LOS ANGELES – September 13, 2023 – Netmarble, a leading developer and publisher of high-quality mobile games, releases a new update for the mobile RPG Seven Knights 2. The update features a new Legendary+ hero, mythic pet, Pet Upgrade System, as well as numerous events for players to enjoy.
Alchemist of the Abyss Ian is a ranged Legendary+ hero who focuses on buffing targets who have been healed recently. He decreases damage received when an ally obtains a recovery buff, and recovers his target’s DEF if that hero is also a Tank, Support, or DPS. Additionally, all allies obtain Ultimate Skill Gauge Decrease Resistance when hit in PVP fields. His ultimate deals damage to all targets within a circular range around the caster, removes buffs, and applies mutation. He heals all allies, and resets the Mystical Ink Skill Cooldown for the caster.
Also new to this update is the brand new Mythic Pet, Fire Spirit of the Inner Eye Karam. Karam recovers the HP of all allies, grants invincible effect, and increases allies’ block rate for a certain time. This pet recovers max HP when allies’ HP falls below a certain level, and also grants the Immortality effect and increases cooldown for all those within range.
The new Pet Upgrade System allows players to upgrade their pets by consuming Upgrade Tokens. In accordance with the growth of pets, both Combat Power of Mercenary Team and the ATK/DEF/HP of all allies increase. This system can power up the entire Mercenary Team and get through some of the tougher challenges in the game.
Starting today, a number of events are now available, including:
Daily Pet Summon Celebrating Mythic Karam release (Sept. 13 – Oct. 4): To celebrate the release of the Mythic Pet Karam, players can earn Pet Step Up Summon Tickets by checking into the game for 11 days.
Karam Release Celebration Shoot & Loot Event (Sept. 13 – Sept. 27): Using Cosette’s Bullets that can be obtained through in-game missions and check-ins, players can obtain multiple rewards including Legendary Pet Summon Voucher Fragments, Rare through Legendary Pet Summon Vouchers, Pet Summon Tickets and more.
Alchemist’s Special Gift (Sept. 13 – Sept. 27): Those who complete high-difficulty in-game missions can get Selected Rate Up Equipment Selection Chests, Mythic Enhancement Stones and more.
The official sequel to Seven Knights, a game enjoyed by 60 million players globally, Seven Knights 2 takes place 20 years after the original and introduces beautiful open world gameplay. The story centers on the Daybreak Mercenaries who embark on a journey to find the last member of the Seven Knights, “Rudy,” after a series of events involving a mysterious girl named Phiné. Stunning cinematics and graphics powered by Unreal Engine 4 will immerse players in this epic game story filled with unique characters and powerful bosses. Players can collect and develop their heroes and experience a new combat system with powerful ultimates and suppressors.
Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble Corporation is a leading developer and publisher of top-grossing mobile games worldwide. Through powerful franchises and collaborations with acclaimed IP holders, Netmarble strives to elevate the gaming experience and entertain audiences globally. As a parent company of Kabam and SpinX Games, and a major shareholder of Jam City and HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment), Netmarble’s diverse portfolio includes Lineage 2: Revolution, MARVEL Future Fight, Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds, The King of Fighters ALLSTAR, The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross, and forthcoming PC games like Paragon: The Overprime.
DRAGO Entertainment transitions to Unreal Engine 5
Kraków, Poland – Sept. 13, 2023 – Winter Survival, the story-driven, sanity-testing sandbox survival game from developer DRAGO entertainment, endures a blistering battle on PC via Steam Early Access beginning Wednesday Feb. 28, 2024. After receiving feedback DRAGO has revamped the title from Unreal 4 to Unreal 5 which allows the team to realize breathtaking landscapes, realistic textures, and awe-inspiring effects.
From the team behind the critically acclaimed Gas Station Simulator, Winter Survival is a battle against the brutal elements of Mount Washington, New Hampshire. Following a lone survivor after the events of an unexpected accident, icy tendrils of winter close in and hallucinations start to manifest.
