Home Blog Page 1162

All Systems Green! EVERSPACE 2’s PC Launch Shoots for the Stars… and Succeeds!

Released after five years of development, EVERSPACE 2’s PC launch is an explosive success. With PC space fans and media excited, EVERSPACE 2 heads to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S this summer.

Hamburg, Germany – May 2nd, 2023 – With more than 300,000 in PC copies sold to-date, Independent AA developer ROCKFISH Games is excited to declare EVERSPACE 2 a massive critical and commercial success for the self-funded studio. With aggregate 81 Metacritic and 83 Opencritic scores from critics globally, and more than six and a half thousand player reviews on Steam ranking the game as 88% “Very Positive”, space game fans are excited for the space action RPG.

The game’s launch has surpassed ROCKFISH Games’ financial targets. Comparing launch weeks, EVERSPACE 2 has sold twice the copies and brought in more than three and a half times the revenue as the first title in the series without any indication of losing sales from the title being available on Xbox Game Pass for PC as Game Preview. This sequel saw seven times more pilots in the cockpit during launch week than its predecessor, hitting a high of close to 10,000 concurrent players.

“This has been a fantastic launch for Rockfish games, our biggest yet! The team’s done an amazing job, and we’re now reaping the fruits of our hard work of the past five years and beyond. We hit our commercial goals in terms of product visibility, game downloads, and net revenue,” says ROCKFISH Games CEO Michael Schade. “Even more rewarding is seeing our amazing community and space fans in the media love what we’ve built. This paints a bright future for our studio and Everspace as a franchise. We have so much more planned, and I can’t wait for us to share what we’ve been working on for our first free update later this year and the massive expansion coming in the second half of 2024.”

Interest in EVERSPACE 2 goes beyond immediate launch week sales. ROCKFISH Games has seen more than more than 100k wishlists and 50k demo downloads on Steam during launch week.

“It’s clear that we have the attention of space game fans, and they’ll be watching for coming updates and sales. Our demo was a big part of our path to success from announcement to launch. Since the demo was added to Steam, we’ve had more than 350,000 downloads with an astoundingly high 70% activation rate from space fans around the world interested in trying EVERSPACE 2 for themselves,” says Schade. “We plan to keep the demo available for the foreseeable future to let pilots get hands-on and check out the first space sector as long as they like to make an educated purchase decision.”

Thanks to the exceptional visuals of more than 100 handcrafted locations worth exploring, intense combat, deep customization, and RPG mechanics, space game enthusiasts from all over the world are eager to show their adventures online by sharing stunning screenshots and gameplay clips on social media. 

“We’ve seen hundreds of content creators streaming and making videos on Twitch, YouTube, and other platforms over the last week,” continues Schade. “Iconic creators with a deep love for space, shooter, and roleplaying games like CohhCarnage, Skill Up, and ObsidianAnt to name a few have all given incredibly enthusiastic thumbs up in multiple streams and videos.”

With the console launch on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 coming this summer including a physical Deluxe Edition published by Maximum Games, ROCKFISH Games has already started work on the game’s first major free update planned for later this year. This update is planned to add new features including more ship customization options, legendary gear, high-level spacecraft, and voice acting in French and Japanese. Development has also begun on a sizable expansion scheduled for mid-2024 for EVERSPACE 2 which will add more story content, new star systems to explore, fresh gear to loot, and expand gameplay features.

EVERSPACE 2 is available on SteamGOG, and the Microsoft Store for $49.99 USD / £44.99 / €49.99 / ¥5900 as well as through PC Game Pass. The game is fully voiced in English and German and currently localized in thirteen languages including English, Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and Spanish

Support for MacOS and Steam Deck optimization are both in development and will be released in future patches. The EVERSPACE 2 digital soundtrack and artbook will be available for purchase later this year.

Follow EVERSPACE 2 on TwitterFacebook, and join the community Discord for the latest development news. On fridays, the ROCKFISH Games team shows off content from their latest EVERSPACE 2 dev build on the ROCKFISH Games Twitch and YouTube channel from 8 pm to 10 pm CET / 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm ET / 11:00 am to 1:00 pm PT. Viewers are encouraged to drop their questions in chat for the dev team. 

