SAN MATEO, Calif. – September 15, 2023 – Monomi Park, creators of the highly popular Slime Rancher franchise, revealed the forthcoming major content update for Slime Rancher 2: Come Rain or Slime. This anticipated update will deliver an array of new weather elements that will captivate both the existing community and newcomers alike. Prepare to immerse in Rainbow Island where the forces of nature reign supreme and where beloved slimes make their triumphant return. This next update is set to make its grand debut this Fall 2023.
New features coming to the second major update to Early Access Slime Rancher 2:
All New Weather System: The skies and environment will come alive with rain, wind, thunderstorms, lightning and more! As the weather dances across the different areas, you can discover their unique impact on the environment and slimes. Discover how weather systems escalate and produce new phenomena like tornadoes and tangle vines.
Return of Tangle and Dervish Slimes: Prepare to welcome back some of your favorite slimes with rebalanced behaviors. These slimes will captivate both new and experienced ranchers. Rediscover their abilities as they carve a unique niche in the ever-evolving ecosystem.
Weather Symphony: Immerse in an auditory feast that beautifully reflects the ebb and flow of dynamic weather changes. Each weather type boasts its own captivating melody, further enhancing the immersive experience as you explore the effects of nature’s whims on the island’s inhabitants.
The stage is set for a landmark update that transforms slime ranching on the far far range. Prepare for a journey of enchantment and discovery, while unveiling the mysteries within Rainbow Island.
Stay tuned for more details on the second update Slime Rancher 2: Come Rain or Slime by visiting the official website: https://www.slimerancher.com/news/
About Monomi Park
Monomi Park is an independent game studio based out of sunny San Mateo, California. Founded in 2014 by Nick Popovich and Mike Thomas, Monomi Park is committed to creating inclusive and innovative gaming experiences that defy expectations. Its flagship title, Slime Rancher was released into Early Access in 2016 with an official release following in 2017. It is one of the highest-rated games on Steam of all time with a 98% positive average score and has sold over 6 million copies across all platforms with over 15 million players worldwide. Slime Rancher 2 launched into Early Access on September 22, 2022 and sold over 300,000 copies in the first week.
When it comes to Bethesda Game Studios, fans have come to expect certain things as the company made their debut with Morrowind back in 2002 and have managed to produce countless successes through the years, making use of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises to craft open worlds with incredible amounts of content for players to explore their own way, delivering an RPG experience unlike anything other developers have been able to offer. Now, over twenty years past their first release, the development team has produced their first original offering in the form of Starfield, promising a galaxy at players’ fingertips. Is this endeavor successful and is Starfield truly a Bethesda game unlike any other?
Story
Players take on the role of a deep-space miner, working at a dig site like any other and using their laser cutter to mine resources for what seems like a standard job. Players can build their character background to offer various unique perks or story elements throughout the game but, regardless of these choices, everyone starts here as a miner. After being sent to mine a particularly unusual part of the dig, players discover a strange “artifact” affecting the gravity around it in unusual ways and, upon touching it, find themselves experiencing unique visions unlike anything ever experienced by human kind. When word of this artifact and the player’s subsequent vision and collapse, they quickly find their world expanding as the legendary group known as Constellation looks to recruit them to their team.
The core storyline of Starfield is a fascinating one in a couple of ways but primarily because it feels like the perfect set piece to help introduce the player to the galaxy at large and let them off their leash, free to wander from planet to planet and faction to faction taking on any missions that may interest them. The main storyline does involve some major revelations and features players uncovering new mysteries of the universe with some rather significant implications that go far beyond anything Bethesda has previously teased for the game and we won’t spoil it here. Along these same lines, the main storyline also feels like it is only the tip of the iceberg since, as mentioned before, the world, or more fittingly worlds, Bethesda has crafted here feel like a grand tale that can continuously unfurl the deeper players dig into a location with new storylines and moments of intrigue appearing around nearly every corner and in some rather surprising locations as well, meaning that players can easily spend over sixty hours of the game barely scratching the main storyline if they so feel like and still find countless more to explore.
The world of Starfield is also fairly reactive to some of what players do. Sure, stealing random items and getting a bounty on your head may not have long lasting effects outside of drawing fire from security for a respective faction but completing various quests and their outcomes will play into other events that will happen down the line. For example, after obtaining a spaceship once used by a legendary pirate that hunted other bandits, my ship would occasionally strike fear into pirates when jumping into a system, causing them to flee in terror or rally and try to fight back harder, even calling in for back-up at times. Swapping to another ship saw this come to an end but it remains within my fleet and a readily accessible vehicle should I need a smaller speedy fighter. Along these same lines, a mission involving saving a group of scientists protected by rival security factions doing battle with spacers (pirates) saw myself encountering leaders of both security groups in other systems down the line, hearing words of praise for my actions in helping the settlers and them in their plight. Sure, most of these decisions often boil down to simply killing a target or even talking them down with persuasion but these choices do end up playing a role in how stories and events play out and will have consequences. In fact, even trying to backpedal on an earlier conversation that saw my character talk poorly about a rival and try to convince the boss that he was worthwhile saw the boss not taking my attempts seriously, choosing to still kick the guy out thanks to my earlier claims.
