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...
PQube (London, UK) – September 24th, 2019 – Today, PQube and Singaporean developer The Gentlebros are excited to release Cat Quest II for PC on Steam. The sequel to award-winning indie hit Cat Quest is an adorable catventure with a mew story and vastly expanded world for up to two players, that will make you rethink the term 'to fight like cats and dogs'!
Console players will get their paws on Cat Quest II later this Autumn, when it releases for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Check out our Launch Tail-er:
Cat Quest II is a fast paced open world action RPG where you play as both a cat and a dog. Explore a massive world filled with monsters, dungeons and quests, as you strive to bring peace back to your kingdoms during a time of war. Find, share and upgrade loot as well as powerful spells to quest your way through this adorable tail!
The three biggest novelties in Cat Quest II
1. A new kingdom to explore!
Vast deserts, towering rocks and auburn meadows: the Lupus Empire is just as beautiful, unique and full of quests as its neighboring feline land. Catventure through this chequered realm, join furces with new allies and help liberate it from its emperor-gone-mad: Wolfen!
One of the most requested features following the success of Cat Quest and perfect for friends, families, couples and everyone else! Enjoy optional local 2-player co-op as an unlikely pair of heroes and join furces!
What would an adventure be without some sweet loot? Cat Quest II offers even more diversity by adding new weapon types - like ranged wands - and spells as well as passive skills on armor pieces you find and upgrade during your quests!
The Gentlebros is an award winning studio based in Singapore, responsible for the popular Cat Quest and Slashy Hero! Made up of veterans of the game industry, they aim to pour their love into every game they make, and hopefully, you'll feel their love too!
About PQube
PQube is a leading publisher, distributor and service provider for the interactive entertainment industry with a global reach through UK, Europe, Middle East, Australia and North and South America from its offices in Letchworth (UK), Bristol (UK), Paris (France), Los Angeles (USA) and Hong Kong.
As a licensed publisher with Sony, Microsoft, Valve, Nintendo and Apple, PQube’s software division publishes and distributes video games for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, iOS, Android, PC and has full coverage across all digital download platforms, establishing a track record of success with major franchises including: Gal*Gun, Chaos;Child, Cat Quest, Valkyrie Drive, White Day, Root Letter, BlazBlue, Guilty Gear, Kotodama, MotoGP, Ride, MXGP, Harvest Moon, Senran Kagura and Steins;Gate.
PQube’s hardware division designs, manufactures and distributes officially licensed consoles and accessories including the brand-new Atari ‘Retro’ range.
We thank all our partners and acknowledge all game names, brands and trademarks as properties of their respective owners. Visit: www.pqube.co.uk/games
Cat Quest II is a cute RPG which features two characters, a dog and a cat, that players can swap between in Solo mode. Unlike it's predecessor, Cat Quest II has two characters so that players can enjoy the game with a friend in a co-op mode. With any RPG, players level up their character, assign gear, magic powers, and armor to make quests easier. And after I no lifed the game for a couple of days, I found that it is a title I absolutely adore.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Cat Quest II is straight forward, in that players start with a brief story that pulls them into the world. Its first quests and dungeons are extremely easy to complete, but they get progressively harder.
The first thing to note about Cat Quest II is the ability to use two characters in a solo playthrough. Players can either run around as the cat or the dog and can swap between them, allowing the AI to control the one not being used. This is quite useful for solo play and gives the ability to play in a 2 player setting for a co-op experience. While the AI isn't particularly smart, it does cast spells and do damage when players are standing back to heal themselves or change gear.
Now, with the main story quest, I would caution players to follow it through without doing some leveling. I say that because the main story line gets rather challenging and at points isn't easily finished if players haven't been leveling their character. And when I say level your character, I mean not just the characters physical level, but also the level of the armor, weapons, and spells they collect. So, while players may get accustomed to a specific build for their character, the higher level enemies have immunities to different damage types. For example, some creatures are weak to fire, physical attacks, or are not damaged by players at all.
In order to level up a players abilities, they have to go to the right place, which is one of my only gripes about the game. Unlike the other two characters that can upgrade equipment, the spells can only be leveled at one location. For weapons and armor, there are two different buildings and they have multiple locations on the map. Hotto Doggo is the weaponsmith and Kit Kat is the armorsmith. And unlike other RPGs, upgrading anything in the game is done monetarily.
One of the features of Cat Quest II that actually aids players is the ability use the Kingsmarkers to travel to various places, so long as you have discovered their site. This is extremely useful to traverse the map especially at the beginning of the game when you are bound to the continent. Later on, it is apparent that there are two separate continents - one for the cats and one for the dogs. Also, there is an ability that is unlocked later in the game that allows players to walk on water. Now, considering there are a few locations on the map that have creatures who are higher level, making a quick getaway via water is always handy. However, if players find themselves in a bind, or needing to heal before entering a cave, they can always hit one of the cities or encampments to save.
Another thing that I enjoy about Cat Quest II is the fact that once players explore a cave, an icon will appear on the entrance to show that the dungeon chest hasn't been looted (whether that is from death or from not being able to reach it.) If players haven't entered a cave, it will show a question mark - a fact that is particularly useful for completionists like me. Anyways, upon approaching a cave, a pop-up appears that tells players what level they need to hit in order to complete it. Most of the time, the level requirement is true. Don't even think for a moment that the level 150 or 200 caves are lying, because they aren't. Trust me. In my playthrough of the game, there are about four caves that I can't walk into yet because I'm simply not high enough, and I've already completed the main storyline of the game, as well as all the side quests. Meaning that the hard grind to fully complete the game has already begun.
If I had any real gripe about Cat Quest II, it would be that I have to grind to finish the last couple of caves! That is not something I enjoy about video games because it requires fighting the same monsters over and over again, even with weapons and armor that grant extra experience. I would prefer to have more side quests to complete which would grant more to the player, or perhaps a special continent that is designed for such a thing. But this isn't an issue with the game itself, it is more of a personal issue with RPG games.
Overall, I really love Cat Quest II, complete with its hilarious and often bad puns. Plus, the game is accessible for all ages, which makes it a great game to play around young family members. And finally, the developers showed off their wit with a specific area that is found later in the game.
