Sydney, Australia, October 4th, 2022 – Microids is pleased to announce the game’s release date as well as a new demo for Arkanoid Eternal Battle, now available on Steam during Steam Next Fest (October 3 – 10). This demo will allow fans to get their hands on the Battle Royale mode and engage in thrilling competitions for up to 25 players!
Those excited to (re)experience the classic block-breaker franchise will only have a few weeks to wait as Arkanoid Eternal Battle will launch on October 27 on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One consoles, Xbox Series X|S and PC. ANZ retail versions will be available on November 17th
Developed by talented studio Pastagames, Arkanoid Eternal Battle will invite players to discover or rediscover the iconic block breaker in a fully modernised and revamped version and compete online with up to 25 players in its unique cross-play Eternal Battle mode.
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Steam Next Fest Demo
From today, to October 10th, players will be able to try out the Battle Royale mode thanks to a new demo available during Steam Next Fest. Those eager to play with the Neo, Retro and Versus modes, will have to wait a few weeks when the game launches.
Arkanoid Eternal Battle marks the return of the emblematic block breaker game in a surprising, renewed version with 4 game modes:
Retro: Teleport yourself in an old-school arcade parlor back in 1986 and enjoy the original game as if you were there!
Neo: This solo mode expands on the classic gameplay with brand-new levels, a modern and stylish art direction & sounds as well as new unique blocks, bonuses and effects!
Versus: Play locally with 2 to 4 players on the same screen!
Eternal Battle: For the very first time, 25 players can challenge each other online in an exclusive Battle Royale mode! Use your power ups to gain advantage and aim at the top score to be the last one standing and win the game!
Microids is a French video game publisher. Founded in 1985, Microids’ editorial strategy now focuses on 4 major areas: adventure games, racing games, retro gaming and games inspired by iconic titles. By collaborating with renowned studios and authors (Revolution Software, Pendulo Studios, Eden Studios, Benoît Sokal, Paul Cuisset, Philippe Dessoly and Pierre Adane), Microids has become a major player in international video games. Taking inspiration from legendary titles, Microids reaches a wide audience and creates original adventures which give gamers the chance to play as some of their most beloved characters.
About Taito
TAITO Corporation (TAITO) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. With headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, TAITO operates core businesses such as game arcade operations, manufacturing coin-operated game machines, and mobile phone content services. A seminal part of gaming history, TAITO caused a worldwide sensation with its arcade legend, SPACE INVADERS, and developed such fan favorites as PUZZLE BOBBLE (BUST-A-MOVE) and ARKANOID. Today, TAITO continues to thrill game lovers of all generations by offering both classic and new family-oriented titles on the latest gaming platforms. TAITO delivers a wide range of entertainment experiences with the goal of providing consumers with fresh surprises and new discoveries.
“Arkanoid” is a registered trademark or trademark of TAITO Corporation in Japan and/or other countries.
About Pastagames Pastagames has been handcrafting video games since year 2000, mixing work for hire for the big cheeses (Sony, Bandai Namco, Ubisoft, etc.) and homemade creations, more on the indie/weird side (Pix the Cat, Maestro Jump in Music, etc.).
New Gameplay Trailer For Floodland and New Announcement Trailer For Kona II: Brume Also Unveiled
Sydney, Australia, October 4th 2022 – Prime Matter and Ravenscourt are releasing five PC demos as part of the Steam Next Fest (SNF). The event, running across the Steam platform from 3 – 10 October, will see numerous game demos, developer livestreams and chat across a range of titles. At the same time two new trailers are also going live. The first gameplay trailer for Floodland, giving players a birds eye view of the mechanics, pace and interface of this amazing new survival city builder; and a new announcement trailer showcasing Kona II: Brume’s immersive narrative-adventure.
Tapping into this global event will be a number of titles from the Prime Matter / Ravenscourt stable, covering genres from city builder to action adventure. These are:
Floodland: A society survival game set in a world destroyed by climate change. Explore, scavenge and build a city to unite the clans. Conflicting cultures and limited resources mean you need to make tough choices. The demo will take players from their first steps in founding a settlement through to when your township takes its first steps in exploring the surrounding islands.
