The co-op sci-fi submarine sim leaves Steam Early Access featuring new and improved monsters, missions, systems, visuals and more!
HAMBURG, Germany — March 13, 2023 — After nearly four successful years in early access, the sci-fi submarine sim Barotrauma is ready to take on its biggest mission yet: full launch! The game will be officially available today on Steam beginning at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. To celebrate this momentous occasion and take players into the depths of Europa, publisher Daedalic Entertainment and developers FakeFish and Undertow Games have released a new cinematic launch trailer teasing the horrors that await you and your crew beneath the waves.
Barotrauma is a sci-fi submarine simulator with both a single-player campaign as well as co-op modes with support for up to 16 players, who must navigate the depths of Jupiter’s frozen moon Europa and fulfill various missions to survive. Together with their passionate and active community, developers FakeFish and Undertow Games have greatly expanded and improved the game since its early access launch in summer 2019. They completely overhauled the campaign and tutorials, added new monsters, missions and outposts, improved graphics and environments, implemented a scripted event system, and much more.
All of this was only possible thanks to the feedback and support of more than 30,000 Discord members, as well as 60,000 player-made entries on Steam Workshop. To show the team’s devotion to their players and fanbase, the developers even added a player-made submarine to the base game as part of a community competition.
Barotrauma’s thrilling and often hilarious chaos is both fun to play and watch, thanks to procedurally generated levels, ridiculous ragdoll physics and full mod support. But beware: some threats are closer than you think. Multiplayer’s “traitor mode” option may randomly assign players as secret conspirators, complete with their own individual missions like assassination or sabotage.
More information is available on the game’s Steam store page.
About FakeFish and Undertow Games (Developers)
Barotrauma began as an open-development project by Undertow Games, the developer of the free open-source horror game SCP – Containment Breach. In early 2018, the award-winning fellow indie studio FakeFish Ltd. joined the project with their team of industry veterans and fresh talents to launch Barotrauma on Steam. Now the joint studio, based in Turku, Finland, develops survival horror PC titles supporting extensive user-generated content and packed with built-in editors.
About Daedalic Entertainment (Publisher)
Daedalic Entertainment publishes and develops high-quality games for all platforms. The company has a diverse line-up of high-quality titles, including classic adventures, RPGs, and strategy and multiplayer games. With an international team of around 90 employees, Daedalic is currently developing a new line-up of innovative games across consoles, PC, and mobile platforms.
Based in Hamburg, Germany, Daedalic is one of Europe’s most acclaimed publishers and developers. With a total of 32 awards in the German Developers Award (including multiple accolades for ‘Studio of the Year’) and 12 German Computer Game Awards for genre-defining games such as Deponia, Edna & Harvey, Silence, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth, The Long Journey Home, and State of Mind, Daedalic is a record holder for the two most prestigious game awards in Germany. Recent publishing hits include Barotrauma, Unrailed!, Iratus: Lord of the Dead, Partisans 1941, and more.
Daedalic is currently developing The Lord of the Rings – Gollum. The story-driven adventure tells the story of Gollum from a perspective never witnessed before in any storytelling media, all the while staying faithful to the legendary books of J.R.R. Tolkien.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – 13th March 2023: PLAION is excited to announce they have partnered with Patches Paradise to create an exclusive collection of twelve bespoke vintage jackets to celebrate the launch of adventure RPG Mato Anomalies in Australia & New Zealand.
Australian small business, Patches Paradise, focuses on sustainable fashion through repurposing vintage denim jackets with art to create one-of-a-kind collectables. They were influenced by Mato Anomalies’ anime-inspired visual novel storyline, when hand-painting our protagonists onto the jackets. Only twelve limited-edition jackets have been created worldwide, turning Mato Anomalies dual protagonists, Doe and Gram, into wearable art.
In Mato Anomalies, players can gather intel as the private detective, Doe, or venture into rifts and battle demonic abominations as the resolute exorcist, Gram. The jackets will allow players to fully immerse themselves in Mato, the fantasised neo-futuristic version of a bygone oriental city, as they team up with unlikely companions and unravel the dark secrets in this story of Duty, Hope and Justice.
To celebrate the launch of Mato Anomalies, two fans across Australia and New Zealand could win one of the exclusive hand-painted jackets. Fans can head to PLAION ANZ’s Twitter page and follow the instructions for their chance to win: https://twitter.com/PLAION_ANZ/.
Mato Anomalies is now available digitally on PlayStation® 4, PlayStation® 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC (only on Steam). Mato Anomalies will release physically on 17th March 2023 across PlayStation® 4, PlayStation® 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo in Australia and New Zealand.
