The Daily Verse: The Elder Scrolls Online, Ragnarok Odyssey and Orgarhythm

The Daily Verse: The Elder Scrolls Online, Ragnarok Odyssey and Orgarhythm

Today on The Daily Verse we have two announcements from XSeed Games regarding two upcoming PlayStation Vita titles known as Ragnarok Odyssey and Orgarhythm. We also have the new announcement trailer for the recently announced Elder Scrolls Online.

Ragnarok Odyssey
Announcement

XSEED Games, an independent-minded publisher, announced that it will release the popular action RPG title Ragnarok Odyssey later this year on PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system in North America. Developed by Grandia and Lunar series veteran studio Game Arts and published by GungHo Online Entertainment in Japan, Ragnarok Odyssey is a new title set in the familiar Ragnarok Online universe. The game was released in Japan in early February to both retail and critical success as it garnered strong sales while earning a Famitsu Gold Award. The publishing agreement with GungHo Online Entertainment gives XSEED Games exclusive publishing rights for Ragnarok Odyssey in North America.

“Ragnarok Odyssey is an amazing game that players have recognized through its position as one of the best-selling PS®Vita titles in Japan,” said Ken Berry, Executive Vice President of XSEED Games. “To be able to offer this game, which has been the most requested title by our fans for some time now, is very rewarding and speaks to the level of quality we are committed to delivering to the players.”

An action-heavy RPG set in the lush landscape of the familiar Ragnarok Online universe, Ragnarok Odyssey is a fast-paced game with a heavy emphasis on melee combat. The game is set in a world where humans and giants are pitted against each other in battle following the death of the world’s ancient gods. Based on Norse Mythology, the world of Ragnarok Odyssey will begin to take form as players advance through the story, with new areas opening up as their journey goes on.

In Ragnarok Odyssey, players will embark on a campaign to take down monsters and giants of massive scale, and characters can chain together massive combo attacks both on the ground and in the air thanks to the game’s extremely versatile combat system. Massive enemies can literally be smacked across the screen, and players can even up their speed and agility at the expense of HP for particularly challenging battles. On top of this, the game promotes cooperative gameplay, supporting up to four players for ad-hoc and online cooperative gameplay.

Characters in Ragnarok Odyssey are fully customizable, and players are given the ability to choose from up to six job classes that can be changed throughout the game for specific quests. As quests are completed, characters can be upgraded to increase their combat effectiveness.

Ragnarok Odyssey was developed by Game Arts and GungHo Online Entertainment, exclusively for PS Vita system. The game will be published by XSEED Games in North America in 2012.

Orgarhythm
Announcement

XSEED Games, an independent-minded publisher, announced it will publish the highly original music strategy game, Orgarhythm, for the PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system later this year in North America. Developed in Japan by ACQUIRE in conjunction with Neilo, the new studio founded by Takashi Hirai who is best known for his past work on Space Channel 5 and Rez, the title blends music and real-time strategy elements to create a new experience specifically designed for touch-enabled mobile play. Playing as the God of Light, players will battle the forces of the God of Darkness by deploying elemental soldiers for rhythm-based attacks synced to a hypnotic mix of rock, club and tribal music. In the game, rhythm is a weapon and different attacks occur on different beats, making the game’s catchy soundtrack dynamic to user input.

“The powerful blend of rhythm and RTS gameplay in Orgarhythm will bring players a unique new mobile game experience on PS®Vita,” said Ken Berry, Executive Vice President of XSEED Games. “Rhythm is the weapon that will allow the God of Light to triumph over the God of Darkness.”

Rhythm and sound act as the user interface in Orgarhythm, giving players control over their armies. Each unit type is based on one of the three elements of Earth, Water and Fire. Each elemental troop has a “rock, paper, scissors” relationship with the other elements: Water is strong vs. Fire, Fire is strong vs. Earth, and Earth is strong vs. Water. Units are rhythmically deployed with three taps to choose the unit and attack type, then a swipe of the finger across the screen to choose position and formation. Using the same interface mechanic, players can also unleash their divine powers to boost attack, defense and healing or slow down enemy troops.

Four attack types—each type requiring a certain number of beats to use—can be employed strategically in battle. As more units enter the battle, the game music expands with additional musical layers as attacks pulse with the beat.

The game features twelve maps, which never play the same way twice as the game’s AI remembers how a map was previously played and adjusts its attack strategies accordingly. The game’s multiplayer has both versus and co-op two-player modes via online play. In co-op mode, control of the God of Light’s soldiers is shared, and in versus mode one player commands the forces of the God of Darkness—the last god standing wins!

Orgarhythm is expected to ship later this year, exclusively on the PS Vita system. With music being such a key component, aspiring musicians are encouraged to submit their songs for consideration to be selected into future DLC packs, more details of which will be announced at a later time. The game is not yet rated by the ESRB.

The Elder Scrolls Online
Announcement Trailer

That’s all for today on The Daily Verse! Stop by every day for your gaming fix. Also, follow us on Twitter, and make sure to drop us a line down in the comments! We’re always keeping our eyes peeled to bring you all the best news in the ‘verse!

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  1. There is definitely going to be a lot of expectations for The Elder Scrolls Online (TESO). I for one have very high expectation and after playing Skyrim who wouldn’t. I have always been a fan of Bethesda especially The Elders Scrolls post-apocalyptic brother Fallout. I have a tremendous amount of faith for them that they will create another masterpiece