Controls and UI
I exclusively played Cat Quest II on controller and I found that the game is designed in such a way that it is very easy to learn. Players can easily dodge, attack, and swap characters with one button. Spells are assigned to either the triggers or the bumpers, and each one can only be assigned to one of the two characters. Meaning that both of them can hold a total of 8 out of the 12 spells in the game.
One of the features with the controls is that all spells, armors, and weapons are swappable between the two characters which allows players to use combat tactics that suit their playstyle. More than that, players are able to switch weapons and armor in the middle of a fight, at least that is true in solo play. This is useful to note because some creatures are immune to various attacks, and often players aren't given the ability to change gear when fighting.
The UI of Cat Quest II is different from the first game. In the first installment of the game, the health and mana bars are displayed directly underneath the character you play and the experience bar is in the upper left corner. In Cat Quest II, they changed the design where all the health, mana, and experience bars are in the top left corner of the screen. In fact, cleverly the developers display the experience bar as the collar. Since, the relevant information is displayed up at the top, it makes it easier for players to see the area of effect indicators around the monsters and your character.
Once players enter their inventory, they can see and move around the map. Armor and weapons are displayed under the second tab. The third tab shows the spells that have been gathered. Finally, the fourth tab displays the game options like sound, resolution size, and quitting to the main menu. In this screen, players are also able to see the amount of money they've collected.
Graphics and Mewsic
Cat Quest II has a cartoony graphics style that suits the cute nature of the game. It's graphics are updated from the first game and they clearly define the abilities and uses of each building or object. There are rare cases where players are taking on several creatures at one time, making it challenging to see all the area of effect radicals, but generally that's when players need to dodge out of the way. Cat Quest II is a graphically appealing game.
The mewsic is this game is composed by Brian Havey, who also did the music for the first game, though his company is called zminusone sound. His compositions began as experimental electronic music but has since began writing music for other games like Last Stand, Platform Creator, and Dodge Blast - all three of those titles are indies. His music can be found on Soundcloud, Spotify, Bandcamp, and iTunes. Zminusone Sound also has a website and a Twitter feed.
Cat Quest II's mewsic is rather cute and highly addicting. The original soundtrack can be purchased on Bandcamp for $5.99 USD and it has all 17 tracks used in the game.
Feline Thoughts
I spent way too much time playing this game over the last week and this should surprise no one, especially since I love cats and enjoy RPGs. Cat Quest II has entertained me greatly with its amusing wit, discoverable paths and items, and stumbling upon special places like Founder's Island. Because of how much time I put into the game, the detail, story, music, and ability to customize your furry characters, these pets get a 9 out of 10. There is only one reason Cat Quest II missing a perfect score and that is the grind to level 200 is a pain in the furry butt.
I highly recommend Cat Quest II for anyone who likes RPGs and wants a relaxing time. This title is cute, its graphics are fantastic, and it can be enjoyed with a friend. And there will be no fighting over which is better between cats or dogs because there is both.
Be sure to purchase the game on Steam, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch. It's also available on both Android and iOS devices! Check out their social media pages on The Gentlebros website, Facebook, Twitter, and Discord!
Game Information
Platform:
PC Developer(s):
The Gentlebros Publisher(s):
pQube Genre(s):
Action, Adventure, RPG Mode(s):
Single Player, Multiplayer Other Platform(s):
Sony PlayStation 4, Microsoft Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
From Dreamhack Montreal, Chalgyr's covered the overall event, to Rocket League, to Indie developers showcasing their titles. This year, Infini was available to play in the Indie Zone and since we love indie games here, we thought we'd do a press release about Infini. Take a look below!
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MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC – Sep. 19, 2019 – Infini, the psychedelic puzzle adventure from developer Barnaque and publisher Nakana.io, will launch on Nintendo Switch, PC, and Mac in Q1 2020.
Integrating an outlandish narrative with rigorous mind-bending puzzles, Infini walks a fine line of meditative and chaotic. Standout visuals and concepts are used to create an imaginative and surrealist world where concepts like Poetry, War, Time, and Hope are personified. After being catapulted into Infinity by War, Hope must find his way back to the real world before it begins to suffer from his absence.
Hope must avoid obstacles to reach the next level as he falls endlessly through an eccentric alternate realm. Each world harbors new abilities, themes, and opportunities to explore the multiverse and its bizarre personalities. Meet helpful allies and deceitful foes as Hope learns who to trust while lost in Infinity.
Barnaque is creating the ominous soundtrack themselves, with more than 20 original songs bringing life to the metaphorical world of Infinity. Their psychedelic imagery and hand-drawn cinematics paint the landscape for the unsettling fate that threatens Hope. Prepare to drift straight into the madness they’ve created and escape Infinity early next year.
Infini Key Features:
Rigorous puzzles that introduce new abilities in each world
Distinct worlds layered with allegory, symbolism, and complex characters
More than 100 levels through 10 diverse worlds
Standout visuals and a grandiose soundtrack with more than 20 original songs
Mind-bending gameplay that sways between meditative and chaotic
“We are always striving to push limits and break boundaries with our narratives and gameplay,” says David Martin, Co-founder of Barnaque. “Our goal with Infini is to destabilize players by throwing them into an unknown world of surprise.”
Head to Barnaque’s official website and Twitter to learn more about Infini’s extraordinary world and its upcoming release. Wishlist Infini on Steam here!
About Barnaque
Proudly based in Montréal, Québec, Barnaque was founded by David Martin and Émeric Morin. The team specializes in crafting imaginative experiences that surprise and destabilize using a variety of tools and platforms, ranging from traditional gamepads and screens to custom controllers in an abstract world and virtual or augmented reality.
About Nakana.io
Nakana.io publishes video games that share an experience to remember, whether it be with impactful messages or alternative creation forms. They embrace the vision of passionate developers and help them reach more players via customized and multi-platform porting, publishing, and communication services.