A brand new gameplay trailer to accompany the SNF demo has also released. You can check it out on YouTube
Kona II: Brume: An upcoming single-player first-person narrative-adventure game – and sequel to the celebrated Kona (both developed by Parabole) will immerse players directly into Detective Carl Faubert’s investigation. The demo starts at the very beginning of the game as the detective explores his surroundings in order to find out more about a strange phenomenon called the Brume and allows players to start Carl’s investigation and help him survive. To celebrate the demo Parabole and Ravenscourt are happy to share a new trailer:
Scars Above: A challenging sci-fi third-person action-adventure shooter combining the rewarding feel of overcoming difficulty with a compelling and intricate story, set in a mysterious alien world to explore. The trial version takes players from the start of the game through to the first boss fight, allowing you to experience the environment, combat and mystery of this immersive new game.
Mato Anomalies: Playing the role of Detective Doe, users need to fight their way across Mato – a neo-futuristic megalopolis in the orient – investigating strange happenings across the city and uncovering secrets along the way, eventually meeting a great cast of friends. The demo allows upcoming detectives get the chance to play the prologue and get familiar with the unique visual novel art style as well as some nerve wrecking combat situations.
ProtoCorgi: Get ready to Bark’em Up! Play as Bullet, a C³ class (Cute Cybernetic Corgi) pup on his quest to save his owner, a brilliant scientist kidnapped by an alien race that wants to rule the galaxy. ProtoCorgi is a retro pixel art shoot’em up with a strong arcade feel. Get blasting with the action-packed demo that consists of two parts: The main game as well as a sneak peek at the level editor. The main game part is a mash-up of different areas players encounter throughout the whole game to showcase environments as well as different enemy types. The second part gives limited access to the level editor ProtoCorgi Maker, where people can build their own levels (like Mario Maker for example) and share their level creations online with other players through a code.
Headquartered in Munich, Germany, Prime Matter the premium gaming label dedicated to delivering a range of diverse and immersive games from amazing gaming development talent 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 Ravenscourt
Established in 2014 – and operating from its Munich headquarters in Germany – Ravenscourt’s mission is delivering amazing games to a broad audience from both established studios and industry newcomers. With a diverse portfolio, managing the titles of multiple international studios, Ravenscourt games span everything from adventure and management sims through to city builders and indie gems. The label even boasts a good old sing-along karaoke franchise. Our players delight in engrossing narrative driven adventures, relish the challenge of building new worlds and love solving puzzles.
Sydney, Australia, October 4th, 2022 – Ready, set, EJECT! Get back on the track and in the air with the traveling action sports game Stuntfest – World Tour, developed by Pow Wow Entertainment. Starting today, test your skills and check out the Stuntfest – World Tour demo as part of Steam Next Fest for the next seven days! The demo includes 12 different tracks, 4 cars, and 5 characters – start your engine and play for free as long as you want during Steam Next Fest.
Stuntfest – World Tour combines racing, crashing, and destruction with a unique aimed ejection mechanism. 18 players compete against each other in an elimination-based stunt show through various nerve-wrecking game modes. The goal? To shine on stage and become the winner of the festival! Characters turn into living bullets, ejected out of the vehicles, and catapulted hundreds of meters through the air. The players maintain control when manoeuvring their character while hurtling over vast distances and after crashing through huge obstacles. Up in the air, the players can take advantage of quirky gadgets to reach secret shortcuts and turn the tables at the last second. And the best part: Recover after a high jump and dive back into the next vehicle on the road!
About Stuntfest – World Tour Dive right into the crazy action circus of the global phenomenon “Stuntfest”! This destructive stunt royale is no place for weak bones! Grab your stunt car and battle against other players in adrenaline-loaded competitions. Show off your spectacular tricks – race, wreck and bounce with style. What are you waiting for? The show is about to start, see you there!
A wild selection of the gutsiest competitions – from crash derby to a head-on-head glider race!
Customisable and upgradable vehicles – Your favourite is ready to be discovered!
Shoot for the stars! Eject from the car at the perfect moment to get ahead or for a surprise comeback.
