Blaze Union: Story to Reach the Future (PSP)

[videoman]

The newest sting game in the world of Yggdra Union

From siliconera.com
While “union” is in the title, Blaze Union is not a sequel to Yggdra Union. It’s a successor or spiritual follow up set in the same world, but many years before Yggdra was born. Sting appears to have kept the same battle system that made Yggdra Union so addictive and threw in a bunch of new characters.

[jj984jj]

It's another game not from Shinichi Ito, the lead designer of Yggdra Union and the Dept. Heaven games. They're even outsourcing the story to some company called R-Force (http://www.r-force.co.jp/). :\

I can't say I'm interested in these non-Ito games anymore, I hope they reveal Dept. Heaven Episode IX soon.

[Gen Eric Gui]

Every game Sting has ever made was great, and this one is building on one of their best.

I wanted this before I knew it existed. Day One. Day BEFORE one if it's possible.

[ShadowRaskolnik]

Looks interesting, but I think I will wait for more info. However it's sad that Shinichi Ito isn't working on this, I was hoping it was the next Dept. Heaven entry.

[redrighthand]

Very curious about this! Too bad that Ito isn't working on it directly, but all the same, I'll be watching the announcements closely. Make it a tentative Day One for me, and curse Sting for taking all my money before it even winds up in my wallet.

[Liquid Fire]

Here is some new screens. I'm kind of neutral about the look. What do you think?

New Screens (http://www.famitsu.com/image/7137/rTXjBr848bv5Erpz7Cipz4NDh92xbwaX.html).

[four_black_hearts]

They're supposed to start on a Nintendo system, and then port it to a Sony system. I might care about this if it gets a DS port.

[Enzeru]

I dislike how ALL the graphics are directly from YU PSP...You'd think that they would put more effort into this. :[

[redrighthand]

Hmm. The Emperor that Garlott and company are fighting doesn't have red hair or gold eyes... it doesn't seem like he's one of Brongaa's contractors/descendants. I wonder if this is supposed to be Gulcasa's predecessor, then? (I shouldn't get my hopes up, but I wonder if Leon and Elena's parents are involved with the Blaze Corps in that case...)

And the new artist is seriously going to take some getting used to. I guess it can't be helped since Kiyudzuki is working on Episode IX... at least Tobe is back for the new card illustrations.

[four_black_hearts]

It looks cartoony in that saturday morning kind of a way... :sad:

[redrighthand]

You think so? I dunno, despite the fact that the ladies on the poster seem to be wearing typically impractical fantasy-heroine getups, I think Kousaki Rui's art is the most mature-looking out of the four artists who've worked on the Dept. Heaven series...

Blaze Union may just be a side game, but especially if this is covering the failed rebellion in Bronquia that took place years before Gulcasa's coup, there's a lot of potential for the story. It could wind up either being thoroughly awesome or thoroughly meh, but we know too little about it to judge it yet.

The menus and interface have been redesigned to give the battles and dialogue a little more room, and I don't recognize that map--since this game seems to take place mostly in Bronquia, maybe we'll be seeing more of the country? There's got to be more to the place than Ishnad, Bardot, Drominos, and Flarewerk.

I've got faith in Ito, and if he trusts this sub-team enough to let them handle the new game, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Definitely stalking the website for more information, and theorizing wildly while I'm at it.

[Lilly]

I'd rather like it if Atlus brought this here. :3

One thing that bothers me though is I'm unsure what gender the main character is. I want to say male, but the battle sprite is so cute. D:

[antipyresis]

Blaze Union OP is out guys.

HERE (http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/1233261_1124.html)

It does not happen before Yggdra was born, it is during that time, and it features our beloved characters from the Imperial Army from before, including Aegina, Luciana, Emilia, Baldus, Leon, and Eudy, and even characters like Juvelon look like they are going to be a big part of the plot. DO WANT.

[ShadowYuri]

I saw it too, love the cameos *_* I don't even know how many they are exactly, but it is really great to see some of them in their younger days. Considering how Yggdra Unions PSP was handled, I sincerely hope for the best with Blaze Union! Please localise it!

[redrighthand]

Oh god, I want this game so hard. The Imperial Army needs more love, and it's wonderful that they're finally getting it. It needs to be May right now. Please pick this up, Atlus!

[JeremyR]

They're supposed to start on a Nintendo system, and then port it to a Sony system. I might care about this if it gets a DS port.

With the announcement of the 3DS, it all makes sense now. They will put it on the PSP first, then in a year, port it to the 3DS.

[redrighthand]

We finally have a site renewal (http://bu.sting.co.jp) on our hands! The opening movie can still be found under "information", and one of those "Special Tactics Cards" definitely has the twins on it.

Hayashi's music sounds great, as usual.

[Matrix200]

Vote for a localization

[Ruquion]

Localization is huge yes. Also, Garlot seems to be male.

[Bob mako]

This should get localized (umd of course)

[Raven]

New gameplay trailer is out, oh and I think the red hair is a dude.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3GKmwB9AZE

[redrighthand]

Garlott is a man, guys. Honestly, I don't really get where all this confusion about his gender's coming from--the only girly thing about him is the ponytail. If you're still wondering, listen to his voice clips. He's played by the guy who did Yuri's voice in Tales of Vesperia.

New characters Vellman, David, and Selica have recently been added to the character section, and the Gram Blaze team has a joint Twitter account much like Maria's (not that there's much up there yet).

Nine spaces left in the character section, but so far there are only a few more new characters that we've seen. Come on, Sting, you have to give us the Imperial Army one of these weeks. (Or there will be great rage.)

Eudy looks lovely in twintails.

[antipyresis]

Garlott is indeed 100% dragon man. Pretty much most of the original female characters tend to be pretty fanservicey anyway, so it should be easy to tell. I never had a problem with telling the difference quite honestly, but I guess I'm more used to androgynous-looking anime characters than most people. XD

A huge yes for localization indeed. And yes, Sting really needs to give us some info on the old cast--that's the main reason why I'm so interested in the game in the first place :\

Eudy is very pretty ;w;

[redrighthand]

...Seriously, all the new female characters (aside from Lapis and the girl with the split personality, since one of those personalities is male) have extremely fanservicey designs that show off lots of skin. Like antipyresis said, it shouldn't be that hard to tell the difference...

