- Standard Edition
- Digital Deluxe Edition, which includes the Secrets of The Spiral - Expansion Pass, and the Residents Costumes Pack
- Collector “Mirror Edition”, which adds to the Deluxe edition content, a figurine, a metal case, a physical artbook, the OST in digital and physical format, and some stickers
- Premium Collector “Spiral Edition”, exclusive to the Bandai Namco Store which, contains the Collector “Mirror Edition” figurine, enhanced with a music box base, a Nome controller/phone holder and a double-sided coin of Low and Alone.
Are You Ready for Some October Nightmares?
Fend off Enemy Raids in Bushido Update of Sengoku Dynasty!
About Superkami
About Toplitz Productions:
Get Ready for Another Fun and Cozy Farming Simulation on July 16th!
"At first Zelda brought us the epic adventure, no doubt about it, but Zelda has also been showing a cozy side for a long time now, with moments of calm and contemplation, not to mention the fun characters we meet along the way.Then there's the recent remake of Link's Awakening with its beautiful cute visuals, which we also find a great inspiration.In this way, even though the initial idea was not to create a “Zelda with farming elements", the references we had made that cozy elements with an adventure structure no longer seemed so distant from each other when balanced, and since then we have sought to realize the potential of this union of genres." Rodrigo Moreira - Lead Game Designer / Epopeia Games Co-founder.
Main Features
- Solving quests with farm mechanics: Progress in the game through typical agricultural and rural activities.
- Interacting with animals: lassoing cows, sheep and oxen; leading them around the setting and looking after their needs.
- Farm activities: Fishing, milking, shearing sheep, collecting eggs and much more.
- Building and repairs: Renovate and customize houses - both inside and out.
- Exploring different worlds: Four unique regions to explore - the pampas, the mountains, the beach and the mystical world.
- Magical mate: The traditional gaucho drink takes on a special role, revealing hidden secrets.
- Differentiated narrative: Instead of inheriting a farm, the protagonist is given the title of guardian of the pampas, with the mission of restoring harmony to the region.
- Cultural elements: Playing the harmonica, looking after the animals and experiencing daily life in the countryside.
- Mystical character: An enigmatic cattlewoman who guides the player into the mystical world and reveals new layers of the story.
About Epopeia Games
God of Weapons - Xbox Review
God of Weapons by Archmage Labs and published by Archmage Games Studio
Xbox review written by David with a copy provided by the publisher through Keymailer
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
God of Weapons is a fantasy themed auto-shooter roguelike. Another entry in an increasingly common style that’s probably its own genre by now but nobody can agree on what to call it beyond “Survivors-Like” which I think is as lazy-but-accurate as calling an ARPG with strict animation-timing based combat and rest-to-reset-the-map mechanics with a typically dark theme as “Souls-Like.” It’s correct, but are we out of ways to describe these things? Probably, I’m not smart enough to figure that one out, so I’m just gonna use ‘em. The lovely part about language is that the only thing that matters is understanding, and the moment someone says “Soulslike” and “Survivorslike” we have a fair starting assumption of how the game works.
(Writer’s note: Yes, Roguelike started this way, but how many Roguelikes actually resemble Rogue beyond dying as a mechanic?)Highest victory at the time of writing: Merchant aspect of the King
God of Weapons has twelve characters to pick from, and each character has three aspects. You start off with three characters unlocked, one aspect open on each: The Knight (Aspect: Knight), The Hunter (Aspect: Hunter), and The Raven (Aspect: Rogue). I like Rogue type characters, so I started here, and didn’t get particularly far. Dying is part of the point though, and doing so the first time is an achievement with a currency reward. I actually ended up completing my first successful run as The Hunter, going full autoshooter with it. Completing that run unlocked the Eldritch Knight aspect for The Knight, along with the ability to obtain permanent bonuses to everything from damage type to loot to starting gold just like you’d expect with a roguelike.