Compete in the all-new trending extreme action sport. Become the next champion of the insane Stuntshow tournament!
From a punkster granny to a famous streamer – choose your favourite character and make it your own through various skins!
About Pow Wow Entertainment We are a team of experienced artists, designers, engineers, and product designers who go beyond the frontiers of video games to create top-quality game and entertainment brands! Together as a team, we strive for perfection to bring joy, action, and fun to a broad audience of content creators, players, and fans.
The “greatest shooter of all time” and noted golf enthusiast will meet Michael Jordan and PGA TOUR pros on the virtual links
PGA TOUR® 2K23 cranks up the star power with the introduction of Stephen Curry as a playable golfer. The four-time NBA Champion, 2022 Finals MVP and eight-time All-Star, widely considered the greatest shooter in NBA history, has earned no shortage of accolades on the court. When he’s not sinking deep threes, he’s sinking putts on the golf course, is an avid golf fan, and a welcome addition to the PGA TOUR 2K23roster. Stephen Curry will be available to all players as a free download at launch* and decked out in a distinctive Under Armour Curry Iso-Chill Golf adjustable cap, Charged Curry SL shoes, Curry Polar polo shirt and Curry Limitless shorts.
But Curry isn’t alone in stepping off the hardwood and onto the dance floor. Basketball legend Michael Jordan will also be playable at launch for players who pre-order PGA TOUR 2K23 Standard Edition or purchase the Deluxe Edition or Tiger Woods Edition. Jordan is included in the Michael Jordan Bonus Pack**. Players can tee up a head-to-head competition between the two basketball greats in Exhibition play locally or online*** to determine which hoops star is the greater links legend or take on an elite roster of PGA TOUR pros including Tiger Woods, Xander Schauffele, Tony Finau, Brooke Henderson, Lydia Ko, and more.
In case you missed it, check out the PGA TOUR 2K23 announcement trailer here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc1MNtr2duI
PGA TOUR 2K23Deluxe Edition and PGA TOUR 2K23 Tiger Woods Edition (Digital Only) are currently scheduled for release on October 11th, followed by PGA TOUR 2K23 Standard Edition on October 14th, for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation®5 (PS5™), PlayStation®4 (PS4™) and Steam.
**The Michael Jordan Bonus Pack is available as a pre-order bonus for PGA TOUR 2K23 Standard Edition through October 13, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. local time (AEDT), and will be available for purchase post launch. Digital pre-orders: the Michael Jordan Bonus Pack will be delivered via game at launch. Physical pre-orders: pre-order to guarantee access to the Michael Jordan Bonus Pack which will be delivered via code in box to be redeemed in game. Terms apply.The Michael Jordan Bonus Pack is included with PGA TOUR 2K23 Deluxe Edition and PGA TOUR 2K23 Tiger Woods Edition (digital only).
***Multiplayer modes can only be played with the same console or across generations within the same console family (Xbox One to Xbox Series X|S; PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5).
HB Studios is a 2K studio. 2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).
Get your fighting spirit ready and jump into the rink!
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – October 4, 2022 – Today, Ubisoft announced that Dragon’s Way, Roller Champions’ new themed season, will go live on October 5 at 3 AM AEDT for all players. Dragon’s Way is available for free on Xbox One, PlayStation® 4, Xbox Series X | S, Nintendo Switch™ systems, and Windows PC (Ubisoft Store, and Epic Games Store).
Starting October 4, Roller Champions’ community will discover the new theme of the season inspired by martial arts and age-old traditions from Asia. Dragon’s Way brings new themed maps, as well as technical features improvements such as full cross-platform features, and an improved live schedule of modes and minigames.
Players will be able to refine their skills in the brand-new Bangkok Arena, Zen Temple, and Dragon Temple. To let players fully experience Dragon’s Way new environments, only the three new arenas will be featured for the first two weeks, starting on October 4. All arenas from previous seasons will be available again afterward.
In this new season, players can invite their friends for a game, no matter the platform they use thanks to cross-play invites. Dragon’s Way also improved the matchmaking, and stability of the game to create a better and smoother experience than ever.
