Delve into the Twisted Subconscious of the Dead in This Gorgeous Gothic Mystery Now Available as a Free Demo During Steam’s Next Fest
LOS ANGELES – FEBRUARY 6, 2023 – Publisher Rogue Games and developer Plot Twist Studio have announced that cinematic Lovecraftian action-platformer The Last Case of Benedict Fox arrives April 27 on PC (Steam and Epic Games Store) and Xbox Series X|S. Players can now explore the carnal horrors of this Victorian-period mystery draped in gothic stylings with a free playable demo during Steam Next Fest, beginning today through February 13.
Check out new gameplay footage of The Last Case of Benedict Fox HERE:
Winner of the Gamescom 2022 Award for “Most Wanted Microsoft Xbox Game,” The Last Case of Benedict Fox will run at full 4K and 60 frames per second to bring the nightmarish realm of trauma and tribulations to life.
Step into 1925 Boston as the eponymous self-proclaimed detective to experience the deep mauve haze, sinister spires, foreboding footpaths, and unnerving reverberations of Limbo. As Benedict, you will delve further into oblivion to uncover the truth behind a mystifying family tragedy while answering to the whims of a demon that possesses his soul. Delve into memories of the dead through a chilling narrative interwoven with exhilarating combat and mind-bending puzzle design. Explore the arcane realms of life and death in the universe of Limbo as far as your psyche will allow, but beware, this case can easily consume you… leaving behind a never-ending and nightmarish comatose in its wake. Will this case be solved, or will you succumb to the insanity?
The Last Case of Benedict Fox Gameplay Features:
Descend into Limbo – Benedict Fox’s bond with his demon companion allows him to descend into the consciousness of a deceased person, placing him into the world of Limbo. The mind is a dangerous place – with powerful emotions and painful memories! As the detective uncovers more clues, Limbo shifts and danger lurks.
Demon-Enhanced Combat System – Players will encounter ruthless and dangerous enemies on their journey to solve the case. Utilize a combination of various objects, environmental surroundings, weapons, and traversal abilities to overcome danger that awaits.
A Grim Mystery – As Benedict settles into the colonial manor of the family he is investigating, a rich and tragic story unfolds as he explores their intimate and disturbing story.
Burtonesque Art Style – Become entranced by the dramatic gothic cinematic visual design inspired by film noir and Lovecraftian nightmares as you explore, traverse and progress through Limbo on your journey to solve the last case of Benedict Fox.
Sink into an enrapturing storyline, breathtaking hi-fidelity art and pulse-pounding combat when The Last Case of Benedict Fox arrives April 27 on PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, and Xbox X|S. Download the free limited-time Steam Next Fest demo beginning today.
ABOUT ROGUE GAMES Rogue, founded by industry leaders with more than 150+ years of games publishing experience, brings innovative and distinct games to the masses. Its extensive portfolio of games, which spans console, PC, and mobile, features award-winning hit titles including Arcanium, Monomals, Super Impossible Road, SPRAWL, and Swordcar. Rogue also recently announced key partnerships with Bloober Team and Netflix to bring a broad range of badass games to market.
Rogue is headquartered in San Mateo with offices in Los Angeles and Seattle.
ABOUT PLOT TWIST STUDIO Plot Twist (Formerly known as Awesome Industries) came to life in 2013. The company creates video games for PC and consoles. In the early years, the company focused on mobile projects. The most important game in the company’s portfolio to date is Drift Zone. The title premiered in 2014 in Google Play and Appstore, and in the following years also on PC and consoles. 2020 marked the premiere of a new edition of the project – Drift Zone Arcade for Nintendo Switch. Since 2021 Plot Twist is a joint-stock company. Currently the studio is working on The Last Case of Benedict Fox. A Metroidvania set in a fantastic world full of secret organizations, demons and the occult, which is a mixture of Lovecraft’s nightmares, noir stories, and early 20th-century jazz. The game is seen as a title that pushes the genre forward in ways players would never expect.
