Terracotta also solves spiritual puzzles on Nintendo Switch the same day
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — MAY 8, 2023 —Hello Goodboy, the non-linear adventure game from developer Rolling Glory Jam, explores the afterlife on PC and Nintendo Switch on Thursday, May 25, 2023. On the same day Terracotta, an action-puzzle adventure from developer Appnormals, defends fellow warriors in the hereafter on Nintendo Switch thanks to publisher Freedom Games.
Journey through the familiar but unknown throughout Hello Goodboy. Guide Iko, a newly departed boy as he meets fellow souls on their own adventures through the heavens. With no memory of what brought him to the world beyond, rely on Coco, a strangely familiar dog to solve the mysteries of this new existence. However, mind the time: there’s only so much left.
Explore a fairy tale atmosphere with a heartwarming story, as Iko and Coco make their way through the afterlife. Befriend and pay it forward to the dozens of denizens amongst the heavens including a lost, lonely child, an anxious couple, an overworked lumberjack, among other sympathetic spirits.
In Terracotta rescue the remnants of the Qin dynasty warriorsafter an ancient curse freezes almost all of them to icy stone. As the last living Terracotta army soldier Channel the power of Qi to master the realms of light and darkness.
Switch between Yin (dark) and Yang (light) to solve dual-sided puzzles while avoiding treacherous foes across both versions of the world. Set up kinetic solutions to problems in the shadowy Yin and take advantage of new opportunities created on the flip-side of the sunlit Yang.
“Developing Hello Goodboy has become a therapeutic experience, both in reconnecting with our lost canine companions and reminding us of the beauty of genuine human connections,” said Petrus Narwastu, creative director at Rolling Glory Jam. ”Spreading this message of human kindness is vital in today’s world, and we are happy to take part.”
“The Nintendo Switch was a platform we were dedicated to bringing Terracotta to,” said Iñaki Díaz, Studio Co-Founder of Appnormals Team. “We are incredibly happy that we can mark off that goal off of our long list for the studio. Now a whole new audience can experience the majesty of the Qin Dynasty!”
Hello Goodboy will pull your heartstrings on PC and Nintendo Switch on Thursday, May 25, 2023 for $14.99 with English and Chinese (Simplified) language support. For more information on Hello Goodboy, visit Rolling Glory Jam’s official website, follow the team on Twitter and TikTok, search #HelloGoodboyGame on social media, and connect with new companions on their Discord server.
Terracotta will return the Nintendo Switch to the Qin Dynasty on Thursday, May 25, 2023 $19.99 with English, Spanish, as well as Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) language support. To learn more, visit Appnormal’s official website, join the community on Facebook and Twitter, and search #TerracottaGame on social media.
About Freedom Games
Freedom Games is a publisher dedicated to offering best-in-class services to partners and providing players around the world with unique and memorable experiences. With over 50 years of combined industry experience at the executive level, Freedom Games seeks to leverage its expertise to facilitate great games and even better publishing experiences.
Biggest PAX West to date to showcase new Summit expansion of Seattle Convention Center
SEATTLE – May 8, 2023 –PAX West, the West Coast’s most attended gaming event, prepares for literally its biggest iteration yet, taking place Labor Day Weekend Friday, Sept. 1 through Monday, Sept. 4, at the newly expanded Seattle Convention Center, with badges going on sale Wednesday, May 31. Show organizers ReedPop and Penny Arcade will take full advantage of both the new Summit and original Arch buildings, as the convention hosts Nintendo Live 2023, a celebration of Nintendo’s games and worlds.
Set to take place in a special section of the Seattle Convention Center, Nintendo Live 2023 will feature fun Nintendo Switch gameplay, live stage performances, exciting gaming tournaments, memorable photo ops, event merchandise and more. Families are welcome and encouraged to join in the fun, as the event is designed for people of all ages and gaming experience. For more information about Nintendo Live 2023, visit https://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-live/.
PAX West badge holders with a Nintendo Account who also want to attend Nintendo Live 2023 will have a chance to register for a free ticket to Nintendo Live through a separate promotion on the official PAX West website. The promotion for Nintendo Live will be offered during the PAX West badge checkout process from when badges go on sale on Wednesday, May 31, until Friday, July 7 at 11:59 PM PT. (One ticket per person maximum, regardless of entry method). Please note that a PAX West badge alone does not guarantee entry.
Setting the stage for the fall gaming calendar after PAX East 2023 sold out of all badges, PAX West will take full advantage of the new Summit building of the Seattle Convention Center. This new venue offers more space than ever for exciting exhibitors showcasing the latest and greatest titles, PAX Arena tournaments featuring beloved content creators and upcoming esports stars, and vendors with must-have goodies.
The original Arch building, located just a block and a half away from Summit, will still play a major role in PAX West, hosting many of the events and activities fans have come to expect. The four-day event will feature panels with beloved gaming figures and industry luminaries, concerts of video game-inspired music, tournaments in classic and modern games, tabletop sections, and numerous other activities. The full list of exhibitors and schedule will be announced in the coming weeks and months.