To spice up player’s routine, every week of Dragon’s Way will present a different mode or skatepark minigame, all of which will continue to reward players with fans and contribute to their progress in the Roller Pass. Dragon’s Way offers players more superstars, Roller Champions’ themed characters, to choose from than any season before, which now come with their own customised backgrounds.
Roller Champions™ is a free-to-play, skill-based, team PvP sports game. It is the result of a passionate team of people, want to create a new sport, one that creates a unique new experience on the competitive scene. The game meant to entertain both players and viewers with the promise of spectacular skill-based plays and last-minute saves. Roller Champions offers speed, momentum, verticality, and above all, team play. Players will embark on a zero-to-hero journey, gaining fans as players play matches, complete sponsor contracts, and participate in skatepark activities. All of it to pursue the ultimate goal of rolling up to glory.
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.
Get a sneak peek at Friends vs Friends, Superfuse, Cassette Beasts and more!
STOCKHOLM – OCT. 3, 2022 – Autumn’s just getting started and so are we! Raw Fury is thrilled to partner with a handful of developers to bring not one, not two, but seven demos to this October’s Steam Next Fest. The event, beginning today at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT, will roll out several demos that have previously only been available to play at events like Gamescom, PAX West, and Tokyo Game Show.
Below you’ll find an estimated duration of each demo (ranging from just a few to 45 minutes), a description of what players can expect, and links to a recent video and press kit for each title.
Collect awesome monsters to transform into during turn-based battles in the open-world RPG Cassette Beasts. The demo takes you to New Wirral for the very first time, introducing a set of beautifully crafted monsters to combine into new ones with a taste of the game’s ‘80s-inspired vibe and synthy soundtrack.
Flat Eye, launching for Steam on October 17, is a balanced blend of management simulation and narrative-driven gameplay, as players look after the world’s premier gas and technological hub. This demo introduces the game’s foundational systems, including receiving and completing primary directives, managing your futuristic station and its modules, and interacting with premium customers.
Friends vs Friends Estimated Demo Duration: 3-5 minutes per game
Friends vs Friends is an online PvP shooter that combines combat and deck building. The demo will run only for the duration of Steam Next Fest, allowing players a limited opportunity to take to the rooftop as one of five playable characters in chaotic 1v1 or 2v2 online combat.
GUN JAM is a fast-paced rhythm FPS where you must shoot to the beat to survive. The new demo, playable only during Next Fest, features two game levels and original music tracks: as Trap, battle your way through the Gun Jam Arena to the trap-hop song “Nitro”; then power through the Sonic Prison as Aero, backed by the EDM track “Don’t Look Down.”
SKALD: Against the Black Priory Estimated Demo Duration: 15-20 minutes
SKALD: Against the Black Priory is a retro-style party-based RPG set in a grim-dark fantasy world of tragic heroes, violent deaths and Lovecraftian horror. Choice matters as you explore an engaging branching story mixed with crunchy tactical, turn-based combat and character customization.
Superfuse is a hack-and-slash action RPG with the ability to hyper-tailor your power set based on your playstyle. The game’s new demo allows players to come out swinging as the familiar heavy-hitting Berserker class, or wield the wild powers of the recently revealed Elementalist.
Tails: The Backbone Preludes Estimated Demo Duration: 25-40 minutes
Tails: The Backbone Preludes is a post-noir narrative adventure with branching choices set in the rich world of Backbone. The demo features the entire first act of Tails, with scenes from each of the four characters’ stories and their diverging narratives. Explore themes of growth and change, power, friendships and relationships, morality and ethics, and more.
All of the listed demos will be available to download when Steam Next Fest begins at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. Please visit Raw Fury’s publisher homepage on Steam to see all of the above games and more, including our most recent release, Dome Keeper!
About Raw Fury
Raw Fury is a boutique indie (un)publisher founded in 2015 by Jonas Antonsson, Gordon Van Dyke, and David Martinez. We do not care about genres or mechanics. We care about experiences and emotions. We want to help developers make magic.