About EVERSPACE™ 2
EVERSPACE 2 continues the story of Adam Roslin from the first game of the series. EVERSPACE 2 has six sprawling star systems that can be explored by space pilots. Players experience Adam’s emotional journey and personal development from an immortal clone space pilot to an individual character whose death has final consequences in an open-world action RPG. 

EVERSPACE 2 can be purchased on Steam here and on GOG hereEVERSPACE 2 is available on PC Game Pass and the Microsoft Store.

About ROCKFISH Games GmbH

ROCKFISH Games is an independent AA game studio specializing in cutting-edge space action RPGs for PC and consoles. Industry veterans Michael Schade and Christian Lohr founded ROCKFISH Games to create a new breed of adrenalin-filled adventures for space shooter fans through their acclaimed EVERSPACE IP. After spending 30 years as joint entrepreneurs in the 3D graphics and mobile gaming space, Schade and Lohr built ROCKFISH Games from the ground up alongside their former team of veteran talents to the current studio of 25 cherry-picked game developers and community experts from across the industry.

Using Kickstarter as a platform to build a new community in 2015, ROCKFISH Games reached a runaway success with EVERSPACE, which has sold over two million copies on PC and consoles. Building on this success and propelled by yet another wildly successful Kickstarter campaign in 2019, ROCKFISH Games is dedicated to crafting a compelling next-gen single-player open-world space shooter experience that is driven by quality storytelling while being highly accessible at the beginning and yet deep in its gameplay mechanics to appeal to casual as well as hardcore space action aficionados from around the globe with EVERSPACE 2.

About Maximum Games

Maximum Games is an award-winning video game publisher partnering with best-in-class game creators and franchises around the world (Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Among Us, Five Nights at Freddy’s™). With over 300 titles in its catalogue, Maximum Games has grown to a top 20 global games company since it was founded by Christina Seelye in 2009.

PC Building Simulator 2’s third major update welcomes Phanteks to the line up and adds Intel’s fastest gaming CPU

Let’s get Phancy

Liverpool, United Kingdom – 2 May 2023.  Spiral House and Epic Games Publishing’s PC Building Simulator 2 receives its third major update today, bringing a variety of new components and a new long-requested partnership with Phanteks. Update 1.3 also brings custom fans on radiators, and a free post-apocalyptic workshop theme, available now in your in-game Decorator app.

PC Building Simulator 2’s partnership with Phanteks features an initial lineup of cases including the Enthoo Pro 2, Eclipse G500A, Eclipse G360A & Evolv X Digital Midi. Elsewhere, the update introduces 3 more new cases – the Y40 & Y60 Snow White from HYTE, along with the Lian Li LANCOOL III, alongside B650 motherboards and the special edition Intel® Core™ i9-13900 KS Processor, boosting up to a guaranteed 6GHz – assuming it’s appropriately cooled!

In addition, players will be able to enjoy a brand new feature – custom radiator fans. Take any water cooling radiator to the water cooling bench and select a compatible replacement fan to truly optimize your cooling.

Lastly, players can repair PCs like it’s the end of the world in the free post-apocalyptic workshop theme teeming with barricades, bars and ivy-covered walls – applicable now in the Decorator tablet app.

PC Building Simulator 2 is available now on the Epic Games Store for SRP £19.99/€24.99/$24.99. 

About PC Building Simulator 
Since launching in early access in 2018, the PC Building Simulator franchise has gone from strength to strength, with two career mode expansions and seven workshop DLCs selling over 2 million copies, plus an additional 11 million players claiming the title for free on Epic Games Store in September 2021. PC Building Simulator 2 builds on the original’s recipe for success with an expanded and improved feature set, making those dream PC builds look and function more realistically than ever. 

About Spiral House 
Spiral House is a Liverpool, UK based game developer passionate about developing interactive entertainment on all leading platforms including PC, consoles, and mobile devices. Established in 1998, Spiral House has a successful track record for developing and assisting on numerous major key titles such as MotorStorm, Little Big Planet and EyePet for many of the biggest global developers and publishers. The development team is a creative, passionate team whose experience extends as far back as the Commodore 64, all the way up to present day consoles. 

