Visual Novel Localisation News from AX 2015

It’s that time of year again when the visual novel localisers we know and love roll up their sleeves and show us the aces they’ve been keeping there all year. We’ve already had a wealth of great titles unveiled this year, from XSEED’s Corpse Party: Blood Drive to Degica/IXTL’s Muv-Luv plans, but you can bet AX had more equally exciting announcements in store.

 

JAST was the first to make their announcements, letting us know that Shiny Days (sequel to School Days) will be out in August, followed by Seinarukana releasing in September, and Lightning Warrior Raidy III to hit as soon as this month. Sumaga, the life or death drama with witch girls, was said to be still in editing with no solid release date given.

 

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Lightning Warrior Raidy III

 

In the new localisation news, JAST announced SoniComi, a game where you interact with Nitroplus’ famous mascot as her cameraman and possible future boyfriend. The game lets you romance Sonico as you would in a visual novel, with the added benefit of getting to take her picture at various angles. JAST also made the surprising announcement that they would be taking on all four games in Innocent Grey’s hit yuri series, FLOWERS. The first game, Spring Arc, is scheduled to release as soon as this autumn. The series follows the story of the friendship and mystery Suoh Shirahane finds after she enrolls in an elite all-girls high school. It’s an all-ages yuri title, but you can bet you’ll see some hands being held.

 

Flowers -Le Volume sur Printemps-

 

Aksys Games delighted many fans with the announcement of Zero Escape 3, the third installment to the series and sequel to 999 and Virtue’s Last Reward. Not only does this game’s announcement complete the series, it’s scheduled to be released in English simultaneously with the Japanese version (for 3DS and Vita). Keep your excitement contained until summer 2016!

 

Zero Escape 3

 

In other Aksys news, Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~, a steampunk otome visual novel, was announced for the PlayStation Vita along with another Vita-exclusive otome visual novel, Norn9: Var Commons. Both games come from Idea Factory (and one co-developed by Design Factory), the developers behind the popular Hakouki series. XBlaze Lost: Memories, the continuation of XBlaze Code: Embryo, was also announced for an August 4th release on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita.

 

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Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~

 

Of course, you can’t have localisation news without mentioning Sekai Project, the publisher continuously bringing us visual novel miracles. This year didn’t disappoint either, with the publisher announcing the localisation of a number of great titles, including: G-senjou no Maou, AKABEi SOFT2’s cat-and-mouse visual novel, on Steam this summer; the time travel eroge Chrono Clock (no release date given); the life-or-death mystery visual novel by the director of Ever17, Root Double -Before Crime * After Days- Xtend Edition-; and limited news of a Narcissu remake, which will bring over parts of Narcissu 3. I’ll give you a moment to catch your breath.

 

G-senjou no Maou

To round out the news, Sekai Project confirmed that WORLD END ECONOMiCA episode.02 will hit Steam this month, and that the Sunrider series will continue with Sunrider: Liberation Day (though this isn’t terribly new news). Clannad‘s less general release date was sneakily announced on a flyer – November 2015 on Steam. All these announcements bring Sekai Project’s publishing count to over 40 titles (both released and planned), which is… amazing. Look how much things have changed in barely any time at all.

 

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Chrono Clock

 

Lastly, if you haven’t yet stopped reading to jump about the room, MangaGamer, not to be outdone, announced several new games and partnerships with some big companies. Firslty, A Kiss for the Petals: Remembering How We Met was announced, giving the much-loved Sono Hana series a strangely all-ages official release, but no less welcome. The publisher also introduced plans for Himawari, a sci-fi doujin game by Blank Note/Frontwing, being given a complete visual remake. And Umineko When They Cry will be given the Higurashi treatment with optional new sprites, updated uncut translation and a Steam release. They also announced Beat Blades Haruka, the Alicesoft RPG/eroge about every fetish you could imagine, which isn’t exactly Alicesoft’s most famous game, but the hints that we may see Rance if this does well are certainly there.

 

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A Kiss for the Petals: Remembering How We Met

 

Of course, MangaGamer also updated the status of many of their projects, from Minori’s SupiPara being $3649.21 away from a successful funding, to Ozmafia seeing an end-of-2015/start-of-2016 release. Euphoria, The House in Fata Morgana and Da Capo III R are still in the translation phase, and Gahkthun of the Golden Lightning, Kara no Shoujo II and Circletempo’s MYTH in editing. It’s close!

 

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Umineko When They Cry (Steam)

 

As with last year, there are many exciting titles – new and old – to look forward to over the next year or so as visual novels slowly take over the world. I don’t know about you guys, but I need a moment to take it all in. But as I keep saying: it’s a great time to be into visual novels.

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