A PlayStation Game Is Being Delisted Soon

by

The PlayStation game Exist Archive: The Other Side of the Sky will no longer be available for purchase on the PlayStation Store after January 5th. While the announcement was initially made in Japan, it’s causing concern about whether the game will remain available in Western regions, potentially because the company that published the English version may not have permanent rights to it.

Developed jointly by Spike Chunsoft and tri-Ace, Exist Archive: The Other Side of the Sky is a Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) originally released in Japan in December 2015, and later in the West in October 2016 for the PS Vita and PS4. Just after the game’s tenth anniversary, Spike Chunsoft announced it would no longer be selling the game. The PS4 version was removed from the PlayStation Store on January 1st, and the PS Vita version will be removed on January 5th.

The Future of Exist Archive’s English Version Seems Up in the Air

Currently, Exist Archive is still available for purchase on the PlayStation Store outside of Japan, and Spike Chunsoft hasn’t announced any plans to remove the English version. Aksys Games, a frequent partner of Spike Chunsoft specializing in JRPGs, handled the English release, while Spike Chunsoft published the game in Japan. This suggests Spike Chunsoft might not have full control over the English version’s availability, though Aksys Games’ distribution rights aren’t necessarily permanent. Therefore, the game’s removal from the store could be a sign that sales will eventually end worldwide.

Spike Chunsoft hasn’t explained why they’re removing Exist Archive from the PlayStation Store. While current owners can still play the game and any content they’ve already downloaded, they won’t be able to buy any of the 36 downloadable cosmetic items anymore. These items are priced between $1.99 and $3.99 each, including a $3.99 costume based on Monokuma from Danganronpa. Altogether, the DLC costs over $120, which is more than twice the price of the full Exist Archive: The Other Side of the Sky game.

Exist Archive’s Second-Hand Market Currently Looks Decent Enough

Spike Chunsoft / Aksys Games

The Japanese physical release of the side-scrolling JRPG will no longer be produced after January 5th, according to Spike Chunsoft. While a physical version was also released in English by Aksys Games, it hasn’t been reprinted in recent years. Currently, used copies of the PS4 game, Exist Archive, are available on Amazon for around $35, indicating the recent delisting announcement in Japan hasn’t significantly affected US prices. The physical PS Vita version is also available on eBay, with several new copies listed for $32.97. As of January 3rd, one seller had already sold two copies in the last day and had three more in stock.

Exist Archive May Appeal to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Fans

Though fundamentally a traditional turn-based JRPG, Exist Archive might attract fans of the highly praised 2025 game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Similar to Sandfall’s popular RPG, Exist Archive blends in action-based combat, but with a unique system. Instead of focusing on blocking or dodging, players build up attack combos by pressing controller buttons in time with the action. Each button controls a different party member, allowing attacks to flow seamlessly from one character to the next. This creates a distinctive combat style that mixes real-time action with turn-based strategy, offering a different experience from Expedition 33 but potentially appealing to the same players.

Read More

2026-01-04 03:04