ABOUT MATO ANOMALIES: Mato Anomalies is a turn-based RPG that takes players on a journey across Mato, a fantasised neo-futuristic version of a bygone oriental city. Take control of the Dual Protagonists Doe and Gram to investigate strange anomalies around the city, or venture into rifts to battle demonic abominations determined to bring about the city’s downfall.
ABOUT ARROWIZ:
Established in 2016 by creatives and executives from CCP, Take-Two, Marvel Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Arrowiz is a global video game developer with offices in Shanghai, China and Irvine, California. Initially established to develop products for the VR market with BEATS FEVER (published by Sunsoft in Japan and by Arrowiz globally), the team reimagined its focus towards story-driven video games, with its initial launch HERMITAGE: STRANGE CASE FILES (published by Bilibili for China and by Giiku Games globally) becoming the best-selling Chinese visual novel on Steam in 2019. Arrowiz aims to create innovative, original games and transform world-famous stories into wonderful experiences for global audiences.
ABOUT PRIME MATTER:
Headquartered in Munich, Germany, Prime Matter is the premium gaming label dedicated to delivering a range of diverse and immersive games from amazing gaming development talents all around the globe.
Working across projects of all styles, scopes and sizes, single-player, co-op to live ops, from producing to publishing, from ambitious teams taking their first step that need full support without compromising their dream to larger established successful studios searching that next step in the global market and building of brands.
Prime Matter looks to lead through creativity, expression and passion, with games that will grip and enchant with enthralling story-telling, winning an audience with its incredible moments and larger-than-life experiences. Prime Matter is a proud member of the PLAION Group, formerly known as Koch Media.
ABOUT PLAION: PLAION is a leading independent developer and producer of games and entertainment products, with nine development studios and five publishing units based all over the world. Founded in 1994 as Koch Media, PLAION offers a unique breadth of services and solutions, dynamically growing its business to push ourselves and our partners to the forefront in all the segments we operate in.
PLAION runs a multi-label strategy, with fully owned publishing units, such as Deep Silver, Prime Matter, Milestone, Vertigo Games and Ravenscourt, publishing games for consoles, PC and VR platforms across all physical and digital channels.
Additionally – as a global publishing partner – PLAION has formed long-term multinational publishing collaborations with numerous game publishers including Activision Blizzard, Bethesda, Capcom, Focus Multimedia, Giants Software, Koei Tecmo, Paradox, Sega, SNK, Square Enix, Techland, THQ Nordic, Tripwire, Warner Bros and many others.
With its parent company in Höfen, Austria – and the HQ in Munich, Germany – PLAION owns local publishing companies in Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Australia, the United States as well as Japan and Hong Kong.
PLAION owns nine game development studios: Deep Silver Dambuster Studios (Nottingham, UK), Fishlabs (Hamburg, DE), Warhorse Studios (Prague, CZ), Milestone (Milan, IT), Voxler (Paris, FR) , DigixArt (Montpellier, FR), Flying Wild Hog (Warsaw, Kraków, Rzeszów, PL), Free Radical Design (Nottingham, UK) and Vertigo Games (Rotterdam, Amsterdam, NL). Additionally, PLAION collaborates with numerous independent development studios around the world.
Part of PLAION is also PLAION PICTURES, a leading independent film distributor in Europe with a library of more than 1.400 titles. Further business operations include Sola Media, a sales agency and production company for family entertainment, Spotfilm Networx, a multi-channel streaming network, and a sub-label dedicated to Japanese animation.
PLAION also owns the leading video game merchandise company DPI Merchandising (Denver, Roseburg, USA and Munich, DE) and a Quality Assurance Facility in Olomouc, CZ.
There was a time that when a game was released in Japan with no word of a Western release, fans would be left in the cold. This is especially true when it comes to some more niche titles or survival horror games and one such title that stung back in 2008 was Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse for the Wii. Despite the platform’s popularity, Koei Tecmo never localized this entry in the series leaving fans of the Fatal Frame series in the West with a nine year gap before the eventual Maiden of Black Water release on the Wii U. Following the enhanced multiplatform release of the former title, Koei Tecmo has seen fit to not only revisit Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse but also bring it to the West for the first time ever. So now that this horror title has arrived on current Western platforms, is this niche title worth checking out?
Story
Rogetsu Island has long since become a place where no one dares tread after a mass casualty event eight years prior to the start of the game led to rumors that the island was haunted by dark spirits. Five girls who were once kidnapped and taken to the island ten years ago have grown up but in the time since their recovery two of them have died horrific deaths due to mysterious means. With the surviving girls believing that their only way to stave off death is to return to the island and recover their lost memories of what happened to them when they were taken, Misaki and Madoka venture into danger. Shortly after Ruka Minazuki also arrives on the island to try and rejoin her fellow survivors only to find that the two girls have already gone missing and the rumors of the island being haunted are as true as the moon in the sky. With Ruka’s mother calling for his assistance, the detective that located the girls a decade prior Choshiro also arrives on the island to track down Ruka and perhaps find the serial killer he was searching for all those years ago.
