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Cult classic sequel Mugen Souls Z is coming to Switch September 14th

Includes full English language support for both text and audio

Hong Kong – August 30th, 2023 – Independent developer and publisher Eastasiasoft Limited today announced that anime-style JRPG Mugen Souls Z, sequel to cult favorite Mugen Souls, is coming soon to the Nintendo Switch eShop in North America, Europe and Hong Kong on September 14th. Pre-orders for the physical editions are available now with online retail partner Playasia.

Following the release of Moero Crystal H, Seven Pirates H and Mugen Souls for Nintendo Switch, this project marks the fourth major partnership between Idea Factory and Eastasiasoft Limited. Mugen Souls Z is a vibrant RPG featuring multiple open worlds to explore, extensive character customization, strategic turn-based combat on free-roaming battle maps, a level cap of 9,999, and the ability to deal billions of hit points worth of damage!

The Nintendo Switch version of the game is true to the original Japanese release, featuring all prior extras, such as hot springs mini-games, additional CG gallery images, and now full English language support for both text and audio, making it the definitive way to experience this cult classic JRPG!

Mugen Souls Z was originally developed by Idea Factory in cooperation with Compile Heart and will be published for Nintendo Switch by Eastasiasoft Limited in regions outside of Japan. Physical Limited Editions will include the game, manual, 2-disc soundtrack, sticker sheets, art book and numbered certificate in a collector’s box. Standard copies will also be available as an open pre-order.

Watch the Mugen Souls Z trailer:

About Mugen Souls Z:

Undisputed goddess Chou-Chou is back for an all-new adventure as she attempts to conquer the twelve Zodiac worlds with the help of new and returning frenemies! As Chou-Chou, you can charm enemies to transform them into shampuru minions, customize party members’ appearance and abilities, create new peons and much more!

As Chou-Chou and crew navigate between worlds in their spacefaring ship the G-Castle, they’ll need to cooperate with the new ultimate goddess Syrma to put an end to an ancient evil that’s recently awakened. Explore expansive worlds packed with field challenges, face off against enemy ships, and meet loads of memorable characters, all presented in the anime-style “moe” aesthetic that fans adore!

Features:

  • Explore twelve vibrant worlds and save the universe from an ancient threat!
  • Fight monsters on free-roaming battle maps and make them your servants.
  • Execute spectacular combos with your allies!
  • Create unique peons by customizing body parts, faces and job classes.
  • Enjoy anime-style “moe” aesthetics and remastered HD presentation!

“Mugen Souls Z represents Compile Heart’s vision completely unfiltered in its original form, only now with English language support expanding both text and audio,” said Joshua French, Project Lead at Eastasiasoft Limited. “We think fans will really get a kick out of its uniquely Japanese presentation and gameplay that only Compile Heart could deliver!”

For more information on Mugen Souls Z, please visit:

Visit Mugen Souls Z’s homepage
Watch the Mugen Souls Z opening movie

About Eastasiasoft

Eastasiasoft Limited is an independent, Hong Kong–based developer and publisher of interactive entertainment specializing in video games and related media. Founded in 2007, Eastasiasoft has published a diverse variety of titles in digital and physical format. Eastasiasoft is a licensed PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One publisher. Some of Eastasiasoft’s recently licensed and published games are Mugen Souls, Sword and Fairy: Together Forever, Xuan Yuan Sword 7, Empire of Angels IV, Seven Pirates H, Moero Crystal H, Trigger Witch, Rainbow Skies, Rainbow Moon, and the Söldner-X franchise.

About Compile Heart

Compile Heart is a subsidiary of Idea Factory founded in 2006. Specializing in role-playing games, Compile Heart is best known for its Hyperdimension Neptunia, Record of Agarest War, and Genkai Tokki series.

 

Article by: Susan N.

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Gord Review

Gord by developer Covenant.dev and publisher Team17 and Fireshine GamesMicrosoft Xbox Series X review written by Nick with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated reading time: 5  minutes


Gord was one of those titles that caught my eye as soon as it was announced. While it does not deliver quite as much depth as I was hoping for, this hybrid action / strategy title boasts considerable atmosphere and enough good ideas to balance out the title’s flaws.

The narrative and atmosphere are the real standouts here, and Gord got off to a strong start with me. As the elder of the Tribe of the Dawn, our protagonist must venture into nearby lands that are lost to a dark corruption that sets the stage for this Slavic-theme adventure. It’s an interesting premise that is aided by a game overall presentation. For example, I never found the visuals to be particularly impressive, but they were effective. The graphics themselves are often simple, and the engine is far from a technical marvel, but the use of lighting and the eerie sense of dread looming over the proceedings never really let up. That could almost be seen as a detriment as the sense of dark, suffocating dread can become almost wearisome after a time.

The music is simple enough and not particularly memorable for any particular tune, but it complements the setting and visuals nicely. The story itself is told through a combination of animated scenes and stationary images. I appreciated that the story itself was solid and that the voice actors were convincing in their roles. These pillars help to prop up the presentation, despite some of its rougher edges.

