One announcement that leads me to believe that Microsoft's E3 press conference could be one of the best is the announcement from Phil Spencer today that Microsoft Games Studios is hard at work on 15 exclusives which will be released for the newly announced Xbox One within its first year on the market.  Today's conference only showed two of those exclusives so we still have 13 games that Microsoft has to give more details on come E3.  Sure, these won't all be blockbusters, but it's a promising sign that the upcoming conference will be more games and less TV than today's.  

For reference, here's a link to all the studios in Microsoft Game Studios that these 15 exclusives will be coming from.  

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Xbox One to have 15 exclusives from Microsoft Game Studios - News

Jacob Jones is a young boy who lives with his parents while they're trekking into the wilderness to discover new species. Unfortunately that kind of lifestyle doesn't allow for much of a social life so his parents send him to summer camp in hopes that he'll get some friends his own age. Like most kids in this situation Jacob is wary at first but soon resigns himself to his fate and does his best to get used to his new surroundings. The premise is somewhat reminiscent of Double Fine's Costume Quest, with its small children as central characters and relatively family friendly content. Even though my comedy tastes are decidedly not family friendly, there were nonetheless still a couple laughs to be had over the course of Episode 1. My favorite moment is when the kids at camp stumble upon an old record and are totally clueless as to what it's for.

 There's nothing really riveting about the narrative but it is cute and enjoyable nonetheless, and a major reason for this is the presentation. Visually, the world of Jacob Jones is charming with a kind of hand-made appeal that comes through well. The characters that inhabit the world have some oddities to them, like walking animations which seem to move much faster than the character's actual leg movements should allow, and a vertical seam that gives the impression they were all cast from plastic, but the design is still great for the most part. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the technical aspects of the presentation; I noticed numerous framerate hitches, even to the extent that the visuals randomly pause for a split second. The soundtrack is unmemorable, but the voice acting is surprisingly robust and well done for a budget title like this. Walking around and talking to the campers and the counselors reminded me quite a bit of Psychonauts' charm (yes, another Double Fine game).

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Jacob Jones and the Bigfoot Mystery: Episode 1 (PSV) - Review

Not much is known about how the game is played but based on the picture below it looks a bit like the Triple Triad card mini-game from Final Fantasy 8, where the numbers on the edge of each card dictate how they behave.  We do, however, know that Star Trek Rivals will feature over 100 cards.  So for those of you who just can't get enough of the new Star Trek movies or anyone that just wants to try a free card battle game regardless of the subject, you can find out more here.  

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - App Inspired by Star Trek Into Darkness Announced - News

Four chapters of varying length make up Dragon Fantasy Book I, with each chapter focusing on a different character's introduction (or at least fleshing out their story). The longest chapter, at 5 hours, is the first featuring Ogden, a down and out veteran hero who gets thrown back into the RPG savior business when his Queen's castle is attacked by a mysterious dark knight. He ventures out to gather up equipment worn by a hero of yore and free his kingdom. There are some laughs here and there but not a whole lot of intrigue or interesting plot points, and perhaps not enough laughs to make up for this.

Keeping to classic RPG inspiration, the battles are presented in first person and are entirely turn based. Combat consists of one-on-one encounters (Ogden versus assorted monster with some magic thrown into the mix). Most of the combat segments can be overcome by mashing attack until you win, with the odd heal thrown in here and there, and I never noticed any fight where any magic, other than healing, was necessary or even all that useful.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Dragon Fantasy Book I (PS3) - Review

Alright, now that you're back, let's go over what Benjamin's Flight adds for the cost.

Benjamin's story of him and his father is fairly interesting and adds some context to the narrative of the main game, but it doesn't have the same level of tension or emotional impact. I didn't get that same feeling of becoming attached to the characters for one reason or another, even though it was pleasing to see some background story for Sarah from the main game. The ending did give me a bit of a pang of emotion, though, I'll admit that.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Benjamin's Flight (PS3) - Review

Every level has portals that each character has to reach, and they all have to be at their designated portal at the same time in order to progress. Most of the puzzles are fairly easy to figure out and just require a bit of skill to accomplish, but there are very few levels with any tension behind them as there are arguably no enemies and very few sections where time is of the essence. One definite flaw that even the developer mentions in the commentary for the game is that the puzzles get a bit stair-heavy at times, which just means repeating the same solution three times when you should only really be required it once.

 With all that said, I actually adored my time with this deceptively simple little platformer, and that's all down to its presentational strengths. When I first saw videos of Thomas Was Alone I thought the concept of simple shapes with a robust storyline and narration behind them would be cute and good for a laugh, but what I found was so much better than that. I loved hearing about how the bounce pad Laura was scarred of meeting other shapes because they soon left her behind after making use of her ability, or Claire's depression which is caused how useless she is and then elation at her newly discovered abilities. It's really impressive how a simple piece of clever narration can put character into the otherwise characterless entities.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Thomas Was Alone (PS3) - Review

Even though I've been playing video games for about two decades now I can't recall many (if any) games specifically set in Mexico where you play as a native character. It's always nice to play a game and experience something you haven't before even if it's just a novel setting. You play as Juan, a strong and silent agave farmer who has feelings for El Presidente's Daughter, and is easily dispatched by the main antagonist while he kidnaps Juan's potential girlfriend (gaming 101 right there). Juan ends up in the land of the dead but is allowed to return with new powers after donning the mask of a luchador. Parts of the narrative make it seem like a pretty standard storyline with a new coat of paint, but the characters help to keep it interesting. Two of the bosses you'll face in particular are pretty hilarious as well as the goat wizard who teaches you new moves along the way. The ending is unique and interesting as well, and doesn't follow the path what one would usually expect to from this type of story.