Also, according to the game's Amazon.com page and the blurb there by Sting, different characters become recruitable in different story branches, so this branching thing looks to be pretty in-depth. Some of the new units will also be handling very differently than the classes we're familiar with from Yggdra Union, and we're promised more up-front character depth, as "bonds between comrades" has been stated to be the theme of this game.

We should be getting an update tonight or tomorrow night. Wonder who they're going to put up now...

[ShadowRaskolnik]

I'm still pretty much on the fence for this one, while I think it's interesting that Sting is making a prequel to Yggdra Union what I have seen so far hasn't interested me so far. The character designs aren't really that interesting and seem to be leaning more towards fan service. Not to mention that they also seem to have included beast-men and cowboys for some reason.

I'll probably still buy it if it is localized because I enjoyed the battle system in the original game and I want to see how they tie it in with Yggdra Union, but for the time being this just seems like a quick cash-in.

[Jack Rakan]

I would rather original games like this and yydgra unison get localized over ports like knights in the knightmare which really serves no purpose.

Also its important for atlus to finish trilogies like EO III and luminous arc 3. Would want to leave those fans hanging

[redrighthand]

Site's been updated with three new characters: Iita (the black-haired girl with split personalities), Baif (the tiger guy), and Sleipe (the drunk Undine).

Baif isn't a beast-man. He's a magician's familiar.

It seems as though players may only be able to recruit one of these three, as this is from a part of the game where you have to select a set of missions to accomplish. Aegina's overworld sprite is in all of the event screenshots given to us by online gaming magazines.

If so, then Sleipe's path will probably be the "easy" one (Undines are easy to handle and are a pre-existing class), and Iita's will be the "hard" one (Iita handles like completely different unit classes depending on the time of day).

When I first started reading about Iita on Japanese friends' blogs, I wasn't too sure what to think (since come on, a lolita with differently gendered personalities has the potential to be played as incredibly fetishy), but suggestive phone cards aside it looks like she's not going to be treated in a tasteless way. Her male personality is a right little thug who's even more over-the-top than Milanor.

A lot of the announcements concerning Blaze Union seem to go like this--I hear things second-hand, wonder what Sting is thinking, and then see the concepts in action and find myself very happy with how they look.

And, come on, it's the Bronquian revolution. I'm more than happy to give this game a chance just based on that. The Imperial Army has so much depth that doesn't get brought out in the main game; they really deserve a chance to be the main characters.

[Alkaiser]

When I first started reading about Iita on Japanese friends' blogs, I wasn't too sure what to think (since come on, a lolita with differently gendered personalities has the potential to be played as incredibly fetishy), but suggestive phone cards aside it looks like she's not going to be treated in a tasteless way. Her male personality is a right little thug who's even more over-the-top than Milanor.
You mean masculine in this context, right? Or is it implied that Iita actually switches sexes along with her personalities?

[redrighthand]

Her personalities are opposite genders. The Iita at night clearly identifies as male ("Oh. Sorry, I forgot to mention before, I'm a man at night."); it doesn't matter whether her body physically switches genders or not.

[Ruquion]

Iita is too cute. <3

[Lyndis87]

This does seem rather promising, and I certainly wouldn't mind snagging this title as well to add to my game collection ^_^

[redrighthand]

It's been confirmed that playing the game with Yggdra Union save data on your memory card will let you find secret characters. (Any Japanese print of Yggdra Union will work--you may have heard that a new printing of the game just started in Japan, the "Sting the BEST" version.)

I wonder who they're going to add? For story reasons, just about all the ally characters from Yggdra Union wouldn't work... and it would really suck to have to have Yggdra Union data in order to get certain members of the Imperial Army. Gaaah, Atlus better localize this, 'cause if I have to buy the Japanese version, my own save data isn't going to work. It's all from the US release...

[Gunloc]

More Yggdra world goodness? I would buy it.

[redrighthand]

It's that time again, and oh my god did Sting ever deliver!

The three new characters this update are Luciana, Aegina, and Emilia Emi. Luciana and Aegina are played by Nakahara Mai this time, not Fujino Tomoko; this is probably due to the age difference.

As widely theorized, Aegina's going to be in the party while Luciana is an NPC due to her leg injury.

Emi joins the party looking for her long-lost big brother because ~somebody~ prophesied for her that she could find him with the Gram Blaze team.

It's looking more and more like Garlott's going to grow up to be Gulcasa, since there are age-based voice actor changes and Emi is very definitely Emilia.

I also approve of the fact that the first thing we see Nessiah doing in this game is something genuinely nice. Good to know that "troll everything" is not his only setting.

All five serial numbers have been released, so if you enter them all into the appropriate cards, you'll be able to access the Special section, which has more wallpapers (these from some of the CGs) and voice actor commentary.

[antipyresis]

Thought I'd better go ahead and revive this thread.

For those that don't know, Sting has uploaded several gameplay videos over the following weeks. HERE (http://www.youtube.com/user/stingGAME#p/c/FE1E97544E3DFF26)

They show off pretty much all of the playable characters.

Their main site (http://bu.sting.co.jp/) has also been updated with most of the characters, save one slot by the time I post this.

[mjemirzian]

That combat vid looks way too slow. Can you skip some of that stuff?

I remember being unable to tolerate the slow pace of the game on a GBA. Had to fire it up on an emulator and speed the game up to 200%.

[redrighthand]

Psst. Speeding up battles has been a feature since the PSP remake of Yggdra Union; you can get through them at up to triple the usual speed once you've beaten the game.

[shimo]

Oh great they brought the annoying Mizer back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9FQPR5CCQo&playnext_from=TL&videos=yazQPF-mFpU

[redrighthand]

Well, of course. They can't make the game too easy for us, this is Sting we're talking about.

...

Would you look at that, it seems like there's actually backstory to Mizer's shoe fetish in Yggdra Union. He's barefoot in that video.

[shimo]

I bet Blaze Union will be as hard as Yggdra Union even if Mizer is there.


Yeah I just noticed that Mizer was barefooted.And also being paralyze is no fun at all.

[antipyresis]

It's out in Japan now!

[redrighthand]

There's already a walkthrough wiki (http://www.galbo.jp/game/bu/) being assembled by the crazy fans who have speed-cleared the game and are exploring the branching system. From what I've heard, the game branches during chapter 6 based on what mission choices you've made in chapters 3 and 5. Up through chapter 5, it looks like you can get all the possible allies in the same playthrough. I wonder how many endings there really are?

