Xbox just wrapped its Xbox Games Showcase: Extended, a 90-minute stream that unpacked the news shared during Monday’s Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase. Highlights from Showcase: Extended include:
Announcing that Valheim will come to Xbox and Game Pass on day one (PC Game Pass in 2022, Xbox in 2023)
Brand-new gameplay for Oxide Games’ Ara: A History Untold, an upcoming turn-based, historical grand strategy game for Windows PC unveiled on Sunday
New content for Microsoft Flight Simulator: “World Update X: United States of America and US Territories,” available today at no additional cost for all players; and the addition of the Beechcraft Model 18 to the “Local Legends” series
The first gameplay reveal of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, coming day one to Xbox and Windows PC with Game Pass
Fall Guys and 343 Industries partnered to bring The Master Chief to the Blunderdome with The Spartan Showdown event running June 30-July 4 – the event includes new challenges, fancy cosmetics and legendary items
For more information about what we shared today, check out today’s Xbox Wire post or watch Showcase Extended on demand here.
ASSASSIN’S CREED TURNS 15 AND KICKS OFF THE CELEBRATIONS TODAY
Franchise Invites All Fans to Celebrate 15 Years of History, Starting with Assassin’s Creed®OriginsFree Weekend
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — June 15, 2022 — Today, Ubisoft announced the start of their 15th anniversary celebrations for Assassin’s Creed. These celebrations are an opportunity for the teams to thank the fans for 15 extraordinary years of history and shared passion. For the months to come, players will discover surprises, collaborations, rewards, community activities and more.
On this occasion, we want our players to get the most out of all the Assassin’s Creed games, from Assassin’s Creed® Valhalla to the first Assassin’s Creed®. These celebrations were launched with our community today through our dedicated website, assassinscreed15.com, and our livestream on Twitch twitch.tv/ubisoft. The Assassin’s Creed teams hope the community will enjoy these celebrations and invite all players to join them this September as they unveil the future of Assassin’s Creed during a very special event.
Players have access to new free content in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla thanks to unprecedented Year 2 support, with the return of festivals, the Mastery Challenge Pack 2 and the Armory feature, as well as new caves to explore this fall to solve the mystery of the Tombs of the Fallen. This summer, players will also be able to take part in Odin’s rogue-lite–inspired journey to the spectacular region of Niflheim with the new game mode, The Forgotten Saga, offering a fresh take on gameplay that’s free to all Assassin’s Creed Valhalla players. One last surprise awaits fans at the end of the year as the Assassin’s Creed teams will reveal the last episode of the story of Eivor as a free chapter for all players.
As players discovered a few days ago, we are delighted to bring 60 fps support for Assassin’s Creed Origins on both Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation®5. Players are now able to rediscover Ancient Egypt under the reign of Cleopatra in 60 fps and make the most of Bayek’s grandiose adventures. To celebrate this upgrade with all our players, we will be hosting a free weekend for Assassin’s Creed Origins from June 16 through June 20. Players can pre-load Assassin’s Creed Origins starting today: freeweekend.ubisoft.com/assassins-creed-origins.
For five years now, the teams’ passion for making history more available to a larger audience has given life to three opuses of the Discovery Tour franchise. In the spirit of facilitating access to learning, we are happy to announce that Discovery Tour: Viking Age is now available as a stand-alone experience on consoles, as well as PC: assassinscreed.com/discoverytour. We are also honored to be partnering with the Faculty of Education at McGill University to develop curriculum guides for teachers and students, available online for free, to help them make the most of Discovery Tour opuses as learning tools for the classroom: https://ubisoft.com/r/discovery-tour/curriculum-guide
To celebrate the 15 years of Assassin’s Creed, a game will be featured each week, offering new content, rewards and interactive experiences for all our audiences on our dedicated website launching today: assassinscreed15.com. As a starter, several sets of Assassin’s Creed Origins tattoos along with a naval pack are now available in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
For more information about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, please visit assassinscreed.com.
