Home Blog Page 1141

Capcom Showcase Unveils the Path Ahead for Exoprimal and Street Fighter 6 , Dragon’s Dogma 2, and more!

Philip Federico
-
0

Sydney, Australia – June 13th, 2023 – Today’s Capcom Showcase provided a glimpse at the latest releases coming from the storied publisher. The digital broadcast unveiled new updates on upcoming and recently released titles, including the latest dinosaur forecast on Exoprimal™ unveiling its second Open Beta Test, a look at the road ahead for competitors in Street Fighter™ 6, and an introduction to the engrossing fantasy world of Dragon’s Dogma™ 2.

The entire Capcom Showcase is available to view on the official Capcom YouTube and Twitch channels.

Exoprimal Summons New Open Beta, PvE Challenge Mode, and Exosuit Variants

Suit up, Exofighters! Today’s dinosaur forecast revealed that a second Exoprimal Open Beta Test is imminent. The online team-based action returns Thursday, June 15 at 5:00pm PDT – Sunday, June 18 at 4:59pm PDT across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Steam. The Open Beta Test 2 includes new elements, including 10-player co-op missions and story content that provides a more in-depth look at the ever-changing main game mode, Dino Survival. Open Beta Test 2 participants will also qualify to receive the “Flash” Zephyr skin as special bonus item in the full game.

The Capcom Showcase debuted the first glimpse of a new Exosuit variant, the Deadeye Alpha: Burst Fire. Director Takuro Hiraoka also introduced a special co-op mode, Savage Gauntlet, which challenges teams of five players with PvE missions that rotate weekly. Beyond survival, teams can compete with other squads around the world for fastest completion times. To learn more about Savage Gauntlet and Exosuit variants, tune in to the Xbox Games Showcase: Extended on June 13 at 10:00am PDT.

Exoprimal releases July 14 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Steam. The game also launches on day one with Xbox Game Pass for console, PC, and Cloud.

First Gameplay Details for Dragon’s Dogma 2

Dragon’s Dogma 2 Director Hideaki Itsuno joined the Capcom Showcase to provide a deeper look at combat, Pawns, and gameplay systems for the hotly anticipated action-RPG. The vocations players choose shape whether they tackle foes with swords at their side or magick incantations, and varied elements such as terrain and enemies create dynamic combat scenarios throughout the game. AI-controlled Pawns return from the original Dragon’s Dogma™ and accompany players throughout their journey to form a party of up to four characters. In addition to customizing their Arisen, players can also personalize their main Pawn, who can in turn be recruited by other players’ Arisen to borrow their skills and knowledge. What Pawns learn through these experiences will be reflected in their behaviour, making them worthy player companions.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 harnesses the power of the RE ENGINE to create a world map about four times the size of the original Dragon’s Dogma that is densely populated with enemies, events, and locations rendered with the latest graphical technology. The environment is complemented by immersive physics and character AI that brings Pawns, monsters, and NPCs to life. Pawns organically guide players to new locations, dynamically cooperate during battle, and even react to special moments such as celebrating narrow victories with high-fives. Monsters new and old encourage players to devise numerous strategies to succeed in combat, or even avoid it all together. NPCs, such as the bow-wielding Ulrika who has a deep connection to the Arisen, or the high priestess of the beastren Nadinia, will form intricate relationships with the Arisen that set the stage for nuanced story moments.

New information on vocations and other experiences unique to Dragon’s Dogma 2 will be shared in the future. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is in development for PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Street Fighter™ 6 – The Hits Keep Coming!

Street Fighter 6, which recently announced that it surpassed 1 million sales and more than 50 million franchise sales, spotlighted the game’s three core game modes – including World Tour, Fighting Ground, and Battle Hub – and showcased the upcoming hype of Street Fighter 6 esports! Capcom Pro Tour 2023 will feature Online Premiers, Offline Premiers, and World Warrior Events with a $1 million prize for the winner of Capcom Cup X. Street Fighter League: Pro JP 2023 will begin on July 7 with nine teams, 36 players, and the opportunity to be crowned the best team in Japan on the line!

Get all the latest info at the Street Fighter 6 website, Capcom Pro Tour website, and Street Fighter League website. Street Fighter 6 is available now across PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

Capcom 40th Anniversary

Capcom celebrates its 40th anniversary this month, and today, festivities continued with details regarding the many exciting experiences in Capcom Town, a digital theme park that commemorates the historic milestone. Fans can enjoy various attractions such as taking a stroll through a digital museum to view artwork and other materials from the publisher’s storied history, playing classic Capcom titles, and visiting the castle to vote in the Capcom elections for their favourite characters and games to receive rewards for participating. Even more attractions await, so come celebrate 40 years of Capcom with us. 

***

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. More information about Capcom and its products can be found at www.capcom.com or www.capcom-unity.com.

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.

