The Kickstarter launches May 16th and offers supporters exclusive rewards inspired by the Mesoamerican title.
Madrid, Spain, 14 May 2024 | Spanish game developer Póntica is breaking into the Metroidvania genre with its upcoming title for PC and Switch, Plus Ultra: Legado. The game’s Kickstarter will go live on Thursday, May 16th, and conclude on Saturday, June 15th.
In recognition of Mesoamerican indigenous populations, Plus Ultra: Legado takes players through the sweeping landscapes of 16th-century Mexico. As a Metroidvania, Plus Ultra: Legado recounts the deep history between Spanish explorers and Mesoamericans. The game’s ligne-claire comic visuals create an entirely new gameplay experience, coined “the comicvania.”
A Historic Adventure
Experience this historical journey as Don Juan, a Spanish explorer, on his daring mission to Veracruz to apprehend a conquistador. Alongside Don Juan, encounter friends, foes, and intimidating bosses as you learn the truths hiding among Mexico’s lush scenery. Interact with a 2D environment throughout your quest for details on this complicated conflict, or bypass the dialogue to keep the momentum of your gameplay. Intertwining plot and combat, Plus Ultra: Legado leaves the pace up to you!
Introducing the Comicvania
In keeping with the hallmarks of the Metroidvania genre, Plus Ultra: Legado promises players the essentials of the beloved genre: 2D platforming, exploration, intricate labyrinthine maps, thrilling boss battles, and new abilities to unlock previously inaccessible areas. A concise and fast-paced movement set makes combat accessible for all fans of the genre, from speedrunners to lore lovers. Tying these assets together is Plus Ultra: Legado’s colorful comic art style, which adds interactive details–such as breakable speech bubbles and multi-layered backgrounds–to the immersive “comicvania” experience.
Kickstart the Project
The Kickstarter campaign for Plus Ultra: Legado launches on Thursday, May 16th, and concludes on Saturday, June 15th. The campaign’s supporters can purchase numerous rewards, including physical game editions, deluxe soundtracks, and 3D figures, as well as incredible exclusive handcrafts. Metroidvania fans and collectors alike don’t want to miss this limited-time opportunity.
Follow Plus Ultra: Legado’s Kickstarter page for a notification when the campaign goes live.
About Póntica
Póntica is a Madrid-based independent games studio. With a focus on underrepresented legacies, Póntica uses video games to introduce these stories to younger generations. Combining history, comics, and classic gaming, their first title, Plus Ultra: Legado, is a Metroidvania set in 16th-century Mesoamerica.
Fans can Rediscover the Classic Game in a Complete Edition that Includes over 150 Pieces of Downloadable Content!
BURLINGAME, Calif. –May 14, 2024 – Today, KOEI TECMO America and developer Omega Force announced that SAMURAI WARRIORS 4 DX is now available in North America digitally on Windows PC via Steam®. The complete edition of SAMURAI WARRIORS 4 includes over 150 pieces of downloadable content such as costumes, weapons, editable parts, scenarios, background music, and more!
SAMURAI WARRIORS 4 DX includes everything fans have been craving to play in one complete edition. In addition to the main “Story Mode” featuring “regional stories” and the “story of unification”, the DX version allows players to choose from a variety of different modes, including “Chronicle Mode”, a mode that enables players to travel around the SAMURAI WARRIORS world, accomplishing quests in various regions while meeting officers and collecting items. In addition, players can now discover over 50 playable officers in SAMURAI WARRIORS 4 DX along with exhilarating action systems such as “Hyper Attack” and “Rage” as they journey to the heart of Japan’s Sengoku period.
SAMURAI WARRIORS 4 DX features:
Over 150 downloadable pieces of content – Downloadable content initially available on other platforms at the original release of SAMURAI WARRIORS 4 has been integrated, including scenarios, costumes and weapons.
Optimized for PC – The graphics settings can be adjusted to match the PC specifications of each player. Mouse and keyboard controls are supported and key assignments can be changed. Most controllers are supported.
SAMURAI WARRIORS 4 DX is now available in English in addition to Japanese. The language can be changed in the settings.
SAMURAI WARRIORS 4 DX is now available to purchase digitally on Windows PC via Steam.
ABOUT KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP.
KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Burlingame, California. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI is best known for its Dynasty Warriors® and Samurai Warriors® franchises. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive®, Ninja Gaiden®, Tecmo Bowl®, and Fatal Frame® series.
