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Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons Review

Claudio Meira
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Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons Review

Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons

Developer: Secret Base
Publisher: Modus Games
Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Windows (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch
Release Date: 27 July 2023
Price: $24.99 USD / $36.75 AUD – Available Here (US Switch), Available Here (AU Switch), and Available Here (PC)

Overview

Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is the newest installment in the long-standing series. Double Dragon was first released in arcades in 1987. It spawned a number of sequels and ports that were released on multiple platforms. The game enjoyed immense popularity back in its day. It established the foundation for many other fighting action games that came afterwards. The Lee brothers even starred in a live-action movie, but suffice to say, it failed on all counts. Nowadays, the Double Dragon IP belongs to Arc System Works. Even then, the series has been relegated to spin-offs and cameos in games from the same universe. Double Dragon Gaiden is one such spin-off, but does it live up to the franchise’s past glory?

Story

In the aftermath of an all-out nuclear war, New York City is now ruled by four powerful gangs. One day, a cop named Marian is injured while engaged in conflict with the ruffians who assault the city daily. She’s brought by the newly-elected mayor to the Sou-Setsu-Ken dojo, where her friends, the twin brothers Billy Lee and Jimmy Lee, live with their father and master. The mayor wants to enlist master Lee to help put an end to the chaos that has engulfed the city. Unfortunately, Master Lee is currently missing, so it falls in the hands of the Lee brothers, Marian, and a new character known as Uncle Matin to put an end to the gangs’ rule of terror.

What’s interesting about the story is how the developers took the scrapped-out script from Super Double Dragon for the SNES and added their own touch to it. They even went as far as creating a new character, “Uncle Matin”, exclusively for Gaiden; “Matin” is just a random word displayed on Billy’s garage in the arcade version of the first Double Dragon; it’s especulated that that’s how this character got his name.

The story plays out using cutscenes featuring pixel art stills, similar to how the story was presented in Double Dragon III on the NES. It’s pretty cool to see that the developers did their homework and went on with including these little tidbits. Besides these brief curiosities and an obvious twist at the end, that’s all for Double Dragon Gaiden’s story.

Gameplay

Double Dragon Gaiden plays similarly to developer Secret Base’s Streets of Red. It combines beat ’em up action with some rogue-like elements such as the option to buy randomly rotating power-ups between checkpoints. The game uses a tag team system which means players get to swap – almost freely once the mechanic is understood – between two characters, be it to extend combos or to save a partner taking a beating.

At first, players are able to choose from four characters: Billy, Jimmy, Marian, and Uncle Matin. The first two are masters of Sou-Setsu-Ken, but they use it distinctly; Billy is fast and has a versatile move set while Jimmy focuses more on strong punches and grabs. Uncle Matin is a burly brawler with moves that combine defense, offense and grappling. As a cop, Marian uses her tools of the trade to attack from a distance and set traps that stun enemies.

When all is said and done, it’s time to hit the streets. Stages can be beaten in any order, and as players complete them, the following stages go through a makeover which adds one extra area and also new bosses. To see everything, a minimum of four runs is necessary, but new players will probably need a bit more than that as they get used to the flow of the game. This is a neat mechanic that gives the game a decent amount of content while keeping its arcade feel. 

Difficulty is highly customizable. Players are able to choose characters’ health level, enemy aggression and stats among other things. This also affects how many tokens players can get at the end of each run. These tokens can be traded for artwork, music, game tips, and, more importantly, playable bosses hailing from all mainline Double Dragon games.

At a glance, Gaiden plays like what you’d expect from a Double Dragon game. Players can make use of the series’ signature moves, like combos, grabs and special attacks. Stages are also designed in a familiar fashion. Players traverse areas that scroll in multiple directions while taking down hordes of enemies. Traps are set up in some areas, but instead of being a real threat – like in older games – they serve mostly to slow down the game’s pacing.

