One of the most anticipated celebrations in video games for the holiday season returned last weekend as Sega Asia returned to the Philippines for another installment of the Sega Atlus Festival!
This marks Year Two in what will hopefully be an annual tradition – where some of the most popular characters and latest titles in Sega and Atlus’ catalog are showcased to pinoy fans and introduce them to worlds that are fun, exciting, and beyond their wildest imagination!
Taking place at the SM Mall of Asia in Manila on December 13 and 14, I attended both days of the festival and cosplayed as Kazuma Kiryu based on his appearance from 2024’s “Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth”, which I reviewed here.
As a longtime gamer and fan of Sega and its numerous franchises, I couldn’t pass up the chance to attend another Sega Asia organized event – as I covered the first Sega Atlus Festival and the Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth launch party which were both held last year.
Hosted this year by KOL figures and cosplayers Myrtle Sarrosa and Cholo Tolentino and also featuring special cosplay guests such as ZackT, Roxanne Kho, Een Mercado, and Singapore’s own BoiledCurry, the Sega Atlus Festival was all about the games and giving love to the community and its various fan favorite IPs and characters that have helped define video games as we know them today.
From Sonic The Hedgehog and Dr. Ivo Robotnik, to the nameless protagonist and Joker from the Persona series, Kazuma Kiryu, Goro Majima, Kasuga Ichiban, and the rest of the fan favorite kyoudais from the Like A Dragon/ Yakuza franchise, and even girls dressed as virtual idol Hatsune Miku herself – there were tons of cosplayers and gamers who showed their love and dedication to their respective fandoms, and there were plenty of cool exclusive Sega merchandise straight from the Sega store in Japan that were available for purchase courtesy of Sega Asia and Gameline.
I was personally happy to see and get some RGG Studio merchandise based on Yakuza Kiwami 3 and the upcoming Stranger Than Heaven, but all the Persona 3 merchandise and plushy dolls were sold out on Saturday!
Featuring new and exciting titles such as Sonic Racing: Crossworlds, Persona 3 Reload, Yakuza Kiwami 3/ Dark Ties, Sonic Rumble, Demon Slayer – Kimetsu No Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles 2, and Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage, there was plenty of game demos and booths to explore and try out in the event floor.
With thousands of mallgoers and attendees catching the action from the inside and out around the activity center, Sega fans had plenty of reason to join in the experience – with the community treated to numerous games and activities scheduled throughout both days where contestants could win some fun and exciting prizes! In fact those who patiently lined up on all booths and registered their virtual passports stood a chance to join the raffle where the Grand Prize was a 50-inch Samsung OLED TV and Sound Tower!
That, together with some gameplay demonstrations and contests for games like Sonic Racing: Crossworlds, Yakuza Kiwami 3, and Hatsune Mike got the crowd cheering in excitement and fun! In fact, DJ extraordinaire DASU was in attendance on Saturday to play her music, and even the Yakuza and Majimaposting fandom got to sing Baka Mitai and pour their hearts during a playthrough test of Dark Ties featuring Yakuza 3’s antagonist, Yoshitaka Mine!
With this only being the second time its happened in the country, there’s no doubt in this gamer’s mind that this year’s Sega Atlus Festival was another resounding success.
With things much more open and relaxed following the past few years we were still living with precautions brought about by the pandemic, there was plenty of reason to come back bigger, better, and stronger than ever – and the crowd output showed that there was more love and demand for festivals like this to be held and spread awareness not just for Sega and Atlus, but for gaming in general.
Big thanks to Sega Asia for bringing this FREE event back and giving us new experiences and moments to remember this Christmas and holiday season!