Angoulême, France – May 14, 2024 – Tennis Manager 2024 will be released on May 23rd on PC & Mac via Steam , Epic Games Store and GOG. Today, the studio unveils new features through the release of their first showcase video.
Building on the breakout success of the series’ debut, Tennis Manager 2024 takes the experience to new heights of immersive realism, both on and off the court.
Wishlist Tennis Manager 2024 now on Steam
In short, this new opus introduces revamped training to better simulate professional-level training sessions, with a new system of form and a new injury management system, combined with new ergonomics.
While Tennis Manager 2024 offers even more control for managers to develop their players’ unique personalities (new game plan balance, new player attributes), the tennis franchise continues to set the bar in terms of animation quality in tennis games. Managers will feel closer to the court than ever before, enabling them to make the right decisions.
A final major area of improvement is the addition of a new immediately playable mode called “Fantasy Court” that will onboard more fans and further engage the Tennis Manager community of active fans and streamers. In just two clicks, managers can either create a fictional tournament or replay a legendary tournament draw, such as Rafael Nadal’s first win at Roland Garros. This way, managers can challenge their friends and tell new, engaging tennis stories.
To connect even further with our fans, the team at Rebound will proudly present, in detail, all of Tennis Manager 2024’s main new features on May 15, during an interactive live broadcast on Twitch and Youtube, which fans will be able to attend.
Tennis Manager 2024 will be available on May 23rd via Steam for $39.99 / 33.99 £ / €39.99. The game will be discounted during its launch period. Owners of Tennis Manager 2023 will receive an additional discount on Steam.
About Rebound
Founded in 2017 by a team of sports and video game enthusiasts, Rebound began its journey with the creation of the Tennis Manager franchise of management sims and has become a reference in sports simulation over the years. Supported by big names from the tennis world, including Patrick Mouratoglou and Serena Williams, the studio’s first game Tennis Manager Mobile, launched in 2019 and reached over 3 million downloads on the App Store and Google Play. Following two years of development, Rebound released Tennis Manager 2021 for PC and Mac, featuring a much deeper simulation experience. The success of the game led to the release of a new opus every year, and plans to continue growing the franchise with Tennis Manager 2024.
Discover how the gift of magic changed Gielinor forever in the first of three new RuneScape novels – and prepare for The Fall of Hallowvale, coming in November
Tuesday, 14th May 2024, Cambridge, UK – Jagex is delighted to announce that RuneScape: The Gift of Guthix, the first thrilling novel in a series of three original stories set within the legendary RuneScape universe, is available now at retailers worldwide.
Along with this news, Jagex is thrilled to reveal that the second book in the collection, RuneScape: The Fall of Hallowvale, will launch on November 5th, 2024. Set in the shining city of Hallowvale, a realm of light safeguarded by the Everlight, Queen Efaritay and the knightly warriors of Hallowvale face desperate choices as a new darkness descends to threaten the city’s fate.
Published by Titan Books in partnership with Jagex, RuneScape: The Gift of Guthix is sure to delight players of both RuneScape and Old School RuneScape alike with an epic tale of the origin of magic, the plight of civil war, and the crushing defeat of the Fremennik Great Invasion.
Asgarnia’s fate hangs in the balance. Disparate tribes unite under the banner of Lord Raddallin, and his enemies look on in fear and hatred. Raddallin’s advisors – an uneasy alliance of Black and White knights – whisper of a discovery in the North that will give them the power to change everything. Caught in the midst of history, a lowly scribe and the son of a Jarl hold the fate of Raddallin’s new kingdom in their hands.
From the glorious inauguration of King Raddalin’s reign to the expulsion of the Zamorakians from Asgarnia, discover how the gift of magic changed the course of Gielinor forever in this stunning fantasy novel.
RuneScape: The Gift of Guthix is written by Erin M. Evans, the author of seven Forgotten Realms novels for Wizards of the Coast, including the 2011 Scribe Award winner Brimstone Angels. She is a content designer for Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms and a cast member of the D&D actual play Dungeon Scrawlers.
RuneScape: The Gift of Guthix is available now for £9.99 GBP / $16.95 USD RRP. RuneScape: The Fall of Hallowvale is also available to pre-order ahead of its release this November here.