Gameplay is deliberately slow. This is made even more evident by how heavily telegraphed enemy attacks are. Playable characters are, in turn, balanced around this particularity. At first, It’s hard to get used to the flow of the game due to how sluggish it feels. Things get much better once you understand how to play, but that information isn’t free; players need to go through a few runs and collect some tokens, before they can buy tips that teach how the game is supposed to be played. This design choice is as curious as it’s baffling, but once players understand the game’s mechanics, it feels nice to take down multiple enemies at a time while swapping to your secondary character to keep the combo – and the body count – high.

Visuals

The choice of using an art style that calls back to the NES era makes sense since those versions were always much more accessible to players than their arcade counterparts. However, it’s disheartening to see the grittier, more detailed pixel art from the arcade games disappear. Regardless, Double Dragon Gaiden does a good job looking like a modernized 8-Bit console game. Main characters and bosses are reasonably well-drawn and animated. Stages are varied and colorful, but this standard isn’t maintained across the entire game. Enemy design is what drags down the visuals the most. They sometimes look like they were put together at the last minute. Many enemies simply use the same sprite with minor differences and swapped move sets.

Audio

While sound effects work well, they’re not really notable. The real outlier in this department is the soundtrack. Many classic tunes were rearranged. Their new incarnations range from faithful to the source material to mildly mixed up. Overall, Gaiden’s soundtrack is pretty good, even if some of my favorite tunes weren’t included.

Overall

Double Dragon Gaiden delivers a decent, albeit flawed, beat ‘em up experience. Its rogue-lite mechanics are, indeed, very light; they don’t do enough to mix things up in a way that justifies their inclusion. It can still be a pretty good time especially when it’s played in co-op.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Rune Factory 3 Special Review

Travis Bruno
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Rune Factory 3 Special Review

Rune Factory 3 Special

Developer: Marvelous
Publisher: XSEED Games
Platforms: Switch, PC (Reviewed)
Release Date: September 5, 2023
Price: $39.99 USD – Available Here

Overview

Ever since it began life as a spin-off from the core Story of Seasons titles, the Rune Factory series has always been something of a special draw as it combined the calming life of a farmer with one of a fantasy adventurer doing battle with monsters in a unique fashion. As such the series has seen quite a rise in popularity throughout the years and has seen a new release as recent as last year but that doesn’t mean the classics are left in the past. XSEED and Marvelous have been returning to some of these classics to bring them to new platforms with a few upgrades as we’ve already seen with Rune Factory 4 and now this time around Rune Factory 3 is getting the “Special” treatment. Arriving nearly thirteen years after its release on the DS, is Rune Factory 3 Special a worthwhile upgrade?

Story

One night during a terrible storm a young girl named Shara finds an odd looking Wooly passed out in the rain. Despite the general view of the populace on monsters as dangerous, Shara chooses to take care of this monster against her grandfather’s better judgment. The next day that Wooly reverts back to a human and manages to slip away unnoticed, the only problem is, the guy has no memory of who he is, where he is, or even that he can transform into a Wooly. Players take on the role of this amnesiac as he is helped by the rest of the townsfolk, unaware of his nature of being part monster, and given a place to live inside their respected gigantic tree called the Sharance Tree. Here players can help create their own farm below its branches while also trying to uncover the truth behind what happened to them and recover their memories all while dealing with the uneasy relationship between humans and those they see as monsters.

The storyline throughout Rune Factory 3 Special is fairly standard and doesn’t really come with many twists or surprises outside of a final encounter that will be a bit surprising to newcomers as the main storyline has been left untouched from the original release. The real heart of the story in Rune Factory has almost always been the characters and Rune Factory 3 Special is one of the best in that regard as not only does the game offer a surprisingly large cast of characters, all with their own unique personalities and traits, it also features a fairly sizable amount of interpersonal relationships between these characters. Nearly all events with characters are handled through Requests submitted to either the bulletin board or player mailbox, with a few coming in via owl, and these requests often involve not only the character requesting an item but often their friends and family as well.