What makes a game? Is it good storytelling? Unique and interesting characters? Solid level design? Good gameplay mechanics? Well, yes, all of those things, but also the soundtrack. While a good game doesn’t necessarily need a stellar soundtrack to match, it certainly helps tip the scales in one direction or another. There have been games that I thought were pretty bad, but I had kept playing because of the amazing music. Similarly, there have been great games that I struggled through because the music was so awful. S
o what are the most important tunes in a game? The stage themes? Overworld tunes? Personally, I believe it’s the battle themes and stage themes. They’re the ones that you’ll be hearing the most after all. But the ones that are the most memorable? The ones that will stick with you the longest? Definitely the boss themes. Those tough battles against powerful foes, or maybe a gimmick boss that you just love, these tunes will be stuck in your head well after you finish the fight, and here are a couple that got stuck in mine. Warning, may contain spoilers. All the following will be purely “normal” boss fight themes, not final boss fight themes. The songs here are not character specific themes, so while games like Monster Hunter have tons of stellar monster themes, they tend to be specific for a certain creature, not a boss fight in general.
First up we’re heading back to the days of the PS2, and a song that’s been stuck in my head for the past two months. Yup, that long. First song we have up is “Death to Squishies” from Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal. A parody song by robot singer “Courtney Gears”, this song is played not only as a sort of intro to the character, but also during the fight with her later in the game. Just all around super catchy. Comes in battle theme and actual full out pop-star parody with lyrics. This song definitely stuck in my head.
For something a little more recent, how about the Shantae series? Not too long ago a new installment in the series was announced, so how about we drop the boss theme from half genie hero on you? Here’s a boss theme that really nails the feeling of fighting something more powerful than you with something at stake. It may not be long, it may not be super complicated, but it certainly packs a punch. With a hectic sounding tune and some power chords, even without playing the games you could peg this as a boss theme right off the bat.
We move onto our next title on the 3DS, Seventh Dragon: Code VFD. This game was great. I really like turn-based RPGs, but for a while I lost a lot of my drive with them. I thought I may not find a title that really rekindled my love for the genre, but then Code VFD happened. The gameplay, storyline, and characters were all really great. And then there’s the music. The full soundtrack is amazing, and while it’s hard for me to pick one track out of all the amazing ones to pick from, for this list I’m choosing “Pole of Predators”. Is it my favorite? Actually it isn’t, but it really emphasizes what a song can do in a game.
The “common” dragons, which are technically bosses are monsters you will fight throughout the course of the game. They’re touted as apex predators, strong creatures able to scare everyone and their grandmothers out of town. The song “Pole of Predators” gives off this feeling of fighting against an immense wall blocking humanity’s path to survival. You will fight, you will die. The catch? The dragons are actually pretty weak, apart from the major bosses. Maybe only the first few can cause some trouble, or if you fight a bunch at once, but they’re actually rather weak. This is where the music kicks in, and suddenly these pushovers feel like a towering murder machine.
The last two on my list make it here for two completely different reasons. First up is “Edge of Green” from Radiant Historia. A game I loved for the story, the characters, the battle system, and the music. I mean, come on, DAT VIOLIN, MMM. While it may be more of a “Midboss” theme, this right here is the reason I picked up the game to play. No, seriously, I heard the song, then decided I wanted to play the game. I was not disappointed, with either the game or the music. Something about a full orchestral sounding boss theme just really drives it home with me. As someone who has always been really into music and plays three different instruments, hearing these kinds of instrumental tracks just really draws me in.
Now we come to our last title on the list. This one holds a special place for me. Back when I was younger, this song came from probably the first real multiplayer game I owned. Maybe even my first JRPG, there were many a night where me and my friends would sit down and play through this game. We played it so much that we actually started speed running it on the hardest difficulty without any new game plus bonuses. We did all the sidequests, fought all the bonus bosses, collected all the special items and weapons, learned all the skills. This boss theme though will always stick with us though, because of the first boss it was introduced for.
If you’re wondering who the hardest boss in the game is on mania, it isn’t the last boss, it isn’t the bonus boss who uses all your party’s weapons against you, no no, it’s the clumsy ninja assassin who falls into pits. I believe my first reaction when hearing this song was something along the lines of “Man, this song is pretty co- OH GOD WHERE DID MY HEALTH GO. NOOO, LET ME STAND UP. USE THE APPLE GELS!!!” For those who don’t know the song I’m referring to, it’s “Fatalize” from Tales of Symphonia. The two major song that will always stick with me are this and the last boss theme, both of which I went and learned how to play on my own just because I liked them so much.
While song preference is much akin to taste in food, with everybody’s being different, I suspect some people my not agree with what I’ve given here, some even who write for this site, but I can definitely say these are the boss fight themes that I’ll probably always look back on in the future. Whether they are full of memories, soul, or some demonic essence that won’t leave your brain, these are some of my most memorable video game musics.
LONDON – 19th September 2019 – SEGA® Europe Ltd. today announced Creative Assembly’s thrilling new strategy title reconstructing one of the greatest stories ever told, A Total War Saga: TROY™. Inspired by Homer’s Iliad, TROY will let you forge a heroic legacy in the late Bronze Age, the furthest back in time the critically acclaimed franchise has ever travelled.
In TROY, the fate of Aegean civilisation will be in your hands; each choice you make will shape the lands from the mythical heights of Mount Olympus to the arid deserts of Lemnos. Experience history as it may have happened or shape the legend for yourself in this unique chapter of Total War™.
Homer’s Iliad is rich with myth, legends, gods and monsters. TROY casts these stories through a historical lens to consider what might have really happened but ultimately lets you decide which heroes will fall in battle and which will be immortalised in legend.
The battlefields will tremble under the feet of renowned warriors like Achilles and Hector but it will take more than brute force alone to lay claim to the legendary city of Troy. You will need to deftly manage a barter economy, conduct diplomacy among friends and foes, and curry the very favour of the Gods themselves before etching your name in the annals of history.
Total War Saga titles channel the grand strategy and real-time battles of a core Total War game into an intense flashpoint in time, letting you determine the outcome of pivotal moments in history. This change in scope and perspective makes Total War Saga the perfect home for innovation, often leading to new ideas that go on to influence future tentpole titles.
A Total War Saga: TROY will release on Steam for PC in 2020. Add it to your wish list on Steam!