“A single building could never contain everything we’ve got planned for PAX,” said Jerry Holkins, co-founder, Penny Arcade and PAX. “And we think families especially will love this year’s collaboration with Nintendo.”
After West, PAX will wrap up its 2023 events schedule with the return of PAX Unpluggedto the Philadelphia Convention Center from Friday, Dec. 1, through Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023,.The most attended tabletop gaming convention on the East Coast will once again welcome communities from across the world to experience both beloved and unannounced titles, watch expert panels, and enjoy a massive show floor expo with the biggest names in analog gaming.
Badges go on sale for PAX West 2023 on Wednesday, May 31, with panel registration opening up in mid-May, and media/content creator registration opening up at a later date. PAX Unplugged 2023 badges go on sale later this summer. For more info, check out the PAX West website, and follow PAX on Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, and Instagram.
About PAX
PAX, or Penny Arcade Expo, is a festival for gamers to celebrate gaming culture. First held in Seattle in 2004, PAX has nearly doubled in size each successive year, with PAX Prime 2014 selling out of tickets in a matter of minutes. Connecting the world’s leading game publishers with their most avid and influential fans, PAX expanded with a second show in Boston in 2010, and a third in San Antonio in 2015, making it the three largest gaming shows in North America. The first international PAX was held in Melbourne, Australia in 2013. In 2017, Penny Arcade established PAX Unplugged, its first tabletop-focused show, held in Philadelphia.
About ReedPop
ReedPop is a boutique group within RX – one of the world’s leading events organizers. Launched in 2006, the group has become the number one producer of pop culture events across the globe as well as a full service digital content provider and media company. Delivering once-in-a-lifetime fan experiences curated specifically for localized audiences, ReedPop currently features events in North America and Europe, including: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), PAX West, East, and Unplugged, Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC), Star Wars Celebration, MCM Comic Con, Eurogamer Expo (EGX), Star Trek Missions and more. In addition to organizing and managing events, ReedPop also runs and operates the Gamer Network and its portfolio of leading gaming websites including Eurogamer, Rock Paper Shotgun and GamesIndustry.Biz. The staff at ReedPop are a fan-based, globally focused group of professionals that are uniquely qualified to build and serve the communities with whom they share a common passion.
About Penny Arcade
Penny Arcade has been the world’s most popular webcomic for over 20 years, with over 3.5 million readers. Started in 1998 in the living room of Mike Krahulik & Jerry Holkins, it has grown into a media empire encompassing multiple beloved properties such as Lookouts, Automata, and beloved D&D live-play series Acquisitions Incorporated. Penny Arcade was responsible for the creation of Child’s Play, a gaming charity that has raised over $45 million dollars for children across the world. They are also the founders of PAX, the number one consumer gaming festival in North America, with hundreds of thousands of loyal visitors every year.
Although Capcom gave everyone a small taste of Street Fighter 6‘s story mode and a bit of training mode a few weeks ago and the game itself is set to be released in a little under a month, fans of the fighting game won’t have to wait that long to get another taste. The company has announced that they will be holding an open beta test for Street Fighter 6 on May 19th at 12AM PT that will run through May 22nd at 12AM for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
This open beta will feature all of the same content as the second closed beta test and will offer eight playable characters in the form of Chun-Li, Guile, Juri, Kimberly, Ken, Jamie, Ryu, and Luke as well as access to nearly all types of online matches, avatar creation, cross platform play, and even a bit of the game’s commentary mode.
The trailer announcing the open beta can be found below while Street Fighter 6 is currently set to be released on the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, and PC on June 2nd.
There hasn’t been a bigger repertoire of games than those from the Star Wars franchise. The first officially licensed Star Wars game came out in 1979 and for more than 40 years we had a steady stream of Star Wars game releases. Some were bad, some good and some were so bland that are not even worth mentioning. for me, all of that changed once I got my hands on Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order in 2019.
Although a bit straightforward, it was a well-made adventure RPG with rich lore, great gameplay, and superb voice acting. So what we have here is a direct continuation of the previous game, we just need to see if it’s more of the same or if Star Wars Jedi Survivor is bringing something new to the table.
Story
When I said direct continuation, I meant it. This game basically starts exactly where the previous game ended although with a minor time skip. If you haven’t played Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, you’ll have no idea who is who. Luckily, there is a convenient story recap from the previous game right on the main menu so you can be up to speed. Cal is still on the run from the Empire, although he is a bit more calculated and experienced this time. All the characters from the previous game are back, along with some new friends and antagonists.
Gameplay
So what new do we have in store this time? Way more exploration, an open world, companies that react to your orders, a bunch of sidequests, and an insane amount of collectibles. What’s funny is how the world is so efficient at sucking you in. After I finished the main story, I realized that I clocked in at 28 hours and I only did a small portion of optional content.
I also like how the developers avoided that old gimmick of a character having amnesia or something as an excuse for starting from scratch and having zero skills. We also have a bunch of new moves, side weapons, and lightsaber stances. Even wanted to use a blaster with your lightsaber? Now is your chance. What about swinging Kylo Ren’s lightsaber? Crossguard stance will take care of that. Now you just need to finish the game and in the new game plus you can select a red lightsaber color for full dar side cosplay.
