AFA Arcade: Kingdom Hearts 4, Disney Mirrorverse Mythforce and More

Today, animated film and TV is more popular than ever, but the biggest and most successful part of the animation industry is actually video games. Animation is a big component of almost every game (rare exceptions being text adventures and visual novels) and many games feature excellent storytelling. We cover games every now and again on AFA but we're planning on levelling up our games coverage with our new feature AFA Arcade. This regular column will bring you news from where the gaming and animation worlds meet as well as the gaming industry as a whole. Don't expect updates on the latest hardware or the newest Call of Duty or Madden- we aim to highlight the standout work being done in the games industry, whether it's a triple-A game or something from the smallest indie developer. 

Do you work in the animation side of the games industry, or are you an indie game developer? We would love to hear from you!

Get ready for MythForce the best cartoon of the 80s that never existed! Developer Beamdog is behind this roguelite multiplayer action game that is a love letter to cheesy old Saturday morning cartoons. It's visible in its aesthetic but also in its voice acting, which sounds pretty perfect. And like any great old school cartoon, it's got a kick-ass intro and killer theme tune! MythForce will be in early access on Epic Games Store from April 20.

The beloved Disney-meets-Square Enix JRPG Kingdom Hearts is coming back again! A new announcement trailer has officially confirmed that Kindom Hearts IV is in development. The trailer features franchise hero Sora waking up in an unfamiliar world. The new game was revealed as part of the franchise's 20th anniversary. There's no word on a release date or confirmation of what formats it will be available on just yet.

 

At the event, Square Enix also announced new mobile game Kingdom Hearts: Missing Link for iOS and Android, as well as the long-delayed update to the previous mobile game Kingdom Hearts Union x Dark Road.

  

Who you gonna call? Video game developer IllFonic apparently, as following their adaptations of Predator and Friday The 13th, they have turned their hands to another beloved 80s franchise in Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed. The game will put players in the shoes of a new Buster and will allow you to bust ghosts alongside your friends. Or even play as one of the phantoms yourself! The game will come to PC and PlayStation and Xbox consoles later this year.    

 

Also coming to mobile is Disney Mirrorverse. The game will feature 'Mirrorverse' versions of beloved Disney and Pixar characters fighting against a sinister shadowy threat. It's a fun concept, and we would assume that if it goes down well, the game could make the move to other formats in future.

In the trailer, we see warrior versions of Sully (Monsters Inc), Belle (Beauty and The Beast) and most intriguingly Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty) uniting to save the Mirrorverse. The trailer doesn't include any gameplay so we don't know yet if this is an action game or a turn-based RPG.

Like any massively successful anime franchise, pirate saga One Piece has had numerous video game adaptations, The most recent to be revealed is One Piece Odyssey, a new RPG from Bandai Namco Games. The game is being released to celebrate the franchise's 25th anniversary and brings the world of One Piece into 3D with style. Featuring a story and new character designs from original creator Eiichiro Oda, this will be hitting PC and PlayStation and Xbox Consoles some time later this year.

My Hero Academia: The Strongest Hero , the popular open-world RPG based on the hit anime is now on Crunchyroll Games. To celebrate, players will be able to take part in several in-game events:

• The launch of the Character Summon Card for Best Jeanist, the Fiber Master pro hero.

• A special “Strongest Hero x Crunchyroll Celebration” login event, running for seven days starting April 6. Users who play the game every day during this window will receive seven Card Summon Tickets.

• One Character Select Ticket reward delivered to the in-game mailbox of all players who play the game between April 6 and April 20.

• Crunchyroll Games is also sharing one general code that can be redeemed for three Card Summon Tickets. The code TSH2CR2022 is available to be redeemed now until April 20

This is all ahead of the big one-year anniversary celebration this spring, which will include tons of new events, login bonuses, giveaways, and character releases.