At its core, Gord is primarily a strategy game, but it has elements of other genres laced into its DNA. You have tribe members with specific jobs such as gathering supplies or venturing out into the corrupted darkness to explore and reveal more of the land. The micromanagement aspects are pretty well-balanced, as I seldom felt as though I was just overseeing too much at any one time. The claustrophobic nature of Gord serves to ramp up the creepy, about-to-be-overwhelmed atmosphere also keeps the settlements tight with workers who generally go about their jobs without a lot of oversight. It helps that the chapters themselves are pretty reasonably sized. That doesn’t make them easy, just a bit more compact like much of the aforementioned gameplay.

The actual city-building is standard enough stuff I’ve seen in numerous other games. You gather the resources and knowledge to erect structures that provide a myriad of benefits that help to counteract the dangers of the world being explored. It’s a perpetual game of tug-of-war, where the resources needed for these advancements are found in the wilderness, but so are the dark entities looking to cause your people harm. However, without these resources and village enhancements, you won’t survive your objectives nor the game’s more difficult bosses.

Outside of the city sim genre, there’s a real-time element to the combat (though it can be paused to do some strategizing), and also a strong survival vibe throughout. You have to not just protect the village’s bodies, but their psyches as well. They need to be comfortable, and there are horrors that when seen, can impair their sanity, which can have an impact on the citizens. The horrors of the world can come at you in a variety of different ways, from finding something unsettling out in the woods with one of your scouting parties, to your handling of a lose-lose decision, such as offering up a baby to appease an otherwise deadly boss who might wipe you out. We’ve seen this sort of ‘sanity’ metric in plenty of other games, and sometimes it can be hit and other times it is a miss. I’d say by and large it works pretty well within the Gord ecosystem.

One of the areas Gord struggles a bit more is in the interface. There’s just a whole lot happening, and while I’ve mentioned how it’s to the game’s advantage that it’s a compact game where you’re not managing massive armies, it can still be unwieldy to get around. Gord was designed for PC and it shows, as I have to imagine it would work better with a mouse and keyboard. The controller works, and it’s functional, but hardly ideal. This imprecision shows up in both camera controls and just the somewhat menu-heavy interface that has you clicking through a lot of things.

In terms of modes, Gord sports the aforementioned campaign. It’s broken up in logical, easy-to-digest bites and given the story that I found quite entertaining, it’s a great way to play. However, there is a Custom Scenario mode as well, and you have a great deal of agency over how it plays out. This is a great way to experience the game outside of its narrative structure.

Gord is one of those titles that tries to do several things, blending some genres together and trying to create something unique. By and large it succeeds. The various different pieces work well with one another, but as is often the case when you try to do several things well, you have a tendency not to do any of them great. To that end, the city building and strategy sections are not as deep as they could have been. While the presentation and interface have numerous rough edges, I adored the dark fantasy setting and how engaging the narrative was.

Score 7.5 / 10
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Sea of Stars Available Now by Sabotage Studio!

QUEBEC CITY (Aug. 29, 2023) - Developer Sabotage Studio’s follow-up title to the best debut title of 2018, platformer The Messenger, the retro-RPG Sea of Stars launches today on PC and consoles for $34.99. The turn-based RPG debuts to astonishing praise from game critics around the world as it becomes available today for free on Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass and PlayStation Plus Extra (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1244090/Sea_of_Stars/). 


An ambitious undertaking that harkens to RPG classics, the story unfolds with two Children of the Solstice at its center, youths Valere and Zale, as they face their fated duty to become Solstice Warriors. They wield the lone force capable of defeating the monstrous creations of an evil alchemist known as The Fleshmancer. The pair’s grand journey follows their mastery of Sun and Moon powers, referred to as Eclipse Magic, as they learn to combine their strengths to master powerful spells and abilities across a visually stunning backdrop full of peril and wonder to explore. 
 
Fans eagerly anticipating the launch of the game were delighted to meet a new character revealed in last week’s launch trailer: Seraï, a deadly assassin with the ability to carve portals with her razor-sharp daggers and surprise enemies when they least expect it. And of course, there is the good old Garl, the lovable warrior cook with a heart as big as his smile. Each of these dynamic characters plays an intricate role in the lives of Valere and Zale on their journey as fate unfolds in this mystical, magical world…
 
Sea of Stars has received a wildly positive reception from game critics around the world, having already earned more than 20 perfect review scores and a 90 aggregated score on Metacritic. Praised as a masterful modernization of the golden era of classic RPGs with distinct combat mechanics, an engrossing world prime for exploration, and a story full of heart led by a memorable cast, Sea of Stars has been hailed as a spectacular reimagining and elevation of the turn-based RPG genre’s greatest strengths.
 