Coming to PlayStation and Xbox platforms on October 13th, Switch on October 20th
Montpellier, France, October 3rd, 2022 – Indie developer Artefacts Studio in partnership with Dear Villagers have today released the third and final expansion of their hit RPG The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos with Back to the Futon. Out now on PC, with 60% off the base game from Oct. 3rd to 10th, Back to the Futon holds four brand new chapters, filled with shenanigans and epic hijinks, and brings about the conclusion of their adventures in the wackiest of all dungeons. Back to the Futon is coming to Xbox consoles and PlayStation platforms on October 13th, with the Switch version arriving one week later on October 27th for $14.99/ €14,99/ £11.39.
In Back to the Futon, the adventurers are sent on a quest through time and space to solve once and for all the temporal anomaly that has enveloped the Dungeon of Naheulbeuk. During these time-traveling shenanigans, our heroes will face off against multiple challenges and enemies, including the zealous cultists of Dlul, the drowsy God of Sleep, as they search for the statuette of Gladeulfeurha.
Back to the Futon is an epic undertaking that’s roughly half as long as the base game (around 20 hours). The culmination of everything introduced in The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk and its previous expansions (The Ruins of Limis and Splat Jaypak’s Arenas), Back to the Futon will allow players to reach level 16, offering them several new passive and active skills along with new gear.
“Back to the Futon is a massive expansion that functions as a sort of mini-sequel – and mini-prequel for that matter – to The Amulet of Chaos,” said Bruno Chabanel, CEO of Artefacts Studio. “By revisiting familiar locales in an earlier era, we were able to expand upon the game’s lore in wild and wacky ways, while further fleshing out our lovable cast. The time travel mechanic allows us to delve deeper into The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk, making it a wholly iconic locale with a rich, ridiculous history.”
“We know fans of The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos have been waiting a long time for this final expansion, but we’re confident the wait will have been worth it,” said Guillaume Jamet, Head of Publishing at Dear Villagers. “Back to the Futon is a major addition to the canon that brings players to some surprising new places that further enriches all that came before. We thank you all for your patience and hope you enjoy this swan song to The Amulet of Chaos!”
The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos’ is a turn-based tactical RPG chock-full of charm, humour and chaos! Leading a ragtag company of unlikely heroes, players will embark on an epic adventure combining the fun, creativity and chaos of an epic fantasy tabletop campaign with the challenge of the very best tactical RPG games to deliver an adventure unlike anything you’ve played before.
New features:
Play through 4 brand new story chapters (half as much as the original game!)
Discover new legendary items and skills!
Help your characters become stronger, up to lv16
Perfect your tactics with new gameplay mechanics
Lots and lots of chickens!
About Artefacts Studio Based in Lyon, Artefacts Studio is one of the major players in the French indie gaming scene, with more than 50 passionate employees, and a strong focus on narrative, tactical, RPG, and racing games. Since its foundation in 2003, the studio has helped develop major console titles like Blood Bowl III and Space Hulk Tactics. Artefacts has been creating full games since 2014, including Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders and The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos.
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.
Helsinki, Finland, October 3rd 2022 – Experience Hell on Earth this Habboween! A portal from Hell has opened up in the Hotel, allowing Fallen Angels to enter the building and cause havoc in a gothic, doomsday-inspired Halloween event in Habbo, with new, limited edition rares, furni, clothing items and bundles to be purchased and created.
During this year’s Habboween event, witness horror as forbidden love is formed between Habbo Hotel’s guardian angel Laylah and a surprising Habbo resident, Dracula himself. Afraid of losing another lover to death, the infamous vampire eternally imprisons Laylah in stone, and realizing their opportunity for invasion, Lucifer seizes the opportunity to rise from Hell and attack Habbo!
Revel in the chaos as Lucifer’s Fallen Angels and Fallen Archangels conquer Habbo! Complete games and use the Torch Effect and Pirate Sword Effect to free imprisoned harbingers and drop ingredients which you can use to craft new macabre items at the Occult Table. Rediscover items from previous years’ Habboweens in the catalog before you get sucked into the pits of Hell, or use your credits to create your own throne in your very own Gothic castle! For more information about the somber event, visit: https://www.habbo.com/community/article/31064/habboween-hell-in-habbo
About Habbo & Sulake
Sulake is a social entertainment company focused on providing a safe and fun online service for self-expression through its games, Habbo and Hotel Hideaway. Sulake was founded in 2000 by a small team of passionate people and now after 21 years, Habbo is still one of the largest virtual communities in the world, reaching players all over the world each month. With paying customers in over 115 countries and over 850,000 active users a month, Habbo continues to be a hugely popular and globally recognised brand.