For the latest news on Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and other Ubisoft games, visit news.ubisoft.com.
About Assassin’s Creed
Since it first launched in 2007, the Assassin’s Creed series has sold more than 155 million games worldwide. The franchise is now established as one of the best-selling series in video game history. Recognized for having some of the richest, most engrossing storytelling in the industry, Assassin’s Creed transcends video games, branching out into numerous other entertainment media.
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.
Wargaming Belgrade and Wargaming Warsaw to host up to 400 employees
June 15, 2022 — Following Wargaming’s decision to withdraw from its businesses in Russia and Belarus the company is announcing the next step in the process of its restructuring – the opening of two new studios in Belgrade, Serbia and Warsaw, Poland. Reinforcing the organization’s global operations, the new locations will become Wargaming’s 7th and 8th offices in Europe, joining Nicosia, Vilnius, Prague, Kyiv, Guildford, and Berlin, and will host up to 400 employees.
Wargaming Belgrade will house both international and local talent across development and publishing disciplines. Going forward, the office will also become an important relocation hub for Wargaming staff from multiple locations. The studio will focus on the World of Tanks and World of Warships franchises, providing key services and potential development of new products.
Wargaming Warsaw will initially house a small publishing team with further development plans for the location to be decided as Wargaming’s restructuring process continues.
“Warsaw and Belgrade were logical choices for these new locations, both are fast developing technology sectors with enormous potential. We look forward to working closely with both cities’ IT communities to build best-in-class game development and publishing units.” said Victor Kislyi, Wargaming CEO. “Wargaming continues to move forward with big plans for the future. The Belgrade and Warsaw locations will be essential for accomplishing our goals”.
As part of the launch of the office in Belgrade, Wargaming will support the growth of local gaming talent by offering an immersive, local internship program – Wargaming Forge. This program will allow talented individuals (local students, graduates, junior professionals) to master skills under the guidance of the company’s experienced leaders and mentors.
For more information about the company please visit wargaming.com
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About Wargaming
Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus. Operating since 1998, Wargaming has grown to become one of the leaders in the gaming industry with 17 offices around the world, including studios in Chicago, Prague, Shanghai, Tokyo and Vilnius. Millions of players enjoy Wargaming’s titles across all major gaming platforms. Our flagship products include the free-to-play hits World of Tanks, World of Warships and World of Tanks Blitz.
Mario is not new to sports, as his side-hustle has brought in a lot of value for Nintendo, with the plumber finding success in nearly every activity he has geared up for. The football (or soccer, if you will) portion of his dynasty has been largely put on the back burner for over a decade, but a new romp is ready to reset that and aim for even more goals with Mario Strikers: Battle LeagueFootball for the Nintendo Switch. Does this release merit a celebration for its return, or is it one that could have used bigger portions at launch? Let’s find out.
Story
Unlike a lot of recent entries, Mario Strikers: Battle League does not really try to put together a narrative for why Mario and his friends are playing the game of football. This concept is not too new, but without a narrative – we just have the sport itself spread over a set number of modes, with the player simply attempting to win cups or play online to get victories, all of which are not celebrated outside of some cheeky cutscenes. Sure, it is bare bones on that front, but I can say the core game is at least fun, and there is still plenty of incentive to dive in and take to the field with some of the Mushroom Kingdom’s greatest competitors.
Gameplay
Accessibility is the name of the game here. This is one of those titles that from the tutorial – most will realize that it’s easy to jump in and play, but still takes a good deal of skill and practice to master. Each game consists of a four vs four structure, with each team also assigned a mostly non-playable goalie. Players have power-ups located in mushroom blocks that can offer minor advantages, with red and green shells that smash opponents, mushrooms that offer limited boosts, and invincibility stars that act exactly as you would expect for a short burst of dominance. Each character also has their own “hyper strike” attack, which offers a special shot that can score two points if you are able to execute it through a timing mini-game, and mostly – all of this works exactly as it should.