About Epic Games
Founded in 1991, Epic Games is an American company founded by CEO Tim Sweeney. The company is headquartered in Cary, North Carolina and has more than 50 offices worldwide. Today Epic is a leading interactive entertainment company and provider of 3D engine technology. Epic operates one of the world’s largest games, Fortnite, and Epic has over 600 million accounts with over 4.7 billion friend connections across Fortnite, Fall Guys, Rocket League, and the Epic Games Store. Epic also develops Unreal Engine, which powers the world’s leading games and is also adopted across industries such as film and television, architecture, automotive, manufacturing, and simulation. Through Unreal Engine, Epic Games Store, and Epic Online Services, Epic provides an end-to-end digital ecosystem for developers and creators to build, distribute, and operate games and other content. 

Redfall – Gameplay

When the island of Redfall finds itself cut off from the rest of the world by a powerful vampire force, Jacob Boyer finds himself trapped and at the mercy of the bloodsucking horde and their cult followers. Unlike the other survivors though, he has the means to fight back with special abilities including a mysterious Raven capable of locating enemies, Watch as we establish a couple of safehouses, slay plenty of vampires, and take on a couple story missions in Bethesda’s Redfall.

The town of Redfall is under siege by a legion of vampires who have cut the island off from the outside world. Trapped with a handful of survivors, slay alone or squad up in open-world FPS action.

Redfall
Developer: Arkane Austin
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Platform: Windows (Steam), Xbox Series X/S
Release Date: May 2nd, 2023
Price: $69.99 USD

Available now – https://bethesda.net/en/game/redfall

Summary:

Not Recommended – Redfall struggles to find its identity with mundane loot and attempted co-op focus that drags the game’s interesting potential down to being a mediocre and disappointing FPS.”

Check out our review for Redfall 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/

Freedom Games Launches Seven Games Today Alongside Steam Publisher Sale

Discounts up to 90% off on Freedom Games’ biggest titles

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – 1 May 2023 – Publisher Freedom Games launches seven different indies today in celebration of their first dedicated Steam Publisher Sale, showcasing its impressive expansive repertoire with something for everyone.

Restore brilliant hues in Arto, the dynamic art-style-changing hack-and-splash action RPG from developer OrionGames. Paint with a variety of art styles, slicing and dicing to splatter the world with paint and revive the vibrant hues across a series of color deprived biomes broken by a desaturating event.

Delve into Ethyrial: Echoes of Yore, a low-poly hardcore MMORPG inspired by the genre classics from developer Gellyberry Studios, and dangerous dungeons alongside newfound friends. Battle incredible bosses and solve riveting mysteries with a tight-knit team in a wide open-world for a monthly subscription of $9.99 USD.

Blast and bop in City of Beats, a rhythmic roguelite bullet-hell from developer Torched Hill. Sync up with the music and perfectly time attacks and dodges to overcome melodic enemies across color-splashed maps with cyber skyscrapers.

Embark on a supernatural journey in The Witch of Fern Island, a magical open-world life sim from developer Enjoy Studio launching into Steam Early Access today. Explore an island teeming with magical culture and discover the history of the land’s plants, animals, and insects while learning the skills to master magical trades.

Create a society drifting through space, housing a friendly species in World Turtles, the wholesome world builder from developer Re: cOg Mission. Lead a colony on the back of a calm galactic beast. Traverse the endless void upon its shoulders and learn what it takes to lead.

Seek out galactic destruction just for the heck of it in R.I.C.E, the satirical planet-destroying roguelite from developer Pirate-Rob. In this “Repetitive Indie Combat Experience”, another fight always lays ahead with endless runs of enemies, weapon upgrades, and civilization obliteration. Build a powerful and unbreakable team in Monster Tribe, the creature-catching survivalist tactical RPG from developer Boundless Games. Navigate the land of Akama in over-world exploration and bond with spiritual creatures known as Ateyans in tactical grid-based battles.

Several other titles in the Freedom Games family will also be heavily discounted during the Steam Publisher Sale this week:

  • Cat Cafe Manager, the charming restaurant management and feline adoption sim from developer Roost Games, curls up for a 35% discount this week to start any cafe for $11.99 USD.
  • Coromon, the modern monster-taming game from developer TRAGsoft, befriends powerful creatures in a highly-customizable world at 40% off for $11.99 USD.

The full list of discounted titles can be found on the Freedom Games’ Steam Publisher Page

All seven newly-released titles – Arto, City of Beats, Ethyrial: Echoes of Yore, The Witch of Fern Island, World Turtles, Monster Tribe, and R.I.C.E – will offer their own 20% launch discount with various language support options. To learn more, visit Freedom Games’ official website and Steam Publisher Page, join the community on Facebook, Twitter, and Discord.