About RuneScape
Celebrating more than twenty years of adventures and acclaimed by PC Gamer as “one of the most endearing and unique MMOs available”, RuneScape is an ever-expanding, community-driven game that’s bursting with activity and life. Today RuneScape is one of the world’s longest-running online games, with over 300 million player accounts.
Set in a medieval fantasy land, players embark on epic journeys through a vast sandbox world that’s full of gods, warring races, unexplored dungeons, and glittering riches. Propelled by the game’s narrative, choose your own path through enthralling quests, and progress through 28 diverse skills to shape a single character in a classless world. RuneScape is available across PC, iOS and Android devices.
About Jagex
A leader in creating deep and engaging forever games that empower our communities across PC, mobile and consoles. Jagex’s flagship MMORPG, RuneScape, has welcomed over 300 million player accounts to its world and is a $1billion + lifetime revenue franchise. Today the RuneScape franchise exists beyond live operations; our titles are forever games that connect and inspire millions of players, with content and experiences both inside and outside of inexhaustible game worlds. Both RuneScape and Old School RuneScape, on PC and mobile, offer ever-evolving, highly active worlds and our community-focussed development ethos empowers players to have a real say in how each game is shaped.
In 2022, Jagex expanded with the acquisitions of PipeWorks and Gamepires, bringing its expertise in building forever games to SCUM, a multi-million selling open-world survival title in Steam Early Access & other unannounced titles. Jagex employs more than 600 people globally, and is headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Hinwil, 14 May 2024 – KICK F1 Sim Racing Team fought until the very last corner at the final Event of the 2023-2024 F1 Sim Racing World Championship, ultimately clinching second place in the drivers’ championship with Thomas Ronhaar and, thanks to the points of Brendon Leigh, second place in the teams’ championship.
It was a thrilling finale for one of the most closely fought seasons of F1 Sim Racing: Thomas headed into the final round in Abu Dhabi needing a 13-points swing to clinch the title and, despite an impressive performance that saw him lead the race until two laps to the flag, he was just short at the finish line. It was a commanding race from the young Dutchman, in just his second season of F1 Sim Racing: with all the pressure heaped on him, he kept calm and collected as he scythed through the field.
Supported by Brendon, whose points were crucial in snatching P2 in the teams’ championship from Red Bull Racing to finish runner-up to Ferrari, Thomas kept his dignity when racing, and can leave this season with his head held high, proud of his effort in the face of overwhelming odds on and off the track.
For KICK F1 Sim Racing Team, P2 in the teams’ standings represents a massive step forward from the past, and the best performance in five years. It’s but a building step, a confidence boost that will enable the team to continue its progression and return next season with the firm belief that the ultimate objective – the drivers’ and teams’ crowns – is within reach.
KICK F1 Sim Racing Team P2 with 213 points 3 wins / 4 pole positions / 8 podiums
Andrea Bugnone, Team Manager: “I’m very pleased with our 2023-2024 season, despite the obvious disappointment of missing out on the drivers’ title for the tiniest of margins. This was a season in which we had many changes, starting from a new driver line-up, our association with R8G, and a new championship format, with the latter returning to LAN Events. The entire team has put in a lot of work in the past months, to ensure that Thomas [Ronhaar] and Brendon [Leigh] had the best structure around them, enabling them to focus on their racing performance. Looking back on our season, the team has done an incredible job securing P2 in the constructors’ championship, and Thomas missing out on the F1 Sim Racing World Champion title by only a few points. We’ve made a few mistakes along the way, which we’ve identified and which we’ll work on during the off-season to make sure we come back next season to secure the Constructors’ title. A special hats-off to Brendon, Thomas, our engineers, and R8G for the fantastic work done in the past months. A big thank you goes also to all our partners for supporting us. KICK F1 Sim Racing Team has made tremendous progress in the past year, going from P5 to P2 in the constructors’ standings. We’re more motivated than ever to adjust the missing details, keep progressing, and go racing again.”
Thomas Ronhaar KICK F1 Sim Racing Team P2 / 166 points 3 wins / 4 pole positions / 7 podiums
“After an eventful third event, we worked harder than ever to regain the positions lost. It was a huge challenge, with quite a gap, but with two wins on the first day, we were back in the fight for both championships. All was down to the last race, and literally to the last few corners in Abu Dhabi. Starting from pole position, I did all I could, but it was not enough to secure the title: however, P2 in only my second season is something I am proud of. Most importantly, in the end, we take home P2 in both championships in the 2023-2024 season, a well-deserved result for what is still a young team. For our first season as KICK F1 Sim Racing Team, it’s quite an achievement in the closest F1 Sim Racing championship ever. A lot has been learned and will still be learned throughout the coming period, and I can’t wait to get going again on F1 24 – we will be even stronger.”