For offense, passing and shooting is easy enough, with the player having the ability to turn their team to auto or have a sense of control with a manual character swap. I think that was my first gripe with Battle League that never felt quite normal, as the input control for swapping characters is the top shoulder button, and it’s rather easy to lose focus of who you are juggling between. Personally, having this mapped to a click of the right stick or another button would have made the experience feel slightly more optimized. Either way, returning fans will dig the core experience here as it is still solid overall.
As players progress through the tournaments, they can unlock coins with every battle played that can reward gear. Gear is a way to customize your character visually, boosting stats such as speed, shooting, and other field metrics that each character comes with by default in exchange for a minor decrease in another stat. Stats are balanced enough between the nine selectable stars here, and the gear does offer incentive to keep playing for a good bit. That said, the roster of characters feels bare compared to normal Mario Sports outings. There are no playable characters able to be unlocked from the start, and while I do like the roster included – glaring omissions such as Daisy, Koopa Troopas, and the Shy Guys will have most wanting to pick up any of the promised free DLC that drops in the future.
That is Mario Strikers: Battle League’s biggest issue. There just is not a lot of content to really justify the entry price-tag. Sure, the online mode is fun, but it’s only 1 vs 1 in any circumstance, a bizarre oversight that could have led to a lot of chaos with more players. Local mode does have up to eight, and with the lack of content, it is truly mind-boggling why Nintendo would not want to create what could have made this title a champion effort for their loyal community out there. The different fields are also nice to see, but unlike past titles, offer no unique field hazards or challenges that truly set them apart. The lack of effort at launch holds this title back from reaching the potential of its predecessors, as things just feel less complete by normal Nintendo standards.
Visuals
The graphics here are great. Animations are stellar, and the crisp color keeps the field feeling full and enjoyable during every match. There are a lot of nuances with detail that also stick out, such as marks and skids on the field that occur with attacks and slides, as well as craters that appear when a bomb blows up. There isn’t any doubt that this is a pretty game – as it is. That said, a lot of the animations are repeated, and there is only so many times one will want to watch Yoshi make the same couple of victory moves after he scores a shot.
Audio
The soundtrack is fine. Sure, it may not be as memorable as what we would see in Mario Kart or even Mario Golf, but it does fit in well enough and sets a nice competitive- yet goofy tone that one would expect. All the characters also have their own voices, which is a nice touch that allows these personalities to come out while on the field. Again, these also can be a little repetitive, but there is still a great deal of charm they add to the overall package.
Overall
I wanted to like Mario Strikers: Battle LeagueFootball more than I actually did. The game is still great, but Nintendo have always had a habit of delivering more to each package, and this game at launch feels like going in for a three-course meal and only getting a steak. You and some friends can still have an afternoon of entertainment, and that is undeniable, however – with no story mode, and limited options around online aside from clubs, there is not a lot of content here to justify a fully priced experience. I get it, DLC is the sign of the times, but Nintendo have always been that company that delivered more and there isn’t a whole lot here to really plug into for an extended period of time. Those wanting a solid Mario sports game will still get their fix, but others wanting something more complete may want to wait as further content drops at a later date.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Now this was unexpected. A high-budget FMV (Full Motion Video) mystery game from Square-Enix was the last thing I thought would end up on my lap. Nowadays, these types of interactive movies tend to be short games made and published by small studios and companies. Now, some might think that games like The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story are novelties introduced by indie studios short on cash but overflowing with creativity; this is not the case as the concept of games using pre-rendered videos to present their graphics are as old as video games themselves dating as far back as the early 80’s. Games such as Dragon’s Lair, Time Gal among many others.
For better or for worse, these games were never able to establish a foothold in the industry; their high production cost coupled with minimal gameplay basically relegated this subgenre to glorified tech demos. It was in the form of visual novels that enthusiasts of story-heavy video games found their niche, and also how publishers were able to keep costs in check.
