Gaijin inCubator and Three Whales Studio are pleased to announce that the Closed Beta Test of Age of Water, the upcoming adventure MMO taking place on a post-apocalyptic Earth completely covered in water, will start this summer. Anyone can apply for the beta at the official website, but the number of test participants is limited. Those who will be picked for the CBT will receive an email with a link to download the game and other necessary information.
In the Age of Water, people live on the roofs of high-rise buildings and on the tops of other man-made and natural objects that have turned into islands in the boundless ocean. Players freely roam the open world in a motorboat or small ship, recruiting new crew members, upgrading equipment and weapons, fighting or trading, completing quests, and uncovering the mysteries of the Age of Water.
Dozens of hulls and hundreds of parts are available to the players, from which they can assemble anything ranging from a small boat to a hefty 30 meters long vessel, and then equip it with gear, armor and weapons. It’s also important to gather a suitable team of crewmembers to man all the machine guns and cannons or do other jobs on board. In addition, the player can establish their own naval base. Such a hideout is reliably protected from enemies, and it is possible to organize the production of everything that the captain may need on it.
Pirates are always waiting for the player in the sea, and players can not only destroy the enemy watercraft, but also capture it in battle and make it their own forever. In addition, it’s possible to meet other players, interact with them, invite them to the team or help with the quest. But far from safe zones, players can also attack others. In Age of Water, everyone decides what their role will be today, a peaceful traveler or a bloodthirsty pirate
Follow the news of Age of Water on the official website of the game.
About Gaijin InCubator Gaijin InCubator is a publisher of experimental indie games, as well as a platform and a set of basic services for developers (Gaijin’s partners) to create online games. This initiative was launched by Gaijin Entertainment in 2015 to support promising game developer teams.
Complete Game With Project_Hel DLC & All Cosmetic Packs on PC and Consoles
CALABASAS, Calif. — June 30, 2022 — Global publisher 505 Games alongside developers and partners One More Level, All In! Games, 3D Realms, and Slipgate Ironworks™, today announce the launch of Ghostrunner: Complete Edition. This version of the critically-acclaimed first-person cyberpunk action game includes the recent Project_Hel expansion, highly replayable post-launch game modes, and all previously released cosmetic packs for [$39.99/€39,99/£34.99] on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Amazon Luna, and PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG.
Scale Dharma Tower, a megastructure serving as humanity’s last shelter, on a violent mission to take down a cruel tyrant. Effortlessly cool, death-defying platforming and one-hit-one-kill combat encourage quick reflexes and quick wits, making Ghostrunner: Complete Edition the perfect entry point in the franchise for gamers seeking to master a challenging first-person push-forward combat experience. Daniel Deluxe’s electronic soundtrack breathes pulse-pounding power into each leap and slash.
The Ghostrunner: Complete Edition includes everything that made Ghostrunner a smash hit at launch in 2020 and adds the refinements and post-launch content One More Level has created since then. The Project_Hel prequel DLC offers a new campaign starring a new playable character, Hel – an unstable combat android driven by seething hatred, with distinct moves that set her apart from the original protagonist Jack.
Master Ghostrunner: Complete Edition’s movement and combat in post-launch game modes. Speed through Killrun, defeating enemies along the way to add precious seconds to the timer. Overcome an onslaught of attackers with help from randomized upgrades in the roguelike Wave Mode. Assist Mode provides optionable boons like shorter ability cooldowns, slower gameplay, and an extra life. Take the perfect snapshot with Photo Mode.
Cut down cyborgs in style with intricate katana and glove sets previously released as cosmetic DLC packs. Strike fear in the hearts of opponents with the Halloween Pack, feel festive with the Winter Pack, embrace the glitzy side of cyberpunk with the Neon Pack, or take inspiration from Confucian constant virtues with the Metal Ox Pack.
Ghostrunner is published by H2 Interactive for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation in Asia.
For more information about Ghostrunner: Complete Edition, including full language support, visit the official website.