Brendon Leigh KICK F1 Sim Racing Team P9 / 47 points 1 podium
“I am proud of the whole team as we wrap up the season with second in the Constructors’ Championship. We have been pushing day in and day out together, searching for those marginal gains that can produce critical championship-defining moments. Ultimately, I feel extremely fortunate and privileged to work alongside such talented individuals that bring unique skill sets to the table. They are all different, but all very strong skill sets. Personally, my two highlights for this season were the podium in COTA, whose points helped me surpass 500 points in my total career’s tally. I wasn’t tracking this stat, in all honesty, so when I was told about it, it was a pleasant surprise that I feel is positively reflective of my career so far. It was a great moment to share with KICK F1 Sim Racing Team. Now it is time for a reset, and to come back stronger for the upcoming F1 2024 release!”
About Sauber Group of Companies:
The Sauber Group of Companies is composed of two operational entities: Sauber Motorsport AG, which operates and manages its Formula OneTM team; and Sauber Technologies AG, which focuses on third-party business in the areas of advanced engineering, prototype development and additive manufacturing, in addition to full and model-scale testing in the factory’s state-of-the-art wind tunnel and ground-breaking innovation in the field of aerodynamics. The companies collaborate closely and share know-how to apply the expertise of more than 550 dedicated individuals at the headquarter in Hinwil, Switzerland, to all internal and external projects.
The Sauber Group puts sustainability at the heart of its mission; its business, operating under the ISO 14001 environmental management standard, has been carbon neutral since 2011 and the company has achieved the Three-Star level in the FIA Environmental Accreditation Framework.
Since its founding in 1970, the innovative Swiss company has been setting standards in the design, development and construction of race cars for various championship series, such as Formula One, DTM, and WEC. Following its own Formula One debut in 1993, Sauber Motorsport AG has established one of the few traditional and privately held teams in the sport. A member of the exclusive club of teams which competed in more than 500 F1 races, it celebrated 30 years in the sport in 2022 and continues to go from strength to strength on and off the track.
Warner Bros. Games today released a new MultiVersus trailer revealing the first look at gameplay for The Joker, who will join the roster as a playable character when the upcoming free-to-play platform fighter videogame launches on May 28, 2024. Voiced by actor Mark Hamill (Batman: Arkham videogame series, Batman: The Animated Series), the iconic DC Super-Villain is a Mage class character with a moveset that is full of diabolical utility befitting the Clown Prince of Crime, including a weaponized pogo stick, spring-loaded boxing gloves, a rocket launcher and more. The trailer also showcases “The Batman Who Laughs” and “The Dark Prince Charming” character variants for The Joker.
View and share the MultiVersus – Official The Joker “Send in the Clowns!” Gameplay Trailer:
Developed by Player First Games, MultiVersus will be available on May 28 as a free download for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 consoles, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, and PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), with full cross-play and cross-progression support. The free-to-play platform fighter features an ever-expanding roster of popular characters based on Warner Bros. Discovery franchises, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, Black Adam, and The Joker (DC); Shaggy and Velma (Scooby-Doo); Bugs Bunny, Tasmanian Devil a.k.a. Taz, and Marvin the Martian (Looney Tunes); Arya Stark (Game of Thrones); Tom & Jerry (Tom and Jerry); Finn the Human and Jake the Dog (Adventure Time); Steven Universe and Garnet (Steven Universe); Iron Giant (The Iron Giant), LeBron James (Space Jam: A New Legacy); Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith (Rick and Morty); Gizmo and Stripe (Gremlins); and an extraordinary original creature named Reindog.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – March 14, 2024 – Today, Ubisoft revealed the title of the next instalment in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Stay tuned for the full reveal on May 16 at 2AM AEST at youtube.com/@Ubisoft
In addition, starting today, a countdown has started on Assassin’s Creed social media channels. Players are invited to crack the Hourglass puzzle; those who succeed will be rewarded.
Set in Feudal Japan, the game was teased in September 2022 as Assassin’s Creed Codename RED during the very first showcase dedicated to the Assassin’s Creed franchise. To rewatch this showcase, see below:
For the latest on Assassin’s Creed and other Ubisoft games, please visit https://news.ubisoft.com.