CYGNI: All Guns Blazing begins pre-orders for physical edition, alongside the release of a new atmospheric story trailer

Philip Federico
-
0

KONAMI & KeelWorks confirm final cover art for launch in 2023

Sydney, Australia – 13th June 2023: Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. and Scotland-based studio KeelWorks Ltd announced pre-orders for the physical edition of CYGNI: All Guns Blazing are going live this week for both PlayStation®5 and Xbox Series X. This launch simultaneously reveals the final cover art, with the Orca taking centerstage as it prepares for the onslaught ahead!

To coincide with this announcement a brand-new Story Trailer has also been released today, showcasing a cinematic inspiring call to arms, alongside mind-bending high-octane action in never-before-seen levels – all in stunning next-generation visuals.

Watch the new story trailer online here

CYGNI: All Guns Blazing is a twin-stick vertical scrolling shooter that delivers old-school nostalgia with next-generation graphics, Hollywood-grade animation, and intense action. For more information, please visit the links below:

About KeelWorks Ltd

KeelWorks is a Scottish video game development company founded by brothers Meher and Nareg Kalenderian, along with Helen Saouma. Their debut game, CYGNI, was first announced in 2020, showcasing an early prototype stage, entirely created, and developed by Nareg and Helen in their spare time.

The initial trailer for CYGNI gained significant online traction and media interest, leading to a publishing deal with Konami Digital Entertainment in October 2021. With this new partnership, the team gradually grew to around 11 members, dedicated full-time to the production of CYGNI.

About KONAMI GROUP

KONAMI GROUP was established in 1973, starting as an amusement machine manufacturer for arcades. Over the years, the company has grown to include different business units across various markets. Currently, KONAMI GROUP CORPORATION includes the Digital Entertainment, Amusement, Gaming & Systems, and Sports Businesses. The company went public on the Osaka Securities Exchange in 1984, the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1988, and the London Stock Exchange in 1999.

About Konami Digital Entertainment

Konami Digital Entertainment, which is the core company of KONAMI GROUP, develops entertaining content for mobile, console and card games. The company is known for global franchises such as eFootball™, Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania, and Contra, as well as the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game series. 

Diablo IV – Gameplay

Admir Brkic
-
0
Diablo IV – Gameplay

Join us in the first hour of Diablo IV as we rummage through bone chilling Icehowl Taiga, find some unfriendly followers of Lilith and explore a dungeon or two as we work our way to obtaining more skill points.

Seeking refuge from the eternal conflict between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells, Inarius and Lilith formed Sanctuary and gave life to the Nephalem with the stolen Worldstone. Fearing for the destruction of her hybrid offspring, Lilith led a violent, protective act to protect the Nephalem; ultimately leading Inarius to turn his back on her, banishing her to the abyss, becoming enemies henceforth. Lilith’s return ushers in an age of darkness and misery. What fate awaits?

Diablo IV
Developer: Blizzard Team 3, Blizzard Albany
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Platform: Windows, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5/4
Release Date: June 5, 2023
Price: $69.99 USD

Available now – https://diablo4.blizzard.com/en-gb/

Summary:

Recommended – “Diablo is back, better and more addicting than ever, and with an insane level of post-campaign content. It takes some time for the game to open up, but once it does you won’t be able to put it down.”

Check out our review of Diablo IV here!

—

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

Website: https://www.capsulecomputers.com.au/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CapsuleComputers
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/capsulecomputer
Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/2666558-Capsule-Computers/
Pinterest: https://au.pinterest.com/capsulecomputer/

Loop8: Summer of Gods Review

Travis Bruno
-
0
Loop8: Summer of Gods Review

Loop8: Summer of Gods

Developer: Sieg Games
Publisher: XSEED Games/Marvelous
Platforms: Xbox One (Reviewed), Playstation 4, PC, Switch
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $49.99 USD – Available Here $79.95 AUD – Available Here

Overview

The concept of a time loop isn’t uncommon among video games, especially when one attributes it to the roguelike genre where players start over from the beginning, only slightly stronger or having more resources for their next loop. Usually these types of games involve things such as escaping a dungeon, facing numerous monsters, or conquering a difficult puzzle without failing but what happens when you take a looping element and blend it with JRPG gameplay and visual novel storytelling? You get Marvelous’ Loop8: Summer of Gods. Featuring a school-life setting with an ever approaching world-ending threat, do these elements manage to blend together to create a satisfying JRPG?

Story

The year is 1983 and humanity has been pushed to the brink of extinction by supernatural beings known as the Kegai that are nearly unstoppable and can devastate entire countries when they appear. Humanity has made an attempt to flee to space but our protagonist, Nini, has found out the hard way that the Kegai are just as capable of reaching space as humanity. Being a survivor of the destroyed space station, Nini arrives in the small town of Ashihara where his only relatives reside and just so happens to be a location untouched by the Kegai’s advances. Things quickly appear strange however, as not only can Nini see a massive structure floating in the sky above town but before he can even settle in and learn about his classmates, danger strikes as a Kegai manages to break into the town.

