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Physical Version of Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth Available for Pre-Purchase on Some Consoles!


Paris, France, November 23, 2021
- French publisher Red Art Games, in partnership with Japanese publisher PLAYISM, is very excited to announce the launch of the physical package version of 2D action-exploration Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth on Nintendo Switch for €34,99 and on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 for €29,99 on November 23rd at 10am CET!

Each version purchased from the Red Art Games Store before January 1st will also include an artbook (translated in English) and an OST CD as special gifts, which are expected to be released in January 2022.

Red Art Games is also acting as publisher for the North American package version, to be distributed by Red Art Games’ historical partner Video Game Plus from their store starting November 23rd.

Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth – Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 Trailer

Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is a 2D action-exploration "Metroidvania"- style game developed under the close supervision of original creator Ryo Mizuno, depicting the previously unknown story of Deedlit and the events leading up to Record of Lodoss War: Diadem of the Covenant.

Deedlit awakens suddenly in a mysterious, unknown place.

Where am I? Why am I here?

With nobody around to respond, her questions are met with only silence. Seeking answers, Deed eventually sets off on foot, alone…

Features:

     Sword and Arrow Attacks

     Swappable Equipment

     Swappable Elemental Spirits

     Raise Elemental Spirit Levels

About PLAYISM

Japan’s oldest indie publisher, PLAYISM is known in the West for supporting popular indie games such as Gnosia, Idol Manager, Tasomachi: Behind the Twilight, Touhou Luna Nights, Fight Crab, Record of Lodoss War -Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth-, the La-Mulana series, Bright Memory, and DEEEER Simulator among other titles.

PLAYISM’s motto is “Bringing a Different Breed of Indie Game to the World”. To learn more, visit the PLAYISM official website and follow @PlayismEN on Twitter.

About WSS Playground

WSS playground is the name of the proprietary indie game label of Why So Serious Inc.. Creating games is a form of "play", and there is no human activity more serious than "play". As an indie game label, we aim to make the world into a "playground" by creating "play" that maximizes the power and potential of each individual creator.

https://whysoserious.jp/en

About Team Ladybug

Based in Japan, Team Ladybug are the talented developers of legendary indie titles Touhou Luna Nights and Shin Megami Tensei: Synchronicity Prologue.

http://teamladybug.info/

About Kadokawa Corporation

Since its foundation, the KADOKAWA group has expanded its business, revamping its business categories with the changing times. The basic strategy of the group is to develop its own global media mix. That is, the group creates a variety of forms of Intellectual Property (IP), including books, movies, animation, games, UGC (User Generated Content), etc., and sells them worldwide.

https://group.kadokawa.co.jp/global/

About Red Art Games

Red Art Games is a publishing company offering physical versions of video games only available in digital and in limited edition on Sony PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. This year, Red Art Games has entered the world of digital publishing with its first-ever release: Sturmfront - The Mutant War: Übel Edition and now, Arietta of Spirits available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and Microsoft Store! Visit www.redartgames.com / Twitter (@REDARTGAMES)

Article by: Susan N.

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Sherlock Holmes Chapter One - PC Review



Sherlock Holmes Chapter One by developer and publisher Frogwares—PC (Steam) review written by Susan N. with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes


Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is a detective game created by Frogwares who has published several games in the genre. It is an interesting take on the famous character as the game begins before Sherlock becomes renowned for his detective skills. In fact, the game is set even before meeting Mr. John Watson. When jumping into Sherlock Holmes Chapter One for the first time, it’s immediately apparent how young the budding detective is, adding a new layer to the character that has not been explored. After playing the game for quite some time, I’m completely here for this new perspective of Sherlock’s origins.

I’ve been excited about this game for quite some time. Ever since I discovered that there would be another Sherlock game, I was immediately invested in the title. Given that Frogwares has developed the Sherlock games for years, I also knew that this was going to be a spectacular experience. Because what Frogwares set out to do was to create a new experience in the saga. ‘Crime never sleeps’ as they say. This is also true in Cordona where we begin our journey.

Gameplay

Players begin their journey on a boat headed back to his home city of Cordona. He intends to visit his mother’s grave. While he was present at the funeral when he was a child, he doesn’t remember much of what happened. Plus, his estranged brother Mycroft repeatedly asked for him to return to their former home. Now that Sherlock has grown up, there is business to attend to.

After checking into a fancy hotel, Sherlock and his companion Jon decide to relax for the evening. They find a cane has been left on their table. Jon immediately challenges us to find its rightful owner and our adventure begins.

