia, who is sitting facing away from the viewer. 

Here’s how that Goddess of Victory: NIKKE animated short key art looks:

Most recently, Shift Up celebrated Goddess of Victory: NIKKE’s 3.5th anniversary. That led to a new SSR alt for Anis. The company also teased that it is preparing for the 4th anniversary.

Goddess of Victory: NIKKE is available for the PC and mobile devices. 

We may earn a commission if you purchase from certain links. Learn more here.

The post Goddess of Victory: NIKKE Animated Shorts Start Airing This Week appeared first on Siliconera.

Three main characters from the Witch on the Holy Night movie were shown during the presentation. The first one is Aoko, who will be voiced by Haruka Tomatsu.

The second character shown is Soujyuro, who will have Yusuke Kobayashi as his voice actor.

The third and last character shown in this stage is Alice, who will have Kana Hanazawa as her voice actress.

Haruka Tomatsu and Yusuke Kobayashi also took part in the presentation event. The two helped promote more features for the movie, including the sales of the MoviTicke cards. On the following day, Haruka Tomatsu also briefly worked as the chief of JR Tokushima Station, where she attended the first train launch ceremony and then provided in-station announcements with Aoko’s voiceover.

The movie has been undergoing production for over four years. The companies previously published the first two teaser trailers in late 2021 and late 2023. The movie has since received a release window set in the year 2026.

The Witch on the Holy Night movie will appear in theaters across Japan in 2026.

The post New Witch on the Holy Night Movie Character Art Revealed appeared first on Siliconera.

Jenni Lada: You’re working on a new animated series called Hollow-Heart! What inspired you to create the series and how long has it been in development?

Goldbullet: When I was younger I was a massive fan of Let’s Plays on YouTube! Titles like Ao Oni and Yume Nikki always managed to catch my eye in terms of early traditional 2D-based indie horror. As I grew older, I began to appreciate how vast and interchangeable the elements of survival horror games could be within the genre while still keeping things fresh and distinct. Ever since the official release of HOLOSTARS EN’s first visual novel, Doppelgänger, that was where my motivation went into full-drive. I began to storyboard these elements before I debuted within HOLOSTARS EN myself! In other words, it’s been in the works since 2023.

What is Hollow-Heart going to be about and how long will the series be?

Goldbullet: Hollow-Heart will be an episodic animated horror series that takes place within a completely different timeline from our existing canon lore. An alternate universe in which the members of HOLOSTARS EN will succumb to horrific scenarios. Most characters will act differently from their canon counterparts. I believe this distinction will allow the viewers to see how each of the boys will react in different dangerous situations they find themselves in. It will be five episodes long, so I hope everybody looks forward to some lore-intensive story writing blended with B movie-style visuals.

Do you plan to explore more animation and visual novel projects moving forward?

Goldbullet: Yes. When I started developing Hollow-Heart, I realized what I was capable of. What I’m looking forward to the most is seeing what experiences I can gain from producing this series. Particularly, I’m navigating what it’s like to manage a project, and I want to hone my writing and art skills while at it as well. Moving forward, I hope to be able to pursue future projects more smoothly than now.

So far, you’ve shared ten chibi sprites of HOLOSTARS EN members who’ll be in the title. How elaborate will animations be for the project?

Goldbullet: Hollow-Heart will take on the appearance of an horror RPG, and you can expect the animations to be somewhat similar to an early 2000s game. There are some more fleshed out animations and sprites… I’m still working on the finer details for how the combat animations will work! No spoilers! Apologies, but you will have to wait to see how things play out.

You mentioned before that it will be inspired by horror games. Did any particular titles act as inspiration or reference points for you? Did you play any titles when researching how you might want this to look?

Goldbullet: I am a massive Resident Evil fan so that’s where the majority of my stylistic influences for this project come from! Other games like Dead Space, Silent Hill, Amnesia, and Outlast also inspired me! Danganronpa’s visual novel elements have lent me inspiration on designing user interfaces and visual clarity.