Legacy of Zamorak: Lord of Chaos introduces a scalable difficulty system as well as a high score leaderboard for the most daring players
Thursday, 30th June 2022, Cambridge, UK – RuneScape players will face a god as they take on Zamorak, the Lord of Chaos in this brand-new dungeon and boss battle launching Monday 4th July. The dynamic design system will challenge players of all skill levels and provide scalable rewards and outcomes.
Gielinor’s bravest adventurers will delve through the ruined Zamorakian Undercity filled with cultists, demons, and fearsome mini bosses before facing and – hopefully – banishing Zamorak. This high-level content can be played alone or with friends and will have diverse rewards and gameplay which varies depending on players’ approach. This boss fight is followed by an additional mini-quest which ties into the Elder God Wars storyline from last year.
This may be the ultimate RuneScape boss fight but fear not, it’s designed to be played by adventurers of all skill levels. There are three modes available: Story, which reduces damage taken by 90%, Normal which is a moderate challenge, and Enrage, pushing players to the absolute limit.
For the first time on a dungeon, a global leaderboard will be made available exclusively for players on the Enrage mode. Showcase your skill and battle your way up the high score tables against the best RuneScape players in the world right now.
RuneScape is available now on PC, Steam, iOS, and Android, complete with cross-platform progression and play on PC and mobile.
About RuneScape More than twenty years in the making and acclaimed by PC Gamer as “one of the most endearing and unique MMOs available”, RuneScape is an ever-expanding, living game that’s bursting with activity and life. Today RuneScape is one of the world’s longest-running online games, welcomed almost 300 million player accounts, and is at peak popularity with millions of players.
Set in a medieval fantasy land, begin by creating a character and then embark on epic journeys through a vast sandbox world that’s full of gods, warring races, unexplored dungeons, and glittering riches. Propelled by the game’s narrative, choose your own path through enthralling quests, and progress through 28 diverse skills to shape a single character in a classless world. RuneScape on mobile is now available for iOS and Android devices, featuring cross-platform play between mobile and desktop editions, enabling players to seamlessly jump between devices and take their adventure anywhere. In RuneScape, you get to be the hero you always wanted to be and, with new content added almost every week, there’s always a new and adventurous experience to look forward to.
About Jagex A leader in creating deep and engaging live games on PC and mobile, Jagex’s flagship MMORPG, RuneScape, has welcomed almost 300 million player accounts to its world and is a $1billion lifetime revenue franchise. Today the RuneScape franchise exists beyond running games in live operations; our titles are living games that connect and inspire millions of players, with content and experiences both inside and outside of inexhaustible game worlds. Both RuneScape and Old School RuneScape, on PC and mobile, offer ever-evolving, highly active worlds and our community-focussed development ethos empowers players to have a real say in how each game is shaped. Now we’re expanding and extending our portfolio with fresh franchise titles and new IP to bring life to the living games of the future. Jagex employs more than 450 people at its Cambridge headquarters.
Assetto Corsa Competizione Becomes Preferred Choice of the FIA Motorsports Games
American Track Pack DLC Also Released Today To Celebrate
CALABASAS, Calif. – June 30, 2022 – Global publisher505 Games and developer KUNOS Simulazioniare honored to announce Assetto Corsa Competizione, the flagship racing series played by hundreds of thousands of fans globally has been selected as the official game of the 2022 FIA Motorsport Games’ esports competition. Taking place from October 26th and 30th 2022, Assetto Corsa Competizione will allow GT fans to experience another level of cutting-edge esports racing across 17 disciplines in ACC’s roster of GT3 vehicles.
The FIA Motorsport Games challenges the world’s best esports competitors to compete in GT, GT Sprint, and Endurance disciplines to become the annual champion of the sim racing space and marks the first time Assetto Corsa Competizione has headlined the event.
ACC’s move into the FIA Motorsports Games coincides with today’s release of the American Track Pack DLC on PC via Steam, featuring renowned US speedways for the first time in series history, each laser-scanned and rendered for absolute accuracy. Watkins Glen, Indianapolis, and Circuit of the Americas (COTA), host of Formula 1’s United States Grand Prix all feature. Players can also customize vehicles with new liveries. The DLC debuts today on PC for $17.99 USD.