The way storylines and content unfolds in Starfield is fascinating. The smallest sounding task can quickly become a massive multi-hour journey involving multiple quests that can take players all over the galaxy, experiencing new events in these locations as well. I could go on for quite some time about how grand in scale some of the content in Starfield can become. Warping into a system with a collection of allies on my tale ready to destroy a fleet of cultists, boarding a ship with a party ready to take down a group of pirates, or even raiding a derelict ship only to discover that it was previously used for xenomorph experimentation with human organ harvesting as a side-job. Many of the worlds that players explore may not have the most interesting storylines in the grand scale, especially the simpler worlds where players can randomly land anywhere and generate caves, buildings to explore, and unique flora and fauna to scan, but most of them have at least something interesting to uncover should players feel like looking, offering more content than anyone could imagine in a single playthrough let alone a game changing New Game+ mode.
The breadth of the content in Starfield is stunning and it all is handled with some rather solid lore and world-building. Various elements of the galaxy’s history and conflict among the stars is explained sufficiently and even the companions that players can gather, story related and crew that they hire, also have their own backstories. The actual relationship systems with these characters is a bit on the simplistic side and it would have been great if there were more actual companions besides the small amount available, as well as a bit more variety in the type of crew that players can hire to man their spaceship and outposts. Being able to hire some of the more rougher and tumbling members of a faction would certainly make things more interesting at times but even then, the characters on offer are fairly well-fleshed out, though it is a bit disappointing that players can only have one companion with them at a time outside of quest reasons, especially when traveling and exploring worlds with allies and friends that players have made in their grand adventures is always an exciting endeavor, especially when you never know what the next planet might hold, a feeling that very few games, even those from Bethesda’s own storied library, can offer.
Gameplay
With so much interesting content to explore, it is great to note that, for the most part, Starfield plays in similar fashion to what one would expect from a Bethesda Game Studios title as all exploration can be handled in first person, with a third-person camera being an option should players choose, and a massive array of weaponry to use ranging from standard guns, shotguns, etc. to laser rifles and more elaborate firearms and even a few melee weapons. Firefights on the ground with enemies feels fitting enough, though don’t expect the type of tight and snappy controls found on an FPS as Starfield is still an RPG at heart and while the gunplay may feel a bit better than their recent Fallout entries, it still isn’t quite up to a standard FPS level.
The worlds of Starfield are filled with a massive amount of stuff to pick up and gather, some of it useful and most of it not and while players can still move at a normal pace when overencumbered, they will expend “O2” faster and cannot fast travel meaning players will need to be a bit on the selective side when it comes to looting everything that isn’t nailed down. O2 is a replacement that usually just dictates how long players can run for at a time with fully expended O2 causing a buildup of CO2 and triggering a small amount of damage. Players can also make use of their “boostpack” to jet around for brief periods of time while jumping with planets having less gravity allowing players to really take to the skies in a fight, though running around on a planet with heavier gravity will expend O2 faster.
One of the most enjoyable elements of combat in Starfield is when players are in space as the spaceship combat is a delight, as long as players make sure to keep their ship upgraded and unlock a certain nearly required skill. As players take part in interstellar dogfights they will need to manage their reactor level by distributing power accordingly, decreasing their engine output to put more energy into the cannons for example, in an interesting and intuitive way. It must be said though that players should almost immediately obtain the “Targeting” skill that allows players to lock-on and target specific enemy ship parts as not only can this allow players to specifically take out an enemy ship’s engines to try and board them, it also can be used to disable a far superior ship’s weaponry, leaving them weaponless and easy for the picking.
The ship building itself is an incredibly intricate process that does have a few limitations but not too many. Players can only have one shield generator, warp drive, etc. for their ship but otherwise the sky’s the limit as to player creativity. Customizing a ship with unique parts and swapping out their types will change the inside of the player’s ship as they travel through it, interacting with their crew and offering such an interesting level of depth. Those afraid of tackling this can choose to simply purchase part upgrades or spend a decent chunk of change buying ships available throughout the many spaceports in Starfield or, if they feel up to it, stealing a ship by boarding it and killing the crew.