With more than 25 million copies sold, Total War is one of the most established and critically acclaimed series in gaming. A drive for historical authenticity and superb gaming quality has helped establish the franchise as one of the most successful PC games of all time. Alongside the core historical-based games, the Total War series has expanded to include free-to-play mobile (Total War Battles™: KINGDOM), fantasy epics (Total War™: WARHAMMER®), and historical snapshots (Total War Saga™: THRONES OF BRITANNIA). www.totalwar.com
About Creative Assembly™:
The Creative Assembly Ltd. is one of Europe's leading games development studios, founded in 1987 and located in West Sussex, UK and in Sofia, Bulgaria. With a heritage of award-winning AAA titles, including the multi-million selling Total War™ series, Creative Assembly continues to build an impressive portfolio of games and world-renowned partnerships; working with Games Workshop on Total War™: WARHAMMER®, Twentieth Century Fox on Alien: Isolation, plus 343 Industries and Microsoft on Halo Wars 2. Creative Assembly has, with their exceptionally talented team of over 500, amassed a wealth of awards, including multiple Best Place to Work awards and recent accolades from BAFTA, Music+Sound and Develop’s Industry Excellence awards. www.creative-assembly.com
About SEGA® Europe Ltd.:
SEGA® Europe Ltd. is the European Distribution arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA Games Co., Ltd., and a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe. SEGA wholly owns the video game development studios Two Point Studios, Creative Assembly, Relic Entertainment, Amplitude Studios, Sports Interactive and Hardlight. SEGA Europe’s website is located at www.sega.co.uk
The Surge 2 is a generous love letter to action RPG/Hack-and-slash titles like its prequel, The Surge, Dark Souls, Bloodbourne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Though flawed, The Surge 2 is a celebration of animation in a setting that feels far more alive, more interesting, than its predecessor. It is not all as glorious as it sounds though, as there are numerous shortcomings, from performance issues to abysmal lighting and contrast. To its credit, the animations, functions of the rigs, and the absolutely superb level design, The Surge 2 will most certainly fill you with hours upon hours of exploratory excitement in an industrial-grade grey landscape full of drug addicts and overly militant religious sects.
To start, The Surge 2’s opening level/tutorial space is about as bland as they come, though I did get a very hefty Resident Evil feel. Unfortunately though, that tense and foreboding feeling died the moment I exited the starting area and hit the open air of Jericho City. I have to admit that the open-air feeling was a refreshing spin on the more densely atmospheric action-RPG/Hack-and-Slash “Soulsbourne” genre, and as you discover more areas in Jericho City, you will come to realize the brilliance in level design.
Exploration seems to be a key second next to the limb-ripping goodness that carried over from The Surge and both of those elements are superb. I can only imagine that if you were to zoom completely out over the entirety of Jericho City, then overlay it with the actual paths available to you, you would likely find that the entire map looks not all that dissimilar from that old 3D Pipes screensaver. It is WONDERFUL.
What is not wonderful? Performance. Oh lawd its bad at times. On the Xbox One X, under the Quality mode, you will rarely maintain, or even get close to the 30 FPS lock on consoles (I cannot yet speak to PC performance, but it too is reportedly poor). On top of that? This is a regular occurrence on the Xbox One X :
I would most certainly call that “quality” … if we were talking original Xbox-era. Later areas tend to stutter and drop frames far more often as clutter is more common, enemies are more numerous, and various effects, like the very cool animations in the background vistas, however the framer drops and graphical pop-in is frustrating and immersion-breaking.
On the flipside of that though, this is launch and there will likely be an optimization patch so the hope is that there is one that focuses on performance. In truth, I eagerly await that because the game is quite pretty; some of the scenes are breathtaking, especially mid-game when there is a significant color shift away from steel and varying shades of grey. Tie that into some wonderful audio design (minus some of the … questionable voice acting) and there are some excellent moments that, after taking out a horde of bad guys by ripping up their limbs, are simply serene. A shame that the relatively bland story did not capture me with its bland twists and unenthusiastic story arcs…
What really sets The Surge 2 apart? Combat. Where Demons Souls and the first two Dark Souls games were about patience, parrying, and timing, Dark Souls III and Bloodbourne were about speed, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a blend between timing and stealth, Surge 2 is all about getting in and just beating the hell out of the enemies while taking a beating yourself. “But T1ckles, those games are all about NOT getting hit” you say? Well … They are and Surge 2 sets itself apart not only with the utterly awesome limb-removal combat style, but in its use of rigs that have armor ratings. The better the armor, the longer you can stay in the fight, smashing and bashing and de-limbing all to your heart’s content. Not a fan of the tank-style combat? No worries; you can go full-on dexterity/agility with the different rigs and any of the huge pile of wickedly homemade weapons (Spears are my absolute jam).
The Surge 2 graphics are good at times, though they run into issues with performance; audio design is superb, and level-design is stellar; combat is awesome and what keeps one coming back. Is it a title worth its weight based on its price point? That is an absolute and resounding “yes.” Is the story as deep and intricate as the Dark Souls trilogy? No. Is it as passionate as Sekiro? No. Is it as dark and twisted as Bloodbourne? No. Is it different, interesting, and full of extreme potential? Abso-freaking-lutely.
With Surge 2 the franchise is finally hitting the upward swing that a non-From Software title deserves in the hardcore action-RPG/Hack-and-Slash genre. Here’s to more titles in the Surge universe …
Game Information
Platform:
Microsoft Xbox One Developer(s):
Deck 13 Publisher(s):
Focus Home Interactive Genre(s):
Action, Adventure, RPG, Soulsborne Mode(s):
Single Player, Coop Other Platform(s):
Sony PlayStation 4, PC
Burlingame, Calif. – September 19, 2019 – KOEI TECMO America and GUST Studios detailed the intricate new Secret Hideout system today for their upcoming JRPG Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout. As Ryza, the budding alchemist, and her mischievous group of friends set out in search for adventure, they will be faced with a wealth of challenges to overcome. A series of circumstances leads the group into the depths of the mysterious Sunken Mine, a deep and dark dried-up environment that is home to something potentially evil - a gate leading to another world.