Assetto Corsa Competizione is rated “E” for Everyone by ESRB and PEGI 3 for All Ages and is available on PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
About 505 Games
505 Games, a Digital Bros’ subsidiary, is a global publisher focused on offering a broad selection of video games for players of all ages and skill levels. The company publishes and distributes premium and free-to-play games on console and PC platforms as well as mobile devices. Publishing highlights include DEATH STRANDING (PC), Control, Assetto Corsa Competizione, Ghostrunner, Gems of War, Journey to the Savage Planet, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. 505 Games has offices in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, China, and Japan. For more information on 505 Games and its products please visit 505games.com.
About KUNOS Simulazioni
KUNOS Simulazioni is a software house specialized in developing driving simulations for the videogame market and professional applications.The company launched in 2005 as a one-man show, and now involves professional expertise capable of producing the technology required to satisfy a diverse range of requirements: from professional training software for car manufacturers and racing teams to advanced videogames dedicated to simracers looking for a driving model with maximum realism. The “Assetto Corsa” racing game is the best result of this vision, turning a driving simulation into one of the most recognized and popular brands of racing videogames. Its latest iteration, “ASSETTO CORSA COMPETIZIONE”, is one of the most appreciated GT racing simulations on the market, representing a benchmark in terms of car handling, visual realism and track accuracy.
AVAST! CURVE AND DENKI’S AUTONAUTS VS PIRATEBOTS TO LAUNCH 28TH JULY
Launch date confirmed and new trailer released!
London, 30th June 2022 – Curve Games and Denki are thrilled to announce that Autonauts vs Piratebots will launch on Steam 28th July 2022. To celebrate the news and showcase Denki’s unique base-building, management and automation sim and the next instalment of the BAFTA Award-winning Autonauts franchise, check out the new trailer here!
Autonauts vs Piratebots is a whole new game of automation and strategy for novices and veterans alike. Be the captain of your own destiny in this swashbuckling simulation that boasts an in-depth campaign across procedurally-generated worlds. Players will need to use crafting, world-building and RTS thinking to reclaim Autonauts settlements from marauding Piratebots, all while honing their Bot coding skills.
Use coding and automation to scavenge the world for resources, create industrious Workerbots and train them to become fearless Defencebots to combat fearsome Piratebots. Build mighty defensive walls and deploy armed towers to stop the relentless pillaging Piratebot raiders in their tracks. Salvage essential new technology from the black-hearted Piratebots to drive them from the land while you free your fellow Autonauts.
Autonauts vs Piratebots marries an utterly charming artistic vibe with an innovative and intuitive ‘show-and-tell’ Scratch-style coding system to make unique automation gameplay accessible to all. Nows your chance to code and command an entire army of cute Autonaut Defencebots to conquer hordes of rough and tough Piratebots!
What more could you want in this Bot Battle Banger coming to Steam on 28th July 2022.
To learn more about Autonauts vs Piratebots, please visit the official Steam page. Or meet the helpful, lovable Autonauts community on the official Discord server.
About Curve Games
Curve Games is an award-winning independent label working with developers worldwide to deliver the best in interactive entertainment. With a uniquely diverse games catalogue that includes renowned indie hits such as For the King, Bomber Crew, The Ascent, and Lawn Mowing Simulator, and the multi-million selling smash hit Human Fall Flat, Curve Games has taken its place as one of the leading games publishers worldwide.
About Denki
Denki is a video game developer based in Dundee, Scotland, which was founded in 2000 by 4 developers from the now-defunct DMA Design. Denki has worked extensively in the digital interactive television (DiTV) market, as well as other gaming platforms, and has produced bespoke licensed gaming products with the biggest entertainment brands on the planet. Autonauts is an original IP from the studio and their most recent release.
CD PROJEKT RED, creators of The Witcher series of games, GWENT: The Witcher Card Game, and Cyberpunk 2077, in collaboration with the city of Łódź, Poland, and EC1 Łódź — City of Culture, invite all budding artists and creative industry enthusiasts to Promised Land Open Day. The returning one-day-only event will take place this September 4th, with tickets now available for purchase.