As usual with the Fatal Frame games, Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a mostly standalone title with only small references to past games that even longtime fans may not catch at first glance. The story throughout this entry is an interesting one since, outside of one, every playable character is suffering from amnesia and will slowly remember events as players begin to unravel the mystery about what happened to the island and the strange rituals that were held there. This slow build of tension works both narratively and moment to moment gameplay as well as players will often never quite know what they will be uncovering next or what type of specter might be ready to attack. Along these same lines, finding various documents and pieces of information throughout the journey helps tell a well-detailed backstory that lays the groundwork quite well for the events that happen to players and, thanks to the way ghosts are handled in this game there is even some extra details to be had here as well.
Rather than throw generic enemies at players, every ghost that attacks the characters has a name that will be revealed when defeated with the Camera Obscura or Spirit Lens flashlight which will appear in a ghost list. This list can contain interesting tidbits about a ghost and it can make for some interesting revelations when players recognize a name that may have appeared in a document. Combine this with a tight setting that really accentuates the spookiness of any situation and there are a lot of scares and tension to be had throughout the game. This level of detail to building a creepy atmosphere on a mysterious island with a dark past shrouded in danger makes for one of the most intriguing storylines Fatal Frame has had even if it may be a bit slow at the start thanks to the amnesiac elements.
Gameplay
Between the game’s origins on the Wii and its design as a horror game, players should expect Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse to feel rather stiff as they play through the game. The fastest characters can move is at a slow jog but given the often tight nature of the corridors and rooms they navigate, this is for the best. Even grabbing items from shelves or the ground is slow and intentional as players will need to keep an eye out in case a ghostly arm tries to grasp at them losing health and the item in the process. Unfortunately, when it comes to actually trying to locate items in the environment things can be a bit on the rough side as well. A helpful light will appear when players are near an item but almost every object, outside of most notes, must first be revealed by the character’s flashlight. To do this the player must aim the flashlight at the item’s location or at least near it but thanks to an uncooperative camera and some strange instances that saw an object not be revealed multiple times, the mechanic does struggle a bit.
Thankfully the title does offer a quick-turn option which can be useful when encountering the many specters and wraiths that will attack everyone. As the girls, players will battle against the numerous ghosts that attack them using the Camera Obscura. Taking photos of ghosts damages them and will often stun them out of an incoming attack though waiting to take a shot until right before a ghost attacks will trigger a “Fatal Frame” that will not only deal a lot of damage while stunning the target but also allow for multiple photos to be shot in rapid succession rather than having to wait for the film to reload like usual. Choshiro on the other hand can make use of his Spirit Flashlight to dish out larger areas of damage at a rapid pace compared to camera flashes, but not only must the flashlight recharge by not being aimed at a target, players will also need to be careful of the lens it has equipped to it. Choshiro can indeed take photos of wraiths that appear randomly using a camera lens but this does zero damage to hostile ghosts, making his battles and exploration a bit of a juggling act.
As players take photos, they can make use of special lenses that use spiritual power to cause various effects to happen ranging from dealing extra damage to stunning ghosts for a long period of time while also being able to change what types of film they wish to use, with better film dealing more damage but coming in short supply. Of course, since these are ghosts players are dealing with they can not only teleport around the player but also travel through walls and furniture. Each character is given a directional compass that points roughly where a ghost will be coming from, but since they can appear through walls players will always need to be vigilant.
In a rather interesting fashion, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse also features certain ghosts that can “bloom” after being defeated once, making them return in a stronger and more aggressive form that players will need to put down a second time. Combine these ghosts’ abilities to travel through objects, tight quarters, and some stiff movement controls and most encounters can feel incredibly tense while rarely feel cheap or too limited by poor controls. That being said, a few smaller encounters can feel a bit too basic as players wait for ghosts to travel through walls only to be shot and teleport back into a wall once again, becoming a waiting game with little actual danger.
Puzzles and exploration in Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse are handled quite well with a few being solid head-scratchers mixed in with some standard easy to solve challenges. Traveling around the derelict halls and decrepit areas of Rogetsu Island make for some solid exploration and catching glimpses of apparitions to take a quick snapshot of is always interesting. Unfortunately some directions are a bit on the vague side and players will often need to backtrack through locations a few too many times.
