It took me a bit of time to wrap my head around a few of the mechanics, but once I got going with it, Kingdoms and Castles was a smooth, enjoyable experience.
Dear Readers, You have been chosen to embark on an investigation to uncover the unusual cases that have gone cold in an enclosed city. Outsiders are prohibited, but...
So it's a little funny that the biggest scardy cat, or chicken shit if you will, on the team is the one who's going to be diving into this lovecraftian horror. Yes. Me. Along with Marc, Louis and a best friend of ours, Chris.
The four of us will be sitting in the dark and playing this, because... who needs sleep anyways?
Enjoy the gameplay trailer!
BIGBEN REVEALS MORE DETAILS ABOUT FROGWARES' BLEAK LOVECRAFTIAN MYSTERY "THE SINKING CITY" IN LATEST A CLOSE SHAVE - GAMEPLAY TRAILER
New trailer exposes private Investigator Charles Winfield Reed in Lovecraft inspired open-world investigation
THE SINKING CITY "A CLOSE SHAVE TRAILER"
Kiev, Ukraine, July 31, 2018 - Bigben and Frogwares Games have revealed a new gameplay trailer for The Sinking City, an open world, action investigation game inspired by the work of H.P. Lovecraft. This new trailer divulges more elements about its main character's mental state, his interaction with the immersive sprawling open city of Oakmont and the game's unsettling atmosphere.
Charles W. Reed is a private investigator in New England in the 1920s. Tortured by his past and otherworldly visions, he finds himself in Oakmont, Massachusetts, seeking salvation from the creeping insanity that afflicts him. The city of Oakmont, once a trade harbor known for its lucrative smuggling business, now lives in secluded isolation from the rest of the world under a flood of supernatural origins. In this place of decay and superstition; players will have to deal with the dregs of mankind, follow clues they wish they had never found and unveil a cosmic horror threatening the world itself.
The Sinking City is set for release on March 21st 2019 on PC, PlayStation®4 and Xbox One.
Coming from Azure Reflections, we’ve got another Touhou fan spin-off! We’re getting a lot of Touhou spin-off games lately, but is this a bad thing? In my opinion, definitely not. While the main string of Touhou games is primarily bullet hell, the string of fan games have given us a wide range of genres, from turn-based RPGs, to fighting games, to Pokemon parodies. This time around we have a 3D sort of beat ‘em up in the same vein as the Ys series.
In Scarlet curiosity, you get to play as either Remilia Scarlet, the vampire lord of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, or Sakuya Izayoi, the head maid of said mansion. The general plotline is pretty much the same between the two: Remilia is bored and is looking for something to do, so Sakuya goes out to research about sightings of a mysterious monster that has been spotted nearby recently. At this point, either Remilia goes searching for the monster or Sakuya does, with the only real difference between the two being combat preference and what time of day you go exploring. As Sakuya, you explore during the day, and Remilia being a vampire explores at night.
Game progression is pretty basic, you waltz through a stage beating up offending wildlife and spirits, reach the end, and beat up something, or someone, a little more capable than the local fauna. While in a stage, you have a standard combo, a special meter, and a “spell card” meter, all of which are used for attacking. The standard combos are fairly self explanatory, Remilia uses claw swipes and Sakuya slashes with a knife, but the skills is where we get into some of the more interesting moves. You can equip two standard skills and one special skill, with the standard skills draining a constantly refilling skill gauge and the special skill using the “spell card” meter I mentioned earlier. As you beat up enemies and earn exp and levels, you’ll gain more skills, which you can sub out for your favorites.
Similarly, as you meander through the different stages, you’ll pick up three different types of equipment: weapon, armour, and accessory. These pieces of gear not only affect your attack and defense power, but will also affect item drop rate, skill gauge level, and critical rate and damage, and come in varying degrees of rarity.
Scarlet curiosity has some fun boss fights that still keep the bullet hell theme with some of the attacks, and is short enough to play it on and off without getting fed up with how repetitive it can get, yet at the same time, long enough that you don’t feel like the stages are simply sub-areas. With a well-remixed soundtrack of classic Touhou tunes, and sporting some nice 3D rendering, and 2D snapshots and CGs, the game definitely looks and sounds pretty.
To be perfectly honest, Scarlet Curiosity may not really appeal to you if you aren’t a big Touhou fan like I am, but on the plus side, it also isn’t the cost of a full game either, so if you get it on sale, you probably won’t feel too let down if you don’t end up enjoying it. Despite the occasional frame rate drop here and there, which I attribute to my old computer, Scarlet Curiosity actually ran smoother than I expected, and the control set-up felt really natural to play on a keyboard. As far as Touhou fan games go, Scarlet Curiosity is pretty looking and sounding, and while not as long or in-depth as a standard game, is also simple enough to pick up or ease back into, and low cost enough to at least give it a chance. So get ready to head into Gensokyō to help a vampire and her best meido out!
