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Discover the gorgeous retail editions of Horse Tales – Emerald Valley Ranch in a new trailer!

Discover the gorgeous retail editions of Horse Tales – Emerald Valley Ranch in a new trailer!

Ride along with the game’s Limited Edition, already available for pre-order!

Sydney, Australia, (July 26, 2022) – Microids is pleased to unveil the retail editions for the game Horse Tales – Emerald Valley Ranch with a brand-new trailer. Developed by studio Aesir Interactive, the game will invite players to embark on a full-on equestrian open world adventure. Horse Tales – Emerald Valley Ranch is set for release this summer on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Nintendo Switch and PC in ANZ. 

Watch the new trailer here

Check out the game’s retail editions, already available for pre-order!

The Limited Edition includes:

  • The standard edition of the game for PS5, PS4 or Nintendo Switch
  • An embroidered patch
  • 3 post cards
  • Stickers
  • A set of exclusive digital bonuses:
    • The Knight tack set
    • The Irish Cob Horse Breed
    • 3 exclusive outfits
    • A unique avatar hairstyle

Additionally, players who pre-order the game at participating retailers will get access to a Unicorn tack set, an exclusive in-game cosmetic content to dress up your horses!

About Horse Tales – Emerald Valley Ranch

A holiday at your aunt’s place turns out to be far from what you expected: the family’s once prestigious estate has fallen into disrepair and you are stranded there… 

Embark on a delightful adventure to befriend the peninsula’s residents and freely explore the vast wilderness around you! Breed and tame horses, train them and compete in thrilling races. All while taking on the mission to fully renovate your family’s ranch by building, upgrading and customizing it with a variety of stables, horse care stations and decorations.

Only you can restore the Emerald Valley estate back to its former glory and make a name for yourself!

Gallop into adventure with Horse Tales – Emerald Valley Ranch, coming out this winter!

Find Microids on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Or at: http://www.microids.com/

Watch all their videos on YouTube

About Microids

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 Aesir Interactive

Aesir Interactive is a renowned development studio based in Munich, Germany. A passionate team of more than 50 highly skilled designers, artists and programmers lay the foundation for captivating games and innovative interactive applications.

Crazy Physics Brawler “Bare Butt Boxing” Bursts on Steam Early Access Q4 2022

Crazy Physics Brawler “Bare Butt Boxing” Bursts on Steam Early Access Q4 2022

Valorant, Fortnite, and Godfall Vets Showcase New Trailer From In-House Debut GameVANCOUVER, Canada — 26 July 2022 —Bare Butt Boxing, the comically chaotic multiplayer brawler from AAA visual effects studio Tuatara Games, is preparing to launch on PC via Steam Early Access in Q4 2022, followed by a full 1.0 release across PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox in 2023.

Entranced by the sport of boxing, mischievous alien youngsters descend upon Earth to mimic their favorite fighters. Prepare for clothing-free, trap-ridden matches in the farthest corners of the planet. Romp around in 6-player free-for-all brawls across colorful locations around the globe and even in space. No referees involved!

Launch opponents through goals in local and online multiplayer to score the most points and emerge victorious. Dash for game-changing power-ups like electric fists and explosive sticky bombs. Stay alert and avoid traps, pitfalls, and other surprising hazards that can spell instant disaster. Deck out champions with cool customizations unlocked solely through playing and climb atop the leaderboards, leaving no ifs, ands, or butts on who’s the champ.

“With Bare Butt Boxing our goal is to create a party brawler that everyone can dive into and enjoy,” said Klemen Lozar, founder of Tuatara Games. “Whether online or sitting side by side during a couch co-op session, we hope players will laugh, scream, and have a blast going through many chaotic rounds”.

Bare Butt Boxing will be available on Steam Early Access for PC Q4 2022, followed by the full release on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4 in 2023. Check out Tuatara Games’ portfolio and stay up-to-date on the official website or by following the studio on Twitter, YouTube, and Discord.

About Tuatara Games

Tuatara Games delivers stunning results in the field of visual effects for AAA studios like Riot Games (Valorant), Epic Games (Fortnite), Counterplay Games (Godfall), and many more, but their passion doesn’t stop there. By supporting small indie developers and developing their own original experiences and games, Tuatara keeps experimenting and pushing interactive entertainment forward. Their first self-published game, Bare Butt Boxing, embraces chaos and whimsy in a world that often feels like the former, but could use more of the latter.

