The hot new titles we have our eye on coming soon, announced during the Nintendo Direct this week

Usually Friday brings with it multiple new games, but this week things are looking pretty dry. Sure, I could recommend you some titles that I’ve recommended previously that just so happen to be on sale, but instead I felt that we should talk about the Nintendo Direct that took place yesterday. As this was a “Partner Spotlight” Nintendo Direct, we may see quite a few (if not all) of these games also come to PC, so let’s take a look at some of the announcements they made.

Let’s a-go!

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection

My absolute highlight of this Nintendo Direct, Monster Hunter Stories 3 tells the tale of two nations facing ruin. Azuria and Vermeil are facing the crystal encroachment — we’re not entirely certain what this is, though it might be linked to the elder dragon Velkhana — but during this time a single mysterious egg brings with it hope. As the egg hatches, a species long thought to be extinct, a Rathalos, emerges; yet hope becomes horror as a second Rathalos also emerges from the shell, the two sharing the same mark as the twin Skyscale Rathalos that rained destruction down on the kingdoms 200 years ago during the civil war. As if things weren’t bad enough, the flames of war have begun to stir…

If you enjoy Pokemon, this may be well up your alley. Monster Hunter Stories 2 is my favorite game in the collect-’em-all monster battle genre, and I am extremely hyped for this new title as it appears to be going for a more mature tone with older characters. Only time will tell.

Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles

Final Fantasy Tactics might be a game that needs no introduction; originally released on the PlayStation back in 1997, Tactics has since seen multiple re-releases over the years, including a completely rewritten script, voice acting, and a fresh coat of paint. The Ivalice Chronicles is supposed to be the ultimate version of this title, sporting two different play modes: Enhanced, which has improved graphics, new voice acting, “refined” gameplay and more difficulty options; and Classic, which uses the graphics and gameplay from the 1997 game, with the rewritten script from the PSP release The War of the Lions. There’s something here for both new and old fans, so we’ll just have to see what new changes there are in the Enhanced mode when the game releases on September 30.

Octopath Traveler 0

The Octopath titles were some of the first 2.5D RPGs that hit the market a few years ago with blazing success, and the newest title Octopath Traveler 0 is more of a remake than an entirely new title. 2022 saw the release of the gacha mobile title Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent, and this new title is a “re-imagining” of that mobile game, only without the gacha system and with a “new interpretation” of the mobile title’s story. Thankfully, Square Enix knows that the mobile title’s microtransactions aren’t going to work in a major console release and have stripped them entirely out to make the game more palatable, which honestly is a win for all of us.

I can’t speak for the quality of the mobile game as I never played it, but I’m really interested to see this title when it launches December 4.

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales

Speaking of 2.5D Square Enix titles, The Adventures of Elliot is a brand new game that was announced during the Direct and boy am I excited for this one. Looking a lot like Octopath Traveler, The Adventures of Elliot is actually an action RPG where you play as Elliot and his fairy companion Faie to investigate some mysterious ruins that have been found in the wilds outside of the Kingdom of Huther. So far we don’t know very much about this title, but there is a free demo available right now if you own a Switch 2, so I plan to give this a go later this evening. Even before I give it a spin, this title is certainly on my much anticipated list.

These certainly weren’t the only titles announced yesterday, just my top 4 picks. If you’re interested, you can watch the entire Direct here, or just watch the highlight trailers (the things you’re really interested in, be honest) right here.