Game Information
Platform:
PC Developer(s):
Ankake Spa Publisher(s):
XSEED Games
Marvelous USA, Inc. Genre(s):
Bullet Hell
RPG Mode(s):
Single Player Other Platform(s):
Sony PlayStation 4
Now while I may personally have not spent time with the awe inspiring The Witness, I have seen what it looks like and have heard nothing but good things about it. Taking a stroll in the same vein is Iceberg Interactive and Shifting Tides' The Sojourn which will be a multi-platformed release next year.
We are looking forward to it!
ICEBERG INTERACTIVE AND SHIFTING TIDES ANNOUNCE THOUGHT PROVOKING FIRST-PERSON PUZZLE GAME 'THE SOJOURN
COMING TO PC, PLAYSTATION® 4 AND XBOX® ONE IN 2019
Haarlem, the Netherlands, July 26, 2018 –Publisher Iceberg Interactive and indie developer Shifting Tides reveal The Sojourn, a first-person puzzle game in which you traverse parallel worlds of light and darkness in search of answers to the nature of reality. The Sojourn is slated for release on PC, PS4® and Xbox® One in 2019.
The announcement trailer shows the alluring world and the hints at the challenges that await players:
You are born into a beautiful, pure land, but everything is not as it seems. Darkness seeps through every crevice and forms the foundation of the world you live in. Open your eyes to the shadows of the world to uncover the hidden truth.
Venture into the enchanting world of The Sojourn and face life's obstacles by solving dozens of unique puzzles that will challenge your perception of your own reality. Take in gorgeous environments as you delve into the game's four chapters, each with a distinct atmosphere and style.
Key features
- Dozens-upon-dozens of challenging puzzles
- Delve into four beautifully crafted chapters, each with their own distinct style and atmosphere
- Banish the darkness in order to reveal the obstacles The Sojourn has prepared for you
- Unravel a captivating tale of light, darkness, and the nature of reality.
Aspiring sojourners can sign up to the newsletter via the official website, to be notified when the game becomes available. PC gamers can stay up-to-date by wishlisting the game on Steam.
Cosmic Star Heroine is a fantastic love letter to old-school JRPG fans such as myself. There is a really solid, unmistakeable old school feel to the entire game, but with just enough modern touches to allow Cosmic Star Heroine to spark nostalgia without falling victim to some of the things that makes older titles age poorly over time.
This weeks' news consists of a new patch called No Man's Sky Next, an announcement for Stardew Valley's Multiplayer, and Psyonix released some huge Rocket League news for the upcoming RLCS season.
No Man's Sky
The free patch for No Man's Sky recently launched and it has caused people in the gaming industry to take notice. Last year, when No Man's Sky was made available to the general public, the consumers were angry. The developer promised a ton of features but delivered none. Sean Murray addressed the Press with buzzword articles, constant delays of its release, and many more blunders! Needless to say, the game went down in history as one of the biggest disappointments.
Steam, in an extraordinary and different stance on their refund policy, allowed players to get their money back even if more than two hours were played (which is the maximum allowed to be played to qualify for a refund on Steam). To date, because of the massive upset, it maintains more than 80,000 negative reviews. Most of the games sites gave No Man's Sky poor scores and the general concensus was that it was dead on arrival... until now.
Hello Games, the development team behind No Man's Sky, obviously had a great vision and they set out to right the wrongs of the past. It was clear that No Man's Sky was released much earlier than intended, which is largely in part what led to the negative reviews on Steam.
To give a brief summary of what has been changed, No Man's Sky has been completely overhauled. At the beginning, there were some quests, alien languages, and minor crafting features. Later, two updates released that brought in base building, ground vehicles, and a complete graphics change. Once Atlas Rises launched, No Man's Sky featured quests, freighter ships, a pseudo multiplayer mechanic, and another graphics overhaul. Finally, Next launched a few days ago and has inspired enough people to write positive reviews on Steam. Over the last week, it has garnered more than 1k positive reviews bringing the games status to 'mixed'.
How did that happen?
Well, in case you aren't willing to fork over $60 USD for a game that was essentially a shell, we have all the information right here.
To summarize No Man's Sky: The Complete New Edition (Obviously that isn't the title of it. The update is called 'NEXT'), here is a list of new features:
Replaced the materials found in the game
Can pilot entire fleets of ships
Another graphics overhaul
MULTIPLAYER (like what was promised to the public, so they believed)
New base mechanics
Crafting mechanics with use of several components
Added a refinery mechanic
A complete story with quests
Alien creatures can now be hostile
Increased the number of ships that spawn in a system
An economy overhaul
No microtransactions! Nothing can be purchased off the site or in game with real money (because that's what microtransactions are...)
Players can have multiple bases and multiple ships (hence the new fleet mechanics)
and more!
In a way, it's a good thing that gamers were willing to give a game that was kicked to the dirt and left for dead to rise from its ashes. Make no mistake. Despite the additions and changes to the game, and the precedent it has set, don't let the story of No Man's Sky be the expectation in gaming. Most games do not come back from the backlash. Most don't have a development team of 14 that are able to redeem themselves.
