Worldwide PS3 releases for the week of April 20th

by Jem Alexander { Apr 20th 2008 at 8:00AM }

Calm down, the countdown is almost over. It's only a week (and a bit) until the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV. In the meantime, check out this week's new releases. Unless you're Japanese (or a big basketball fan) there's no a whole lot here. Here's the full release list:

US Games

EU Games

No new releases

Asian Games

Senjou no Valkyria (Valkyria Chronicles)
Rainbow Six: Vegas (Platinum)

The biggest release in this list is clearly Valkyria Chronicles, a PS3 exclusive JRPG. The first such game to be released, in fact. We're not counting Disgaea 3, because it's a Strategy RPG. So there. Hopefully there will be many more to come and we look forward to seeing how well Valkyria Chronicles sells. Us Westerners will have to wait until the Autumn to play it.

If you don't mind overcoming the language barrier, however, you can go ahead and import the game for yourself. Your PS3 will play games from any region. Release dates are constantly subject to change, so be sure to confirm with whoever you're buying off before you part with the cash.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

OkiDoki @ Apr 20th 2008 8:08AM

EU Games
04/23/2008 - Time Crisis 4

Afro_Dude @ Apr 20th 2008 8:17AM

Is this true? I've seen it on pre-order in Gamestop for a while, bundled with the new Gcon. This is good news!

Does anyone know if Gcon2 is usable in Time Crisis 4? It'd be handy to have a second gun :)

matthew_neitzer @ Apr 20th 2008 8:38AM

http://valkyria.jp/kabegami.html

You can download a PS3 Theme based on this game. Anyhow, any reviews out yet? ;P

Laruku @ Apr 20th 2008 1:25PM

yea... 34/40 on famitsu...

-Jad- @ Apr 20th 2008 4:34PM

thanks for the link and the reviews score of the game. i can't wait for this game.

NukeAssault @ Apr 20th 2008 10:23AM

Woo Senjou no Valkyria! I want it!!!!

Ninjakamster @ Apr 20th 2008 10:46AM

Certainly looks like quite a nice game, at least graphically and art style wise.

Sorry I keep repeating this, but the PS3 needs all the great exclusives it can get. : )

Yaster @ Apr 20th 2008 10:51AM

didnt know the PS3 was getting the GOTY edition, ah well go us :D

Lars @ Apr 21st 2008 1:56PM

That was fast too. I may pick up CoD4 after all. I was going to wait and buy it for PC, but I haven't gotten around to upgrading my system yet.

Draco @ Apr 20th 2008 10:53AM

Is there a site somewhere that shows which Japanese games ship with multiple languages?

like the Disgaea or Final Fantasy international games.

brettjr @ Apr 20th 2008 12:54PM

I hate how it's now become a trend to call rpgs from japan, JRPG.

Popfrogs @ Apr 20th 2008 1:11PM

Why? It's accurate. That way you can easily separate RPGs from JRPGs. Oblivion = RPG. FF7 Crisis Core = JRPG.

BippityBop @ Apr 20th 2008 1:14PM

I too dislike how they call them that now. Why aren't Western RPG's called WRPG?

Dullshimmer @ Apr 20th 2008 1:34PM

I agree that it is somewhat of a poor trend. Considering that most RPGs from back in the days of the NES were JRPGs to all of a sudden make that separation seems contrived. If anything it needs to be that ones like Final Fantasy and the sort are JRPGs while Oblivion and Mass Effect are western RPGs aka WRPGs and both of those make up the RPG genre. Most of the time I think of the JRPGs as the true prototype of RPGs while the WRPGs are more of the label to show difference.

leiwei @ Apr 20th 2008 4:04PM

I don't know if it's me, and the only WRPG console games (not counting Baldur's Gate, oldschool computer RPGs) I've played are Mass Effect & KOTOR series, but does anyone else feel that these two WRPGs i mentioned have a similar trend going on? Typically involves a main character w/ mysterious background, a couple cast members worth remembering, combat that involves guns or some kind of "light" saber, and "magic attacks" that involve something similar to "force" powers. Okay now I can understand those games were from Bioware hence the similarities, but given that, the general formula for WRPGs seem different from JRPGs. Take for example Mana Khemia, Persona, FF, Disgaea, and SRW. There's RPG and SRPG in the whole JRPG category, and they all offer very different gameplay/character building scheme & theme, though ultimately the same goal is to level up your characters. I don't consider Fable 1 an WRPG however, it seemed more like an adventure game to me. I was there was a Baldur's Gate or Icewind Dale on the consoles. Old school PC-era rpgs w/ big in-depth story & character development.

brettjr @ Apr 20th 2008 5:21PM

Yeah exactly. To me it just seems that calling japanese rpg JRPG and the others regular rpg seems to imply that their rpg is the definite version and the japanese ones are just the japanese version of rpg type games. That's pretty messed up considering that no other region has put so much work and development throughout the years in that genre then the japanese.

LJ @ Apr 20th 2008 6:08PM

Actually this is japan's own trend. They call japan-made pop music JPOP.

It's kinda weird to call any RPG coming from Japan JRPG, to me all RPG are RPG period, but its helpful since western RPGs are always non-linear versus JRPG which always are - linear - so when you listen to the different terms you can make the distinction.

brettjr @ Apr 20th 2008 6:14PM

Yeah I guess I took the use of the phrase JRPG out of context, I was aware of phrases like Jpop and Jrock but I started on rpg from japanese so I guess I took it personally instead of it being personal to the japanese.

Even though, still this game seems more of a strategy game IMO anyway, I suppose a Jstrategy/rpg game...and DMC4 is a JAction game. It just seems stupid to divide genres from origin instead of category.

Consolcwby @ Apr 20th 2008 7:21PM

The connotation is racist:
RPG = definitive and hardcore
JRPG = derrivitive and light

Most of the time, it's the exact opposite! =/

Lars @ Apr 21st 2008 1:53PM

Japanese RPG's tend to have a unique style all their own. I don't think it's racist at all, it's like making the observation that Latin-derived languages and east Asian languages are quite different. As far as calling western RPG's by some other name, I'm not opposed to that, but generally speaking people usually make special names or definitions for things outside their culture.