MangaGamer Anime Expo 2015 News Roundup
It has been a good year for MangaGamer, with several of their titles such as eden*, Princess Evangile and Higurashi When They Cry all appearing on Steam. They are showing no signs of slowing down either, judging by their Anime Expo 2015 announcements. With several new acquisitions and partners it looks like we will be hearing a lot more about this publisher.
A Kiss For The Petals -Remembering How We Met
MangaGamer kicked things off by announcing their partnership with St. Michael for the release of A Kiss For The Petals – Remembering How We Met. The game will be released on Steam and is the latest chapter in the franchise. This yuri title focuses on the relationship of two characters, Risa and Miya, telling the tale of how they met and eventually became lovers.
According to Mangagamer, the game will feature plenty of adult scenes, but is also characterized by the charming, natural development of the relationship between the two heroines. The two will go on dates and bond with each other, while trying to steal moments alone to express their love.
The game is a great place to start for players not familiar with the series as it tells a brand new tale while also looking back on the history of their time in St. Michael’s Girl School. What makes this chapter unique is the fact that the two girls were initially antagonistic towards each other. Both of them are smart in different ways, but with personalities that are almost het polar opposites of each other. As they recount their tale, players will find out how love managed to blossom between these two rivals.
MangaGamer also announced the next title from 07th Expansion, creators of Higarushi When They Cry! Titled Umineko When They Cry, the game gives players the opportunity to join a character named Battler as he attends the annual reunion of his wealthy family for the first time in six years. However, things don’t go as smoothly as planned and the family is left fearing for their lives.
The game is spread across eight different chapters where players are able to experience several different ways in which the events that transpired could have played out. Anyone with a love for murder mysteries and an appreciation for a great soundtrack should definitely add this title to their wishlist.
MangaGamer will be working with the team at Witch Hunt for the updated translation of the game alongside the official release on Steam and MangaGamer.com. The game will also feature new artwork, just like Higurashi.
Himawari: The Sunflower
Next up, MangaGamer announced their acquisition of the brand new PC version of Himawari: The Sunflower. This visual novel will feature all-new artwork by the artist of the Angel Djibril series, Kuuchuu Yousai.
It is a complete visual remake of the hard sci-fi romance by Blank Note and tells a tale of love, tragedy, and sacrifice. Set on Earth and outer space, the story features Hinata Youichi, a high school student who is the sole survivor of a tragic spaceplane crash. Youichi was robbed of his family and memories during the event, but has made a new life for himself, surrounded by friends. This peace doesn’t last though, as an unidentified object crash-lands in his hometown and he encounters a mysterious young girl from outer space. Her name is Aries and, like himself, she is an amnesiac.
The original version is already highly regarded and the new version will not only feature the beautiful new artwork by Kuuchuu Yousai, but also a script written by Go. MangaGamer promises plenty of surprises as the story might start out as a light-hearted high-school adventure, but also takes a more serious turn as it progresses.
MangaGamer plans on releasing two versions of the game, an adult version that will only be available on their website and an all-ages version on Steam. Players who order the adult version from them will also receive a free Steam copy.
Beat Blades Haruka
Last up is the announcement of a new partnership between MangaGamer and Alice Soft! The latter is famous for their gameplay-focused eroge titles such as the Rance and Toushin Toshi series. The first release from this partnership will be the successor to Beat Angel Escalaver, called Beat Blades Haruka.
The game stars Haruka Takamori, a ninja of the Crescent Moon clan, who is in pursuit of an evil organization called the Noroi Faction. Haruka must stop the faction from resurrecting an evil creature called the great Noroi, but this is a task that will involve lots of sex!
You have up to 99 days, each with three phases, to stop the enemy ninjas from invading, which makes the game a bit of an RPG at heart. You will have to pick your actions carefully during each phase in order to ensure that Haruka is prepared for her enemies. According to Mangagamer, the game will feature more than 80 different H-scenes along with its great art style and voice acting.
All in all MangaGamer impressed us with their announcements and the new partnerships definitely paves the way for more high quality content from them in the future.