About Assassin’s Creed
Since it first launched in 2007, the Assassin’s Creed series has sold more than 200 million games worldwide. The franchise is now established as one of the best-selling series in video game history. Recognized for having some of the richest, most engrossing storytelling in the industry, Assassin’s Creed transcends video games, branching out into numerous other entertainment media.
About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a creator of worlds, committed to enriching players’ lives with original and memorable entertainment experiences. Ubisoft’s global teams create and develop a deep and diverse portfolio of games, featuring brands such as Assassin’s Creed®, Brawlhalla®, For Honor®, Far Cry®, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon®, Just Dance®, Rabbids®, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six®, The Crew® and Tom Clancy’s The Division®. Through Ubisoft Connect, players can enjoy an ecosystem of services to enhance their gaming experience, get rewards and connect with friends across platforms. With Ubisoft+, the subscription service, they can access a growing catalog of more than 100 Ubisoft games and DLC. For the 2022–23 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated net bookings of €1.74 billion. To learn more, please visit: www.ubisoftgroup.com.
May 10, 2024– Independent game development studios Fracture Labs announces that Decimated, a survival role-playing game, is now available on the Epic Games Store. The game will be launched on Steam in 2024.
Decimated is a third-person PvP and PvE online survival game set in a post-apocalyptic world, where players must scavenge for resources and navigate a fractured society while facing environmental hazards and rival survivors.
With support from an Epic Mega Grant and $3.5M investment from entities like Mechanism Capital and Polygon Ventures, Decimated integrates the DIO token economy on the Solana chain, revolutionizing economic gameplay and fostering a large community with 60k Twitter followers and 23k Discord members.
Players can earn currency through various means, such as salvaging and virtual market trading. As an official sponsor of Token2049 Dubai, Decimated demonstrates its commitment to blockchain innovation and immersive gaming.
The game’s listing on the Epic Games Store and the upcoming open alpha in late 2024 anticipate further community growth, aiming to redefine online gaming with its immersive world and dynamic player interactions.
Features
Salvage resources.
Technology and digital currency.
Repair vehicles, build bases, and fortify shelters.
Hunt, ambush, loot, and trade.
Multiplayer, 3rd-person combat.
3 classes with special abilities.
Grenades, jetpacks, hover/land vehicles, & AI.
About Fracture Labs
Fracture Labs are a team of Unreal Engine game developers with previous experience working on many successful AAA videogames for PC, console and mobile. Our team are distributed between Portugal, Ukraine, Russia, Romania, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Argentina, Brazil and more. We also work with some of the best production partners in the industry for art, animation and co-development.
Expansive Quality of Life Improvements and New Features Include Star Map 1.0 and New Cloud and Water Tech; Master Modes for More Intense Space Flight Combat
LOS ANGELES – May 13, 2024 –Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) today released the Star Citizen – Alpha 3.23: Adventure Beckons update, the largest patch to date featuring a diverse selection of content, feature, and systems updates and laying the foundation for a monumental year in Star Citizen. The ‘verse is brimming with life and now features the first native wildlife for the Stanton system; the small, bird-like marok and the more dangerous hound-like kopian pest can be found across habitable planets and feature their own unique behaviors as they’ve adapted to humanity encroaching on their territory. While nature holds its own beauty, pilots will have plenty to sink their own teeth into between the introduction of massive new Distribution Centers throughout Stanton where players can pick up a variety of combat and non-combat missions and an expansion to the Arena Commander mode adding new space, ground, and experimental objectives available to play. With expansive improvements across visuals and tech, the addition of the sleek new Mirai Pulse and Pulse LX hoverbikes, game-changing flight courtesy of Master Modes and a re-tuning of all ships currently in the game, a wide range of new features and improvements for ground-based FPS combat, and expanded support for the New Player Experience, the ‘verse has never been a more exciting and welcoming place for pilots to explore.
“Adventure Beckons is our most expansive patch to date, delivering on many of our commitments like Master Modes and the introduction of our first native wildlife, while continuing our rapid inclusion of content and features from Squadron 42 shown at last year’s CitizenCon,” said Star Citizen Creative Director Chris Roberts. “The year is just getting started for Star Citizen, and this patch lays the foundation for much bigger plans in the works for the rest of 2024. We’re all eager to share these exciting additions that will be arriving during our upcoming Invictus Launch Week and beyond!”