Despite having no knowledge of his abilities, Nini encounters the Kegai within the alternate world of Yomotsu Hiarasaka, a twisted version of Ashihara. Despite the group’s best efforts to try and stop the Kegai from flourishing they are all slain by the beast before it goes on to lay waste to the rest of the world. All may seem lost but when Nini suddenly finds himself standing back in front of the train station where he arrived in town at the beginning of August. Although confused as to why such a loop occurs, it is up to Nini to put a stop to the Kegai that are invading the town and potentially save all of his new friends at the same time.

Loop8: Summer of Gods has a rather interesting story to tell, the problem is that actually getting it to reveal various story elements is something of a pain. A lot of context surrounding the world and its situation as well as even the events that are directly happening to Nini and the rest of the townsfolk are often kept vague and even the core storyline itself is relatively thin. The real meat of the story comes from interacting with the twelve characters that reside within the town and the only ones players will ever actually see. Numerous story revelations, details about the world, and even knowledge about what is actually happening is revealed by getting closer to the various characters as they explain various tidbits of history, talk of where their from, or even randomly reveal a significant story element as if it were nothing.

You see, rather than building a relationship with characters through various choices over a long period of time or even through events, players will instead build their friendship, affection, and hate level by simply talking to characters and selecting generic dialogue prompts. These range from something like “get to know each other” or “be friendly” to “compliment” and “tell it like it is” with each interaction returning a generic response of either success or failure with failure rates increasing the more Nini talks with a character in one day. Since time doesn’t pass by talking to characters, it is entirely possible to reveal large amounts of history for a character and even major elements of the world itself by being friendly enough with the cast far too early, with two separate characters making major reveals within the second day of interacting with them outside of the initial loop.

The ability to quickly become friends with characters isn’t a real negative, especially since it can play a major role in how players can steer the story. Not only are there certain unique events that can only be seen when players are close enough to a character but often the only way to save a possessed member of the town is by being friends with them first otherwise they may meet a terrible end even if the Kegai is defeated. The characters in Loop8: Summer of Gods are rather interesting and while they may fall into some standard tropey elements initially, players will quickly learn some surprising details about them as they learn about their history. Characters such as Machina, Terasu, and Beni serve as some great standouts and the rest of the cast is very interesting as well, meaning players will want to try their best to keep everyone alive, even if it means looping again, especially since characters can react to the death of another. Combine the enjoyable cast with some unique ways the story will play out differently every loop and there is a lot of potential in Loop8: Summer of Gods, though players will need patience for a certain poor design element we will go into momentarily to enjoy it.

Gameplay

While Loop8: Summer of Gods may feature turn-based gameplay in a dungeon, players will be spending the majority of their time walking around the town of Ashihara, talking to the twelve residents, and interacting with various objects to train their stats or potentially unlock blessings. The town of Ashihara is surprisingly small with there only being six main locations to travel to with a few having secondary screens to explore. Players can walk to these areas should they wish to, though they can choose to fast-travel while also seeing what characters are currently at the location, though since time passes while traveling they may not be there when you arrive. 

Speaking of time, players will experience every day waking at 6AM and being forced to sleep at 3AM, at the latest though their stamina and health meter must be used for fast-traveling and interacting with characters. Should players run out of energy they will be forced to end the day early, though they can eat food, interact with certain characters, or even take a nap to regain energy. Different activities such as studying at school, reading magazines, or even interacting with certain characters depends on the time of day with one second of real time equaling a minute game time. Characters may not have an entirely set path through each day, they will still walk around town, though players can easily interrupt anything they may be doing since characters are always just standing around.

As mentioned before, characters will raise their affinity with characters by talking with them and selecting various “suggestions” with the success rate depending on their social standing, the character they are talking to’s attitude, and even the current mood of the location. Time can also play a factor as characters won’t want to go out to eat or start training with Nini if it is too late. The developers have stated that there is a unique AI system that dictates how characters will respond to being talked to but for the most part players will either see complete success or be stonewalled depending on how their target is feeling. In fact, there may even be moments when a completely cheerful interaction with a happy character will suddenly turn sour as they instantly are angry the second. Nini possesses the ability known as “Demon Sight” that can be used to examine the attitude and desires of the people in town as well as in combat. This can help determine whether players should even interact with certain characters sometimes as an angry or tired character will likely only grow to hate the player if they try to talk with them. 

As players talk with characters and unlock various events they will obtain blessings specific to that character. Blessings are stat and affinity boosts that are permanently applied to a character and will remain even if the loop resets and serve as a major way to upgrade a character’s abilities. Blessings can also be obtained from examining shrines around town with Nini primarily being the benefactor unless he is traveling with someone at the time. Blessings are quite helpful as other forms of stat boosting take 90 minutes of time and reset when the loop begins again and can also make it far easier to become friends with various characters again.