Street Artist Simulator announced for PC and consoles. Graffiti artists’ city spree in 2024

In 2024, players will have the opportunity to take on the role of elusive street graffiti artists. This chance will be offered by Street Artist Simulator, an open-world action game, a game for those who are creative and design their own graffiti or want to find unique locations and compete for street fame. The game will hit PC first, followed by PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch consoles.

Street Artist Simulator is a game developed by Shining Games studio of Poland. The publisher will be Games Box S.A., part of the Ultimate Games S.A. group.

Street Artist Simulator – Official Trailer:

Street Artist Simulator players take on the role of street artists creating unique graffiti. The fun is primarily about creating own graffiti, searching for unique spots and trying to remain elusive. The developers will also offer a number of additional activities that will add variety to the game.

“Above all this game is about giving a lot of freedom and opportunities to show creativity. The distinguishing feature of Street Artist Simulator will be a combination of creativity and fast and dynamic action. Players will find a pretty large city with different districts and a whole bunch of unique spots, which of course can be accessed, although not always in an easy or convenient way. To remain elusive, it may sometimes be necessary to hack the city’s infrastructure, or simply run away, where parkour skills will prove helpful, or even get into a fight, as a last resort” – says Tomasz Supeł, CEO of Games Box S.A.

As announced by the developers, Street Artist Simulator will also offer a whole range of additional activities. The player will have to get things such as food, drink and accommodation. To acquire the necessary funds, they may need to carry out paid assignments or demonstrate their hacking skills.

“The gameplay and painting mechanics, offering a lot of satisfaction, even when for those who in real life have nothing to do with making graffiti, is extremely important to us. The players will receive an extensive editor, where the only barrier will virtually be their imagination. Graphics will decorate our city, but we will also be able to, as it were, visit other players’ cities and paint over their graffiti in the heat of the rivalry to become a street art legend. A co-op mode will also be available, where players can together cover with graffiti some specific spots” – says Michał Szmygin, creator and head of Shining Games.

Street Artist Simulator – main features:

  • the life of a street artist;
  • creating own graffiti;
  • urban parkour;
  • many unique spots;
  • street fame.

Street Artist Simulator is expected to be released for PCs (Steam) in 2024. The game is also tentatively scheduled for release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch consoles.

Street Artist Simulator (Steam):

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2075280/Street_Artist_Simulator/

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum to Receive More Time for Polishing

Hamburg, Germany, July 25th, 2022 – Daedalic Entertainment and NACON would like to thank all players for their patience and support so far. During the past several years, the team has been working hard to share our vision of a remarkable story, set in a breathtaking world, filled with magic and wonder. We are dedicated to meeting our community’s expectations and uncovering the untold story of Gollum in a way that honors the vision of J.R.R. Tolkien.

That being said, in order to deliver the best possible experience, we have decided to push the release of The Lord of the Rings: Gollum™ by a few months. We’ll update with an exact timing in the near future.

Daedalic and NACON are grateful for their passionate community and will be happy to share this unique adventure with them soon.

The Lord of the Ring: Gollum will be released on PC, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch. 

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About NACON

NACON is a company of the BIGBEN Group founded in 2019 to optimize its know-how through strong synergies in the video game market. By bringing together its 16 development studios, the publishing of AA video games, the design and distribution of premium gaming devices, NACON focuses 30 years of expertise at the service of players. This new unified business unit strengthens NACON’s position in the market and enables it to innovate by creating new unique competitive advantages. https://corporate.nacongaming.com/

About Daedalic Entertainment

Daedalic Entertainment publishes and develops high-quality games for all platforms. The company has a diverse line-up of high-quality titles, including classic adventures, RPGs, and strategy and multiplayer games. With an international team of around 100 employees, Daedalic is currently developing a new line-up of innovative games across consoles, PC, and mobile platforms.

Based in Hamburg, Germany, Daedalic is one of Europe’s most acclaimed publishers and developers. With a total of 32 awards in the German Developers Award (including multiple accolades for ‘Studio of the Year’) and 12 German Computer Game Awards for genre-defining games such as Deponia, Edna & Harvey, Silence, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth, The Long Journey Home, and State of Mind, Daedalic is a record holder for the two most prestigious game awards in Germany. Recent publishing hits include Barotrauma, Unrailed!, Iratus: Lord of the Dead, Partisans 1941 and more.

