Yo-kai Watch 4

Yo-kai Watch 4[1] is an action role-playing video game developed and published by Level-5 for the Nintendo Switch. As indicated by the name, it is the fourth game of the main series of Yo-kai Watch video games; unlike the preceding Yo-kai Watch 3, 4 was initially released only as a single version in Japan in June 2019. An enhanced version titled Yo-kai Watch 4++ was released for the Switch and PlayStation 4 in Japan in December 2019. Its full name is "Yo-kai Watch 4: We're Looking Up At The Same Sky", translated from "妖怪ウォッチ4: ぼくらは同じ空を見上げている".

Yo-kai Watch 4
Cover art
Developer(s)Level-5
Publisher(s)Level-5
Director(s)Ken Motomura
Producer(s)Akihiro Hino
Writer(s)Akihiro Hino
Composer(s)Kenichiro Saigo
SeriesYo-kai Watch
Platform(s)
ReleaseNintendo Switch
  • JPN: June 20, 2019
  • CHN: August 2, 2023
PlayStation 4
  • JPN: December 5, 2019
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

As with the other games in the series, the protagonist possesses the eponymous Yo-kai Watch, a device that allows them to see, befriend, and summon creatures called Yo-kai. Yo-kai Watch 4 is set in three distinct time periods. Characters from the first three games, including Nathan Adams and Katie Forester, are in one time period. Another time period is set 30 years after the other main series games, using playable characters that were introduced in the Yo-kai Watch Shadowside: Oni-ō no Fukkatsu film, including Natsume Amano, the daughter of Nate and Katie. The final time period is set in the 1960s, approximately 30 years prior to the other games, with characters from the Yo-kai Watch: Forever Friends movie, including Shin Shimomachi.

Gameplay
See also: Gameplay in Yo-kai Watch

The game takes place in three separate worlds, each associated with one of the main characters:[2] Natsume (30 years after the first three games), Nate (contemporaneous with the first three games), and Shin (30 years prior to the first three games).

Yo-kai Watch 4 introduced a new free-roaming 3D overworld movement system that is more akin to standard 3D RPG games, unlike the previous games that were from a top-down perspective. The game also implemented a new battle system where similar to other action role-playing games, players can directly control playable characters to battle enemies unlike where the previous games sent only befriended Yo-kai into battle.[3] An active party can be formed with up to 1 human and 3 Yo-kai characters and players may switch freely between human and Yo-kai characters during battle.[4] Yo-kai characters in the party that are not controlled by the player will behave differently in battle depending on their personality, a system similar to previous Yo-kai Watch games. In addition, human characters absorb the element "Yo-ki" during the battle for redistribution, either to attack enemy Yo-kai, or to heal party members.[5] Four characters from the Yo-kai Watch Shadowside anime also appear in the game: Natsume Amano, her brother Keisuke Amano, Akinori Arihoshi, and Touma Tsukinami.[6] Gameplay footage was released at Tokyo Game Show 2018. Compared to the prior games in the series, which were all released for Nintendo 3DS, Yo-kai Watch 4 uses 3D rendering for both overworld exploration in Sakura New Town and battle scenes.[7] To aid navigation, a Naviwoof (taking the appearance of a ghostly dog) will lead players to their destination.[5]

Synopsis

Development

Level-5 announced in April 2018 that Yo-kai Watch 4 was under development for Nintendo Switch, with a planned Japanese release in 2018.[6] Although the game was initially scheduled for release in winter 2018,[8] the release date slipped to spring 2019[9] for quality issues before being released in Japan on June 20, 2019.[10]

Localization

During the Anime Expo in July 2019, Level-5 abby replied to a Q&A about a future Western release of Yo-kai Watch 4 and showed the Japanese trailer with English subtitles. Because the game's plot refers to concepts and details that were introduced in the Shadowside and Forever Friends films, which have not yet been given official English-language releases, the marketing company expressed an interest in localizing those films as well.[11] However, as of October 2020, a combination of flagging sales for the series[12] and Level-5's decision to shutter their North American operations, including Level-5 Abby, has led many commentators and journalists to bring in doubt of the possibility of a localization ever happening.[13]

Yo-kai Watch 4++

Level-5 announced that certain Yo-kai, a new map, and a multiplayer mode would be made available via downloadable unlocks by August 2019. Some of the downloadable content would require an additional purchase, while others were available as pre-sale bonuses for related items, such as tickets for the upcoming Yo-kai Gakuen Y: Neko wa Hero ni Nareru ka film.[14] The August 9 update 1.30 included sumo battles and a new yo-kai, Yamakasa.[15]