The game's soundtrack and guide are going to be out in late June, with the artbook coming out in late July. Sting, I thought I told you before to stop trying to bankrupt me!

Oh, and the bath scenes are back. Somebody on niconico douga has uploaded videos of three of them, for the curious. (Hey Sting, when are you going to remember that girls play your games too? I wanna see Garlot showing some skin too, if the girls are gonna be all fanservicey.)

[mjemirzian]

ok, ok.. difficulty modes?

is it like psp with easy/normal?

is there more treasure hunting to get items?

[redrighthand]

Eh? There seems to be a Hard Mode available for when you clear the game on Normal, yeah. Dunno what differences it'll make to the available endings/BFs/what have you, though.

Finding items is the same as it always was in Yggdra Union.

[mjemirzian]

Eh? There seems to be a Hard Mode available for when you clear the game on Normal, yeah. Dunno what differences it'll make to the available endings/BFs/what have you, though.

Finding items is the same as it always was in Yggdra Union.

I'm assuming normal/hard is how they had the psp version set up.. normal was an easier version of the gba default difficulty.

Is there still uncontrollable randomness with the critical hits and losing morale? The difference between good randomness and bad randomness is that you can setup situations where the randomness is minimized like in Fire Emblem or SRW. From what I played of the GBA version, it was the bad kind of randomness.

And having to do treasure hunts to find the best items that are scattered all over the map? Not a fan of needing a strategy guide to point out the good hidden stuff.. especially considering how many items they throw all over the place.

[redrighthand]

If the game is too hard for you, then just don't bother with it. Again, it's supposed to be difficult. It's not any fun when games have zero challenge to them, so I'd rather play something that makes me think ahead.

And the difficulty level you are referring to is Easy Mode.

[antipyresis]

Eh, your mileage may vary. I'm not saying this game should have zero challenge whatsoever, but I do wish that there was an easier difficulty for the newer players. I know too many people that have become intimidated by the difficulty of Yggdra Union.

That said, some of the mechanics in Blaze Union make the game easier than even the PSP version. For one thing, on normal mode at least, you can get morale recovery from both the MVP bonus and leveling up. Also, after clashes, you can move the head of the union freely, unlike the former games where they were locked into position until the next turn.

As for the randomness in critical hits; you could control this based on certain items you equip your characters. Other than that, critical hits rely on certain stats, but this is the same as Yggdra Union.

[mjemirzian]

If the game is too hard for you, then just don't bother with it. Again, it's supposed to be difficult. It's not any fun when games have zero challenge to them, so I'd rather play something that makes me think ahead.

And the difficulty level you are referring to is Easy Mode.

First of all, Yggdra Union and this game are not relatively difficult compared to other SRPGs I can name (http://www.tbstactics.com/2010/05/most-strategically-difficult-and.html). I was pointing to the fact that the randomness in critical hits is too uncontrollable and even someone playing efficiently will end up with large morale drops. I have beaten Yggdra Union on GBA and it was more annoying to me than difficult for two reasons - having to use a guide to easter egg hunt for hidden items, and not being able to use strategy and planning to minimize the chance of criticals that guarantee you lose the fight and a huge amount of morale.

This is in contrast to games that make good use of randomness like Fire Emblem or Battle for Wesnoth, because there's a lot the player can do to minimize it through efficient strategy.

Sorry if you don't know what you're talking about when you use the words 'difficulty' and 'challenge'. I did write a short review for it years ago. (http://www.tbstactics.com/2010/05/yggdra-union-review-gba.html)

[antipyresis]

Again, your mileage may vary. Critical hits, in my opinion, are supposed to be random in contrast to all of the actual strategy taking place. They are supposed to be there to show that, no matter how perfect your strategy is, something can go wrong, or on the other hand, a critical hit to your enemy can save you. Personally, I really like this little aspect, but I realize that some people like more control. It's really just a matter of how much it bothers you.

And with the items, you don't need to get every single item. I managed to get quite a few without a guide just by getting enemies to drop items, talking to people in towns, and searching around those little dead-end paths. You don't need a guide to get what you need. Of course, the good stuff might be hard to get without a guide, but it's not as if they're just going to hand over the most awesome weapons to you. I wasn't too bothered by this, since I never even used some of those powerful weapons in the first place, but I do see how it can bother some people that want to "collect them all", if you are that kind of person. Yggdra Union isn't everyone's cup of tea.

Really, KitN was much worse with this, as you couldn't even get the "good" ending without a guide.

[mjemirzian]

The punishment for a critical hit (in the GBA version) is too much considering how uncontrollable it is. Your character will lose half their morale bar, plus since your leader is dead you can't use your selected card, so it's more or less a guaranteed loss. Like I said Fire Emblem does randomness well because there are many strategies you can use to minimize it, whereas in this game there is almost nothing you can do.

Good items should be a reward for efficient play, not Easter egg hunting across the map.

[shimo]

On a more positive note of things King Ordene(Yggdra's father) with the Crusade card.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jg8mejpOqk&playnext_from=TL&videos=O5OWcjRhYEE&feature=sub


This game just got harder to beat.

[redrighthand]

The punishment for a critical hit (in the GBA version) is too much considering how uncontrollable it is. Your character will lose half their morale bar, plus since your leader is dead you can't use your selected card, so it's more or less a guaranteed loss. Like I said Fire Emblem does randomness well because there are many strategies you can use to minimize it, whereas in this game there is almost nothing you can do.

Good items should be a reward for efficient play, not Easter egg hunting across the map.

If you don't like the gameplay, you don't have to buy the game. (You also don't have to wank about it to people who are looking forward to it; everyone has their own likes and dislikes.)

Also, Shiskia is the only character that can move after having been the Union Ace.

The biggest improvement in my opinion is the fact that the unit head now has a life bar, so you can see how close you are to actually killing them instead of crossing your fingers and fighting blindly. It's easier to come up with tactics if you're able to see how quickly/slowly your enemy is killing you.

Thus far, there seem to be three paths to the game: the Garlot path, the Aegina path, and a third path whose protagonist I don't know for sure (though I've heard rumors that it's Nessiah). There are also at least four separate endings. The game is a little bit shorter than Yggdra Union (there are somewhere between 30-40 battlefields per playthrough based on individual mission choices/extended endings), but there's a lot of depth.