As players defeat ghosts using the camera and flashlight or take photos of non-hostile apparitions they will obtain points that can then be exchanged at save points. These points can be exchanged for healing items, stronger film to target ghosts, and for costumes and accessories. These costumes are a bit light on fanservice compared to more recent releases but are fairly fitting given the franchise’s history. It is also worth noting that healing items obtained for one character do not carry over to the rest of the cast, meaning players will need to be careful should they find themselves at low health only to find out that all of their health is with Rika. Something that is shared between characters are the various blue and red upgrade stones that players can use to upgrade the cameras, flashlight, and lenses to do things such as increase damage, reload faster, and more though the upgrades themselves are also character specific.
Visuals & Audio
With Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse originally releasing a decade and a half ago the team at Koei Tecmo has done quite a great job bringing the title to modern platforms. Most of the human character models are well-detailed with plenty of variety in costumes while the ghosts themselves are truly terrifying to see as many of their models have been touched up and look great when viewed through the Camera Obscura. The same cannot quite be said about some of the textures in the game as many locations throughout the game may look decent at a distance or simply walking through but look incredibly rough when viewed through the camera. It is also worth noting that nearly all of the game’s cutscenes that do not use the character models appear to have gone untouched.
As for the voice work, Koei Tecmo has chosen to release the game with only the Japanese voice track accompanied by English subtitles. This works well enough and is fitting given the game’s setting based around various elements of Japanese mythology. The sound effects and cries from the ghosts that players battle against provide some great atmospheric sounds making sure that players never quite know whether they are safe exploring an area, especially since some ghosts do reappear while backtracking.
Overall
With a great mystery to uncover alongside a solid storyline that takes a bit to get going, those looking for some classic Japanese horror will find that Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse delivers it in spades. This remaster of the 2008 release has certainly touched up the visuals in most regards and still delivers plenty of great scares thanks to the unique atmosphere combined with the janky limited controls of the era that still remain in this latest version of the game.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
As Doe we explore the mysteries of the city to right some wrongs and uncover recent strange occurrences only to switch to Gram to battle against powerful demons that appear within demonic rifts in Mato Anomalies.
Mato Anomalies takes players on a journey through a neo-futuristic version of a bygone oriental city. Investigate strange happenings across the city and uncover secrets behind the walls. Join a cast of enigmatic unlikely heroes in this anime-inspired RPG experience.
Mato Anomalies Developer: Arrowiz Publisher: Prime Matter Platform: PS4/PS5, Xbox One, XBox Series X, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam) Release Date: 11 Mar, 2023 Price: $39.99 USD
DECEIVE INC. Cross-Platform Open Beta Begins Today; Developer Sweet Bandits Studios and Publisher Tripwire Presents Share New Gameplay-Focused Developer Diary
DeveloperSweet Bandits Studios and publisher Tripwire Presents, are happy to share that the DECEIVE INC. Open Beta deploys today for all supported platforms ahead of the game’s full launch on March 21, 2023, for PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store), the PlayStation®5 computer entertainment system, and the Xbox Series X|S console systems. The team behind DECEIVE INC. has also shared a brand-new developer diary to celebrate the launch of the Open Beta, showcasing the setting, agents, and tactics players can employ in their mission to secure the objective against rival spies.
The DECEIVE INC. Open Beta, featuring cross-platform support, is scheduled to run from March 10 @ 2 p.m. EST through March 13 @ 11 a.m. EST, and will be available to play for free on all platforms that the game will support at launch. The open beta includes access to all eight launch-day agents and two maps: “Hard Sell” and “Fragrant Shore”, offering two distinctive locales to conduct expert espionage. Aspiring agents looking to stake their claim on upcoming super spy assignments can pre-order the DECEIVE INC. Standard Edition for a MSRP of $19.99 USD or the DECEIVE INC. Black Tie Edition for a MSRP of $29.99 USD. Players eager to learn more can join the DECEIVE INC. community on the official Discord or visit https://deceiveinc.com.
The latest developer diary takes a deep dive into the eccentric world of DECEIVE INC., exploring its colorful cast of characters, diverse gadgetry, and unique locations. DECEIVE INC. is set in a world where governments are prohibited from having their own intelligence services, which has led to a surge in privatized spy companies, including the titular DECEIVE INC. These agencies employ the best spies from across the globe, with each playable character having a distinct backstory and skillset to match a variety of different playstyles.
Regardless of the agent players choose, there are a host of high-tech gadgets to help on missions such as an inflatable bouncing pad for a quick escape, a spyglass to obtain intel from afar, and even a device to mimic surrounding objects to hide in plain sight! The developers also discuss the design philosophy for the maps and the look and feel of the game as a whole, citing a desire to blend classic spy fantasies with bright colors and bold lines to make each level, character, and object pop.