Star Citizen – Alpha 3.23: Adventure Beckons key features include the following and more:
Meet the Wildlife, Marok and Kopian: Life finds a way. Star Citizen’s first native animals have been added to the game, complete with bespoke behaviors fitting their evolutionary paths. Players will begin seeing the small marok bird soaring through the skies, using its proportionally enormous wingspan to travel vast distances with ease as it follows migratory fish. With the addition of humans to their habitat, they’ve been observed feeding on refuse and leftovers as well. While they present no threat to humans, the same can’t be said for the hound-like kopian. This pest creature is more than a nuisance, and brave citizens will be charged with dealing with wild packs of these hounds, just be sure to bring plenty of ammo.
Mirai’s Pulse and Pulse LX Hoverbikes Bring Portable Thrills: It’s about the journey, the thrill. Mirai adds its signature fusion of advanced technology and functional elegance with a pair of hoverbikes that offer an unparalleled connection between rider and machine. The Mirai Pulse pushes the boundaries for what an ‘all round’ hoverbike can be, combining integrated light weapons for defense with an ultra-light frame and extreme performance capable of outrunning almost anything it can’t outgun. Shedding its weapons to improve speed and handling, the Pulse LX is a visual spectacle that brings racing prowess and sophisticated styling. Both hoverbikes are extremely portable, fitting in almost any ship’s cargo bay for terrestrial exploration almost anywhere.
Master Modes Makes its Galactic Debut: Flying in the ‘verse will never be the same again. Originally tested in patch 3.20, Master Modes is designed to add further intensity and strategy to ship-to-ship combat and foster exciting dogfighting scenarios. All ships now function in either Navigation Mode (NAV) maintaining a spooled quantum drive for both manual quantum travel and quick-travel to specific locations while disabling most offensive and defensive capabilities, and Standard Control Mode (SCM), with full access to weapons, shields, and devices at the cost of considerable speed. Transitioning between modes takes the flip of a switch and a few seconds for systems to power down and up respectively. All ships have been re-tuned for this significant change to space flight.
Welcome to the Distribution Center: Adventure Beckons introduces the first iteration of distribution centers throughout the Stanton system. These massive structures can be accessed from the planetary surface, with underground levels to open in later updates, and serve as mission hubs for law abiding players. Personal ground transportation is recommended for traversing these immense establishments, especially as they expand with additional underground levels.
Fly, Shoot, and Problem Solve in Arena Commander: New maps and gameplay opportunities have arrived in Star Citizen’s ‘game within a game’. Miner’s Lament is a close-quarters dogfighter’s dream come true, or worst nightmare, as pilots fight through the asteroid-laden ring around Yela where the rocks are as deadly as other pilots.
Plot a Course with the Star Map: The Star Map has reached its 1.0 update, rolling out a full 3D view of the system to all pilots. Locations can now be searched by name, with additional functionality to automatically plot a course from the present location. The update marks the introduction of a brand-new FPS map for boots on the ground, aiding players to navigate sprawling landing zones or even the interior layout of their ship. With the Star Map, a citizen is never truly lost.
FPS Combat Upgrades Deliver More Immersion: Outside of the safety of a cockpit the ‘verse can be a dangerous place, and Adventure Beckons ensures that fighting and surviving is as engaging and enjoyable on foot as it is from ship to ship. FPS combat has never looked or felt more authentic thanks to a range of visual improvements including improved sprinting animations and a new dynamic crosshair option for a more realistic look of exactly where the muzzle of a weapon is aimed at. The feel of combat has been enhanced for additional immersion, with the inclusion of ‘backpack reloading’ for slower access to additional stored magazines, and procedural recoil for all weapons, ensuring every engagement is a truly unique experience.
New Cloud Tech and Visual Options: The volumetric cloud technology in Star Citizenhas been updated to improve both performance and visual quality, adding ground fog and volumetric shadows as visual options. Additional performance improvements come with support for image upscaling solutions including DLSS, FSR , and an in-house developed TSR solution. Following the addition of over 20 new hairstyles in Alpha 3.22, the character customization system has been overhauled with a new user interface and many new additional customization options.
Welcoming New Players to all Landing Zones: The improved New Player Experience, originally released for Area18 in Alpha 3.19, has been expanded and is now supported on all starting locations. While the same core skills are taught at each location, new players can now choose to begin high in the cloud city of Orison, in the mining town of Lorville owned and operated by Hurston Dynamics, on New Babbage which is both a bustling major trading hub and home to high-end electronic companies, or back at Area18’s urban downtown where bright lights attract commerce and entertainment.