Daedalic is currently developing The Lord of the Rings – Gollum. The story-driven adventure tells the story of Gollum from a perspective never witnessed before in any storytelling media, all the while staying faithful to the legendary books of J.R.R. Tolkien.

About Middle-earth Enterprises Middle-earth Enterprises owns exclusive worldwide rights to motion picture, merchandising, stage and other rights in certain literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. 

Chaotic Co-op Fling to the Finish Hurls Players Into Fling-a-Thon: Summer Tournament Adds New Game Mode, Cosmetics & Hijinks 

From July 25th to August 8th, players can dive into a topsy-turvy tournament to earn terrific rewards.

Hamburg, Germany, July 25th, 2022— SplitSide Games and Publisher Daedalic just announced “Fling-a-Thon”: a community tournament kicking off July 25th to August 8th for their wacky co-op racing game, Fling to the Finish. Alongside this friendly competition, Fling to the Finish adds fresh player cosmetics, plus a permanent new game mode called “Ring-a-thon”. The game will be discounted to celebrate the event and update.

Check out the fling-tastic new trailer here:

In Fling to the Finish teams of two race through colorful, chaotic obstacle courses while tethered by a stretchy elastic rope. Depending on your communication skills, this rope can be your greatest asset or your worst enemy— just like the friend you’re tethered to.

This summer’s “Fling-a-thon” tournament will truly let players flaunt their flinging-skills. Team Modern and Team Ancient face off in 3-race tournaments for ultimate glory— plus exclusive skins, stickers and banners. As an added bonus, during “Fling-a-thon” each and every race in the game will feature extra speed-boosts and obstacles to make racing all the more ridiculous!

The new “Ring-a-thon” mode adds speed-boost gates to send players soaring across troublesome obstacles at speeds hitherto unreached. But be careful— it’s raining javelins from the skies! Above and beyond “Fling-a-thon” and “Ring-a-thon,” Fling to the Finish is adding a new progression system where players can level up their ranks to unlock new character cosmetics, plus hilarious banners and stickers to personalize their game persona.

For more information, check out the official Steam page. 

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About Daedalic Entertainment

Daedalic Entertainment publishes and develops high-quality games for all platforms. The company has a diverse line-up of high-quality titles, including classic adventures, RPGs, and strategy and multiplayer games. With an international team of around 100 employees, Daedalic is currently developing a new line-up of innovative games across consoles, PC, and mobile platforms.

Based in Hamburg, Germany, Daedalic is one of Europe’s most acclaimed publishers and developers. With a total of 32 awards in the German Developers Award (including multiple accolades for ‘Studio of the Year’) and 12 German Computer Game Awards for genre-defining games such as Deponia, Edna & Harvey, Silence, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth, The Long Journey Home, and State of Mind, Daedalic is a record holder for the two most prestigious game awards in Germany. Recent publishing hits include Barotrauma, Unrailed!, Iratus: Lord of the Dead, Partisans 1941 and more.

Daedalic is currently developing The Lord of the Rings – Gollum. The story-driven adventure tells the story of Gollum from a perspective never witnessed before in any storytelling media, all the while staying faithful to the legendary books of J.R.R. Tolkien.

About SplitSide Games (Developer Fling to the Finish)

SplitSide Games is a small team of student developers from Drexel University. When they’re not in classes, they spend all their free time working on their premiere title: Fling to the Finish. SplitSide’s goal is to create games that make people interact in new and engaging ways, both inside and outside the games they create.

GTA Online Experience Improvements Arriving with The Criminal Enterprises

Upcoming Improvements to the GTA Online Experience – Coming as Part of The Criminal Enterprises on July 26

Alongside a host of new gameplay additions, a fleet of new vehicles, and much more to come next week and in the weeks to follow, GTA Online: The Criminal Enterprises will implement a significant number of overall experience improvements, including many requested by players via the GTA Online Feedback website.

Thanks in no small part to this vast resource from our community, we have a wide range of improvements and upgrades to the overall experience of GTA Online for all current platforms, including the latest generation of consoles.