An enhanced version named Yo-kai Watch 4++ was released for both Nintendo Switch and Sony PlayStation 4 on December 5, 2019, in Japan.[16] 4++ includes new features and additions such as a new map and enemies, as well as a multiplayer mode, "Purapura Blasters".[15][17] The content included in 4++ was also available for existing owners of the original game as a paid download.[16][17] The release marked the first time a Yo-kai Watch game was released on another platform, the PlayStation 4.[18] The release also added language options for traditional and simplified Chinese.[19]

Sales

Although it was the best-selling game in Japan during its initial week of release, Yo-kai Watch 4 had the worst sales in the series to date; with 150,721 copies sold between June 17 and June 23, 2019.[20] During its second week, it was displaced by the debuts of Super Mario Maker 2 and Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu, selling an additional 40,376 copies for third place.[21] It remained in third place the following week, with 19,407 copies sold.[22] It sold 291,878 copies in Japan in the year 2019.[23]

The ++ rerelease of the game did even worse, selling only 10,333 copies in its first week at retail on Nintendo Switch alone, missing the Top 10 of that week's sales charts, and the PlayStation 4 version not even placing in the Top 30.[24] The Nintendo Switch version remained in the Top 30 of weekly Japanese sales for only seven weeks, having sold a total of 60,890 copies by its exit.[25]

Reception

Yo-kai Watch 4 was positively reviewed in Famitsu, scoring 37/40.[26] The follow-up 4++ received a similarly positive score of 36/40 in Famitsu.[27]

References
  1. 妖怪ウォッチ4: ぼくらは同じ空を見上げている
  2. Romano, Sal (July 14, 2018). "Yo-kai Watch 4 first screenshot, setting introduction". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 15 July 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  3. Romano, Sal (August 9, 2018). "Yo-kai Watch 4 adds humans to battles, fourth world". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 9 July 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  4. Romano, Sal (January 14, 2019). "Yo-kai Watch 4 lets you switch between humans and yo-kai in battle". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  5. Romano, Sal (February 15, 2019). "Yo-kai Watch 4 details Naviwoof, Yo-ki, and four new yo-kai". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  6. Romano, Sal (April 10, 2018). "Yo-kai Watch 4 announced for Switch". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 9 July 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  7. Romano, Sal (October 12, 2018). "Yo-kai Watch 4 TGS 2018 trailer, gameplay". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 9 July 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  8. Romano, Sal (July 11, 2018). "Yo-kai Watch 4 launches this winter in Japan". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 9 July 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  9. Craddock, Ryan (11 October 2018). "Yo-Kai Watch 4 Has Been Delayed Until Spring 2019 In Japan". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  10. Craddock, Ryan (17 May 2019). "Yo-Kai Watch 4 Release Delayed Yet Again In Japan". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 23 July 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  11. Romano, Sal (July 5, 2019). "Yo-kai Watch 4 coming west". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 7 July 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  12. Roberts, Cory (2021-04-11). "Why did Yo-kai Watch failed in North America?". Medium. Archived from the original on 2021-04-21. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
  13. "Ni No Kuni Developer Level-5 Is Shutting Down In North America-Report". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2021-01-02. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
  14. Romano, Sal (July 3, 2019). "Yo-kai Watch 4 details July and August updates; paid DLC announced". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  15. Romano, Sal (September 14, 2019). "Yo-kai Watch 4 major update to add new map and boss yo-kai". gematsu. Archived from the original on 1 October 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  16. Romano, Sal (September 30, 2019). "Yo-kai Watch 4++ launches for PS4, Switch on December 5 in Japan". gematsu. Archived from the original on 1 October 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  17. Romano, Sal (November 14, 2019). "Yo-kai Watch 4++ details multiplayer mode, new quests, and more new yo-kai". gematsu. Archived from the original on 16 November 2019. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  18. Romano, Sal (September 11, 2019). "Yo-kai Watch 4 coming to PS4". gematsu. Archived from the original on 1 October 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  19. "Yo-kai Watch 4++ Released Today In Japan, Here's Its Opening Movie". Siliconera. 2019-12-05. Archived from the original on 2019-12-05. Retrieved 2020-07-06.
  20. Romano, Sal (June 26, 2019). "Famitsu Sales: 6/17/19 – 6/23/19 [Update]". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 27 June 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  21. Romano, Sal (July 3, 2019). "Famitsu Sales: 6/24/19 – 6/30/19 [Update]". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 5 July 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  22. Romano, Sal (July 10, 2019). "Famitsu Sales: 7/1/19 – 7/7/19 [Update]". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  23. D'Angelo, William (April 1, 2020). "The Top 100 Best-Selling Games in Japan in 2019". VGChartz. Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  24. Romano, Sal (December 11, 2019). "Famitsu Sales: 12/02/19 – 12/08/19 [Update]". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  25. Romano, Sal (January 22, 2020). "Famitsu Sales: 1/13/20 – 1/19/20 [Update]". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  26. Romano, Sal (June 26, 2019). "Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1595". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  27. Romano, Sal (December 4, 2019). "Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1618". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 4 December 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
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