Promised Land Open Day will follow the creative-industry-professionals-oriented Promised Land Art Festival which also returns this year to Łódź, Poland. The event will be fully offline and will take place in the EC1 building complex — a former power station, modernized and now serving as a center for culture and science.
Attendees will have the opportunity to take part in numerous activities. These will include panels and lectures from industry professionals and invited guests as they share their experiences of having worked on some of the biggest video games, films, animations, and other pieces of popular culture. Other attractions will include portfolio reviews hosted by veteran artists and meetings with recruiters from the game development sector, with Promised Land partners hosting presentations of the latest technology powering the creative industry. While some content may be available in English, Open Day and its attractions will mostly be presented in Polish.
The studio also announced the first speakers for Promised Land Open Day who will guide visitors behind the scenes of the creative industry:
Anna Podedworna is an illustrator and concept artist. She started her career in CD PROJEKT RED and Flying Wild Hog. Now she is a freelance artist, growing a list of clients which includes studios such as: CD PROJEKT RED, Riot Games, Wizards of the Coast, Valve, Walt Disney Pictures, and Warner Bros. Pictures. She has contributed to games such as GWENT: The Witcher Card Game, League of Legends: Wild Rift, Dota 2, Evil West, Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder and upcoming movies such as The Lion King sequel and Joker 2.
Stan Just is a committed game developer with over 12 years of experience in the industry. He is currently the CEO of Covenant.dev, and the Game Director of the upcoming Gord. In his past experience as a producer, he worked for Reality Pump Studios on the Two Worlds series, 11 bit studios on the Anomaly series, and CD PROJEKT RED — where Just managed teams creating The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and its expansions. He also sat on the management boards of the Polish Games Association, European Federation of Game Developers, and GameINN Steering Committee.
Tomasz Marchewka is an Associate Story Director at CD PROJEKT RED. He holds over a decade’s experience as a writer. During his time at CD PROJEKT RED, he has worked on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the Blood and Wine expansion, and Cyberpunk 2077. Besides video games, he writes novels and short stories. He is an incorrigible aficionado of noir fiction. In stories he looks for sad endings, flawed characters, and mistakes that cannot be undone.
Open Day tickets are available for purchase starting today. Anyone wishing to participate in the event can buy them through the dedicated page. Promised Land Art Festival ticket owners will be able to visit Open Day at no extra charge.
CD PROJEKT RED is a game development studio founded in 2002. It develops and publishes video games for personal computers and video game consoles. The studio’s flagship titles include The Witcher series of games, Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, GWENT: The Witcher Card Game and the futuristic AAA role-playing game — Cyberpunk 2077. Together with GOG.COM, a game store offering hand-picked titles for PC and Mac, CD PROJEKT RED is part of the CD PROJEKT Group. CD PROJEKT S.A. is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (ISIN: PLOPTTC00011).
About Promised Land Art Festival
Promised Land Art Festival brings together professionals working in film, gaming, and other creative industries. Focusing on the exchange of knowledge and experience, the event plays host to dozens of activities: from hands-on workshops, talks and demos, to Q&A and networking sessions. Leading and collaborating in these are speakers from some of the most recognizable brands in the industry. The festival is organized by acclaimed games developer CD PROJEKT RED, in cooperation with the city of Łódź, Poland and EC1 Łódź – City of Culture.
Get ready to explore strange new worlds, meet weird new people, try dodgy food, and boldly fumble where no space captain has fumbled before
London, United Kingdom – 30th June 2022. Wannabe space captains rejoice as publisher Green Man Gaming Publishing and developers Evil Twin Artworks are thrilled to announce that their new comedic space combat adventure game The Galactic Junkers launches today for Xbox One consoles, and PC via Steam for £12.99/€13.99/$16.99. The PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch versions will be released in early July.
In The Galactic Junkers, budding space captains can jump behind the helm of their very own spaceship and scour the galaxy on the lookout for derelict ships to board. But beware of pesky bounty hunters who are hot on your tail and don’t forget to keep an eye out for those troublesome aliens that lurk in the vacuum of space.