Try the demo before the game’s release this summer!‘
Singapore, February 6th, 2022 – Indie developer Good Morning Games and publisher The Iterative Collective are proud to announce that their physics-based dungeon crawler Knight Crawlers will have a playable demo at Steam Next Fest. Set to release on Steam in summer 2023, Knight Crawlers is an ARPG with ragdoll combat that allows for endless runs as well as co-op and PvP.
Play as a Crawler and fight your way through the Lost Realms, picking up new equipment and skills by defeating waves of enemies in wacky, physics-based combat. With a unique balance of punishing combat and madcap humour, see the dungeon crawler genre in a new light as you explore and conquer this magical world. Knight Crawlers has a roguelite progression system, allowing players to pick up permanent bonuses between runs, as well as a wide variety of physical, ranged, and magical weapons to learn and master.
About Good Morning Games: Good Morning Games is a husband and wife founded indie game development studio. Established in 2021, they are working on their debut title, Knight Crawlers, a physics-based action RPG.
About The Iterative Collective The Iterative Collective is an incubator and publisher for indie games. It was founded in 2019 by game developers who set out to tackle the problems faced by studios in the games industry. With an experienced core team, as well as a network of industry veteran mentors, The Iterative Collective provides a holistic and structured approach to incubation and publishing of independent games. This incubation framework, developed jointly with the mentors, ensures that game development studio partners produce games of a world-class standard.
Hertfordshire, 6th February 2023 – At this weekend’s Taipei Game Show 2023, KOEI TECMO and developer GUST Studios revealed new gameplay elements for Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key, including the first news detailing the new Atelier’s World Quests, along with building and cooking features. In addition, KOEI TECMO Europe unveiled the Opening Movie and new exclusive artwork to excite fans before the game’s scheduled release on 24th March 2023. The third game in the popular “Secret” trilogy is currently in development for the Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Windows PC via Steam.
Dive into Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key Opening Movie on YouTube
In Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key, players will investigate a strange group of islands and explore various regions while attempting to unravel a mysterious new threat to their hometown. Throughout their adventure, they will pick up randomly generated quests, but will also encounter a new type of quests, World Quests. By completing these quests, each specific to the regions they travel through, players will learn more about the territories and the colourful characters they meet along the way. But beware, completing a World Quest may results in changes to the field and other areas!
As players explore the regions, they will discover bonfires scattered throughout the field where their party can to rest and Ryza can cook delicious recipes for herself and her friends. This new Atelier cooking system enables players to obtain recipes by completing quests, helping to enhance their party in a variety of ways, and even allowing for a whole new strategy level when challenging strong enemies. Bonfires also allow Ryza and her friends to rest, changing the time of the day and therefore enemies nearby.
In addition to building bonfires, players will also be able to build their own atelier in each region to serve as a base for the adventure. The atelier provides various effects depending on the building style as players will be able to choose from three different types of structures: the research base, which is advantageous for exploration, the farm for gathering, and the laboratory for synthesis. Ryza’s friend, the fan-favourite Puni, will accompany her in each atelier after construction.
Players will be able to feed and raise them into the Puni of their liking, with their appearance changing depending on the food they eat. Players will even be able to send Puni out into the world to collect materials for them. Along with the all-new game details, KOEI TECMO Europe revealed beautiful new artwork of Ryza in action. Created by Toridamono, the Atelier Ryza series illustrator, this artwork will be the inlay of the physical version of Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key and will remain exclusive to the European and American versions of the game.
KOEI TECMO Europe revealed previously that it will be releasing two delightful special edition versions of Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key – a Premium Box and a Special Collection Box, available exclusively through the KOEI TECMO Europe Online Store. The Premium Box version of the game includes an Art Book, a B2 cloth poster featuring an original art piece, a set of two illustrated clear files, a mini acrylic character charm, an early-access DLC costume for Ryza and a copy of the game all packed into a beautiful collectable box. The must-have Special Collection Box version of the game features all of the contents in the Premium Box version, as well as an Original Key Case, an A1 wall scroll featuring an original art piece, a selection of acrylic charms featuring the cover art from each game in the trilogy, and a set of twelve illustration cards.
These products are now available to pre-order. To learn more about these special editions, and future offerings, be sure to sign-up to the KOEI TECMO Europe Online Store mailing list.