Business Protections and Upgrades

Starting July 26, players will be able to engage in business activities — including Sell Missions — in private Invite Only sessions. You’ll be able to register as a VIP, CEO, or MC President in Invite Only, Crew, and Friend Sessions, allowing business owners to source and sell at their own pace or with their friends. Players on all platforms can easily find a new session by bringing up the Pause Menu, selecting Online, and Find New Session.

Players can also continue to sell their goods in Public Sessions, and those who do will receive an increased high-demand bonus for their efforts.

Vehicle Customization Enhancements and Changes

In addition to the fleet of new vehicles set to arrive this July and across the summer and fall, we’ve made some changes to address a number of submissions from our gearheads, LS Car Meet members, automotive enthusiasts, and beyond, including:

  • All vehicles with access to the LS Car Meet will be able to be equipped with Low Grip Tires, giving players even more customization options when modifying vehicles at the LS Car Meet.
  • Vehicles will be delivered faster when requesting from the Mechanic.
  • Players will no longer incur a charge for destroying another player’s Weaponized Personal Vehicle, avoiding penalties for those who return fire on (and successfully neutralize) attackers. 
  • The Avenger and Mobile Operations Center Vehicle Workshops will accommodate any vehicle that can fit, as opposed to only select vehicles (excluding the Oppressor Mk II, which is modified via its own workshop inside the Terrorbyte).
  • The number of ownable properties will be increased from 8 to 10, increasing total garage space by up to 20 vehicles.
  • The Legendary Motorsport and Southern San Andreas Super Autos websites will feature new filters and browsing shortcuts, which can be tabbed using L1/R1 or LB/RB on console.

Plus, the effectiveness of the Homing Missiles on the Pegassi Oppressor Mk II has been reduced, and its countermeasures will have increased cooldowns and fewer uses. Meanwhile, the Sparrow helicopter will have Chaff and Flare Countermeasures available when being modified inside the Kosatka, to make it less vulnerable to enemy fire. As with all other areas of GTA Online, we will continue to monitor player feedback on this change and how it impacts the streets of Los Santos.

General Improvements

Whether assisting Franklin in his recovery of Dr. Dre’s missing music or partying in The Music Locker, visiting El Rubio’s tropical haven or simply wreaking havoc with friends across the city, players across Southern San Andreas can look forward to a slew of new — highly-requested — improvements, arriving July 26:

  • When delivering Security Contracts back to the Agency, players will be able to enter via Helicopter or walk in through the entrance on the roof, rather than needing to enter through the front door at ground level.
  • When managing an Auto Shop business, your Auto Shop Staff will now be much more likely to successfully deliver a customer’s vehicle without issue.
  • To make getting around certain locations easier, players will be able to jog inside The Diamond Casino & Resort, The Music Locker, and Nightclubs.
  • Players will be able to purchase max ammo for all weapons at once in the Interaction Menu. Players will also have easier access to snacks and armor through a single input while the Weapon Wheel is up. Plus, if a player fails and Quick Restarts a mission, Snacks will be restocked to however many they started the mission with.
  • Players will now be able to immediately hang up on phone calls from several Contacts when they offer missions rather than be forced to listen to the full call before they can hang up.
  • PC players will have the option to disable the in-game chat box via the Settings menu.
  • To reduce instances of griefing, the Kill/Death statistic will no longer be affected by kills made in Freemode. Going forward, this ratio will only be affected by kills scored in competitive gameplay.
  • After their initial visit, players will be able to spend more time scoping out Cayo Perico and can get caught more times before being kicked off the island.
  • The Race Creator will be getting an assortment of updates — including increases to the Checkpoint limit, player limit for Transform Races, and number of fixtures that can be removed on the latest generation of consoles. Plus, all platforms will now be able to create RC Bandito Races via the Special Vehicle Race Creator, with a Ghost to First Checkpoint option being added to additional Race types. More models have also been added to the Fixture Remover, along with a new Anti Grief Ghosting option to ghost players driving in the wrong direction, an option to set the specific time of day for a Race, and the ability to scale Checkpoint size.

Payout Increases

The Criminal Enterprises will also include increased GTA$ payouts across a number of activities in GTA Online, giving both new and veteran players greater freedom to play the content they enjoy the most and get what they want faster.