My favorite thing that separates this game from others like it though is the inventory management. Every level-up allows you to add additional inventory squares between completed floors. Items, both offensive, defensive, and utility, take up space in the form of those squares to match the shapes appropriate for the item itself. In general the more powerful weapons take up more, or weirder, combinations of squares. Along with the default pool available, one of the achievement/quest rewards in the game is the ability to unlock more items for that pool, of which five options pop up to buy between levels. You have to both complete the related quest and have the required currencies for these unlocks though, and roll them in the pool to use them.Even the location of the squares on level-up is RNG with a reroll cost
My least favorite thing about the game is the total lack of context given. You start the game the first time and it just drops you in with the assumption you’ll just get it. Two options to enter a run, a door for the interior of the tower and a portal for the exterior. There’s no explanation that I’ve found for what the difference is, if any. There’s also no explanation that I’ve found for what this tower even is, or world information at all. The King is another character you can play, with its own additional aspects, as is The Warlock. There’s a tiny scrap of information in the difficulty menu, with a few named bosses, but nothing outside of that, including a readable bestiary that I’ve found. That glowing red guy totally isn’t a Beholder
Speaking of bestiaries, as much as there isn’t a list, I do absolutely appreciate the enemy variety and the fantasy it draws from. Enemy attacks vary quite well too, with higher floors including enemies that have a rush attack, or ranged. You absolutely cannot just Poe up on some proverbial garlic and AOE your way through most floors by standing still. You’ve gotta move, and you have a move speed. Enemies vary in their own move speed as well so without buffs, some of them are faster than you by default depending on character selection. A Dash mechanic is present, and careful use of it is highly recommended. Some floors include traps, and triggering them only to dash away and leave the following horde in your place to take the damage is a great tactical choice. Maybe you can Poe a little bit as a treat
Overall, while I’m mostly a gamer for the story or worldbuilding of a piece I put my time into, I appreciate the pure value of fun and this game has it in spades. A fantastic suvivorslike with no context and all of the entertainment to make up for it.
Score: 8 / 10
Happy July 4th!
Hoping all of our US readers have a safe and enjoyable Independence Day, while also hoping that all of the rest of our readers are also having a wonderful upcoming weekend.
We'll be back with more articles and antics soon - so until then? Enjoy your time with family and friends and we'll be seeing you next week.
Exciting Free Demo of Aspiel: Edge of Chaos Available on Steam!
The Demo
A Game of Action and Exploration
The Story
Links
Key features
- A semi-open dark fantasy world with many dungeons and different areas to explore
- Vast amount of items and equipments
- Heavy and light attacks, with many different weapons and move sets
- Many different spells for every situation
- Dash and parry to avoid attacks
- Perfect dash mechanic, recover stamina and mana with perfect timing!
- Attribute-based progression system
- Unique characters, quests and hidden lore
- Ancient puzzles around the world
- Designed for both controller and mouse & keyboard
ABOUT SYLPHA WORKS
God of Weapons lands on Xbox
On June 12, God of Weapons arrives on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. This arena survival game mixes roguelike mechanics with action RPG elements and bullet hell chaos. It delivers fast-paced gameplay that rewards smart tactical choices. After earning glowing reviews on PC, God of Weapons is now coming to consoles – with a PlayStation 5 release planned in the coming months.
The game is developed by Archmage Labs, an independent studio based in Vietnam. Originally launched in 2023 on PC, it was warmly received and currently holds an 85% positive rating on Steam from nearly 4,100 player reviews.
Intense and addictive mayhem
God of Weapons is an isometric arena survival game combining roguelike
structure, action RPG depth, and bullet hell intensity. Gameplay centers
around surviving relentless monster hordes as you ascend the Tower of
Zhor. The story revolves around the battle against chaos and
destruction, all wrapped in a dark visual style.
Combat is automatic, leaving the player free to focus on dodging,
positioning, and optimizing their loadout. With limited inventory space,
smart gear choices are key to staying alive.
Players can equip a wide arsenal of melee and ranged weapons, plus a variety of accessories and special combat skills.
Levels in God of Weapons are procedurally generated, and each run is
further varied by random gear, abilities, and enemies. Progressing
unlocks even stronger weapons and gear for future attempts.
God of Weapons – main features:
- arena survival gameplay;
- intense and dynamic combat;
- roguelike, action RPG, and bullet hell elements;
- swarms of unique monsters;
- strategic inventory and gear management.
God of Weapons launches on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on June 12,
2025. A PlayStation 5 version is also on the way later this year.
God of Weapons | Xbox Launch Trailer:
https://youtu.be/H8xPdV0-TGM
God of Weapons (Microsoft Store):
https://www.xbox.com/games/store/god-of-weapons/9nv91sflw0mr
God of Weapons (Steam):
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2342950/God_Of_Weapons/
Basic information:
Title: God of Weapons
Genre: arena survival, roguelike, action RPG, bullet hell, indie
Developer: Archmage Labs, Ultimate Games S.A.
