Atlus USA announces Baroque for Wii and PlayStation 2

Atlus U.S.A., Inc. announces hardcore RPG Baroque for Wii and PlayStation 2

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA — DECEMBER 12th, 2007 — Atlus U.S.A., Inc., a leading publisher of interactive entertainment, today announced Baroque, a new dungeon-crawling action RPG for the Wii and PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Dark, addictively challenging, and totally immersive, Baroque is a pure RPG experience, highly regarded by Japanese gamers and now finally scheduled to arrive in North America! Baroque is currently slated for release in February 2008.

For more on Baroque, please visit the official website (http://www.atlus.com/baroque)!

About Baroque
You awaken to find the world in ruin, your heart beset with unexplained guilt. A cataclysm has destroyed the cities and empires of men and disfigured the spirit of humanity. In this nightmare, it falls to you to descend a mysterious tower in search of absolution. Battle merciless foes through treacherous dungeons, scour for new items to aid you in your travels, and unlock the secrets of a devastated land. You will find death in the depths, yet learn that death is not the end of the story; in the twisted world of Baroque, it is only the beginning.

Key Features
• Hardcore dungeon-crawling RPG action! With its many ever-changing levels, each teeming with perverse monsters and tormented souls, the world of Baroque is a frightening and unforgiving realm.
• Death is not the end - Take part in a unique story progression system in which the end of your life only serves to drive the adventure forward. Each time your character dies, more secrets about the forsaken world are revealed!
• Deep customization options – The player has full control over how they shape their character and how they play the game. Find and equip a vast assortment of weapons and items, some with a variety of uses. Acquire powerful stat-boosting parasites and combine them to multiply their potency. Only the resourceful will survive!

Baroque has been rated “T” for Teen with Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, and Tobacco Reference by the ESRB.

# # #

About Atlus U.S.A., Inc.
Located in Irvine, California and founded in 1991, Atlus U.S.A., Inc. is a publisher of compelling video games for a variety of platforms, including the Nintendo DS™, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Wii™, Xbox 360®, and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. The Atlus library of critically acclaimed video games includes Odin Sphere, Trauma Center series, Magna Carta: Tears of Blood, and the award-winning Shin Megami Tensei series. For more information, visit http://www.atlus.com.

©2008 STING. Licensed to and published by ATLUS U.S.A., Inc. Nintendo DS and the Wii are trademarks of Nintendo. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment.

[Sayckeone]

I was JUST going to post about this press release.

I'll buy this; I just wish it was still first person. Please tell me the option to switch is present.

[Inzaghi]

I'll buy this; I just wish it was still first person. Please tell me the option to switch is present.

Yeah, you can still play the whole game in first person. Playing in third person shows changes to the character model when you equip different weapons and armor, if that's your thing.

[Futomimi]

YAY!!!!
My day is made.

[Manly Biceps]

I was JUST going to post about this press release.

I'll buy this...

Which version are you going to buy? Both, perhaps? :)

[Sagadego]

ach! i bout time this was annouced~

[Sanctine]

A Wii version!? I was unaware of such a thing!

Any word on what the differences between the PS2 and Wii versions will be?

[Flußkönig]

I will definitely pick up the ps2 version.

edit: I guess both versions will be 39.99

[MiNo]

I love you Atlus :oops:
You make my dream come true.

Inzaghi => I already beat this game, and I can tell you that you can't play it in first person view. The whole game is in third person.
The original version was a dungeon-rpg with first person view, not this remake.
(sorry for my english, i'm a french user :) )

[Manly Biceps]

Inzaghi => I already beat this game, and I can tell you that you can't play it in first person view. The whole game is in third person.
The original version was a dungeon-rpg with first person view, not this remake.
(sorry for my english, i'm a french user :) )

Uh, as someone who has, you know, actually seen the game that we are putting out, I can tell you, Mino, that you are wrong. There's an option in the menu to switch from third to first person.

[Kid Marin]

Great folks !



Inzaghi => I already beat this game, and I can tell you that you can't play it in first person view. The whole game is in third person.
MiNo, it could be a new feature.

[MiNo]

It's very strange :?
But I don't know maybe Atlus brings in this version new features.

But if it's the case, this is a GREAT thing :D

Edit => Kid : You may be right

[Sugoi]

Sweet! I'm glad you guys are picking this up. Etrian Odyssey really got me into first person dungeon crawls, so I'm definitely looking forward to it.

Any word on which version is superior? Assuming the wii controls don't get in the way, I'd assume it runs at 480p? Widescreen?

[rainking187]

Unless there's like a lot of super awesome differences between the Wii version and the PS2 version I'll probably just get the PS2 version. Or maybe I'll do what I did with Twilight Princess and get both versions, I don't know. Just curious, was the decision to port the game to the Wii as well based on anything besides the simalirity in level of graphics between the Wii and PS2? And WTF is up with February? I'm still trying to recover from November.

[Dave3]

The PS2 version is definitely a day one purchase for me!

[Manly Biceps]

The PS2 version is definitely a day one purchase for me!

Preorder if you can, please. :)

[Sayckeone]

I was JUST going to post about this press release.