Changes to these payouts will of course combine and stack with our ongoing weekly bonuses, meaning even bigger payouts going forward for taking part in your favorite game modes during special events.

  • Races

GTA Online’s racing community will benefit from a significant increase in GTA$ payouts across the board. With the launch of GTA Online: The Criminal Enterprises, all standard Race types — including player-created Races — will pay out an average of 50% more GTA$.

The total prize pool for Premium Races will also be increased. These Races will continue to award the same payouts to podium finishers, while players placing fourth and below will now also receive payouts.

  • Adversary Modes

Payouts for all Adversary Modes currently available in GTA Online will also be boosted by an average of 50%, meaning players can earn extra GTA$ taking on opponents in unique modes like Sumo (Remix), Overtime Rumble, and many more.

  • Heists

To encourage group play, all players joining Heist Setups will receive 50% more GTA$ than the current payout. Additionally:

  • The minimum cut for Finales is now set at 15% for each member
  • The cost of Heist Setup fees has been reduced across the board to GTA$25K

The following Heist Finales will award an additional 75% GTA$ payout on top of the current take:

  • The Fleeca Job
  • The Humane Labs Raid
  • The Prison Break Finale
  • Series A Funding Finale

The following Heist Finales will award an additional 50% GTA$ payout on top of the current take:

  • The Pacific Standard Job Finale
  • The Doomsday Heist: Act I
  • The Doomsday Heist: Act II
  • The Doomsday Heist: Act III

With this update, all Heists will be aligned to have the same cooldown timer of 1 in-game day (48 minutes) when playing as a group. We will also adjust specific aspects of The Cayo Perico Heist Finale to better balance a player’s time spent in GTA Online. Solo playthroughs of The Cayo Perico Heist Finale will trigger a cooldown of 3 in-game days. And after stealing a high value Primary Target in The Cayo Perico Heist Finale, the higher value Primary Targets will appear less often for the next 72 hours, while the value of Secondary Targets will increase. This is intended to encourage exploration and cooperation between players.

  • Boosts for Organizations and MC Members

Bodyguards, Associates, and MC Members will earn substantially more GTA$ for joining and participating in Organization and Motorcycle Club activities. When you’re not busy running your own operation, join a friend or fellow player to earn big without risking your own stock:

  • Baseline Salaries for Bodyguards, Associates, and MC Members will be doubled, ensuring all players are able to earn GTA$ fairly while working for another VIP, CEO, or MC President.
  • In addition to doubled Salaries, MC Members will also receive an increased payout for taking part in Sell Missions.
  • Bodyguards and Associates will also now receive payouts for participating in Sell Missions, properly reflecting their contributions.
  • Fees related to renaming Organizations have also been reduced.
  • First-Time Payout Boosts

Players will receive an email on their iFruit detailing first-time payout boosts across Criminal Careers. All CEOs, VIPs, and MC Presidents can benefit from these bonuses, even if they’ve already completed certain activities prior to July 26:

  • Executives: Executives get a 3X payout for the new Export Mixed Goods Sell Mission. This can be accessed through your Executive Assistant after one of your new Warehouse staff members have acquired their first batch of Special Cargo.
  • Bikers: Businesses will produce stock at 3X their regular speed, returning to normal rates after your first Sell Mission is completed.
  • Gunrunners: Research speeds are tripled for your first Research item. Production speeds are also tripled, returning to normal rates after your first Sell Mission is completed.
  • Nightclub Owners: All Business Battle Goods will contain triple the usual amount, returning to normal rates after your first Sell Mission is completed.
  • Your first Sell Mission for each of the businesses listed above will reward double the usual GTA$ payout.
  • Limited-Time Payout Boosts for MC Presidents, VIPs, and CEOs

Motorcycle Club Work, Club Challenges, Clubhouse Contracts, and Member Challenges will award double payouts for a limited time. VIP Work will also award double payouts for a limited time only.

With More to Come

Thank you all again for taking the time to share your valuable feedback with us. We will continue to review your submissions via the  GTA Online Feedback website and look forward to sharing The Criminal Enterprises with you on July 26 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.

Check out yesterday’s Newswire article and trailer showcasing some of what’s slated for the summer season and beyond and stay tuned to the Rockstar Newswire for the latest news.