As an example, perhaps gamers remember the debacle around Mighty No. 9. Remember that? You should. It failed horribly after being successfully Kickstarted in two days. (Someone give us a real MegaMan game and no one will get hurt! Editor's Note: 20XX, *drops mic and walks away*) And while Hello Games has earned its success, it's too early to expect that all companies will revive their games from the dead. I say that because there are still plenty of hot mess games and they are often abandoned.
No Man's Sky has a $60 price tag and from my understanding, it appears to be worth it. While I'm not endorsing this game personally, I will reinforce a belief I have, which is let the reviewers, streamers, and Let's Player's give impressions of a product before the public makes any purchase. Various people have vastly differing opinions when it comes to products, and that should be taken into consideration. Don't let this Cinderella story sing the praises of all future games because very few will have the chops. Yes. It is an admirable story but make informed decisions anyways. That's all I ask for.
Anyways, here is a clip from CohhCarnage's stream of No Man's Sky. Take a look at it and decide for yourselves whether this is your style of game:
Stardew Valley
There is a large post about the upcoming addition of multiplayer to Stardew Valley. Many people, myself included, have been happily playing in the beta. For the uninformed, players can marry each other, have individual cabins, share the wealth, and even have the other players make up for the skills that they personally lack (like fishing).
The Stardew Valley Multiplayer Update will be out for PC, Mac & Linux on August 1st!https://t.co/WsIdIVW73Y
After a killer Season 5 of the Rocket League Championship Series, Psyonix boasts an even better Season 6. Firstly, they are raising the prize pool to be $1,000,000. Additionally, there will be $100,000 on the line for the Rival Series.
Signups to qualify for RLCS and the Rival Series begins August 6th. As with last year, Saturday August 11th will be the NA qualifiers and Sunday August 12th is the EU qualifiers. This format continues for the subsequent couple of weekends. The Rival Series Play-In begins September 1st. Any players that are citizens in EU or NA and are 15 years old or more can enter the qualifiers.
What I'm super excited for is the official debut of Kyle "Scrub killa" Robertson from Scotland. He recently turned 15 and is ready for this season in RLCS. He has been a force of nature on the field and many have had him on their radar for quite some time. To illustrate my point, here is a montage of his plays thus far:
The reason that the Rocket League community has set their sights on this young lad is because of his list of achievements. Due to many tournament restrictions with regards to age and eligibility for prize winnings, he has competed in a few minor tournaments like weeklies. Most recently he placed second in Rival Esports: EU 1k Cup and won first place in the Twelve Titans showmatch series back in February of this year. Previously, he has placed first in the Gfinity Challenger series and GO4RL Europe. Here are Scrub Killa's list of accomplishments.
Personally, I can't wait to see the Scottish player tear up the arena this season. All of the details for RLCS can be found on the official website.
What do you guys think about any of the topics above? Are you jumping on the No Man's Sky bandwagon? How do you feel about the multiplayer for Stardew Valley? And who is on your radar for Rocket League this season? Let us know in the comments below!
Rejoice everyone! Salt and Sanctuary is making it over to the Nintendo Switch! Haven't played? This'll be a good chance. Haven't heard of it? Check out our review for the PS4 and the announcement trailer below!
Dark Hand-Drawn 2D Action RPG Salt and Sanctuary Haunts Nintendo Switch™ August 2
SEATTLE, Wash. – JULY 25, 2018 – Salt and Sanctuary, Ska Studios' brutal hand-drawn 2D Soulslike platformer with over 800,000 downloads, comes to Nintendo Switch August 2 with the help of porting specialist BlitWorks.
While sailing across a stormy sea to transport a princess and strike a truce between rival kingdoms, a calamitous encounter with a sinister abomination wrecks the player's ship. Upon drifting onto the shore, the journey to broker peace dissolves into a struggle for survival on a treacherous island rife with undead.
Whether braving this alone or with a friend via local co-op, the customizable hero, known as the Saltborn, can only persevere by navigating this grim, forgotten bastion. Pressing on and cleaving through anyone or anything that rears its malformed head is the only way forward. Hidden platforming abilities including air-dashing and wall-jumping help the Saltborn find and eradicate more than twenty horrifying bosses all drawn in Ska Studios' stylized signature art style.
Discovering the truth behind this cursed land necessitates both a keen eye and a bloodlust, but all manner of implements of death await adventurers. All character builds are worthy: a whip-wielding, crossbow-brandishing bandit and sorcerer wreathed in Fire and Sky magic have equal chances of survival. Sixteen weapon types and more than fifty sets of armor that both strengthen the Saltborn and visibly change their appearance can be upgraded with the right equipment. A massive skill tree provides further options for progression.
Battles play out in a tough-but-fair fashion. Every swing of the sword drains stamina, so calculated attacks often win out over desperate flails. Magic wielders have their own tribulations: all of the games' spells align with either Fire or Sky elements and casting too much of one causes an imbalance that damages the Saltborn. Holy Prayers don't have an element but offer defensive boosts. Each harrowing skirmish rewards patience.
Multiple endings and New Game+ provide ample reasons to play again. While playing as a different character build alone changes the gameplay entirely, optional challenge runs offer distinct new trials for players still hungering for battle after finishing the story. Modes like permadeath, no blocking, and no rolling alter playstyles and keep Salt and Sanctuary fresh long after the credits roll.