Exploration in Starfield is a bit more on the limited side then some may think at first as it isn’t entirely possible to simply fly from location to location. Instead, players will warp jump from system to system, choosing to land anywhere they want on most planets and exploring the worlds on foot. These worlds can then be populated by plants and animals that players can scan and harvest for resources, even setting up customizable outposts that they can use to drill for resources within the planet itself and using it as a base of operations should players really want to get in-depth. This can lead to a lot of quick travel at times between missions as players jump rapidly from location to location but those who really want to explore can still find plenty to search through should they feel like it, just don’t expect to fly to Mars from Neptune in a straight line.
Leveling in the game can also be a bit of an odd bag, not because leveling is unusual, it isn’t. Players will gain XP for completing missions, killing enemies and animals, scanning resources, etc. and every level up provides a skill point. Where to use these skill points is where things can become a bit more difficult as Starfield has broken the skill system down into a massive list of unlockables that range from near useless to incredibly vital as they keep main mechanics behind them. This includes the aforementioned Targeting for spaceship combat, stuff like having an actual stealth meter for sneaking around or being able to pickpocket people, crafting basic upgrades to equipment, or even using your jetpack. Some of these are simple tier one upgrades and every skill can be upgraded further, using a skill point to do so once player’s complete their subsequent challenge such as being able to pilot more advanced spaceships by destroying countless enemy crafts in combat. There does not appear to be a level cap of any kind in Starfield but it does mean that players will need to balance their needs as often many skills will be vying for their attention with every level up they obtain.
It wouldn’t be a Bethesda Game Studios game without bugs and, while we didn’t experience many small issues with Starfield, outside of the occasional physics bug or getting stuck in a bit of flooring, there were some larger issues that cropped up. Making use of a conquered pirate ship that I had registered as my own eventually saw the ship glitching into non-existence, freezing me in space or vanishing from the landing pad, forcing me to discard the powerful ship and return to my starter one at the time and, to a much worse degree, a completely missing main story quest that refused to appear and required reloading an incredibly old save, losing nearly ten hours of progress simply to have the quest appear like normal and unlock perhaps the most interesting and vital questline in Starfield’s main storyline. These issues will likely be addressed through patches but remain a problem players will need to watch out for in the game.
Audio & Visuals
For the most part Bethesda’s take on space in Starfield is a more grounded one. Player will travel in spaceships filled with technological marvels but nothing too beyond the stretch of the imagination while also visiting cities that span the wide-range of futuristic paradises to wild-west towns barely hanging in there near the edges of settled space. The worlds themselves are fairly diverse though players will find that many of them are simple lifeless worlds filled with resources and a few odd anomalies they can track down and not much else. The character models are decently designed with some odd looking NPCs here and there, though it would be nice to see more character variety for the party members once again. It is also worth noting that the alien wildlife that players encounter and fight can be rather terrifying at times as there are some truly creepy looking creatures to discover and whether these are random, or placed by Bethesda, is unknown but also incredibly interesting for variety’s sake.
The voice work throughout Starfield is handled incredibly well with plenty of unique ambient dialogue that changes as players complete quests while all conversations are voiced by a wide sounding variety of actors. The player character is thankfully not voiced, giving players plenty of opportunity for unique dialogue choices that will have some surprising results at times. The soundtrack features a rather impressive collection of music, with some truly great sounding pieces of background music during exploration and combat though it would be nice to have some sort of in-game radio to listen to when traveling through a more lifeless world or delving into a ruined outpost or derelict ship.
Overall
Starfield is a massive game unlike anything that has come before it. Players can spend hours upon hours simply traveling through space, visiting worlds and seeing what they may find on them. Sure, most may simply have resources and unique creatures to discover, but there are countless others with storylines and quests that just continuously unfold, making players wonder why their quick pit stop at a resort planet turned into a multi-hour adventure. With a wide scale of mechanics and depth to take advantage of, Starfield may have some issues throughout its design and a fair share of problematic bugs, though still feeling a bit more polished than average for a Bethesda title, Starfield’s galaxy is one that begs to be explored and feels like a truly shining example of what a developer can do when given enough time and a big enough vision.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
New Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin trailer reveals the broad scope of the game, including map editor and livery customisation – Delivering a truly comprehensive RTS game at launch.
Cambridge, UK – 15th September 2023 Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV, ‘Frontier’) released today a new trailer for real-time strategy game Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin, revealing the wide range of features coming at launch on 17th November.
Cinematic campaign – Enjoy a rich, character driven story of desperate conflict in a savage realm, co-written by acclaimed Black Library writer Gav Thorpe.
Comprehensive multiplayer – Dive into 1v1 and 2v2 cross platform multiplayer matches with any mix of human and AI opponents and climb a 1v1 competitive ladder.
