This article originally came out as part of the Eurogamer Essentials newsletter for Eurogamer supporters that goes out to all members every Friday. If you want to find out how to become a Eurogamer pro, you can find out more here.
Makuhari Messi is thriving in Japan, its halls brimming with excitement from the Tokyo Game Show, which is in full swing after three years of recession. It’s a strange feeling that all of this is spreading far and wide – one of the great privileges of my job in the pre-pandemic years was attending Eurogamer’s shows, and being on the ground in Japan as it celebrated its gaming industry. Celebrates was really every bit as wonderful as you would imagine.
I’ve had enough anecdotes over the years to fill a pretty lousy book, though to uphold the dignity of those involved – and I – very few of them will ever see the light of day (and I’m pretty sure Wes and Tom Still haven’t forgiven me for the stress I caused them as they tried to drag us from the Shinjuku bar in the early hours of the morning to get our flight home).
It was always going to be difficult to get there this year thanks to the excessive bureaucracy surrounding border controls, but it’s at least possible to keep things remote, whether it’s via this week’s Nintendo Direct or State of Play — both of which, thanks to skewed expectations a few wonky leaks aside, delivered some fun surprises — or the publisher’s efforts to bring the show home. Over at Woolwich Square Enix put on a good show, highlighting their apparently absurd slate for the rest of 2022 – The Deofield Chronicles! Harvestella! crisis Core! Tactics Ogre – While Koei Tecmo created a demo of the curious-looking Woh Long: Fallen Dynasty, a fascinating hybrid of Nioh’s soullike action with his Musso legacy.
Meaty Harvestella Demo – Did I Write Right? Does it really matter when it comes to Square Enix’s increasingly redundant titles? – Lets you track your progress to the end game.
The demo is substantial, and has swallowed a few evenings this week. I’d even go so far as to say that it’s a reasonably eclectic thing, the area enclosed by its walls—a vast space full of vertical possibilities enabled by the imaginary Chinese setting, and something that sets Wo Long apart from its predecessors—a Provides satisfactory standalone experience. It’s a promotional beat I’d love to see more of, and a welcome twist to this new situation we find ourselves in that demos once made for the show floor are now finding a wider audience. For Team Ninja, it’s a chance to collect some serious feedback as it gets this little piece—the first area the team developed as a proof of concept, I was told, and where Woh Long’s martial arts-infused Soullike action can be seen at its peak – in front of millions of people.
And I’m grateful to get a taste of what’s on the show floor at the Tokyo Game Show from the comfort of my shed. Elsewhere this week Square Enix’s Harvestella dropped a healthy demo on the eShop, something that steals even a few hours of my time — in fact, I’ve been playing a really public demo this week with TGS, Which reminds me of my early gaming years when demos were pretty much what I had. When money was tight, why drop forty quid for something new, when four will get you a neat magazine with a cover disc that lets you play dozens of new games to explore.
I had saved up for a PlayStation but never had enough money for games, so almost all of my experience with that console was through demos. I’ve never played beyond the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater’s Warehouse, yet every inch of that level is indelibly imprinted in my mind (with that demo being the only Primus track). It’s one of my all-time favorite gaming memories, and one I cherish as much as those special trips to Sega or Treasure’s Japanese headquarters when I was lucky enough to have TGS.
So it breaks my heart a bit that I’m not over in Tokyo for this year’s show, especially one that’s given a lot — from Radiant Silvergun to news, Miyamoto to Tom for the first time. About this was told about Pikmin 4. , At least I have a small portion of the show here, thanks for those demos, and don’t worry because there’s a show on my doorstep next week that I’m sure to attend. It’s definitely EGX in Excel from next Thursday. I hope to meet some of you there – you’ll find me near the Street Fighter 6 booth, paying attention to another demo pulled off the TGS floor.
Source