This creates a rather unique dynamic with some characters as players who may wish to get closer to, say Carmen, will need to first make sure that they do a few requests and get a bit closer to her older brother as well or dealing with the odd opposite speak of Sofia and her family. Along these same lines choosing to try and interact with the fan-favorite Raven will see players needing to deal with her cold-exterior with the occasional help from her friends all while trying to warm her heart to a relationship. It is worth noting that Rune Factory 3 Special was not updated in any way to offer a female player character nor any option to marry a bachelor but instead of this players will find themselves able to choose from eleven different bachelorettes to marry, nearly as many as the last two games combined. These characters range from incredibly charming and unique to being a bit mundane but even then the storylines for all of them are a real delight. 

It is a bit unfortunate that some of the character story progression is locked behind certain core storyline events, meaning that players who are actively trying to see certain characters’ requests may find themselves needing to complete certain late-game story events to even unlock these scenes. This issue is combined with the fact that players who do want to complete the storyline will need to marry someone to reach the ending as certain events are tied to one another in this regard. This is a bit limited towards player freedom but thankfully, as mentioned before, the bachelorettes are some of the best in the series that many will struggle to pick a favorite. Thankfully the developers must have known this as they have also included the brand new Newlywed Mode for each of the eleven girls. Newlywed mode unlocks after players have married their chosen wife and offers a brand new short story involving the player character and their chosen bride that is really touching, with Raven and Kuruna’s being some of the best. It is worth noting that players who want to see them all should probably make a separate save file before proposing as it will make the process much simpler. 

Gameplay

As with any Rune Factory game, Rune Factory 3 Special is split between players spending time on their farm and delving into dungeons to take down monsters to both level up and obtain the useful materials that they drop.  Farming remains fairly simplistic in nature as many of the various elements such as gigantic crops, vegetable dungeons, and growing weaponry have not been retroactively included in this version of the game. Instead players will need to simply make sure to plant and water their crops according to the season, giving the soil some time to rest across their large field of rapidly respawning debris to make sure crops can still properly grow. 

As players harvest their crops they will occasionally drop seeds of a higher level version for that crop, allowing players to grow and sell more expensive versions of each one, eventually going as high as level ten crops. These crops can then be sold or used for a variety of crafting purposes ranging between cooking, crafting potions, and even making weapons out of them through an unlockable and purchasable set of tools. It is unfortunate to note that item management has taken a step back in time here as the quality of life changes to allow players to quickly add items into the shipping bin isn’t here as players must now manually drop or throw anything they want to sell into the bin, unable to retrieve it in case of an accident. Players can still quickly store items into their fridge and storage though these need to be upgraded before they are of much use. Along these same lines items of different levels do not stack with one another like in recent entries, meaning caught fish of higher quality or even ever improving quality crops will take up extra space and take longer to sell.

On the other side of things, players will find themselves venturing into four dungeons and a fifth final ruin with the aforementioned dungeons each representing a season. These dungeons contain tillable soil that can allow players to grow crops out of season at any time in the game, meaning if players need tomatoes in winter they can make a run to Sol Terrano. They are also filled with various monsters that players can defeat for their drops, ranging from standard difficulty to quite hard depending on the player’s level. Combat in Rune Factory 3 Special remains true to the series standard with players being able to use a wide variety of weapons such as longswords, dual blades, axes, and more while also using spells to target potential elemental weaknesses. There is no wrong way to approach a fight, unless players end up healing the monster of course, and this level of customization is quite freeing in a game such as this, especially since players can still befriend monsters and even bring them, or a member of the town should they feel like it, into combat as well.

Once players gain access to the monster barn they can tame monsters that, as long as they are properly fed, will almost always offer useful resources that can either be sold or used for crafting and even help with the fields in exchange for extra food. Tamed monsters can water crops, destroy debris, and even plant seeds should the player wish to pay them, making them quite useful once the farm has grown to a fairly large size. It is worth noting that players cannot tame boss monsters in Rune Factory 3 Special like they can in later entries though it is still possible to ride and control most of the larger monsters. It is also worth noting that the fist fighting style added in later games in the series is only available through the player’s monster transformation into a Golden Wooly as there are no fist weapons otherwise.