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 like Dreamscaper, Coromon, Dark Deity, Cat Cafe Manager, Symphony of War, among other indie hits striving for better publishing experiences.

For more information, visit the official Freedom Games website.

Get a taste of Redfall’s Vampires with Bethesda ANZ and Smokey Q’s “Bite Back” BBQ Spice Rub

Are you ready to bite back? Bethesda ANZ has partnered with the Australian BBQ and spice experts at Smokey Q for the launch of Arkane Austin’s Redfall, creating the brand new ‘Bite Back Spice Rub’. Taste your victories as you join the game’s heroes in taking the fight to the vampire legion laying siege to the island town of Redfall.

The ‘Bite Back Spice Rub’ brings the taste of slain vampires to your table in a 100% natural, gluten free and vegan friendly spice mix. The delectable spice rub comes with a bit of heat and a whole lot of flavour, and while there are no actual vampires in it, the Bite Back Spice Rub includes charcoal powder for that signature Smokey Q taste. The perfect flavour combination whether you’re squadding up and cooking a feast for your teammates, preparing a roasted snack, or slaying alone while adding an ashen flair to your fries.

Smokey Q has quickly developed a reputation for high quality products with bold flavours and perfectly balanced profiles, winning a variety of honours at The Perth Royal Food Awards. Founder Paul Lange’s passion for creating premium spice blends has built a flourishing business, utilising high-quality Australian ingredients. 

“At Bethesda ANZ we’ve developed quite a taste for creating new and unique ways for fans to experience our award-winning worlds,” said Simon Alty, VP and Managing Director, Bethesda APAC. “Partnering with Smokey Q allows us to do this in a new way, packing the spice and punch of Arkane’s Redfall into a sachet perfect for gaming sessions after your next weekend barbecue.”

“We were delighted to bring our BBQ expertise to this partnership to create something wholly unique for fans in Australia and New Zealand – whom we know absolutely love their BBQ’s,” said Founder Paul Lange. “Making vampire ash, not only edible but also delicious, was a fantastic challenge, mixing in a variety of spices that’ll ensure anything you add it to tastes more fang-tastic than before.” Redfall fans hungry for a taste of this limited edition collaboration should keep an eye on Bethesda ANZ’s social media channels to learn more about how they can win their own pack of Bite Back Rub or for a limited time, order directly from Smokey Q, with all net proceeds to be donated by Smokey Q to support Cure Cancer’s blood cancer research.

Redfall will be available on Xbox Series X|S and PC on May 2, 2023. Players can pre-order now or play day one with Game Pass. For more information on the game, please visit bethesda.net/en/game/redfall.

For more information head over to the Bethesda News site.

THE LEGEND IS ALIVE! LIVE A LIVE NOW AVAILABLE FOR PLAYSTATION 4, PLAYSTATION 5, AND PC

20% Off Limited Time Introductory Offer Available on STEAM

SYDNEY (1st May 2023)  SQUARE ENIX have announced that award-winning HD-2D RPG, LIVE A LIVE is now available on the PlayStation5 (PS5) console, the PlayStation4 (PS4) console and PC via STEAM. Previously released as a new HD-2D remake to critical acclaim on the Nintendo Switch system last year, LIVE A LIVE is a story-driven HD-2D RPG from Team Asano, highly regarded for OCTOPATH TRAVELER, BRAVELY DEFAULT II and TRIANGLE STRATEGY.  

Watch the LIVE A LIVE | PS5, PS4, Steam Launch Trailer here.

LIVE A LIVE offers players the freedom to explore eight different stories with eight different characters, each set within different time periods spanning from a pre-historic era to the Wild West, and more. In addition to a unique and highly strategic battle system referred to as “checker battle system”, players can also enjoy mastering a wide variety of different gameplay mechanics in each chapter, such as stealth, suspense and trap placement. Players will also be able to tailor their gameplay adventure to their preference; the episodic story format gives players the freedom to complete each chapter from start to finish in any order they choose, or even play through a little of each chapter in parallel at the same time.