Story
The Centennial Case’s story is told from the perspective of mystery novelist Haruka Kagami. Haruka is a well-celebrated author and during an autograph session, she and her editor Akari Yamase are visited by Eiji Shijima. Eiji is a biologist and also a scientific consultant for Haruka’s books. The Shijima cherry blossom ceremony is about to begin, and Eiji wants to use this opportunity to employ Haruka’s help under the guise of writing about the ceremony. By using Haruka’s expertise in writing crime dramas, Eiji hopes to uncover the identity of a recently unearthed skeleton at his family’s estate and also investigate his family’s most well-guarded secret: The Tokijjiku. A fruit that is said to grant eternal youth to those who consume it.
After the prologue where the main cast is introduced, a new chapter will start with the discovery of an old magazine or book containing some story or article that mentions the Tokijiku, or an incident involving the Shijima family. Haruka’s method of sleuthing is interesting; she’ll imagine that she’s actually back in the past as one of the people involved in the incident. The rest of the cast will also participate in these imaginary time-traveling investigations in the same way; it’s very amusing and funny to see the gardener in the present time take the role of a cabaret employee in the past for example. This gives a lot of dynamism to the story-telling as the mysteries pile up while retaining its simplicity enough to not confuse the player too much.
When playing these tales from the past, an introductory video in black and white will be shown, and a narrator will give context to what was happening in Japan at that point in time immersing more curious players even more in the story.
Each chapter plays like a self-contained crime mystery novel. After a dead body is found, Eiji, Haruka and their alter egos must find the perpetrator so the story can continue, similar to how a miniseries work. This format is very convenient as the player can enjoy the story without needing to watch the whole thing at once. The story is well written, intriguing and fun to watch.
Gameplay
The Centennial Case plays like you’d expect from an interactive movie. In fact, the game design is extremely conservative and with little interaction. Each chapter has three phases: The incident phase is where the movie part plays. Clues can be collected when QTE-like prompts appear on the screen for a limited time; this part is optional, as all possible clues will be unlocked during the reasoning phase; here, the player will need to get much more involved as there’s no auto-solve button. Arranged in a honeycomb-like grid, mysteries will be placed on a slot normally in the form of a question. What you need to do is drag and drop clues onto slots adjacent to the question. If the clue fits, there it sits, and a hypothesis is formed. When enough hypotheses are created, the game will proceed to the solution phase where Haruka will use the clues and Hypotheses found to determine the real culprit. If Haruka fails to guess correctly, a jokey cutscene will play where Haruka will embarrass herself and it will be game over.
The gameplay loop may sound interesting for an interactive movie, but its execution leaves a lot to be desired. The movie parts are lengthy and as stated previously, any input from the player is completely unnecessary. Because of this I didn’t feel I was part of the story and much less playing a game. The reasoning phase feels much more like an exercise in trial and error than an actual investigation: Even when the game states that paranormal activity can be discarded, some hypotheses suggesting the opposite will be created to waste the player’s time. The solution phase is where you’ll feel more involved as you’ll need to present evidence to back your statements. Even then, it’s not nearly enough to make The Centennial case’s gameplay even close to satisfying.
Visuals
The story is completely told in movie form which is nothing short of impressive for this kind of product when presented in video game format; hours upon hours of high-definition recorded scenes using real actors and locales. Everything is done in a believable and entertaining way which goes to show how much care was put in crafting this story. On the PlayStation 4, the cutscenes are rendered in 1080p although it didn’t really look full HD to me.
Audio
The audio department is also very well done. The Centennial Case’s soundtrack fits in very well with the themes presented. The Japanese cast play their roles superbly for the most part, but there’s still an option for english VOs.