As with every game in the series, anything the player does outside of simply running around and talking to characters will cost Rune Points (RP). This includes tilling soil, planting and watering seeds, making use of the many crafting stations, and of course swinging a weapon and casting spells. Initially players may find themselves possibly running out of RP and draining their own health in combat only to find themselves waking up in the apothecary’s house owing a decent chunk of change. Standard actions like this quickly become less worrisome though as everything players do improves their stats as they level up. This includes things like sleeping, eating, and of course using weaponry or taking damage but even farming and growing crops can increase stats, especially through the help of Runeys that frequently appear around properly grown crops that offer not only bonus stats but skill experience as well. 

It is worth noting that Rune Factory 3 Special also offers the Magic Seed system. Players can “plant” magic seeds anywhere and spawn a useful ally depending on the seed used. These can be anything from a sword that flies around and attacks enemies, a being that transforms enemies into items, and even a lilypad that allows players to walk on water. Players who also want some different reactions from townsfolk can also ask Shara to apply different perfumes on them that change from day to day, seemingly increasing the affection rate for characters that are fond of specific scents. 

Outside of the Newlywed Mode the only real noteworthy addition to the option to upgrade the game’s difficulty to Hell Mode. This is available immediately and gives players a real challenge when it comes to combat that is, for the most part, rather forgiving on Normal. It is also worth noting that the post-game content in Rune Factory 3 Special remains fairly limited in the main game besides allowing players to grow their family with a child and tackle special dungeons that grow in difficulty and offer unique items though this is usually best saved for completionist sake as they quickly become quite repetitive outside offering a challenge. 

Audio & Visuals

Considering the game was originally released on the DS back in 2010 it is quite evident that the development team put a lot of work into improving the graphics as all of the character models are nicely detailed and presented well, including the many monster types found in the game. The best standouts are the character portraits though as the team has done an excellent job improving these portraits to look crisp and detailed on PC with a number of great variations for each character, some of which may only be seen a few times. It is also worth noting that the Newlywed Mode does feature some really great looking sequences as well, serving as a real treat for fans of the bachelorettes.

The soundtrack found in Rune Factory 3 Special has been cleaned up a little bit but it will be mostly familiar for anyone who has played the series before as it features a number of solid calming tracks that fit the theme of each area well-enough though few really stand out. The game also features a fairly limited English dub with characters having English reactions and speaking a few of their key lines out loud but for the most part the game is largely unvoiced.

Overall

Rune Factory 3 Special brings a great classic farming fantasy RPG blend to modern platforms by giving it a bit of freedom from the DS while also improving the graphics to be as crisp as one would expect from a modern release of the genre. There are an unfortunate lack of quality of life features that have been added in more recent entries and the post-game is rather lacking but this entry offers easily some of the best characters in the series and the addition of the Newlywed content only makes them better, resulting in a game that players can easily sink hours into without missing a beat as they interact with the cast all while farming and fighting.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Rune Factory 3 Special – Gameplay

Travis Bruno
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Rune Factory 3 Special – Gameplay

The classic DS game has returned with our hero suffering from some classic amnesia as he finds himself in the small town filled with mysteries and strange townsfolk. As we get accustomed to our new life, including farming a bit and taking down monsters, we go through the town and meet with the many colorful faces that reside there, including catching a glimpse at nearly all of the romantic interests in the first few days of Rune Factory 3 Special.

Bridge the divide of an ancient schism between humans and monsters in Rune Factory 3 Special as half-human, half-wooly protagonist Micah. Farm, fight and fall in love as you revisit a classic in the series that perfected the blend of RPG & Life-sim genres.

Rune Factory 3 Special
Developer: Marvelous Inc.
Publisher: XSEED Games, Marvelous USA, Inc., Marvelous
Platform: Windows, Switch
Release Date: September 5, 2023
Price: $39.99 USD

Available here: https://www.xseedgames.com/games/rune-factory-3-special/

Summary:

Recommended – “Rune Factory 3 Special may lack quality of life features found in recent entries but offers perhaps the best cast of characters in the series with crisp visuals and an addictive gameplay loop.”

Check out our review for Rune Factory 3 Special here!