After a set amount of time passes, a Kegai will invade and will randomly possess someone within the town, whisking them away to the underworld where players must venture in and defeat them. There is only one real dungeon in Loop8 and it is fairly generic as it is simply an alternate version of Ashihara except it has various monsters inside of it. Some of these monsters will simply talk with Nini while others will actively attack him. Nini can bring two allies with him into a dungeon but when fighting in battle they will not actually listen to any commands. Instead players will only be able to directly control Nini in battle while the ally AI will attack and buff on their own. This can lead to some frustration in combat especially since the game does not have any form of level with all stats being dictated by player activities during everyday life. As Nini players can select various skills and use their friendliness, affection, or hate to power the attack with hate dealing extra damage at the cost of powering up the target. Since players cannot directly control their allies it is entirely possible they may die in battle and these deaths will remain throughout the current loop. Similarly, defeating the possessed character may also end in their death. This can lead to some frustration, especially should the former happen as often deaths in combat happen due to ally AI refusing to attack properly.

Not having direct control of your team isn’t the only poor design choice in Loop8 though, as most of them revolve around the looping system itself. Should players die in combat, fail to defeat a boss before the world ends, or even choose to reset the loop themselves, they will start back over from the first day with all of their stats and relationships reset to zero. As mentioned before, all blessings will remain so players will start stronger and closer to characters but they will need to repeat various actions to regain their former strength and bonds. One way that makes this a bit more balanced is that bonds and stat growth is doubled until it reaches its former level so players will need to invest less time than before, though they will still need to go through the same motions and this is where one of the biggest issues with Loop8‘s actual loops is.

Rather than offer unique interactions that change depending on the loop, all character interactions are handled the same exact way as before. This means that players will be treated to the exact same dialogue, cutscenes, events, and even dates as before with the only reprieve being a slow skip option that is barely faster than mashing the advance button. There is some variety with who gets possessed as some characters may find themselves instantly taken in one loop only to never be possessed the next time around. This makes any loop an exercise in patience and frustration as players must rebuild their bonds and character while experiencing barely skippable repeat scenes anytime they fail or risk failing again. Any extra level of variety to repeated scenes or even a faster skip option for previously seen dialogue would do wonders for the flow of the game and spice up the story more. Instead players are treated to the same things they’ve seen before, quickly growing monotonous by the third or fourth time through a loop.

Visuals & Audio

Loop8: Summer of Gods has a number of rather interesting artistic choices when it comes to the world. The environments are nicely detailed and wonderfully colored, though they could use more variety considering the amount of time players will travel through them and the animations are rather strange. The team seems to have chosen to animate the characters in a lower framerate than the game itself, giving them an awkward appearance that stands out heavily during combat, though thankfully combat animations can be skipped through the settings. The actual character models themselves are handled nicely with each character having a unique enough look and number of expressions to go along with player interactions but unfortunately the same cannot really be said about the enemy types as, outside of bosses, enemies are incredibly generic looking.

The voice work throughout Loop8 is handled well with both an English and Japanese voice track accompanying the game. It is a bit disappointing that not all of the game’s dialogue is voiced but most is and thankfully players can even choose to mute the Musasa squirrel should they wish. The soundtrack features a great collection of background music with a number of softer tracks that work incredibly well during the slow life of living in the town and some solid background music to accompany dungeon exploration and combat.

Overall

This unique blend of genre has made Loop8: Summer of Gods an interesting game with some solid potential that is unfortunately dragged down by some far too obvious repetition and a few odd design choices. While its main storyline may not be the most interesting, the characters and world building that comes from growing close with the cast is endearing enough that players will want to do everything they can to avoid a long lasting death but unfortunately any loop sees lengthy repetition of barely skippable dialogue and scenes that undergo no changes from loop to loop. Combine this with combat that is a bit on the simplistic side and often cheap thanks to poor ally AI and Loop8’s unique premise of looping through a rural summer town loses a lot of its potential, though it is certainly worth checking out for those willing to deal with its repetitive nature. 

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

ATLUS announces Metaphor: ReFantazio, Persona 3 Reload, and Persona 5 Tactica at the Xbox Games Showcase

Philip Federico
-
0

ATLUS’ first full-scale fantasy RPG from the creative team behind the Persona™ series, Metaphor: ReFantazio, among games coming to Xbox

Sydney, Australia – 13th June 2023: – ATLUS has announced three new games will be coming to Xbox. Check out the Official Announce Trailers revealed at the Xbox Games Showcase below.

Metaphor: ReFantazio (2024 Expected Release):

Watch the Announcement Trailer and watch Director Katsura Hashino’s special message below.

From the creative minds of the Persona series – Metaphor: ReFantazio marks ATLUS’ first-ever, full-scale fantasy RPG, brought to you by director Katsura Hashino, character designer Shigenori Soejima, and composer Shoji Meguro.

Write your destiny and rise above fear as you step into a fantasy world, unlike anything you’ve seen before. Fraught with unsettling mystery, the kingdom stands on a precipice. Now, you must embark on a journey, overcoming obstacles and forging bonds with friends.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is developed by Studio Zero. Please visit the Metaphor: ReFantazio website metaphor.atlus.com and follow ATLUS West social channels for the latest news.

Persona 5 Tactica (Available 17th November 2023):

Watch the Announcement Trailer here

After a strange incident, the Phantom Thieves wander into a bizarre realm where its citizens are living under tyrannical oppression. Surrounded by a military group named Legionnaires, they find themselves in grave danger until a mysterious revolutionary named Erina rescues them and offers an enticing deal in exchange for their help. What truth lies behind Erina and the deal she offers to the Phantom Thieves?