Yurukill: The Calumniation Games Review

Yurukill: The Calumniation Games

Developer: IzanagiGames, G.rev, ESQUADRA
Publisher: IzanagiGames, NIS America
Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, Windows
Release Date: 8 July 2022
Price:  $39.99 USD/ $60.00 AUD – Available Here

Overview

Yurukill: The Calumniation Games is a quirky hybrid of an investigation adventure in the vein of Phoenix Wright and a classic shoot ‘em up. Yurukill stars six prisoners offered a chance at freedom in exchange for participating in a dangerous escape room type game. The prisoners are partnered up with five executioners who alone has the decision to pardon or kill the prisoner based on their experiences during the game.

Story

The writing in Yurukill rarely has a light touch, often opting for an over the topic dramatic writing style. The cases created by the writers are interesting, but the short length of the game and individual cases make it hard to become too invested in the story. One major factor is there are too many playable characters. It makes it difficult to get attached to characters or provide time for subtility. I think the writing would have been much better served to focus solely on Sengoku and Rina and explore their complex relationship.

There’s also a good bit of wasted space that could have been used for more productive purposes. The game insists on repeating, albeit in shortened form, instructions for the escape room and shoot ‘em up areas for each character. Characters also feel the need to explain their logic for a recently solved puzzle, much like a supervillain explaining their plan to the hero in painstaking detail. The player just solved the puzzle. These ramblings are completely unnecessary.

Considering its dark premise, Yurukill has a lot of comedy in the game. Humour tends to be a deeply personal thing, but I found the humour to be hit or miss. Allen Poe’s segments between chapters are designed to be comedic relief. I found them to be eye roll inducing blather. On the other hand, Binko, the amusement park guide, offers some sharp moments that elicited a few chuckles thanks to her seemingly endless personalities and obscene workload.

Gameplay

Yurukill: The Calumniation Games is an odd combination of investigation adventure and shoot ‘em up. Each chapter consists of three investigation levels and three short shoot ‘em up levels. The shoot ‘em up levels includes pop quizzes on the investigation section to see how well the player has been paying attention.

The investigation section has players searching around three levels for hot spots that will provide the clues needed to solve the final puzzle for the level. The investigation sections feel immersive to the story as the whole area is built around the crime each prisoner is accused of.

The puzzle quality is a mixed bag. There are fun and creative puzzles like the Sudoku inspired keypad, big leaps of logic like the vine puzzle, and bog-standard ones like the four dolls. Most of the stronger puzzles are found in the early game and the ones that follow the room’s theme closely tend to be the strongest of the bunch.

The game has an extremely generous hint system. The game offers three tiers of hints, starting from a vague hint to point players into the right direction to practically spoon feeding the answer to the player. These final puzzle hints are usually more than enough to solve the lousy puzzles that require such large leaps of logic that they would be unsolvable without the hint.

The shoot ‘em up sections are enjoyable but lack depth due to the short length. Each character has their own fighter. The ships have different enough shooting patterns and movement stats to feel unique, but the levels are so short that it’s hard to really enjoy them. Finishing each chapter will unlock score attack mode with an online leaderboard. Those looking for a slightly more in-depth shoot ‘em up experience have some extra gameplay to squeeze out, but it’s a shame that it wasn’t incorporated more into the main game.

The game has a very good learning curve with its three difficulty levels. I may not be new to the shoot ‘em up genre, but I am notoriously bad at the it. I found easy difficulty provided an entertaining challenge as the game comes with a few mechanics to scale the difficulty with a little more granularity beyond the three levels. First, there is an automatic shield that consumes energy for easy and normal difficulty. Players are free to horde the energy to use as a shield or spend it on special attacks to get through the level faster. Second, the game will increase the difficulty if players are doing well to ensure a consistent challenge throughout the game.  

Yurukill uses the shoot ‘em up sections as a final exam of sorts. Before the shoot ‘em up section begins, players are given a quiz on the major facts of their case. Getting answers correct provides more lives to be used in the shoot ‘em up and test segments. The tests are dull as the answers are obvious, especially the final Mind Maze questions. I found the initial quiz to be more intellectually stimulating in comparison.

