"We are extremely excited to launch XSEED Games with these two quality role-playing games," said Jun Iwasaki, president, XSEED Games. "Our extensive past experience working with some of the highest quality titles in the industry has really honed our ability to spot the best in interactive entertainment. These two titles are the first of what the XSEED Games label will come to represent in bringing great entertainment to the U.S. audience. We expect both Wild ARMs 4 and Shadow Hearts to not only appeal to the existing fans of the series but also attract newcomers."
For the unfamiliar, Shadow Hearts: From the New World is the third game in the Shadow Hearts series and is the direct follow-up to IGN's PlayStation 2 RPG of the year from 2004. Released in Japan this past June, From the New World follows new hero Johnny Garland as he joins an investigation to track down a dangerous criminal during the U.S.' Great Depression. Players can expect new adjustments to the Judgment Ring combat system (like option to execute a combo command with a second character or performing two different actions in one turn), and an all-new cast of supporting NPCs and environments previously unseen in the series before.
Wild ARMs 4, on the other hand, tells the story of a teenage boy who has grown up in a large sphere floating thousands of feet above the surface named Jude Maverick. When the take begins, Jude's homeland is attacked by invaders from the sky, and with help from three other teenage heroes, he sets off to stop the war of Filgaia and embrace his destiny to be something greater. The game's brand new "Accelerator" ability will allow players to manipulate time, and the high-end production values consist of cel-shaded graphics and complete voice-overs during cutscenes.
We'll have more on both of these games fairly soon (including a video interview with XSEED CEO Jun Iwasaki held last month) and have also updated the media pages for both games to celebrate the announcement.