About The Galactic Junkers
Being the captain of a spaceship can be hard, especially when there’s a price on your head. Bounty hunters, space pirates, and even the Galactic Union are trying to hunt you down. All that stands between you and oblivion is your wits, your crew, and your trusty ship.
The Galactic Junkers is a comedic action-adventure space combat game that puts you in the role of a space captain on the run. Your ship might be falling apart and your crew isn’t the best but with a little luck, you can keep everything ship-shape. Upgrade your ship, hire new crew, steal supplies and equipment, and keep searching for the truth of why everyone wants you dead.
In the far future, the Great Cataclysm saw Earth destroyed, seeing humanity spread throughout the Solar System. To survive we’ve become nomads, eking out a living on space stations that are falling apart and barely habitable asteroids. Humanity has lost hope but a few brave space captains are out there, trying to find a new future for us. You’re one of them, building a life full of adventure for you and your crew, with a full load of Space Munch, a moody computer, and a barely functioning ship, what could possibly go wrong?
Features
Explore – Take a journey across the solar system exploring all nine planets and their neighbouring sectors. Discover mysterious asteroids, creaking space stations, abandoned shipwrecks, deadly pirates, and much more.
Mine, Salvage, Steal, and Trade – Running a spaceship is never easy and there are always bills to pay. Keep your bank balance looking healthy by mining asteroids, salvaging derelicts, and trading with disreputable characters. Maybe you’ll even partake in a little theft, but don’t worry – we won’t tell anyone.
Battle and Board Enemy Ships – Space is a deadly place so you’ll have to fight for your life. Set your crew to operate the guns and show those pesky pirates what you are made of! Board enemy ships to smash and grab essential resources or hack systems from the shadows.
Hire and Maintain your Crew – A happy ship needs a happy crew, so look after your band of useful idiots. Nurture their skills to keep everything running smoothly, or if you don’t like them, show them the airlock and hire new crew.
Buy, Upgrade, and Repair Ships – Maybe you need a little more juice in the engine department or your guns are falling short. Upgrade your ship to take control of the sector and make a name for yourself. Or if you prefer something a little fancier, trade-in your ship for a better model. Just don’t forget your maintenance routines!
Protect You and Your Ship at all Costs – Try not to get yourself blown up, captured, or otherwise incapacitated. We’re counting on you to find the truth behind the bounty on your head and see if there’s a bigger destiny for you out there. Explore strange new worlds, meet weird new people, try dodgy food, and boldly fumble where no space captain has fumbled before, just don’t get your exhaust ports blown off!
The Galactic Junkers will release today for Xbox One consoles, and PC via Steam for £12.99/€13.99/$16.99. The PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch versions will be released in early July.
Green Man Gaming Publishing works with developers around the world to bring great indie games to market. Green Man Gaming Publishing is a division of Green Man Gaming, the multi-award-winning global video games retailer and technology business.
About Evil Twin Artworks: Evil Twin artworks are a Swindon based games development studio creating original multi-platform games including River Cottage Get Foraging for Channel 4 and Award-winning PC strategy, Victory At Sea.
Hamburg, June 29, 2022 – gamigo is happy to reveal over 600,000 in-game trees have been planted in its popular Voxel-based MMORPG, Trove. These trees were planted as part of the game’s Grovin’ and Trovin’ event in participation with Playing for the Planet’s “Green Game Jam” initiative.
As a result of Trovians’ tireless efforts to populate the game with beautiful and lush greenery, all players are well over halfway to the goal of 1M planted in-game trees. Once this goal is reached before the end of the Grovin’ and Trovin’ event, everyone will receive the exclusive “Sapling Sower” as thank you.
Trovians that have yet to participate in this month-long event can earn a “Hyper Tree Friend” and “Tree Sapling” – as well as help reach the community goal of 1M planted in-game tress – by completing any of the following tasks:
One Code to Rule Them All: Just by reading this press release, we’re giving you (and your readers if you’re a member of the media) a unique code that can be redeemed for Tree Saplings and the Hyper Tree Friend. The code is TROVETREE.