Overthrow your enemies with powerful Personas, an assortment of weapons, and wipe them out with style in this fresh new tactical RPG from the award-winning Persona 5 game.

Please follow the ATLUS West social channels for the latest news.

Persona 3 Reload (Early 2024 Expected Release):

Watch the Announcement Trailer here

Step into the shoes of a transfer student thrust into an unexpected fate and enter the hour “hidden” between one day and the next. Awaken an incredible power and chase the mysteries of Tartarus, fight for your friends, and leave a mark on their memories forever.

Play the game like never before with a revamped battle system, cutting-edge graphics and gameplay, enhanced audio featuring all-new English voice-over, and much more. Dive into the Dark Hour and awaken the depths of your heart!

Now through launch, please visit the Persona 3 Reload website persona.atlus.com/p3r for news, announcements and the ATLUS West social channels to check out special teasers shared on each official full moon date.

About ATLUS

ATLUS delivers unforgettable, story-driven gameplay experiences to enthusiastic and dedicated fans around the globe. Established in 1986, ATLUS features a portfolio of beloved and long running game series including PERSONA™, which has sold over 16.8 million units worldwide, and the legendary SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI™. ATLUS games are published in the west by SEGA of America, Inc. with its principal office in Irvine, California.

About SEGA of America, Inc.

SEGA of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA CORPORATION, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment. Established in 1986, SEGA of America publishes innovative interactive entertainment experiences for console, PC, mobile and emerging platforms. In 2020, SEGA ranked #1 among Metacritic’s Annual Game Publisher Rankings. Its globally beloved franchises include Sonic the Hedgehog™, Like a Dragon™, Virtua Fighter™, Super Monkey Ball™, and Phantasy Star Online™, along with ATLUS’ Persona and Shin Megami Tensei series. Since its debut more than three decades ago, Sonic has become a pop culture icon featured in dozens of games, TV series, and movies. SEGA of America has offices in Irvine and Burbank, California

ⒸATLUS. ⒸSEGA. All rights reserved. SEGA is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. ATLUS, the ATLUS logo, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Persona 5 Tactica and Persona 3 Reload are registered trademarks or trademarks of ATLUS Co., Ltd. or its affiliates. SEGA and the SEGA logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA CORPORATION. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners.

Epic Scale, Intricate Economic Systems, Simulated Citizens, and Dynamic Maps Come to Cities: Skylines II – Launching October 24

Philip Federico
-
0

Key features revealed in gameplay trailer at the Xbox Games Showcase, pre-orders are now available on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation®5. 

Sydney, Australia – June 13, 2023 – Paradox Interactive and Colossal Order revealed the first-ever gameplay trailer and key features for Cities: Skylines II at the Xbox Games Showcase. They also announced that Cities: Skylines II launches October 24, 2023 and pre-orders are now available on PC via Steam, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation®5. Pre-order the Ultimate Edition and receive the Expansion Pass, including an instantly unlocked San Francisco set at Launch, and an Asset Pack, two Content Creator Packs, three Radio Stations, and Expansion unlocking over time.

In Cities: Skylines II, players build detailed cities at an epic scale. Intricate economic systems present players with choices that have ripple effects across the city. Dynamic maps set in various biomes present both challenges and opportunities for city builders. High-fidelity visuals showcase the beauty of cities like never before, from a humble city block to an iconic city skyline. For the first time ever, each citizen has their own individual life, including occupation, household, relationships and more, making cities feel alive. Players can now follow how their choices affect citizens’ lives, adding weight and immediate impact to every strategic decision. 

Players start by picking a map, with each environment presenting its own challenges, climate, and opportunities. From there, players manage a series of interconnected simulation systems as they build and grow their city. Build roads, lay out districts, set up infrastructure, and manage citizens’ needs as the population grows from a small town to a sweeping metropolis. 

“Cities: Skylines II is the most captivating, visually stunning, and intricate city builder ever made,” said Mariina Hallikainen, CEO of Colossal Order. “We are giving players an unprecedented level of freedom over managing their population and city with each choice having a meaningful impact on their citizens. Players can realise their vision for an urban utopia like never before, utilising tools to control every key aspect of the city planning experience and watching their photorealistic metropolis grow block by block.”

Cities: Skylines II Key Features:

  • Deep Simulation: Make choices that have ripple effects across the city. Intricate AI and economic systems mean players will need to strategise, problem solve and react to changes, challenges and opportunities.
  • Epic Scale, Endless Possibilities: Build a thriving metropolis without compromise. In Cities: Skylines II, players will be able to build sky-high and across the map to realise their dream city like never before.
  • Cities That Come Alive: Follow the lives of individual citizens, from love and loss to wealth and well-being. Player decisions will shape the lives of their city’s citizens.
  • A Dynamic World: Pick a map to set the climate and biome of the city. These natural forces will shape the growth of players’ cities as they contend with rising pollution, changeable weather and seasonal challenges.

