[Games Around the Corner] Week 4, 2021 – Ryza Returns

This week, we get the sequel to Atelier Ryza, a horror game with a patented gameplay feature, and a Re:Zero game.

Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy

The sequel to 2019’s Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout, Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy will reunite us with its titular protagonist as she heads to the royal capital, three years after her adventure on Kurken Island in the first game. The reason for Ryza’s new adventure is a letter from a friend informing her of potentially alchemy-related ruins and a request pertaining to a glowing stone. During her adventure, she will meet a “strange creature that will change her life”. The game promises new field actions such as underwater diving and climbing walls using plants, improved combat, and new synthesis systems. There is also Evolution Link, which lets players create new items from items they made using synthesis. Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy will be released on January 26 for Steam, Switch, PS4, and PS5.

The Medium

The Medium is a third-person psychological horror game with a soundtrack composed by the Blair Witch game’s Arkadiusz Reikowski and Silent Hill’s Akira Yamaoka. Taking place on an abandoned resort called Niwa, the game features a patented “dual-reality” gameplay, in which the titular medium can explore both the real world and the Zdzisław Beksiński-inspired spirit world simultaneously using an Out of Body experience. There will be “dual-reality puzzles”, psychic abilities like energy shields and spirit blasts, and a “mature and morally ambiguous story”. The Medium will be released on January 28 on Steam, Epic Games Store, and Xbox Series X/S.

Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World: The Prophecy of the Throne

You might have heard of the Re:Zero anime, an adaptation of the isekai light novels by Tappei Nagatsuki. In Spike Chunsoft’s Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World: The Prophecy of the Throne game, you’ll get the chance to play as protagonist Subaru Natsuki himself as he gets involved in a mystery. Set one month after Subaru ends up in Lugunica, the game’s story, supervised by Tappei himself, involves the postponement of the royal selection. A sixth candidate has suddenly appeared, and with the prophecy speaking of only five candidates, you have to figure out who the imposter is. The game will feature original characters, visual novel-style story-telling, 3D exploration, and combat. The Steam version will be released on January 28 while for Switch and PS4, it’s releasing on January 29 for NA and on February 5 for EU; local stores seem to be selling the EU version.

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