Produced by Takashi Tokita (CHRONO TRIGGER and FINAL FANTASY IV), the director of the original version, LIVE A LIVE has been revitalised using HD-2D technology that blends the nostalgia of pixel art with modern graphics, offering a classic RPG gameplay experience with updated visuals on both PS4, PS5 and PC. Players can also look forward to a rearranged version of the game’s soundtrack which has been recreated under the supervision of LIVE A LIVE’s original composer, Yoko Shimomura (FINAL FANTASY XV, The KINGDOM HEARTS Series).

A free playable demo is available to download from the PlayStation Store and STEAM. In the LIVE A LIVE demo, players will be able to play the opening sections of three of the eight stories in the game: The Wild West, Twilight of Edo Japan, and The Distant Future. Upon purchase, PlayStation and STEAM* players will also be able to carry over their saved progress to the full version of the game**, allowing them to continue their gameplay experience from where they left off when the game launches.

LIVE A LIVE is now available digitally on the PlayStation 5 console, the PlayStation 4 console and PC via STEAM. Upon purchase via PlayStation Store, players will receive a purchase bonus which includes a PlayStation 4 theme***.  Upon purchase via STEAM, players will receive a wallpaper for PC. A 20% off introductory offer will also be available to STEAM players who purchase the game before May 11, 2023. 

To learn more about LIVE A LIVE, visit: https://www.square-enix-games.com/games/live-a-live.

Cross buy feature is applicable to the PlayStation 4 & PlayStation 5 version of the game.

Save data from the PlayStation 4 main game can be transferred to PlayStation 5 main game via Options Menu on the title screen. Save data from the PlayStation 5 main game cannot be transferred to PlayStation 4 main game.

STEAM players must turn on the Steam Cloud feature in Steam settings before playing the LIVE A LIVE STEAM demo in order to carry over saved demo data to main game.

** LIVE A LIVE Demo saved data can only be carried over on the same platform.

***Those who purchased the PlayStation 5 version will also receive the PlayStation 4 theme.

Related Links:

Official Website: https://www.square-enix-games.com/games/live-a-live

About Square Enix Ltd.

Square Enix Ltd. Develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX and TAITO branded entertainment content in Europe and other PAL territories as part of the Square Enix group of companies. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY, which has sold over 173 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST, which has sold over 85 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS. Square Enix Ltd. Is a London-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

More information on Square Enix Ltd. Can be found at https://square-enix-games.com 

Process of Elimination Review

Process of Elimination

Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Publisher: NIS America
Platforms: Switch, PlayStation 4 (Reviewed)
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $49.99 USD – Available Here

Overview

When it comes to developing a mystery game, having players solve various puzzles, answer questions, and try and deduce the true culprit from evidence have come in many different forms over the years but few, if any, have ever taken Nippon Ichi Software’s approach to the genre. With NIS opting to create their own brand new murder mystery game, the team has fallen back on the type of genre they are most familiar with, strategy RPGs. With Process of Elimination looking to blend SPRG gameplay with visual novel storytelling, is this mystery one that can be solved or is this strange combination too much for even the greatest detective?

Story

The serial killer known as the Quartering Duke has been terrorizing the populace as they publicly broadcast their murders with over a hundred victims to their name. With normal police having no luck in tracking the killer down, it is up to the illustrious Detective Alliance to try and solve the case. Wato Hojo is an unskilled detective that has spent more time cleaning his mentor’s office than actually tracking down clues but he soon finds himself recruited into the elite group of detectives and whisked away to their headquarters on the secluded island of Morgue.

Every detective that is a member of the alliance does so under a codename that best matches their investigation or personality style, such as Rowdy, Booky, or Techie, with their true names being hidden from one another for a number of reasons. With Wato appearing amongst the group with little explanation and no investigation history, he quickly finds himself deemed the “Incompetent Detective.” While this codename may be bad, things are far worse than anyone can imagine as the few assembled detectives find that not only have a large number of their team been murdered upon their arrival to the island, but the most prestigious of them all has gone missing. With it quickly becoming evident that a traitor is amongst the group, the Detective Alliance must discover the truth behind the Quartering Duke before it is too late and with Wato’s skills at handling the group, they may just have a chance.