"The two of us wanted to create a Soulslike game that we wanted to play, and finding that so many others who wanted it too warmed our dark little hearts," said Michelle and James Silva, co-creators at Ska Studios. "Bringing Salt and Sanctuary to the Nintendo Switch means more people who like dismal, satisfying games can play our very dismal, satisfying game."
Salt and Sanctuary will be available digitally for $17.99 USD for Nintendo Switch on the Nintendo eShop in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Ska Studios is also excited to announce that Salt and Sanctuary: Drowned Tome Edition for Nintendo Switch will be coming to a retail store near you this holiday. More details will be announced soon.
Earlier this year I had the chance to sit down to an initial bout of NeocoreGame’s Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr which is the follow up title to the dev’s The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing 1, 2, 3 and the Final Cut. Put into the shoes of an Inquisitor in the Warhammer universe being sent to a seemingly derelict ship named the Martyr, you’re going to be shot at, charged at, spat at and have a generally unwelcome reception from the “locals”. It’s a good thing though that you’re a badass because you’re going to need the firepower that comes from your position as you will be often be single-handedly taking them all out on the way to your goal.
When I originally sat down to Martyr with Robert both of our reactions were that things were quite rough around the edges for a title that was moving into the final beta stages before release which was just a short time ago. Just to make sure that I played the smoothest possible version, I’ve waited a few weeks to make sure that everything was ironed out before jumping back into the space based crusade.
So if you’ve read the preview, linked above, some of the issues that I had are still there while others have been smoothed over through the versions. The main issue which is a little better now is that you are still stuck going through the entire introductory system with a new character. If you had a character before I want to note that they are now gone and the dev’s had mentioned as much that there would be a server wipe before moving into the final stages. At least now the introduction feel much smoother, faster paced and with all of the elements in place, fun. However as much fun as it now is, you still have to do it repeatedly for every new character. *sighs*
So available for your space crusade are three overarching classes each with three sub-class options. The first of these is a Crusader which acts as the tank of the group, the second is the Assassin which is quick on her feet in either melee or from afar with a sniper rifle and the last of them is the Psyker who is essentially the Wizard of the three casting impressive feats of destruction to any in their path. Each of these three come with three starting options that help shape your character from an early stage in a manner of playstyle that is more appropriate to you. Starting off with the Eradicator sub-class, I had my Assassin ready for critical hits from afar until I also gave her a sword once she was better geared to literally jump in and decimate her foes before they even knew she was there. They say to give her a shotgun but a sword is so much more satisfying!
Unlike a lot of other ARPGs, Martyr is mission based forcing the player to make all of their preparations before launching out to tackle their objectives. This is honestly one of the points that I’m still on the fence about as near the beginning before the equipment started to get good it almost felt like it wanted to force you to join up with others in order to survive the even remotely tougher objectives that you have to pull off. As time passes things smooth out and your one-person army is more than enough to handle things on their own as long as you keep your surroundings in mind and make sure you aren’t swarmed.
The other reason that I’m also on the fence about the mission based structure is that preparation honestly becomes everything as once you launch, you cannot change a single aspect of your character’s gear until you get back. So basically if nothing good has dropped in a while, if the chests for completing missions have dropped you junk leaving you worse off than when you started and the captain of your ship’s store is crap, that’s too bad.
Even if you pick something amazing up on a mission you’ll have to wait until you get back to equip it. With this style of RPG being all about the loot, the loot has been mostly removed from the equation with slim random placements of chests and most of your gear coming from the completion of a stage. It changes everything about the style and only time will tell if it really works as what is present now is already better than what was previously available in the late Early Access stages.
After a certain amount of missions and having rescued or recruited several members for your crew, new options open up in the form of crafting / salvaging and changing up what your medical implants can do for you. Crafting can be done with the materials that come from salvaging unwanted or older gear that no longer has a use. This can be one way to supplement yourself if nothing new has fallen in a little bit. Your options will be limited at first but once you start finding blueprints the world is your oyster. By comparison, you implant which leads to your medical options can be modified in accordance to the capabilities of the item itself. More health? Better buffs? Better everything but less uses? Things to think about especially if you know what you’re about to come up against.
Once you’ve completed your preparations, you can select where you want to go from either the terminal of your ship’s bridge, or by pulling up your notifications to immediately jump into your next available campaign mission. Because of the mission based structure, campaigns aren’t these giant overarching be all end alls. While some do push forward the main story, others are side-plots that work great for building up your characters. In either case, each of these will have various missions that are required to be completed in randomly generated levels that follow along a plotline.
In one case after the story got going I had to rescue a Tech Priest from the clutches of Pirates. How I went about it though was entirely up to me. Each stage of the campaign has choices that can be made in regards to sabotage and subterfuge. Leading the pirates away on a fake distress call I went in and eliminated those that stayed behind. As things never go according to plan, the rest came back leading to the next mission where it became a no holds barred fight to their death as I clearly won. I am still here to write this after all.
