12.18.04 - 1:45 AM
Today was a big day for Atlus fans. We'll start with the game we already knew was on its way.
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga was announced for a US release this past E3, originally planned to hit stores in November. As usual, quality assurance concerns caused the date to slip a bit, as the game is now planned for a spring 2005 release. However, Atlus has announced plans to release a Deluxe Box Set for the title, making the wait even more worth it. This special box will come with a special art box featuring art from both the first and second DDS titles, 'controller armor,' which is essentially a label for your PS2 controller featuring game artwork, and a 30+ track soundtrack CD. The Deluxe Box Set will retail for an MSRP of $54.99, only five dollars more than the standard game, making it hard to pass up.
Also of note is that the company has mentioned plans to bring the game's sequel to English-speaking gamers as well. Titled Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 2, the sequel will release in Japan next month, and is tentatively scheduled for release here next summer. That DDS2 art on the box above is making more sense now, isn't it?
Along with this, Atlus has also announced plans to release Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity in North America. Released on October 28th in Japan, this strategy RPG has been well-received by import gamers, and should be a welcome addition to most gamers' libraries, and is said to boast over 50 hours of gameplay (though the hardcore will no doubt spend even longer with it). Stella Deus is scheduled for release next summer for an MSRP of $49.99. Look for an import review on RPGFan in the coming weeks as well.
In a unique move, Atlus has also posted four potential layouts for the game's box art, and is asking fans to vote for their favorite on their website.
To close, we have a large selection of new images now available for both games. Click on the links below to see 15 new English screen shots, 16 pieces of background and character art and four Deluxe Box Set images for Digital Devil Saga. After that, we have 86 brand new screens of Stella Deus, plus 14 pieces of high-res main character art and packaging concepts. That's over 130 new images to ogle, so you should be busy for awhile.
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| Mike Salbato |