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key also features an Early Purchase bonus. Anyone who purchases a physical or digital copy of the game within two weeks after launch will be able to download a special set of seven Summer Look costumes. These costumes may be available for purchase at a later date. For more information on Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key, check out the official site, ‘Like’ us on http://www.facebook.com/koeitecmogames, and Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @koeitecmoeurope.
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 http://www.koeitecmoeurope.com
Crowd Control Features Setting Sail Today Alongside v1.0
SAN FRANCISCO – Feb. 6, 2022 –Waves of Steel, the build-your-own-battleship (BYOB) arcade naval combat sim from TMA Games, has successfully navigated the waters of Early Access. Today, it finally docks at v1.0, bearing a weighty cargo of new over-the-top naval combat gameplay. All this new content is available today for PC gamers.
Venture into v1.0’s single player campaign, now including the debut of the final 7 of the story’s 33 missions. Confront brand-new threats, including ships that can transform into Gundam-inspired mechs, and the overwhelming power of “The Biggest Gun”. Equip ships with beyond-cutting-edge weaponry like railguns and plasma torpedoes. Experiment with special abilities that let a 50000-ton warship dance like a fighter jet.
Upgrade your mighty vessel by collecting the remains of fallen foes and discovering hidden treasures. Customize the more than 50 different playable ships with over 450 different ship parts. Make any ship as historically (in)accurate as you want with custom flags, paint jobs, and decals.
Take advantage of the game’s extensive accessibility options: customize controls, set any or all weapons to autofire, change the HUD’s colors, and even tweak the game’s speed. Set up grand melees in Free Play mode against your choice of ships from across the entire campaign. Anyone and everyone can take to the captain’s chair and conquer the cartoonishly dangerous waters of Waves of Steel.
“The gunners are awaiting your orders, and the horizon is beckoning,” said Chris Weisiger, Founder of TMA Games. “Waves of Steel isn’t pulling any punches. This is my passion project. I spent nearly four years making it the game I always wanted to play when I was a kid. Along the way, I’ve added every little detail I could think of. There’s minigames, bonus missions, and tons of extra content crammed into every corner of the ocean!”
Streamer captains can put fate in the hands of viewers, thanks to Crowd Control integration. The audience can call down raining meteors and orbital lasers, scramble your controller, activate cheats like Big Head Mode, and even turn individual enemy ships into specially-named minibosses.
Waves of Steel leaves Steam Early Access on Windows PCs today for $14.99 at a launch discount of 25%, or $19.99 for the game and its soundtrack. For more information on Waves of Steel, please visit the official website and follow on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and join the community Discord.
About TMA Games
TMA Games is a San Francisco-based game development studio aiming to create a welcoming space within the game dev community full of respect, kindness, and a firm rejection of hatred and bigotry. Waves of Steel marks the developer’s first release, with many more “dream projects” on the horizon upon its completion.
With Intergalactic Power Comes Intergalactic Responsibility
Shenzhen, China, February 6th, 2023 – Smartmelon Games is offering players a playable sneak peak at its upcoming sci-fi narrative potboiler Lightracer Spark ahead of its Spring release. This new demo is only available for one week as part of Steam Next Fest from February 6th-13th at 10am PST, so don’t delay in checking it out!
Lightracer Spark is the follow-up to Smartmelon’s acclaimed mobile hit, Lightracer Ignition, which has 5.5M players all over the world, and won for Best Mobile Game in IndiePlay China 2020. Don’t worry if you’ve not played Lightracer Ignition though, as Lightracer Spark works as a standalone story featuring an all new intergalactic adventure of advanced civilizations deciding the fate of the universe.
Part visual novel, part management sim, and part RPG, Lightracer Spark puts you in the role of an advanced being called the Amender, who has descended to various extraterrestrial worlds. Here you must make choices to guide various civilizations to prosperity… or stave off their progress, should you desire. Accumulate strength through your decisions, break through the shackles of time and space towards the center of the universe, and grasp the rise and fall of all civilizations!