Will fellow HOLOSTARS EN VTubers appear as voice actors in Hollow-Heart?

Goldbullet: We shall see! Right now, you can expect most of us to put in our vocal talents to the test within the horror atmosphere! I’ll be making sure to give them the correct direction, especially in this spooky setting.

When will Episode 1 release? Can we expect more episodes after the initial launch?

Goldbullet: If all things go according to plan, Episode 1 should be expected to be released on Halloween of this year! A perfect month for a spooky series to make its debut. But, of course, as development time shifts based on pre-existing obligations, the date may change to be pushed back or even released earlier! I’m aiming to introduce the world of Hollow-Heart to our viewers around October 2026.

The chibi character art you’ve shared so far looks advanced for this stage of development. What does your artistic background look like?

Goldbullet: I have three art styles that I enjoy playing around with the most! Lineless, flat illustrations, and of course, chibi artwork! All three of these styles will be displayed proudly within the setting of Hollow-Heart and bring its vision into bloody fruition!

What kind of advice would you offer to people who are looking to create their own animatic series?

Goldbullet: If you ever have an idea and you always think about how cool something would be if you could create it, I find it important to storyboard any idea you get in your head, even if it’s a little strange or obtuse! I believe there is great significance in paying attention to every single thing you mind conjures.

But hey, if I’m allowed to be a little more broad, my simple advice is to just ignite that spark. Allow it to develop into a flame. You will find yourself very surprised at what you could create with your mind alone. To want to create is to be human. The power of creativity is something we all have, and it’s a beast that you must feed.

Speaking of Resident Evil, I saw that you revealed new accessories at the start of your Resident Evil marathon! Were your new accessories inspired by the franchise?

Goldbullet: Absolutely! Total badasses like Chris Redfield and Leon Kennedy were the blueprint for those particular accessories! I originally wanted a giant bazooka, but… we can’t have everything we want! Unless…?

You’ll be celebrating your third anniversary as a VTuber this year! Do you have any big plans or things you’d like to accomplish in 2026?

Goldbullet: My plans are to deliver content that hasn’t been seen in this branch yet. Hollow-Heart being the biggest initiative to prove what I’m capable of! For my birthday, we got a big surprise. I can’t wait to see the reaction of my Bubbies!

Goldbullet can be found on social media, and he streams on YouTube.

The post Interview: Holostars Vtuber Goldbullet Discusses His Hollow-Heart Horror Series appeared first on Siliconera.

Editor’s Note: There will be a few mild spoilers for the first few chapters of volume 1 of the My Super-Cute Black Mage manga.

Both Aria and Jade are students at the Hardi-Quartz Academy, with her being the third-year prefect acting as a leader and guide for a group of first-years that includes him. As the series starts, he’s incredibly caustic. So much so that he’ll tell her that he’ll kill her, insult her, and go out of his way to be negative in every interaction. This is framed as being an attitude due to being descended from dangerous, villainous black mages. However, when she grabs his arm to drag him back to a lesson after he storms off from the group, she realizes she can hear his thoughts when she touches him. So even though he’s calling her a “stubborn hag,” he’s actually thinking, “You’re so cute.” So right away, an element that could get grating in this shojo manga is eased due to Takidon’s execution in My Super-Cute Black Mage.

This means there are two important pieces of information we’re given right away too. First is that people in Aria’s family can read minds as part of their magical gifts. Her mom had told her about this, but she figured it was all teasing and a joke. The second is that Jade is powerful and has that background, which affects everyone’s perception of him and seems to lead to some inherited strength and abilities. 

It also leads to both humorous and loaded situations in this shojo manga. The former ends up being handled quite well. Takidon uses this for full comedic effect. So yes, we’re seeing Jade act like a full emo, villainous rebel. He’s telling Aria that he’ll kill her. We see him purposely push her when walking past her. But because these situations also involve inadvertent physical contact when they happen, we also see that “I’ll kill you” doesn’t carry much weight when he’s actually thinking “I love you.” Or that the reason he bumped into her is because she wasn’t watching where she was going and would have stepped on a dangerous plant that would have stung her. 