Although Process of Elimination may take a little bit to get going, it hooks players quickly thanks to the interesting personalities of the colorful detectives that make up the Detective Alliance and only gets more interesting once the story begins to develop and the numerous mysteries come to light. This includes a number of rather shocking twists and reveals that will have players eager for the other proverbial shoe to drop, even if it takes hours to do so. As players progress through the game they will need to uncover how certain events transpired as well as how they might be tied into the Quartering Duke with a number of entertaining and gruesome cases that must be solved and some truly unique twists on familiar concepts. There is nothing better than slowly uncovering how something happened and putting two and two together. Of course, since this is a mystery game with very little in the way of deviation, once players complete the game once and uncover the mysteries there isn’t too much to come back for in the main storyline, especially since the ending itself feels a bit lackluster, however there are some new pieces of content, Residual Thoughts, that are mostly only accessible the second time through the game that not only provides a lot of extra context for certain events but also takes advantage of Process of Elimination’s greatest strength, it’s characters.

The detectives that make up the cast of Process of Elimination are a true delight, thanks in part to some incredibly well done localization by the NIS America staff that has handled the intricacies of the cast quite well with their English translation here. Despite the fact that most characters’ personalities are simple enough to derive from their names, watching this eclectic group of sleuths interact with one another is a constant delight throughout the game, be it them quarreling during a tense moment or having plenty of light banter during the game’s many moments of downtime. It is a bit of a shame that quite a bit of backstory and narrative about a lot of the cast is hidden away in profiles or collectables, especially since revealing this information often paints a far more elaborate picture about what is happening on the island and how this group of detectives are intertwined with the machinations of the Quartering Duke. 

Gameplay

When Process of Elimination is described as being a mystery visual novel with strategy RPG elements it must be said that the balance between these two elements is rather extreme with the visual novel portions easily taking up 85% of the game while actual puzzle solving with the game’s investigation mechanics takes up the remaining 15%. In fact, players will spend over an hour and a half before even touching upon the gameplay elements before having an even longer visual novel section between the first and second chapter. This isn’t too much of a negative since, as mentioned before, the character dynamics and interactions are wonderful but it would be nice to see a bit better balance in this regard, even utilizing small sections of gameplay to handle scenes that are otherwise done through text.

That being said, once players need to investigate a crime, they will actually be given control of nearly every detective on the case with the detectives having their own choice of action that players will then “intervene” with orders of their own. Every map takes place on a grid system with each detective having their own unique stats regarding movement, inspection, assistance, inference, and analyzation though players can use a Map Move system to move a detective anywhere on the map at the cost of them taking no other action that turn. Every map that players must investigate has certain mystery points that contain clues to the mystery and these locations must be analyzed by detectives capable enough to deduce the clue, either solo or as a team. For example, Foodie may not have enough skill to identify something on her own but pairing up with Doleful will provide enough points to reveal the clue.

Some of these clues then must be analyzed by the team, with Techie often being the best around at identifying how exactly the clue plays into the mystery. With the exception of characters moved with map movement, characters can often move and take an action during one turn and players can even opt to take “preliminary investigations” to trigger certain commands early before choosing to move or making another action afterwards. While simple at its core, there are some extra little mechanics here and there that  make investigations a bit more interesting. These involve optional keywords that are often placed away from required locations that reveal more information about the world and characters as well as the fact that players will need to complete investigations within a certain period of time or instantly fail. Along with this time limit players will need to pay close attention to various clues and how some events play out during investigations as there is a multiple choice quiz after every one that goes over the clues, with players needing to build trust with correct answers to get the best result. 

While the game will initially hold the player’s hand a bit during investigations they will quickly find themselves able to do things on their own and often tackling most obstacles as they see fit, though players will need to be careful as later locations can involve dangerous traps that will immediately end the game or feature other difficult challenges. These sudden deaths, combined with the length of some investigations and how simple a lot of the mechanics are, make it incredibly strange that there is no way to actually save during these gameplay moments as the only place to save is during visual novel segments.

Visuals & Audio

With Nippon Ichi Software being the team behind Process of Elimination players should already know they are in for something of a treat as the character portraits are handled exceptionally well with a fitting art style for a visual novel such as this. The unique designs for all of the cast, including Armor, have a wide range of expressions and the game also has a large number of fairly detailed CG scenes as well. This level of detail is unfortunately lost a bit during gameplay where characters are relegated to something akin to board game pieces that vaguely resemble their character outside of interactions and analysis screens that, once again, slip into visual novel format.