Star Citizen combines classic space sim and FPS gameplay with boundary-pushing visuals in a massively multiplayer setting of unprecedented fidelity. Live how you want to live: shift paths from cargo hauler to outlaw, explorer, or any other role whenever you want. Explore multiple planets and moons, including vast cities and underground caverns, all created with a unique combination of procedural planet technology and complementary hand-crafted design. For further information, including how to download and play Star Citizen, visit theofficial website.
Enlist today and join this ever-expanding universe by visiting the game’sWelcome Hub andGuide System for tips on how to play. Keep up to date with Star Citizen development via the game’sProgress Tracker and Roadmap. Millions of players from around the world have already joined to help CIG build the most-ambitious game ever made. For continued updates, follow Star Citizen onFacebook,Instagram,Twitch,X, andYouTube.
About Cloud Imperium Games
Cloud Imperium Games is a new kind of independent studio dedicated to delivering AAA games outside the established publisher system. It was founded in 2012 by renowned visionary game developer Chris Roberts (Wing Commander series, Freelancer, Privateer), Sandi Gardiner, and international media lawyer and producer Ortwin Freyermuth (Carlito’s Way, Shattered, Das Boot – Director’s Cut), with industry veteran and studio director Erin Roberts (Lego videogame series, Starlancer, Privateer) joining the team in 2013. Cloud Imperium Games is creating Star Citizen, a record-shattering, largely crowdfunded space sim, and Squadron 42, a Hollywood-caliber, story-driven single-player game set in the same universe. Cloud Imperium Games operates in “open development” – sharing progress and updates in near real time. This paradigm-shifting development process (game development usually occurs behind closed doors) gives the community an unprecedented look at Star Citizen and Squadron 42’s development and allows direct feedback and interaction between players and developers, thereby ensuring that the games being developed are what players want to play.
Generally when someone thinks of a visual novel, they tend to either think of lengthy story focused games with static progression or some different routes as well as dating sims where players aim to date one of the heroines. As such when Sucker for Love: First Datedropped in 2022 and served to put an eldritch and comedic spin on the dating genre, it made quite a name for itself despite some flaws. Now Akabaka and DreadXP have returned with another entry in the Sucker for Love series with Sucker for Love: Date to Die For that focuses the target down to only a single eldritch being but expands beyond visual novel to that of a horror exploration game.
Story
Our protagonist awakens in the middle of a bookstore, seemingly fallen asleep while reading one of the many books available at the store and is quickly greeted by the store owner that hands her the books she picked out and hurries her out of the shop. After years away from her hometown, a letter from her family had drawn her back to Sacramen-cho only to find that the countryside town has undergone massive changes with countless people gone missing and many residents seeming to have been possessed by some type of cult as evidenced by their glowing eyes that has been called the “Sacramen-cho stare.” After seemingly getting lost in her hometown and seeing that the note from her family has transformed into a shopping receipt she happens to run right into one such cultist that begins to chase them and call upon countless others. In a panic, she runs and somehow manages to not only lose the group but stumble across her childhood home, only to find that, while it still remains similar to the home she remembers, has twisted in various ways and her own room has become the root of the problem, the summoning area for Shub-Niggurath, The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young.
Discovering an odd book of rituals in her belongings, she performs the first one and manages to summon the eldritch being right in front of her only to be greeted by an angry eldritch being with numerous tentacles adored with mouths and eyes attached to a humanoid goat form. Despite staring at the eldritch goddess of desire, the protagonist manages to stand true and prepares her plan to banish the god from this realm which only happens to delight the eldritch goddess. In fact, Rhok’zan is more than happy to help for she has found herself bound to the world by the actions of her previous summoner and, while she adores all of her followers, is tired of her woods and powers being used to summon the innocent to their possible demise. It is through Rhok’zan that we learn that our character is named Stardust as the two begin to undergo rituals that not only bring the pair closer together, but separate them forever by undoing the cult of a thousand.