Speaking of cosplay, the character customization in Star Wars Jedi Survivor is brought to a whole new level. you can finely tune Cal’s hair and beard, every piece of his clothing and there is a really extensive lightsaber customization this time.
Visuals
This game has finally made me face a harsh reality – it’s time for an upgrade. While it still runs great on my rig, I think the ever-rising requirements are slowly creeping up on me and in the near future even things like raytracing will not be optimal for a full enjoyment. Still, Star Wars Jedi Survivor still looks great even on medium. Every planet is a world on its own, with an insane number of shortcuts and optional areas to explore. It actually reminded me of Elden Ring in terms of connectedness and labyrinthian but approachable level design.
However, there is a dark side to this story (heh, get it?). At the time of release, Star Wars Jedi Survivor has been an absolute mess in terms of optimization and stability. Some patches minimized the damage while more quality improvements are on the way. I had a few occasional crashes at first but random slowdowns and fps drops were far more common. We all know that first impressions are what matters the most so this was not a good first impression.
Audio
At least this segment doesn’t disappoint. The voice acting is still top-notch with a stellar performance of Cameron Monaghan and Tina Ivlev. The soundtrack still retains that feeling of grandeur while acting as a clever companion for action-fueled sequences. What I also like is how every lightsaber color comes with its own distinctive sound while swinging. A great level of detail also went into the atmosphere of the planets regarding its fauna, the occasional small talk of the stormtroopers as you sneak around them or hang over their heads.
Overall
There is a good game somewhere under this. This is the most expansive Star Wars game to this date, with a well-crafted story, loads of side content, and great attention to detail. It is well worth the price but not the state it is currently in. My advice is to wait a bit for a few well-needed performance improvements and quality fixes and then give it a go.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
When it comes to creating a game centered around a supernatural being, there are three classic examples that often are used. These are the ever popular zombie, the werewolf, and finally the vampire and while the former often sees itself as an enemy for players in games, the latter two often see players taking on the role of the beast, often battling against humans or their own kind. Rarely do games see players taking on the role of a human battling against werewolves or vampires but that is what Arkane Studios’ latest title looks to explore by pitting four different humans against an island filled with bloodsucking vampires. So, after a few delays, Arkane and Bethesda’s Redfall has arrived but does this game shine as bright as a UV light or does it deserve a stake to the heart?
Story
The idyllic island town of Redfall, Massachusetts has fallen to the clutches of blood sucking vampires and their cult-like human followers who are willing to sacrifice their neighbors as long as they can stay alive. In an attempt to flee the vampire invasion a number of survivors, including four with unique abilities, attempt to flee on the last remaining ferry only for an extremely powerful vampire to transform the sea into a solid impassable wall of waves, trapping anyone still alive on the island. As the members of the boat are feasted upon, the apparent vampire leader leaves the player alive with a cryptic message. With no choice left but to return to the island, the players liberate a firehouse where other survivors have holed up from the vampire’s cult and utilize it as their base of operation and launch their efforts to take down the head vampires and maybe find a way off the island, all while hopefully finding out what happened along the way.
Arkane has managed to create some rather interesting lore for Redfall and a lot of it comes from the world itself as the team remains incredibly talented when it comes to environmental storytelling, be it the unique layout of a location, various notes that players can read in an area, or even psychic visions left behind either by defeated vampires or objects of importance nearly every time players find something related to the greater plot at hand, it is usually worth reading as it explains a lot about the lead up to the game and other survivors. Unfortunately the game fails to capitalize on these story elements most of the time and a lot of it boils down to focusing on making the game as co-op friendly as possible. The main plot is presented through stylistic still-image cutscenes similar to what Arkane has produced in the past but unlike before, most of what is shown is simplistic at best and often doesn’t do the story justice while also limiting it to only highlighting the player’s chosen character and only a little at that. Along these same lines, the numerous characters that players meet in safehouses and main bases of operation also receive very little in the way of interaction or character development at all, making these characters simple quest givers and little else. In fact, it doesn’t take long before players find themselves repeating mission types with how little variation there is in safehouse missions.
This level of disappointment also carries over to the way the storyline ultimately plays out as well. There always feels like there is a lot of potential with what Redfall has to offer but everytime players feel like the plot is about to thicken, the co-op looter shooter nature and lack of any real development for the characters, especially in regards to the player character as the game opts to avoid developing the player’s chosen hunter in any meaningful way since they could be playing any of the four hunters, get in the way of making the story more memorable in any way. Considering the various factors at play in the story, with players facing off against a vampire force of unique origins, a cult built around them, and a mysterious security force seeking to cover things up, there is a lot of potential left untapped. Combine this with the lackluster way that the player’s chosen character interacts with the world, often repeating the same dialogue throughout their adventures, and players will find themselves quickly growing tired of combing through locations, even when playing with friends.