Sea of Stars is the second game from Canadian studio Sabotage and takes place in the same universe long before the events of The Messenger, the award-winning studio debut. Today’s launch culminates four years of development for Sabotage, which grew substantially after the success of The Messenger in order to produce Sea of Stars, a more ambitious project in scope and scale. During its successful Kickstarter reveal in the early Spring of 2020, the studio announced that legendary composer Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger) would join composer Eric W. Brown on Sea of Stars to produce a rousing original soundtrack. Today, fans can finally immerse themselves in the epic tale of the Children of the Solstice.


iam8bit will be releasing exclusive Sea of Stars physical editions on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S in 2024. 

Sea of Stars features:

  • Active Turn-Based Combat: Pressing the action button in sync with battle animations strengthens a hero’s attacks and reduces incoming damage during defense. Along with interactive timed attacks, combat features boosting and a strategic “locks” system, providing options for leveraging different damage types in order to hinder enemies while they are preparing powerful attacks or spells, all in an immersive take on the RPG genre; no random encounters, transitions to separate battlefields, or grinding.
 
  • Unshackled Traversal: Swim, climb, vault, jump off or scale ledges while seamlessly traversing through the world with a navigation system based on platformer expertise that breaks free from classic, bound-to-the-ground tileset movement.
 
  • A Story Rich Adventure: Meet dozens of original characters and progress memorable narrative arcs throughout a captivating journey. Sometimes epic, sometimes silly, and other times emotional, Sea of Stars explores classic themes of adventure and friendship with heart, while also being chock-full of the unexpected twists and events you’d expect from a Sabotage Studio production.
 
  • All Fun, No Tedium: Enjoy experimenting in combat without fear of hitting a wall requiring grinding or farming for unique items; in Sea of Stars, defeat calls for a change in battle plans, not hours of repetition to better the odds in a rematch.
 
  • A World You Can Touch: There are many ways to hang out in the world of Sea of Stars if you feel inclined to change the pace during your adventures. Sailing, cooking, fishing, stopping by a tavern to listen to a song, or playing the beloved tabletop game known as “Wheels” … every system has been designed to deliver a journey that pays tribute to retro classics, while rethinking conventional elements to offer a smooth and refreshingly modernized experience.
 
  • Radiant Lighting: Dynamic lighting effects pair with a world-influencing day/night cycle to make every area feel truly alive, pushing the traditional visual limits of classically stylized 2D pixel art games - the only way to properly tell the story of heroes conjuring the powers of the Sun and the Moon.
 
For complete game information, please visit www.seaofstarsgame.co.
Article by: Susan N.

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Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles - Switch Review


Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles by developer Nippon Ichi Software and publisher NIS AmericaNintendo Switch review written by Richard with a copy provided by the publisher.
 
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Well now, it's time for something I considered a huge surprise when I heard the announcement for it: Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles. For the first time coming to us in the West, we get a chance to experience the two sequels to Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure! Coupled in a pair, we now get to play Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little Princess and Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom.

If you didn't get a chance to play Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure, you should probably give it a spin. While not strictly speaking required before playing Rhapsody II or III, they are direct sequels, which will both be massive spoilers as well as some maybe confusing sections, although Rhapsody II is fairly standalone-ish? Either way, I HIGHLY suggest playing the first Rhapsody before the sequels.

So, this review might be a little weirder than most, not in terms of strange content, but in terms of how it's laid out. See, Rhapsody II and III come here as a package deal in Marl Kingdom Chronicles, and they have many similarities and overlapping points, but are also quite different in other aspects. So what I'm gonna do here is lay out sections, and talk about Rhapsody II and then III in order for each section, then go over a comparison between the two so you know what you're getting into. Sound good? Well then, let's dive in.


Storyline

First thing I always ask myself when I look for a new game is "What's it about?". Now, as you may guess, there are almost assuredly going to be spoilers for the first Rhapsody title in this review, just by nature of these being direct sequels, so be aware of that.

Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little Princess takes place not too long after the end of Rhapsody, starring Kururu, the daughter of Cornet and Ferdinand. Kururu is...well, a handful, and kind of stupid, but her heart's in the right place. Longing to get out of the castle and explore the world, she and her childhood friend Crea escape the confines of the castle to explore the local area. Well, as these things go, stuff happens and she decides that in order to become a fitting ruler for the Marl Kingdom, she needs to see the world at large and experience what it has to offer. Along with her occasional party members, as well as Crea most of the time, Kururu sets forth on her own Grand adventure just like her mother before her.

Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom is a collection of one-off style chapters that take place all throughout the timelines of the previous two games. For example, the first chapter takes place shortly after the beginning of the first Rhapsody game and details a short story of finding a young girl's mother. The second chapter takes place after the ending of Rhapsody II, and is full of spoilers. There's also a chapter about Cherie, Cornet's mother. While the chapters are somewhat eclectic, they are pretty interesting in order to get more insight into the Marl Kingdom. You can also summon certain partners over between chapters to help you out!