It isn’t long before Sherlock has found himself in the midst of a serious crime that serves as a bit of a tutorial for players. We learn about the various abilities Sherlock has like examining evidence, questioning witnesses and suspects, using concentration to visually see events unfold, eavesdropping on people, tracking suspects, chemical analysis of substances, and using the mind palace to fit the pieces together. The only other ability that isn’t part of the first case is Sherlock’s ability to disguise himself.


So let’s talk about solving cases in Sherlock Holmes Chapter One because it is the primary thrust of the game.

The Mind Palace

There are two types of cases that make it into the mind palace. One of them is persistent throughout the game which is the mystery behind Violet Holmes’ death. While Sherlock grew up knowing about his mother’s sudden death, he learns that certain elements were untrue. His primary case is to learn the truth about what happened to his mother. This is displayed in the bottom right of the mind palace. We also have insight into Sherlock's growth as a character. He is accompanied by his friend Jon who is there every step of the way. Sherlock is not alone through his emotional transformation. I definitely understand the relationship between Jon and Sherlock and loved this addition.

The second mind palace case will always be the main story quests. If a player picks up a case that doesn’t end up in the mind palace, then it is a different type of case. Quests not included in the mind palace are side quests. Anyways, the main story quest is on the left side of the screen. These cases give crucial information about Violet Holmes. So, if players are looking to power through the main storyline, completing the mind palace quests should be the focus.

While there are plenty of players who may not like the idea of the mind palace, I found it to be a brilliant take on how Sherlock’s mind works. As a person who loves investigation games, I can tell you that it is difficult to explain how pieces of a puzzle fit together. Sometimes it just happens naturally and at such a quick speed that our brains make connections before we are aware of the solutions. In Chapter One, the mind palace serves are a visual representation of the clues they’ve discovered. Players are able to tinker around with their assumptions based on the information they’ve gathered. When players click on evidence to choose a solution, the evidence will point towards a suspect. This means that every case in the mind palace will visually show the bits of evidence. It's a nice take on deduction.


Other cases are not shown in the mind palace. Instead, the clues are presented in your casebook. Any side quest that a player works on will be listed in it. One of the things that I like about the casebook is that players get a sense of what needs doing to get all of the evidence. While crime-solving is not served on a silver platter like other games, it gives players enough indication when evidence is missed. Though, key evidence can be collected through the course of an investigation. This is enough to make deductions and solve cases, but without the rest, players might be led astray. Thankfully, the game indicates if a clue requires speaking to others, disguising themselves, or searching for more information. Frankly, the casebook is integral to solving crimes successfully and I love this feature.

Investigation Continued

There is only one investigation feature in Chapter One that I absolutely despised. And that one feature that I felt lacking was the eavesdropping ability. All of the other types of investigations were done brilliantly in that they showed players what Sherlock physically sees and knows based on his education. We also get to see what it’s like to track suspects and witnesses down. Plus, we get to play with chemicals to deduce the makeup of a substance. Comically we are also able to disguise ourselves which serves a useful purpose. While we all know that one should never judge a book by its cover, this game illustrates true human nature. With all those brilliant features the one that irritated me was eavesdropping as it is nothing more than guessing. It's not even based on an educated guess either.

Eavesdropping is the ability to listen in on conversations. It is supposed to give players keywords or phrases from a conversation. Instead of hearing gossip, we get little more than indistinguishable sounds and are expected to guess which phrases are relevant to the case. In my opinion, this feature seems to fill a gap that could have been executed better. What’s worse is that eavesdropping events have a failure chance! At least with QTE’s the players KNOW what button they need to press where eavesdropping is a guessing game. If they fail, players must wait a few seconds before trying again. As I said, this is my most despised element in the whole game. Especially considering how much detail was paid in all other aspects of the game, this one was not implemented with the same level of care.

The Combat

I find myself feeling neutral about the combat system. Though it’s smartly implemented, but I felt it wasn’t really important. Some may have liked the challenge of the bandit caves, but I skipped the combat in Chapter One. For me, it wasn’t the primary thrust. However, I am thankful that Frogwares chose to have combat as an optional feature. This can be activated in the options menus. Due to past feedback from other Sherlock titles, Frogwares decided to overhaul the combat system into something that would work better. And while I wasn’t interested, they did a wonderful job of implementing something that made logical sense.

Sherlock is given the role of a budding police detective early in the game. During his training, Sherlock must go through the new combat system. It is focused primarily on disabling targets as opposed to killing them. This is accomplished by shooting armor off an assailant and blinding them with snuff powder. Once the assailant is unable to do lethal harm to Sherlock, he must go into melee combat to arrest them. This is accomplished by an annoying QTE which thankfully isn’t random, but it’s still a pain point in my books.