Sure, hunters in co-op can build “trust” which is a bit difficult between hit and miss progression issues and lack of drop-in drop-out grouping tied in with the co-op gameplay and lack of matchmaking. It is also worth noting that playing through the game in co-op can also make it incredibly difficult to locate and read every note without needing to rely on the menu, especially since the game does not pause while reading, leaving players vulnerable as the world moves around them. These attempts to try and create a balancing act does Redfall a disservice as a result, making what could have been an intriguing storyline that could have had so much more depth something generic and ultimately forgettable in the end.
Gameplay
As players begin the game they will be given the choice of selecting one of four vampire hunters to play as with each of the characters catering to a different playstyle. Jacob is a more stealth focused character capable of turning invisible to sneak past and attack enemies while also using his mystical Raven to highlight nearby enemies before finally using his ultimate to summon a powerful sniper rifle to take down any enemies in his path. Layla can make use of a telekinetic shield to block incoming attacks as well as summon a psychic lift that will launch herself and any teammates into the air for easier navigation and can utilize her ultimate to summon her vampire ex-boyfriend to attack enemies. Devinder serves as another character capable of helping players move quickly through locations with a teleportation mechanic and electric javelin, plus his powerful UV light ultimate can turn any nearby vampire to stone, allowing for a simple melee attack to dispatch them. Finally we have the support oriented Remi that can draw enemy attention, create healing areas for her allies, and even throw down powerful C4 explosives to lay waste to her foes.
In practice most of these characters work well whether the player chooses to play solo or through co-op, though characters like Jacob will have an easier go going through the story solo compared to Remi who shines best as part of a group. Regardless, each character can use any type of weapon though their main difference comes from their aforementioned special skills and skill tree upgrades. As players progress through the game completing missions, fighting any type of enemy, closing vampire nests, and more, they will gain levels that can upgrade various abilities for their chosen character. Unfortunately this skill tree system is incredibly anemic and is also littered with a number of useless unlocks such as carrying more ammo or, in complete detriment to those playing through solo, upgrades that only take effect when playing in co-op. As such, players will unlock every useful upgrade long before hitting the level cap, not that most players will notice much of a difference anyways since enemies scale to the player’s level in every way.
The guns that players can make use of come in mostly expected forms, be it standard pistols, machine pistols, assault rifle variations, shotguns, and sniper rifles with many of these weapons having special “legendary” versions that offer small benefits such as a silenced pistol etc. These mostly generic weapons work well enough but often feel a bit lacking, especially since there is no customization besides applying a skin, thankfully there are a couple of unique weapon types best designed to take down vampires. These include powerful stake guns that can drop and kill vampires from a distance as well as UV guns that fire beams of light capable of turning any undead to stone and allowing players to shatter them with a single melee attack. Facing down these vampires often feels quite satisfying, especially when it comes to staking one down as the only way to properly dispatch a stunned vampire is with a stake lest they recover. Of course, using fire from an explosion or the aforementioned UV lights also do the trick as these undead are far from invulnerable.
The vampires that players fight have a decent amount of variety as well. For the most part players will take on generic vampires capable of swift movement and powerful melee attacks but there are also a number of other types that players will eventually encounter. These include weak but dangerous exploding types, some capable of creating shields around themselves and allies, and even others capable of blinding the player, siphoning their health away, or even grabbing them from long distance and delivering massive damage once they are reeled in. Unfortunately the human enemies are far less interesting and make up the bulk of the enemies players encounter. The real unfortunate aspect here is that enemy AI, especially for human type enemies, is incredibly poor. Enemies will often completely ignore a player standing in the open during a firefight or find themselves completely stuck on an obstacle leaving themselves wide open and even when they do take cover they often leave themselves massively exposed making even the most lopsided firefight often one the player can easily win with some minor maneuvering. That is, of course, as long as the enemies don’t make use of explosives or the damaging red mist that circulates through many areas. The reason for this is that explosions seem to always damage the player through walls, meaning cover is often useless and the red mist that is expelled by destroyable vampire founts and from cultist grenades also damages players completely outside of the range of said mist, especially if they happen to be above it.
One rather interesting element that appears randomly as players spend time in Redfall are vampire nests. These nests spawn over time and strengthen every vampire within their radius until they are destroyed. To destroy a nest players must enter a glowing door only to find themselves locked into a twisted space featuring various locales meshed together and filled with vampires protecting a crystal heart within. Once this heart is destroyed the nest will collapse, giving players a limited amount of time to loot equipment that was hoarded inside. These nests are often quite enjoyable thanks to how unique the layouts can be but, as before, most of the rewards are mediocre at best.