Publisher: Ultimate Games S.A.
Language: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Brazilian
Portuguese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Russian, Simplified Chinese,
Traditional Chinese
number of players: 1
File size: 2.2 GB
Release date: June 12, 2025 (Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S), 2025 (PlayStation 5), September 13, 2023 (PC Steam)
Memorable Music in Gaming - June Genre - Strategy
Susan N.
It’s that time again! The writers of Chalgyr’s Game Room get together to cover some of our favorite music in video gaming. This month we are bringing the strategy genre to the forefront, and that is no easy feat! While several game genres have subgenres within them, the list of games and the memorable music out of those genres can be a little simpler to narrow down. However, strategy contains RTS, Tactical turn-based, AND 4X strategy games which makes the list a bit tougher to shrink down. I have one for each of those subgenres because it’s impossible to pick only one or two songs in total.
Starting with the strangely easiest subgenre of RTS, I have two picks that are the most memorable pieces. In a move that should shock no one, the first is the track titled “Heart of the Swarm” from Starcraft 2 Heart of the Swarm expansion. It was written by Neal Acree and Cris Velasco, although there are multiple artists attributed to the Starcraft 2 OST. Second, is also a track that should shock absolutely no one, and it is arguably the most memorable track of all time. How do I know this? It’s because I’ve never played a Command & Conquer game and yet I am still familiar with the music. THAT is how legendary Frank Klepacki’s Hell March is. Not only do I know the song, but I also have several OCRemixes of the track as well. I can’t put it down and I also can’t explain why it’s an infectious song.
Under the subgenre of tactical turn-based strategy there are a couple of legendary composers, but only one stands at the top. He is a musical giant. And although it was confusing to some of my colleagues, I’m a fan of Battletech. When Harebrained Schemes and Paradox Interactive released Battletech in 2018, I was all over it. This means that the composer for Battletech is none other than Jon Everist, who has written music for The Lamplighters League, Overwatch 2, Star Wars Outlaws, and Shadowrun: Hong Kong. I can’t pick out a single track for Battletech because there are so many good ones, but if I had to pick something it would be Coronation Day. There’s something to be said about the quiet build before everything goes to hell. This song plays as Kamea Arano ascends the throne and it is also the point where her uncle disapproves of her decisions and launches a coup d’etat behind her back. It’s quite the hook for players. The music effortlessly conveys the rise to power as well as the sinister plot unfolding. The music and the game are top notch in my books.
The last subgenre I’m covering is 4X strategy. There’s a ton of beautifully composed tracks attributed to the 4X genre like Endless Legend, Age of Wonders, Humankind, Sins of a Solar Empire, and many more. However, there are two titans when it comes to music for me and that is Andreas Waldetoft who is responsible for the masterful pieces in Stellaris. The other is Christopher Tin of Civilization IV. I’ve previously talked about how I feel about Baba Yetu from Civilization IV so I won’t go into too much detail. This piece captivated its audience in a big way. There have been very few games where I can honestly say I would open the game just to hear the music. (The other game that has managed to achieve this was Jack Wall’s Theme song to Myst IV Revelation.) Baba Yetu, will always top the list for me. However, Andreas Waldetoft has written some amazing pieces for Stellaris. I particularly love the song called Faster than Light. It begins with a soft melody that builds in the background with long notes. Then, the vocalist enters the track with her beautiful soprano tones. When travelling through the vastness of space to take out your opponents, this song keeps your focus on the objective. And although I haven’t played a ton of Stellaris, the music is simply breathtaking.
Nick
Lind Erebros – King’s Bounty: The Legend
Mikhail Anatolyevich Kostylev (better known in many parts of the world as Lind Erebros) is a Russian musician and composer who has crafted albums (the Elven Oratory trilogy) and movie soundtracks (two credits currently - Twenty-eight Panfilov's Men and Tanks) alike, but is probably best known for his video game credits, which include Royal Quest, Age of Decadence and three of the Shadow Flight titles.
However, my first experience with Lind Erebros' music was the King's Bounty Series. I absolutely love these strategy games (at least the classic ones - I was less fond of King's Bounty II which Lind Erebros' music did not grace). While the stories told within the games can be a bit strange or even downright goofy at times, the strategy is top-notch and the army building elements are downright addictive.