Players will manipulate territory on the planet Originum, as well as building celestial projects around the world. By managing resources and influencing the landscape, you’ll greatly affect the way the planet’s inhabitants evolve and progress.
In addition to forging the evolution of a singular planet, you’ll also be able to make deals with highly advanced civilizations. Through a technology called “Worldline Switching”, you’ll be able to travel to the center of the universe and confront powerful civilizations that affect the laws of nature… or ignite new sparks in the dark depths of space.
“This new demo of Lightracer Spark introduces players to the Amender and the tough decisions you’ll face as an advanced being in charge of managing an entire planet,” said Dequan Zheng, the CEO of Smartmelon Games.“We hope this taste of the adventure piques players’ interest in continuing the epic Lightracer saga!.”
Hamburg, Germany – February 6, 2023 – After six massive content updates over two years of Early Access development, independent AA developer ROCKFISH Games is excited to share their much-anticipated open world space looter-shooter, EVERSPACE 2, will be releasing on PC on April 6 and on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in Summer 2023.
“EVERSPACE 2 has been, by far, our biggest and most ambitious project at ROCKFISH Games and a true labour of love over the five years it’s been in development, the last two of which in Early Access,” says ROCKFISH Games CEO Michael Schade. “With our release date revealed, we can see a light at the end of the tunnel where our amazing community and players all over the world new to the series will get to experience this adventure full of exciting, white-knuckle space combat and beautiful handcrafted deep space and planetside locations to explore. We’ve invested a hefty eight-digits budget into creating the game we’ve always wanted to make, and the team is now hard at work finaling and polishing all of our launch day content to perfection. Beyond the final chapter of the EVERSPACE 2’s story, there’s still a lot to see!”
As EVERSPACE 2 approaches launch, ROCKFISH Games has piloted away from generation 8 consoles. “Our vision for EVERSPACE 2 has taken us beyond the limitations of previous generation consoles. Our team has spent a significant amount of time trying to create an experience that would satisfy our fans on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, but downscaling EVERSPACE 2 to those platforms does not hit the level of quality that we want to deliver,” said Schade. “We’ll be in touch with backers who pledged for copies on console during our Kickstarter to ensure interest is still there for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game and offer refunds in the event they do not have access to those platforms.”
As the team works on adding more enemies, rewards, challenges, catalysts, equipment types and attributes, polished cinematics, perks, customization options, new boss fights, an all-new trading map, and more ahead of 1.0 launch, they have one last reveal: an additional Companion and another star system will be added at launch.
To reflect the significant amount of content added over the course of Early Access, ROCKFISH Games plans to raise the price of the PC version on Steam, Microsoft Store, and GOG from $39.99 to $49.99 / £31.99 to £44.99 / €38.99 to €49.99 on February 20.
ROCKFISH Games have partnered with Maximum Games to bring a physical deluxe edition for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S to retailers worldwide with pre-orders and further details about the console release to be announced on April 6.
EVERSPACE 2 is currently available in Early Access on Steam, GOG, and the Microsoft Store, and is planned to release on next-generation Xbox and PlayStation consoles in mid-2023. A fully optimized Steam Deck version will be released alongside the console launch. EVERSPACE 2 is currently available in twelve languages including English, Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and Spanish. Russian language support will be added at PC launch.
Follow EVERSPACE 2 on Twitter, Facebook, and join the game’s Discord to stay in the loop on the latest developments. Join the ROCKFISH Games team Fridays as they show 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 ask questions directly to the dev team.
About EVERSPACE™ 2
EVERSPACE 2 continues the story of Adam Roslin from the first part of the series. EVERSPACE 2 currently has four 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 offers in the current Early Access version more than 35 hours of gameplay and already contains all core mechanics of the targeted final version.
EVERSPACE 2 can be purchased on Steam here and on GOG here. The full version for PC, including Mac, native Linux, and optimized Steam Deck support as well as Xbox and PlayStation, will be released at a reasonably increased price in early 2023.
About ROCKFISH Games GmbH
ROCKFISH Games is an independent AA game studio specializing in high-quality Unreal Engine 4 action RPG video games 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. Visit Maximum Games at www.maximumgames.com.