While both games are chapter based storylines, Rhapsody III takes a one-off style approach with different characters across chapters, and Rhapsody II is a full story centered on Kururu and her adventures. They both have their own charms, and it's probably best to play through Rhapsody III while both I and II are still fresh in your mind, while II doesn't require I to be as freshly remembered to enjoy.


Gameplay

So, here's where things take a bit of an interesting turn. Both Rhapsody II and III take a pace away from the grid style turn-based battle style that the first Rhapsody employed. Both are still turn-based, just now the grid is gone and you assign partners to your leading members. Both also have map exploration and random encounters, but where Rhapsody II has 2D backgrounds, Rhapsody III is a more 3D approach. You can get up to four leaders in combat, each of which can have three partners that can use skills and give you stat changes when partnered. Certain partners have different affinities for different leaders, and some may be restricted to certain characters. You can also recruit monsters to your team by beating them, where they then turn into dolls you can use in combat. As a general principal I've found that typically monsters are less useful than partners that start off as dolls. Your partners have three accessory slots that you can fill with what equipment you want in order to help your expeditions.

In Rhapsody II the gameplay is divided into sequential chapters, where each chapter sees you tackling a different task, sometimes one chapter will lead directly into the next. You collect any teammates you can, are forced to re-equip them every time they leave the party, which is frustrating, and then either gear and stock up on items or set forth. When out in the field you start your random encounters while exploring the environment. Pro tip by the way, you can still examine things even if there isn't a prompt, although not all the time. Once battle starts, you'll see a huge difference from the first Rhapsody title. 


No more grids, you now have a more traditional turn-based system, where you select your actions and then you and your enemies act. While there are the standard options such as attack, flee, special, and defend, you also have a "puppet" command where you can summon your dolls or monsters to assist you. They do charge you a money fee though, which is interesting. Stronger skills require more money, and by using your partner's skills you will build up a musical bar. You can use rewards from the musical bar to either deal damage to your enemies or heal your allies. After battle, an enemy may join your ranks or you may get some items, but you will get money and exp. Money becomes fairly irrelevant to purchases fairly fast, but is still required for using your partner skills, so is always good to have. Exp is awarded to battle participants, so you need to make a choice sometimes between deciding on a lower level unit anticipating better end results or remaining with who you're currently using.

In Rhapsody III you tend to be quicker into the action, although there are some differences. While the map exploration and progression is similar, combat has taken...a turn. Similar to Rhapsody II you've got the turn based combat, but in Rhapsody III, you use your entire line of units. For example, you can assign any unit to a leader, and then line up three more units behind the leader. All four of these units participate in battle, and you have four leader slots, making a total of 16 units. In combat you control the leader, or a single one of the units as directed by the leader. The rest of the units will perform actions at their own discretion. Skills now require mana instead of money or health like in Rhapsody II as well, and they also have skill levels that will increase as you keep using the skills.

The logistics behind some of the stats and party management, like unique combos available only when certain units are in a group and at a certain level minimum can be a little disorienting. This is particularly evident once you consider there's also an elemental affinity type thing going on in the background. Fair warning by the way, battles are either trivial or really tough and there isn't much of an in-between. Unlike Rhapsody II you can also collect multiple copies of monsters to use in a grouping as well. At the friendly healing statues you can import units from other chapters, as well as release monsters back into the wild for bonuses. I'm not positive how rewards are determined, but they can be options like money, experience for the whole team, equipment, or filling the rewards gauge by a portion.


So, I do have to bring attention to a point of frustration in Rhapsody III. More units means more exp dispersal across those units, which means lower levels. So you've got to either spend the time grinding out levels for all the units, or having a smaller but higher powered group. Thankfully there is an auto battle command, but it can get a little tedious at times. Furthermore, there are chests that pop up mid battle when you defeat an enemy. This would be all well and good, but you need to smack them to open them, and if the last enemy dies before you open the chest? Or god forbid the chest drops from the final enemy? Well, you lose it, which really sucks.

Both titles also have the same sort of progression for chapters. You start of with some dialogue, followed by a decent chunk of fighting in whatever area you're exploring, collecting and buying new or better gear, and seeing if you can't recruit new teammates. As you explore you'll discover Ancient Statues which will heal you, and allow you to manage your partners in Rhapsody III. Chances are you'll probably be spending some time camping out around these statues at each new chapter while you bring your units up to par for what you want for the area you're exploring, especially during Rhapsody III.

Graphics

Rhapsody II and III have a lot of overlap in terms of graphic style. Character models are very much in that classic NIS design that you've probably come to know and love like I have. If not, they're all sort of like chibi bit-style characters. Map design and character portrait styles differ between Rhapsody II and III, with Rhapsody III having a more retro feeling character portrait and 3D style field areas as opposed to the more 2D art-style field maps from Rhapsody II. Otherwise, both titles are similar in graphical nature. Just keep in mind, these are older titles ported to a newer console, so they are still a bit dated. Ok, maybe a lot dated, but there's still that retro charm going on without compromising on the quality.