But this also means concerns come up because of their closeness and general dangers that even magical students can be subject to. However, Jade’s lineage is an even greater threat to both him and Aria. Partially because other students stigmatize him. They see his behavior as him showing his true colors, rather than trying to put up a wall between people so they don’t get hurt or bullied as a result of associating with him. Not to mention that, later in the volume, the prejudice toward him leads to another major threat to the two leads.

Jade’s “act” and Aria’s powers in My Super-Cute Black Mage add twists to the shojo manga tsundere trope. Not only are we in on the secret and his feelings right away as readers, but the heroine is too. As a result, it leads to new storytelling and comedic opportunities and makes the character type feel fresh.

The first volume of the My Super-Cute Black Mage manga is available now, and Yen Press will release volume 2 on September 22, 2026. 

We may earn a commission if you purchase from certain links. Learn more here.

The post My Super-Cute Black Mage Is a Shojo Manga With a Great Gimmick appeared first on Siliconera.

Put simply, Mixtape is a short, story-focused game with limited gameplay and heavy emphasis on its licensed soundtrack. Our protagonist is Stacey Rockford, a music-obsessed teen and playlist sommelier preparing for her first big leap out of high school along with her friends Slater and Cassandra. She’s reckless and cocky, but her passion is contagious and she easily reads as neurodivergent. Meanwhile, Slater comes across as your typical stoner-bro, but he occasionally shows a more sensitive and empathetic side that I wish was centered a little more to balance out Stacey’s self-absorption. It’s Cassandra, however, that forms the real emotional core of the trio. An overachiever raised in a strict household, she’s searching for some kind of identity of her own by defying her parents and attaching herself to the two biggest delinquents in her school. Sure, it’s not Shakespeare and definitely not subtle, but Mixtape sells the emotions the group is feeling pretty well. However, I do wish we got to explore a bit more outside of Stacey’s limited perspective and see other sides to her friends.

As for the gameplay itself, you’ll mostly be hanging out in the cast’s bedrooms, checking out a smattering of interactables before one triggers a flashback with an accompanying mini-game. These can range from playing sports, throwing toilet paper at the school principal’s house, or simply choosing what flavor to put in your slushie abomination. There’s little goal beyond messing around. When there is a chance of failure, the game usually just rewinds a little bit for you to try again. It’s not a challenge or test of skill. You’re just messing around as kids do. While I usually find this kind of structureless play a little unengaging, here it felt short, sweet, and just the right amount of whimsical.

It helps that it’s all set to music, too. The titular mixtape is in fact a soundtrack arranged by Stacey to accompany all the day’s events and flashbacks. It’s solid and spans a good few decades, but it’s also incredibly narrow and anglocentric in its selection. The majority is alt-rock or something adjacent, with very little that places it in a distinct moment beyond ‘some time in the 90’s, probably’. Now, that can be excused diegetically by Stacey being a bit of a snob and not as cultured as she thinks, but if that were intentional it should really have been explored a bit more. Her friends seem well aware of this self-absorbed tendency, knowing immediately that when she asks a question about music that she’s actually setting up her own moment to answer, but there’s otherwise little pushback to her authority over all things audio and we see little of how their tastes might differ. Stacey claims her her mixtapes have a “cosmic talent” to influence people, but its more likely she’s just bowling over others with the force of her personality and the game misses out on interrogating that.

Ultimately, that’s my issue with Mixtape. I genuinely enjoyed some of the characters and the decidedly low-key gameplay, but they never quite saw the level of thematic exploration I really wanted. Still, I can’t deny it succeeded in getting me to slow down and appreciate the moment it was presenting, . If you can handle this level of weapons-grade nostalgia, or even just dig the music it’s borrowing, you may well find something to appreciate about Mixtape.