Personally, I’m all for disabling an assailant instead of killing them for the purpose of bringing them to justice, but I found that while the combat is better than previous games, it was not something I particularly enjoyed. Everything else in the game was done well, so why bother with QTE’s? In my opinion, it felt like the combat just wasn't good enough, but I’m not going to penalize the game for it. Instead, I skipped the combat portions so that I could focus on the primary thrust of the game - the investigation.


Graphics and UI

Considering the time frame, distinct districts, and wealth of the characters, Frogwares did a fantastic job capturing the aesthetics of 1800’s London. This includes the blatant social issues that plague society about people from different cultures and backgrounds. (And I am glad Frogwares posted a warning before the game begins.) Small details were paid attention to with such care that the world felt real. While there were character models that were used quite often or animations that were too frequent, I appreciated the presentation. Chapter One is a picturesque experience in several places and I’m here for it.

Despite that fact though, there were points in the Old City where my computer lagged - even on medium settings. I’m not sure if it was the water effects or what specifically happened, but I found it bothersome. What’s more interesting is that I didn’t have the same type of lag in an earlier build. While this issue doesn’t detract from the brilliance of the game, it was drastic enough to mention it here. This might have been caused by my graphics card specifically, but it stands to reason that there are some minor graphics issues with the game. Hopefully, the minor lag issues are only present due to my GPU and not an issue with more powerful PCs.

Another thing I’d like to mention is about accessibility options. Normally games are designed with accessibility in mind, but there is one issue that could be a pain point for some. When players use the ability to see interactable objects in the area, players see a small white or yellow dot. Some objects make this indicator practically invisible, making it hard for some players to see. Furthermore, certain objects will appear as yellow dots which is all well and good until it hits nighttime. Fireflies will come out, which is a neat graphical feature, but it further makes the indicator hard to see. I think this could be rectified with the ability to change the color of that indicator at the very least. Regardless, it would be great to see more accessibility options in games like this as this genre is quite large.


Deductive Final Thoughts

Overall, Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is a fantastic detective game that is unique from other games in the series. The focus is on the origins story of Sherlock Holmes which has not been done in video game format. While the game doesn’t hold players hands, it provides a great deal of information to help to progress the story. It even allows for players to skip over combat if it is a feature that they aren’t interested in. Due to the level of care taken in the title, I absolutely adore Sherlock Holmes Chapter One. In my opinion it is one of the best detective games next to games like The Return of Obra Dinn. I absolutely love this title and can’t wait to see what comes out in the future!


Score 9/10



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Asteroids: Recharged Coming to PC and Consoles December 14th!

NEW YORK — Nov. 23, 2021 — Asteroids: Recharged, the modern co-op revival of the definitive arcade shooter from Atari®, in collaboration with developers Adamvision Studios and SneakyBox Studios, begins planetfall on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and 4, Xbox Series X|S and One, Atari VCS, and PC for Steam and Epic Games Store on Tuesday, Dec. 14.

Originally released in 1979, Asteroids was one of the first pioneering arcade hits, using vector graphics, a tension-building minimalist soundtrack, and risk-reward gameplay as each asteroid splits up to create an unforgettable experience. Now Asteroids gets recharged with a fresh visual look, along with optimization for widescreen and high refresh rates.

Award-winning composer Megan McDuffee provides a soundtrack inspired by the original’s tense mood, but with a synthwave flavor. Also, players no longer have to wait for their friend’s life to end with two-player simultaneous play that works perfectly with Steam Remote Play and Share Play on PlayStation systems.

Pilot a spaceship in a segment of space fraught with both careening asteroids and enemy saucers bent on destruction. Maneuver through the debris and incoming hail of laser blasts, picking up a plethora of powerups, including the shot-deflecting Reflector, defensive Orbiting Bullets, devastating Mega Lasers, and Side Attack shots to cover the ship’s flanks. Get stuck in a jam, and hyperspace to a random spot on the level and pray it’s safe or it’s game over.

Compete for high scores in this pick-up-and-play experience, with the Recharged series’ trademark approach to reviving arcade thrill: only one life stands between high scores or game over! Test those rock-smashing and extraterrestrial-eliminating skills completing a variety of Challenges utilizing the game’s powerups and enemies in brand new ways.

“Asteroids helped revolutionize the arcade scene in the late 70’s with it’s incredible gameplay and novel concept,” said Wade Rosen, CEO, Atari. “With a new, sleek design, powerups, challenges and leaderboard support, Asteroids: Recharged will be a great time for fans of the original and newer gamers looking for a modernized retro fix.”

