As I scan my Disney's Frozen calendar I see that August is almost upon us and that can only mean another new set of free games for Gold members on Xbox One and 360. Co-Optimus have come to expect a co-op experience to be included and once again we can rejoice. Time to get our dragon on in Crimson Dragon.
Xbox One launch title Crimson Dragon received a decent update with some exciting new features this week. The 4GB update includes the long awaited multiplayer and co-op modes, as well as an increased difficulty setting.
Anybody who was a fan of the old Panzer Dragoon games must have been tickled pink by the unveiling of its spiritual successor, Crimson Dragon, at the Tokyo Game Show in 2011. The project suffered some delays, a console shift from the 360 to the Xbox One, and dropping the dreaded Kinect Requirement, before it was ready to let us take to the skies on November 22nd. There is something of a catch, however.
We’ve got some juicy new screens for upcoming title Crimson Dragon, a game we can only describe as an on-rails, dragon flying, sky battle of awesome. The screens are from the first area of the game, known as the Coral lakes. The area contains massive structures made from coral, and the visuals looks great. The Coral Lakes are also home to other creatures, such as the Vespin, a bug like creature. When the Vespin swarm together, things can get complicated for the dragon, so it’s best to stay away.
Earlier today we reported on Crimson Dragon's move to the Xbox One and the Kinect controls being rendered optional, so I'll skip over that stuff. Andrew and I both got our hands on the demo at Microsoft's booth, and I'm here to tell you all about it.
The last bit of news we heard about Crimson Dragon, the game being hailed as the spiritual successor to the widely popular Panzer Dragoon series, was that the PAX East 2012 demo had found its way onto the Japanese XBLA marketplace. This was, perhaps, a bit of fortuitous happenstance for the much delayed title as the project's director, Yukio Futatsugi, received a good deal of feedback about the game being Kinect only. It seems that folks weren't content using only some gestures and their voice to control their dragons, and preferred the tried-and-true method of using those twin analog sticks and face buttons. So, Crimson Dragon will no longer be Kinect only. However, that's not the only bit of news coming out of E3 about this co-op title.
It seems like we've been waiting ages for Crimson Dragon, the spiritual successor to SEGA's cult-favorite Panzer Dragoon series. Since Microsoft hasn't shared news on the game in more than half a year, the universe seemingly took it upon itself to throw us a bone: the game's PAX East 2012 demo recently leaked on the Japanese Xbox 360 Marketplace, along with a handful of DLC. We didn't get a chance to grab the demo before it was pulled, but the footage we share with you now is the next best thing.
Dragon riding aficionados may have noticed something missing from this week's Co-Op Release Alert. Crimson Dragon was supposed to launch this week but was unceremoniously delayed. According the Xbox.com it has been set to release on December 31st, 2799, which means it's not my problem, or anyone else's for that matter.
Crimson Dragon has got itself a shiny new release date. The on-rails dragon riding simulator will take flight on June 13th. It's powered by the Kinect, so I'm assuming that you have to flap your arms to fly and spit at the sensor to breathe fire. Okay, maybe not, but I can dream, can't I?
Crimson Dragon, the sequel to Panzer Dragoon in everything but name, now has an official Japanese site. And with that site comes a few new screenshots as well as higher-quality versions of the ones originally provided by Famitsu. Additionally, the game's dazzling trailer (previously glimpsed via camcorder video on YouTube) is available for download to Xbox 360s with a Japanese Xbox Live account. Siliconera has kindly uploaded the trailer for all the world to see.
I don't know why companies still insist on creating code names for their products before coming out with the official title; I was happy with the Nintendo Piddle, before they changed it to the Wii. The latest name change surrounds the spiritual successor to Panzer Dragoon. Project Draco shall now been known as Crimson Dragon. Along with a new name, some equally new details are beginning to appear about this elusive exclusive for the Xbox 360 Kinect.
The thought of strapping yourself to the back of a mythical beast may sound fun, but most of those stories involve death, destruction and more than their fair share of turning people into stone. If, like me, you prefer to keep your magic animal riding strictly to Kinect, then you are in luck. The spiritual successor to Panzer Dragoon, Project Draco, has announced 3 player online co-op.