It’s these little elements that lead to some interesting mission objectives like snatching up an officer to interrogate. You have to make sure to not kill him as you tag him for teleport and then be able to pull off the teleport without dying. With the possible swarms of enemies you’ll need to be either brave or be smart by taking cover behind something close.
One of the best features to come out of Martyr, though no good if you get swarmed, is the cover system. This lets characters and enemies alike hide behind destructible objects like half walls or pillars in order to have it soak up the damage instead of you. The other great thing about cover is that when your hidden your health will regenerate faster than it would otherwise allowing you to keep a health injection for when you really need it. The downside to cover is that your enemies can use it too making you have to be a bit creative in your approach. I like how it was not simply limited to you but that anyone could use it which makes the world that much more believable.
Now while the overall experience is much smoother, I felt that there’s still a bit of work to be done when it comes to the controls. Keyboard and mouse or a gamepad, both have their perks but both have their disadvantages especially when it comes to using an Assassin.
The keyboard and mouse will sound to most people the logical choice when it comes to the PC even if there’s full controller support because of the availability on the PS4 and the XB1. The level of customization is much larger though the level of effort to move around your surroundings felt heavier than that of a controller. The reason is that you can either move forward with your keys or your left click but then to look around that’s another set of keys or your middle mouse button. Adding in that the Assassin is the only class to dodge and can only dodge directionally according to the button press, that’s a total of ten keys just for your movement and your camera if you flatout ignore the mouse. TEN! Add in the various skills and what not, your looking at twenty some odd keys if you want the full motion of controls.
Using a controller however is much easier as you move with the left stick and view with the right. That’s it. If you want to dodge, then you click on the left stick which was a bit odd instead of mapping it to a button but oh well. The reason of the motion of controls felt natural with the standard attacks and those that required cooldowns. Inventory management takes a bit longer to go through compared to clicking and dragging but that’s a price to pay for the controller. Where the controller suffers compared to the mouse and keyboard however is that often you are left wondering what the targeting system is up to.
Because the default attack button is also the interact, often my characters would meander off to go open a supply or medic chest instead of attacking the enemy. Other times instead of activating a switch to move on with a stage, they would go attack whatever was closest or, like the other case, go open a chest because why the hell not. Targeting with ranged weapons while in cover was also challenging because you can’t really aim it but hope that the system points your weapon properly which was often not the case compared to with a mouse which allowed you to properly zone in on your enemy even if they were very far out of range. Hurray for super long distance warfare!
There’s one last feature that I’ll be honest that while I’ve looked into it, I haven’t dived into it. This is what NeocoreGames have called the Cabal which is basically a Guild system that allows for any member to gain passive bonuses just from being a member. Looking through the available lists there are plenty out there, some big, some brand new and surprisingly, a decent amount French. If I wanted a French speaking guild from the Province that I live within? A lot of them seem open to new members and are freely open to join. I found that pretty cool.
Warhammer 40k - Martyr: Inquisitor has a lot of great ideas and is easy to sink hours upon hours into but there are still some areas that felt rough. The title itself however hasn’t just been left to its own devices and I want to give the developers huge props for the work that they are putting into it, the events that they have ongoing and the general work that keep putting into it. Like The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, NecoreGames pay attention and work towards making the best product they can with feedback from the fans. Should you check it out? Yes. There’s plenty to do and a lot of “Hack & Slash” Action RPG adventuring to be had.
Game Information
Platform:
PC Developer(s):
NeocoreGames Publisher(s):
NeocoreGames Genre(s):
Action
Adventure
RPG Mode(s):
Single Player
Multiplayer Other Platform(s):
Consoles on launch
Coming to us from Wonderstruck and the Square Enix Collective is Boundless, a new MMO in an open-world-sandbox that will let you choose your own path. The best part? It now has a release date and a new trailer!
Growing the Galaxy: Boundless to Launch this 11th September on PC and PS4
Create, Explore, Influence: one universe, all the players.
London, UK (24th July, 2018) – Square Enix Collective® is proud to announce that the forthcoming epic sandbox MMO Boundless from UK studio Wonderstruck will launch on 11 September, for PC and PlayStation 4®.
Offering gamers a single universe of connected worlds in which every element - the politics, the economy, the crafting and the communities - is entirely created and run by the players, Boundless ensures everyone is exploring, building, crafting, trading and collaborating within one single ecosystem.
"Throughout its Early Access run, we've watched players flourish within Boundless' evolving universe," says James Austin, Director of Wonderstruck. "Now, with our full launch in September, we're excited to see where they take the full game - especially given that PC and PS4 gamers will all be operating within the same space, crafting and creating with each other within the same worlds."
One of the big draws of Boundless is the ability to open portals to travel seamlessly between diverse planets as you expand your adventure across the universe; or watch the sun rise on a volcanic world before joining friends to prospect for precious resources on a desert planet.
Starting with your first humble campfire, will you live a nomadic life in the wild, or found a new settlement with your allies from which to grow your empire? You can rally citizens to expand your city, competing to become the capital of your world and claiming the title of Viceroy.