To prepare for their harrowing journey; to save their homeland from whatever is lurking in this far off land, the adventurers create a secret hideout as their new base of operations. As a budding young alchemist, Ryza will have to ensure she diligently practices synthesizing between her travels - the higher her alchemy level the more useful her items will be for future adventures. In addition, players will also able to use the exciting new Gathering Synthesis system from the hideout to create new lands to explore; they can use Forging to create new weaponry perfect for tougher foes; and Item Duplication, to easily craft a variety of consumable items for their journey.
Since Ryza’s Secret Hideout would not be complete without personalization, players will be able to customize their hideout to reflect their own personality through using various items found while exploring the multiple worlds. Ryza and her team will be able to increase their stats depending on how the base is remodeled, and the gathered items can be utilized strategically to grant useful stat boosts on the field during battle. These Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout features will unlock as players experience more of the game’s gripping narrative, quests, and magical lands.
With one month left until the launch of Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout, KOEI TECMO America released an enchanting new trailer; fresh from Tokyo Game Show 2019, giving a deep look at the enchanging and new Atelier narrative. A batch of new screenshots were also released to give players a first look at the Secret Hideout amenities available upon the game’s release.
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout is slated to launch on October 29, 2019 for the Nintendo SwitchTM, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, and Windows PC via Steam®. For more information on Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout, be sure to check out our official website https://www.koeitecmoamerica.com/ryza/, Like us on www.facebook.com/ateliergames and Follow us on Twitter @koeitecmous.
ABOUT KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP.
KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Burlingame, California. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI is best known for its Dynasty Warriors® and Samurai Warriors® franchises. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive®, Ninja Gaiden®, Tecmo Bowl®, and Fatal Frame® series.
Running, gunning, platforming, collecting, and a little bit of puzzle solving, Gun Gun Pixies certainly tries to touch on a lot of subjects. While an interesting genre, to say the least, Gun Gun Pixies is one of those games that feels like it had a decently fleshed out idea but just couldn’t quite hit all the points it wanted to. While fun and strangely addicting, it can also be frustrating from a gameplay perspective as well.
The basic premise of Gun Gun Pixies is that there is a planet in the far reaches of space, full of humanoids about the size of figurines in comparison to humans, who’s culture has devolved into one where everyone only cares about themselves, and they don’t build relationships with other people. In order to solve this issue, apparently someone though it would be smart to send two army cadets who actually get along with each other to Earth in order to observe and report back how to interact with others. So two younger soldiers xxx and xxx journey to Earth to secretly observe…a women’s dorm residence?
Gameplay generally consists of two portions: platforming and third person shooting. The shooting is…acceptable. You have a few different types of guns with different shot types, you can run, jump, dodge, and have to go find ammo if you run out. There are little spots where you get arbitrary buffs to your shots and need to dodge various projectiles and little squid things that speak in puns. The actual gunning portion isn’t too bad, but the camera certainly needs some work. The camera is linked to both your view and aiming, and it gets really annoying when the camera is too slow during the platforming, but moves too fast while aiming.
Then there’s the platforming. Hoo nelly, I don’t recall the last time I was so frustrated trying to get up on a waist high ledge. The platforming can be roughly summed up as “infuriating”. Apart from the same camera issues, the game suffers from being unable to decide what is considered “ledge” and what isn’t. For instance, you can be walking on the side of a ledge and not fall off, then suddenly fall off. More frustrating is that occasionally the game considers walls to act like “multiple edges”, and you end up getting caught on a wall. Couple this with the fact that the thinnest platforms are along the walls, and climbing things gets to be super annoying. While you can run to get a longer jump, the run button is also the dodge button, and unfortunately when you most need the running jump is in a small area where you tend to roll instead of start running.
The game is split into missions that generally have three main points involved. The first part normally consists of invading a girl’s room and, I kid you not, “shooting her with your happy bullets until she forgets her problems”. Yes, you read that right. If you shoot her enough, she gets an ahegao (Editor's Note: an O-Face for those that needed the translation like me) that then blurts out some comment about the current situation in the dorm. The second part of the mission involves the girl doing…something or other related to whatever is going on, usually involving showing off her panties or cleavage.
The is more of a gunning portion whereas the first part is more a platforming style deal. The final section is a sort of “post mission clear” stage, where you follow the girl into the bathroom and proceed to motorboat them and shoot them for coins. During the first mission type you have to avoid getting noticed by the girls, either by hiding or striking a pose to make yourself look like a figurine. During the other two parts, the quasi “boss fight” and the bathing scene, the focus is more on shooting/dodging and racking up points, respectively, and you can’t really get noticed.
The coins are exchanged for outfits, underpants, better scopes and new guns. You get a rating and bonus coins after a mission if you did well enough, but the scores seem to be rather more like suggestions than actual goals to work towards. The writing has its ups and down, but unfortunately mostly its downs. While I always expect a certain amount of spelling mistakes in titles like these, there were A LOT in Gun Gun Pixies.
Even if it weren’t for the mass of spelling mistakes, the writing itself is, well, rather lacking. The jokes and gags tend to fall flat more often than not, and a lot of the subject matter is reused pretty regularly, so it loses its impact pretty fast. While the characters all have different personalities, but they’re mostly pretty standard within their own character types. On the plus side, the music is pretty good and rather catchy, and the game doesn’t particularly lag or anything like that.
Ultimately, Gun Gun Pixies isn’t really something that I would be interested in picking up on its own. Part of a pack or on sale? Perhaps, but it feels more like a rushed novelty title than a full production. The controls feel super clunky and awkward, the text is chock full of spelling mistakes, and the hitboxes on the shots can get a little weird sometimes. While there is an interesting premise and the game could have been pulled off rather well, it just feels sort of halfway there. There isn’t really anything making the game unplayable, but there isn’t a whole lot to really keep you playing either.