Soundtrack

With a game having a title of "Rhapsody", I'd expect it ot at least have a decent soundtrack. And good news, it does! In a world where characters will spontaneously break out into song, there are a lot of good tracks, and the general soundtrack is also pleasant to listen to. While all the musical numbers are in Japanese, they are subtitled for your convenience. Field tracks, battle tracks, as well as the musical insert numbers, in both Rhapsody II and III, are great benefits to the series and really do help to set both the tone as well as an interesting way to give character introductions or expositional pieces.

Final Impressions

Overall I'm extremely pleased to see these two Rhapsody titles finally making their way westward in Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles. If you've played the first Rhapsody title and enjoyed it, this is a wonderful way to continue the adventure. It also ties in to La Pucelle which was part of the NIS classics collection with the first Rhapsody title in it. With a colourful cast of characters, a solid musical repertoire, and an engaging, if sometimes tedious, battle system, Marl Kingdom Chronicles is certainly a point of interest for any fans of the Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure game.


Score: 8 / 10

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Ogre Pixel Releasing 'A Tiny Sticker Tale' on PC and Nintendo Switch!

AGUASCALIENTES, Mexico — August 28, 2023 — A Tiny Sticker Tale, the cozy miniature adventure where stickers solve puzzles developed by Ogre Pixel and featured in showcases such as Wholesome Direct, decorates Nintendo Switch and PC and Mac via Steam on Thursday, October 4, 2023. Pre-orders are live on the Nintendo eShop now!
 
Step into the tiny boots of Flynn, an adorable donkey searching for their missing father, last seen on the gorgeous Figori island. Long before disappearing, Flynn’s father gifted them a curious sticker album. Upon finding a letter advising they travel to Figori island with album in hand, Flynn arrives and discovers another letter explaining the true power of the stickers: when used properly, they can shift reality itself!



Wield the magical album to convert Flynn’s surroundings into stickers, then place them around the world to solve inventive puzzles with multiple solutions, help new friends, and even decorate Figori island. Need to cross over a river? Grab a bridge from elsewhere, place it in the sicker album, and drop it where needed. Too dark to see? Borrow the sun and brighten up the area! Experiment by placing stickers wherever possible, including moving other characters around the island to see how they react.
 
Yet Flynn seems to have a rival of sorts. Rocky, a mischievous Raccoon, has a magical sticker book of his own. Whether he realizes it or not, his actions create obstacles slowing down Flynn’s quest. Pursue Rocky and search for Flynn’s father, all while filling up the sticker book with cherished memories.
 
Sit back, relax, and explore gorgeous locales including beaches, forests, swamps, mountains, and deserts all rendered in an inviting art style evocative of children’s storybooks. Bask in the island sun to a calming, wistful soundtrack crafted by Game Awards Future Class member Majo Felix.
 
A Tiny Sticker Tale tells a breezy, two-to-four hour light-hearted yet emotional story about the importance of joy, love, self-confidence, perseverance, and the safety these values offer. Dive into this mini sticker-sized adventure, and discover the special bond that blossoms between Flynn and their trusted sticker book.
 
“In A Tiny Sticker Tale, we really hope to offer relaxation, an emotional journey, and intuitive puzzles that make you smile,” said Steve Durán, Director and Designer at Ogre Pixel. “As a México-based studio, we’re proud to shine a spotlight on the development capabilities of the Latin American community and share our game with the world.”


 
A Tiny Sticker Tale launches onto Nintendo Switch, PC and Mac via Steam on Thursday, October 4, 2023 for $9.99 USD. For more information, visit the official Kickstarter page, join the Discord server and follow Ogre Pixel on Twitter
 

About Ogre Pixel

 
Based in Aguascalientes, México, Ogre Pixel is an indie game studio creating fantastical stories including cozy coyote adventure Lonesome Village and Jumper Jon, which launched on Apple Arcade and was played by more than 500,000 people around the world. Founded in 2014 by Steve Durán, a Game Awards Future Class Member and one of Forbes’ 100 Most Creative Mexicans in the World of 2019, their philosophy is to “work hard to live the dream.” For more information, visit: https://ogrepixel.com/
Article by: Susan N.


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Legend Bowl Review

Legend Bowl by developer Top Hat Studios Inc and publisher YoYoGamesMicrosoft Xbox Series X review written by Nick with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes


Football season is coming up sooner than later, and as the leaves change color and the cooler air surrounds us – I get excited. Legend Bowl helps to embody that excitement as it combines nostalgia and a surprising amount of depth in this non-licensed American football title.

Tecmo Bowl is the clear inspiration here, in the name and the visuals. That tickled a little something in my psyche, as my more recent years have seen me focus on football games like Madden – and for a short time – the 2K NFL games. However, I cut my teeth on the NES Tecmo Bowl. I later played the sequel games and ate them up.