Twitch Drops: Watching Trove streams on Twitch will present viewers with Twitch Drops of Tree Saplings and the Hyper Tree Friend.
A Hunting We Will Go: Do you prefer the old-fashioned method of farming for rewards? So do we! Which is why we are making seeds available to players who would rather dungeon crawl for their Tree Sapling seeds.
Trove’s Grovin’ and Trovin’ event is now available on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch and will end on July 5, 2022. With less than a week left in this special in-game event, Trovians are encouraged to grab their virtual gardening tools to work towards the 1M planted in-game trees community goal!
The Playing for the Planet Alliance was launched in 2019 during the Climate Summit at UN Headquarters in New York. In total, the members of the Alliance have the ability to reach more than 1 billion video game players. In joining the Alliance, members have made commitments ranging from integrating green activations in games, reducing their emissions, and supporting the global environmental agenda through initiatives ranging from planting millions of trees to reducing plastic in their products. The initiative is facilitated by the UN Environment Programme with the support of GRID-Arendal and Playmob.
Members of the Playing for the Planet Alliance: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc, Bornholm Game Days, Creative Mobile, Creative Assembly, Dropledge, Game, E-Line, EGDF, FGOL, GameDuell, Gameloft, Gamigo, Green Man Gaming, Humble Bundle, Internet of Elephants, IGEA, ISFE, MAG Interactive, Microsoft, Niantic, Neogames Finland Association, Perp Games, Pixel Federation, Playmob, Rovio, Reliance, Sony, SEGA Europe, Space Ape, Sports Interactive, Strangeloop, Sumo Group, Supercell, Sybo, SNJV, Tigertron, TiMi Studios, Ubisoft, Unity, Ukie, ustwo games, WildWorks, 37 Interactive Entertainment.
About the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
About gamigo group The gamigo group is one of the leading publishers of online and mobile games in Europe and North America. The group’s diverse game portfolio includes free-to-play titles such as Fiesta Online, Trove and Aura Kingdom and mobile games like Fantasy Town and Heroes of Twilight. Counting more than 400 employees, gamigo group is one of the largest players in the gaming industry. Besides its German locations in Hamburg (HQ), Berlin and Darmstadt, the gamigo group also has branches in Austin and Bellevue (US), and in Seoul (South Korea). In addition to gamigo AG, the group includes the subsidiaries gamigo Inc. operating as “WildTangent”, gamigo US Inc., gamigo Publishing GmbH and KingsIsle Entertainment, Inc. The gamigo group strives to grow organically as well as through acquisitions. Since 2013, it has made more than 25 acquisitions, including titles, gaming and technology companies as well as individual game assets. The gamigo group is part of Media and Games Invest (MGI).
Based on the Works by Prolific Author Jules Verne, Verne: The Shape of Fantasy Merges Non-Linear Narrative-Driven Adventure, Puzzles, and Exploration for a New Take on One of the Most Famous Science-Fiction Stories
Wiesbaden, Germany – 30th June, 2022. Don your scuba gear and metal detector because it’s time to unlock the mysteries of Atlantis once and for all in Verne: The Shape of Fantasy, a pixel art adventure game coming to Steam in 2023. From publisher Assemble Entertainment and developer Gametopia, Verne: The Shape of Fantasy shakes up the puzzle platform genre with an adventure based on one of the most epic tales ever told.
Verne: The Shape of Fantasy is a narrative-driven experience based on the real-life works by Jules Verne, the author most famous for novels like Journey to the Center of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and Around the World in Eighty Days. Leveraging Verne’s one-of-a-kind storytelling and science fiction prowess, Verne: The Shape of Fantasy delivers a magical gameplay journey where players encounter many friends, villains, and deep-sea monsters of legend.
Set in an alternate 1888, the war against the dreadful “Nation” has reached its breaking point, devastating the land of Hemera, the fantastical world created inside the mind of Jules Verne. Aboard the mighty Nautilus, Jules Verne, Captain Nemo, and the courageous crew struggle to uncover the secrets of Atlantis, the fabled utopia that faced mass destruction from the very power source Verne and his crew aim to locate: the Flame of Hephaestus.