[antipyresis]

Oog, not even Shield Barrier can stop Crusade. It's going to be tough.

Agreed, I really like the new life bar for the head, it really helps during the battle. However, if I would have to name something I didn't like about the new battle system, it would be the placement of the stats during a clash. Most of the time they are hidden behind the speech bubbles, which can get even more annoying when a character is using a skill.

On a positive note, terrain-specific cards can be used anytime, but when used on their respective terrains, their potency increases by a large amount. Revolution will also reduce the head's life bar by half (1/4 if it's a large unit). Even more love for the life bar there.

[redrighthand]

Revolution has the same effect that it always had, actually--when you use it to defeat all the enemies, the head's remaining life will be replaced with that of the next sub-member to be defeated. It's hard to do, but Revolution is best used when it's timed so that you use it right before the next enemy member dies. It's the hardest card to use, but is also a lifesaver if you can do it right.

[antipyresis]

Is that so? Sounds even more complicated than I thought in the first place, or maybe I just forgot after letting that card gather dust for so long. Though my original point still stands: the life bar will help quite a bit when calculating when to use Revolution :3 There's no point in using it when your head's life bar is almost empty.

[KingOfPrinces]

Bring It over! Bring It Over! Bring It Over!

Pretty Please.

[System_Error]

I'll buy this one for sure.

[redrighthand]

I'm playing the game in Japanese right now, and it's excellent. The English-speaking audience needs a chance to experience Blaze Union, too.



...Though I am a little bit worried about potential censorship if Atlus brings it over. Blaze Union has a higher CERO rating than the rest of the Dept. Heaven games, and with good reason. The Persona series is proof that Atlus can handle mature content well and keep translations intact, so hopefully they can do the same with this game...

[four_black_hearts]

Haven't Dept. Heaven games been less censored in their western releases so far?

[redrighthand]

Only if you're talking about how much skin gets shown during the bath scenes (in Japan, Sony is pretty militant about these things, and CERO has been cracking down recently). Compare the translation of Riviera's GBC incarnation to its PSP version and you'll find a couple of fixed scenes--that conversation with the demon in Lacrima Castle about breast size comes to mind; I'd love to know what Atlus was thinking when they decided to censor that one.

Among other things, Blaze Union's got such hot topics as human trafficking, attempted rape, and implications that the lead is (~gasp~!) bisexual. It's a bit darker than Yggdra Union, and it doesn't bother acting like an optimistic game until two-thirds of the way through the way that Yggdra Union did.

[KingOfPrinces]

I hope they censor it. But most of all I hope they bring it Over.

[ShadowRaskolnik]

I don't see why Atlus would censor the game because of a few topics, especially if they are as important to the story of the game as redrighthand says they are.

[KingOfPrinces]

But even if they do not censor this game probably will still get the T rating right? But my biggest concern is the game actually making it over here to America.

[redrighthand]

It would suck for the non-Japanese-speaking part of the fanbase if Atlus decided not to bring Blaze Union over for its touchier subjects, but I'd be really upset if they censored them out. The Yggdra Union English script was kind of, um, revisionist in a few places other than that mystery tutorial line of Durant's the localization team brought up in interviews, and that really bothered me. Even if you can't for the life of you figure out why the original creator put something into their work, localization means faithfully adapting a game for a new audience, warts and all.

MegaTen is plenty of proof that Atlus can and will localize games with mature content nowadays, and do it very well. I'm just worried about the important atmospheric details getting cut to keep the game T-rated.

...And the subtext. Because all the subtext is very, very cute, and is not hurting anybody.

[four_black_hearts]

Localization often means reworking a foreign game so that it will sell well in another country. Bugs are (hopefully) fixed, just as things that would appear as nonsense to the new audience are often removed.

[KingOfPrinces]

If bringing the game over means having no choice but to leave some mature content in the game then *sigh* so be it. :very_sad:

[shimo]

As long Atlus bring Blaze Union stateside that really all that matters.

[Phoenix_Apollo]

If bringing the game over means having no choice but to leave some mature content in the game then *sigh* so be it. :very_sad:

Wait, you want the mature content taken out? That'd be ruining the game. It's one thing when you change a voice for an English release so it makes more sense for the character and is less annoying or whatever, but actually changing major content in the game is something seperate altogether and ends up hurting the game each and every time.

It's like taking mature content out of books, movies, and music. It's pointless and just makes people angry. While I really don't feeling like going into how much I hate censorship, I think I've painted it pretty clearly for you why I think it's bad. The world can't all be pretty pink ponies and rainbows, and I'd appreciate it if my entertainment media also reflected that.

[DamnedToBeFree]

This thread. It makes no sense. People want the game...censored?

[ShadowRaskolnik]

This thread. It makes no sense. People want the game...censored?

So far from what I read redrighthand is concerned about the game being censored, KingOfPrinces wants it censored for some unknown reason, and everybody else doubts there will be any censoring at all.

[Phoenix_Apollo]

Yeah, there's no way that it'd get censored. It's not like the 90's when they felt like they had to to get a successful product (ahem, Persona on PS1) to to avoid offending people. We're now in an age where more and more people are starting to accept that games can have mature content in them and still be really good and sell well (Heavy Rain, for example). Evidently, there are still some that resist this trend, but there will always be naysayers. That said, I don't expect those naysayers to affect this game in the slightest, nor should they. If Atlus can publish games like the Persona series, this game should be fine the way it is.

[KingOfPrinces]

Actually, I just want this game localized more than anything else.

[Zoltor]

This thread. It makes no sense. People want the game...censored?

I thought I was seeing things, well that explains why I was getting confused while reading this thread lol.

[ExitDose]

I would love to see this and Unison.

[Tiamat]

I'd buy it...

[KingOfPrinces]

It has been 2 months since this game has been released in Japan and no NA announcement. Hexyz Force and KITN PSP, two other STING PSP games have been announced by that time.

Though its still too early to start panicking, im still panicking!!

[hanseo]

i would buy this

[cireza]

Yggdra Union is the first Tactical-RPG I ever played that was able to take the place of Dragon Force in my heart, which really means a lot. I play it on PSP, this game is fantastic.

I truly hope that Blaze Union will be released in English. I will wait for it.

[redrighthand]

I recently sprang for the artbook, which is gorgeous and well worth the price. It was kind of sad how Kousaki and the directors took so much care to obfuscate a certain character's design and make sure that nobody would be able to guess at his true identity... and then Sting accidentally spoiled it by first saying exactly how many years before Yggdra Union this game is, then providing a photo of this character's profile sheet that has their age on it.