User Created Mods and Custom Private Servers Available at Launch with Robust Official and User Generated Content Roadmap
TORONTO, CANADA – February 6, 2023 – Veteran independent videogame developer Blue Isle Studios has announced that their team-based, aerial firefight-focused, first person shooter LEAP will launch on PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®5 computer entertainment systems, Xbox One and Xbox Series X the all-in-one game and entertainment systems for Microsoft on March 1. To supercharge the game’s launch on all platforms, LEAP will feature user created mods and custom private servers at launch with a steady stream of official and user generated post launch content.
Check out the new LEAP date announcement trailer HERE
LEAP will arrive on consoles with custom private servers, a diverse array of maps and modes and a robust content roadmap. Post launch, players will glide their hoverboards through a continuous stream of new maps, modes and scenarios including the planned PVP focused Capture the Core mode and Dreadnought, a map set in a hangar filled with spaceships, massive crates and gear that can be used for cover or to get a jump on enemy combatants via your trusty grapple hook.
Wanna make your own map, mode or weapon?!?! With ‘LEAP Design Works’ the sky’s the limit offering endless opportunities for community content through new modding features that allow fans to modify virtually anything in LEAP. Players can make new modes of play, build original maps, create slick character skins, modify vehicles physics, redesign weapons and more. Through the LEAP modding suite, modders can unleash their creativity.
In LEAP, players select from four unique hero classes, each delivering a distinct balance of power, agility and defense as well as epic abilities that bring shock and awe to their foes. Call in orbital strikes, set up automated turrets, or control guided cruise missiles as each exosuit is armed to the teeth. Large-scale combat takes place on a variety of stages and skilled mercenaries use jetpacks, grappling hooks and highly distinctive Personal Vehicles to close the distance on control points and active firefights. Nothing is more menacing than a LEAP mercenary saddled on a mechanical moose galloping at full speed!
LEAP arrives on PlayStation®5 computer entertainment system and Xbox Series X, on March 1. Stay up to date on the latest LEAP news via the game’s official website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, or join the conversation on Discord.
# # # ABOUT BLUE ISLE STUDIOS Founded in 2010, Blue Isle Studios is an independent video game developer and publisher located in the heart of downtown Toronto, Canada. Led by industry veterans Alex Tintor and Brenden Frank, Blue Isle has established itself as one of gaming’s most exciting developers, creating iconic titles that have sold millions of copies worldwide. A small yet passionate group of artists, designers and programmers, Blue Isle works to build captivating virtual worlds, delivering the best gaming experience possible no matter the genre. www.blueislestudios.com.
New Gameplay Trailer reveals ferocious, fiery combat!
Lausanne, Switzerland, February 6th, 2023 – Indie developer Sunnyside Games in partnership with Dear Villagers have released a demo for their upcoming flame-wielding platformer Nocturnal as part of Steam Next Fest from February 6th-13th at 10am PST. This demo is a beast too, offering roughly a third of the full game. Nocturnal is a game built around speedrunning, so see how fast you can clear its opening act!
Coming to PC and consoles later this Spring, Nocturnal is an action exploration odyssey that tasks players with repelling a nefarious mist as it enshrouds an ancient isle. After a difficult journey across a troubled sea, Ardeshir, a soldier of the Enduring Flame, returns to his home island of Nahran. Engulfed in a shadowy mist, Ardeshir must rely on fire to extinguish the sinister forces that have overtaken his native land. Flame has many uses here. It can ward off the Mist, ignite the scenery, turn on machinery, and be used to burn beings of dark magic impervious to conventional weaponry. But be forewarned: one cannot breathe in the Mist, so you’ll have to use your wits as you intuit new ways to keep it at bay. Get a glimpse of its fiery, frenetic combat in the new Gameplay Trailer below:
Grow more powerful by offering collected ashes to the flame. Gain powers that help you expand your lifeforce, hold your breath longer, or sacrifice ashes in hopes of gaining new powers along the way.