“Jules Verne’s fantastic novels and their impact have transcended decades, and we’re thrilled to honor these incredible tales by reimagining them as interactive experiences where players can decide what happens next,” said Diego Adrada, CEO and Lead Developer at Gametopia.
Key Features of Verne: The Shape of Fantasy:
Tool Master: Discover and master the “IMAG,” an ancient Atlantean device allowing Verne to rewrite his story and change the fate of the adventure
We’ve Got Company: Non-linear dialogues create a robust cast of characters in a thrilling story that reflects the human ability to imagine and tell larger-than-life stories
Unlock Atlantis One Puzzle at a Time: Utilize side-scrolling gameplay, inspired by old-school adventure games where solving puzzles and exploring every inch of your surroundings is key to success
No Ruin Left Unturned: Journey through a steampunk-esque world brought to life by detailed pixel art, told through a wide range of environments from the Nautilus’ dark corridors to ancient Atlantean ruins
Historically Accurate: Enjoy an easy-to-follow narrative that leverages true-to-life information about Jules Verne’s life and world-famous works
Verne: The Shape of Fantasy is available to wishlist on Steam, with a planned release set for 2023. A free demo is now available to play on Steam — try the game now!
Gametopia has published a webcomic depicting a prequel adventure to Verne: The Shape of Fantasy. To explore the adventure, visit the site here: www.julesvernegame.com/comic.
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About Assemble Entertainment
Founded in 2016 and based in Wiesbaden, Germany, Assemble Entertainment is an independent games developer best known for the survival city-builder Endzone – A World Apart, which challenges players to survive and thrive following an environmental apocalypse, and the modernized Leisure Suit Larry series, featuring two new entries in the iconic decades-spanning saga. Despite the company’s short history, Assemble Entertainment has won the German Developer Award twice — in 2020 and 2021— in the category “Best Publisher.” Assemble Entertainment organizes GermanDevDays, an annual conference held in Frankfurt, Germany since 2016, that attracts more than 1,100 attendees from across the German-speaking video game development industry. The event also includes the GermanDevDays Indie Award, where indie development teams across Germany can participate in varying categories to win a cash prize for their projects. The event is hosted by Stefan Marcinek, CEO and Founder of Assemble Entertainment.
Capcom have been on a role lately with their re-releases, and now are looking to broaden their selection on platforms with some long-demanded titles. Capcom Fighting Collection brings together ten arcade romps to modern platforms with a bevy of features that fighting fans are sure to love. With all the Darkstalkers and other gems, is this hefty package worth the entry? Let’s find out.
Story
There are a lot of games within this compilation, but the true story here is that it features all five Darkstalkers titles. I’m sure a good lot of you are familiar with these titles that hit well over two decades ago, or maybe your main experience was with Marvel vs Capcom’s inclusion of Morrigan, Felicia, and others. Either way – this unique franchise lets players take control of fighters loosely based on classic cinematic monsters. Sure, there is a little story within each, but these titles came out at a time when fighting games were in a true revival. There were so many interesting concepts that could have never fit within any other genre at that time, and in my own opinion – Darkstalkers is kind of the poster child for that movement. All five have a nice evolution and their release here does a great job at celebrating not just them, but the genre itself.
The other five titles are a bit more niche, but still worth a look due to their odd concepts. Red Earth is the next big draw, a title that has never seen a release outside of arcades. This title kind of has that Darkstalkers vibe, but with a theme revolving around medieval characters that all have over-the-top moves and personalities. Cyberbots is more of a mech-based fighting title, which is fine, and keeps with a similar art style outside of some oddly inserted early CG cutscenes and menus. Rounding out the lot is the Trio of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Super Gem Fighter Mini Max, and Hyper Street Fighter II: The Anniversary Edition. Sure, the Street Fighter selection is a little odd, but still fitting and a nice dose of more familiar fare for those who may still be new to the oddities in the overall package.