I'll buy this...

Which version are you going to buy? Both, perhaps? :)

Nooo! I'm Wii-less, and most likely will be for quite some time. PS2 version all the way!

[Esoteric]

Stupid question...

Is this a remake of the 1998 game of the same name? I have some music on my computer by Masaharu Iwata under the game album of Baroque. I never looked into it because I was so busy at the time. The music is friggin' awesome...

[Inzaghi]

Is this a remake of the 1998 game of the same name? I have some music on my computer by Masaharu Iwata under the game album of Baroque. I never looked into it because I was so busy at the time. The music is friggin' awesome...

It is a remake of that game, but alas, Iwata's score wasn't kept for this version. The music for the remake is still pretty good, but not as good as the original's.

[Esoteric]

That's a shame to hear. Iwata is a fantastic and innovative VG composer. Is it completely different or at least derived?

[unknown]

I'll pick it up when it comes out.

This announcement means that the VA Resume leak may hold some truth after all...

[Sanctine]

This announcement means that the VA Resume leak may hold some truth after all...

Well done, Sherlock.

[unknown]

It's elementary, my dear Watson. =P

[Shiryu]

great, BAROQUE on my Wii, thanks ATLUS :D

[Dave3]

The PS2 version is definitely a day one purchase for me!

Preorder if you can, please. :)

Will do.

[Thunder-Slash]

Awesome, maybe by the time this thing is out I'll have my backlog finished. :lol:

And do I hear Mary Elizabeth Mcglynn as the narrator?


The Atlus library of critically acclaimed video games includes Odin Sphere, Trauma Center series, Magna Carta: Tears of Blood, and the award-winning Shin Megami Tensei series.

lol wut?

[Sayckeone]

LOL I didn't even see that.

[Dr Mario Kart]

February is already crowded with big releases.

No More Heroes and Smash hit within a week of each other in early Feb.

Late February we have Dragon Quest Swords.

But its mostly Smash that I'm worrying will cannibalize nearby game releases for consumer dollars.

[Sayckeone]

LOL No More Heroes. C'mon, man. Let's get serious here.

[Delition]

I know I'll buy it...sadly on both systems.

[RayFoxSith]

OH MY ####ING GOD, ATLUS I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, YOU'VE MADE MY DAY!!!!!!

[tross]

Hmm, hardcore dungeon crawler you say? I just heard about it, I'm a little behind on my info. The website didn't provide enough info about it. I'll see if I'll get it when it comes out. I'll read reviews for it. But if it's hardcore, then it can't be too bad can it? Never heard of this game, but I like anything dark, and I like fantasy rpgs and dungeon crawlers.

[zippedpinhead]

Three things


Bought

Day One

On Wii...


I can not stress how much I believe that a February release might be crazy for the Wii version. I can see that they want to release it on the PS2 at that time because the PS2 really only has until next years E3...

[Squall81]

Inzaghi


Can you confirm that the Wii version will support Wide Screen? If so I am going to go reserve mine tomorrow!

[monkmaster79]

No :!: February release? Times are tough enough with No More Heroes. I'm broke as it is. I might manage a day one release. Maybe. I'll stick with the Ps2 version unless there's some extreme differences between the two. Thanks Atlus!

[digi.amuro]

Man, this is so serious. I've been waiting and hoping this would come out.
Will be catching this when it comes out. February 08. So many good things are happening for me in 08. This also gives me hope for a certain sequel many here hope to see get released too.

[Dr Mario Kart]

February seems pretty packed for all the systems.

Devil May Cry 4 is slated for early Feb.

Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice for late Feb.

Culdcept Saga, Lost Odyssey, and a whole bunch of shooters.

It might as well be Christmas again.

[Hayato]

February seems pretty packed for all the systems.


lol, yeah. I can hear my wallet crying again, although it's mostly imports that I'm concerned about. XD; Besides Baroque, I'll be picking up Poison Pink and that ToR PSP port, and probably some other stuff, too. :s DMC4 sounds appealing, though.

[charwiimario]

Oh, Wow! :shock:
Wii version for me, day 1 purchase. Just watched the trailer, it's the kind of game I wanted to play on Wii.

**Jumps around celebrating**

Febrary can't come soon enough.

[Tenbatsu]

I will buy this. Day one. For the PS2.

[ivanff12]

This game is amazing.I hope that come to europe soon. :wink:

[JeremyR]

I'm curious - who was the one behind the Wii port? I didn't think it was on the Wii in Japan. Is Sting also planning a Wii port there, or did Atlus specifically request it? Or even more unlikely, did Atlus do it themselves (which would be a shock, since I didn't do ports)?

Seems like an odd fit, hardcore game for a casual gaming platform. Maybe you should add a picture of a horse and a Z to the title to help it sell better?

And Magna Carta mentioned in that press release makes me wonder if Atlus is considering localizing the PSP version (or the 360 sequel, if it ever comes out).

[Sanctine]

Seems like an odd fit, hardcore game for a casual gaming platform. Maybe you should add a picture of a horse and a Z to the title to help it sell better?

What exactly is the difference between a hardcore gaming platform, and a casual gaming platform?