That however, was the 80’s and 90’s, and it raises the question whether or not this type of a game still has a place in more modern gaming. I think the answer here is ‘yes’, but it is going to have some niche appeal, I suspect. First the basics: This is not a Madden-killer by any means. If you are looking for a AAA presentation with real NFL teams and players? You’re not getting that here, at least not out of the box. Now, to Legend Bowl’s credit, there is a lot of flexibility in player and team editing. On PC there’s already plenty of NFL roster mods available that can be imported to create a more realistic NFL facsimile.

I actually spent more time than I had expected to with some of these editing features, because I generally like putting my own customized spin on teams, and these features were fun to play with. Aside from those editing features, there’s a few different modes to play with. Exhibition is the kind of quick game you would expect, and Tournament Mode is basically the playoffs to a championship (like the original Tecmo Bowl) and there is a Training Camp Mode that tries to teach you the basics. I’ll admit – I didn’t really expect to need much out of that mode given my extensive history of playing video game football, but Legend Bowl is a different kind of game than I was used to. While I thought the tutorials could have been better, they were certainly necessary.

Last but hardly least is the Franchise Mode, which is where most of my time was spent and where I suspect fans dedicated to this title will also get the most bang for their buck. It’s a pretty traditional setup with choosing a team, creating a custom coach (or using an existing prefabricated one) and playing a full schedule with stats being kept, player progressions and more. It culminates in a championship and then an offseason with free agency and drafting. These RPG-lite elements have always been among my favorite aspects of sports titles and Legend Bowl does a solid job on this front. There are just a ton of stats to look through, and it feels like a fully flesh, deeply featured mode that is really well done.

The presentation is going to be hit or miss, and is one of the reasons I feel as though Legend Bowl is a rather niche title. The pixelated graphics give off a retro feel that compliments the catch chiptune music nicely. Because of these more limited character models, gameplay has some tweaks as a result. Things like trying to break through the offensive line is represented with a bar that you fill up by mashing a button to bust through. In fact, a lot of the elements here feel like mini quicktime events. On the one hand, almost all games are this, but it’s more pronounced here since it’s visually represented on the screen. At the higher difficulty levels, you will generally lose these, as the computer is simply going to be better at spamming an input button than most people.

The gameplay is another reason why I could see Legend Bowl failing to appeal to a broader audience. The passing mechanic is interesting, as it has a press and release, again with a bar that fills up to try and guide you. Though after a while I was oblivious to the bar as it only distracted me from looking at the receivers down the field once I got the timing down for my QB. Some of the defensive and ball carrier controls also didn’t feel as intuitive to me as I had hoped – especially early on. It felt a bit like I was being asked to unlearn everything I had learned from video game football over the years. I eventually got the hang of the controls, but it was often times frustrating, especially the passing mechanic which felt like it just leans to one extreme or the other (bullet or lob pass) most of the time.

Legend Bowl does lean into a more arcade feeling, yet doesn’t quite feel like the old school Tecmo Bowl games it visually reminded me of. There’s a lot of menus here as well, and I suspect they work a bit better on the PC with a mouse and keyboard than they do on console with a controller, but it’s hardly a deal-killer, just an inconvenience.

On the whole, Legend Bowl does a lot of things right, but isn’t going to dethrone Madden either and that’s okay. If you are a diehard NFL fan who wants to play a more realistic simulation, there’s a good chance that Legend Bowl is not going to scratch that itch. However, if you can adjust to the more arcade-like controls and don’t mind the numerous menus, there’s plenty of fun to be had here. I just had to make sure to give myself time to learn to play the game, which is a different type of game than most other football titles. The numerous statistics make the Franchise Mode the most rewarding feature of Legend Bowl, and those willing to push through the learning curve will find plenty of reason to come back to it.

Score: 7 / 10

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Presenting 'Untamed Tactics', A Turn-Based RPG Adventure Available Today!


Batumi, 08/28/2023
-Meet "Untamed Tactics": A Riveting New Adventure from the Creators of Untamed Feral Factions is out!

Ravenage Games and Grumpy Owl Games are thrilled to present Untamed Tactics, a mesmerizing turn-based RPG adventure set amidst a diverse world teeming with vibrant animals. The game is available on August 28 on Steam and GOG.



Step into the shoes of Greycoat, a tarnished warrior driven by a quest for redemption and deliverance from a shadowy history. Embark on a monumental voyage across the treacherous, yet awe-inspiring realm of the Wild!In UntamedTactics, the art of customization is pivotal. Adorn your heroes with exclusive Runes and Abilities, and play with various blends of skills, tactics, and strengths to conquer challenges and reign supreme. The vast Wilds beckon, offering a treasure trove of loot, fresh characters to discover, and lasting upgrades to bolster your subsequent endeavors. Steel yourself for a non-rivaled escapade in the Wild! Untamed Tactics promises players:

  • A narrator whose credibility might raise eyebrows.
  • 4 narrative-dense campaign segments.
  • A highly replayable adventure mode, empowering you to handpick your adventureparty.
  • A vividly illustrated 2D universe brimming with a charming assortment ofanthropomorphic animal comrades.
  • An officially licensed Humblewood DLС: 5 character skins, music pack, reskinnedparley cards, and an 100%-official D&D campaign!