Sucker for Love: Date to Die For tells a more focused narrative than the first as it focuses solely on Rhok’zan, Stardust, and their interactions with the few named members of the Cult of the Thousand. This is both a benefit and a hindrance however in the long run since, as players progress through the story and experience the different chapters, learning more about Rhok’zan and the way the world and her cult works, it reveals that some of the best characters aren’t actually even the main two but some of the side cast. It doesn’t help that, unlike the first game, there is a shockingly limited amount of interactions players can make with Rhok’zan who only talks to Stardust during plot moments and has a few lines when players select her as she rests in Stardust’s room. This leads to a relatively limited romance, though given that Stardust is “Ace” it does make sense romantically even if the two eventually do form a strong enough connection beyond that. In fact, a number of their interactions are downright sweet and better than those found in the first game, even with the heavier horror aspect that this entry carries.
It also reveals that Date to Die For is an incredibly short visual novel that clocks in at an even smaller size than the original release. Some of this may come down to luck and the times players may die during exploration, but it is easy to see all true endings in less than four hours, which makes isn’t bad for a bite sized visual novel with a unique blend of genre like this, but more options and variations of routes would have been nice to see, especially compared to the original that saw various routes and unique interactions only happening if players replayed routes after obtaining other endings and messing around with both Ln’eta and Estir in First Date. That isn’t to say that Rhok’zan and Stardust’s storyline doesn’t make for an engaging and thoughtful story, especially in the latter half, we just wish there were more interactions and more of it.
Gameplay
Unlike the first game that saw players only within the apartment building of a playboy, Sucker for Love: Date to Die For places players in the large home of Stardust that has been filled with various intractable objects that players will need to hunt down for rituals or examine for unique descriptions all while trying to avoid the potential death that awaits them should a cultist or something worse happens to see them. Rituals are mostly performed the same way, though they are far simpler than before as players barely have to fiddle with the sigils drawn on the chalkboard and only occasionally need to pay attention to the color of the candles they have lit. In fact, even the items called for in some rituals seem vague enough to let players use a variety of items instead.
While the rituals themselves have gotten easier, the exploration has been given a significant upgrade. As mentioned before, players now will find themselves navigating Stardust’s home and each chapter will see new threats and changes to the home that players will have to deal with. Initially players can freely open doors and travel between rooms but eventually they’ll need to slowly peek into rooms, closing doors quietly to avoid drawing suspicion from a cult member. Other times they may need to deal with someone or something directly hunting the player down or requiring the player to make certain actions or go to a certain spot in the house to avoid dying. This creates a bit of a unique element of horror where jumpscares can happen during exploration as well as through the story.
Speaking of which, it is worth noting that there really aren’t any choices to be made in Date to Die For as each chapter only has a Good and True ending depending on the actions players take. This is simple and also contributes a bit to the fact that we’d like to see more of Stardust and Rhok’zan’s interactions having more to do with the endings. That being said, there are some fun moments here and there that players can trigger involving a water sprayer to help cool down the horned goat woman they’ve summoned, though whether players want to let Rhok’zan flirt to their hearts content or spray her down doesn’t play a role in the endings.
Audio & Visuals
One of the best elements from Akabaka’s games is that they use a retro anime art style and this works perfectly here. Not only does it help add some dread to exploring the various rooms of Stardust’s home but also allows for some wonderful character designs. Rhok’zan, as a goddess that amplifies a person’s greatest desire, exudes erotic energy especially when flirting with Stardust and has plenty of great expressions when surprised by Stardust’s reactions or when sprayed down. Even Stardust has a great design, though it would have been nice to see it more, especially in later chapters where she undergoes certain changes. As for the other characters, they are also handled quite well and there are a number of scary creatures as well, though this mostly happens in the last chapter as well.
The entirety of Date to Die For, with the exception of Stardust, is voiced with Rhok’zan and a few of the other allies players make along the way sounding perfect in their roles. It is also nice to note that the game makes great use of atmospheric sounds to increase tension and warn players that danger may be nearby. This also includes a great set of background music that works to provide a great ambiance to the dangerous halls players will explore, including a fully voiced one.
Overall
Akabaka continues to succeed with their unique take of H.P. Lovecraft’s eldritch beings and placing them into an even more unique feeling game. Sure, the romance is a bit more simple this time around and we wish there were more interactions between Stardust and Rhok’zan but what is shown is great and there is plenty of horror to be had alongside some rather “horny” humor. With its great aesthetic and solid storyline, Sucker for Love: Date to Die For may be a bit more limited in romantic options, routes, and extra endings, but it’s expanded gameplay elements and strong writing for the paths that are there make this short length more horror focused entry in the Sucker for Love series an impressive offering.
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