Sulake’s mission is to enable its users to meet new people, make friends and give them a place to create and share their user-generated content in fun virtual surroundings. Sulake is a leader in ensuring online safety for children and was acquired in 2020 by Dutch media and technology company Azerion. www.sulake.com
There have been many grid-based tactical RPGs over the years, especially from Japan, with certain famous series becoming staples to anyone that might enjoy the genre. Now what if one of these tactical RPGs did away with the grid based movement but instead took a RTS style approach to combat instead by focusing on real time fighting with pauses only coming to give troops fresh orders? Well, it would turn out to be The DioField Chronicle. With a unique spin to combat and a solid design aesthetic, is Square Enix’s The DioField Chronicle worth checking out?
Story
The island nation of DioField is steeped in political strife as the monarchy finds itself on the brink of collapse. Between the assassination of the heir apparent and a sickly king, numerous forces across the land have their eyes on the throne and are willing to do anything to obtain it. To make matters worse, the rising Empire nation on the mainland has begun a brutal campaign to take over the world and has met little resistance until an allied group of countries began to stand up against them. The problem is, both the Empire and allied countries are in need of a vital resource that fuels their magical arts… jade. Unfortunately for those in DioField, jade happens to be their richest resource making them a primary target for those warring on the mainland.
Players take on the role of Andrias Rhondarson who has organized a small three person band of mercenaries in order to work their way into the political world of DioField. Through some suspicious luck, the three find themselves under the employ of a new lord and quickly become the leaders of the mercenary force known as the Blue Foxes. With their own plans in mind, the group must survive the bloodiest conflict that DioField has ever seen if they wish to see what the future may hold.
The DioField Chronicle tells a fairly grounded fantasy tale mixing sorcery and some level of technological advancement into the main conflict that is told so poorly and without emotion that it often comes across as one of the blandest war stories that players can think of. In-between missions players are regularly shown sterile war-room style briefings about events across the land to the point that consulting the in-game library is the only way to really flesh things out. Significant characters to the plot are introduced and highlighted only to be killed off-screen with barely a sentence mentioning what happened and without consequence while prominent figures that appear countless times through the story aren’t even given portraits let alone unique models. There are some interesting twists that happen near the end of the game but they come far too late into what was mostly a humdrum tale of medieval war to that point.
It doesn’t help that the core cast of characters that make up the player’s party are almost completely generic to a fault. The main character of Andrias is a poor lead that fails to really stand out in any way and even the core characters that serve as the primary party members see very little in the way of development. What developments they do have often occur through character specific side-missions that actually have some interesting elements compared to the rest of the generic side-missions on offer. In fact, a number of characters that players can recruit and bring to the team don’t have any actual development and in fact can become worse as the story moves along, something that should be given some praise due to how unexpected it is and just how far certain developments are taken.
Gameplay
What makes The Diofield Chronicle unique as a JRPG is the fact that battles take place in a real-time system where the only time the action comes to a pause is when players issue new orders such as moving to a new location, using skills, or making use of certain abilities. Instead of this being a tactical RPG using grids to move around, players will be able to command their four units, each of which can be accompanied by an assistant that provides additional combat options, to move freely along the field. This works quite well as players can perform pincer maneuvers or flank enemies by splitting the party and assigning them different paths to a target allowing them to deal extra damage from rear attacks. It also can be used to dodge various AoE attacks that enemies will unleash if players cannot interrupt them in time.
This allows for quite a few fun and interesting encounters where the best way to take on the enemy is to plan smart but unfortunately The DioField Chronicle really doesn’t develop its combat into too much extra detail beyond that and many encounters can begin to become simple exercises that make use of the same tactics that have cleared the field countless times before. This is primarily due to a limited amount of unique enemies with most cannon fodder remaining the same throughout the game and offering only small variations of attacks to worry about.
