Home > Summarizing Natsume at E3 2017
E3 is all about showcasing the latest and greatest games, while trying to utilize the latest hardware. Natsume has done exactly this by bringing Wild Guns Reloaded to Steam, and Harvest Moon to the Switch and PS4.
I had the chance to sit down and try out their games starting with the two new River Cities; River City: Rival Showdown and River City: Knights of Justice. River City: Knights of Justice is intriguing, as it still plays like the old Tokyo Rumble game, but has more RPG-esque classes, such as a warrior or a mage. With the new classes in an atmosphere that feels just as rich as the original, but has a nice unique story, this game is sure to please River City fans as well as RPG fans.
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The next game I tried was River City: Rival Showdown. In this demo, I hopped into a boxing ring and had to fight an opponent. As the game is still being localized, a lot of the text was in Japanese, so I couldn't figure out how to pull off some sweet combos, but I tried. I also lost. Both times.
As for Wild Guns Reloaded, this isn't a new game, but it is new to Steam. The best way to describe it is like a western cowboy style Contra. It features local co-op, and trust me, you'll need all of the help you can get. I had asked one of the representatives how long it would take to clear the game, and while he didn't want to toot his own horn, he said that he could do it in 12 hours; this is coming from a more advanced player. The game does support the Steam controller, and played really smoothly. If old-school shooters are your thing, then this game is for you.
Finally, I tried the biggest game there; Harvest Moon: Light of Hope. Natsume couldn't let the 20th anniversary of Harvest Moon go by without a new entry, and this Harvest Moon marks a return to console. The last console Harvest Moon was Animal Parade which released for the Wii in 2009.
Light of Hope is an upcoming Switch/PS4/PC title due to be released either later this year, or early 2018, and features a more traditional SNES like experience. I asked the representative what specifically set this Harvest Moon title apart from previous experiences, and her response was that, "It does have an entirely new story unique to the specific game. The hot springs and mines are back, and of course it's back on console."
As expected, Natsume brought out the big guns for this year's E3. Everything still needs to be worked on and tweaked a little, but overall everything ran rather smoothly. Their booth was active with many people wanting to try out the new games, and they offered the sales of their plush animals in celebration of the 20th Anniversary. I can't wait to see these games in their completion and see Natsume again next year.
About the Author:
Christopher Weil
The 2006 Time Magazine person of the year, born in Toronto, Canada, Christopher developed a passion for gaming at a young age. His favorite franchise has always been The Legend of Zelda, but he can also usually be found playing SimRacing games such as iRacing. He's in university studying mechanical engineering and looking to start his own 3D printing business.