 

For an in-depth look into the game and to start your indelible journey, do drop by the official Untamed Tactics store pages:

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About Grumpy Owl Games


We are creating games for fans of RPGs and strategy genres. Our games have a strong, reflective narrative component. We want to cater to those fans with a “proper” product, something that is developed for fans and with them. This culminates into our own flagship IP “untamed Universe” from which different games and products spawn. We are building Untamed into an everlasting IP, loved by an ever-growing, wholesome community, all around. 

 

About Ravenage Games


Ravenage Games was founded by a team united by one trait: substantial developer relations experience. The publisher believes that in this industry, decisions must be clear and lightning-fast to build trusting relationships with game creators and deliver quality products. For more information, please visithttps://ravenage.games/

     

    Article by: Susan N.

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    Madden NFL 24 Review

    Madden NFL 24 by developer EA Tiburon and publisher ElectronicArtsMicrosoft Xbox Series X review written by Nick with a copy provided by the publisher.

    Estimated reading time: 6 minutes


    Fall is around the corner, which means the NFL is nearly here – and that means Madden NFL 24 has arrived. Those now are inclined to hate the series due to its yearly release cycle are going to probably continue to do so. However, for those such as myself who enjoy this time of the year and the formula that Madden provides, it’s an entertaining game that is also probably the most complete iteration in the series since the Xbox Series X released.

    I’ve probably played more Madden titles than any other series of video games released during my lifetime. Of course, it comes out every year and I’ve been playing since its release on the Sega Genesis decades ago. This annual cycle makes sense as EA wants to tie it into the excitement of each new season. It’s the nature of sports in general. It’s all very cyclical (some would say cynical, declaring the cadence a money grab), but I don’t see this release pattern going away. Enthusiasm for a sport is at its highest near the start of a season. It’s a world of possibility for fans who follow their favorite teams and hope that ‘this is their year’.

    The obvious downside of this cycle is that the Madden franchise doesn’t get a great deal of time to innovate. It’s about tweaks and polish, picking a few headline options to add because of the very strict release schedule. The good news is, Madden NFL 24 is a very solid release. There’s a bunch of newly named features such as Sapien AI and FieldSENSE that are really just fancy ways of saying that the team has put a focus on trying to make the gameplay as authentic as possible. It’s a tough task, given that there’s two teams of 11 on the field shoving, sprinting, jumping and tackling one another on every play.

    The end result is a positive one. There’s probably always going to be some small bouts of weirdness that happens, but after playing very heavily (a couple of dozen hours and counting), I haven’t seen any of the really odd issues that have crept up in the past. There have been years where the ball or player physics were not overly realistic and there have been rare but exceptional moments where they’ve been straight up anime-levels of unrealistic and clearly broken.  I never had any of that here. On any given play you have linemen engaged in blocking, quarterbacks and running backs with the ball in their hands as they try to make would-be tacklers miss, wide receivers trying to create separation from the secondary to make sometimes spectacular catches, and the presentation does a good job of nailing these aspects of the game.

    Speaking of the presentation, I was pleasantly surprised by the audio. The on-field sounds have been quite solid for some time, lending to the authenticity of the game’s action. However, as recently as a year or two ago, I grumbled about the color commentary becoming a bit long in the tooth. I still think that we’ve heard the same voices for long enough that it’s worth considering a change there, but in recent years there were a handful of strange issues where the commentary did not align well with the action. I didn’t hear nearly as much of that in this year’s release. It’s a subtle thing, but hearing them correctly state whether a ruling on the field was overturned, or having them talk about a player’s number of rushing touchdowns (when it was in fact a receiving touchdown) and more just doesn’t seem to be happening at this point.

    Simply put: the on-field action is fun and it’s dressed up in a pretty presentation. Since that is where I spend most of my time with this game, it’s a good foundation to build off of.

    It probably helps that my favorite modes have gotten some new features added. Okay, there’s an argument to be made that some of them are just old features that had been pruned off of the series in years past and are getting reintroduced, but they’re still welcome additions. By far I spend most of my time in the Franchise mode. This has numerous RPG-like elements and the player and franchise progressions have been the dangling carrot on the stick for me that I can’t help but chase. Training camp mini-games, deeper player scouting and improved commissioner controls are the highlights here, but it’s a deep mode that I readily sunk a lot of hours into.

    The Superstar mode is back, and it continues to create a sort of structured story for your created player (who can be any one of several positions like quarterback, wide receiver and linebacker for example), but it’s not as narratively heavy as Face of the Franchise has been in the past. It’s basically Madden’s attempt to answer what we see in NBA 2K’s career mode, and it does a pretty good job. I would make a character, see him through the combine, get drafted and proceed to play games and go through drills to improve my player. It’s like a more centralized version of the franchise mode, focused on the player and not the team. You can jump online and play some more arcade-like backyard style games (called Showdown now). Again this feels like good growth to try and emulate what we’ve seen in other sports games over the years, and it’s a lot of fun.