With the amount of dialogue in Process of Elimination it comes as no surprise that this fully voiced visual novel has been released in the West with only the original Japanese voice track, especially since the voice actors all portray their characters’ personalities wonderfully and thankfully the English localization is handled quite well. The soundtrack features a number of fitting tracks though a bit more variety may have been nice during some of the longer visual novel segments.

Overall

Process of Elimination tells a great detective story with some outstanding twists that are both surprising and rather brilliant in how they are handled in the grander mystery, even if there are some elements that could be better explored. With an excellent cast of characters serving as the initial hook, players will find themselves eager to find out what happens next, even if the gameplay as actual detectives is rather simple and takes a backseat to the visual novel elements.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Pixel Pulps Paranormal Anthology Continues with Varney Lake Today on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox

The tale started in ‘Mothmen 1966’ continues with ‘Varney Lake’ Launch and ‘Bahnsen Knights’ Demo

VANCOUVER, Canada — April 28, 2023 — Varney Lake, the second visual novel in a series inspired by mid-20th century pulp fiction and ‘80s home computer graphics from developer LCB Game Studio and publisher Chorus Worldwide, investigates a vampiric tale today on PC and Mac via Steam, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Get a taste of the next entry in the Pixel Pulps Anthology, Bahnsen Knights, with a demo included with Varney Lake.

This second entry in the Pixel Pulps Anthology following  paranormal investigator Lou Hill, Varney Lake finds him investigating the story of a supposed vampire encounter in 1954. Jimmy and Christine have murky memories of their childhood vacation where they claim to have met a vampire. Their friend Doug, who was with them, has long since gone missing. Lou Hill must follow the tracks of aged recollections to deduce macabre truths and discover Doug’s fate.

Get to the bottom of these mysteries by setting up camp and navigating the surrounding wilderness via choice-based gameplay seamlessly affecting a branching interactive fiction. Meet a neighboring vampire with a mysterious wound and carefully handle tense scenarios by solving accessible puzzles. Uncover the paranormal investigator’s veiled past in a dual-timeline story inspired by books with choices and branching narratives. Sink into a gripping tale of time and terror as the reality behind Doug’s disappearance comes to light.

After concluding Varney Lake, play the exclusive demo for Bahnsen Knights, the next upcoming Pixel Pulps title, coming to PC via Steam, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch this Q4 2023. Put on the gumshoes of undercover agent Boulder and follow a doomsday cult as they go on ‘route exorcisms’ while biblical storms rip across the country. Uncover why Lou Hill found himself locked in a trunk by the cult in novelist Nico Saraintaris and artist Fernando Martinez Ruppel’s distinct written and visual style.

“Nico and Fer really nailed a new look for horror here,” said Shintaro Kanaoya, founder and CEO of Chorus Worldwide. “Mothmen 1966 stores a lot of its terror in the dark unknown, but with Varney Lake they’ve made horror bright with intrigue, and they truly nail what feels like the end of the world in Bahnsen Knights. We can’t wait for you to see the surprises they have in store.”

“The Pixel Pulps Anthology allows us to explore our many influences and taste in horror,” said Nico Saraintaris, writer and co-founder of LCB Game Studio. “Mothmen 1966, Varney Lake, and Bahnsen Knights all tell their own stories, but share multiple threads of connective tissue.”

Varney Lake is available today on PC and Mac via Steam, PlayStation 5|4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch for $9.99 / €8.99 / £8.49 with support for English, Spanish, German, French, and Japanese languages. Varney Lake also includes a demo for Bahnsen Knights, with the full version arriving Q4 2023 on on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5|4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

For more information, join LCB Game Studio’s Discord, follow LCB Game Studio and Chorus Worldwide on Twitter, check out the PC demo on the official Varney Lake Steam page, and visit Chorus Worldwide’s website.

About LCB Game Studio

Based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, LCB Game Studio was formed by novelist Nico Saraintaris and artist Fernando Martinez. The pair first met in 2012 while working on literary projects, forming their own book publishing house known as Literatura Clase B. Since then, they’ve collaborated on short stories, illustrated novels, video games, comics, and non-traditional narrative experiments. Now, Saraintaris and Martinez are creating “Pixel Pulps,” a fusion of fast-paced writing and stunning illustration inspired by mid-20th century pulp fiction and 80s home computer graphics. 