Tactical Adventures ushers in the next ice age with an all-new story campaign that concludes the award-winning cRPG, Solasta: Crown of the Magister storyline
Friday, March 10, 2023 (Paris, France) – Two years on from the release of the award-winning, critically-acclaimed cRPG, Solasta: Crown of the Magister, Tactical Adventures has announced the biggest campaign in the series – Solasta: Palace of Ice, which will launch in May 2023.
The Palace of Ice campaign is a new premium DLC that gives players over 25 hours of new content, and that takes place following the end of the original Crown of the Magister campaign. Designed with higher level characters in mind (level 10-16), players will discover entirely new locations and weather effects, as well as new enemy types and high level character development (spells, items, armors, etc).
And that’s not all! New dungeon maker environments have been added, as well as two new races to complete your party – Gnomes and Tieflings.
Solasta: Crown of the Magister has recently won an award for ‘Best Game as a Service’ at The Pegases Awards in Paris, France, on 9 March.
This new campaign sees the Soraks infiltrating Gallivan and threatening the Snow Alliance after making a deal with the demons. The heroes will have to deal with the Soraks and Demons to allow the Snow Alliance to elect a new speaker.
An all-new free content update will also provide more faces for character creation, the ability to play levels 12-16, plus a world map and NPC follower system in Dungeon Maker.
The brand new Palace of Ice DLC will release alongside Solasta: Lightbringers Edition. Available to purchase on PC at the end of May, this complete collection features the Solasta: Crown of the Magister base game, as well as all previous DLC content packs, like Inner Strength and Lost Valley.
Mathieu Girard, CEO of Tactical Adventures, said:
“We have been overwhelmed by the reception from the RPG community in the two years since we launched Solasta: Crown of the Magister. Having some media refer to our last campaign DLC – Lost Valley – as ‘the perfect DnD RPG’ has been humbling, and challenged us to deliver something equally as ambitious for Palace of Ice. Players can expect to explore more of the world of Solasta, meet new characters, and tackle new strategic scenarios in this challenging, high level campaign.”
The Palace of Ice DLC will retail for $14.99 / €14,99 / £14.99.
Tactical Adventures is a videogame development studio, created in 2018 by Mathieu Girard, who previously co-founded Amplitude Studios. Located in the heart of Paris, Tactical Adventures is a self-published studio, aiming to create immersive & tactical videogames within the RPG genre. One of the key strengths of the studio’s philosophy revolves around the recruitment of experienced team members, organized into agile teams, whose development process & decisions will be made in collaboration with their community.
Resident Evil 4 Demo Arrives Today Exoprimal Release Date Announced for July 14 Exoprimal Open Beta takes place from March 17 Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective Release Date Announced for June 30
March 10th, 2023 – Today’s Capcom Spotlight provided a look at what’s new and upcoming in the world of Capcom! The digital broadcast unveiled new updates on future titles, including a thrilling demo for the reawakened Resident Evil™ 4 dropping today, the latest dinosaur forecasts for the launch of Exoprimal™ on July 14 and its open beta test coming next week, plus a June 30 release date for the revival of Ghost Trick™: Phantom Detective.
The Capcom Spotlight event also confirmed the Monster Hunter™ Rise: Sunbreak expansion will spread its wings to Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation™ systems on April 28, transmitted the latest download on fresh features making the leap to Mega Man™ Battle Network Legacy Collection, introduced the final in-game commentator for Street Fighter™ 6, and more!
The entire Capcom Spotlight event is available to view on the official Capcom YouTube and Twitch channels.
Resident Evil 4 Demo Arrives Today!
Resident Evil 4 producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi joined the presentation to announce the Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw Demo comes out later today! There are no limits for how many times players can experience this new reimagining of Leon’s first steps into the mysterious European village. The Chainsaw Demo will be available for PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
We hope the Chainsaw Demo prepares fans for the horrors that await when Resident Evil 4 releases on March 24, 2023 for PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. In addition to the Standard Edition, Resident Evil 4 launches with a digital “Deluxe Edition”. The Deluxe Edition features additional in-game content, including costumes, weapons, a treasure map, and more. Those who pre-order the Standard Edition will receive in-game rewards, including the “Attaché Case: Gold” and “Special Charm: Handgun Ammo,” while pre-orders of the Deluxe Edition also include the “Attaché Case: Classic” and “Special Charm: Green Herb” items. These customization items offer specific in-game abilities when equipped.
Exoprimal Suits up to Take Down Dinosaur Outbreaks on July 14
Today’s dinosaur forecast revealed Exoprimal will deploy for a battle of the ages on July 14, 2023 across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam.The online team-based action game will be available on day one with Xbox Game Pass for console, PC, and Cloud. Capcom Spotlight also introduced new Exosuits, dinosaurs, and the upcoming Open Beta Test.