Eternal conquest – Battle across procedurally generated wildlands towards the final enemy in an extended singleplayer experience. Share the seed and see if others can do better.
Endless creativity – Build, share and compete on your own maps or other people’s, paint your own armies, and create beautiful dioramas to show them off.
The game is available to pre-order now. Watch the Game Overview trailer here:
Realms of Ruin allows players to personalise their experience with the game. With the Map Editor, players will use similar tools to the developers to construct multiplayer maps for the game, creating their own battlegrounds in the savage Realm of Ghur. From terrain painting and shaping to prop, foliage, water and gameplay objective placement, players will be able to create their ideal battlefields and then enjoy them in custom online multiplayer matches. They will also be able to share their creations using a cross-platform in-game Workshop, where the community will be able to download, play and rate their maps.
Army Livery, meanwhile, enables players to customise the colour palettes used when they play each of the four factions in the game, using paints from Games Workshop’s Citadel collection. In addition to player-created palettes, the game will feature official Games Workshop paint schemes. Whether fans of the tabletop game want to field Hallowed Knights or Big Yellers, Army Livery underlines Frontier’s efforts to create the most authentic game possible. Players can create palettes for entire factions, or even craft colour schemes for individual units.
With the Scene Editor, players can create spellbinding dioramas to share with the community, posing characters in curated and shareable snapshots of the battle for Ghur. Adjust individual frames of animation to get every detail just right, and display customised units from Army Livery for that extra personalised touch. Players can tweak visual settings to their liking, then take the perfect image to share with the world.
Map Editor, Army Livery and Scene Editor are available across all versions and platforms of the game, with players able to build maps with either a mouse and keyboard or a controller. These additional features underline Frontier’s commitment to delivering the definitive Warhammer Age of Sigmar RTS experience.
One more Age of Sigmar faction is yet to be revealed for the game, joining the mighty Stormcast Eternals, brutal Orruk Kruleboyz and spectral swarm of the Nighthaunt – more details will be revealed ahead of launch.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin launches on 17th November forPC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation®5 and Xbox Series X|S for a suggested retail price of £49.99/$59.99/€59.99 for the Standard Edition, £59.99/$69.99/€69.99 for the Deluxe Edition and £64.99/$74.99/€74.99 for the Ultimate Edition.
Wage a campaign of brutal conquest in this realm-shattering real-time strategy game set in the Warhammer Age of Sigmar universe. Command four unique factions in dynamic battles as part of a story-driven campaign and test your mettle against warlords afar in online multiplayer.
About Frontier Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV, ‘Frontier’) is a leading independent developer and publisher of videos founded in 1994 by David Braben, co-author of the iconic Elite game. Based in Cambridge, Frontier uses its proprietary COBRA game development technology to create innovative genre-leading games, primarily for personal computers and videogame consoles.
About Games Workshop Games Workshop Group PLC (LSE:GAW.L), based in Nottingham, UK, produces the best fantasy miniatures in the world. Games Workshop designs, manufactures, retails, and distributes its range of Warhammer Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40,000 games, miniature soldiers, novels and model kits through more than 523 of its own stores (branded Games Workshop or Warhammer), its own web store, and independent retail channels in more than 50 countries worldwide. More information about Games Workshop and its other, related, brands and product ranges (including its publishing division ‘Black Library’ and its special resin miniatures studio ‘Forge World’) can be found at www.games-workshop.com.
NCSOFT’s next title, BATTLE CRUSH, was showcased with new gameplay footage at the Nintendo Direct on September 14.
Sign up now for Global CBT starting on October 23 – available in 25 countries in North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia.Global launch expected in Spring 2024 – BATTLE CRUSH will offer a cross-play experience for Nintendo Switch, Steam, and mobile platforms.
PANGYO, Korea (September 15, 2023) – NCSOFT, a global premier game developer and publisher, today announced its next title BATTLE CRUSH’s global Closed Beta Test (CBT), taking place on October 23 through to 30 (UTC).
BATTLE CRUSH is a brand-new action battle brawler from NCSOFT, slated to launch globally in Spring 2024. This multi-platform game will be full of quick, action-packed battles available on Nintendo Switch, Steam, and mobile with cross-play support.
Today, BATTLE CRUSH was showcased at the Nintendo Direct with its latest gameplay footage, offering a glimpse of its strategic brawl battles. NCSOFT also revealed a new trailer featuring an extended look at the gameplay with a global CBT announcement.
The new trailer for BATTLE CRUSH can be viewed below
The CBT sign-up is now open on BATTLE CRUSH’s official website. The CBT will be available in 25 countries in North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia. It will be playable on Nintendo Switch, Steam, and Google Android – with cross-play support.