As well as a unique setting the game boasts some exceptional graphical presentation. There is some slowdown during autosaves but the moment-to-moment visuals have a smoothness to them that I really enjoyed. Video Game and general nerd-related culture references on wrestling billboards are a treat with Super Mario Brothers, Batman vs. Bane, and Castle Crashers all making an appearance. These billboards are a perfect example of how to do these things correctly because they are always presented in a way that fits with the general feel of Juan's world and never feel tacked on. When playing on the Vita, some of these details are a bit harder to spot simply because of the smaller screen, so if you have a choice I would suggest playing on the PlayStation 3. Thankfully, you'll get both for your purchase, and the ability to save between the two is greatly appreciated.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Guacamelee! (PS3) - Review

Pandora's Tower was developed by Ganbarion along with Nintendo and released in Japan almost two years ago.  Blending combat and dungeon design similar to a Legend of Zelda title with a more personal story of trying to save the one you love, Pandora's Tower is one of the best RPGs that released on the Nintendo Wii.  Click here to check out our review (which is based on the European release; please keep in mind that we don't give multiple reviews for EA and NA localization so this will remain the official review for Pandora's Tower on gamrReview).  

Remember to mentally prepare yourself to see that tentacle squirm around and the meat to pulsate in a really gross way.  Just saying - it still creeps me out to this day.   

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Pandora's Tower Releases in North America April 16th - News

Other tidbits that have been revealed are that the battle system will use two rows of three characters for six total, the graphics will use Tecmo Koei's Warriors series LTGL engine, and purchasing the game may get you Mana Khemia 2 as well for free.  Atelier Escha & Logy will be releasing in Japan on PlayStation 3 on June 27th.  Hopefully Atelier Ayesha has done well enough that we'll get news of a localization to the West before too long.  

Source: Siliconera

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Next Atelier Title will Feature a Choice Between Multiple Protagonists - News

Giant Sparrow, the developers behind The Unfinished Swan, have started to tease their next project.  Originally titled Edith Finch, the developers have since stepped back from this and now it's simply "Unannounced Giant Sparrow Project", with only a picture of an ornate mirror to give hints as to what it might be.  

Your guess is as good as mine with so little information, but I'm going to say it's probably a steampunk reimagining of Show White based off of that mirror.  Alright, your guess is probably better than mine.  Hopefully there'll be a faster turn around between concept and playable game for this project so we'll know for certain before too long.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Giant Sparrow (Unfinished Swan Developer) Teases Next Project - News

If you haven't figured out how these games are named yet you probably shouldn't be allowed on the internet without your parents' permission. That's right, Atelier Ayesha is the story of a young apothecary named Ayesha (pronounced Aisha) whose sister, Nio, has gone missing. While many of Ayesha's friends have given up on finding her and have even made a grave for Nio, Ayesha refuses to believe her sister is dead (Atelier Totori, anyone?). After visiting Nio's memorial she sees her sister's transparent visage among the flowers and meets a grizzled old man who seems to know how to save her, but refuses to tell Ayesha, saying she must figure it out on her own. This prompts Ayesha's mission to research luminescent flowers that the old man hinted at being important for her sister's return.

While this sounds like the sort of JRPG that would traditionally commence with humble origins before transitioning into something epic, this is actually the level that Atelier stories stay at throughout, and that's one of the reasons I enjoy them so much. You'll meet new people, help them with their goals in life while they help you with yours, and learn about the world you inhabit and how its history and even geography has been shaped by alchemy. It's a fun little story, although it lacks Atelier Totori's emotional punch (and that title is still the best the Atelier series has to offer on a narrative level).

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk - Review

While we know A15 is set within the same world we don't know how many (if any) of the characters from previous games will be making an appearance, but if Atelier Arland is anything to go by we should expect quite a few cameos along with Ayesha herself making an appearance as the new main character's teacher.  A full reveal was promised on March 28th so fans of the series should mark it on their calendars.  

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Gust Teases Next Atelier Title - News

While it promises to be another narrative driven affair there will be little to no dialogue, which makes sense since the bird can't talk anyway.  This shouldn't be a cause for worry though since fans of To the Moon should remember that perhaps the most emotional scene from that title was just a montage with a song in the background.  Below is a sample of the music you can expect in A Bird Story which will be releasing sometime in "mid-year" 2013.  No release window was given for To the Moon episode 2, but we did get a hilarious little joking image that I've posted below the video.  