After a starved bear attacks separating the small group of survivors, it now lurks in the shadows ready to sink its teeth in if found. Explore the wilderness to secure nutrition and supplies. Discover blueprints left behind that will help survivors adapt to the harsh conditions, utilizing them to craft protection against apex predators, nightmare fueled figures, and the ferocious bear that looms in the region longing to track down its prey. Hunting down the forest’s fauna requires knowledge of their behavior and skill.
Three modes will be available in Early Access, Story Mode, Coldwave, and Endless.
Key Features:
Survive an Unforgiving Wilderness – Play as an inexperienced survivalist. Overcome the difficulties of baron isolation or perish. Explore the surrounding terrain and withstand its unrelenting challenges. Become smarter, faster, stronger. Kill to eat, learn to thrive, and master the madness that ensues.
Fight Against Insanity – The most deviant enemy in a desolate land, is one’s mind. Treat wounds, satisfy needs, or become overwhelmed by fear and horrifying visions.
Gather, Build, Survive, Repeat – Venture into the wilderness and uncover hidden secrets and treasures to increase chances of survival. Manage materials to create shelter, stay warm, and hopefully live to see another sunrise.
Unearth the Past – Reveal the mysteries of the region, why a local town has been left in shambles, and what happened to the people that used to inhabit this dreary winter land.
Hunt and Harvest – Set traps to catch prey, fend off wolves with torches, wield spears, and repel the restless wildlife.
Endure in Three Game Modes
Story Mode – Uncover the secrets of an abandoned town and its people while avoiding a ravenous bear
Coldwave – Brave the elements of an ever-changing winter
Endless Mode – Test your skills. Take advantage of your surroundings. Overcome.
“The next few months will allow our team to carry out more detailed testing and quality control, which both for us as developers and for our players is an extremely important issue, and in such a situation haste is certainly not advisable.” concluded Joanna Tynor, CEO at DRAGO entertainment.
Winter Survival will be available on PC via Steam Early Access Wednesday, February 28, 2024, with console versions planned for the future. For more information, wishlist the game on Steam.
About DRAGO entertainment
DRAGO entertainment began operations in 1998 in Krakow, Poland. The company initially focused on creating innovative projects for international video publishers as an external contractor while strengthening internal competencies and creating a friendly and professional team to develop their own titles. Since adopting a new strategy in 2018, their goal is to deliver high-quality productions on an international level.
The studio’s flagship title is Gas Station Simulator, which released on September 15, 2021 and immediately became a best seller on Steam. DRAGO entertainment is currently broadening their horizons with new projects and continuing to support their current titles.
LOS ANGELES – September 13, 2023 – Netmarble, a leading developer and publisher of high-quality mobile games, has launched a new game update for its new collectible card game RPG, Tower of God: New World. A new teammate, side story and limited-time events are now available for all players to experience.
New teammate SSR [Honey Bee] Vespa (Yellow Element, Warrior, Scout) has been added as a playable character. Her Paralysis skill disrupts enemies’ attacks which gives the opportunity to mark them effectively. Additionally, Tower of God: New World‘s first original story ‘Same Goal, Different Purpose’ is now available. This story focuses on the early phase of Rachel’s journey after Bam goes up to the next floor first. Mysterious helpers will be unveiled throughout this content.
Players can participate in several new limited-time events and receive special rewards, including:
Fall Festival Countdown Check-In (Sept. 13 – 20): Players can obtain rewards by checking-in the game during the event period. On the 7th day, additional rewards will be available to obtain including Normal Summon Tickets (x20), Suspendium (x500) and Soul Crystal (x100).
[Honey Bee] Vespa Trial Event (Sept. 13 – 27): Use the newly-added teammate [Honey Bee] Vespa’s skills to earn multiple rewards including Suspendium (x300) and more.
Vespa’s Growth Mission (Sept 13 – 27): Complete 10 growth missions to receive the SSR [Honey Bee] Vespa once more, along with Normal Summon Tickets (x10).