Players will learn more about the intricate systems involved in managing their sprawling metropolis over the coming weeks via a series of deep dive videos from Colossal Order.

To learn more, please visit the Cities: Skylines II website and stay tuned for further information and updates on the official forums, Twitter, Instagram and Discord.

About Paradox Interactive

The Paradox group today consists of both publishing and internal development of games and brands. Paradox has a broad portfolio of games and owns the most important brands, including Stellaris, Europa Universalis, Hearts of Iron, Crusader Kings, Cities: Skylines, Prison Architect, Victoria, Age of Wonders and the World of Darkness catalogue of brands.

Since 2004, the company has published its games all over the world, initially through physical distribution but primarily in digital channels after 2006. Paradox games are developed primarily for PC and console platforms, but the company also releases games on mobile. The largest markets today include the US, UK, China, Germany, France, and Scandinavia. In total, Paradox games have over five million players each month.

For more information, please visit http://www.paradoxinteractive.com.

Time to put your game face on! PAYDAY 3 World Premiere Gameplay Trailer reveal during Xbox Showcase

Philip Federico
-
0

Time to put your game face on!

PAYDAY 3 World Premiere Gameplay Trailer reveal during Xbox Showcase

Sydney, Australia – June 13, 2023 – Deep Silver and Starbreeze have opened their high security vault and presented the first gameplay scenes of the most infamous heisting game PAYDAY 3 exclusively at the Xbox Showcase. The four most well-known clown masked criminals in recent video game history return from retirement this September 21th in PAYDAY 3 on PC via PC Game Pass, on Steam and Epic Games Store, as well as Xbox Series S|X Game Pass, and PlayStation®5.

Watch the Xbox Showcase on the official Xbox Social Channels: YouTube | Twitch | Facebook

PAYDAY 3 takes players to the city of unlimited possibilities – New York City. The Payday Gang, consisting of Dallas, Hoxton, Wolf and Chains return from retirement, and find themselves in the Big Apple after an unknown threat appears, shattering the illusion of peacefully living on the “right” side of the law .. As they say, “Leopards can’t change their spots”, and thanks to years of experience and a mysterious new player in the criminal underworld, they quickly get their hands on the first lucrative heists and leave their explosive calling card with the city’s security and police forces.

Players will discover new ways to pull off the perfect heist thanks to new skills, gadgets and weapons while the PAYDAY 3 storyline will continuously expand with new content and challenges.

PAYDAY 3 Features:

  • The Tightest Crew – The legendary PAYDAY Crew, feared by the law and underworld alike, is back. New York City has a lot of opportunities for a heister with a plan. 
  • Give in to your greed – Give outlet to your greed and let loose in PAYDAY 3. Claim any valuables you might come across in order to build a private arsenal of weapons, cosmetics and accolades. 
  • The Art of Heisting – In PAYDAY 3 the choice is in the hands of the players. Choose your equipment, your skills and your approach. Each heist will play differently depending on the choices you make. 
  • Thrive in Co-op – play heists with elegance, as in Ocean’s Eleven, or go toe-to-toe with the security services, as in HEAT. Each playthrough is unique and full of action and tension!

PAYDAY 3 was announced as a highlight during the Xbox Showcase with a world-exclusive gameplay trailer and will be released on September 21.Aspiring heisters can pre-order PAYDAY 3 now to unlock the exclusive Trifecta Lootbag, which includes a unique mask, gloves and a suit.

About Starbreeze AB

Starbreeze is an independent developer, publisher and distributor of PC and console games targeting the global market, with studios in Stockholm, Barcelona, Paris and London. Housing the smash hit IP PAYDAY, Starbreeze develops games based on proprietary and third-party rights, both in-house and in partnership with external game developers. Starbreeze shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm under the tickers STAR A and STAR B.

About Deep Silver

Deep Silver develops and distributes interactive games for all platforms. The Deep Silver label means to captivate all gamers who have a passion for thrilling gameplay in exciting game worlds by creating products of the highest possible quality, always focusing on what the customer desires.

Deep Silver has published more than 200 games since 2003, including its own brands like the open world extravaganza Saints Row, the zombie action franchise Dead Island, and the gritty, post-apocalyptic Metro series. Upcoming highlights from Deep Silver include the next entries into the Saints Row, TimeSplitters and Dead Island franchises. Deep Silver development studios include Deep Silver Dambuster Studios and Free Radical Design, both in Nottingham, UK; Deep Silver Fishlabs in Hamburg, Germany, and Deep Silver Volition based in Champaign, IL, USA.

All product titles, publisher names, trademarks, artwork and associated imagery are trademarks, registered trademarks and/or copyright material of the respective owners. All rights reserved.

About PLAION

PLAION is a leading independent developer and producer of games and entertainment products, with nine development studios and five publishing units based all over the world. Founded in 1994 as Koch Media, PLAION offers a unique breadth of services and solutions, dynamically growing its business to push ourselves and our partners to the forefront in all the segments we operate in.