Asteroids was the highest grossing arcade game of 1980, sold more than 3 million copies on the Atari 2600, was one of the first games to feature a high score leaderboard with initials, and influenced developers in the years and decades that followed.

Asteroids: Recharged will be available on the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Steam and Epic Games Store for Windows PC, and the Atari VCS for $9.99 on Dec. 14. The Atari VCS versions each feature exclusive content and are optimized to work with the new Atari Wireless Classic Joystick.

Asteroids: Recharged supports English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Korean, and simplified and traditional Chinese language text.

For more information on Atari, please visit their official website, follow @Atari on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

About Atari

Atari is an interactive entertainment company. As an iconic brand that transcends generations and audiences, the company is globally recognized for its multi-platform, interactive entertainment, and licensed products. Atari owns and/or manages a portfolio of more than 200 games and franchises, including world-renowned brands like Asteroids®, Black Widow™, Breakout®, Centipede®, Missile Command®, Pong®, and RollerCoaster Tycoon®. Atari has offices in New York and Paris. Visit us online at www.Atari.com. ©2021 Atari Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved. Atari wordmark and logo are trademarks owned by Atari Interactive, Inc.

To stay up-to-date on all things Atari and retro-pop-culture, follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Google Play is a trademark of Google LLC.

About Adamvision Studios

Adamvision Studios is a one-person development studio owned by Adam Nickerson and based in British Columbia, Canada. Adamvision Studios has created arcade hits like Bit Blaster, Ding Dong XL, Orbt XL, and Atari’s Missile Command: Recharged. Adamvision Studios’ games have been featured on Apple’s App Store ‘App of the Day’, Google Play’s ‘Indie Corner’, as well as the front page of Steam and top-selling charts on Nintendo Switch. Learn more at www.AdamvisionStudios.com.

About SneakyBox

SneakyBox is a development studio focusing on games, VR/AR products, and interactive engineering solutions. Since 2012 the company has been steadily growing and gaining expert knowledge in various scale and type projects: in-house games production, full game development services, including porting to all major platforms, virtual and augmented reality experiences, and interactive solutions for complex engineering projects. SneakyBox currently has more than 40 people working on various different projects. More information about the studio at http://sneakybox-studios.com.



Article by: Susan N.
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3D Action RPG 'Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling Into Darkness' Launching on Consoles in 2022!

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (November 21, 2021) - Spike Chunsoft, Inc. today revealed new screenshots and details from the 3D Action RPG, Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness, coming 2022 for PlayStation®4/Nintendo Switch™/PC (Steam®).

  • New gameplay screens revealed. Experience the world of the Abyss in this 3D Action RPG.

  • Battling primeval creatures, gathering relics, and the Curse of the Abyss… An action RPG packed with irredeemable challenges.

  • Experience the Anime's Story. Play through Riko's harrowing adventure.

  • Take on a mode as a novice Cave Raider facing the depths of the Abyss. Original story supervised by Akihito Tsukushi.

Game Overview

Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness is a 3D Action RPG in which the player themselves delve into the world of the Abyss and seek out its depths through growth and overcoming hardships. Other than a story mode that follows the plot of the anime, there's an original story supervised by the series author Akihito Tsukushi, in which players can experience a dark fantasy in the flavor of the original series. Many characters from the original series appear in-game, and event scenes are fully voiced by the anime cast.

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Copyright © 2021 Spike Chunsoft, Inc., All rights reserved.

©Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Licensed to and Published by Spike Chunsoft, Inc.

About Spike Chunsoft, Inc.

Established in December 2017, Spike Chunsoft, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd. Located in Huntington Beach, California, Spike Chunsoft, Inc. has localized and published titles by its parent company as well as other third party companies for the Western market. For more information please visit the official website at: http://www.spike-chunsoft.com

About Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.

Spike Chunsoft was established in April 1984 by a merger of two renowned video game developers/publishers, Spike Co. Ltd. and Chunsoft Co., Ltd. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd. specializes in developing and publishing entertainment content including award-winning console series Danganronpa, Mystery Dungeon, and Zero Escape, and is responsible for launching titles across consoles, PC and mobile for some of the most popular series in the industry. More information about the company can be found at: https://www.spike-chunsoft.co.jp/company/information/.


Article by: Susan N.


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Hero-Based Shooter and Roguelite 'Gunfire Reborn' Headed to Consoles in 2022!