Nocturnal encourages challengers to brave its beautiful ruins with a host of optional trials. Those seeking the glory of a true challenge can enable a host of speedrunning features, like faster transitions, skippable cutscenes, and a pausable timer. Only the fiercest warriors will try their hand Permadeath Mode, where you only have one life to undertake the entire journey.
“Nocturnal is a love letter to classic side-scrolling action games, but with a modern twist,” said Sunnyside Games co-founder Gabriel Sonderegger. “We wanted the adventure to feel fast, smooth and dynamic. We hope this demo piques your interest in the full game when Nocturnal launches this Spring.”
About Sunnyside Games Sunnyside Games is a Swiss-based company founded in 2013 and composed of sorcerers, artists, and engineers that are working hand-in-hand to create challenging, immersive and well hand-crafted 2D games for PCs and consoles. Previous games from Sunnyside Games include Towaga: Among Shadows and The Firm.
About Dear Villagers Dear Villagers is a publishing label of Plug In Digital. It’s a place where talented studios can unleash their creativity and focus on bringing unique single player experiences to players on PC and console, experiences that will stay with them long after the credits roll. Dear Villager’s lineup includes the award-winning The Forgotten City, The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk, ScourgeBringer and Edge Of Eternity.
Experience the Thrilling Action RPG Before the Game Releases 3rd March
Hetfordshire, 6th February 2023 — KOEI TECMO Europe and developer Team NINJA announced during this weekend’s Taipei Game Show 2023 that the final demo for their highly-anticipated action-RPG, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will be available from 24th February at 8:00AM GMT through 27th March 2023 at 7:59AM BST. The demo for Team NINJA’s demon-plagued epic will be available across all platforms the game is scheduled to release on, including Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, and on PC via Windows and Steam®.
The final demo will feature two early stages of the game that were not available in the first demo, including Chapter 1: Village of Calamity along with Chapter 2: Two Chivalrous Heroes. Both chapters showcase the thrilling combat and intense fighting of a demon-plagued, fantasy Three Kingdoms, as an anonymous militia soldier fights his way through waves of monsters and enemy soldiers in this Later Han Dynasty epic.
Online multiplayer will also be available in the demo, and by transferring the cleared saved data from these early stages to the main game, players will earn the in-game item “Crouching Dragon Helmet” upon the game’s release.
In addition to the trailer, KOEI TECMO Europe recently revealed that those who purchase either the physical or digital version of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty by 16th March will receive special “Baihu Armor”, while those who pre-order the game digitally will receive both the early purchase bonus along with the pre-order bonus: “Zhuque Armor”.
A limited-edition SteelBook® version of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will also be available at launch. The SteelBook® Launch Edition includes an exclusive collectible case along with bonus DLC items “Crown of Zhurong” and “Crown of Gonggong”.
For more information on Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, visit the official site, ‘Like’ us on Facebook, and 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
It has been a decade since the Dead Space trilogy came to a close and over the years fans of the franchise have remembered the series quite fondly. Now with the survival horror genre seeing something of a revival in recent years EA has chosen to revisit the series by going a step beyond a simple remaster, instead choosing to remake the classic Dead Space from scratch. As such, nearly fifteen years later Motive has brought Dead Space and the USG Ishimura back with new life just waiting to be dismembered. Perhaps the biggest worry most fans have with Dead Space is that it would tarnish their memories of the original, but thankfully all those worries can be forgotten as this new version of Dead Space sets the standard of what fans should expect from a remake, enhancing upon the original while adding fresh new content expanding upon the game in every way.
Story
Motive has kept the story beats of Dead Space the same but for those who have yet to play the original, Isaac Clarke and a small group of others travel to the ancient but legendary planet-cracking ship the USG Ishimura where Isaac’s longtime girlfriend Nicole has been stationed as a doctor. Upon their arrival the group crashlands due to malfunctioning equipment and things only escalate from there as horrifying creatures called “Necromorphs” begin crawling from the vents and killing members of their tiny crew. If Isaac has any hope of finding Nicole and escaping the Ishimura alive, he’ll be forced to dismember countless gruesome creatures right out of his nightmares while uncovering buried secrets revolving around the Church of Unitology and the mysterious Marker.