Even with those qualities, the thing about these games that always stood out the most for me? The music. Horns and flutes that create both quiet, reflective moments and those punctuated with walls of sound that ratchet up the tension. The first game in the series, King's Bounty: The Legend's soundtrack was the highlight of the game for me. Just give a listen to the song Home Lands, and tell me you don't immediately feel like you're embarking on a magical adventure. The creepy, ethereal sounds of Fear hauntingly reflect dark, dank crypts during your explorations. Last but hardly least, Warlord Horn and In the Heart of Battle are the embodiment of music you would expect to hear as you enter an epic battle.
Valerie
Duane Decker - MechCommander series
Remember these? MechWarrior 2, MechCommander 1, MechCommander 2, and MechCommander GOLD? I fell in love with these game series with their awesome mechs, the Real Time Strategy genre, and the beautiful music that created the atmosphere, the workmanship of the mechs, and the progression through the game. Duane Decker is such a powerhouse in music composition for games, television, movies, mobile games, his own albums, as well as licencing production music for TV and films. You can check out his credits here!
In the immortal words of one of the mech pilots, "This is Goblin! Do what I can sir!" Each and every pilot had their own voices that resonated with the gamers that have played the games. The music brought you into the atmosphere of being on your own and having missions to accomplish. The opening sequence, down through the skirmishes, and right to the very end you were entrenched in the mech atmosphere of combat. Nothing says it better than the track where you're lining up your mechs to take down an enemy.
Over the years Duane Decker's mech music has been an integral part of focussing on the work I was doing or just enjoying a few tracks to feel like just me inside my mech towering above the combat field. Each track on MechCommander 1 was related to the mission you were on. I couldn't find anywhere a list of track names. They were all listed as either 'Track 1' or 'Music 01'. The track I just listed is reminiscent of reflecting on what had just transpired after victory. One person listed this title for that track and called it 'Reflections' in the comments.
A big Thank you to Susan N. for whispering in my ear the series we used to play together years ago!
Now as I write this, I am longing to play again. So, while you are enjoying the music feast we presented this month, I'll be pulling out my old game cds and firing up whichever MechCommander or MechWarrior game appears first! Happy Summer Holidays all in North America. It's turning out to be quite the heat wave!
~~~~~
Celebrate Canada Day with Canadian Game Developers!
Upcoming Games
Final Remarks
Happy Canada Day 2025!
Hi everyone!
As about half our team is Canadian we figured we would give them the day off today while our American half will have Friday.
We’ll be back tomorrow with more reviews but in the meantime start enjoying your summer and keep on gaming!
The CGR Team!
Creep into an Upcoming Tim Burton-esque Cozy Horror Adventure Game
WHO ARE THESE TWO DELIGHTFUL LITTLE DELINQUENTS?
His absence created a bitter, angry world where the living and the undead are locked in endless squabbles. Now it’s up to Gloomy and Nena to find him and bring back his light.
FROM AWARD-WINNING VR MOVIE TO FULL-LENGTH GAME
GAME FEATURES
A “Self-Coop” Adventure
Creepy Cozy Horror with No Jump Scares
A Whimsical Tale of Forbidden Companionship
Explore Twisted Little Dioramas
Boulder Dash 40th Anniversary is Releasing Soon on All Platforms!
The Definitive Purchase
FACTS ATTACK!!
- 6 new, never-before-seen worlds
- 3 new worlds created by hardcore the fans
- 180 completely new, balanced, and refined levels
- Variety of new and unique items, including growing walls, slime, enemy generator, eggs, plus more
- Construction kit to create, share, or download other players’ levels
- Distinctive visual style that aims to blend original color schemes with contemporary themes
- Option to select and play for one of the three main heroes, each crafted in line with the game’s original vision
- Music and sounds composed by Germany’s most famous video game musician Chris Huelsbeck (Giana Sisters, Turrican, Star Wars Rogue Squadron, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate and many more).
“We pursued two goals: Firstly, we wanted to bring the first three parts Boulder Dash I, II and III to life as faithfully as possible on current machines. Secondly, we wanted to spice up the classic gameplay with contemporary visuals and suitable new ideas such as growing walls, slime, an enemy generator, eggs and other things. All in all BOULDER DASH 40th Anniversary is certainly the most comprehensive game in the series of all time: The first three games in the original Commodore and Atari look, more than hundred of brand new levels in a new look, and all tested and approved by the best Boulder Dash players worldwide. On top we have integrated a level editor which allows the users to create, play and share all these levels to Boulder Dash players worldwide plus stunning music and sounds from Chris Huelsbeck.”