In Tower of God: New World, players can take control of fan-favorite characters to ascend the Tower. Join Twenty-Fifth Bam – and more than 70 characters – as he fights his way through the Tower in gorgeous 3D animation that will make players feel like they have stepped into an anime world. Players will experience fast-paced battle mechanics while utilizing a unique Slot System that powers up a particular “slot” instead of a specific character.
Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble Corporation is a leading developer and publisher of top-grossing mobile games worldwide. Through powerful franchises and collaborations with acclaimed IP holders, Netmarble strives to elevate the gaming experience and entertain audiences globally. As a parent company of Kabam and SpinX Games, and a major shareholder of Jam City and HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment), Netmarble’s diverse portfolio includes Lineage 2: Revolution, MARVEL Future Fight, Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds, The King of Fighters ALLSTAR, The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross, and forthcoming PC games like Paragon: The Overprime.
Potion magnates, it’s time to give your shop a makeover with the latest Potion Tycoon update!
HAMBURG, Germany, September 13, 2023 — Daedalic Entertainment and Snowhound Games are celebrating the 6-month anniversary of Potion Tycoon in Steam Early Access with Brick & Mortar, a massive content update that includes the community’s most desired updates including construction and renovations! These latest improvements allow existing players along with newcomers to experience it as a true potion tycoon! Potion Tycoon will be available for 50% off on Steam for the next two weeks.
Potion Tycoon is a magical take on the management simulation genre. Open your own potion shop and strive to become the most successful brewer of magical concoctions in the realm. Manage all aspects of the potion mixing business from experimenting with various recipes, to competing for resources or raising your own magical plants or fungi, as well as optimizing your production lines. The team at Snowhound Games has been hard at work, listening to players and improving the game with this 3rd major update. Get ready for these latest additions:
Floodlands – A new game starting location. The “Floodlands” features diverse scenery and a larger construction area to build the potion house within.
Construction Mode – Entire rooms can now be moved around in Construction mode, with all the equipment and room content contained inside, and why not update the room’s color while you’re moving them around?
Larger Rooms – Rooms can be stretched much wider to allow for increased equipment, storage, or whatever you need. Bigger = better!
New Monsters – Never mind the competition, worry about the skeletons arising in the basement, headless ghosts in the halls, or trolls on the bridges!
Much, Much More – There are a host of new fixes, updates, and balance changes requested by Potion Tycoon fans. Don’t have a potion to banish that skeleton ready? Knock it out with a rock while you prepare one! You can read all of the content updates in Brick & Mortar HERE.
Daedalic Entertainment is a renowned publisher supporting indie developers for over 17 years, bringing their titles to every major gaming platform. The line-up of games is comprised of a diverse variety of unique titles, focusing on 4 distinct areas: story-telling, strategy, co-op games, and wholesome games. With an international team of around 45 employees, Daedalic is currently developing a new line-up of innovative games across consoles and PCs. Recent hits include Barotrauma, Unrailed!, Potion Tycoon, Deponia, Shadow Tactics, Inkulinati, Hidden Deep, Fling to the Finish! and more.
In regards to future titles please look out for upcoming games like New Cycle, Reveil, Capes, Magin: The Rat Project Stories, Edge of Sanity, Wild Woods, and many more. Since April 2022 Daedalic Entertainment has been a subsidiary of the French publishing house Nacon.
About Snowhound Games
Snowhound is a small independent game studio founded in Jyväskylä, Finland, in 2015 with the ultimate goal to create highly original, aesthetically appealing, challenging, rich and immersive gaming experiences for core gamer audience. They are known as the creators of Deep Sky Derelicts, a highly acclaimed sci-fi tactical RPG, which was first released on PC in 2018 and eventually on all major console platforms in 2020.
Resident Evil™ 4 and Resident Evil™ Village Coming to iPhone 15 Pro, the First Time Ever for any Smartphone
London (September 13, 2023) – Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, has announced Resident Evil™ 4 and Resident Evil™ Village are coming to the newly revealed iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max this year. This marks the first time these best-selling titles from the iconic survival horror franchise will be natively available on a smartphone, thanks to the power of A17 Pro. The critically acclaimed Resident Evil 4 will also release for iPad and Mac, along with Resident Evil Village on iPad, in 2023.