PLAION runs a multi-label strategy, with fully owned publishing units, such as Deep Silver, Prime Matter, Milestone, Vertigo Games and Ravenscourt, publishing games for consoles, PC and VR platforms across all physical and digital channels.

Additionally – as a global publishing partner – PLAION has formed long-term multinational publishing collaborations with numerous game publishers including Activision Blizzard, Bethesda, Capcom, Focus Multimedia, Giants Software, Koei Tecmo, Paradox, Sega, SNK, Square Enix, Techland, THQ Nordic, Tripwire, Warner Bros and many others.

With its parent company in Höfen, Austria – and the HQ in Munich, Germany – PLAION owns local publishing companies in Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Australia, the United States as well as Japan and Hong Kong.

PLAION owns nine game development studios: Deep Silver Dambuster Studios (Nottingham, UK), Fishlabs (Hamburg, DE), Warhorse Studios (Prague, CZ), Milestone (Milan, IT), Voxler (Paris, FR) , DigixArt (Montpellier, FR), Flying Wild Hog (Warsaw, Kraków, Rzeszów, PL), Free Radical Design (Nottingham, UK) and Vertigo Games (Rotterdam, Amsterdam, NL). Additionally, PLAION collaborates with numerous independent development studios around the world.

Part of PLAION is also PLAION PICTURES, a leading independent film distributor in Europe with a library of more than 1.400 titles. Further business operations include Sola Media, a sales agency and production company for family entertainment, Spotfilm Networx, a multi-channel streaming network, and a sub-label dedicated to Japanese animation.

PLAION also owns the leading video game merchandise company DPI Merchandising (Denver, Roseburg, USA and Munich, DE) and a Quality Assurance Facility in Olomouc, CZ.

PLAION is an Embracer Group company.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth – New Trailer for Larger-Than-Life RPG Adventure from RGG Studio

Philip Federico
-
0

An Epic Story Full of Unexpected Experiences

Sydney, Australia – 13th June 2023: During the Xbox Games Showcase, SEGA® and Ryu Ga Gotoku (RGG) Studio debuted the first teaser for the upcoming RPG adventure title, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, launching in early 2024 for Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PlayStation®5 and PlayStation®4. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a direct sequel to Yakuza: Like a Dragon™ where an unexpected chain of events sets two legendary ex-yakuza, Kasuga Ichiban and Kazuma Kiryu, on a larger-than-life adventure as dual playable protagonists.

See what shenanigans Ichiban has gotten himself into this time in this pretty revealing Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth “reveal” trailer here

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the previously announced eighth iteration in Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s flagship series.  For more information visit: https://infinitewealth.sega.com/

Tune into RGG Summit on 16 June at 1pm AEST at twitch.tv/sega or youtube.com/@SEGA_West for updated information and developer discussions from RGG Studio regarding its upcoming announced games. Stay up to date on RGG news on Twitter @RGGStudio.

Visit https://likeadragon.sega.com/ to catch up on Ichiban’s story in Yakuza: Like a Dragon before Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth launches in early 2024.

About SEGA of America, Inc.

SEGA of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA CORPORATION, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment. Established in 1986, SEGA of America publishes innovative interactive entertainment experiences for console, PC, mobile and emerging platforms. In 2020, SEGA ranked #1 among Metacritic’s Annual Game Publisher Rankings. Its globally beloved franchises include Sonic the Hedgehog™, Like a Dragon™, Virtua Fighter™, Super Monkey Ball™, and Phantasy Star Online™, along with ATLUS’ Persona™ and Shin Megami Tensei™ series. Since its debut more than three decades ago, Sonic has become a pop culture icon featured in dozens of games, TV series, and movies. SEGA of America has offices in Irvine and Burbank, California.

ⒸSEGA. All rights reserved. SEGA is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. SEGA, the SEGA logo, LIKE A DRAGON, LIKE A DRAGON GAIDEN: THE MAN WHO ERASED HIS NAME and LIKE A DRAGON: INFINITE WEALTH are registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA CORPORATION.

NETMARBLE REVEALS LAUNCH SCHEDULE FOR ITS NEW MMO RTS GAME, GRAND CROSS: AGE OF TITANS

Philip Federico
-
0

LOS ANGELES – June 12, 2023 – Netmarble, a leading developer and publisher of high-quality mobile games, announces the launch schedule for its new 2D animation MMO RTS game, GRAND CROSS: AGE OF TITANS. Revealed during the 2023 Netmarble 1st New Games Media Showcase, early access for GRAND CROSS: AGE OF TITANS begins on June 30, 2023 (Android) ahead of its global launch release on August 2023 (iOS, Android, and PC).

GRAND CROSS: AGE OF TITANS (previously named GRAND CROSS W), is developed by Netmarble F&C, makers of the popular RPG game Seven Deadly Sins: GRAND CROSS. This 2D animation MMO RTS game features large-scale, immersive siege wars across land and air. Several game modes will be available for all players to enjoy including Single Player stages, World (Field) and Capturing, Castle War, Server vs. Server War, Story Chapters and Territory Expansion, and Territory Customization. Players can enjoy intense, siege warfare with MMORPG mechanics against other Alliances via Castle War.