Overall
In the end, The Centennial Case succeeds in telling an interesting story but fails in being a video game. For those who like story-heavy games light on interactivity and that don’t offer any meaningful challenge like what can be seen in the Zero Escape series for example, The Centennial Case might be just what you’re looking for.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Over the past decade isekai stories have become extremely popular to the point that these types of stories involving the main character being transported to a, usually, magical realm through various means feels like it has been done in every way possible. Be it a light novel or a manga, it can be difficult to find something unique among the barrage of isekai but when it comes to Frontwing, they have something a bit special with one of the few visual novels in that genre. While Frontwing may be known in the West primarily for their work with the long running Grisaia series, this prolific developer has a massive list of visual novels in their library ranging from highly detailed to short and simple and in 2015 they released their own take on an isekai story in the form of Hatsumira -from the future undying-. Now after seven years this story has arrived on PC in English but is this different take on isekai worth your time?
Story
Ichiro Mimori is a petty officer second class in the Japanese Imperial Naval Air Forces during World War II and one day in a battle in the Pacific his airplane is struck by enemy fire. Not one to go out without a fight, Ichiro prepares himself for a kamikaze attack on an opposing warship. Ready for death, Ichigo is surprised to find himself not only alive but crash landed somewhere in a mysterious desert. To make things even stranger, a woman with horns that can transform into a dragon and breath fire at a whim is one of the first things he sees. Of course, being a hardened soldier with a strange view of what normal humans can be capable of, simply thinks that he is somewhere in the Philippines and that they can all transform in such a manner.
After enough explanation to crack through Ichiro’s hardhead, the dragon girl reveals that her name is Yukikaze and that the land they are in is a completely different world from what he knows. Instead this is a land filled with magic, numerous fantasy races such as dragons, dogfolk, mermaids, and many more but it’s far from a peaceful one as the military might of the Principality of Wisla has threatened nearly every race on the planet. After accepting that he is at least not in the world he once knew, Ichiro agrees to work with Yukikaze as an ambassador for Barauhl, the militia force she is leading as a way to rebel against the empire and try to protect the rest of the races, hoping that by interacting with the world he may uncover some way to return to Japan.
This brings him into an incredibly meaty journey through the world as Yukikaze and Ichiro try to form alliances with certain races, battle against the empire and solve problems at the same time, gaining a new heroine along the way as the story progresses through each chapter. This does result in Hatsumira becoming a very lengthy visual novel, reaching nearly fifty hours in length or longer once players see the end of every route. Of course, clearing the common and main route is the core focus but even this is a lengthy endeavor with plenty of content. This length allows for the writers at Frontwing to craft a truly detailed feeling world and not only give the main heroines plenty of development and interactions with the main character, but also allow for so many side characters to see development of their own that at least one of them feels more fleshed out than one of the main heroines.
This level of detail makes for an engrossing experience but it also comes with its own issues as conversations can occasionally circle back on topics that have just been discussed, explain various events multiple times in a row, and at times simply drag various interactions on far longer than they should. It is also worth noting that while the main route does feature all of the heroines often interacting with each other and Ichiro, once players can select to go down a specific heroine’s route the rest vanish nearly entirely in what feels a bit odd given how fleshed out the character interactions are. That being said, the character routes are solid enough in their own right but players should be prepared for the undead heroine’s route to be incredibly dark compared to the rest and perhaps shouldn’t be saved for last as a result.
One element that makes Hatsumira so interesting is the fact that Ichiro is not the standard isekai protagonist. He is hardheaded, has life experience and plenty of combat training, and has a brash attitude throughout the storyline that feels something like a breath of fresh air for the genre. Ichiro will fight dirty if it means he and his new friends can survive even if he often butts heads with his friends more often than not.
His attitude in the world of Hatsumira is a fitting one however as this visual novel tackles some extremely heavy concepts. Sure it may have sexual content should players apply the patch but this this is primarily a story about war, those who have been harmed by it, those fighting it, and what happens before and after the battles have come to an end. That isn’t to say that things are all dark however, as the writing allows for plenty of humor to seep in as well and manages to do it in a natural way, swapping between dramatic or heavier moments for those of levity and enjoyable character interactions.