As mentioned before, thanks to Arkane’s skill at environmental storytelling, exploring the world of Redfall is often enjoyable thanks to the number of uniquely designed buildings and interesting locations to explore. Unfortunately even this element is half-baked thanks to the fact that it is often completely worthless. Redfall’s design as a looter shooter is incredibly lacking as most of the actual loot players get is complete garbage and rarely worth the time to check out. Players can gather various bits and bobs such as toilet paper, jeweled eggs, and disinfectant that automatically converts to cash but the cash has almost no purpose besides purchasing extra lockpicks or hacking tools. Weapons and other pieces of equipment level as the player levels, meaning that a favorite gun will quickly become useless only to be replaced again with no way to level match or even customize gear. Along these same lines, the game features a forced point of no return that completely locks away the first map, meaning any collectables including lore and bonus unlocking Grave Locks, are lost forever until New Game+. Of course, given that defeating the final boss automatically kicks players into this mode with yet again no way to return to the second map by choice this doesn’t come as much of a surprise.
One of the first elements that Arkane introduces in Redfall is being able to approach most situations however they see fit and while some locations can offer a bit of freedom these are few and far between. Not only is stealth a rather mundane way to explore the world, especially since there are no unique stealth takedown animations or even a sign that players will insta kill an enemy with their stealth attack but the game often forces players to throw stealth out the window most of the time. This is because there is often no way to actually locate a specific mission objective without utilizing a lockpick or hacking tool and, in a number of cases, many locations require a key anyways. Ironically, even the choice of tackling missions with multiple objectives is often forced to be played a certain way as well, with some missions requiring players to do one objective before the other unless they wish to find themselves suddenly stuck against a lock in the second location. It also doesn’t help that, thanks to the Redfall’s insistence on co-op, many of the movement and stealth abilities are split between characters. Think taking Corvo from Dishonored and stripping him of all abilities except for one before handing his abilities out piecemeal to allies.
When playing in co-op the gameplay is handled rather smoothly most of the time with no issues in connection but the poor enemy AI struggles even further with four players running around the map. This makes combat often a run and gun experience that is far too simplistic and, considering players won’t actually be progressing their own storyline while playing in someone else’s world, there is little actual reason to play with others. Combine this with the fact that the game lacks drop in drop out multiplayer and the fact that the lobby often closes entirely should someone drop out, which is a problem given the game’s multiple instances of crashing to the home screen, and co-op is often frustrating when it doesn’t work and even when it does it strips what little spirit of Arkane’s design exists in parts of Redfall.
Visuals & Audio
Shortly before release it was revealed that Redfall would be releasing on console with only the 30FPS quality mode available and while this is a disappointing limitation it rarely feels like much of an issue during combat. The action remains mostly fluid with only noticeable slowdowns during large explosions, characters using multiple ultimates at the same time, or the few instances of large objects crumbling. That being said Arkane’s unique art style comes through quite well in Redfall especially when it comes to the various locations players explore and a bit of the character designs. Many of the main characters look well enough though there is a bit of a dated look to many of the standard characters and quest giving NPCs players will meet. It is also worth noting that while the cutscenes are presented only through slideshow images, these images fit Arkane’s usual stylings quite nicely.
The sound design throughout Redfall is handled quite well with players often being able to hear vampires feasting on victims through walls or being taunted by the various vampire overlords that rule each location. Voice work is handled well enough with most characters having enough voice lines to keep things feeling fresh even when exploring for long periods of time. As for the soundtrack the game features some fitting background themes that work well for the once picturesque town of Redfall that has fallen to ruin.
Overall
Playing through Redfall it quickly becomes evident that the development team’s focus must have shifted multiple times throughout the game’s creation between single player, co-op, and then a looter shooter stuck in-between. Redfall has all of the potential to try and tell an interesting story with some solid enemy designs and a great location to explore but between terrible enemy AI, mundane “play your way” implementation, boring loot, and splitting powers between characters in an attempt to force co-op Redfall falls flat in many areas and loses track of most of its potential.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Discover new screenshots for the revisited cult classic arcade game officially licensed by TAITO!
Sydney, Australia – May 8th, 2023 – Microids and Virtuallyz Gaming are thrilled to announce the release of the rail shooter Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission VR June 22nd 2023 on Meta Quest 2, PlayStation VR2 and Pico 4. Developed and published by TAITO in 1987, the arcade game Operation Wolf left a mark for a whole generation of gamers, being one of the first games to offer side scrolling rail shooting action. Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission VR will remain faithful to the spirit of the original game, while premiering a new artistic direction.
In its solo VR campaign, play as a special agent fighting a new criminal organization. In addition to arms and drug trafficking, the organisation, led by the mysterious General Viper, has developed a powerful new weapon. After discovering several of its bases, you will be sent to dismantle the organisation, destroy the weapon and free the hostages held captive in surrounding camps.
Game features:
Comeback of the 1987 cult arcade game!
New art style
Non-stop action
A Solo campaign with six levels
A survival mode (endless waves of enemies)
A full blown arsenal (smg, shotgun, grenade launcher…)
Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission VR will be available digitally June 22nd, 2023 on Meta Quest 2, PlayStation VR 2 and Pico 4.
Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission (non VR version) will also be available late 2023 in a digital version as well as a Day One Edition on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. The game will be available exclusively in digital form on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Microids is a French video game publisher. Founded in 1985, Microids’ editorial strategy now focuses on 4 major areas: adventure games, racing games, retro gaming and games inspired by iconic titles. By collaborating with renowned studios and authors (Revolution Software, Pendulo Studios, Eden Studios, Benoît Sokal, Paul Cuisset, Philippe Dessoly and Pierre Adane), Microids has become a major player in international video games. Taking inspiration from legendary titles, Microids reaches a wide audience and creates original adventures which give gamers the chance to play as some of their most beloved characters.