Mixtape is immediately available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

The post Review: Mixtape Lives (Briefly) in the Moment appeared first on Siliconera.

Editor’s Note: There will be spoilers for volume 7 of The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor manga below. 

A lot of the events of the previous volumes of The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor felt like the characters of the manga were in survival mode. After all, the series starts with Jill dying, then getting a “do-over” at 10-years-old before the events are set in motion that led to that first death. With all her memories intact, of course, to prepare her. She proclaims her love and engagement to the Dragon Emperor Hadis, who was an uncontrollable, chaotic, and violent villain in her original timeline, and finds here that he’s agreeable, fine, kind, and watched over and guided by the Dragon God Rave. 

While that works out as a major timeline split and to put her in a good position, things were still dangerous! For starters, we had to see the two of them get used to each other and actually develop a relationship. We find out why the Rave Empire and Kingdom of Kratos are hostile toward one another, as well as why Prince Gerard and his mysterious sister Princess Faris are such a threat. There are lore dumps too, as well as backgrounds into Hadis’ family and betrayals to deal with. Volume 7 basically starts by dealing with all of that and finding a way forward to explain things and keep Hadis from turning into the uncontrolled and dangerous individuals Jill knew from her first time around. 

So to start things off, we see the rescue of Hadis being resolved. After the events of the sixth volume, his elder sister Princess Elentzia turned traitor and worked with their usurper Uncle George and his fake Heavenly Sword to capture the Dragon Emperor. This involves Jill proving her power and intelligence again. She goes head to head against a Black Dragon with no magic, finding a way to still make herself a threat, prove herself as the consort, and get her onto her side for the rescue operation. It’s an incredible moment that shows how smart she is, putting her fighting knowledge from her past life and resourcefulness to use to convince a powerful ally.

From there, we see her use that intelligence and strength again to resolve the final fight against Elentzia and George. Again, I won’t offer any specifics for the sake of avoiding spoilers. But even without magic, she holds her own when fighting against Elentzia, gets the Black Dragon there to free Hadis from the magicked wagon, and then manages to talk him down from going into the sort of rage that could push him into the uncontrollable, villainous state she remembered from her first life. (And does so in a way that’s very “her” and suited to their relationship dynamic.) 

This leads to yet another incredible Jill moment. Throughout the sixth and seventh volumes of the series, we’ve seen her understanding important plot points around her and being wise enough to work out solutions using brains, brawn, and her abilities as the consort. With Rave’s assistance, we get to see her confront the mastermind of the series and person who’ll be the true villain of the next part of the series. She even stands tall at this person’s attempts at gaslighting and misleading her.  

But what really tops it off is we get to see Hadis and Jill be genuinely happy for a time at the end of the seventh volume of The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor manga. Following the way in which George was defeated, the people of the Rave Empire now support him. His family is united following the events as well, giving him a chance at a positive support system for the first time. Jill’s also even shown in a more formidable position, as we’ve seen her grow over seven volumes.

Truly, The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Prince leaves the main cast in a perfect position at the end of the seventh volume of the manga. Everyone’s fine and happy in the moment. Loose ends? Gone. But at the same time, the final confrontation between Jill and the real antagonist sets the stage for what might end up being the final confrontations in future volumes.

Volumes 1-7 of The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor manga are available now, and Yen Press will release volume 8 eventually as well. Cross Infinite World handles the light novel. The first season of the anime adaptation is on Crunchyroll. 

We may earn a commission if you purchase from certain links. Learn more here.

The post The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor 7 Sets Up Future Battles appeared first on Siliconera.

Things in Nitro Gen Omega start small. You get a randomized crew of four pilots who formed a new team of mercenaries dedicated to wiping out robots on the surface and fighting back against the rogue AI. Initially, we’re only assigned to patrols by Anchorage. However, as our notoriety grows, so do our responsibilities. This eventually leads to us acting as an actually substantial force who can push back against the enemies that beat humanity and forced them into cities created atop towers in the sky. 