Both games deliver stunning graphics with visual fidelity that parallels the latest home consoles and support HDR for incredible realism. With support for a wide array of game controllers plus multi-touch with on-screen controls, players can customise their gameplay experience.
Capcom’s RE ENGINE fully supports Metal, making it possible to create high-quality versions of the newest Resident Evil™ titles, taking full advantage of Apple silicon and powerful features like MetalFX Upscaling to deliver impressive performance and incredibly responsive gameplay across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Available on the App Store later this year, both games support cross-progression1, so players’ progress is synced across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. With a free download, players can experience high-end gameplay with stunning graphics before accessing the full game with one in-app purchase². Resident Evil™ 4 will be playable on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and every iPad and Mac with the M1 chip or later.
Resident Evil™ Village will be available on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad Air, and iPad Pro with the M1 chip or later. This join Resident Evil Village and its Winter’s Expansion, which are currently available on Mac. Look for both titles on the App Store as Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil™ Village for iOS.
1Resident Evil 4 supports cross-progression on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Resident Evil Village supports cross-progression on iPhone and iPad.
2Resident Evil 4 supports Universal Purchase across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Resident Evil Village™ on Mac is a standalone purchase and does not support Universal Purchase with Resident Evil Village on iPhone and iPad.
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ABOUT RESIDENT EVIL 4
Resident Evil 4 joins Leon S. Kennedy six years after surviving the biological disaster of Raccoon City. Now an agent reporting directly to the president of the United States, Leon is dispatched to an isolated European village to rescue the president’s missing daughter. There, he discovers a terrifying fervor beyond reason that grips the local populace. The remake of Resident Evil 4 preserves the essence of the original while delivering modernized gameplay, a reimagined storyline, and vividly detailed graphics. Following its release in March 2023, Resident Evil 4 has garnered significant acclaim and sold more than 5 million units worldwide.
ABOUT RESIDENT EVIL VILLAGE
Set three after the events of Resident Evil™ 7 biohazard, Resident Evil Village once again sees tragedy befall the Winters family. After their home is attacked, Ethan ventures into an eerie village to rescue his kidnapped daughter, Rose. Resident Evil Village resumes Ethan’s journey in the first-person view with photorealistic visuals that take survival horror to the next level. The Winters’ Expansion introduces three additional pieces of content: Third Person Mode, The Mercenaries Additional Orders, and Shadows of Rose, an epilogue to the story set 16 years after the main game. This award-winning title has sold over 8 million copies since its debut in May 2021.
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, and Tokyo, with corporate headquarters located in Osaka, Japan.
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.
‘Worms: The Board Game’ smashes through Kickstarter funding goal and surpasses major pledge milestone of $500,000
Wednesday 13th September 2023 – There will be no ‘Sudden Death’ when the time runs out on the Kickstarter campaign for ‘Worms: The Board Game’, having achieved its funding goal faster than a Jet Pack wearing Worm! Surpassing USD $500,000 in pledges and hitting 16x its original funding goal it’s clear the appetite for the franchise is as strong as it ever has been.
Surpassed USD$500,000 in pledges.
Achieved its funding goal in an incredible 13 minutes!
Has raised 16x its original funding goal with over 4,250 backers.
A top-trending project across all categories at launch.
One of the top-grossing live tabletop projects on Kickstarter.
Daily reveals have showcased extra miniatures, cards, board pieces and sound board being included.
In Worms: The Board Game, players compete to knock out opposing teams of Worms by making clever use of the series’ iconic weaponry, terrain, wind and by taking calculated chances. Will that mine go off or is it a dud? Will your banana bomb blast as bargained for? Whether or not things go according to plan, the chain reaction of (explosive) consequences are set to delight and amuse players from ages 10 and up.