In BATTLE CRUSH, players will fight with their chosen characters, called Calixers, to become the strongest player out of 30 and be the last one standing as the ground collapses beneath their feet while enemies come from all directions. It offers a dynamic, strategic brawl battle experience with simple and easy controls. With its unique battle arena, the game also provides various play modes that up to 30 players can enjoy concurrently. A diverse range of Calixers, inspired by mythological figures with their own story and skills, will be available to choose from.
The game offers three different modes that players can choose depending on their tastes: Battle Royale, Brawl, and Build-Up.
In Battle Royale, up to 30 players fight to determine the final winner. It can be played in Team mode, where players can join a party of up to three to fight as a team, or in Solo mode, where each player competes individually.
The Brawl is where a single player can select three different Calixers with which to fight. Set on a smaller map compared to Battle Royale, it adds excitement and tension to the battle. Both Team and Solo modes are also available.
The Build-Up is a one-on-one mode, where the first to take three games out of five becomes the winner. Before starting the game, players can plan their strategy by evaluating their opponents’ character choices. After each round, the defeated player gets the chance to select items before the next round begins, allowing for an unpredictable and fun experience until the very end.
For those who sign up for BATTLE CRUSH’s upcoming CBT, players can invite up to three friends and collect rewards that can be used during the Test. Players can receive three invite codes for each account. When each code is redeemed by a friend, both the inviter and invitee will receive in-game currency – Crystals – that can be used to purchase Battle Pass during the CBT.
Sing and swim together with up to 4-players, in this rhythmic adventure game based on the most viewed YouTube video in history
Outright Games, the leading global publisher of family-friendly interactive entertainment, in collaboration with The Pinkfong Company, the global entertainment company behind the cultural phenomenon Baby Shark, is thrilled to release Baby Shark: Sing & Swim Party. Based on the most watched video on YouTube, with over 13 billion views, and an RIAA Diamond certification (11x Platinum), the world of Baby Shark takes its first swim into the video game waters today and is available now on Nintendo Switch™, and digitally on PlayStation 4®, PlayStation 5®, Xbox One, Xbox X|S, and Steam.
Watch the launch trailer below
In this cooperative rhythmic adventure game, fans can play as their favourite Baby Shark Family characters as they travel across 7 different recognisable locations from the Baby Shark videos, for their vacation to the Fin-Tastic Festival. Featuring both a Rhythm mode where you must stay on the beat and a Runner mode where you avoid obstacles and collect stars, the game teaches players more about the Shark Family’s story as they complete the different levels. With 30 songs including catchy classics such as ‘Baby Shark’, ‘Disco Sharks’, and ‘Shark Dance Party’, players will sing and have fun on their oceanic adventure.
Designed with the whole family in mind, the game can be played in solo mode or with up to 3 family members and friends in 4-player local co-op mode. The game was designed with the youngest players in mind and has accessibility features including full game voice-over for all dialogue, location names, and instructions, to assist those learning to read. It also features a gradual difficulty curve over the course of the levels, so that younger players can dive in and learn to play at their own pace.
Pinkfong’s Baby Shark has been captivating fans around the world since it first broke the internet in 2015. After taking the world by storm, Baby Shark has expanded its universe with an animated TV series, podcasts, live shows, merchandise, and even a full-length feature film in development for the 2023 holiday season. With the upcoming Baby Shark: Sing & Swim Party, fans can look forward to another extraordinary chapter in Baby Shark’s legacy of fostering imagination, creativity, and love for music in the hearts of families everywhere.
Stephanie Malham, COO of Outright Games said: “We are delighted to finally release ‘Baby Shark: Sing & Swim Party’ into open waters. The audio, visual and haptic interactions found in our game are only possible on consoles and PC. When combined with the rhythmic runner gameplay that is tailored for this beloved franchise, fans will be able to experience the world of Baby Shark in an engaging and unique way that’s never been seen before”
Francisco Encinas, CEO of RecoTechnology said: “When designing ‘Baby Shark: Sing & Swim Party’, our main aim was to ensure that the gameplay would be accessible to the youngest of players, while offering an appropriate challenge for fans of any age. To achieve this we ensured the difficulty of the game increased over time at a lighter, slower pace that creates a more compelling and varied play experience.”
Baby Shark: Sing & Swim Party is available now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC.
About Outright Games:
Outright Games is a global video games publisher with a focus on bringing quality family entertainment to a worldwide audience. Founded in 2016, Outright Games has established its place in the market delivering engaging interactive games of beloved entertainment licenses globally. Outright Games brings stories and characters to life with titles including favourites such as Peppa Pig: World Adventures with Hasbro, DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos with Warner, Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova and Paw Patrol: Grand Prix with Nickelodeon, and DreamWorks Dragons: Legends of The Nine Realms with NBC Universal. With an Outright Games title, there will be fun for all the family to enjoy.