There is one issue however with the way that Hatsumira is written and that lands on the localization team. Despite being a veteran Japanese pilot from WWII, Ichiro is localized to speak with such a heavy British slang that there will be sentences at times that are nearly incomprehensible. Why he speaks in such a manner is unknown as his inner thoughts are worded normally and for the most part other characters in the story speak in plain English, minus various puns being worked into the dialogue like cat jokes from feline races and the dwarves also using various slang terms. This heavy slang of Ichiro’s is incredibly distracting and while players may get used to it over time, it is something to be worried about especially since it never gets any better, even during sex scenes.
Speaking of, players who install the patch will unlock additional scenes throughout the game. The amount of actual adult content in Hatsumira is quite low as each of the heroines only have two scenes a piece but they are handled quite nicely and offer a solid amount of variety between the four women. There are three other scenes featuring side characters including some that may not be comfortable for those who prefer vanilla content so be wary of that.
Gameplay
In many ways Hatsumira plays the same as any standard visual novel with players reading through dialogue to advance the storyline. It is worth noting that while the game does offer very little in the way of actual player choice and that the main story route must be completed first before players have any option of continuing and seeing how other character routes end. In something of an unique offering, Hatsumira features a progression meter that can be viewed in the menu and can truly highlight just how long this visual novel feels at times, with nearly each chapter capable of being considered a visual novel in its own right when hours into the third chapter players will only find themselves at 40%.
Along these same lines Hatsumira has a fairly extensive amount of unlockable content that players can revisit once they have completed the game. This comes in the form of a gallery featuring the many CGs and event CGs that occur throughout the title, an actual scene selection for each of the four heroines as well as the main story route for players who wish to revisit any aspect of the storyline, a collection of the game’s music and movies, and of course the adult scenes can also be revisited should players make use of the patch. In a bit of an interesting bonus, players who are eager to get the most out of Hatsumira may eventually unlock an extra bit of content that will please fans of any specific heroine though we won’t mention exactly what this secret may be.
Visuals & Audio
Those familiar with Frontwing know that they have some of the best looking visual novels around and Hatsumira -from the future undying- continues that trend despite its age. The details on the various character portraits are gorgeous with countless named characters being given unique designs of various shapes and sizes. This level of detail is also given to the various special effects that often play during combat sequences, helping set the mood for the fights that frequently happen throughout the story. Hatsumira also features an extremely large offering of CGs, nearly all of which are highly detailed, though it is worth noting that the game does have mosaic censorship for adult scenes.
The voice work in Hatsumira is surprising with how much effort has been put into giving nearly every character a unique voice. While Ichrio himself is not voiced, every other named character has a unique voice actor to help tell this story and they do a great job here, especially during the more dramatic moments of the story. The same cannot really be said about the sound effects used throughout the story as most appear to sound nearly identical to the types heard in most other visual novels.
Overall
Hatsumira -from the future undying- is something of a rare breed as it offers a massive storyline that we don’t often see released in English these days. The optional adult content is relatively small but the real enjoyment to be found here is in the game’s story and the actual personalities of the characters and their interactions with one another. The strong writing for the common route as well as the various themes in the story make for an incredibly interesting read despite the fact that the dialogue can be a bit long winded and the localization, especially for Ichiro, is some of the strangest and off putting that you can find for a properly translated visual novel.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Registration for TEKKEN World Tour 2022, the main competition for TEKKEN 7 in 2022, is now open for players and tournament organizers. They can head to https://tekken-esports.bn-ent.net/ to register and get all the information about the TEKKEN World Tour 2022.
Watch the TEKKEN World Tour 2022trailer :
Players will be able to register an earn points through tournaments in order to climb the top of their Regional Leaderboards for a chance to reach the Regional Finals and win their spot for the TEKKEN World Tour Finals, being held in early 2023.