Will you build a citadel, drive the economy, or craft masterpieces of technology? Join the hunt for exotic creatures, develop your homestead, or seek new horizons? Everything in the game is created by players - so if you want something, you'll either need to craft it yourself, or trade with others.
As announced back in June, Square Enix Collective has signed on to publish the PC version of Boundless, with developer Wonderstruck in tandem handling the game's release on PS4.
"For a game like Boundless, which relies on the community to create a constantly evolving universe, allowing every player, in every region, on every platform, to play together was always vital," says Phil Elliott, Director of Indie Publishing at Square Enix West. "Because one of the really important, unique aspects of Boundless is that - whichever path you choose within the game, and whichever role you play - you do it in a single, unsharded universe in full view of the entire player-base. Which means that your actions have real meaning."
Boundless can be broken down into six main areas at launch - exploration, building, crafting, hunting, trading, and settlement-building - with players able to choose their place in a massive, open-universe sandbox. With the expanse of worlds around them constantly shifting and changing, players are encouraged to shape their role and play their part in a universe where anything is possible.
Playing Boundless you can:
Colonise planets by yourself or join a settlement with others and grow your Beacon into the capital of the world with the Prestige system
Craft hundreds of items including building blocks, tools, weapons, food and much more
Spend your hard earned skill points in the Skill Tree and tailor your character to how you want to play the game
Complete objectives, feats and events to earn rewards and Experience Points to level up your character
Build and maintain a Portal between worlds for you and others to use
Trade items with others or set up a shop to sell and buy items while you're off adventuring
Seamlessly travel to new worlds and discover different creatures, resources, block colours and user generated creations in an ever-changing universe - each world automatically regenerates areas that are not protected by a Beacon and returns it to its original layout, creating new and much needed resources for you to collect
For all the latest information and assets for Boundless, please visit:
Cultist Simulator isn't really a card game, so much as it is a game that uses cards to depict game elements, and in this, I got something both unexpected and unknowable. By spending time dreaming of the Cultist Simulator card, I was able to glean some small measure of insight into this opaque title. It was shortly thereafter, in a gambit to evade the investigator looking into ME, that I decided to focus on my studies too much, fell ill, and perished to starvation.
You see, it's a survival game that doesn't really teach you how to survive. Not really. Sure, it gives you the basics on how to move a card onto an activity tile, but it is left up to you to discern what it's all GOOD for. Sometimes, you get positive outcomes, sometimes negative outcomes, and if something is too good to be true, it IS.
I lost many games to being drawn into my work. You need money to survive, and it is periodically consumed as you play. You have four resources, for the most part. Money, of course, and then the three elements of a person… the body (health), the mind (reason), and the heart (passion). You can use one of these resources for your work to earn more money, but the more you do this, the more you will be forced to do this in the future, which will undoubtedly cause you to fail if you're not cautious about your choices.
Working with your passion will allow you to work with arts, and use the mystery surrounding you to increase your funds, but this will only amplify the mystery about you… which will allow investigators to linger longer, feeding on the mystery to keep them fixated upon your actions. The larger the risk, the larger the gains… or perhaps I should say the larger the gains, the larger the downside associated with those gains.
The background music is forgettable, but adds an eerie ambiance to the title that really enhances the feel of there being against the whole world. The creeping dread in the back of your mind, the dogged pursuit of investigators, the occult mysteries that sap your strength in return for eldritch might… and through all of this, you are expected to start a cult, recruit followers, and advance their mastery and might too! Does this all sound like a lot? Well it is.
Every card has little indicators of its 'type' that helps you gain a little bit of insight into what it might be useful for. Anything with the type 'moth' for example is associated with Chaos and yearning. Mean anything to you? Me either, at first, but after my seventh playthrough, I started to notice trends. And that is the biggest crux of this game… ignorance. You know nothing, and you are told very little… save a vague idea that you need to gather together scraps of knowledge, study them, and learn from them to advance. This holds true within the context of the game, but also of your development as someone playing the game.
The ability to pause indefinitely means that you'll never feel rushed, but you will only be offputting the inevitable decline if you pause too much… because much like my favored Roguelikes, death is inevitable and unavoidable while you figure out what you're doing. So long as you have pause (Space) and a mouse, the controls are really just drag and drop. If you've used any modern operating system, you already know the majority of how, mechanically, to play the game.
As far as I can tell, the game is deterministic, and if you play correctly, when you learn what playing correctly even IS, then you shall succeed and ascend to your rightful place.
Game Information
Platform:
PC Developer(s):
Weather Factory Publisher(s):
Humble Bundle Genre(s):
Simulation
Collectible Card Game Mode(s):
Single Player Other Platform(s):
N/A
Two or more players side-scrolling coop action? I was already in for the single player but you can be sure there'll be a few of us playing this from my couch come October!
Co-Op Action RPG Warlocks 2: God Slayers Enchants Nintendo Switch, Steam October 2018
PlayStation 4, Xbox One Versions Q1 2019
WARSAW, Poland – July 24 , 2018 – Warlocks 2: God Slayers, the 2D co-operative ARPG combining a retro aesthetic with fresh hack 'n' slash mechanics, will come to Nintendo Switch and Steam when Fat Dog Games and Frozen District release their collaboration in October 2018. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions will follow in Q1 2019.