The Kickstarter exclusive editions include a ‘Mayhem’ and ‘Armageddon’ pledge, loaded with sculpts, extra cards, extra components and more (details attached). A retail edition of the game is planned to hit shelves in late 2024. Translations are offered in French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Polish meaning this tabletop adaptation of the beloved series will delight international fans and board gamers alike.
Michael Pattison, CEO, Team17 Digital, said: “The Worms brand has played a huge part in Team17 Digital’s success for nearly 30 years, and we’re really excited that our wriggly critters will be shortly battling away on tables around the world.”
Ronnie Renton, CEO, Mantic Games, said: “Worms: The Board Game offers all of the addictive, tactical gameplay and laugh-out-loud moments that you’d expect. We love the videogames, and it’s a joy to bring this feel-good experience to the tabletop for Worms fans everywhere.”
Founded in 2009, Mantic Games is an independent tabletop games studio of creatives and hobby professionals. Mantic has an enviable pedigree in licensed tabletop games including successful adaptations of Hellboy, The Walking Dead, Mars Attacks, and the upcoming release of Umbrella Academy. Mantic is also famous for tabletop miniature games including the award-winning games Firefight, Deadzone, Armada, and the popular fantasy battle game Kings of War.
About Team17 Digital
Founded in 1990, Team17 Digital is a leading developer, video games label, and creative partner for developers around the world. Part of Team17 Group plc, which floated on AIM in 2018, Team17 Digital has an extensive portfolio comprised of over 120 titles, and fully encapsulates the spirit of independent games. Team17 Digital’s portfolio of multi-award-winning and award-nominated in-house brands include Hell Let Loose, Golf With Your Friends, The Escapists, and the iconic Worms franchise, alongside its games label partner titles, including the award-winning games Blasphemous, Greak: Memories of Azur, and Overcooked! franchise.
LONDON, UK, 13th September 2023 – Spilt Milk Studios, the award-winning indie studio, are delighted to introduce you to Trash Goblin, a cosy and moreish fantasy shopsim where you uncover, clean, upcycle and sell a vast variety of trinkets – both invaluable and unlovable – to a diverse cast of fascinating customers across a colourful fantasy city.
Think Potionomics meets PowerWash Simulator, with a unique protagonist! Today we’re excitedly announcing the game, while launching the official website, as well as the Steam page and pushing the kickstarter “Coming Soon” page live… all topped off with an exclusive announcement trailer.
In this (very) cosy Shop Sim you play as an orphaned Goblin unearthing, cleaning and upcycling rare and valuable trinkets to sell to a bewildering variety of customers from all walks of life – all to save up enough money to realise your dreams of becoming an adventuring archaeologist!
Described by one excited fan as “Goblin Etsy: The Videogame” and by an industry insider as having “Blizzard-quality graphics”, Trash Goblin focuses on incredibly satisfying and tactile pottering gameplay married to visuals that make you want to take a little nibble of everything you touch, with a soundscape that engrosses and envelops you as you leisurely serve your customers, cleaning trinkets, and making your snug little workshop even snugger!
Devilishly Violent Title from Ziggurat Interactive Brings the Brutality with Throwback Visuals of the Late ’90s.
Denver, Colorado (September 13, 2023) – Ziggurat Interactive, publisher of multiplatform retro and modern games, is excited to announce that Slave Zero™ X launches on PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch on February 21, 2024. Made in partnership with Poppy Works and the team behind the renowned Devil Engine, Slave Zero™ X is a stylish 2.5D character action game set in the biopunk world of Slave Zero (1999).
The newest title in the classic Dreamcast Slave Zero™ franchise will bring a whole new side-scrolling hack-and-slash experience to fans of the original game. A satisfyingly punishing game, Slave Zero™ X sees the protagonist, Shou, merging with a stolen Slave Unit Prototype, becoming a furious Devil in pursuit of killing a false God. Take up arms and do battle against the violent forces of the tyrannical SovKhan, the violent dictator who rules Megacity S1-9 with fists of iron and flesh.