Nitro Gen Omega’s biggest problem is explaining itself. Which is to its detriment, as it’s a really cool RPG that feels like taking control of the story of one of those types of mecha anime series Destinybit clearly admires. Things begin with your group of four mercenaries, which are already tied to different roles with the mech and in combat. They’re some of the few willing to head down to the surface and not stay in one of the pillar towns in the towers safe in the clouds, to try and fight back against AI and the robots it controls. For example, we know going in that while your mech is the unit in-battle fighting, you actually are managing the actions of the four people inside it. The tutorial doesn’t do the best job of clarifying that your procedurally generated Driver character is used to move the unit to possibly the same region as the enemy or attack, the Engineer is a supporter who can heal the system, the Operator prepares evasive maneuvers in response to the possible robot attacks, and the gunner can shoot the mech’s weapon. A little more handholding when it comes to getting you used to combat and managing your crew would be a huge help. Especially since later campaign missions can result in a game over if failed, and other ones do involve grinding robot fights and taking sidequests to get strong enough to compete. 

Because once you start, there’s a lot to it. Combat is perhaps one of the standout elements and most memorable parts. It’s turn-based, but you’re actually planning for the phase ahead of time, then watching what happens when those actions are carried out. Various conditions, both on the part of your team and the enemy, affect the results. So if two of your party member pilots had an argument and aren’t getting along, one might sabotage the other. If they’re getting along and had an admiration event ahead of the battle, they might help instead. Basically, you see the timeline and get an idea when an enemy might attack, and you can organize things like moves to occur at optimal times. So you may want to have the Driver move to one region during a turn, the Gunner shoot a cannon, the Engineer deploy coolant to prevent overheating, then the Operator deploy smokes just before an enemy attack to increase evasion. If the Driver already got the mech in the same quadrant as the enemy, they could use offensive or defensive moves like Slap or Guard at their point in the battle. Or, if you’re sizing things up and want to stay out of an enemy’s reach for a moment, you could have the Operator scan them while the Gunner reloads and Driver defends to prepare. It’s impressively deep and, because you’re doing all this while looking at a timeline before choosing to begin the Resolution phase, you can use that portion to watch the anime-style shots and appreciate the artistry. 

But that’s only part of what makes Nitro Gen Omega so cool. I mentioned earlier that this feels more like a “post-apocalyptic mech anime adventure” than an RPG, even with those turn-based fights. That’s because so much of this is dedicated to the management portion of things. We earn Activity Tokens when we play. This allows us to head into our base to send our pilots off to do things that influence their mindsets, status, and relationships. So as an example, I could use that earned currency to send people to the Game Area to play the arcade games or Shogi to hopefully foster positive relationships. (Ironically, sending a pair to the Paradise Dance game will actually decrease fatigue.) Ideally, you want to keep their status as Healthy, their mood at Content or better, and their fatigue down, while also hopefully acquiring and completing their personal Aspirations to unlock Skill slots and keeping positive relationships with other crew members. 

I also loved how we can create our own custom characters. There are some limitations. The first is the character creator doesn’t offer all that many hair, clothing, and face parts, though the color selection is varied. I also never saw any of my original creations appear in my initial team, even though I rerolled a few times before starting my run. It seems they’re only limited to appearing in cities if you tick that option when starting a game. But it is fun to see someone come up, say like yourself if you make your own avatar, and force them into the robot. 

Nitro Gen Omega feels totally original, even if it takes a little adjusting to life as a mecha mercenary. The combat system is really unique and feels great once you realize the right timing. Investing in your pilots by determining their “off duty” actions and ensuring they’re fit for fights is fun too. It feels very freeform too. So even though there is a bit of grinding and it might feel difficult sometimes, there’s a lot to do to brace yourself for the battle against AI.

Nitro Gen Omega is on the Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. 

The post Review: Nitro Gen Omega Lets You Create Your Own Mecha Anime Story appeared first on Siliconera.