The Exoprimal Open Beta Test (OBT) takes place next week. The wargames run Friday, March 17 at 00:00 GMT – Sunday, March 19 at 23:59 GMT on all platforms. The OBT will feature cross-platform matchmaking, enabling Exofighter squads to compete against rival units on other systems. Players will also have the opportunity to try all 10 Exosuits, including the two unveiled today. As a special bonus, all OBT participants will qualify to receive an Aibius Medal charm to kit out their Exosuits in the full game.
Krieger and Nimbus are the latest Exosuits to join the action. Each model has unique powers to assist their allies on the battlefield. Krieger has a heavy arsenal geared to stop enemies in their tracks. This hulking Tank-type Exosuit wields heavy artillery to protect the team with formidable suppressive firepower. Meanwhile, Nimbus is a highly mobile Support-type Exosuit. This roller-skating pistoleer can rush into combat with guns ablaze or weave through dinosaur swarms to heal injured squadmates.
The broadcast also revealed new prehistoric threats that Exofighters must survive while searching for a way to escape the time-bending experiments of the sinister A.I. Leviathan. The armor-plated Stegosaurus is back from the past with the strange new ability to disarm Exosuits with its roars. Also, beware Sinornithosaurus! These winged beasts may be small, but they move in packs and latch onto Exosuits to restrain them. In addition, there are two more mutant variants joining the fray: the Stealth Neosaur and Cryo Neosaur, which use invisibility and ice attacks to shock Exofighters and cause chaos.
Pre-orders for Exoprimal begin today and include three Exosuit skins as a special bonus. Alongside the Standard Edition a digital “Deluxe Edition” is available, which includes the “Head Start Kit” plus “Survival Pass Season 1: Premium Tier” as a limited-time bonus. The Head Start Kit features three more Exosuit skins and early unlock tickets for Nimbus, Vigilant, and Murasame. These Exosuits can also be unlocked through gameplay in the Standard Edition. The Survival Pass rewards players for their in-game progress and has both free and premium tiers. The Season 1 Premium Tier offers an additional 19 Exosuit skins, 10 weapons skins, 4 emotes, 3 decals, and more.
Note: A CAPCOM ID is required to play Exoprimal.
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective Snaps into the Spirit World on June 30
Get ready for a night full of mysteries and unraveling secrets with the revival of Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective releasing worldwide on June 30, 2023! Take part in Sissel’s thrilling adventure as he navigates the world as a spirit stuck on Earth. Originally released on the Nintendo DS™ and created by legendary Ace Attorney™ director Shu Takumi, this remaster includes beautiful and updated high resolution graphics, newly arranged music tracks, unique illustrations, trophies, and more for clever detectives to uncover on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch™, and PC via Steam.
Players can enjoy fresh features that bring Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective back to life, including tons of never-before-seen illustrations, newly arranged versions of all 37 tracks from the original game, and one brand new song from the Ace Attorney composer Masakazu Sugimori to celebrate the release! Trophies can also be won by solving different levels of the game in addition to new-to-console Ghost Puzzles! Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective features 1080p/60fps visuals and optimized UI for both controllers and touch screens (applicable only for platforms with built-in touch screen functionality).
Special pre-order bonuses are available now for Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam! This bonus content grants detectives four changeable side banner backgrounds which include images of Missile, Sissel, Lynne, Kamila, Black Cat, and Ray. The two additional background music tracks “Missile ~ A Courageous Little Animal” and “Chicken Paradise” are also available alongside pre-orders. The previously mentioned bonus content is available for PlayStation 4 for a limited time at game launch!
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Lands on April 28
Attention, Hunters! Following the valiant defense of Kamura against the calamitous forces of the Rampage, a new kingdom from across the sea calls for aid. Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, the massive expansion to the top-selling and award-winning Monster Hunter Rise, sets sail for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4 on April 28, 2023.
Travel with the gallant knight Dame Fiorayne to the port of Elgado Outpost, where they will assist a new cast of allies in determining the source of abnormal monster activity. Combat new foes, learn new devastating techniques, and explore rich new locales on your quest to discover the truth about the Western-horror inspired Three Lords. Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak will launch with all post-release content up to Free Title Update 3 (Ver.13), which includes harrowing encounters such as Chaotic Gore Magala. Information regarding the arrival of future Free Title Updates will be revealed at a later date.
Hunters on Nintendo Switch™ and PC via Steam stay tuned, as updates regarding Free Title Update 5 (Ver.15) will arrive in April.