Featuring multiple gameplay modes and a variety of futuristic 2.5D dystopian urban levels to battle through, players will string together brutal combos and fight through waves of genetically enhanced biopunk opponents — all to the tune of a gnarly synth soundtrack. Run & slash your way through a dystopian future in this character action game, which will resonate with fans of action and fighting game favorites Devil May Cry, Strider, and Guilty Gear.
Key Features of Slave Zero™ X include:
Different Modes to Mutilate: Play through the story, build your combo-crushing skills in training mode, or test your might in the post-story Bloody Palace mode
Hack-n-Slash ‘n Slash ‘n Slash…: Chain together lethal attack combos with your sword and an array of explosive ordinance while leaping, sprinting, and flipping your way through a grim biopunk world
A Uniquely Worthy 2.5D Environment: Battle your way through massive levels and boss-rushes in a lo-fi blend of 2D and 3D art reminiscent of the 90s Dreamcast era.
Brutal Battles and Cutthroat Stages: Conquer mini-bosses and climactic arch-villains in unforgettable combat sequences
Blood-Soaked and Synth-Soaked: Immerse yourself in a world of heavy Drum ‘n Bass and industrial tracks that get more intense as the action heats up
Since its founding in 2019, Ziggurat has published over 130 titles, from retro classics to all-new IP franchises. With games currently available across all major PC and console platforms, Ziggurat reaches a wide variety of gamers across all ages, genres, and playstyles.
Throughout the last few years there has been a rise in games that tackle preservation and climate issues in a variety of ways. Some are subtle, trying to work their message into a grander story, while others are quite blatant with their messages and while many of these titles have seen certain levels of success, few, if any, have partnered with an actual environmental preservation group to help deliver their message. That is what makes Under the Waves something of a unique offering, combining the work of Parallel Studios partnering with Surfrider Foundation to deliver a tale of grief and isolation mixed with environmental messaging to some levels of success that struggles a bit with both its messaging and design.
Story
Stan is a professional diver who has taken on a job for the deep-sea drilling company named UniTrench in the North Sea. Choosing such an isolated outpost, one that will see him working beneath the waves far from any other form of human contact is already a strange choice, but when that is compounded with the fact that UniTrench is a far from reputable company, his choice of choosing to work here is certainly a strange one, especially when one of the first conversations he has upon arriving in his isolated habitat on the ocean floor is to leave a message for his wife.
The reason for this choice quickly becomes clear as Under the Waves tells the story of a man struggling with an incredibly emotional loss and handling it extremely poorly. Following the traumatic event that saw him the life of someone precious to him, Stan has fled to the ocean to hide away in his sorrow, isolating himself from the rest of the world and choosing to undertake the daily lists of tasks that come from being an deep-sea diver for a mining corporation that is barely hanging together, using work as a method of escape.
For the most part Under the Waves does a solid enough job trying to blend together the story of Stan dealing with his overwhelming grief with him trying his best to keep UniTrench’s drilling efforts working without affecting the environment too much before eventually everything comes to a head as both elements come crashing together into a disastrous spiral that works incredibly well only to end up falling apart a bit at the end. The way that Under the Waves handles grief is a bit heavy-handed to the point that it is a bit too blunt, especially in the latter half of the game and while it does lead to some rather heart wrenching moments with plenty of impact, including some rather terrifying feeling moments, they are far more cumbersomely handled than the game’s other key storyline component, the ecological conservationist angle.
As mentioned before, players take on the role of a member of UniTrench but it doesn’t take long before it becomes clear that the company is up to no good and since the game is set in an alternate techno-futuristic 1970s, players familiar with oil giants of the time will be well-aware of the issues that may arise here. The game’s handling of these ecological impacts is far better handled and, in many ways, more meaningful as well, especially since a large amount of the game’s collectables and side-content relates to various elements of pollution, ecological disasters, and natural sea life. Players are encouraged to take photos of wild life they encounter while swimming through the ocean or piloting their submarine, unlocking extra bits of lore and even picking up random pieces of trash used for the game’s crafting system can often trigger bits of lore involving pollution that either happened in the past or is still happening today. This is likely due in part to the aforementioned Surfrider and helps really nail home many of the ecological elements as well as some of the wonder of simply spending time deep beneath the waves, enjoying your time with the ocean and the beauty of the marine life when there isn’t a disaster or grief induced hallucination happening.