Game Information
Platform:
Nintendo Switch Developer(s):
Compile Hearts Publisher(s):
Idea Factory International Genre(s):
Action, Adventure, Third Person Shooter Mode(s):
Single Player Other Platform(s):
N/A
San Diego - September 18, 2019 | Intrepid Studios is ecstatic to announce that the prequel to their upcoming MMORPG Ashes of Creation Apocalypse is moving into Early Access on September 24, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. PDT. Fight for your survival or die trying! Ashes of Creation Apocalypse is the standalone prequel to the upcoming epic MMORPG Ashes of Creation. It is both a testing ground for new systems and content in Ashes of Creation, as well as a unique multi-mode battle arena game where magic, steel, and chaos reign supreme. Starting this Tuesday, players will be able to take part in the action-packed Battle Royale mode, and fight to be the last one standing. Additional game modes like Horde and Castle Sieges will be available in future updates. Apocalypse is a high fantasy, free-to-play experience where no two battles are ever the same.
In Apocalypse, the world of Verra is on the brink of destruction - the only way out is to be the last one standing. It is an arena-based game which will support several different game modes, including battle royale-style gameplay, castle sieges, and gigantic monster horde battles! Our high fantasy setting, the vast array of gear and spells, and our massively destructible environments make for an experience unlike anything you’ve played. Hop in, stay alive, and win the glory.
Will you wield a tome that can summon meteors? A deadly two-handed halberd that can steal the life from your foes? Will you play it safe and hide away in a tower, hoping it won't collapse beneath you? Anything can happen in the dying world of Verra.
Play alone or with your friends, level up your character and win prestige in a high fantasy world rife with magic, medieval weaponry, and incredible graphical fidelity. Also, any cosmetic rewards you earn in Apocalypse will carry over to the MMORPG as well!
Key Battle Royale Features:
Multiplayer! Play solos, duos, or with up to 3 other friends in squads against other players online!
Building destruction! Hack away at the floor beneath your opponent or blow up the entire building with a potion launcher!
Diverse combat fighting styles. With various rarity levels, and a plethora of weapon and armor ability options, swap up your battle tactics, or find the one that suits you best!
Travel and movement options. Block and dodge your opponents, heroic leap on top of buildings to gain the height advantage, use your gryphon to travel long distances, or if you’re lucky, find a trusty steed along your journey!
All armors, mounts, and cosmetics you earn in Apocalypse transfer to Ashes of Creation the MMORPG!
Founded in 2015, Intrepid Studios is the independent developer and publisher based in beautiful Southern California. Intrepid has assembled a veteran AAA team of tremendous talent and experience in the industry. Passion and dedication are the key components for our recipe of success. At the heart of our motivation and commitment, is our amazing community and their awe-inspiring support for everyone at Intrepid.
For those unaware of the studio’s accomplishments, Spiders have made some rather interesting RPGs over the years. From Orcs and Men (precursor to Styx) to Mars: War Logs, Bound by Flame and the Technomancer, their latest entry Greedfall will have you setting sale as De Sardet, a Legate of a merchant congregation, to the “new world” in order to find a cure for the Malicor which is a disease currently rampaging its populace.
By this point I'm over thirty hours in if you could me having backtracked for a few hours as I realized that there’s a point of no return. That said, I’m still not at a point that I can truly decide upon my final thoughts. So what better way than to talk about what has stuck with me the most to this point in time, the first ten hours of De Sardet's adventure.
Unlike some of the other titles that I've sat down to like Of Orcs and Men, Bound by Flame or The Technomancer, Greedfall has you start off as a person of power once you've finished designing your character. Being a Legate of the Congregation holds some away over others, especially in the city of Serene where you'll be prepping for the rest of your adventure. Merchants, blacksmiths and other delegates know of the cost of upsetting you but at the same time, the overuse of power.
Whether or not you use this power, or even how you use this power, will start to define your character and the relationships that they have with the various factions that you start to come across. Within the city of Serene itself which is very Victorian Renaissance inspired at the turn of Colonization. Not Earth, but inspired by our actual time period, you're getting ready to leave. What you do between talking to you're few targets and getting your cousin? Entirely up to you.
Taking on side quests like a lot of open world experiences give you a better idea of the world around you and often one side track will lead into another which while unrelated at the beginning, can often help you move forward in another way that you didn't even know were possible in the beginning. You can do all of these if you want clocking in around two to three hours. It'll give you experience sure allowing you to have a leg up in the new world, or, better yet, it'll give you a base for everything that De Sardet knows about the world which is seriously about to be turned upon its head.
These first few hours I thought were absolutely key to learning about this world and it's customs. And in a way? It was. I learned exactly how the old world worked between its three major power structures and how delicate things were tottering with a fourth that was required by the other three. The Nauts which are the ship merchants and the Masters of the seas bring everyone everywhere as they have through feats of magic *cough* science *cough* mastered the waves and the ways between.
Brought to New Serene from Serene by the Nauts, it looks more or less the same until you see the low walls that separate Victorian architecture with the beautiful colours of nature. Tasked with sending your cousin's, the new governor of New Serene, greeting to the governors of the other factions on the island, it doesn't take long to meet the actual native populace who for the most part are not happy about anyone being there.
Disruption of their ways of life, bloody battles, attempt at religious and social conversions, there are more than enough atrocities to go around. Not unlike our actual pasts. And here you come in. The new "blood" to the Congregation of Merchants. The new person of power who’ll either let the power go to their heads, or find a balance that works for everyone.
Now going on over thirty hours as I’ve obviously get going from the start of this first look until now, I’ve finally made it back to the point of no return and I think I’m in a good place to put my final verdict together. So stay tuned for our full review that will be coming in soon!
Game Information
Platform:
Sony PlayStation 4 Developer(s):
Spiders Publisher(s):
Focus Home Interactive Genre(s):
Action, Adventure, RPG Mode(s):
Single Player Other Platform(s):
Microsoft Xbox One, PC
Leading interactive entertainment publisher BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. revealed brand-new assets for SWORD ART ONLINE Alicization Lycoris at TGS 2019, giving players a closer look at the immersive “Underworld” of the Alicization storyline. SWORD ART ONLINE Alicization Lycoris is coming to the Americas on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and PC via STEAM®.
The assets include new screenshots and character art, as well as B-roll footage that shows off Kirito and Eugeo battling Alice, the new Glacis Fields environment and more.