CALABASAS, Calif. — Nov. 18, 2021505 Games and Duoyi Network today announce a partnership to publish Gunfire Reborn on consoles worldwide in 2022. Gunfire Reborn, the hyper-stylized, roguelite-inspired co-op first-person shooter developed by Duoyi Network, exits Steam Early Access today, launching on PCs, after hitting 2 million worldwide sales.

After launching in May of 2020 on Steam, Gunfire Reborn has earned high praise from players (94% positive reviews on Steam) and was called “irresistible” in a glowing review from Famitsu.

Both companies will introduce console audiences to Gunfire Reborn’s booming blend of ability-based hero shooter and roguelite, all rendered in a striking cel-shaded aesthetic. Play solo or cooperatively with up to three other players in a highly replayable romp through gorgeous environments. Mix and match 40+ weapons, 100+ scrolls, powerful inscriptions, and Ascensions to craft builds from devastating Sharpshooters to magic-based Alchemists.

Gunfire Reborn’s upcoming worldwide console release will implement broad language support, enabling players across the globe to enjoy the game together through four-player co-op. In announcing this distribution partnership, 505 Games and Duoyi Network are continuing a business relationship that began in 2017 with a similar distribution agreement for Portal Knights.

“We are thrilled that 505 Games is embarking once again on an exciting project with Duoyi Network. Gunfire Reborn is a game we have followed since its incubation in Guangzhou and we are delighted to see it cross the 2 million units sales mark on PC.,” said Raffaele Galante, co-CEO of 505 Games with his brother Rami. “This new collaboration further deepens 505 Games’ presence in China, and confirms the emergence of China as a major development hub for innovative pay-to-play video game experiences and 505 Games as a bridge for outstanding Chinese developers going global.”

Gunfire Reborn will launch worldwide on consoles in 2022, with additional updates for PC and console to launch in the future.

For more information and regular updates on Gunfire Reborn, please visit the game’s official site, follow @GunfireReborn on Twitter, or join the official Discord server. To learn about publisher 505 Games and its products, visit www.505games.com.

About 505 Games

505 Games, a Digital Bros’ subsidiary, is a global publisher focused on offering a broad selection of video games for players of all ages and skill levels. The company publishes and distributes premium and free-to-play games on console and PC platforms as well as mobile devices.

Publishing highlights include DEATH STRANDING (PC), Control, Assetto Corsa Competizione, Ghostrunner, Gems of War, Journey to the Savage Planet, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons.

505 Games has offices in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, China, and Japan. For more information on 505 Games and its products please visit 505games.com.

About Duoyi Network

Duoyi Network is a leading online gaming enterprise in China. For over ten years, Duoyi has served its mission statement of making bold and entertaining new experiences, by persistently highlighting independent research, development, and operation. Its game IPs, like "Shenwu" and the "Dream World" series, have gathered over 10 million players. Duoyi also develops E-mail and IM products. For more information on Duoyi Network and its products please visit duoyi.com.

Article by: Susan N.



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Stranded Deep - Better with a partner


Stranded Deep by developer and publisher Beam Team Games and PublishingSony PlayStation 4 better with a partner article written by Pierre-Yves with a copy provided through a PS+ subscription.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes


About a month or two ago, Beam Team Games and Beam Team Publishing’s Stranded Deep was offered up as a PS+ title to subscribers. Not really having had anything on the go to co-op since Izzy and I sunk time into both the Forest and her platinum of 7 Days to Die, we figured why not have a coastal paradise adventure full of dangerous creatures swimming right below the surface.

Having not really done a Better with a partner in a while, I figured now would be a good chance as we slowly start to wind down for the 2021 gaming year before getting into our Games of the Year lineup. So as the title states, Stranded Deep is better to be played with a partner compared to solo play even if cooperative mode is a bit buggy and very dependent on the PSN's servers and ongoing massive sales.

So the premise is a fairly simple one, you and up to one "friend" are traveling on a private jet that ends up going down in the Pacific Ocean. Starting off with nothing more than an inflatable raft and one ration, you'll need to quickly get a few items together if you're planning on surviving for more than a day or two. Food, water, shelter and a variety of other gear will be needed in order to better survive this wide open space with loads of dangers right below the waters that you'll be sailing across.

So it’s with this raft and ration that you’ll immediately want to start scouring the beach for rocks and sticks to make basic tools. From there it won't take long to start leveling up your crafting in order to make better knives, axes, cords, cloth and a variety of other objects in order to keep yourself alive. Where things get a bit tricky is that everything you make generally starts off from rocks and sticks and there are only so many of these on an island. There are some rock veins that can be broken into but these need a pickaxe which needs rocks and if you're out of rocks, prepare to get wet by swimming to the next island or by jumping in your emergency blowup raft before really being able to build a larger and more stable one.

