Aaannd pre-ordered. Also decided that I'm totally gonna stream this for anyone who can't get it themselves.

I hope for the Reiwa writers, they write better contracts to get riders to comeback down the road. And also that they do nice clean recordings of a bunch of major lines so they can be used in video games better.

I mean, no studio is going to realistically get away with a contract that says "We can ask you to come back at any time in the next X years for Y price" for any actor. It's just not feasible in how much it could limit their future success. Imagine scoring the lead role for a movie, a huge break, only for Toei to phone up and go "Wait, no, we want you back for Mega Hero Taisen for a single line and action sequence right in the middle of filming." Like, if people can come back, it's fantastic, but no-one would willingly sign up to it in advance!

I imagine it's in most the main cast's contracts that they come back for the winter crossover movie, but beyond that that's it... and I'm very happy with that as is. If they come back, awesome! If not? That's their choice and clearly they were much happier doing something else with their career!

Aren't most actors always willing to make a return, Shotaro's actor especially?

Most actors, especially of the main Riders, always seem happy to come back, but a few (Den-O, green W, Fourze, Drive) are just too busy and/or their agency prices them too high for Toei to pay. And even then, there's a difference between being happy to return, and having a free-enough schedule to do filming and voice-overing, and such, and enthusiasm alone can't solve logistics.

You guys do gotta remember that these guys are live actors doing other projects. Actors like Shotarou's, Philip's and Eiji's tend to be more than willing to come back but it also comes down to schedule availability and, in Philip's case, cost.

Compared to getting DIO's VA, it's like night and day. VAs are more flexible than live actors.

Got my standard preorder in. Play-Asia offering it for just under $60 with express shipping? Yes please.

Yeah, I think I remember hearing that Philip from W was keen to come back for the Build/Zi-O movie, but his schedule was too full to accommodate it.

This isn't necessarily what we're talking about, but it's always a little strange to me when fandoms get offended if an actor doesn't reprise their role. Like, does the actor hate the franchise? Do they hate the fans? Why are they so ungrateful? I mean, someone did a job for an amount of time, they did a good job, they moved on. If you left a job for a new one, how would you feel if the customers at the old job complained about you on social media for not coming back every so often to do your old job? I feel like it'd be pretty weird!

(There was another thing lately, I can't remember the franchise, where some old actors decided not to come back -- the CW Crisis, maybe? -- and the producers were all like Hey We Invited Them And They Said No, making it the actors' fault for letting down the fans. And then the actors defended themselves by pointing out that the producers were asking them to perform for basically nothing, trying to guilt them into doing it for the fans. This shit is a business! Someone is definitely making money off of it! It is okay to opt out if you feel undervalued!)

Also if I'm recalling right from what I read online, basically anyone in the W and OOO cast isn't going to be their actual actor reprising the role both series will be totally recast. Apparently it's so to make things less awkward and weird because let's be real.

Shotarou's actor could definitely come back probably the most easily out of everyone, but then you've got to probably go with a sound-a-like for Philip. So it just makes the whole thing feel weird and wrong.

Plus I'll be real, I'll take voice actors who sound nothing like the actors and can put on a good performance. Than trying to get sound-a-likes who sound way too off in their delivery despite sounding similar. Cause like I remember a few sound-a-likes from crossovers and games and... some of them are rough even if they get the voice tones down in a similar fashion.

Zero-One's actor performing his role at least makes sense, he seems to be the only actual Zero-One related thing in the game, and even if he wasn't, because Toei probably has them contracted for a few things at least, they can get the Zero-One cast in to record some stuff for a game compared to the older casts.

"Just" under $60? The multi-language one on Play-Asia is $40. I presume this is the right one that is. If it is, yeah, I'll totally get it for that.

That's it. I meant just under $60 as including shipping and everything.

Ah right, didn't get that far since I wanted to make sure it was right first. Thanks! Yeah still a good deal.

Sure all the music would be nice, but that's just to much for me..

I'm a fan of the seiyuu they have playing the Riders in the game, but it's kind of distracting to hear them playing Riders I'm familiar with and being soundalikes. Kind of reminds me of Kenichi Suzumura and Hiroshi Kamiya playing random Riders in like specials or the Taisen movies.

Looks like the game has:

- Claydoll

- Nazca

- Gamel

- Kyouryu Greeed

As bosses.

Screenshots also show Taboo, Kazari and Uva!

I'm taking it the Multi-language version on Play-Asia is the SEA version? Surprised it's a bit cheaper.

I'd be kind of surprised if they don't finish the set with Terror and Mezool.

Oh I definitely remember Terror from the first trailer. Wonder if Weather's gonna show up...

I wonder what bosses they'll have to represent Zero-One

It's definitely pretty hard to think of monsters from Zero-One to use as bosses when Dodo was the only boss monster the show bothered to do, huh? :p

I kind of feel like Utopia might be a possibility since he was the "final boss" of W.

I do hope we get more of a Zero-One focus in the next trailer since the most we know about him is.

Rising Hopper, Shining Assault Hopper as maybe a Finisher? (From a Famitsu Article I saw floating around Tumblr), and Metal Cluster Hopper. And that's about it, his gameplay segments were brief and not much to really gather anything from.

I guess it wouldn't really make sense to work in Zero Two since Metal Cluster Hopper is technically a Final Form.

The end of the trailer has Zero Two pop up for a split second

No it isn't, please don't let this become a thing.

Too late! Make room in your life for Tajador 2!!

How is MCH a final form...?

It's because Metal Cluster Hopper is the final form taken on by Zero-One, and Zero-Two is an entirely new rider.

Yes, there are people embracing these pointless semantics sincerely.

Oh, that makes sense

I get the distinction, but that is silly.

I'm can't. I'm not strong enough. Not again.

I just had an idea for a sequel starring Saber. Alongside Saber maybe have Gaim and Blade, have it as the theme of primarily sword wielders, and not ones that have it as a side weapon, but part of the rider.

I have a better idea for a sequel: Drive, Ghost and Saber!

Perhaps this has been answered already but I don't care to dig through 10 pages to find out: do we know how story-driven this will be? I've never seen OOO, W, or Zero-One...should I watch them before playing this?

note: Please don't say that I should watch them because they're some of the best seasons or anything, I just want to know specific to this game.

We don’t know enough so far, but typically these types of games are very separate from the main story and the setting here (isolated island with new villain) very much seems to be going along those lines too.

Without spoiling anything for you, yeah, I suggest you at least watch W before playing. There's a certain evil organisation prominent in crossovers featuring them as well as the summer movie so it may contain spoilers for that show. Zero One is probably just there since he's new so don't worry about that.

I mean even then with this seeming to be focused on a specific narrative this time, bosses of villains from W and OOO at least will probably have some context to them you probably won't get without prior knowledge. Like I doubt you're gonna encounter Terror, Claydoll, Nazca, Maki, etc. without any sort of reaction or comment from the riders themselves.

Then again, this is also marketed to its age demo too, so it can easily be something newer fans don't need to be versed in to enjoy while those who are familiar will simply benefit more.

I really hope Eternal shows up as a boss!

Oh that would be wild! I wouldn't mind an appearance from Poseidon either...

I want Aqua to show up since he went back to his future and lived happily ever after.

Does anyone know where they can pre-order the SEA Premium Sound Edition? It seems like Bandai Namco is planning to release PSE in SEA, however, I can't find it anywhere. I asked Play-Asia about it, and they said they are looking into it.