Gameplay
As far as the core experience, Capcom Fighting Collection have ported these over perfectly with very little issues. Darkstalkers still performs great and its sequels do as well, featuring the fast-paced mechanics with button layouts mapped out in an accessible manner for current platforms. I don’t think prior to this I have played any of the franchise outside of the original, so it was a lot of fun getting a bit of a history lesson with some top-notch gameplay. It’s also worth mentioning the other features that attempt to evolve the franchise, with Dark Force Meters coming into play in later titles, which basically creates a gauge for special attacks unique to all fighters. Two of these five are more reconstructed variants of prior titles, much like we see in the Street Fighter II timeline. If I had any qualms whatsoever with Darkstalkers in this collection, it would be that they all play close to the same and the mild changes are not too distinct outside of a few character changes. That said, the preservation is excellent, and most will love sinking their teeth into what is primarily the bulk of the set.
Red Earth is an odd one, but certainly worth anyone’s time as its over-the-top roster is only half of what it has to offer. This fighter is a hybrid, as it features RPG mechanics where players can progressively level their characters, with a lot borrowed from side-scrolling titles like Dungeons and Dragons. Cyberbots is also rather interesting, featuring the ability to mix and match pieces of mechs to do battle. Sure, it doesn’t really get much deeper than that in terms of gameplay as it still has similar stylings to other titles previously mentioned, but it is nice to have it included regardless. Finally, we have Street Fighter offerings (well, mostly), with the first up being Super Gem Fighter Mini Max. This game features the chibi versions of characters from Puzzle Fighter and is an adorable offering that kind of offers the set a lighter tone. Hyper Street Fighter acts as an “ultimate” version of Street Fighter II, including all characters with brutal difficulty. It seems the Japanese version comes with a bit of a softer touch – but it is truly a fun way to re-experience the favorite.
Rounding out the list is Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo. Sure, it isn’t a fighting game in most ways as it borrows a lot from other gem matching competitive puzzle titles from the era, but it is fun as each player is represented by their chibi fighter, which does combat with the foe based on score and skill from the match. There is a lot to take in here, and I feel that the list is perfect for what’s included as most of these titles do not really feel like forced inclusions. Each feature both the English and Japanese releases – including names and language sets, which is sure to please those who want to see the games in the original states. There is also a great selection of filters, wallpapers, and of course unlimited credits, along with a museum of sorts that gives us more background and appreciation for every title included. Even though these are just ports of niche releases, I really don’t see how Capcom could have made it any better as there are so many options for the player and the rollback net code equates in some silky-smooth gameplay online – a rarity for the Switch (which this title was reviewed on) and honestly all other platforms as ports usually do not get this much thought with online functionality.
Visuals
The visuals within Capcom Fighting Collection are clean and fluid, with animations still remaining crisp throughout. The filters also do a great job at offering options to these titles, with original 4 : 3 aspect ratios, and other neat choices that add grain or offer a look that almost matches arcade machines perfectly. Players can also choose a wallpaper or just leave the borders blank. I know that is an odd thing to compliment as it’s a given in most collections, but having black bars just adds more authenticity and pulls more focus into the main experience.
Audio
The soundtracks of course are varied and excellent depending on your own tastes. While there were not a lot of updates to the sound quality (which will be hit or miss with some), most will have no problem digging these tunes and getting some serious nostalgia in the process. The voices are also able to be toggled between regions, which is also a nice touch. That said, I would like to see future collections include Jukeboxes that can run outside the mode – but alas, that is just a minor wish and not really any kind of flaw.
Overall
Capcom Fighting Colleciton is easily one of the best compilations Capcom have released to date. There is a ton of fan service and excellent attention to detail that seems to be targeted at the very fans that have wanted to see these titles exist on consoles, and it’s great to see the efforts applied as you replay a very odd part of history. That said, this collection is not for everyone as it is literally a group of black sheep bundled into one package- so it may not hook those who are simply looking for a more modern fighter. Either way, for the price and the load of content, you can’t do much better than this, a collection that hopefully will introduce Darkstalkers and other gems to a brand-new audience.
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