About TAITO
TAITO Corporation (TAITO) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. With headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, TAITO operates core businesses such as game arcade operations, manufacturing coin-operated game machines, and mobile phone content services. A seminal part of gaming history, TAITO caused a worldwide sensation with its arcade legend, SPACE INVADERS, and developed such fan favorites as PUZZLE BOBBLE (BUST-A-MOVE) and ARKANOID. Today, TAITO continues to thrill game lovers of all generations by offering both classic and new family-oriented titles on the latest gaming platforms. TAITO delivers a wide range of entertainment experiences with the goal of providing consumers with fresh surprises and new discoveries.
Virtuallyz Gaming is a French video game development studio founded by two former Visual Impact employees (Burnout Legends, Rayman Raving Rabbids, Harry Potter et l’Ordre du Phénix, SSX). Thanks to a team of passionate veterans (Martin Schuchewytsch, Aurélien Lévêque, Claude Verstraeten, David Juhens, etc.), Virtuallyz Gaming develops on every platform (Nintendo Switch, Sony PS4, Sony PS5, Microsoft Xbox One, Microsoft XBox Series, Steam, Meta) and also offers porting services.
“Operation Wolf” is a trademark belonging to TAITO Corporation in Japan and in other countries.
At Microsoft, we take our responsibility to keep users safe on our services and to contribute to building a safer online ecosystem very seriously. Enabling safe experiences online is critical to Microsoft’s mission to empower every individual and organization on the planet to achieve more.
The safety of our players and community is central to everything that we do at Xbox. We recognise that parents and caregivers are increasingly concerned about children’s safety in the digital world, and equally that understanding the breadth of safety issues can be overwhelming.
In response to this, today, we are releasing a brand-new resource for parents and caregivers in Australia and New Zealand. The Xbox Gaming Safety Toolkit provides carers with an overview of common safety risks as well as practical advice for responding and enhancing safety.
Microsoft, and by extension Xbox, takes a holistic approach to safety on our services. This centres on the idea that safety requires engagement from everyone including platforms and players. When children are gaming, there is also a critical need for parents and caregivers to be involved in their gaming experience.
In our first ever Xbox Transparency Report released in November last year, we outlined what we do behind the scenes to protect our players and moderate content on our platform. The new toolkit complements this by providing clear guidance for parents and caregivers on steps they can take to better understand the gaming ecosystem, common safety risks, and the tools and controls available on Xbox.
In the toolkit, we spotlight the parental and player controls available on Xbox, including within the Xbox Family Settings App. According to Microsoft’s Global Online Safety Survey 2023, 71% of Australian parents are using parental control tools with an average of 2.1 types of tools. This highlights that there is more work to be done to bring these controls to parents’ attention.
We emphasise that parental controls are part of a holistic approach to online safety and are most effective when used to support existing rules and boundaries that parents and caregivers discuss and agree with their kids.
Designed with input from trusted organisations
To develop the toolkit, we sought the advice and support of a range of government and civil society organisations across Australia a with expertise in children’s online safety. We wanted their perspectives on how to create messages and instructions that would be easy for parents to follow, whilst also providing a balanced view of the benefits and potential risks of gaming. These organisations already provide helpful safety advice for a range of audiences, so within the toolkit we link to their resources too.
The organisations that helped us design the toolkit include:
eSafety Commissioner (eSafety)
Department of Home Affairs
Alannah and Madeline Foundation
Interactive Gaming and Entertainment Association (IGEA)
With the support of these organisations, we structured the toolkit into two key sections. The first section provides an overview of parental controls and holistic online safety tips including being involved in kids’ gaming and encouraging respectful interactions. The second part of the toolkit is focused on age-specific advice with four key stages. For each age group we outline three key steps – Learn, Explore and Support. We’ve also included case studies to help bring to life the different ways that gaming risks can manifest and the types of tools that can be used to help respond to and mitigate these risks.
Quotes from supporting organisations in Australia
“We know online gaming is increasingly popular with Australian children, and our Mind the Gap research shows most kids aged 8 to 17 play at least weekly. Children can find great benefits in this activity but we also need to be mindful that it can involve risks, including engaging online with people they don’t know. So we encourage industry initiatives like the Microsoft Gaming Safety Toolkit which draw on our Safety by Design tools and eSafety.gov.au resources to help parents and carers understand how to protect children from online harms.” Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant
“IGEA is pleased to have supported the development of the Xbox Gaming Safety Toolkit. This comprehensive resource will provide parents and caregivers of gamers to better understand the digital ecosystem and the steps they can take to keep their children safe when playing games online. Whilst this resource focuses on Xbox, it is a useful toolkit that can be used to understand common concerns across any platform.” Ron Curry, CEO IGEA
We would like to thank the organisations for their help and support in creating this resource and look forward to sharing the Xbox Gaming Safety Toolkit with families in Australia and New Zealand.
