Video games
The Order: 1886 (PS4), Feb. 20
Set in a steampunk version of Victorian-era London, the single-player game introduces players to an ancient order of knights who have sworn to protect humanity against halfbreeds and to keep the peace amid growing sociopolitical unrest.
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD (PS4, Xbox One), March 19
First released on the PSP platform in 2011, this RPG was originally known as Final Fantasy (FF) Agito XIII and was considered part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis subseries (which also includes FFXIII and the upcoming FFXV).
Here, players control the mage-students of Class Zero, who are sent on various missions to fight against invading forces while unlocking the secrets of the powerful crystals.
As if the FF hype isn’t enough, Square Enix has partnered with Sony on a red-and-black Suzaku Edition PS4 console bundled with FF Type-0 HD, plus access to a special demo of the long-awaited FFXV game.
This hits stores exclusively in Japan on March 19; better pray they’ll relent and release it worldwide, too.
Mortal Kombat X (PS4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows), April 14
This 10th installment of the well-loved fighting game franchise has had gamers salivating since the release of the marvelously gory trailer featuring iconic mainstays Scorpion and Sub-Zero.
Mortal Kombat X was created by NetherRealm Studios, the same group behind the certified winner Injustice: Gods Among Us.
It was announced during last year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles that the game’s timeline will pick up where the last MK installment left off, then move forward to 25 years later.
Apart from veterans Raiden and Goro, new characters like Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade’s daughter Cassie will be joining the fray.
The game will reportedly be released along with a live-action series produced by a Warner Bros. company.
Batman: Arkham Knight (PS4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows), June 2
This is arguably the most anticipated game in this bunch, having already nabbed gaming awards well before its release.
The fourth game in the Batman Arkham series, it follows Batman’s crusade against the Scarecrow, who has gathered the other supervillains (plus a formidable new foe) to finish off the Dark Knight once and for all.
As seen in the Ace Chemicals Infiltration trailer trilogy, “Knight” offers sharp, eye-popping visuals and a bigger, badder playground for Batman and his Batmobile to move around in.
The Legend of Zelda (Wii U), TBA
After reliving the joys of simple first-person shooting via the beloved Duck Hunt game, Nintendo seems to be hell-bent on reviving its legendary titles with a vengeance.
But in contrast to Duck Hunt, which was ported into the Wii U as the original NES game, the Zelda reboot shows our hero Link exploring vast 3D landscapes and fighting off monsters with his trusty horse Epona.
Animé/manga adaptations
“Parasyte”
Based on the best-selling ’90s sci-fi horror manga, “Parasyte” tells the story of high schooler-turned-unwilling hero Shinichi Izumi, whose right hand is inhabited by a carnivorous alien parasite after the latter’s botched attempt at taking over his brain.
Now forced to coexist, a superpowered Shinichi and the parasite (now called Migi) find themselves hunting other parasites before the entire human race is wiped out.
The animé series adaptation was considered one of the best releases of 2014.
It has also been adapted into a two-part live-action film; the first part premiered in Japan last December and will be shown in Singapore theaters this January.
Meanwhile, the second part is slated for release in Japan in April.
With its awesome CG battle scenes (plus seeing a “real-life” Migi puttering about on Shinichi’s desk), we just might hear people clamoring for a Philippine release real soon.
“Bakuman”
Made by the creators of the hit series “Death Note,” this slice-of-life dramedy chronicles the adventures of aspiring manga artists Mashiro and Takagi as they strive to have their stories printed in one of Japan’s most popular manga magazines.
Perhaps the main reason Filipino animé fans might want to watch the live-action adaptation, slated to come out this year, is that it stars Takeru Satoh and Ryunosuke Kamiki—better known as Kenshin Himura and Soujirou Seta, respectively, from the wildly successful “Rurouni Kenshin” films.
“Attack on Titan”
Set in an apocalyptic era where giant man-eating creatures called Titans have invaded the planet, Eren Yeager and his ragtag group of fighters enlist in the military to help them take down the humanoid beasts before they wipe out mankind.
Also known as Shingeki no Kyojin, the 2009 hit manga spawned a series of light novels, animé and video games. Now, “Attack on Titan” (AoT) fans can expect a two-part live-action adaptation to come out in August and September, likely teased by that Subaru ad that featured Titans chasing after a new SUV model.
Just a catch (and somewhat of a spoiler): Looking at the official cast photos, we reckon that AoT fans will be a bit peeved that fan favorite and “humanity’s strongest soldier” Levi isn’t among them.
Also, despite the European setting in the original storyline, most of the Caucasian characters have been changed to Japanese.
We’d still love to see how Eren and his crew will translate those killer moves against the CG-animated monsters onto the big screen.