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Check out all the latest in the world of video games, anime, and entertainment at Capsule Computers:

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Final Fantasy XVI and Theatrhythm Final Bar Line Announcements

Philip Federico
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At PAX West, SQUARE ENIX revealed new updates for two of their hit games, FINAL FANTASY XVI and THEATRHYTHM FINAL BAR LINE.

For FINAL FANTASY XVI, SQUARE ENIX hosted a “Voices from Valisthea” panel led by Localization Director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox and some of the game’s English voice actors. During the panel, they discussed the journey of bringing the beloved characters to life in the latest standalone entry in the acclaimed FINAL FANTASY series. The panel also included a segment where the voice actors answered a series of fan questions submitted through social media.

As part of the panel, FINAL FANTASY XVI Producer, Naoki Yoshida announced a thank you gift for FINAL FANTASY XVI players, featuring an alternate outfit and weapon skins for Clive, along with outfits for some of the other characters, and a free “onion sword,” allowing Clive to wield the favored blade of the Warriors of Light, heroes of FINAL FANTASY III. This “Appearance” feature is available with the free update for Version 1.10, and the “onion sword” can also be claimed by accessing “Redeemable Items” from the “System” menu. The free update also includes a number of improvements to the game, including additional game setting options, adjustments to Arcade Mode and more. Full Version 1.10 notes can be found here.

To watch the full panel, visit below:

Additionally, SQUARE ENIX announced that THEATRHYTHM FINAL BAR LINE is adding FINAL FANTASY XVI DLC. Available as an individual purchase or through the Season Pass Vol. 3, the DLC includes 11 songs for players to jam out to from the latest mainline instalment in the series, including My Star, Find the Flame, To Sail Forbidden Seas and more. The FINAL FANTASY XVI Pack launches on November 1, 2023.

STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R | Opening Movie

Philip Federico
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Anime Opening Movie Debuts at ANIME Impulse OC, Featuring SUIREN

SYDNEY (Sept. 5, 2023) – Today, SQUARE ENIX® revealed the brand-new anime opening movie for the upcoming 2.5D remake STAR OCEAN™ THE SECOND STORY R™, launching on Nov. 2, 2023, for Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®5 (PS5®) and PlayStation®4 (PS4™) consoles, and on PC via STEAM®. First shown to attendees of ANIME Impulse OC, the anime-style opening features dual playable protagonists Claude and Rena alongside their allies preparing for adventure, before facing off against an otherworldly threat.

The opening movie was produced by the animation production company, “Yostar Pictures.” The song “stella” was written by SUIREN, a Japanese duo unit consisting of vocalist Sui and keyboardist/arranger Ren, and is the main theme song of STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R. Players can look forward to the intense action visuals combined with an upbeat song in this new anime opening movie.

A 2.5D remake of the 1998 RPG and 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 many different endings.

Pre-orders for the physical standard editions are available now and include the following digital content as a pre-order bonus through select retailers:

  • Pangalactic Federation Longsword
  • Forest Knuckles
  • x1 Set of recovery items (x20 Mixed berries + x20 Resurrection Potion)
  • x1 Sunrise Ring

STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R will be available for Nintendo Switch, PS5™, PS4™ and PC via STEAM on Nov. 2, 2023. For more information, visit: https://square-enix-games.com

Official Website: https://www.starocean2r.com  

About SUIREN

SUIREN is a Japanese music duo consisting of vocalist Sui and keyboardist/arranger Ren. SUIREN has been active since 2020, mainly on YouTube. Their music combines the fleeting melody created by Sui’s unique voice and Ren’s beautiful and sophisticated sounds, producing something otherworldly together. During their time as indie artists, they have released 2 EPs and 4 singles. With every release, their songs became a part of many official Spotify and Apple Music playlists, increasing their fame as artists. Their music was also chosen as the opening theme song for the fourth season of the popular anime series, “Kingdom.”