Gameplay
Under the Waves is a rather uniquely designed narrative game as players are presented with a number of tasks that they must complete every single day, ranging from simply gathering a few items or crafting something, to venturing far out into the ocean using their submersible, called the Moon, to reach a distant UniTrench installation in need of maintenance. The puzzles that players need to solve in various locations are fairly simplistic in nature, with none of them actually being a challenge outside of perhaps spending a bit of extra time underwater figuring a certain puzzle solution out, using up Stan’s limited oxygen.
Alongside these “Daily Tasks” that players must complete every single day, which can often be tackled in any order or even put off for a bit should players choose to take part in the other big aspect of the game, underwater exploration. As mentioned before, what makes Under the Waves a uniquely designed narrative game is the fact that it does feature something of an open-world that players can explore as the ocean is filled with all sorts of collectables to discover, extra blueprints to unlock, wildlife to take photos of or simply witness, and much more. Whether it is piloting the Moon submarine, which handles fairly well as one would expect, or swimming out on his own when going a short distance or needing to enter a tighter location, players will find that the swimming and piloting mechanics handle exceptionally well here, to the point that, despite the game featuring repair kits for the submarine, was never actually needed.
Along these same lines, the crafting system that is implemented into Under the Waves also feels a bit tacked on as, outside of mandatory items that must be crafted, the system can be almost entirely ignored. Sure, Stan may need to use oxygen refills that can be crafted before venturing out into the sea but the game often provides enough of these that players can easily stockpile up on them without actually needing to craft them, nor do most of the unlockable blueprints feel like they are worth tracking down. That being said, at least the best part of the exploration, navigating the sea and experiencing the deep ocean, remains a truly enchanting endeavor.
It is also worth noting that, alongside some visual bugs which we will mention in a moment, that Under the Waves isn’t without its own issues on the Xbox Series X. On more than a handful of occasions the game would crash to the home screen seemingly out of nowhere and players will often need to fiddle with their positioning on certain interactables to properly trigger the activation sequence, something that happens far too frequently to not be a bit annoying as well as one instance that saw Stan trapped inside the Moon submarine, forcing a reload of a previous save.
Audio & Visuals
It is quite evident that the developers of Under the Waves care quite a bit about marine life simply through how lovingly crafted the underwater visuals and swimming physics are handled. Players will be treated to some truly wonderful looking sights as they travel through the ocean and encounter all kinds of marine life down in the depths and these wondrous open areas are mirrored perfectly by the tight, nearly suffocating, feeling designs of the wreckages and mining equipment players will need to navigate. Experiencing the stark contrast between manmade construction and destruction alongside natural fauna remains consistently impressive. Unfortunately while swimming and everything moving through the ocean may feel wonderful, the actual walking animations and a few of the more mundane day-to-day animations are far more cumbersome. The transition from swimming to walking is rough to put it generously, often placing players out of position and, on numerous occasions, resulting in getting stuck in the level geometry for a bit. It is also worth noting that various mundane activities around the habitat often have glitched animations in one way or another and while some of these appear to have been fixed, they still happen frequently enough to be noticeable.
The soundtrack for Under the Waves is a perfect blend of melancholic tracks that both fit the somber and wonderful feeling of exploring the depths of the ocean as well as the depths of sorrow that Stan is dealing with throughout the game. The voice work is serviceable at best, with Stan’s performance being a bit of a mixed bag, though this is mostly due to random cheery sounding voice clips appearing during more dire sequences when completing tasks. Otherwise his performance during most dramatic moments, including some of his lone monologues dealing with his grief and solitude in the deep are quite striking.