About The Pinkfong Company
The Pinkfong Company is a global entertainment company that delivers content and entertaining experiences around the world. Driven by award-winning brands and IPs, the company has created and distributed a range of content across genres and formats including original animated series, world live tours, interactive games, and more. Believing in the power of entertaining and engaging content, The Pinkfong Company is committed to connecting people around the world and bringing joy and inspiration to worldwide audiences of all ages.
About Reco Technology
Recotechnology is a company founded by professionals from the entertainment and media sector with a long experience in the field of video games. Since its incorporation in 2012 it has developed multiple games for the different platforms of Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, PC/Steam, Android, IOS… being the official developer and publisher of all of them. From our origin we seek to develop new and high quality games and IPs for all types of audiences.
Two Beloved RPG Return with BATEN KAITOS I & II HD REMASTER, Featuring Enhanced Visual Fidelity and New Accessibility Features
Leading video game publisher and developer Bandai Namco Europe S.AS. today announced that BATEN KAITOS I & II HD REMASTER is available now on Nintendo Switch™. The collection will give players the opportunity to experience the emotional journeys of both BATEN KAITOS: ETERNAL WINGS AND THE LOST OCEAN and BATEN KAITOS ORIGINS, which were originally released for the Nintendo GameCube.
The BATEN KAITOS series features distinct card-based RPG play mechanics that allow for split-second decisions, edging participants closer to victory. In each title, players will take the role of a Guardian Spirit and guide the protagonist and companions through unique adventures in each game:
BATEN KAITOS: ETERNAL WINGS AND THE LOST OCEAN tells the story of Kalas who, while seeking revenge for the death of his brother and grandfather, meets Xelha as they both embark on a journey to defeat the Alfard Empire.
BATEN KAITOS ORIGINS takes place 20 years before the events of the first game. The story involves Sagi, a “spiriter” that has a connection with Guardian Spirits and who is part of the Dark Service, an elite unit of the Alfard Empire. Sagi sets on a journey to clear his name after being framed, and to unveil the empire’s secrets.
Watch the launch trailer below:
BATEN KAITOS I & II HD REMASTER enhances the gameplay of the original games with new features. The remaster includes an “Instant KO” setting that will let players defeat the enemy in one single attack, a major increase to game and battle speeds, and a “No Encounters” setting that will let players avoid battles, along with additional new settings that support game progression.
In addition to BATEN KAITOS I & II HD REMASTER release, players can now enjoy both game’s soundtracks on digital distribution services such as iTunes, Apple Music or Spotify or YouTube. The soundtrack for BATEN KAITOS: ETERNAL WINGS AND THE LOST OCEAN is available here, while the soundtrack for BATEN KAITOS ORIGINS is available here.
BATEN KAITOS I & II HD REMASTER is now available on Nintendo Switch™.
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™.
Resident Evil 4 VR Coming to PlayStation®VR2 This Winter
London (September 14, 2023) Today, Capcom revealed Separate Ways, a new story DLC for Resident Evil™ 4 that is releasing on September 21, 2023. Separate Ways explores another side of the reawakened tale, following Ada Wong on a clandestine mission that reunites the agent with Leon S. Kennedy during his search for the president’s missing daughter. Alongside the release of Separate Ways, a free update for The Mercenaries will go live the same day, introducing Ada Wong and her notorious employer Albert Wesker as playable characters for the popular bonus mode.
The new trailer also debuted thrilling footage of Resident Evil 4 VR Mode. This immersive new way to experience the main campaign of Resident Evil 4 is coming to PlayStation®VR2 as free DLC this winter. Resident Evil 4 VR Mode brings the action closer than ever before and dials up the intensity with intuitive PlayStation VR2 Sense™ controls that include dual wielding, realistic weapon handling, enhanced knife action, and more.
In Separate Ways, Ada Wong travels to a lonely and rural part of Europe to infiltrate a village controlled by the religious group known as Los Iluminados. Under orders from Albert Wesker, Ada is assigned to obtain the cult’s darkest secret: a mysterious material known as “the Amber.” Her operation intertwines with Leon S. Kennedy’s search for the president’s missing daughter, providing an alternate perspective on the main story that uncovers events that unfold behind the scenes.
Alongside the highly acclaimed gunplay, combat, and knife mechanics of Resident Evil 4, Separate Ways introduces an additional feature to the experience that takes the fast-paced action to exciting new heights. For this exhilarating mission, Ada is armed with a Grappling Gun that can be used to swing across chasms, make rapid ascents, and plunge into the depths below. She can also wield the device in combat to take on enemies in close quarters and launch into melee takedowns from a distance.