“GRAND CROSS: AGE OF TITANS is a project that takes existing strategy games and animation graphics to the next level with distinguished strategic play,” said Min-Suk Kang, PD of Netmarble F&C. “The game offers a variety of unique characters, animation graphics, combat, and innovative massive warfare content.”

Players will lead multiple troop-types to win battles such as Infantry, Archers, Cavalry, and Siege Weapons. Ranged archers and air units add a new strategic component to the game and can turn the tide of the war. A giant battle unit named “Titan” is a distinctive feature that is much more powerful than other units, causing great damage and destruction to enemy formations regardless of terrain.

In GRAND CROSS: AGE OF TITANS, battles have erupted across the world of Skyna from the invading armies of Chaos. The main story revolves around Mio and Eujin who were summoned to the Skyna continent and meet Destina, the princess of the Skyna kingdom. Progressing through the game allows players to drive away Chaos as they seize territories.

Netmarble also opens official community channels for GRAND CROSS: AGE OF TITANS. Starting today, players can receive new information and updates by visiting the official forum, website, Discord, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook channels.

To celebrate the launch of the official community channels, an in-game coupon (restores Stamina and Speed Up) will be rewarded if followers/subscribers count exceed 5,000 by July 10.

About Netmarble Corporation

Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble Corporation is a leading developer and publisher of top-grossing mobile games worldwide. Through powerful franchises and collaborations with acclaimed IP holders, Netmarble strives to elevate the gaming experience and entertain audiences globally. As a parent company of Kabam and SpinX Games, and a major shareholder of Jam City and HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment), Netmarble’s diverse portfolio includes Lineage 2: Revolution, MARVEL Future Fight, Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds, The King of Fighters ALLSTAR, The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross, and forthcoming PC games like Paragon: The Overprime. More information can be found at http://company.netmarble.com.

# # #

Page-Turning Adventure The Bookwalker Steps Onto Xbox, PlayStation, PC June 22

Philip Federico
-
0

New PC demo available now via Steam

SEATTLE  — June 10, 2023 — The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales, a gripping narrative adventure from the creators of the indie hit The Final Station, DO MY BEST, and publisher tinyBuild, turns pages on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC on Thursday, June 22, 2023, as seen today at the Future Games Show. A new demo is available now on Steam for those who want to join a writer’s journey ahead of launch.

Step into the world of literature, diving into the realms of text to track and steal legendary artifacts such as the Potion of Immortality, Excalibur, and Thor’s mighty hammer. Guide Etienne Quist, a writer-turned-thief with the ability to travel between fiction and reality in hopes of shortening his writer’s block sentencing. Traverse through the worlds of six fantastical books, each with its own rules and challenges. Encounter dangerous enemies, elaborate puzzles, and dozens of quirky characters along the way. Be prepared to persuade, deceive or battle anyone standing in Etienne’s path to redemption. 

Reshape legendary tales and solve puzzles by jumping between the dimensions of reality and hard covers. Form an unlikely bond with a mysterious caged page imprisoned in a lantern, serving as your invaluable partner-in-crime and guide in this daring adventure. Find materials to craft items and tools at workstations like a crowbar to open hatches, or break down scattered junk to replenish ink, a bookwalker’s source of power. Face different enemies like the Ink Eaters, shape shifting entities dwelling in the shadows, the undead hiding behind the walls of a wizard academy, and the writer’s police seeking to censor Etienne in turn-based battles. 

Navigate diverse and scenic landscapes with stunning graphics, immersive gameplay, and an engaging storyline with a deep narrative. Campaign through different settings from a grim medieval prison to a futuristic spaceship and a snow-capped mountain. Swap between first-person and isometric top-down perspectives depending on the environment.

“The Bookwalker is a must-play game for any literature lover who dreams of diving into different worlds and embarking on an immersive adventure,” said Oleg Sergeev, Co-Founder of DO MY BEST. “Like a novel, it develops in a compelling and whimsical story exploring a different and unforgettable gaming experience, with twist–instead of a mere reader, players are active participants of a fluid storyline.”

The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales comes to PlayStation 5|4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store on Thursday, June 22, 2023 for USD $14.99. It will support English, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese languages. 

For more information, follow @domybest_games and @tinyBuild on Twitter, and join the adventure on Discord.

About DO MY BEST

DO MY BEST is a small indie team consisting of two developers who like to create deep narrative titles. After the success of their first title The Final Station, they are excited for their sophomore release, The Bookwalker.

About tinyBuild

tinyBuild is a global video game publisher and developer focused on creating long-lasting, sustainable franchises across multiple media formats. Responsible for over 70 titles including Hello Neighbor, Graveyard Keeper, and Potion Craft, the company has a dozen development studios spread across the US, EU, Serbia, and Ukraine.

1...1,1401,1411,142...6,766Page 1,141 of 6,766