SWORD ART ONLINE Alicization Lycoris follows Kirito’s adventure through the latest SWORD ART ONLINE game after the events of the Alicization anime series. Players will journey through the mysterious but familiar virtual “Underworld” occupied by human-like A.I.s, gamers must guide Kirito through the heart-pounding scenes from the series. Through the campaign, they will engage in intense real-time combat and meet familiar characters along the way, including Eugeo, Alice, Administrator and many more.
The SWORD ART ONLINE Alicization Lycoris Pre-TGS 2019 trailer is available to view below.
Utawarerumono is a series as steeped in story telling as it is hard to spell. Utawarerumon Zan is a bit of a weird addition to the series, forgoing a lot of the more intricate storytelling to get you into a more action styled game than those that came out in the past. While this type of game might be good for getting those less interested in Visual Novels onto the scene, it can also feel a bit lacking at times.
Uta-Zan (now my personal name for the game) is a retelling of the first game in the “False Faces” or “Two Masks” line, the first game I believe was “Mask of Deception”. Those familiar with the original game will notice that Uta-Zan follows the plot all the way through the game, skipping over a lot of the finer details. The basic premise is still there, a young girl named Kuon discovers a guy with amnesia who she names Haku, and they end up doing jobs for one of the local authority figures, which generally involves getting rid of bandits or monsters, or solving problems around the capital city.
Sound a little sparse? Well, that’s what Uta-Zan feels like a lot of the time as well. As someone who came from the original games in the series, I have a bit more knowledge than what is given in-game, as most scenes are maybe a minute or two long between combat, pretty much just covering the bare-bones in order to cover what is needed before shoving you into the action. Does this work? Technically yes, as I was rather content to spend most of the game not just reading text, but to people new to the series? This only brings up a lot of plot holes and questions that would’ve been solved with a little more exposition. At least all the key points were touched on, regardless of how well they were explained.
In terms of gameplay, Uta-Zan has opted for a more “muosou/warriors” style gameplay, forgoing the grid based tactics and focusing more on a beat’em up style of gameplay. You have a main mission to complete and up to two sub-missions depending on what type of mission you head out on, and you can bring a total of four characters with you into battle. As you battle you gain exp and bp, the first increases your level and the second can be used to increase base stats or character specific abilities. In battle you have pretty standard move-set combos, with a light and heavy attack that you can use in different combinations, as well as “holding” the button for a different move as well. You have special moves, two of which you can equip, that can be used if you have enough zeal, which is gained primarily by smacking the enemies, and involves an action prompt to match rings as they appear on-screen. There’s also a super move you can use once per fight if you build up enough zeal.
As an interesting tactical perspective, you also get an equippable “seal” that has a primary focus (i.e. attack or defense) and will buff your party. By performing certain actions you gain points, and at certain thresholds of points, the seal will give better stat boosts. You can also pick up “equipment” (read scrolls) that provide various effects, such as natural health regen or attack/defense increases, that are picked up in one of the most annoying methods I have ever seen: lottery. Yup, that’s right, lottery. You pay a wad of cash (presumably for the ten pack as you get one freebie), and hope they don’t turn out duds. Yeah, duds. And the better gear you aim for? The more likely you are to get a dud. Trying to get the last scroll I needed took me four attempts of ten packs, three of which were entirely duds. Thankfully duds have a chance of giving you a REALLY large chunk of cash, so the costs are somewhat offset. Have fun getting all the scrolls to level 10 this way, although at least you can get a great success which increases the level a few times instead of just once.
Despite not having a lot of plot, or even many story missions, there is a surprisingly large amount of content in Uta-Zan. In addition to the story missions, there are the battle recollections (normal and hard), free missions, the battle arena, and an online mode where you can join friends or strangers. All-in-all, there are a decent number of missions to keep you occupied for a while, and with a wide cast of characters, all of which who have different specialties, in can be fun to switch it up every once in a while with a different set of characters, especially since solo mode allows you to swap between the characters you bring with you.
And the AI controlled characters aren’t unconscionably dumb! If you get downed, they will come to get you back up, or if your health is low and they can heal, they will run up to you to do so. Unfortunately this doesn’t mean they’re smart, but hey, you take what you can get, and what you get is pretty decent. They’ve also thrown in “Battle Medals” for you to collect, which give you unlockable rewards upon completing certain milestones, usually costumes or soundtracks. For those of you trying to unlock some of the more annoying ones, fences are useful; at least at the time I was writing this.
The game plays really smoothly, and very rarely did I get any lag, even when using a flashy move in a horde of enemies, enemies don’t have a limit on how many can be rendered, so you aren’t going to be hit by invisible enemies, and the soundtrack is really great. No seriously, I’m downloading the soundtrack for this game, even the menu theme is amazing. While there are a few issues, such as the occasional spelling mistake or the online keyboard having the “space” and “confirm” button in Japanese, there is a lot to like in terms of fun gameplay.
Overall, Utawarerumono Zan is a bit of an awkward title to give a score to. On the one hand, as someone who has played the other games in the series and knows the plot, it’s really fun without needing to slog through a bunch of text. For new players however, the lack of fleshed out storytelling may leave a bitter taste and feel a bit underwhelming. The series was really made on the story telling, and would do well with more of it, even if it’s in something like a “sidestories” section, so you can have that faster gameplay for those who can’t sit through two hours of intricate characters before needing to shake someone down for loot and exp. Doesn’t stop me from wanting to pick up another title if they do the same thing with “Mask of Truth” though!
Game Information
Platform:
Sony PlayStation 4 Developer(s):
Aquaplus Publisher(s):
NIS America Genre(s):
Action, RPG, Hack & Slash Mode(s):
Single Player, Multiplayer Other Platform(s):
N/A
La Chapelle-Launay, France – September 17, 2019 – NATO vs Russia war-themed real-time strategy game Hell of Men: Blood Brothers will be released on Monday, September 23 on Steam.
Hell of Men: Blood Brothers presents an imaginary conflict in which NATO forces are concerned about Russia's annexation of Ukraine. Lead two brothers through 6 different missions to fight against the Russian army.
“Hell of Men: Blood Brothers features realistic gameplay mechanics”, says Dylan Ganuchaud, CEO at Whacky Squad Studio.