Separate Ways will be available as a downloadable add-on for Resident Evil 4 on September 21 across PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Resident Evil 4 VR Mode is planned for release this winter as free DLC exclusively for PlayStation VR2.
About Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4 joins Leon S. Kennedy six years after his hellish experiences in the biological disaster of Raccoon City. His unmatched resolve led to his recruitment as an agent reporting directly to the president of the United States. With the experience of multiple missions on his back, Leon is dispatched to rescue the president’s recently kidnapped daughter. Leon tracks her to a secluded European village, however after making first contact he discovers a fervor beyond reason grips the local populace. Resident Evil 4 preserves the essence of the original while using Capcom’s proprietary RE ENGINE to deliver modernized gameplay, a reimagined storyline, and vividly detailed graphics.
About Capcom
Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment for game consoles, PCs, handheld and wireless devices. Founded in 1983, the company has created hundreds of games, including groundbreaking franchises Resident Evil™, Monster Hunter™, Street Fighter™, Mega Man™, Devil May Cry™ and Ace Attorney™. Capcom maintains operations in the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Tokyo, with corporate headquarters located in Osaka, Japan.
Capcom, and the Capcom logo are registered trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd. in the U.S. or other countries. Ace Attorney, Devil May Cry, Mega Man, Monster Hunter, Resident Evil and Street Fighter are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries, in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
Gather your forces and face off with your friends in SRG’s upcoming roguelike, Champion Shift!
San Juan, Puerto Rico, 15 September 2023 | SRG Studios is proud to introduce their newest character, Gilgamesh, to their roster of champions in the upcoming PC release, Champion Shift. Alongside Gilgamesh’s preview, a new multiplayer demo is available now on Steam. Bring the fight to the Dominion’s doorstep and add strength to your team of champions.
Witness Gilgamesh’s true strength in his exclusive character trailer below.
Inspired by Mesopotamian legend, Gilgamesh is loyal and assertive and strikes with brute force. Driven by a devotion to his fellow champions and his reverence for battle, Gilgamesh welcomes the Dominion’s challenging hordes and seeks glory in their demise. Despite his healthy ego and arrogance, however, he recognizes the ever-present threat of the Dominion over his friends’ lives and will stop at nothing to protect them.
Accentuating his raw power, Gilgamesh wears a set of golden gauntlets to amplify his physical strength. His attacks unleash bursts of solar energy that increase through character-specific boons. Aspects of his kit, including his Solar Burst and Ray of Sunshine, debuff enemies’ defenses and increase skill cooldown, handing GIlgmesh an easy advantage on the battlefield. Accompanying Gilgamesh is the spirit of Enkidu–a comrade to the King of Uruk–who comes to the champion’s aid as he is wounded, inflicting enemies with Bleed. In flashy fashion, Gilgamesh swaps in and out of a vehicle form and infuses his transformations with damaging attacks.
Gilgamesh joins Sun Wukong and Athena in Champion Shift’s roster of future playable characters. In anticipation of the title’s further announcements, an updated multiplayer demo has launched on Steam and is available now.
This demo brings quality-of-life updates and offers a glimpse into the Champion Shift world. Get your friends into the fun before the game’s full release with the new multiplayer feature.
Champion Shift grants you control of legendary warriors to enact justice on the Dominion, a shadow corporation bent on world domination. The hunt begins as your champions, equipped with the newfound power of their vehicle forms, battle through the Dominion’s forces in search of victory.
About SRG Studios
SRG Studios was founded in 2013 with a focus on developing mobile games. Known for games like Jaws.io, Ink Inc., Heroes Inc., and Sausage Wars, our games have been downloaded over 200 million times. The release of Champion Shift will mark our transition from mobile games to PC and consoles.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on December 7. A new trailer for the game reveals further story details about the hero’s journey and the clans they will meet as they explore the Western Frontier of Pandora to reconnect with their lost heritage.
In Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, you will play as a Na’vi who was abducted as an infant by the RDA and trained in The Ambassador Program (TAP) to serve human interests on Pandora. When the RDA evacuated Pandora during the Battle of the Hallelujah Mountains (as seen in the first Avatar movie), you were put into emergency cryosleep. You wake up 15 years later, finally free from the RDA, but lost and unfamiliar with your home world.
You set out on a journey to discover the world that was kept from you, meeting other Na’vi clans and learning about Na’vi culture. You discover that you are a member of the respected Sarentu clan, believed to have disappeared years before. As you journey across the Western Frontier, you will meet the Aranahe, a clan of artisans known for their weaving skills; the Zeswa, a proud nomadic clan that lives in symbiosis with gigantic beasts called Zakru; and the Kame’tire, a reclusive, enigmatic clan skilled in healing and potion-making.