About BBG Entertainment GmbH:
Social Media Channels:
Guards II: Chaos in Hell - PC Review
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Published by HeroCraft PC and Developed by BattleCruiser Games “Guards II: Chaos in Hell” begins with a journey into Delaware… no, I’m kidding. Hell is our central location as the player takes charge in this turn based lane combat strategic adventure against all types of enemies straight from the very depth of Hell itself. The Sequel of the original “Guards” Developed and Published by HeroCraft PC is a far cry from the earlier 3d top down graphics of the original. Replaced with pixel style everything, and I do mean everything. The art and backgrounds show a deep love of environment settings, world building, atmosphere and the unique enemy/Hero designs shine through immensely in layers.
Guards
II begins the story of a young magician summoning a Ifrit, a powerful spirit or
demon from Middle eastern folklore often linked to the element of fire, the
ifrit offers him a deal. The
Devil had united all Kingdoms of hell in a effort to invade the human world.
Not wanting this to happen, he proposes to the young magician to aid in causing
chaos in the kingdoms of hell to thwart the invasion. With no hesitation, the
wizard agrees to help, summoning heroes into the realm to assist in the
mission.
My initial first impression of this well-structured turn-based title had me on a nostalgic memory trip as the pixel graphs and easy to adapt control interface felt very inspirational if not reminiscent to the early days of commodore 64 titles. I
found myself slightly surprised at how simple and complex a game could be made
in such a manner where halfway into a battle it feels less like a tower defense
and more in the ways of a type of Chess re-imagined!
In Guards II you start in control of the placement of 4 of the player pieces in a lane with combat as a turn-based defense against swarm after swarm of enemies. You begin with the Young Wizard, the Demon hunter, the Alchemist, and the Warrior Princess. Each hero is unique with their own attacks, defenses, strengths and weaknesses as well as their own Upgrade trees to level up as you progress through the various kingdoms of hell. Utilizing each hero to defeat the waves of enemies per kingdom requires some strategic planning and organizing of short range, mid range and long range attacks so as to prevent any of the summoned heroes from falling in battle. There is also an upgrade tree which will allow the heroes to become stronger and more resilient to various factors in the long road ahead.
The
combat is turn-based as you are allowed the ability to swap two Hero characters
on the battlefield before the attack/defense phase plays out. Certain enemies
will be weak to the Alchemist bombs as they cause some fire damage, whereas
other enemies will have a harder time dealing with the Warrior Princess in
close quarter fights. Upon
winning a few kingdom regions of the map, you will unlock the ability to
upgrade overall skill powers that swing favor in battles to your entire team, and unlock more Heroes as you progress deeper into the depth of the kingdom
map.
Tutorials are explained by the Ifrit through text dialogue and don't overwhelm the pick-up and play approach of this game. In a matter of minutes you may find yourself jumping back into completed kingdom zones to understand and defeat enemies with alternative strategic placements. The difficulty levels can be chosen by the player, introducing replay-ability of completed kingdom regions in the event the preceding battle was just too quick or easy. The challenges get progressively more difficult as you progress deeper into the kingdoms and enemies have larger health pools. Weaknesses and strengths fluctuate as progress is made. There are 4 tiers of difficulty that can be changed per level to the players preferences.
The music is beautifully crafted and well composed, even when in battle mid way through a fight I find the soundtrack suiting and enjoyable at every phase. Each enemy as well has unique animations for surrounding, attacks, defense, taking damage and death. The battles are well animated sprite work that show a great dedication to the art teams dedication toward keeping the theme and feel of the characters in the setting environments players will encounter without feeling like they are out of place. The style choice is not only appealing but easy on operating systems for this game to run smoothly, even on a low end graphic PC. I highly recommend this title to anyone looking to have a challenge and appreciate the time and energy placed into pixel animations, well worthy of wandering off the regular treaded path of larger name titles to appreciate a unique and original style of this development team.
If
you have a knack for a thinking game matched with a classic strategic turn-based
experience, this title is well worth diving into to keep your brain thinking 5
steps ahead as you fight through the levels of the kingdoms of Hell, or die
trying. The design and music are just
the icing on a well made cake.
Score: 7 / 10