[arbalest]

I just joined the forum (though I've been a long time Atlus fan) to say please, please, for the love of any deity you worship, localize Blaze Union. I want to play this game so bad. I don't even know.

Personally, I think it would sell well. Yggdra Union was quite popular and well-loved as far as I know.

And, it's NEW CONTENT. I mean, seriously Atlus, you're localizing KiTN for the PSP? Seriously? That game has barely been out a year in the U.S. I mean, yeah, yay Yggdra Route, but come on... It's still a port...of a recent game! Porting every game to every other system is speculated to be part of the reason NIS of Japan is in financial trouble.

I just.....I want new content...I want Blaze Union and Yggdra Unison... TT^TT

[KingOfPrinces]

Im not trying to be mean to Atlus but they localized 3 of their previous games twice so i don't know why they would not be able to localize this game just once.

[ShadowRaskolnik]

I'm pretty sure Atlus already knows how much people want to see this game localized, there's no need to continue pestering them about it.

Just calm down and relax a little.

[arbalest]

I'm pretty sure Atlus already knows how much people want to see this game localized, there's no need to continue pestering them about it.

Just calm down and relax a little.

But that's what I thought this forum was for. I'm just a little paranoid over Yggdra Unison. I've pretty much lost hope for that. TTATT

So I feel compelled to push for Blaze Union!

[ukitanr]

Well there personally bringing over naruto instead of this.......so you cant predict what there gunna do but you can be sure we may not like it.

[Sagadego]

go away stealth. it is you again

[Quig]

Isn't this the game that Aksys is bringing over?

[KingOfPrinces]

No, That's Blazing Souls, A totally different game.

And the reason ATLUS is not releasing Blaze Union at the moment better not be because they don't want to get the games confused since they are both SRPGS for the PSP with the word Blaze in them.

[redrighthand]

I really do hope that this game manages to make it over to America at some point; it adds so much to the Imperial Army's characterization. Leon, Nessiah, Emilia, and Zilva have gotten a lot more popular since its release in Japanese now that the fans just know more about them--Leon especially. And as for Gulcasa... well, he was already reasonably popular, but he's gotten to be one of the most adored characters of the series. Deservedly so.

It would be a shame if the non-Japanese-speaking part of the fanbase never got to see all this stuff.

[Anonsasaki]

I'm currently going through the PSP version of Yggdra Union and just found out about this game the other day. I love Yggdra Union, but from what I've read about this game, I think I'd like it even more. The premise alone is awesome; Gulcasa is one of the most memorable antagonists I've encountered in a game in a while, and I'd love to explore his backstory so I hope that Atlus brings this over. Hell, if they don't, I might just import it and play it in Japanese and I very rarely play games in Japanese.

Also, about the censorship stuff, I doubt Atlus would censor it if they bring it over. None of the subject matter discussed in this thread really seems like anything super offensive, and Atlus hasn't censored much of anything in the past as far as I know.

[KingOfPrinces]

WHAT THE!!!!

I read that atlus has no plans on releasing this game! and that almost always means no!



http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/10/14/knights-in-the-nightmare-mastering-bullet-hell-in-a-strategy-rpg/#comment-468214

blutrane | October 14th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
also when is blaze union coming ^_^ ?

Aram Jabbari | October 14th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
No plans at this time, sorry!

[Sagadego]

"at this time" read more carefully

[KingOfPrinces]

"at this time" read more carefully

I Suppose theres still hope. But I still don't see this as a very good sign since 99% of the time Atlus just gives us the silent treatment when it comes to unanounced game localizations.

[Phoenix_Apollo]

They're probably waiting to see how the Yggdra Union bonus does with Knights in the Nightmare before they commit.

[Kishou]

and if that goes well, they might do Yggdra Unison too.

[KingOfPrinces]

They're probably waiting to see how the Yggdra Union bonus does with Knights in the Nightmare before they commit.

I doubt it. It seems silly to me to project the amount game sales based on another game (even if it is a game from the same series and developer). Each game succeeds or fails by its own merits. For all we know Blaze Union may very well sell twice as many copies as Knights in the Nightmare and Yggdra Union Put together.

[kujiko88]

Yes, I too wish that this particular game would be localized, but unfortunately, it's not quite up to us. It's up to these people on whose forums we're posting. Either way google petitions and just see how many you can find. I'm sure those might do something, then again, everyone has a free will.
I can't wait to play this game, either in Japanese import or in English.
Whatever happens, I'll be a fan of YU til the end at least.
Although, I am getting sick of looking up a release day and getting nothing back but:
"A NA release date has yet to be announced, blah blah, and blah"

[KingOfPrinces]

It's been six months since this game has been released in Japan and their has not even been an announcement for USA. Out of all of STING's games to choose not to localize does it really have to be this particular one?!?!?!?!?!?!

Come on were not requesting some obscure release from a difficult to work with Japanese developer with a high price for licensing or a port of a ten year old PS1 game. This is STING were talking about, ATLUS's old comrade in arms.

[MODCA]

Have to admit I'm getting worried too... I was hoping that at the end of last month we would hear something about this game's localization.

[Tiamat]

I'd like to play this game....but I'd rather Sting just continue the Dept. Heaven series than do spinoffs like this.

[KingOfPrinces]

I'd like to play this game....but I'd rather Sting just continue the Dept. Heaven series than do spinoffs like this.

I don't want Atlus/Sting to move on without localizing what they already have first. Besides this game is practically part of the Dept. Heaven series though not officially. Its also just as much a prequel as it is a spinoff. It adds alot to the story of the Dept. Heaven Series.

[four_black_hearts]

As much as I love Yggdra Union, I gotta side with Tiamat on this one. This game wasn't handled by Product Team A, and while I can't speak as to the writing, the music and art direction have obviously suffered. Blaze Union just takes the desire to cash in on fan service a little too far.

[KingOfPrinces]

If it is an attempt to cash in than why hasn't it been released in the US? STING's games almost always tend to sell better in the US than in Japan.

If anything the new story, art and music seems to have been made to cater to the US more than Japan because they have a more "Mature" feel than Yggdra Union. And americans love "Mature" games. Hence why so many people are requesting Catherine to be localized.