Anyone familiar with Dead Space will know mostly what to expect when playing through this remake but Motive has made a number of changes, both big and small, that not only expand upon the story but make it all the more interesting by having Isaac actually engage with the story as a character. Whereas Isaac spoke in the sequels, the original Dead Space left him as a silent protagonist that barely reacted to the gruesome sights he saw and simply took orders. Now, while Isaac does speak sparingly, he takes an active role in conversations with Hammond and Kendra as well as even interacting with characters that were never actually seen before and instead only heard through audio logs. By making Isaac interact with the story not only are we able to see how the hardships and influence of the Marker begin to affect him but also see a more emotional side to his story with Nicole, who is also given far more story agency this time around through additional audio logs, visual logs, and side-story content.
Alongside the big change of having Isaac speak and the smaller changes here and there involving how certain events play out, where they happen, and how certain characters meet their fate, the biggest addition to the story of Dead Space is the addition of side-stories. Though small in number, these side stories expand greatly upon the events that happened on the USG Ishimura once the Marker was brought on board as well as how things devolved into their current state, heightening the role that the Church of Unitology plays into the game, and even some important backstory that wasn’t touched upon in the original.
These various adjustments and additions to the story makes it so players never quite know what to expect even if they already know the story, making for a great way to experience the start of Isaac’s journey once again or perhaps for the very first time. Of course, those looking for something brand new will also find that the ability to view an alternate ending by obtaining every piece of a certain object in New Game Plus will find even more reason to delve back into the shadowy horror filled halls of the Ishimura once more.
Gameplay
Just like with the narrative, Motive’s remake of Dead Space has made a number of refinements to the way Isaac moves around the Ishimura and fights against the Necromorphs that can appear from any vent to completely refining a few previously rougher sections entirely. These changes have improved many aspects of the game while still sticking true to the same aspects that fans will fondly remember. A few of these changes involve the Ishimura itself as players will find that they are no longer limited by a “level” system with the tram. As players progress through the game they will unlock various parts of the ship that have been previously locked down and, once unlocked, these areas can be revisited at any time. This means that areas that players may have been traveling through in chapter 3 can be easily visited in chapter 10 and there is some good reason for this.
The aforementioned side quests that players can now undertake will often have players revisiting old locations to uncover a previously hidden audio log or open an inaccessible door. Another aspect that plays a role here are Security Levels. As Isaac ventures through the Ishimura he will encounter doors, lockers, and chests that require a higher security clearance to open and the only way to raise it is to progress through the story. This works both as a way to give players a chance to still have items to loot upon revisiting an area for side content as well as giving extra incentive for exploring every part of the ship. It is also worth noting that the concept of using a Node, the main upgrade resource, to open a door is no longer a thing in Dead Space. All Node doors have been replaced either with small puzzles that players must solve by moving or shooting a fuse, swapping electrical power from life support or something else to open a door, and more allowing players to freely upgrade Isaac’s arsenal as they see fit.
The various weapons that Isaac has at his disposal feel as familiar as ever and, thanks to the new “peel” system we will discuss in a moment, pack quite a punch. Like always Isaac will receive his signature plasma cutter weapon but unlike before players will no longer need to purchase other weapons as all other weapons will now be found organically throughout the game. Along with this, all empty upgrade slots on weaponry has been removed making it so every Node spent is improving a weapon or Isaac’s suit in some way. That being said, every weapon in Dead Space be it the Ripper, Line Gun, or even the Force Gun have three attachments around the ship that will unlock additional upgrade slots for each weapon as well as add unique upgrades to the weapon. For example, the Plasma Cutter can be improved to light enemies ablaze after a couple shots.
All of these weapons are impactful as ever and the game’s dynamic drop system that drops ammunition, health, credits, etc. from stomped corpses and containers related to the weapon player’s are primarily using remains as strong as ever. Alongside the well-tuned tools of destruction and the return of the ever helpful Stasis blasts, Isaac has gained a few abilities earlier than before. Players can now use Kinesis to rip pipes off walls or even blades from fallen Necromorphs and launch them at enemies to deal tons of damage or even pin one to the wall, killing the target, while saving ammo. This feature previously wasn’t available until Dead Space 2 and, just like Kinesis, the zero gravity navigation has also been taken from the game’s sequel. Players will no longer jump randomly around to flat surfaces in zero gravity as Isaac can now use his suit’s thrusters to float and zip around making all zero gravity sections a delight, especially when facing off against enemies far nimbler than Isaac is.