I've never understood how people classify games like that. All gaming is casual. If you think otherwise, you have a sickness.

P.S. I love the horse comment. Yeah. That was super witty.

[Dr Mario Kart]

One of the biggest, if not THE biggest factor in development support is marketshare, especially with niche titles.

That and the smaller dev houses cant afford to development for the HD systems and/or cant afford to go multiplatform.

Porting is relatively cheap, and with the PS2 being on its way out (but still a slow burn), I think they're hedging their bets.

Its not strictly a casual console anyway, it also makes appeals to core gamers.

[Delition]

I've always hated the whole "hardcore" and "casual" phrases. A video game system is a video game system. You never hear people say "I'm not going to eat this apple. It isn't hardcore.", now do you?

Anyways, back to the topic at hand, after watching some more of the gameplay, I'm pretty sure I'll be playing this more on the Wii than on the PS2. Hopefully the control scheme is pretty decent on it.

[jj984jj]

Hmm... are there going to be an additions to the NA release? Being able to use the original music would be a nice option. :D Not sure if it's possible though. :(

[RayFoxSith]

I highly doubt being able to listen to the original's soundtrack would be an option.

[bullman422]

I just heard about this game and it sounds interesting. I'll probably get it as I love dungeon crawlers.

[Superkenon]

Intriguing. I had heard about the game before, but nothing beyond that. From what's been said so far, plus the information available on the site, it looks like a good choice for a frequent dungeon crawler like myself.

No doubt I'll be keeping my eyes on this promising title.

[Kid Marin]

As planned, Baroque Wii has been announced in Japan:

http://img.gkblogger.com/blog/imgdb/000/000/164/560_2.jpg

The text mentions the Wiimote and the Nunchuk. :)

[Sanctine]

I hope they also make it classic controller compatible. There's nothing I hate more than a game that's been ruined by a control scheme, with no option to go back (Metal Slug Anthology).

[Kid Marin]

Baroque Wii's japanese website: http://www.sting.co.jp/baroque/wii/index.htm
There is a lot of nice gameplay videos.

[ViolenceJack]

Finally something to pre-order.

[Sayckeone]

Yeah, I should reserve this just in case I'm baroque when it comes out.

OOHH! That's two in one day! :D

[jeffx]

can't wait. thanks!

[AzSiDe]

looks good...definately will check it out.

[Grungust]

This looks totally awesome. I love the style.

Just to answer some of the unaddressed questions in this thread:

As can be shown by those magazine scans, Atlus didn't have to force Sting to port Baroque to the Wii, nor did we do it ourselves. They just happened to be cool enough to let us announce the Wii version in America first, which is something most developers would never let us do. :D

Also, the Wii version of Baroque will support the Classic Controller. I really enjoyed using the Nunchuck, and that's coming from someone who has played both the PlayStation 2 and Wii versions of the game. It doesn't feel gimmicky like most of the control schemes for games on the Wii.

Oh yea, and I guess this game doesn't have to worry about competing with Brawl anytime soon.

There isn't an option to change soundtracks. I haven't heard the soundtrack from the Saturn version, but I would say one of Baroque's stronger points is its BGM.

[Ayame]

I now want this game.

[caldoria]

Yay! I was fearing it was for a system I didn't have (and/or don't care to get yet...). I can appreciate the art style. I'm finding it harder and harder to like the look of a game.

[Coritj]

It sounds rather interesting, but I'm going to adopt a wait-and-see approach until it comes out.

[jeffx]

does time flow backwards for you?

[dragonlife29]

does time flow backwards for you?:lol:

Dude, the game's been out for months ^^

[Gen Eric Gui]

does time flow backwards for you?

That's a silly question. If it did, he would have answered your question before you asked!



Is Baroque out in Europe? Maybe he lives there?

[jeffx]

No, because regardless of the fact that this guy comes from our future, he couldn't have anticipated my question. And if you think about it, he's now going through what we called yesterday.

Touché about the Europe part, though. Damn time-travelling Euros.

[Sei]

How would he see the question though? If that was when he first saw the thread and time is going backwards, would he ever? :(

[jeffx]

hence his lack of reply. TIME TRAVELLING ESPER CONFIRMED. DAY INFINITY.

[Gen Eric Gui]

No, because regardless of the fact that this guy comes from our future, he couldn't have anticipated my question. And if you think about it, he's now going through what we called yesterday.

Oh, right. I was thinking of future sight, not time strata reversal. Damnable space/time paradoxes! I always failed that part in my hyperphysics classes.

[Hossaria]

No, because regardless of the fact that this guy comes from our future, he couldn't have anticipated my question. And if you think about it, he's now going through what we called yesterday.

Touché about the Europe part, though. Damn time-travelling Euros.

Acording to wikipedia, the game was released in Europe about 5 months ago. So I think he must be from the past and that he suddenly were thrown into the future.

[mattiator]

This game is awesome, shame it didn't do to well in the reviews, i bet that the 44 on gamerankings scared off a few people.

[djmdma02]

Does anyone have a wii save game that has most or all of the movies unlocked that they would be willing to upload?

Thanks!