[four_black_hearts]

If this game was "made for the US", then why hasn't there been a localization announcement? Beside that, I'm a little confused as to where you got your sales figures, what makes the art style and music direction of Blaze Union more "Mature", and what exactly does an SRPG like this have to do with Catherine?

[Tiamat]

I actually like the artwork but it is certainly nothing like Yggdra Union's. The art for this game is pretty sexualized, where on the other hand all the games in the main Dept. Heaven series have mostly cutesy styles. It's just matter of personal taste I think, though I think if this game was part of the main Dept. Heaven series it would feel more out of place.

My problems with the game are more to do with (what looks like) just rehashing Yggdra Union graphics and gameplay. I'm also very skeptical about the story. If this is a prequel why does it show so many Yggdra union characters in the anime cutscene(s)? Does it take place like RIGHT beforehand? I've heard this one has a more "mature" story but I'm not sure what that entails (edit: redrighthand said a little about it earlier in the topic, still have to see it myself tho). Yggdra Union's story was pretty dark if you think about it.

If Atlus USA published Blaze Union I would certainly give it a go though. Maybe I'd be pleasantly surprised or maybe disapointed, I really can't say.

[KingOfPrinces]

Well even if this is a rehashing or cash in it wouldn't be unusual. Many game series seem to be that way (and they still sell). and despite it's faults The game still deserves to be localized. no game or game series is perfect.

I don't think the game is mature. Only compared to Yggdra Union is it mature.

Also, I find it so funny that this game has been criticized for being BOTH so different AND so similiar to Yggdra Union.

[redrighthand]

Ze fans, zey will wank over anything and everything.

@Tiamat: Blaze Union takes place three years before Yggdra Union and tells the story of how the Imperial Army came together, which is why they all show up in the trailer.

For what it's worth, the "mature themes" in this game aren't just a matter of a few of the new female characters wearing revealing outfits--there's a plot-relevant battlefield that depicts an attempted sexual assault on the female characters in the party, many of whom are underage; one route of the game suggests that Garlot is bisexual; one of the party members is a drunkard; there's a character that plays with genderqueer themes; the writers spare no expense in creating a gritty and almost-but-not-quite grimdark atmosphere to hammer it in that Bronquia in 1487 is a terrible place to live. It's a dark story on a more personal level than Yggdra Union, which was a war tragedy with a grand scale.

There are also a few parts of the script that conflict with translation choices that Atlus made in Yggdra Union--for instance, Gulcasa's title in Japanese is 焔帝 (Blazing Emperor) and that obviously got translated as "Emperor of Carnage" instead. This turns out to be plot-relevant in Blaze Union (just look at the game's title!), so there may need to be some translation retconning to do it justice.

These things don't make the game impossible to be localized, though, and if Atlus was willing to be careful and meticulous with the translation, it could really be successful--and create more sales for Yggdra Union itself. Since Blaze Union can stand on its own, it would involve less risk to bring over in this market, unlike Yggdra Unison (which would really only appeal to Dept. Heaven fans). Atlus has given us SMT, so we know that they won't balk from LGBT and sexual themes.

As for the differences: Yes, the art is a big change, but whether you like it or not, you get used to it after a while--and it's fun to see the characters drawn in somebody else's style. In my opinion, Hayashi's actually improved since the age of Yggdra Union; the soundtrack to Blaze is a lot more cohesive and emotional (and I say this as somebody that loves the YU ost).

For the most part the writing is really good, although there have been some complaints about the story branches seeming rushed because of the limited memory space. The focus of the story is different--Yggdra Union had a lot of grand philosophical drama, whereas Blaze Union is Gulcasa's coming-of-age story, so it's more character-based. I personally enjoyed the plot a lot, although the C route is a little... well, I'll just say "a little", since I think Nessiah was handled poorly in it and C route hands the plot to a character I despise on principle (she's an abusive parent, and I hate that archetype). That's just my opinion though.

The fanbase deserves a chance to see how dorky and sweet Gulcasa is when he's not stomping your army into the ground, so it'd be a crying shame if Blaze Union never got localized.

[Phoenix_Apollo]

They could just call him "Blazing Emperor of Carnage" and somehow manage it so that he looses the "Blazing" part by the end.

[kujiko88]

It's been six months since this game has been released in Japan and their has not even been an announcement for USA.


Has it really only been 6 months? Feels like years to me... This has increased my want 4 this game so much... I feel as if I'm about to explode!!! Just please,ATLUS?

[kujiko88]

But, why is it that the U.S. misses out on so many great games like this? If there is no US release, i`ll have to learn Japanese! i'm already trilingual, don't do this to us...

[Sseklebeast]

Don't want this title. America already has too many Union titles.

[Sseklebeast]

Ive always disliked the Dept. Heaven series. The Blaze Union Branch is no exception.

:o

[KingOfPrinces]

Don't want this title. America already has too many Union titles.

Ive always disliked the Dept. Heaven series. The Blaze Union Branch is no exception.

:o


...

[Sseklebeast]

Hahaha

[kujiko88]

It just dawned on me why this may be taking so long! The voicing... While watchin BU on youtube, I noticed the insane amount of it... Hopefully this'll only delay localisation.

[KingOfPrinces]

I am also worried because of the voice acting. I fear that one of the reasons that they might not localize the title is because Voice acting is expensive.

[four_black_hearts]

I don't like voice acting, America already has too many games with voice acting.

[MugenNoFrontierFan]

Seems interesting enough to me. I played and finished Yggdra Union only a couple months ago, and if it's somehow linked to the same universe as YU, I'm all for it. I'm still pining to buy Knights in The Nightmare (correct title?) for that same reason.

[KingOfPrinces]

I just thought of something. STING is notorius for porting their games to other handheld systems. Maybe with the eventual phase out PSP and the upcomming 3DS maybe STING is planning on porting the game to that platform and ATLUS knows this and they are holding off localization of this game so they don't have to waste resources on two localizations. But what worries me is the fact that this game is a 2D game and i don't know if its possible to have a game with 2D graphics and 3D visuals. But on the other hand, few people(including an ATLUS employee) thought it would be possible for Knights in the Nightmare to appear on the PSP but STING found a way.

[Tiamat]

red: cool

ssek - is hating on unions!

king: I doubt it

sry for the wall of text!