Street Fighter 6 Drops the Mic with New In-Game Commentator Reveal
Street Fighter 6 is revolutionizing the series with its all-new real-time commentary feature. Today, Capcom announced that popular Japanese actress Hikaru Takahashi joins the fray as the eighth and final in-game commentator at launch. The real-time commentary feature incorporates the voices of popular Fighting Game Community (FGC) commentators and influential personalities to narrate matches in real-time with easy-to-understand gameplay explanations. The four expert play-by-play commentators include Jeremy “Vicious” Lopez, Ryutaro “Aru” Noda, Kosuke Hiraiwa, and Steve “TastySteve” Scott, with a tag team of four Color Commentators including Hikaru Takahashi, Thea Trinidad, H.E. Demon Kakka, and James “jchensor” Chen. Subtitles for the real-time commentary are also available in 13 languages.
Also announced today was the introduction of Rally Support, where commentators will cheer competitors on and amp-up the excitement as the match progresses!
Players around the world can get their hands on all the hard-hitting Street Fighter 6 action starting on June 2, 2023 across PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
More Ways to Play in Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection
Director Masakazu “Mr. Famous” Eguchi gave the download on even more exciting features coded into Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection. All 499 Patch Cards created for Mega Man™ Battler Network 4 onwards will be included in the collection! Previously, these were physical cards only sold in Japan and had to be scanned into the game. Additionally, players who want to focus on experiencing the story of Lan and his Navi, MegaMan.EXE,can now use the new Buster MAX Mode, which will be automatically disabled for online NetBattles. This mode multiplies the damage of MegaMan.EXE’s MegaBuster shot by 100, helping you breeze through NetBattles and enjoy the story! Speaking of enjoying a story, starting on March 21 the first two seasons of the Mega Man™ NT Warrior animated series will be free to watch! Check out the official Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection website for more information.
Experience all 10 mainline Mega Man™ Battle Network titles when Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection jacks into PlayStation®4, Nintendo Switch™, and PC via Steam on April 14, 2023! Pre-orders are available now for the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection bundle. Those who pick up the collection before launch will get two additional skins for the 3D MegaMan on the launcher screen, as well as four bonus tracks to enjoy on the Music Player. Digital versions of Volumes 1 and 2 can also be purchased separately at launch.
Capcom 40th Anniversary
Capcom celebrates its 40th anniversary this year and today’s festivities also included the unveiling of Capcom Town, a digital theme park that commemorates the historic milestone. Fans can look forward to exploring a digital museum and more when Capcom Town opens its doors on June 12, 2023.
***
About Capcom
Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment for game consoles, PCs, handheld and wireless devices. Founded in 1983, the company has created hundreds of games, including groundbreaking franchises Resident Evil™, Monster Hunter™, Street Fighter™, Mega Man™, Devil May Cry™ and Ace Attorney™. Capcom maintains operations in the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Tokyo, with corporate headquarters located in Osaka, Japan. More information about Capcom and its products can be found at www.capcom.com or news.capcomusa.com.
Capcom, and the Capcom logo are registered trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd. in the U.S. or other countries. Ace Attorney, Devil May Cry, Mega Man, Monster Hunter, Resident Evil and Street Fighter are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries, in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
The saga of GTA Online:Los Santos Drug Wars reaches its eye-popping conclusion with an explosion of hallucinations, kidnapping, and revenge in TheLast Dose.
Reach the bottom of the rabbit hole in five new story missions, free for all GTA Online players, that reveal the mysterious connection between Los Santos’ illicit drug trade and the pharmaceutical industry, as Dr. Isiah Friedlander returns to the fray to wreak havoc in this mind-bending and twisted finale arriving March 16.
Settle down in an idyllic fantasy town inRune Factory 3 SpecialLaunching 5th September 2023 on Nintendo Switch
Marvelous Europe Announces September 5th Release Date and Limited Edition for Expanded Version of Classic RPG/Life Sim
Sydney, Australia – 10th March, 2023 – Marvelous Europe today announced that Rune Factory 3 Special, an expanded remake of the classic entry in the long-running fantasy life-sim series, will release on September 5th 2023on the Nintendo Switch™ system across Europe and Australia.
Rune Factory 3 Special is available for physical pre-purchase for the Nintendo Switch™ system through participating retailers. A Limited Edition version of the game will be available, including a 140-page A5 notebook, character stickers, Micah-themed pin badges, a woven patch, an A3 poster, plus access to the in-game “Swimsuit Mode” allowing for characters to appear in their swimsuits year-round, all housed in a custom outer box featuring an original Rune Factory 3 Special illustration inspired by the game’s anime opening.