Choose from five playable warlocks including a crazed goat riding a dwarf-centaur or a tech-savvy e-witch who casts spells from her smartphone. Join forces with up to three friends via local and online co-op then take on vile gods hellbent on reigning chaos throughout the multiverse.
Devastate more than 40 enemies in fast-paced battles using more than 45 abilities such as shooting selfies, turning enemies into frogs and summoning hordes of skeletons, ghosts and demons. Unlock more than 100 upgrades and take on even greater challenges.
Packed to the pixel with more than 120 equippable items, Warlocks 2: God Slayers delivers tight gameplay, gut-busting pop culture references and hundreds of procedurally generated sidequests spread across three worlds depicted in hand-animated, retro-styled art.
"Warlocks 2 presents an exhilarating spread of multidimensional travel, side-scrolling adventure and hack 'n' slash combat," said Krzysztof Krej, chairman of the board, Frozen District. "It's the perfect blend of humor and action to share with friends."
The sequel to Warlocks vs. Shadows, Warlocks 2: God Slayers will be available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam for PC, Mac and Linux for $19.99. The game will support English and other languages to be announced later.
For more information on Warlocks 2: God Slayers, visit the official website, check out the game's Steam page, follow Fat Dog Games on Twitter or follow Frozen District on Facebook.
If it gets better than this I don’t know. 20XX from Batterystaple Games is EXACTLY what I’ve been wanting out of Capcom for YEARS. While it may not have the story elements that the Mega Man and Mega Man X series eventually came to have, 20XX has everything that is needed and so much more for one of the best damned platformers that I’ve played in a while. Essentially giving me X in the form of Nina and Zero in the form of Ace, there’s more procedurally generated levels than I can shake a stick at in the almost Roguelike experience that they’ve created.
This is going to sound like gushing but damn. Just about everything about 20XX is damned near perfect. Having been playing Mega Man since the age of four? Five? I’ve been invested for a long, long time and having seen the 25th Anniversary come and go and nothing? 20XX has filled that void and then some making the upcoming Mega Man 11 going to have to really bring its A-Game because it has large shoes to fill after this. Essentially making a homage to Mega Man 2 in the opening video and then to Mega Man X 4-5-8 with the option of ranged (Nina in blue) and melee (Ace in red) you can set out to either play the main 20XX mode in order to unlock permanent and temporary upgrades or tackle a variety of daily or weekly challenges.
20XX isn’t just designed as a homage with a few bosses thrown in with a bunch of powers that you can use to defeat whichever other boss correlates to that power. Instead, what you have is a variety of unique bosses that you tackle in almost a random assorted way one after another until either they are all defeated or you are. If you bite the dust? Back to base. There are a ton of upgrades that can be bought, currency to help you buy upgrades on a current run or to restore your health. Current run you ask? Yes. 20XX is built for both speedrunners and normal players alike rewarding the bold and taking out the unworthy!
As long as you are in the 20XX mode, chips can be amassed in order to buy several things back at base. The first, and to me the most important, are the permanent mods. These can increase your base attack or ability damage, your health and energy bars or grant you bonuses on certain stages in the form of chests that can be broken for money and restorative items. The second are boosts to your next run, the same style of upgrades apply but they aren’t permanent. The last of the options are to unlock new items to show up in your subsequent runs. Some of them are better than what are already available while others may be less than stellar but hey, any boots that make you go faster is a good thing!
Because everything is designed in runs, only what you take with you from the base will carry over as long as it was a permanent purchase. While out in the levels you’ll be finding plenty of upgrades to your health, your energy, your weapons and your armor. Sometimes these will come out of chests or boxes lying around while other times you’ll have to purchase them from the random shops that pop up here and there and they are always worth checking out at least once per level as the stock doesn’t change until the level does. Even the armors and buster upgrades are easy come, easy go. These will only be with you for the current run and afterwards you can say goodbye to them. Having different sets however with plenty of combinations to try, you’ll also want to find the upgrade that lets you use bonuses from random armor pieces instead of a fully equipped set.
As for the gameplay itself, 20XX plays a lot like Mega Man X. Both Nina and Ace can run, dash and wall jump across the various terrains while shooting their enemies out of the way. It’s honestly perfect and whether you’ve played MMX 1-2-3-4-5-6-8 or just one of them, it’ll feel at home. Yes I leave out the Black Sheep and my personal favorite of MMX7 because it went 3D and wasn’t exactly the most well received. I had more issues with 8 since they screwed up Zero’s hair which was a dinky ponytail instead of an epic golden mane.
The greatest thing about it all though is that while being familiar in a gameplay style, you can’t simply sit on your hands and do it blindfolded with your toes. I wouldn’t be surprised if some record breaker has tried it, and no, I’m not looking it up online either. The reason for this is that the levels are in a constant shift. What was there at one point may not be there the next. The designs shift keeping things interesting. What’s more, is that because 20XX is designed in runs, each stage becomes harder than the previous with your enemies having more armor and more power. It keeps you on your toes and its brilliant!