[redrighthand]

well if y'all are done ~wankin~


Of course, the real reason Atlus isn't localizing this game is because Gulcasa is far too popular with the boys. Clearly the whole Gulcasa/Nessiah thing is far saucier than anything you would find in Catherine. All that hot implied dragonjesus-on-fallen angel action is way more religiously offensive and potentially scarring than any weird phallic beast we've yet seen in Persona. It's a wonder how ~31:00 to the end of this battlefield (http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm11152123) (mild spoilers?) even made it in Japan uncut.


...All silly jokes aside, it'd be super cool if a representative could tell us why Atlus isn't interested--if it's a question of the work involved taking too much effort, the way Blaze Union would create inconsistencies with their translation of Yggdra Union, or just worry that it wouldn't sell well enough in this tight economy.

If you're dying to know more about the game, though, the Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaze_Union:_Story_to_Reach_the_Future) and TvTropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BlazeUnion) pages for it are both accurate and informative. The spoiler-sensitive might not want to look at them, however--the Wikipedia page especially gives away where Gulcasa is fast, if you haven't figured it out yet.

[Tatsuki]

Wouldn't this be the same reason why we haven't gotten Yggdra Unison either? I feel Atlus just isn't interested in the side-stories, perhaps because the original didn't meet expectations?

[Tiamat]

Well Yggdra Unison was based no a cell phone game by the same name so I expected Blaze Union to have much better chances of a US release. Atlus doesn't seem to care about localizing much RPGs lately...they mostly doing a bunch of random ass games this year from the looks of it.

[redrighthand]

The problem here is that while they're both technically side stories, Yggdra Unison isn't really necessary to understand what's really going on in Yggdra Union. Blaze Union is.

I can understand why there's no interest in Yggdra Unison even if I don't approve of it--that's an awful lot of text to wrangle for something that's basically a fandisc, and that text probably has the same issues as Yggdra Union's (a lot of it will be images that need to be recreated with English text on them instead of actual text).

But for whatever reason, Atlus didn't bring over the full World Guidance book, so English-speaking Dept. Heaven fans are way out of the loop on a lot of stuff (I think that book is the only place that ever actually explains what Nessiah really did way back when, not to mention the background of in-game historical events like how Brongaa was originally defeated). Blaze Union sheds a lot of light on things that are only mentioned in Japan-only side materials. Sure, there are fan translations of some of those things, but it's one thing reading in an interview that Gulcasa was abused when he was little and another to turn on your game, see characters discuss it, and watch how that influences the way he behaves.

Optimal playing order for these games seems to be Yggdra Union first, then Blaze Union to really get to know Gulcasa, then Yggdra Unison in order to get the happiest possible ending (though it sadly isn't canon). IMO none of these steps can be omitted, but if you had to drop one it would be Unison, as the most difficult to market and the one that might be most annoying to localize.

(And for the record, Yggdra Union appears to have sold well enough in both of its printings, at least from the sales charts that Wikipedia links to.)

[KingOfPrinces]

Well Yggdra Unison was based no a cell phone game by the same name so I expected Blaze Union to have much better chances of a US release. Atlus doesn't seem to care about localizing much RPGs lately...they mostly doing a bunch of random ass games this year from the looks of it.

Yeah, Atlus seems to have a hard time with consistency.

[Rarutos]

I think Blaze Unison should be localized! Atlus has localized every other Sting game published by their parent company in Japan. I don't see why they shouldn't bring this over. :<

[CantThinkOfAName]

I need to know if well... whether or not we are getting this.
This game was a much more well designed game than yggdra union.
Sorry I did the taboo of erhem... dl it.
But if there are no more signs of us getting this, then i would have to import it.
It's the least I could do to collecting the series. :-|

[redrighthand]

It is so good to know Japanese. So good. Y'all should try studying it too, so that you'll be able to import and understand games when stuff like this happens.

Agh, there's so much interesting sociopolitical commentary going on in Blaze Union! (spoilers) (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Analysis/BlazeUnion) It just makes me sad that the English-speaking audience is getting yet another silly Naruto game instead of this.

[four_black_hearts]

I think that's probably because, no matter how unfortunately, English-speaking people will buy silly Naruto games.

[KingOfPrinces]

It is so good to know Japanese. So good. Y'all should try studying it too, so that you'll be able to import and understand games when stuff like this happens.

Agh, there's so much interesting sociopolitical commentary going on in Blaze Union! (spoilers) (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Analysis/BlazeUnion) It just makes me sad that the English-speaking audience is getting yet another silly Naruto game instead of this.


Atlus published almost every single Sting game since Riviera so there was every reason to assume they would publish this game as well (ESPECIALLY this game). So i don't know how anyone could blame us for feeling betrayed.

Also, I may learn Japanese well enough to understand the games, but never enough to ENJOY the games nearly as much as I would if they were in english.

[Sseklebeast]

red: cool

ssek - is hating on unions!

king: I doubt it

sry for the wall of text!


I was not actually hating on Unions, just messing with someone in this thread.

[soaring_wings]

Recently picked up a PSP so I would totally support this if it came over. I loved Knights in the Nightmare DS and I'd love more Sting games (even if they aren't Dept. Heaven)

[Aegina]

I've played Yggdra Union some months ago and now I'm playing Kitn. I'm really, really fan of YU especially of The Twin Valkyries, and when I discovered that in this game I could play as Aegina... Man, I went crazy for this game. The only thing I want in this moment is this game in a language that I can understand. Because I want to play Route B, see Ordene, Russell, Yggdra... And play as Aegina.

Sorry for my bad english, i'm still learning it '-'

[elroid]

seeing Gloria Union has been announced, I certainly hope Blaze Union will be about time to be localized.

i also hope the Dept.heaven world guidance will somehow be included when Gungnir is released even if the timing is abit late. the book really do have alot information about the series and sadly currently we couldnt learn about it unless we learn japanese.

[Kou the Mad]

Haven't Dept. Heaven games been less censored in their western releases so far?

actually, Yggdra Union for the GBA was LESS censored in America then in Japan, showing a little more during a 'certain Scene'.



as for this game, i'd love to have it here in the States.

[four_black_hearts]

That's what I said.

[Kou the Mad]

That's what I said.

'rereads what i said'

...............wow i feel stupid

[Lyndis87]

seeing Gloria Union has been announced, I certainly hope Blaze Union will be about time to be localized.

i also hope the Dept.heaven world guidance will somehow be included when Gungnir is released even if the timing is abit late. the book really do have alot information about the series and sadly currently we couldnt learn about it unless we learn japanese.