Dragonheir: Silent Gods to launch on Mobile and PC on September 19th 2023

Philip Federico
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Join Dragonheir’s Otherworld Horn event in the special Dragonheir Pre Gift App available on mobile and PC now for the chance to win epic hero summons to take into your adventure after launch

Los Angeles, August 31st  – International publisher and developer Nuverse and SGRA Studio  announced today that their upcoming multiversal RPG Dragonheir: Silent Gods will launch on Windows, Mac and mobile devices on September 19th 2023. The latest game from the publisher of the smash hit success MARVEL SNAP, Dragonheir: Silent Gods is a high fantasy RPG set in a magical new world. Players can pre register now for access to the Otherworld Horn Event and a chance to win a special summoning power. For more details visit the official website.

High Fantasy Open World Strategy RPG

The latest game from the publisher of the smash hit success MARVEL SNAP, Dragonheir: Silent Gods is a high fantasy RPG that gives players the chance to explore the magical world of Adenthia and an array of other dimensions in search of an ancient power that can defeat a draconic evil. Players can choose between four classes (warrior, thief, performer, scholar) and customise their character’s looks and attributes, such as strength or dexterity, to shape their adventure.

The multiversal open world RPG will launch with over 200 heroes to enlist and recruit, each with unique abilities and traits that will assist players on their journey. Players can also engage in cooperative PvE mode and team up with other adventurers to defeat challenging opponents, utilising chess-like strategic combat and dice rolls that will influence a players’ adventure across the many explorable realms.

Pre-Register to Acquire Hero Summons

Players keen to jump-start their Dragonheir: Silent Gods adventure can now download the Dragonheir Pre-Gift App on Android, iOS and Web here to take part in the special pre-launch Otherworld Horn Event. Players participating in the event can win free summons that will carry over into both the open beta and the game after launch by signing in, sharing the event on their socials or inviting friends. 

There will even be the chance to summon one of the legendary heroes to join players’ party ranks! From the chance to claim Sutha, the fearsome orc warrior on a quest to honour her fallen brother, to Ripekas the ethereal frost troll with a notorious reputation or Felicity, a 13 year old wiser than her years with mysterious magical prowess, the Otherworld Horn event is not to be missed. 

Spokesman at SGRA Studio said, “Our goal with Dragonheir: Silent Gods has always been to create an accessible, cross platform experience that appeals to both core fantasy enthusiasts and new audiences looking to embark on their first quest. The fantasy genre has exploded over the last few years and we’re excited to bring an entirely new experience and universe to life for players across the world.We’re really excited for everyone to step foot into Adenthia and the multiversal world of Dragonheir: Silent Gods on September 19th 2023!” 

Available on Multiple Platforms in 13 Languages

Dragonheir: Silent Gods will release on September 19th 2023 on PC, iOS and Android. The game will be available in 13 different languages on launch.

About Dragonheir: Silent Gods

Dragonheir: Silent Gods is a multiverse adventure RPG teeming with high fantasy worlds to explore and stories to tell. Developed by SGRA Studio, Dragonheir: Silent Gods utilises classical tropes such as dice rolls, adventure parties, and a plethora of non-linear, open-world exploration full of quests, boss fights and adventures. 

About SGRA Studio

SGRA Studio is a brand-new development studio based in Shanghai, China that consists of industry veterans with experience working on games such as Pokémon UNITE, Arena of Valor and Monster Hunter. SGRA aims to develop breathtaking worlds for players to explore and interact with, and create unique high-fantasy adventures. Their debut title, Dragonheir: Silent Gods, is a multiversal RPG set to release in 2023 on mobile and PC.

About Nuverse

Nuverse is a game development and publishing company for players and developers around the world. They are dedicated to serving gamers worldwide by offering top-tier titles, building a global community, and providing fun and inspiring experiences for every player.

Deck13 Spotlight – Epic ‘Highrise City’ Releases Today / PC Steam

Philip Federico
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Highrise City, the ambitious city builder from FourExo Entertainment and Deck13 Spotlight, has officially left Early Access and is now available via Steam and GOG! After nearly two years in Early Access, this extraordinary mix of city builder and economy simulation was shaped with the help of a more than just loyal community and is OUT NOW!