This is a bit of where Stranded Deep starts to show its colours. Unlike a lot of other survival types out there, Stranded Deep is designed to grant more of a quick win than a long haul. The reason is that there are three bosses that are required to be defeated in order to gather the pieces to fix the plane and escape the Pacific Ocean. On top of these three items you'll need 8 units of food, water and gas which will be probably the hardest thing to gather as "good luck finding potatoes".

Seriously, short of the potatoes everything else is easy enough to handle. The reason that potatoes are a right pain in the ass is because they are hard to find on the ground and can easily be missed as you explore the various islands as natural items do not really highlight as you approach. Instead, you have to have your cursor directly on top of it for it to show. Also, once found, you'll need about 8 potatoes for 2 full cans of fuel which make up the 8 units required. If you can find potatoes early enough, you can grow them for more while out exploring but you have to find them first.

Otherwise, it really comes down to managing your progress and your character to not die from starvation, dehydration, poison, cuts or being chomped on by something with large teeth. To do this, you can eat food, drink water, bandage yourself if you're bleeding, make antidotes if you're poisoned, and finally to help out on all of the above, find plenty of plants to help against the sun and to breathe a bit better under water.

Now the reason that this is better experienced with a partner is that you'll have a lot to do while gathering everything required to stay fed, hydrated and healthy. So while two players would mean more food and water, it also means two players to hunt for food, cook, manage water catchers, build a base and have someone else sail out to bring back other resources while the rest is managed.

Now, so far Izzy and I have only really played this together in co-op mode. She's done a bit to the side in solo, but overall, the experience has mostly been a two person operation and here's where things have been a bit tricky. Stranded Deep was glitchy when in two player mode from sailing the more open waters to simple swapping of "cooked" meat on a fire pit or what is known as a hobo stove. A metal barrel drum over a campfire. From just me disconnecting to both of us being kicked off of the servers there were plenty of reloading the game, relaunching the game and resyncing the game every time that I came back in. Thankfully we played this on PS5s where the load times were cut down drastically even if they still felt rather long at times and I’m almost willing to compare them to those of the initial versions of “Loadborne”.

So the reason I say "was" is that after we completed our escape and Izzy went back for her Platinum, the following patch notes were dropped for the console in regards to co-op. It would be good to go back and test this out down the line as Stranded Deep is fun but it was also interesting to find out that the PC build is still in Early Access so the experience itself still isn't finished and I'm curious as to what will be added down the development line. 

Summary

So overall, while Stranded Deep is decent to play in single player, it’s definitely better with a partner as you work together in order to escape the deserted islands that you find yourself on within the Pacific Ocean. With patches still being implemented in order to smooth co-op play, it really isn’t a bad way to spend a weekend in a tropical looking paradise especially with the colder weather incoming.

Score: N/A


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Battlefield 2042 – XB1 Review


Battlefield 2042 by developer EA Dice and publisher Electronic ArtsMicrosoft Xbox One review written by Nick with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes


Battlefield 2042 is an ambitious title that steps away from the last few historical titles and takes us to a future where we see plenty of those massive scale battles filled with epic Battlefield moments. That being said, there are some changes to the normal formula that may frustrate purists and there are some launch issues that are holding the release back from its full potential.

The focus here is on the massive scale battles that can support up to 128 players. That is just a mind boggling number, and it can make the most active points of the battlefield a chaotic joy to dive into. My personal style tends to be of the low kill / low death rate of a sniper who skirts the fringes of the active areas using a drone to scout the area and tag enemies for your teammates to see. Anyone who has read my other reviews of various shooters know that I prefer this ranged, strategic style of gameplay. Battlefield titles tend to do this far better than the more claustrophobic shooters like Call of Duty where you might have a map or two or a mode or two that sets snipers up for success, but the majority of the environments tend to be very sniper unfriendly. That is not the case here.


The use of vehicles makes traversing the large maps faster / easier to do – if you can access one at the time. I would say one of the biggest drawbacks to these massive maps in Battlefield 2042 however, is that there are times when you spawn at the wrong place or there’s just no one near the action to spawn to and you’re stuck hoofing it across a large stretch of land to get to the action. It’s slightly mitigated for me personally due to my aforementioned primary sniper class, but for those who enjoy the closer ranged combat, I imagine that those long treks are dull.