I agree, I'm really looking forward to hearing an announcement for localization ^_^ And it certainly would be nice to have Dept. Heaven World Guidance as an extra goodie.

[KingOfPrinces]

That book is huge. It would probably have cost Atlus more to localize that book than the game itself.

If Atlus thought it was worth bringing the book over with any game, they would have released it with the DS version of Knights in the Nightmare.

[Kou the Mad]

seriously though, Atlus fans here in the states (and other countries) would love this, and most of us are mature enough to handle any 'mature content'

not all Americans are like the raging lunatics from Fox News.

[KingOfPrinces]

That book is huge. It would probably have cost Atlus more to localize that book than the game itself.

If Atlus thought it was worth bringing the book over with any game, they would have released it with the DS version of Knights in the Nightmare.

Haven't Dept. Heaven games been less censored in their western releases so far?

actually, Yggdra Union for the GBA was LESS censored in America then in Japan, showing a little more during a 'certain Scene'.


as for this game, i'd love to have it here in the States.

seriously though, Atlus fans here in the states (and other countries) would love this, and most of us are mature enough to handle any 'mature content'

not all Americans are like the raging lunatics from Fox News.


So we're bringing up the Censorship/Mature Content topic again are we? I bit my tongue hard the last couple times it was brought up but no longer can i sit idle and watch scores of people support this crap.

Frankly i get a hoot when people make such a fit when certain games get censored for being "mature" when in fact said games get censored for being immature.

The hypocrisy of the people who wish the localizers would keep the games 100% as they were in the Japanese versions is disgusting. It's not about consistency with them. I'ts about keeping the game as sleezy, controversial, and "hardcore" as possible. The perfect proof is the Yggdra example you brought up. These people moan and groan when translaters slightly change a conversation about breast size to make the game look a little less provacative or add a little more clothing to make the character slightly less sleezy with their excuse being "the game should be kept 'exactly' as the creators made it" to support the right to the freedom of expression. But when the localizers/developers on the rare occasion remove clothing or cover from how the character was originally depicted they're totally cool about it. I don't remember anyone throwing a fit when the Yggdra scene was changed.

and probably one of the reasons alot of excellent games who only were slightly provocative enough to warner a game unlocalizable never made it over is because gamers have to have it 100% unchanged or not at all.

[Kou the Mad]

That book is huge. It would probably have cost Atlus more to localize that book than the game itself.

If Atlus thought it was worth bringing the book over with any game, they would have released it with the DS version of Knights in the Nightmare.

Haven't Dept. Heaven games been less censored in their western releases so far?

actually, Yggdra Union for the GBA was LESS censored in America then in Japan, showing a little more during a 'certain Scene'.


as for this game, i'd love to have it here in the States.

seriously though, Atlus fans here in the states (and other countries) would love this, and most of us are mature enough to handle any 'mature content'

not all Americans are like the raging lunatics from Fox News.


So we're bringing up the Censorship/Mature Content topic again are we? I bit my tongue hard the last couple times it was brought up but no longer can i sit idle and watch scores of people support this crap.

Frankly i get a hoot when people make such a fit when certain games get censored for being "mature" when in fact said games get censored for being immature.

The hypocrisy of the people who wish the localizers would keep the games 100% as they were in the Japanese versions is disgusting. It's not about consistency with them. I'ts about keeping the game as sleezy, controversial, and "hardcore" as possible. The perfect proof is the Yggdra example you brought up. These people moan and groan when translaters slightly change a conversation about breast size to make the game look a little less provacative or add a little more clothing to make the character slightly less sleezy with their excuse being "the game should be kept 'exactly' as the creators made it" to support the right to the freedom of expression. But when the localizers/developers on the rare occasion remove clothing or cover from how the character was originally depicted they're totally cool about it. I don't remember anyone throwing a fit when the Yggdra scene was changed.

and probably one of the reasons alot of excellent games who only were slightly provocative enough to warner a game unlocalizable never made it over is because gamers have to have it 100% unchanged or not at all.

your point is valid..........i can admit when im wrong.

[KingOfPrinces]

That comment wasn't directed primarily at you. It was meant to be general and all encompassing.

Anyone who supports the localization of Sting games is cool with me :)

[Olethros]

Wow KoP. I don't think I've ever seen you this fired up before. You should do it more often! It definitely made you seem more articulate and a heck of a lot less needy. ;-)

[KingOfPrinces]

Wow KoP. I don't think I've ever seen you this fired up before. You should do it more often! It definitely made you seem more articulate and a heck of a lot less needy. ;-)

Ha Actually if you can believe it, that post was actually twice as long with alot more ranting and raving. I scaled it down so i wouldn't sound like a total pissed off gamefaqs or youtube poster. In other words i censored my own post! haha. :)

[Olethros]

Nice. :)

[Kou the Mad]

Wow KoP. I don't think I've ever seen you this fired up before. You should do it more often! It definitely made you seem more articulate and a heck of a lot less needy. ;-)

Ha Actually if you can believe it, that post was actually twice as long with alot more ranting and raving. I scaled it down so i wouldn't sound like a total pissed off gamefaqs or youtube poster. In other words i censored my own post! haha. :)

you have much to teach us.

[MugenNoFrontierFan]

Anything affiliated with Yggdra Union has my support.

[wongck]

Yggdra Union, Riviera, and KitN were all great games. You guys should definitely import this as part of the series. Also not to butt into your business but when you guys get a license to import games, maybe you should always negotiate an option to license the sequels as well just to streamline things a bit...

[Yasumi Matsuno]

^Would much much rather see Gungnir, tbh, if I were to choose only one.

[twdaw]

I'd also love to see this one, definite buy for me.

[mattiator]

I need this game (And Gungnir... and Gloria Union...) so I have a reason to buy a PSP and use that shiny copy of KitN PSP (complete with YU download code) that I spent 20 dollars on for no apparent reason.

Personally, I'm worried Atlus is looking at the PS Vita and saying 'Oh... it doesn't support UMDs anymore, so no backwards compatability?' and therefore worrying about the impact that the new system's launch will have on PSP game sales. It may just be me, but Atlus' localization of PSP games seems to have dropped dramatically in recent months compared to that time when we even got Crimson Gem Saga, a sequel to a game almost EVERYONE hated.