Independent tournament organizers can now register for DOJO events, with registration available on the Esports Tournament Portal, Tonamel, Start.gg and Challonge.com. These events are open to all players but only regional players will be able to earn points in these events.
Players will also be able to compete in MASTER events, for which they can participate and earn points no matter their region. These events are officially supported and will bring more points than DOJO events for the Regional Leaderboard. MASTER Events are:
CEO (Daytona Beach, FL, United States) – June 24th – 26th 2022
EVO (Las Vegas, NV, United States. EVO will be a MASTER+ event, awarding more points to participants) – August 5th – 7th 2022
VSFighting (Birmingham, United Kingdom) August 19th – 21st 2022
RevMajor (Manila, Philippines) – September 17th – 18th 2022
The Mix Up (Lyon, France) – October 1st & 2nd 2022
BURLINGAME, Calif. –June 14, 2022 – KOEI TECMO America and famed developer Team NINJA (Nioh, Ninja Gaiden), are proud to reveal the first details about its epic new supernatural Three Kingdoms thriller, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. Currently in development for the Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, and on PC via Windows and Steam®, the game is scheduled to release in early 2023 and will be available day one with Game Pass on console and PC.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty follows the dramatic, action-packed story of a nameless militia soldier fighting for survival in a dark fantasy version of the Later Han Dynasty where demons plague the Three Kingdoms. Players fight off deadly creatures and enemy soldiers using swordplay based on the Chinese martial arts, attempting to overcome the odds by awakening the true power from within.
A joint creation by Team NINJA producers Fumihiko Yasuda (Nioh) and Masaaki Yamagiwa (Bloodborne), game features include:
1. Demons in the Kingdom
A dark fantasy set during the chaotic Three Kingdoms period, the narrative vividly tells the tale of a militia soldier’s strenuous fight for survival during a Later Han Dynasty infested with demons. It’s madness in the Three Kingdoms like never before!
2. Awaken the Power Within
Defeat deadly enemies to boost morale and awaken the power from within! Overcome adversity through unique new strategies, including battle styles based on the “Five Phases”.
3. Live by the Sword
Renowned for ruthless strikes that can change the tide of battle in an instant, sword practitioners of the Chinese martial arts gracefully change pace as they shift between offensive and defensive maneuvers. Overwhelm opponents with a flurry of force in a series of intense and bloody battles while learning the precision and skill necessary to become a true master of the sword.
KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Burlingame, California. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI is best known for its Dynasty Warriors® and Samurai Warriors® franchises. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive®, Ninja Gaiden®, Tecmo Bowl®, and Fatal Frame® series.
Microsoft, the Xbox Sphere mark, the Series X logo, Series S logo, Series X|S logo, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X|S are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.
LITTLE LEAGUE® WORLD SERIES BASEBALL 2022 SLIDES HOME TO VIDEO GAME CONSOLES & PC ON AUGUST 17
MINNEAPOLIS — June 14, 2022 — Little League® Baseball and Softball and GameMill Entertainment are pleased to announce the upcoming launch of theLittle League World Series Baseball 2022video game, whichwill bring the thrill and competition of Little League home on Aug. 17, 2022. Available for PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, fans will get the chance to pitch, slide, field, and rally their way to Williamsport’s famous Howard J. Lamade Stadium for a chance to win a Little League World Series Championship.
Announcement Trailer:
Little League World Series Baseball 2022 captures the fun and fundamentals of Little League in a new unique way: pick your team, power-up your stats, and knock it out of the park to become a Little League All-Star.
KEY FEATURES
Become a Little League World Champ: Choose your team, then showcase your skills as you compete through the bracket to see if you have what it takes to be named the Little League World Series Champion. Or jump right into the action in an instant with Quick Play mode.