There are two design choices that are likely to be most controversial to veterans of the series. The first is that there is no single player campaign mode. The focus here is on the multiplayer (though you can do single player with bots as well), and while there’s a loose narrative around who the two teams were and the backdrop for their conflicts, that’s clearly not the priority here. That being said, if you’re hoping for a gripping story with one of those short-lived but bombastic storylines… you’ll be disappointed. I almost always play these campaign modes, but I have plenty of friends who never touch them and just jump right into the multiplayer component.


The other design choice likely to raise eyebrows is that the class system that has been such a major part of the Battlefield’s DNA for so many years now has been swapped out with a slightly more Call of Duty-esque specialist system. Instead of picking a class that has a particular skillset that creates a slightly more cohesive sense of balance to the matches, the new specialist system lets you mix and match to your heart’s content. I can see a case for either, but as someone who likes to customize things, I like the new system personally. You pick a specialist persona who has a particular skill (like operating drones or a bodysuit that allows for fast, directed gliding versus parachuting or setting up remote turrets. After picking your person, you then pick your primary and secondary weapons, their attachments, your gadgets and cosmetics. That said, these tie in rather nicely with an addictive progression system that sees you constantly unlocking things, especially in the early going.

In terms of the actual modes, the two major modes of Conquest and Breakthrough remain. I tend to gravitate towards Conquest myself, with its strategic take on capturing zones to more quickly bleed off enemy reinforcements. One of the more interesting aspects of the game are the major storms that can show up and wreak havoc on certain maps (reminding me of the storms from Battlefield 4 that I still remember so fondly to this day) – especially in Hazard Zone. There is a mode with far fewer players (32) where the squads attempt to collect as many drives from crashed satellites. There are a couple of extraction moments in each of these matches, and you don’t want to miss those as you are trying to collect as much as you can… while still getting away.


One of the modes I think will really help give Battlefield 2042 long life is the Portal, which is a very deep game editing tool. It provides some cool callbacks to prior games such as Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 1942 (which was my introduction to the series, so I really enjoyed seeing that inclusion). It’s not the easiest thing to dive into, there’s a bit of a learning curve to get the most out of its toolbox, but the potential for awesome community content here is strong.

It’s worth calling out that there are some graphical oddities. I’ve seen clipping through the bottoms of maps on kill cams, weird flickering / lighting effects gone wild and some of the destructible environments behaving weirdly (such as taller structures falling oddly when they start to topple). They are particularly jarring because this is very clearly a AAA title with graphics that lend themselves to some jaw-dropping moments and excellent audio design. I imagine these will get ironed out sooner than later – the Battlefield games have something of a recent track record of releasing with issues like this and seeing them get smoothed out over the next month or two.


These quibbles aside, Battlefield 2042 is still a great deal of fun. Purists may not love the specialist system or the lack of a single player story, but those who want huge environments with loads of players should find the chaos of Battlefield 2042 quite enjoyable. Portal is going to give this game even greater life than usual and something I’ve enjoyed sinking my time into so far.

Score: 7.75 / 10


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December 10th is the Launch Date for Vaporum: Lockdown Created by Fatbot Games

Vaporum: Lockdown made by Fatbot Games will release on Xbox One, Xbox One S and Playstation 5, and PlayStation 4 on December 10, 2021. Visit the game page on eShop: Xbox Store Playstation Store (US) Playstation Store (EU) Playstation Store (JP)

The Game

Vaporum: Lockdown is a grid-based dungeon crawler in an original steampunk setting. It is a prequel to the award-winning steampunk dungeon crawler Vaporum.

The game expands on everything that made the first game good, including more menacing enemy types, broadened skill trees, new gadgets, plenty of new unique items, and original puzzles & mechanics. Controls have been considerably streamlined for a much smoother experience. Vaporum: Lockdown follows the story of Ellie Teller, a teleport operator & scientist, who struggles to survive the aftermath of a terrible event.

Story & Exploration

Follow Ellie Teller, a young scientist, working on teleportation research in a grand secret project -- Arx Vaporum -- hidden in the middle of a vast ocean. Experience the last moments of her normal day job before things go very wrong, forcing her to quickly adapt to omnipresent danger and to confront her own past.

Combat

Combat takes place in real-time. Each enemy has a distinctive set of strengths and weaknesses so you have to employ different tactics to beat each one. Weapon types have each a set of unique bonuses and behaviors which add more depth and thought when choosing what weapons to equip against what enemies.

You will find many types of gadgets. Some deal area damage to multiple enemies, some manipulate the battlefield in various ways, and some can even create your own army of underlings. All these gadgets are powerful, but some enemies are immune to certain types of attacks, so you will have to figure out the best way to deal with every encounter the game throws at you.