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Freebirdgames (To the Moon) Announces A Bird Story - News

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Twitter Post Rekindles Hopes for Bravely Default Localization - News

Most of the protagonists are returning characters with the same quirks as before. The shut-in MMO obsessed Vert, tsundere Noire, and quiet but easily angered Blanc all reprising their roles as their respective countries' CPUs along with a couple new additions to the squad. The most important new character is Plutia who is Planeptune's leader instead of Neptune. A lot of the comedy in this title is focused on the vast difference between Plutia's normal and transformed personalities. Watching the usually cool headed and somewhat ditzy Plutia go all dominatrix on friend and foe alike makes for some pretty interesting reactions if nothing else. The storyline focuses on Neptune's attempts to find out about this new dimension she's been thrown into and find a way back to her own. It's pretty frivolous but it does make for a few laughs. Unfortunately it wasn't enough of a distraction for me to ignore the mind-numbing, grindtastic gameplay.

It's not that the minute to minute battle system is terrible, but there's absolutely no feeling of exploration that propels you forward. Not every JRPG has a fantastic battle system that is always engaging and interesting, but when a game lacks that it needs to offer something else to keep the player moving forward instead. In titles like the Atelier Arland series each new area you visit not only features new sights to behold and monsters to fight, but it offers up new materials to use in your ever expanding arsenal of crafting. On the other hand, in Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory often the “new areas” you go to aren't new at all, they're settings you've already visited but with new portions opened up or the geometry simple rearranged. It gets to the point where it feels as though there are only 5 or 6 different areas in the entire game that are reused over and over again.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory (PS3) - Review

Disgaea Dimension 2: A Brighter Darkness

For the first time in the Disgaea series (and not in some random spin-off, like Trinity Universe) the main focus of the latest title will be to revisit the cast of a previously released Disgaea game.  It's perhaps an irritant to some fans that NIS didn't move directly into working on Disgaea 5 but if they were going to choose any Disgaea cast to revisit they've made the right choice.  The inclusion of Flan and Etna brightens up even mediocre titles like the aforementioned Trinity Universe, so I can't wait to see more shenanigans between those two and Laharl.  This isn't a retelling of the original Disgaea: Hour of Darkness though, so expect new storylines as well as the clean visual presentation introduced in Disgaea 4.  Put a big circle around Fall 2013 in your calendar and be ready to revisit one of the best video game casts ever.  

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - NISA Announces Three PS3 Exclusive RPGs for Localization in 2013 - News

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Evolution Studios Announces Drive Club for PlayStation 4 - News

Safe bet is that it's teasing the sequel to Atelier Ayesha, which was will soon be releasing in the West, published by Tecmo Koei.  But since this particular teaser is so close to Sony's rumored PlayStation 4 reveal there's some chance that it could be related to that and Gust will be moving into the next generation more quickly than it started developement for the current.  Hell, maybe they'll stop pumping out Atelier titles (much as I love them) and revisit some of the off-shoot series like Mana Khemia.  

Still though, the safe bet is Atelier Ayesha sequel on PlayStation 3, and that's what I'm going to stick with.  So get your round bottom flasks ready, it's time for some alchemy.  

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Gust Teases Next Project in Dengeki - News

Thankfully PeekYou.com has come up with the next best thing: a list of indie developers ranked based on their importance on the internet.  Web importance for this list is based off of metrics like the developer's level of participation in social networking sites, amount of web content they create, and how often they're mentioned in news stories.  

Notable members of the list include Jenova Chen (Journey), Mark Hadley (Slender), and Justin Ma (FTL), but there are some surprises as well with games I hadn't previously heard of like The Sea Will Claim Everything and Dys4ia.  How meaningful this metric for internet importance is is up for debate and it seems odd that the scores are all so close to each other and only make up a range of 7.16 to 6.95.  That said, these type of lists are always interesting enough to be worth a look.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - PeekYou Ranks Indie Developers Based on Web Importance - News

Ni no Kuni is the story of Oliver, a boy who has recently lost his mother to a tragic accident. Crying in the midst of an inconsolable depression, the boy’s tears happen to fall on a doll his mother had given him many years ago and out pops Drippy, the self-proclaimed King of the Fairies. He snaps Oliver from his doldrums and tells him of a magical world inhabited by the soulmates of his own world’s inhabitants, and that helping his mother’s soulmate in that world could allow him to bring her back in his own. So Oliver and company set out on an adventure between two worlds to try and save both the other world and his mother.

A sucker for a sad story, I expected that, with a beginning saturated in tragedy like this, the rest of the story would be sure to scratch an itch of mine, but I was sorely mistaken. There are a handful of emotional moments but for the most part the story is pretty standard fare. Much of it revolves around Oliver’s budding abilities as a wizard and particularly his ability to take pieces of hearts from healthy individuals and give them to someone suffering from a deficiency in a particular emotion. So if you find a character with no drive to do anything anymore you can search for someone else with a glut of enthusiasm, borrow a little bit, and transfer it over. This is handled well in the main storyline, but makes for some tiresome and overly obvious sidequesting. It could, for example, have been made more interesting by forcing you to try and figure out what each distraught person is missing, but alas Drippy assumes you're incompetent and blurts it out every time.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Ni no Kuni (PS3) - Review