In Rune Factory 3 Special players take on the role of Micah, a young man with the power to turn into a golden sheep-like monster known as a wooly. Rescued by a young woman after falling headfirst into the provincial town of Sharance, Micah awakens with no memories of his past and soon finds himself embroiled in a longstanding conflict between humans and monsters. Micah must work to build bridges between the races to restore peace, all while uncovering a shocking secret of his own.
Featuring brand new content including Newlywed Mode, a set of standalone adventures unlocked after marriage to each of the game’s 11 eligible bachelorettes and a “Hell” difficulty level to challenge even veteran players!
Whether it’s a first visit or a return to Sharance after a long time away, players can experience the unforgettable story of Rune Factory 3 with improved graphics and redesigned 3D character models.
Published in Europe and Australia by Marvelous Europe and in North America by XSEED Games, Rune Factory 3 Special is scheduled for release on the Nintendo Switch™ system and Windows PC via Steam on September 5th, 2023. This title has been rated PG on the ACB rating system.
Marvelous Europe is the publisher behind Mandragora, Nova Antarctica and Ninja or Die, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Marvelous Inc., developer of the beloved Story of Seasons (known as Harvest Moon prior to 2013) and Rune Factory series.
Established in 2012, Marvelous Europe is passionate about helping games to reach a global audience while nurturing emerging developers and studios. With decades of experience and strong ties to the worldwide indie game dev community, the highly skilled European team is committed to supporting studios worldwide find success, while continuing to publish and distribute select Marvelous Inc. content.
The first season of For Honor’s Year 7, Heresy, brings a new Hero skin and event
Sydney, Australia — March 10, 2023 — Today, Ubisoftrevealed the first season of For Honor’s Year 7, Heresy, available on March 16. This season kicks off Year 7 in For Honor, which will add four action-packed seasons with two new Heroes, four new Hero skins, four Battle Passes, Calendar Events, Throwback Events, Testing Grounds, three Hero Fests per Title Update, and more content to be revealed later on.
In Year 7 Season 1, the relics uncovered in the past year amassed a following of Fanatics. Following accusations of heresy, an Inquisition is formed to purge all Fanatics from Heathmoor. The Pirate Yinchen, once an Inquisitor, realizes that neither side are blameless. To stop the bloodshed, she begins a quest to destroy the relics in Season 1 Heresy.
Take part in Heathmoor’s war of faith with the Inquisitor Yinchen Hero Skin, available at season launch for 25,000 Steel or in a bundle with 7-Day Champion Status and three scavenger crates for $17.95 AUD. In addition, players can jump into the launch event, Heresy of the Relics, until April 6 with new lootable weapons, a free event pass, and more. Players must capture zones to gain points and put the other team in breaking but with a twist: each Capture point results in a buff applied to each team member.
Year 7 Season 1’s Battle Pass will be available at launch with 100 tiers of different rewards reflecting the season’s theme. Players can grab the traditional Battle Pass for $14.95 AUD, or the Battle Bundle is available for $37.95 AUD, which includes the Battle Pass and instantly unlocks 25 tiers.
With over 30 million players, For Honor is available on PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and Windows PC, as well as on Ubisoft+, the Ubisoft subscription service. For Honor is also playable on PlayStation®5 and Xbox Series X|S through backward compatibility.
For more information about For Honor, please visit forhonorgame.com and follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/forhonorgame and on Twitter at twitter.com/forhonorgame.
For the latest about For Honor and other Ubisoft games, please visit news.ubisoft.com.
About For Honor
Developed by Ubisoft Montreal in collaboration with other Ubisoft studios,* For Honor offers an engaging campaign and thrilling multiplayer modes. Players embody warriors of the four great factions – the bold Knights, the brutal Vikings, the deadly Samurai and the fearsome Wu Lin – fighting to the death on intense and believable melee battlefields. The Art of Battle, the game’s innovative combat system that puts players in total control of their warriors, allows them to utilize the unique skills and combat style of each hero to vanquish all enemies who stand in their way.
*Associate Ubisoft studios include Quebec, Toronto and Blue Byte. Additional development from Studio Gobo.
About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a creator of worlds, committed to enriching players’ lives with original and memorable entertainment experiences. Ubisoft’s global teams create and develop a deep and diverse portfolio of games, featuring brands such as Assassin’s Creed ®, Brawlhalla®, For Honor®, Far Cry®, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon®, Just Dance®, Rabbids, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six®, The Crew®, Tom Clancy’s The Division®, and Watch Dogs®. Through Ubisoft Connect, players can enjoy an ecosystem of services to enhance their gaming experience, get rewards and connect with friends across platforms. With Ubisoft+, the subscription service, they can access a growing catalog of more than 100 Ubisoft games and DLC. For the 2021–22 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated net bookings of €2,129 million. To learn more, please visit: www.ubisoftgroup.com.