As a rite of passage, you will bond with your own banshee, or ikran (as the Na’vi say). Together, you will be able to explore Pandora from a new perspective: that of the skies. You can also fish with them, perform acrobatics above the clouds, and fight against the RDA together. You can also expand your exploration possibilities on the ground by learning to ride a direhorse.
Once again, the RDA poses a threat to Pandora’s flourishing ecosystems. With your knowledge of human technology and weapons as well as your Na’vi background and skills, you are uniquely equipped to push back against the RDA. It is up to you to gain the trust of other Na’vi clans to rally them to protect Pandora because working together, the Na’vi are stronger.
Visit the Ubisoft Store to pre-order Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, which is available in multiple editions: The Gold Edition includes the game and Season Pass (including two DLCs, an extra quest, a unique banshee, and more); the Ultimate Edition includes the game, Season Pass, Ultimate Pack, and digital art book. The Collector’s Edition is also available exclusively at select retailers and includes the Ultimate Edition of the game and physical items including a 35cm-tall statue, an artbook, a premium SteelBook, a field notebook, a set of three lithographs, and an AMP suit blueprint. Upon pre-ordering, you will receive a “Child of Two Worlds” pre-order bonus with a character cosmetic set and a weapon skin. Players can also play the Ultimate Edition of the game on day 1 when they subscribe to Ubisoft+ on PC and Xbox via Ubisoft Connect.
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 €1,739 million.
Prologue of The Game Available to Play Now on Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4 and PC via STEAM®
SYDNEY (Sept. 15, 2023) – Today SQUARE ENIX® released a playable demo of their upcoming title STAR OCEAN™ THE SECOND STORY R™. In this demo, players will be able to start their adventure and experience the opening hours ofthe gamethat will be part of the final game when it releases on November 2nd, 2023. Players will also be able to carry over their save progress from the demo into the main game at launch. Cross-generational saving will also allow PlayStation 4 players to continue playing on the PlayStation 5 with the same save.
Watch the STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R Gameplay Trailer below:
The demo will include three cities, two dungeons and two bosses and give players an in-depth look into the opening hours of the gameas players choose their protagonist, battle with three party members and enjoy new features such as ‘Assault Action’ and ‘Break’.
A 2.5D remake of the 1998 RPG and highly acclaimed second installment in the STAR OCEAN series, STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R combines beautiful 3D environments with nostalgic 2D pixel characters, offering players both a classic RPG and modern gameplay experience. A rearranged soundtrack, new difficulty settings, numerous quality-of-life improvements and more revitalize the original game’s beloved features, like the fast-paced, real-time combat, deep skill system and Private Actions, which allow players to grow relationships with party members and unlock a variety of different endings.
Pre-orders for the physical and digital standard editions are available now.
Pre-order to obtain the following digital content:
Pangalactic Federation Longsword
Forest Knuckles
Early Purchase Bonuses:
Sunrise Ring
Set of recovery items (Mixed berries x20 + Resurrection Potion x20)
Customers who purchase the game during the early purchase bonus availability period (*) are eligible to acquire an accessory that can be equipped by all playable characters and two different types of recovery item as a bonus.
STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R will be available for Nintendo Switch, PS5™, PS4™ and PC via STEAM on 2 November 2023. For more information, visit: https://square-enix-games.com
* Customers who purchase the game on Steam by 16:59PM and 23:59PM on other platfoms on November 16th, 2023 are eligible to acquire the early purchase bonuses.
Developed by tri-Ace Inc. and published by Square Enix, the STAR OCEAN series is a long-running action-RPG series spanning multiple entries and commemorated its 25th anniversary in 2021. The series is known for its exciting gameplay, epic storylines, diverse cast of characters, as well as its innovative approach to action combat. In 2019, an HD remaster of the first installment in the series, STAR OCEAN First Departure R, released for the Nintendo Switch™ and PlayStation®4, delivering the classic title with updated visuals, audio, and several quality-of-life improvements to fans around the world. In 2022, STAR OCEAN THE DIVINE FORCE, the sixth main installment in the series, delivered a fresh and exciting gameplay experience. The highly acclaimed second installment in the STAR OCEAN series is returning as STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R as a 2.5D remake and will release on November 2nd, 2023.
About Square Enix Ltd.
Square Enix Ltd. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX® and TAITO® branded entertainment content in Europe and other PAL territories as part of the Square Enix group of companies. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 173 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 85 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix Ltd. is a London-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