There are some quality-of-life additions that could be added to the game. For example, there are several passcodes players will need to input; however, the game does not automatically advance the cursor when a number is pressed. There are also some clues that are visually difficult for those of us using smaller screens. The gondola clue is difficult enough to see on a small monitor and would be nightmarish on a Nintendo Switch in handheld mode.

Visuals

Yurukill’s art style is classic mecha anime. The ship and boss designs are great, often mirroring the theme of each character. The Sly Stalkers level stands out as the design team leaned into the Japanese pop star aesthetic, from Hanaka’s cute pink ship to the glow stick waving enemies. The transition animation between the boss fight and the questions doesn’t feel like a single smooth animation but rather two distinct ones. A longer, smoother transition would add a more polished feel.

Audio

The audio experience is decent. The soundtrack is enjoyable. The voice acting fits with the writing style, as they both use the same over the top in your face delivery that often lacks subtility. Binko’s multi-personality performance deserves a special mention as the actor’s performance brought the character to life. The sound effects are the weakest part as many sound effects are not done properly and sound obviously out of place. The sound of doors closing and electronic beeps are the worst offenders as the volume and quality sounds markedly different than the rest of the game.

Overall

Yurukill is an interesting concept. Prior to this game, I would have never imagined combining an investigation adventure game with a shoot ‘em up, yet Yurukill makes this odd pairing work. The problem with Yurukill isn’t the poor match: It’s the lack of depth. The levels and storytelling are too short and abrupt to be more than a sampling. The game could have benefited from better puzzles, greater focus on a smaller number of characters, and longer shoot ‘em up sequences. It’s one of those quirky games that are definitely worth a look eventually during a steep discount, but just isn’t offering enough to justify buying at full price.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honour among Thieves Trailer Debuts at San Diego Comic-Con

Wizards of the Coast is taking another hack at establishing a Dungeons & Dragons movie franchise after the widely panned trilogy from the 2000s went from box office flop to direct to DVD film. This time, Wizards of the Coast is partnering with Paramount Pictures for the reboot: Dungeons & Dragons: Honour among Thieves.

The new adventure comedy follows a party of adventurers after their successful heist for the wrong employer unleashes an unspeakable evil. Now the party is on an epic quest to fix their mistake and put a stop to their former employer. The star studded cast features Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Chloe Coleman, Daisy Head and Hugh Grant.

The first trailer and the movie poster for the film debuted at San Diego Comic-Con. Dungeons & Dragons: Honour among Thieves will be released in Australian cinemas on March 3, 2023.

Original Anime Character ‘Komekko’ Has Been Added to Nexon’s KonoSuba: Fantastic Days!

Original Anime Character ‘Komekko’ Has Been Added to Nexon’s KonoSuba: Fantastic Days!

Younger sister of the main character ‘Megumin,’ she fights alongside the Greater Demon, ‘Hoost’

Her Super skill, ‘Cursed Blaster’ inflicts normal magic damage to all enemies

‘3 Komekko’ will be sent to players who clear the event mission until July 30

Includes gifts such as growth materials and a ‘4 Guaranteed Recruit Ticket’ based on the number of days logged in by August 10

SEOUL – July 22, 2022 – Leading game publisher Nexon has released the original anime character ‘Komekko’ as a new character for the free-to-play mobile RPG KonoSuba: Fantastic Days!

First appearing in the original anime ‘God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!,’ ‘Komekko’ makes her debut as a playable character in the game. As the younger sister of ‘Megumin,’ one of the main characters of KonoSuba: Fantastic Days!, she goes into battle with the Greater Demon ‘Hoost’ at her side.

Her Super skill, ‘Cursed Blaster’ inflicts normal magic damage to all enemies, while her ‘Inferno’ skill deals Fire magic damage to one enemy at a time.

With this update, Nexon will hold the ‘A Quest for This Devilish Little Sister!’ event until July 30. When players defeat the event boss 10 times, they will receive lightning elemental ‘3★ Komekko (Quest Success).’ During the same period, players will also have a chance to get fire elemental characters such as ‘4★ Komekko (Promising Future)’ and ‘3★ Komekko (Worldly Wisdom).’

The new ‘Blacksmith Panel Missions’ have also arrived. Completing missions displayed on the panel will yield various rewards. Completing every mission will grant a ‘Blacksmith Selection Ticket,’ which can be exchanged for a specific weapon.