As for the player’s party members, there are four character classes that can be used with each having a unique variation depending on the character. The class breakdown is standard soldiers, mounted cavalry, sharpshooters, and magic users. Soldiers can take on a variety of roles such as tanks that draw aggro, daggers to deal sneak damage like a rogue, and more while mages can focus more on healing arts or dealing out massive waves of damage instead. These little variations allow for some fun and interesting moments especially while players learn what characters fit best with their strategies.
With over a dozen characters that players can recruit to their party and the ability to build them along various upgrade paths, there are a lot of options available to players in combat especially since assistant characters can be swapped in as a primary fighter a limited number of times in a battle. This can only be done a limited number of times but it can swing things the player’s way if they end up playing a bit too carelessly. The reason that this may only come in handy if the player is careless is mostly due to the fact that despite the game throwing extra enemies at players as they progress, The DioField Chronicle doesn’t offer as much of a challenge as one would think.
This is primarily due to the ability to throw down powerful AoE moves with little worry of cost and often annihilate foes with quick planning and resource management. Only occasionally can a battle feature a unique twist that may spice things up and throw a wrench in a well made plan but these are few and far between, with even boss battles rarely offering more than just extra health bars to manage. That being said, should players feel that they are being overpowered too easily or miss out on completing a side-objective, there is the ability to go back and grind for money and experience points on previously completed stages and hit goals such as completing a stage in a certain amount of time.
When not in a battle players will be sent back to explore a generic keep that serves as the Blue Fox’s base where they will be able to accept various side-quests from party members and random NPCs, purchase weaponry and equipment for their units, and upgrade various class abilities such as increasing the damage of a skill or ensuring that it always causes a status effect. This base is thankfully something that players can choose to skip around in using a fast travel mechanic as it is often needlessly large for how little interactivity is provided outside of a few passing words from party members between story beats.
Visuals & Audio
The DioField Chronicle offers some a great design aesthetic when it comes to character portraits of characters that are actually given portraits, which surprisingly many are not. Character models aren’t quite as detailed but work well enough when in combat and many attack skills and magic offer some flashy performances, especially in the case of summons that not only look amazing in action but also unleash stunning magical attacks/buffs. It is worth noting that the diorama style of the battlefields is a unique approach that may look impressive but also lacks any real tactical variance which is a bit disappointing. Fighting on a road or pathway is the same as fighting in a swamp or snow with there being no tactical advantage.
The game offers a solid cast of English voice actors that offer a fairly mixed bag of performances. Some characters sound far better than others even in the same scene which can be a bit distracting but these stronger performances help carry these limited characters through the story. As for the soundtrack the title offers a solid collection of background music that fits well given the medieval fantasy setting.
Overall
The DioField Chronicle makes for an interesting RPG that shines when its tactical combat makes players think on their feet and plan how to best annihilate their enemies with the aesthetics of the art style working wonders. Sadly, the story fails to capitalize on these strengths and instead offers a generic experience with a mostly dull cast of characters.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
In this demo playthrough for the upcoming action-adventure game Gunbrella, we got a taste of what the titular device is capable of. The Gunbrella is not only your main weapon, it’s also your main means of maneuverability allowing you to jump higher, block, and even zipline across the screen.
Gunbrella is a noir-punk action-adventure set in a world dependent on a rapidly diminishing natural resource. Players take the role of a gruff woodsman on a quest for revenge, armed with the mysterious Gunbrella: a firearm that doubles as an umbrella. His investigation becomes entangled with the inner workings of ghouls and gangsters, cops and cutlists, and the fallout of corporate exploitation.
Gunbrella Developer: doinksoft Publisher: Devolver Digital Website: https://support.devolverdigital.com/ Platform: Windows Release Date: 2023 Price: TBA
Summary: (BASED ON DEMO BUILD) Subject to change when Final Build is released.
Recommended – “A lot of care is being put into the crafting of Gunbrella as evidenced by this demo. It has a lot of neat ideas, and the potential to be one of the best indies next year.”
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