A game that changed

Looking back, the game which went into Early Access originally is a different one from what Highrise City is today – from visual overhauls to more complex resource systems. From reworked UIs to massive performance upgrades, allowing players to build multi million citizen cities. With countless huge updates the gameplay was shaped during the development process of Highrise City. Players can now look forward to a competent city builder which gives them the control over everything.

New features to explore

The release update comes loaded with new features. New players can experience a small story and take on research missions. Power lines now have to be built, including substations. Shopping Malls are required by the citizens and mega skyscrapers can be unlocked during the late game. And if players manage to build a multi staged space port they can even unlock New Game+ content with alternate building modes for experienced players.

The transport is public now operational

And yet there’s more. Public transport through buses is now available. Players can set up custom lines to reduce traffic in their massive cities. New resources are available, mayors also need to take care of hazardous waste and the overall balancing, performance and features got slightly finetuned and improved.

The time has come to finally start building mega cities like you’ve never seen them before. With millions of inhabitants, a complex economy system and well balanced systems for beginners and experts.

Highrise City is now available in its full version on Steam and Good Old Games. Don’t miss out on this ambitious city builder and become a part of the community!

About Deck 13 Spotlight

Deck13 Interactive is one of Germany’s leading developers. Based in Frankfurt, the passionate team develops award-winning, large-scale productions for consoles and PC. With Deck13 Spotlight the team has also established a publishing service that helps independent developers bring their projects to wider audiences.

More information on the website: spotlight.deck13.com

About FourExo Entertainment

FourExo is a small indie developer located in eastern Germany. Their debut title stands perfectly well for the team’s ambitions: Working like maniacs on a vision – that’s the mission.

More information on the website: http://highrisecitygame.com/

SelectaPlay Announces PC and Console Publishing Deal for Morkull Ragast’s Rage 

Philip Federico
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0

Channel your inner God of Death and Darkness in Disaster Games’ 2D action platformer

Barcelona, Spain – 4th September 2023. Publisher SelectaPlay is excited to announce a new publishing deal with developer Disaster Games for the 2D action platformer Morkull Ragast’s Rage. SelectaPlay will be responsible for the global digital publishing of Morkull Ragast’s Rage on PC via Steam, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 in 2024. 

Morkull Ragast’s Rage is a 2D video game that combines platforming and action with a touch of exploration in which you control Morkull, God of death and darkness and lord of the Ragast. Morkull’s gameplay mechanics lie in breaking the fourth wall, which allows Morkull to communicate with the player in some exciting ways.

Watch the announcement trailer for Morkull Ragast’s Rage here

SelectaPlay is also thrilled to announce that Morkull Ragast’s Rage will be amongst the playable games exhibiting for the first time at the Indie Dev Day in Barcelona from 8th – 10th September in Barcelona, Spain. SelectaPlay will be hosting six new titles at the event and Morkull Ragast’s Rage joins the already announced first-person psychological horror narrative experience Luto, the addictive puzzle game Bubble Ghost Remake and Inner Ashes, the first-person narrative adventure game. Two more exciting titles will be announced this week and will join this stellar lineup. 

Get ready to play as Morkull, the villain of this story, who knows that he is a character in a video game, the existence of a player who controls him (that is, you) and of some developers who have created him (that is, us).

Your objective? Help Morkull escape from the Ragast so he can rule and carry out his evil plans around the world. Yep, that’s right. your typical cliché villain….

  • Art and animation – Morkull Ragast ‘s Rage is completely hand-drawn and animated frame by frame. Inspired and influenced by traditional animated films and other two-dimensional video games. This traditional animation endows the entire cast of characters with great naturalness and life within.
  • Break out of the fourth wall – What makes the game special is Morkull himself, his personality and character along with that fourth wall break that allows him to talk to players as if he were right there. We have endowed Morkull with great charisma and personality, constantly generating a lighthearted atmosphere, loaded with constant humour, bad jokes and pop culture references.
  • Combat system – You’ll have your own hands and all the power that comes with being the God of Death and Darkness, of course… Plus a wide selection of combos and abilities that will allow you to fight your way through the deepest corners of the Ragast.