Hell of Men: Blood Brothers contains 4 additional game modes: solo campaign, solo skirmish, cooperative, and multiplayer for up to 4 players. The game will be available in Early Access for 6 months approximately.
Features
Real-time strategy.
NATO vs Russia World War III context
Innovative mechanics that reward thoughtful and strategic players.
Simulation: cover system for infantry, class combinations, vehicles with firepower...
Environment domination.
4 game modes: solo, solo skirmish, Cooperative, and multiplayer
After his studies, Dylan Ganuchaud chose to return to these first dreams. Those of creating video games and transporting players to new worlds because what he loves most is telling stories. In 2019 he created Whacky Squad Studio with the first project Hell of Men: Blood Brothers –a skirmish strategy game in the context of World War III.
Daymare is a classic action / horror, 3rd person shooter game where you get to experience a mutated undead infection through the eyes and actions of 3 different characters. Liev, Sam and Raven all are very diverse in their personalities, ways, background and experience, and each react very differently to the spreading of the horrid mutagen.
Coming out on the 17th of September, this title is packed with hard to kill mobs and brain teasing puzzles that are sure to keep you stimulated and on your toes.
Danger lies inside…. Hint: their faces are melted, and they will try to eat you.
The game follows a pretty simple and linear story mode; You must follow the path before you, kill some mobs, do a puzzle, watch a cutscene, have a slightly more difficult mob/boss to kill, then you’re done the chapter. The repetitive process thankfully doesn’t feel monotonous… Neither does it feel too tedious. During the gameplay, the story kept flowing nicely without being dragged down by the continuous sequence.
You start the game by playing Agent Liev, a special agent part of a task force on a mission to recover some highly valuable samples of a bio-weapon, in a lab that has, of course, been contaminated and locked up in a deadly quarantine. From the very first images you get, the game set a gritty, dark and eerie atmospheric vibe, with the ambient darkness and pouring rain. As you guide Agent Liev through the desolate laboratory, 2 things are already certain; 1st thing is that you clearly will be dealing with tons of zombies and an infection spreading far and wide, and 2nd that your current character really isn’t a such a good guy.
It is a bit a bit refreshing in a way that you usually get to play the good guy saving the world, not an arrogant asshole who seemingly takes pleasure in murdering defenseless civilians as much as the infected. Liev obviously has no remorse killing potential civilian and scientists that could cause a threat of failure, or not, to his mission, making snarky comments or feigning some form of empathy just before he blows up their brains.
Discovering dark and twisted experiments in the laboratory.
Unfortunately, from early on, I felt that the dialogue set a humoristic tone, more so than a dramatic one, being very over the top and exaggerated. The characters often made me laugh as they argued like children, or made silly remarks about the world, or other characters around them, which mostly all sounded very unnatural and forced. I get that it is a fantasy game, but nobody would naturally talk like that, stating obvious explanations, making pointless remarks, and talking to themselves in a way to hold the player’s hand, more than once, making the “tragic scenes” unfortunately hilarious.
Your second playable character only manages to make the comical dialogue even worse. Sam would probably be what the game wants us to believe to be the “average joe” reaction to the zombie infection… But he only comes off as unstable, unwise, and very much exaggerated in all his reactions. I simply couldn’t take him seriously and never truly got myself to care about his side of the story… even in all its “tragedy”.
The puzzles are classic in nature. You must analyze some nearby clues to unlock the next part of your chapter, often in form of a locked door. Some are more logical, others more reliant on pure guess or luck.
The now infamous bookcase puzzle kept me busy for quite a while. I’ll never look at books the same way ever again.
That put aside, the character models and general looks of the game are quite decent. It flows nicely, with fluid movements and little details that aim to make the world more immersive. If it wasn’t for the fences and obvious railroading keeping you on the right path to follow, you could almost get the feeling that the cities and areas that you are visiting are immersive, living, and well designed.
The hit boxes can be a bit wonky at times, especially around the shoulders and head areas of the mobs, and with some unflattering camera angles, as your bullets seem to magically teleport behind the mobs, or on unmoving props set before your character, in front of the camera view.
But, aside from that, the mutant zombies feel agile, intelligent considering their infected brains, and dangerous. They are quite fast and resilient. Quiet and deadly. More so than the usual zombies we get in games.
This beautiful face will be chasing, spitting and snarling at you.
They are also quite numerous; to a point that you simply cannot down all of them with the limited amount of ammo that your characters carry. That’s a good thing, though: That factor manages to create a sense of urgency and risk, which encourages you to keep pushing through the dangerous waves. That time sensitive feeling is only amplified by feature that I personally found great, such as real time inventory, reloading, hacking and healing. You also have the option of a slow reload, that puts the empty ammo cartridge back into your inventory or, a fast one, which drops the cartridge on the ground so you can focus on the enemies in front of you.
That urgency does get a bit stalled when you die and must go through what I found to be long loading screens, and you quickly realize that there aren’t that many checkpoints to go around all through the chapters. If you aren’t careful in your endeavors, you will be going through many, many reloading of your chapters, as you go through trial and error trying to figure out where to go, and what to do, since you don’t have enough ammo to waste it. And that gets quite frustrating after 2 or 3 times, and I had to put the game on hold a few times, because I didn’t feel like going through the painful restart of the same, previous segment I’ve done many times before.
Raven being the badass he is.
In general, I felt the game could use some improvement dialogue-wise, and with the current clumsy aiming and background cameras. That said, I also quite enjoyed the background lore, and the characters, Sam aside, felt refreshing and pretty cool. Including the mutated, acid spitting zombies.
If you are a fan of action-based horror games, I think you should give this game a try. It reminded me greatly of Resident Evil 4, both in atmosphere and gameplay-wise, and we all know the world could use more awesome zombie games. I will definitely keep playing it, in goals of finishing the storyline and I look forward to it. I give this game 8 on 10.
Game Information
Platform:
PC Developer(s):
Invader Studios Publisher(s):
Destructive Creations, All in! Games Genre(s):
Action, Survival, Zombies Mode(s):
Single Player Other Platform(s):
Sony PlayStation 4, Microsoft Xbox One