About Chorus Worldwide

Chorus Worldwide is a global publisher composed of gaming veterans with experience at world-renowned companies including Microsoft, Supermassive Games, and Electronic Arts. Originally created to guide indie developers into the rapidly growing Asian markets, Chorus now works with talented developers across the world, including Argentina, Indonesia, and Malaysia, finding huge success in titles like the acclaimed Coffee Talk, and the Asian releases of The Room and The Room Two.

Honkai: Star Rail – Gameplay

0

When the destructive Antimatter Legion assaults the space station, two mysterious warriors battle in search of our nameless hero only to revive her and leave her to the crew of the Astral Express to help her out. Watch as we play through the tutorials, try our luck with a few pulls, and take on a powerful foe.

Honkai: Star Rail is a new HoYoverse space fantasy RPG. Hop aboard the Astral Express and experience the galaxy’s infinite wonders filled with adventure and thrills. Players will meet new companions across various worlds and maybe even run into some familiar faces. Overcome the struggles together caused by Stellaron and unravel the hidden truths behind it! May this journey lead us starward!

Honkai: Star Rail
Developer: Hoyoverse
Publisher: Hoyoverse
Platform: Windows, PlayStation (coming soon), iOS/Android
Release Date: April 26, 2023
Price: FREE

Available now – https://hsr.hoyoverse.com/

Summary:

Recommended – “Although the gacha rates may be terrible, Honkai Star Rail offers great turn-based RPG combat with plenty of strategy that players can make use of with even 4* characters. Combine this with an interesting sci-fi storyline and this title has the makings to be the next hot gacha.”

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/

KOEI TECMO’s Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty total users exceeds 3.8 million and sells over 1 million units worldwide!

Chinese Martial Arts Thriller Off to a Hot Start Following Popular Demo

Hertfordshire, 28th April 2023 — Today, KOEI TECMO Europe and developer Team NINJA are proud to announce that their dark Three Kingdoms action RPG, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, has achieved sales of over 1 million units worldwide! Total sales are a combination of both physical and digital units across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, and PC via Windows and Steam®. In addition, the total number of players including Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass has now exceeded 3.8 million!

Developed by Team NINJA, the studio behind the popular Nioh series – which has already sold more than 7 million units worldwide – Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty’s original story takes place during the Later Han Dynasty andfeatures a Three Kingdoms overwhelmed by chaos and destruction. With an imperial dynasty on the verge of collapse, it’s up to a nameless militia solder to battle through adversity while fighting for survival in the turbulence of a land plagued by demons and overrun by some of history’s most powerful and intimidating warriors, including Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Sun Jian. To overcome the odds, players will need to awaken their inner strength by mastering the fluid swordplay of the Chinese martial arts, cast Wizardry spells based on the Five Phases (elements), and even summon Divine Beasts as they attempt to unravel the conspiracy surrounding a mysterious and powerful elixir.

In addition to a series of free updates, a selection of upcoming DLC packs will be available to purchase in the coming months. The “Battle of Zhongyuan” DLC pack is scheduled to hit in June, with two more special DLC packs ready to follow.

For more information on Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, visit the official site, ‘Like’ us on Facebook, Join us on the KOEI TECMO Europe Discord server, Follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @koeitecmoeurope or @WoLongOfficial.

ABOUT KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD.

KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, UK. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI TECMO’s best known for their signature ‘one versus thousands’ Warriors series, the fan-favourite Ninja Gaiden and fighting entertainment title Dead or Alive. Through collaboration with strong existing franchises, such as A.O.T. Wings of Freedom (Attack on Titan), has brought fan-favourite shows to life in video game form. The company’s desire for innovation and diversity has seen the creation of the critically acclaimed dark-samurai action title Nioh, which takes on new and unique gameplay styles. The company’s acquisition of GUST, developer of a variety of heart-warming titles, has seen their flagship Atelier series span generations of consoles and fans alike. More information about KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD and its products can be found at www.koeitecmoeurope.com

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty ©KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. All rights reserved. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a trademark of KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. The KT logo is a trademark of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD.

©2023 Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC. “PlayStation Family Mark”, “PlayStation”, “PS5 logo”, “PS5”, “PS4 logo”, “PS4”, “PlayStation Shapes Logo” and “Play Has No Limits” are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

Microsoft, the Xbox Sphere mark, the Series X logo, Series S logo, Series X|S logo, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X|S are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. ©2023 Valve Corporation. Steam and the Steam logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Valve Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.