Morkull Ragast’s Rage will be digitally published by SelectaPlay in 2024 for PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series and PlayStation 5. 

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About Disaster Games

Disaster Games is a videogame studio founded in 2023, located in Zaragoza, Spain and formed by a group of young developers who are currently working on Morkull Ragast’s Rage.

About SelectaPlay

SelectaPlay is SelectaVisión’s video games publishing branch. The company works with talented studios on unique video games and helps them publish their titles in both physical and digital formats in Europe and worldwide.

About SelectaVisión SelectaVisión is a video publishing company founded in 1984. Based in Spain, SelectaVisión’s catalog includes anime and live-action feature films, TV shows, and movies. Publishing both anime classics and the latest Japanese productions since 1997, SelectaVisión has built a long relationship with fan-favorite Japanese producers and distributors, becoming the major publisher of anime content for Spanish audiences. 

Sea of Stars – Gameplay

Olivia Morales
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Sea of Stars – Gameplay

Find yourself in the fantastical world of Sea of Stars, where two young protagonists adventure to prove themselves as Solstice Warriors. In this gameplay preview, we learn about what lies ahead in their journey, get a taste for combat, and make a name for ourselves against different foes.

Sea of Stars is a turn-based RPG inspired by the classics. It tells the story of two Children of the Solstice who will combine the powers of the sun and moon to perform Eclipse Magic, the only force capable of fending off the monstrous creations of the evil alchemist known as The Fleshmancer.

Sea of Stars
Developer: Sabotage Studio
Publisher: Sabotage Studio
Platform: Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Playstation 4-5, PC
Release Date: August 29th 2023
Price: $39.99 USD

Available now – https://seaofstarsgame.co/

Summary:

Recommended – “Sea of Stars doesn’t necessarily do anything groundbreaking or new, but it is a solid game that can be a lot of fun”

Check out review for Sea of Stars here!

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Cards & Tankards Unveils the 1.3 Update: Explore the “Lair,” Connect with Battle Mode Havens, and Elevate the VR Experience

Philip Federico
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Divergent Realities, the pioneering developer behind the beloved VR collectible card game Cards & Tankards, is delighted to announce the upcoming release of the 1.3 Update on September 7th, 2023 . This comprehensive update introduces exciting features designed to enrich gameplay, enhance social connections, and elevate the overall virtual reality experience.

The Cards & Tankards 1.3 Update, available now, presents players with a host of new and enhanced elements, including:

The “Lair” – Exclusive for Subscribing Members: Dive into a new and exciting gaming environment with the addition of the “Lair.” Set in the dungeon-like Lair of the Dungeon Master Faction, this exclusive location offers subscribing members a unique setting to enjoy their card battles. Engage in thrilling matches and savor the atmosphere of this distinct gaming space. [Note: The “Lair” will become available to all players in the near future; stay tuned for updates.]

Battle Mode Based Havens: Enhance your social gaming experience with the introduction of Battle Mode Based Havens. Find fellow players who share your preferred battle mode, Standard or Draft Mode (with Ranked support soon to come). Connect with like-minded gamers and enjoy a seamless journey through Cards & Tankards.

Improved VR Experience: We’ve invested in refining the overall VR experience by updating physics and lighting within the existing Tavern. The updated VR elements ensure a smoother and more engaging adventure. Step into a visually stunning and more immersive environment that magnifies the enchantment of Cards & Tankards.

“Adding new playable spaces is our first major step towards letting players explore the world of Sol’domis,” says Creative Director and Lead Game Designer Christopher “Avid” Atwater. “We plan to tell a story through exploration, where players will begin to uncover hidden truths about this amazing universe we are building, and what better place to start than with the Haven of our first faction, the Dungeon Masters!”

To experience the Cards & Tankards 1.3 Update and enjoy the new “Lair,” connect with fellow gamers in Game Mode Based Havens, and immerse yourself in the improved VR environment, players can download the game on their preferred VR platforms:

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