The final greatness comes into choice. You can either go into the main mode or you can go into the challenges. You can play either in single player or in coop with a friend putting both Nina and Ace out onto the field. Finally, you can choose to pick up a boss power, money, or a random bonus after their defeat, or walk away from it all. Looking at the list of trophies for the PSN, there are a lot of different styled runs out there in increasing difficulty for Bronze, Silver and Gold trophies. Regardless, it’s up to you as to how you want to approach it. Sometimes the money is the best choice because you need to buy health from a machine in the next stage assuming there is one. It is random afterall.
Fans of Mega Man X, 20XX is for you. It’s everything that you’ve probably wanted since the last release fourteen years ago back in 2004. It’s fun, it’s well built and even more, it’s designed for even those that only have time for a stage or two before having to run out the door with a quick save option. The only downside? There’s no real story. That’s it.
20XX is all the classic gameplay with modern accuracy and responsiveness that you need for both your platforming needs and the void that Capcom have left since the last release of the Mega Man X series.
Game Information
Platform:
Sony PlayStation 4 Developer(s):
Batterystaple Games Publisher(s):
Batterystaple Games
Fire Hose Games Genre(s):
Action
Platformer Mode(s):
Single Player
Coop Other Platform(s):
Nintendo Switch
PC
Ever thought of having your own restaurant? How about one in a strange world with Spirits and Fallen Angels? What about summoning the aspects of food also known as Food Souls (such as Rice, Milk, Black Tea) to help you fight monsters in order to gather ingredients to serve at your restaurant? Well if this is for you then look no further. Food Fantasy is a unique type of gacha game (or hero collector) from Elex publisher of Clash of Kings that takes a new and fresh twist on the genre.
One of the “wow” factors for this game was its take on managing a restaurant and playing a JRPG at the same time. Not only did I find it exciting that I, as someone who can’t cook, was able to create food so good that lineups would be forming outside the door, but I could also scratch that itch for the single player progression at the same time. This is what makes Food Fantasy stand out as it has two unique parts to make one fully baked experience.
The first is the restaurant, were we need to hire staff to act as the cook and waiters for our customers. This restaurant becomes a “carte blanche” for how we want to develop it everything is left up to the user on how they wish for their restaurant to look and feel. The more ingredients we gather the more we dishes we can start to create. Imagination plays a bit of a factor when making new dishes, but a guide also helps to push us in the right direction. We use our Food Souls to help us act as a cook and waiters to maintain our store while we are out hunting for new ingredients or making deliveries to our clients!
The second is how the JRPG side is handled. As per the usual for a mobile game, the system Food Fantasy uses is energy with a world map that uses a linear choice progression with a 3 star rating system. Once you have achieved 3 stars you can quickplay the same levels for loot without having to replay the entire level. The combat is smooth but also requires a good composition of tanks healers and damage to not be rolled over. Throughout certain fights there are occasions when a monster will have a timer appear on them in several places. These timers need to be pressed on as quickly as possible, the faster we press them the better.
What this does is it interrupts almost a “cast time” before a very strong attack. Most of these attacks will 1 shot your entire party if left unattended. This also is the reason for not having an auto play feature in the game. A fight has special moves that each character can use as long as they have their counter-parts in the fight with them, but there is also spells that we can cast as well once we have built up enough energy.
We have the ability to pick and choose which skills we want through our leveling up and mastery allowing us to aid our food souls in combat. Things such as a damaging fire spell, or a heal, perhaps a defense buff. There are plenty of options to choose from and it comes down to either preference, or having a spell that your team composition may be lacking. These spells each have a cooldown and energy requirement, so do not spend them unwisely using your flames might be ok for dumping energy when at max, who doesn’t love a little bbq. But if it’s a heal or defense, its best to save those for either after a strong attack, or if we fail to interrupt the boss in time.
The Food Souls we summon often have a counter-part to make them stronger. For example we have Milk and Black Tea. By having both of these Souls in our party we activate the special ability that both souls possess. Milk gained an AOE heal and Black Tea unleashed hell on all enemies. There are tons of other combinations such as Chocolate and Coffee or Dorayaki and Sushi. Having the proper combinations can greatly increase your team’s potential in combat.
Most of the time I don’t play any mobile games with sound, but I couldn’t get enough oh how well done the voices were done for this game; even the background music had a nice ring to it. Tons of voice actors were casted to make sure this part was a hit!
Food Fantasy is a lot of fun to play with its great mix of elements. It has food, it’s a JRPG, its got tons of collectable Food Souls and it even has extras to do on your down time waiting for that energy to come back. A game after my own heart. On top of such an awesome game, I also want to give a shout out to the devs for actively requesting and implementing feedback into the released version launched just this last Friday.
If the F2P doesn’t turn this game into a massive pay to win, then it will remain a stellar success!
Game Information
Platform:
PC Developer(s):
Elex Publisher(s):
Elex Genre(s):
RPG Mode(s):
Single Player Other Platform(s):
Apple iOS