Facing off against the numerous Necromorph forms feels as dangerous as ever as their upgraded designs feel just as grotesque and twisted as before. Motive had made limb-cutting a bit more interesting this time around as the primary way to take down enemies and it has to do with the aforementioned Peeling system. Rather than simply taking damage, Necromorphs now have layers of flesh, muscle, and bone that will be exposed as players deal damage to any given limb, showing players just how close they are to severing one. This means that putting two shots into a Slasher’s leg may expose its skeleton, confirming that the next shot will remove it entirely. This can be incredibly gruesome at times as some weapons take things to the next level. The ripper is an example that just shreds an enemy’s limbs apart and sends blood spraying everywhere while the flamethrower can reduce an incoming Necromorph to a walking skeleton before it goes down. Few games could even get away with the amount of gore that players can witness as they tear apart enemies but with a fully upgraded force gun, any enemy has a chance to be flayed and slain in short order. This level of gore simply from killing Necromorphs does make the inclusion of a sensitivity and warning option a bit of a strange choice. It is good that this option is there for players who may not want to see certain events happen but displaying constant warnings about upcoming visual deaths, gore, and more is a bit odd when every enemy encounter is a bloody one.
Now as for what has been completely overhauled, and for good reason, are the turret sections of the game. Previously these sections saw players needing to take control of a mounted turret and a minimal amount of health that could easily ruin harder difficulty runs and now have been changed entirely. While we won’t say specifically what players will be shooting at for newcomers, these sections now take place in zero gravity and sync the turret to the player’s own aim in a system that works far better than what was previously included.
Visuals & Audio
Although the original Dead Space pushed some boundaries at the time, especially by integrating the HUB entirely on Isaac’s back, it was also released in 2008 making it more than ready for a visual makeover and Motive has done an exceptional job here. The USG Ishimura is a dirty worn ship that looks as aged as it is meant to be with bad lighting, failing systems, and horrible monsters screaming for Isaac’s blood possibly appearing from any corner. Not only this, but thanks to some clever tinkering with the “Intensity Director” can make certain jumpscares with the ship or enemies happen entirely different from playthrough to playthrough. While certain events will always happen the same way, a death may expose a completely different type of scare or none at all the next time through.
As for the blood and gore, Motive has made sure to take things to the next level here. As mentioned before, the Peeling system has amplified the amount of viscera that players will experience in every enemy encounter and watching plasma cutter rounds seer through flesh to bone is a sight that never gets old. On top of the gore from enemies a lot of attention to detail has been given to the character models and even Isaac’s own rig that often gets covered in dripping blood from defeated enemies or even ice that melts as players travel from areas with no atmosphere to warmer areas back inside the ship.
By lovingly crafting the atmospheric horror found within the halls of the Ishimura Motive has made it so players will always feel like they are on the edge of their seat. Between creepy atmospheric sounds, rustling and growling in the vents and moving around the player as they progress through areas, and even basic spaceship sounds players will find themselves in for a real scary treat here. The voice work for the characters is handled nicely and Isaac’s voice actor from the sequels returns to provide his new voice work here. Along with the aforementioned sound effects the company has put a lot of effort into crafting incredibly fitting background stinger music and horror themes that feel right at home with this type of action horror.
Overall
Sometimes when a remake is announced fans wonder just whether or not the game actually deserves such treatment, especially one from only a few console generations ago. Thankfully Motive and EA have proven that Dead Space more than deserves the remake treatment it was given and has created an extremely memorable survival horror game into an even more iconic version of its former self. Between enhanced graphics, deeper storytelling, new puzzles, and plenty of ways to dispatch the Necromorphs that roam the ship, Dead Space is a remake that sets the standard for what fans should expect.
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