Play With Friends: Get together for exciting local multiplayer tournament action for up to four players. Customize the rules, select your stadiums and teams, and see who wins it all!
Choose Your Style: Customize your team’s look, equipment, and batting style.
Super Abilities: Use bonuses like Slow Time and Bat Tank to turn the tide of the game to your favor. Earn player-boosting stickers that allow you to build the most powerful team.
Get in the Game: Intense interactive plays put you in command of executing incredible slides, catches, hits, and more to give your team the edge and bring home the win.
“After the highly successful franchise of Little League World Series Baseball 2010 more than a decade ago, and as we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Little League Baseball World Series this August, Little League is pleased to re-enter the gaming space and highlight the fun and excitement of the tournament in a digital experience,” said Liz DiLullo Brown, Little League Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “We look forward to enhancing the interaction with Little League fans, both on and off the field, and bringing the World Series experience into the homes of fans of all ages in this exciting new way.”
Little League World Series Baseball 2022 is available to pre-order now at major retailers for $49.99.
Little League World Series Baseball 2022 is developed by IguanaBee and published by GameMill Entertainment. For more information, visit LLWSgame.com.
About Little League Baseball and Softball
Founded in 1939, Little League® is the world’s largest organized youth sports program, with approximately two million players (ages 4-16) playing baseball and softball in communities across every U.S. state and more than 80 other countries. Operated by more than one million volunteers, Little League believes in the power of youth baseball and softball to teach life lessons that build stronger individuals and communities. From professional athletes and award-winning celebrities, to public officials and other influential members of society, Little League graduates have taken the lessons they learned, both on and off the field, to create the next chapter of the Little League story. Each year, millions of people follow the hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship that Little Leaguers® display at our seven baseball and softball World Series events, the premier tournaments in youth sports. For more information, visit LittleLeague.org, and follow Little League (@LittleLeague) on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. When we all come together, we are truly One Team. One Little League.
About GameMill Entertainment
GameMill Entertainment, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a third-party publisher of console and mobile games for passionate fans around the world. Development platforms include PC, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft consoles including the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, Sony consoles including the PlayStation®5 and PlayStation®4, and mobile devices. With development across the globe, GameMill is a source of entertaining and fun games for all ages. For more information, visit https://gamemill.com, as well as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram.
About IguanaBee
IguanaBee is a Chilean full-service video game developer company that, for 11 years, has worked and excelled in numerous projects due to their interesting gameplay, polished aesthetics and newfangled mechanics. With these concepts in mind, we aim to develop games with original ideas and/or already-existing IPs. IguanaBee has deployed for multiple platforms including PC (Steam, Epic, GOG.com), Nintendo Switch, Sony consoles (PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®Vita) and Microsoft consoles (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One). Among IguanaBee’s recent milestones are partnerships with Hasbro & GameMill, Sony Worldwide Studios, Google, Iceberg Interactive and Untold Tales. For more information, visit www.iguanabee.com, as well as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram.
Embark on an epic galactic adventure with your crazy crew, a barely functioning ship and a moody computer – what could possibly go wrong?
London, UK – 14th June, 2022. Global publisher Green Man Gaming Publishing and indie developer Evil Twin Artworks have today confirmed that their exciting new comedic space combat adventure game The Galactic Junkerswill be launching on 30th June 2022 for PlayStation 4, XBOX One and PC for £12.99/€13.99/$16.99. The Nintendo Switch version will release in early July.
Budding space captains can get some hands on time ahead of the launch as a brand new playable demo will be released today as part of the Steam Next Fest! Scour the galaxy on the lookout for derelict ships to board but watch out for 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.
Check out the announcement trailer for The Galactic Junkers here
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’s 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 don’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 be launching on 30th June, 2022 for PC, PlayStation 4 and XBOX. Nintendo Switch will launch in early July. Fans can Wishlist the game on Steam now. For more information please visit Green Man Publishing website.
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About Green Man Gaming Publishing
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.