Through the ‘Log-In Bonus’ event that runs until August 10, growth materials will be sent as gifts, including ‘Crimson Dragon Jewels,’ ‘Azure Beast Stones,’ 1,000 of the in-game currency ‘Quartz,’ as well as a ‘4★ Guaranteed Recruit Ticket’ and various other items.

Further details regarding this update can be found through the official KonoSuba: Fantastic Days! community.

Official KonoSuba: Fantastic Days Website: konosuba.nexon.com

Official KonoSuba: Fantastic Days Twitter: @PlayKonoSuba

About God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!

God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! is based on the famous Japanese light novel of the same name written by Natsume Akatsuki and illustrated by Kurone Mishima. The story follows the grand adventure of a reclusive video game lover who is suddenly summoned to another world. The first season of the anime series was aired between January 2016 and March 2016. The second season was aired between January 2017 and March 2017.

About KonoSuba: Fantastic Days

Based on the popular anime series “KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World!”, KonoSuba: Fantastic Days is a free-to-play character-collection RPG for iOS and Android. Featuring fan-favorite characters, including Kazuma Satou, Aqua, Megumin and Darkness, the game follows the storyline from the original novel and includes bespoke characters created exclusively for the game. Last year, the Japanese release of KonoSuba: Fantastic Days saw great success, garnering recognition from players and praise from the KonoSuba fan base.

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First Playable Put The Italian Games Industry on The World Stage and Dazzles

Over 630 meetings between 30 publishers and 90 Italian games studios saw Italy’s premier B2B games event triumph in 2022.

Milan, 22 July 2022: Italian Interactive Digital Entertainment Association (IIDEA), Italy’s video game trade association representing the national games industry, is pleased to share the success of First Playable, Italy’s premier B2B video game industry event that made an in-person return earlier this month.

With three days of talks, panels, coaching and pitching, First Playable provided the international video game industry a window into the Italian developer scene and facilitated opportunities for developers and publishers alike. Thanks to First Playable around 500 meetings took place at the event venue, Republican Arsenals in Pisa, and approximately another 130 virtual meetings were conducted too. More than 30 publishers took part, speaking to an impressive 90 Italian development studios represented by 170 developers.

Furthermore 25 speakers from 7 different countries presented to a live audience as well as viewers at home. Nearly 10 hours of talks and panels were streamed via the First Playable Twitch channel and the event’s media partner Multiplayer.it, plus the Italian Video Game Awards also broadcasted via the ceremony’s international media partner, Video Games Chronicle. There were over 92,000 live views and both the talks and the awards ceremony are available to watch online via the First Playable Twitch channel https://www.twitch.tv/firstplayable/videos.

“The creativity and passion we see in the Italian game development scene is something we’re very proud of at IIDEA, so it’s always a joy to share that with the world”, said Thalita Malagò, General Manager at IIDEA. “The last couple of editions of First Playable have been online due to the pandemic, which made organising this year’s in-person event very different for us. However, it seems we’ve had the best of both worlds with an excellent physical event that we were able to share far and wide. There was a lot on offer at this year’s First Playable and we’re already looking forward to next year’s event”.

First Playable was organised by IIDEA and Toscana Film Commission of Fondazione Sistema Toscana with support from the likes of MAECI, Agenzia ICE, the City of Pisa, as well as the Region of Tuscany through Fondazione Sistema Toscana. Italian game developers really were at the heart of First Playable, with Red Bull and Xsolla among the event sponsors who also champion Italian developers with the Red Bull Indie Forge and Xsolla Contest. First Playable was also sponsored by Acer, 34BigThings and MixedBag, and enjoyed partnerships with three gaming accelerators: Cinecittà Game Hub, Bologna Game Farm and Quickload and Women in Games Italy.

First Playable returned as an in-person event in 2022 and it certainly made its mark on both the Italian and international games industry. More information about First Playable, including speakers and attending publishers can be found via https://www.firstplayable.it/. Plus updates about First Playable 2023 in due course.  

About Italian Interactive Digital Entertainment AssociationItalian Interactive Digital Entertainment Association (IIDEA) is the Italian games industry association representing all sectors of the games industry, from publishing to development. IIDEA serves the shared interests of all industry players and works to promote the growth of the games industry in Italy and to increase its international competitiveness.