Overall
Under the Waves tells a unique narrative blend that combines grief with its message of preserving nature in a way that doesn’t always mesh the best but still delivers a number of impactful moments all the same, some a bit more hamfisted than others. Along these same lines, its pseudo open world allows for plenty of wonderful exploration in the deep sea mixed with bugs and a lack of polish on smaller details that build up to become noticeable issues.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Touhou Project is a series of indie SHMUP (Shoot ‘Em Up) games in the bullet hell – or “Danmaku” in Japan – sub-genre. The first entry in the series was originally released on the PC-98 home computer in 1997. Nowadays, Touhou games are developed on the Windows platform, and its nineteenth main entry was released on Steam in August this year.
Touhou is a pretty big deal among anime enthusiasts worldwide. Although the main series was never officially translated to English, some of its numerous fan-made games were released in the West. Touhou: New World is the latest fan entry to receive an English localization by publisher XSEED.
Story
Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame are inhabitants of Gensokyo, a dimension parallel to ours where humans and mystic creatures, known as youkai, coexist somewhat peacefully. One day, they have a strange and vivid dream in which they find themselves in a completely different place. It doesn’t take long for them to realize that, somehow, they ended up in the human world.
There, they meet a human girl, named Sumireko, who is fascinated by the occult. She explains that she would love to visit Gensokyo and was about to conduct an experiment in order to breach the barrier separating the two worlds. Before the girls have a chance to protest, Sumireko draws a black orb that instantly teleports them to Gensokyo. This chain of events cause untold troubles in multiple worlds. Now, it’s up to Reimu and Marisa to journey through hell and beyond to prevent a dimensional cataclysm.
Players can choose to experience the story as either Reimu or Marisa. The main plot remains the same, but each girl interacts differently with NPCs and bosses; this is reflected not only on main stages but also on sub-quests.
The plot unravels through brief dialogues between playable characters and other well-known denizens of Gensokyo. Their banter can be funny at times, but the game’s attempt at comedy falls flat more often than not.
Gameplay
Touhou: New World is best described as a top-down view action game with sparse platforming gimmicks and some RPG mechanics like character growth through leveling up and equipable items. Fan-favorite characters Reimu and Marisa are selectable from the start. Their special skill table differs considerably in appearance but not so much in function. Otherwise, they play almost exactly the same.
Progression occurs by navigating an overworld where players can select quests and sub-quests. Sub-quests provide more character interactions, and items used to customize basic attribute points. Stages are designed like a maze where players have to avoid very simple traps while activating switches to progress further. However, the level design is bland and uninspired which made me happy that the stages were so short. Exploration is limited to finding treasure chests off the beaten path, and these chests will always contain equipment with random attributes. While there are multiple types of equipment, including weapons, they do nothing to modify the gameplay besides providing better basic stats.
Enemies are found prancing along the path, but sometimes they come in the form of multiple waves in an enclosed space. This makes things a bit more challenging. Even then, the default difficulty is too easy. Avoiding barrages of shots thrown at your character is redundant since they are able to tank through them effortlessly thanks to a healing skill that’s easily abused. There is an additional “Bullet Hell” difficulty setting that makes enemies attacks more frequent and overwhelming, but I would have preferred a more balanced option.
Visuals
New World’s Visuals are decent. Overall, the graphics, especially characters’ models, remind me of Grandia 2 on the Sega Dreamcast. However, visual assets are excessively reused, and post-processing effects, like bloom, are a bit overbearing. Additionally, the lack of contrast on brighter scenarios hurts the overall presentation a lot.
Audio
The soundtrack has an adventurous upbeat feel to it while on missions. On the other hand, story sequences tend to use more cozy melodies. All in all, New World’s soundtrack is well done and perhaps its best asset. Sound effects are pretty weak and muted, though. The absence of voice-overs is disappointing, as they’re usually good and give more life to characters in other Touhou games.
Overall
Touhou: New World has charming graphics and music. However, Touhou Project’s rich cast of characters is underutilized here. The gameplay, while underwhelming, might be serviceable to less demanding players or fervorous fans.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