LONDON, UK – May 5, 2023 – Become a god, create a new world and lead your civilization to victory in These Doomed Isles: The First God, a downloadable prologue chapter to deckbuilding survival city-builder These Doomed Isles, available today for free on Steam.
Wield the might of Cernunnos, the Celtic god of nature, in this free prologue, and bring your world to life by using powerful cards, relics and miracles, crafting your deck to place forests, mountains, buildings and more.
Build a settlement for your followers, placing land and resources to let them grow and prosper, while wielding godly powers to defend against invaders. Rain down meteors on your enemies, strike fear into them with lightning and survive incoming attacks from raiders and mythical creatures.
Begin your journey in These Doomed Isles: The First God today and transfer your save data into These Doomed Isles to continue your world-building adventure when it launches on Steam Early Access this summer.
“These Doomed Isles has received fantastic feedback from players at previous demo events, so we’re thrilled to give them an even bigger look at the game with this free downloadable prologue,” said Sean Campbell, Product Manager at Fireshine Games. “As a survival city-builder combined with compelling roguelike mechanics, we’ve found there are players who can’t put the game down, so we’re excited to see it scratch that ‘one-more-go’ itch of the very best in the roguelike/deckbuilding genre.”
These Doomed Isles: The First God is available to download free on Steam today. You can also add These Doomed Isles to your Steam Wishlist to be notified of when the main game becomes available.
About Triplevision Games Triplevision Games Limited is a tiny gamedev studio with big ideas. We’re focused on creating games with character that push classic genres in new directions.
About Fireshine Games Fireshine Games is a global publisher of digital and physical videogames based in London, England. Originally established in 2014 under the name Sold Out, Fireshine Games works with studio giants such as Team 17, Rebellion and Frontier Developments as well as introducing new indie dev studios to the world like Pugstorm, Stonewheat & Sons, Spiral Circus, ColePowered Games and many more – publishing for physical and digital distribution. Fireshine is also part of the EG7 group of companies.
Pledge allegiance to the king of indie construction games as MinskWorks’ brilliant throwback to the polarising 1980s fully releases later this month.
5th May 2023
Developer MinskWorks and publisher Yogscast Games are thrilled to reveal Early Access hit Landlord’s Super will launch fully on May 25th 2023.
Landlord’s Super is a first-person construction simulation set in Britain’s murky midlands during the 1980s. It combines its bricks-and-mortar construction with a broader social simulation which see players renovating their former council house by performing legitimate or illegitimate work.
Take a look at the new date announcement – the perfect counterpoint for the weekend’s coronation:
It depicts a Britain from another era, yet the economical challenges players face could not be more real. With unemployment sky-high, it’s down to players to build their way out of poverty with bricks and mortar in hand. Take a dodgy loan, restore a property, move in the locals, attend to their grievances, then celebrate with a pint in this fully-simulated, open-world 1980’s Britain.
Landlord’s Super has seen frequent updates since its initial Early Access launch in April 2020, with many features and gameplay mechanics developed in response to community feedback. Throughout development it’s been a huge hit with those who’ve been playing, and leaves Early Access rated ‘Very Positive’ on Steam. With this final release, players can now play through from new Sheffingham resident to retirement – assuming they’ve managed to financially secure it.
Players can build towards a cushy retirement through any means necessary. Mix cement, assemble scaffolding, order supplies and rebuild a community’s hope brick-by-brick; take odd jobs and meet a cast of local personalities and dodgy characters around town, or just drink the day away at the pub. Players plan their actions in a living world around the time of day, seasonal weather and their own wellbeing.
“When players can choose to spend their time literally anytime and anywhere, that so many have chosen to visit a fictional town during one of the bleakest periods in recent living memory is a real testament to Landlord’s Super and its unique spin on the construction and life simulation genres,” says Simon Byron, Director of Publishing, Yogscast Games. “In a world of facsimiles, MinskWorks has created something very different, very refreshing and very British – we can’t wait to get the full release out there later this month.”
“I’ve been delighted with the feedback and input from the Landlord’s Super community throughout Early Access,” adds MinskWorks’ founder Greg Pryjmachuk. “Recreating a period of Britain that was so important to me was always a highly personal project – so it’s been brilliant to see the game resonate so strongly with such a diverse community of players.”
Landlord’s Super remains available to buy on PC now in Early Access, but will be fully releasing on May 25th 2023. The full SRP is £15.49 ($19.99, €16.79), though there will be a launch discount to celebrate the game’s completion.
About MinskWorks
MinskWorks is an independent video game developer founded by Greg Pryjmachuk in 2014. After working as a Designer on Codemasters’ F1 franchise, Greg created MinskWorks’ first game, Jalopy. MinskWorks is joined by Artist Ruta Melinaviciute, formerly of Strange Fire’s Shoppe Keep 2.