Puzzles

Solve intriguing puzzles, riddles, and level-wide objectives where you have to use both your wits and reflexes. Many of these smaller puzzles contribute to solving the main one -- how to escape the tower.

Character Progression

Instead of increasing the abilities of your human character, you will improve the exoskeleton rig you wear. The game combines a "you are what you wear" aspect with long-term development of your exo-rig. The gadget-based system allows you to change your loadout of gadgets at any time, giving you a great deal of flexibility to deal with various situations. On the other hand, as you progress, you get to unlock useful circuits on your exo-rig, gaining significant permanent attribute bonuses and passive skills.

DISCLAIMER

The name of the project, "Lockdown", was set in November 2019, mere weeks before the real-world SARS-CoV-2 virus appeared, so it's a pure coincidence.

About Fatbot Games

Fatbot Games is a small indie studio located in Bratislava, Slovakia, Central Europe, founded in 2015 by two longtime friends and gamedev veterans, Tibor Repta and Matej Zajacik. Before that, Tibor and Matej worked in other bigger, established game companies, but both were disgruntled by the ineffectiveness and creative inflexibility of them, sharing similar opinions and ideas on how to better run a game company.

In the veins of a true indie studio, they started to work full-time on their first project while being roommates. The project, a dungeon crawler RPG named Vaporum, quickly grew to a solid prototype, gathering interest from fellow gamedevs and other people. The project managed to secure funding from an investor (a small tech company in Slovakia) and the company Fatbot Games was founded. As a coincidence, the investors lived just a block away from the apartment where it all started. ;)

Soon after, two other friends and gamedev veterans with the same indie mindset joined the company, Lukas Chrapek and Peter Uliciansky, and full-time work on the game commenced. Apart from these 4 core members, several other external contributors helped shape the game (mostly music, sound, and additional art). Vaporum was released two years later to critical acclaim (90% rating on Steam), praised for its gripping atmosphere, audiovisuals, fun gameplay, and solid bug-free state.

Vaporum received many updates and additions, mostly based on community feedback, including the Accessibility Update which addressed issues and hardships that people with disabilities had while playing the game. The company also decided to release the game on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One through Merge Games. For Switch, a physical boxed version was also created. Alongside, the team started to work on a prequel to Vaporum, named Vaporum: Lockdown, expanding on everything that made the first game good.

Fatbot Games has since grown to 7 members and effectively uses more external contributors. The team also actively contributes to the events and activities of Slovak Game Developers Association, helping young gamedevs acquire experience and good practices.

As a whole, Fatbot Games has 75+ years of combined experience in the biz (Bohemia Interactive, Cauldron - Activision, Keen Software House, Illusion Softworks, and others), and believes in polished games with engaging storylines and high production value in both visuals and gameplay.



Article by: Susan N.

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At The MIX Next 2021 Soulslike Platformer Salt and Sacrifice Show off Crafting and Online Co-Op!

New gameplay footage featuring developer commentary from Salt and Sacrifice, the next installment in the million-plus selling soulslike platformer Salt and Sanctuary series from Ska Studios and Devoured Studios, was shared at the MIX Next 2021 indie game showcase. This video features crafting, Mage Hunts, and more.

     Engage in a deadly game of predator and prey as a Marked Inquisitor sentenced to exterminate rogue Mages

     Repurpose the eldritch remains of defeated Mages by crafting unique equipment with powerful abilities

     Join comrades-in-arms online for cooperative Mage Hunts and PvP to showcase your hard-earned gear on and off the battlefield

Salt and Sacrifice will be available for PlayStation 5 and 4 and PC exclusively on the Epic Games Store for USD $19.99 Early 2022 in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Portuguese.

To learn more, please follow @SkaStudios on Twitter, like Ska Studios’ official Facebook page, and check out Ska’s Twitch stream.

About Ska Studios

Largely a one-person show, award-winning game developer James Silva has a talent for art, animation, music, coding, and level design. James always focuses on making games he would want to play first, and if he makes money on the side, it’s a welcome bonus. His other games include Salt and Sanctuary, The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile, Charlie Murder, and I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!!.

To learn more about Ska Studios, please visit the studio’s official website.

About Devoured Studios

Devoured Studios is a new collaboration between James Silva and his longtime friend Shane Lynch. As a former senior platform developer who worked on Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X, Shane’s netcode skills form the backbone of Salt and Sacrifice’s online play.




Article by: Susan N.
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