    I will touch on the Madden Ultimate Team (MUT) briefly, as it’s a mode EA highlights a lot (which makes sense, since it’s microtransaction-heavy and generates additional income for them). It’s an interesting hybrid of fantasy football and card collecting (two hobbies of mine) that has you opening packs to better your team and complete various challenges to earn currency and players to help better your team. It’s a very clear progression loop that some people absolutely adore. I think it’s made some nice strides over the last few years, with a bit more variance in the activities and the way you can develop your roster, but this is just the least interesting of the modes for me personally. I still spent some time in it, but the random nature of the packs and cards you pull make progress feel less about my skill as a player or team builder.

    Madden NFL 24 is never going to fully shake the online discourse about it being a money grab due to the MUT and yearly release cycle, but as a diehard NFL fan? I had more fun with this year’s iteration than I have in years. The modes I enjoy most have continued to gain depth and polish, and the overall package is incredibly well done. We’ll likely never see a Madden game make improvements by leaps and bounds over the prior year, but incremental improvements to an already strong foundation are enough for me to enjoy the start of the NFL with this title.

    Score: 8 / 10

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    Get Ready For The Next Battle, TEKKEN 8 Arrives 26th January 2024!

    A Final Roster of 32 Unique Characters with Six New Reveals and All-New Arcade Quest Game Mode Announced; Pre-orders Available Now

    Leading video game publisher and developer Bandai Namco Europe today announced that TEKKEN 8, the upcoming entry in the legendary fighting franchise, is releasing on 26th January 2024. The game is coming exclusively to PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam®. Developed by Bandai Namco Studios Inc., TEKKEN 8 will harness the power of current hardware to make it the most visually stunning game in the series yet. The title also promises a new approach to playing fighting games, with a new aggressive combat system that rewards offense-first tactics and delivers spectacular fights. TEKKEN 8 is now available for pre-order in Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate Edition.

    PRE-ORDER NOW
    Watch the trailer



    The reveal showcased the Arcade Quest – a completely new single player mode that will prove the ultimate training ground, tapping into the franchise’s roots to introduce a new way to play and polish skills. In this mode, players can create and customize their own avatar and “visit” different arcades to participate in matches designed to improve their play and teach new techniques. As players progress through the story, they will continue to develop and grow stronger along with their avatar and hone their skills against tougher and tougher opponents in a story not too different to how some real players got into esports.

    Continuing the regular cadence of TEKKEN 8 character reveals, the trailer announced returning favourites joining the 32-character roster, with Kuma, Leo, Shaheen, Steve, Dragunov, and Yoshimitsu showcasing their updated looks and moves. All the characters in TEKKEN 8 will have deep customisation choices, including completely new options, with the possibility to change each part’s colours as well as the size and position of accessories, letting players really show their style and bring personal flair to their favourite characters.

    TEKKEN 8 is now available for pre-order in Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate Editions. Pre-orders for the Standard Edition will include the base game, once available, and grant players the Paul Phoenix set as an Avatar Costume. PlayStation 5 players will receive the Mokujin and Testujin Avatar skins. The Deluxe Edition includes all standard items along with the Playable Character Year 1 Pass, which unlocks four characters, released after the game’s launch, as well as the Kinjin Avatar skin. It also includes the Gold Suit Pack of playable character costumes for all 32 characters, letting players bring the bling to their battles. The Ultimate Edition includes all content and bonuses of the Deluxe edition, along with Avatar skins for Kazuya, Jin, and Jun, as well as 32 patterns of classic TEKKEN t-shirt sets for players to personalise their avatars and perhaps relive past memories from this legendary franchise.

    For more information on Tekken 8 visit the official page. For other BANDAI NAMCO Europe products, visit our website, follow us on Facebook or Twitter, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.

    ###


    About Bandai Namco Europe S.A.S.

    Bandai Namco Europe S.A.S. is a leading global publisher and developer of entertainment content for platforms including, but not limited to, all major video game consoles and PC.

    Bandai Namco Europe is producing intellectual property for a global audience and is building its reputation with franchises such as LITTLE NIGHTMARES™, PARK BEYOND™, and the upcoming UNKNOWN 9™ Awakening - developed by the recently acquired Reflector Entertainment based in Montreal, QC.

    Bandai Namco Europe serves as the Headquarters of Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. for mainland Europe, which is known for creating and publishing many of the Toy & Entertainment industry’s top franchises, including PAC-MAN™, TAMAGOTCHI™, GUNDAM™, TEKKEN™, DARK SOULS™ and the recently released ELDEN RING™.

    For more information please visit www.bandainamcoent.eu.


    Article by: Susan N.


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