About Yogscast Games
Yogscast Games is the independent publisher dedicated to independent developers, founded in 2017 by The Yogscast. It publishes a diverse range of games including Trolley Problem, Inc., Golfie, Aces & Adventures and PlateUp!
Sky-High Profits for Los Santos Smugglers on Air Freight Cargo – Plus, The Last Dose Hard Mode Event Continues, Get 2X GTA$ and RP on Turf Wars, and More in GTA Online
The black market for air-freighted contraband around Los Santos is booming, and with this surging demand for airborne cargo, profits for smugglers are sky-high this week. If your Hangar is jam-packed with valuables, offloading them in Air Freight Cargo Sell Missions will result in a bonus of 50% more GTA$ and RP.
Looking to take your empire airborne for the first time? Hangars — and their Upgrades and Modifications — are all 30% off so adjust your property holdings accordingly.
The Last Dose Hard Mode Event + 1.5X GTA$ and RP on All Los Santos Drug Wars Missions
The Last Dose Hard Event ramps up the carnage as it enters its second week. In addition to heaps of collectibles and rare items, exploring the psychoactive carnage of both The First Dose and The Last Dose missions through May 17 will result in 50% extra GTA$ and RP.
If you’re craving a challenge, turn the difficulty up to Hard and complete any of the following to collect rare rewards:
Complete This is an Intervention on Hard difficulty to receive the Pink and Lime SC Coin Wraps
Complete Unusual Suspects on Hard difficulty to get the Classic DS Tiger Embroidered Designer Jeans
Complete Checking In on Hard difficulty to earn the Black VDG Cardigan and Black VDG Wide Designer Jeans
Complete all missions in The Last Dose on Hard difficulty to win a finish for the Micro SMG
2X GTA$ and RP on Turf Wars
This week it pays to get territorial. In Turf Wars, claim and hold onto as much territory as you can, while preventing other teams from snatching it back to earn points and 2X GTA$ and RP.
Only on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S
Premium Test Ride: Pegassi Weaponized Ignus
Pay a visit to Hao’s Special Works and see what the latest innovations in automotive engineering can do for you with this week’s Premium Test Ride, a hyper-charged version of the Pegassi Weaponized Ignus (Super).
This Week’s HSW Time Trial Test the limits of your ride and your reflexes. Floor it between Sandy Shores and La Puerta in this week’s HSW Time Trial.
Premium Deluxe Motorsport Showroom Simeon Yetarian’s latest curated collection of vehicles in the Premium Deluxe Motorsports showroom includes the Vapid Retinue (Sports Classics), Declasse Impaler (Muscle), Vapid Flash GT (Sports, 30% off), Dinka Jester (Sports), and the Übermacht Sentinel (Coupes).
Luxury Autos Showroom Ogle at the Luxury Autos showroom window display this week to get a closer look at the Grotti Visione (Super) and Übermacht SC1 (Super, 30% off).
Try Out the Dewbauchee Rapid GT Classic, Bravado Greenwood, and Lampadati Furore GT Drop into the LS Car Meet to check out this week’s trio of Test Track vehicles: Dewbauchee Rapid GT Classic (Sports Classic), Bravado Greenwood (Muscle, 30% off), and Lampadati Furore GT (Sports). All primed for a Time Trial, Scramble, or a bit of freestyle between the columns.
LS Car Meet members who win a Pursuit Race for four days in a row will walk away the owner of the Ocelot Jugular, a lithe four-door Sports car designed with raw power in mind.
On The Diamond Casino Podium: Pegassi Zentorno
Visit the lobby of The Diamond Casino & Resort and spin the Lucky Wheel to try and win the Pegassi Zentorno, a futuristic Supercar seen spinning slowly on the podium nearby.
GTA+
This is the last week for GTA+ Members to claim the following before the current event period ends on May 10:
Free Karin Boor Off-Road vehicle
The Paleto Bay Meth Lab, with a free staff upgrade
Spatter finishes for the Baseball Bat and Knife at the Gun Van
Dark Blue Pearl and Green Prismatic Pearl Chameleon Paints
1.5X GTA$ and RP for completing Acid Lab Sell Missions
All of this, and more, for just $5.99 a month, including a bonus of GTA$500,000 delivered upon billing and deposited automatically into your Maze Bank account. For full details, visit the GTA+ website.
DISCOUNTS
In addition to 30% discounts on Hangars and their Upgrades and Modifications, fill out your roster with the following discounted vehicles:
Western Company Rogue (Plane) – 30% off
Bravado Greenwood (Muscle) – 30% off
Übermacht SC1 (Super) – 30% off
Vapid Flash GT (Sports) – 30% off
Gun Van Inventory
Locate the Gun Van to shop for a rotating selection of weapons (10% off) including a 25% discount on the Heavy Sniper, throwables (15% off), and armor (20% off). GTA+ Membership gives access to 50% off the Up-n-Atomizer and significantly increases the discounts.
Baseball Bat | Knife | Up-n-Atomizer (50% off for GTA+ Members) | Heavy Sniper (25% off) | Musket | Advanced Rifle | Molotovs | Sticky Bombs | Pipe Bombs
