NIS America 2023 Lineup Preview - Disgaea 7, Crymachina, and more

Are you a fan of Japanese RPGs? What about turn-based combat where you get to live out your wildest fantasies? If you thought this was a preview for upcoming Square Enix games, you would be wrong.

Instead, we are providing you with even cuter games from another popular company that brings games from Asia over to the US. If you haven’t already figured it out, we are talking about the wonderful publisher NIS America. We say wonderful because we have always had a pleasant experience working with them and they publish some amazing games. If you have yet to, check out our NIS America Section.

At PAX East 2023, when we met with NIS America they had a whopping ten games to show us. The meeting was primarily to focus on how these ten games will be released in 2023 and what to expect from them. So what were the ten games?

During the meeting, we were shown: Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virueless, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook, The Caligula Effect Overdose, Raiden III X Mikado Maniax, The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie, R-Type Tactics 1 & 2 Cosmos, Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles, The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails, and Cry Machina.

Below, we will be sharing with you the way the game was presented to us and our overall thoughts on each game. Keep in mind, at the time of this meeting, the games being shown are still in development and have tentative release dates. Keep an eye out for any changes here on Niche Gamer.

Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virueless

Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virueless is set to release in the Fall of 2023 on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC. The game is developed by Nippon Ichi Software and will feature Japanese and English voice acting, and will also feature English and French subtitles/text.

As someone who has never played Disgaea, the game looked interesting but not a good jump-in point for the franchise. The changes and additions look like the developers are trying to appease fans after the criticism they got from the previous game.

The character models look interesting with a more modern spin for a dark theme. Honestly, who doesn’t like cute demons? Fans of the series should feel that the game is a return to form after a slight hiccup.

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, this is one title I had not heard of before PAX East. Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is set to launch on May 9th, 2023 on PlayStation 5. The game is developed by Nihon Falcom and is an action RPG game. This game will also feature English and Japanese voice acting and English and French subtitles/text.

The characters in this game look amazing and there will definitely be some characters that players love more than others. Move between light and dark to smite the darkness.

Combat within the game looks pretty well-rounded but the overworld appears to have a major focus on openness and exploration. We have already potentially found a favorite character with The Raging Bull. The soundtrack seems to be battle heavy but could be more diverse than what the trailer showcases.

Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook

Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook is scheduled to be released on May 23, 2023, on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 for $49.99. Monster Menu was developed by Nippon Ichi Software and will feature English and Japanese voice acting and English subtitles.

Prepare to make the best food you can and survive the dungeons. Personally, we feel that this will be a fun adventure where you can make new allies.

The idea of cooking monster parts to make yourself stronger could be fun mechanic based on how it’s presented. The players’ characters and the monsters both look cute. Hopefully there is a diverse variety of monsters to slay and cook up. As someone who is less likely to play dungeon crawlers, I would be open to trying this one out.

The Caligula Effect Overdose

The Caligula Effect Overdose is a single-player RPG coming to the PlayStation 5 in 2023. The game is being developed by FuRyu. Fans of Persona and JRPGs might enjoy this game when it releases. The game is only voiced in Japanese but features English subtitles.

The idea that The Caligula Effect Overdose contains a bunch of different characters the player can interact with makes the world sound massive. Hopefully the remastered graphics and gameplay will bring new life to the game.

Learn who you can recruit and fight against the false sense of reality. It will be interesting to see how the team adapts the game to the PS5 and what changes, if any, occur.

Raiden III X Mikado Maniax

Raiden III X Mikado Maniax is set to release on June 6th, 2023 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

The game will allow 2 players to play through a digitally enhanced version of the classic shooter formerly only in Japan. Shoot enemies to a musical soundtrack of your choosing. The game is developed by MOSS and will feature English subtitles.

As someone who has not played Raiden, it will be interesting comparing it to retro arcade games. Hopefully the game will feature online and local co-op to allow players to get the best experience possible. Visually, the game looks good, but it will come down to how it feels as well.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie

The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie is set to release on July 7th, 2023 on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie is developed by Nihon Falcom and will feature English and Japanese voice acting.

Pick between a variety of heroes to take down challenges and unlock new allies and skills. Unlock a variety of minigames that you can play when tired of combat. Even go to the beach and have some fun in the sun.

When you compare this game to other games in the Trails series, it feels more like fan service and something to unwind with. Now there’s nothing wrong with that, but players should know what they are getting into.

R-Type Tactics 1 & 2 Cosmos

R-Type Tactics 1 & 2 Cosmos is set to release this summer and will be available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.

The game is being developed by Granzella and is a turn-based strategy game. The game’s audio is strictly in Japanese but it will feature English, Japanese, French, Italian, German, and Spanish text.

This game is a remake of the PSP titles coming to the West for the first time. Out of all the games shown to us, this was the one we were least excited about. The game looks like an old-school arcade game but is more of a space RTS.

Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles

Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles is an RPG in development by Nippon Ichi Software. The game is set to be released on Nintendo Switch, PC, and PlayStation 5 this summer.

The game will feature Japanese and English voice acting, however, all singing within the game will be in Japanese. Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles is actually the HD remaster of Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little Princess and Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom.

Experience Rhapsody 2 and 3 for the first time. Return to an older time with turn-based combat and explore a vast magical world. The characters in the game look cute, but the trailer doesn’t do the game enough justice. If you are a fan of the older Dragon Quest, Golden Sun, or Final Fantasy, you should have a good time. We are definitely looking forward to when this releases.

The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails

The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is an Action RPG currently in development by Nihon Falcom. The game is currently scheduled for a PlayStation 4 release in the Fall of 2023.

The game will feature Japanese and English voice acting and will also feature English text. This is the only demo we got to play during the meeting. The gameplay was smooth but the movement took a bit to get used to.

Combat was fairly easy to understand for the bit of the demo, but was only a small sample. The mix of art styles between realm exploration and cut scenes should draw players in with its colors and cute characters.

Crymachina

Crymachina is an action RPG currently in development by FuRyu for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 and is currently scheduled to be released in the Fall of 2023.

The game is will feature Japanese voice dialog with English subtitles. Visually, this game looks the most appealing to us with stunning visuals, beautiful characters, and colorful special effects.

The Japanese voice acting in the trailer for Crymachina feels so intense and will probably feels like it should make you love machines.