After much anticipation from fans – and some delays – River City Girls 2 is finally here. The core gameplay from the first game remains the same but RCG 2 builds and expands upon it by a significant amount. The combat system was revamped, the number of selectable characters in the main quest was increased to six – while the original had only two – and the map is much bigger overall. It’s clear to me that RCG 2 is a better game than its predecessor but how good is it on its own?
Story
River City Girls 2 is a direct sequel to the River City Girls. After defeating the final boss, Misako and Kyoko go back to their normal lives or so they thought. The patriarch of the Sanwakai family isn’t happy to hear that one of their own was beaten up by a pair of school girls, so he decides to take things personally.
The story retains the first game’s light-hearted and humorous tone. Important plot points are told using manga panels and they are often funny. I couldn’t avoid having a big smile on my face while watching how Marian – the damsel in distress from Double Dragon – became a muscular badass. The writing in general is light-hearted and fun. RCG 2 never takes itself seriously and that’s reflected in the character designs and goofy dialogues that are always trying to poke fun at something. It’s also chock-full with references to old Technos – the creators of River City Ransom – games. Important characters from Double Dragon, Combatribes and many other titles appear in a variety of ways even as common enemies. It’s a delightful trip down memory lane for fans of Technos’ portfolio such as me.
Gameplay
RCG 2 plays fundamentally the same as RCG. The player still has to traverse River City while beating down thugs and helping people. The explorable portions of River City increased exponentially and so has the amount of side-questing that you can do; these sometimes involve minigames that directly reference the River City Ransom franchise such as dodgeball. Exploring is also more varied with some areas having two or three floors in the same screen. A lot of hidden characters and passages fill the stages for a nice change of pace from all the brawling. The problem that comes with having so much to do and see in this game is the excessive time spent looking at loading screens. It takes between 4 to 7 seconds to load a new area on a base PlayStation 4, and the player is required to backtrack a lot between areas that many times take a bit more than two seconds to traverse if you’re just rushing through. If there’s something that harms the pacing of a beat ‘em up is a lot of downtime. It also dampens your desire to do side-quests, unless you have the patience of a saint.
The combat has a lot of freedom to it. Each of the six characters has a huge repertoire of moves that are unlocked by leveling up or by simply buying them at the Lee brothers’ dojo. The controls respond well enough, but it would feel much better if the game ran at a higher frame rate. RCG2 currently runs at something close to 30 FPS and the performance also chugs down hard at certain points where a lot of effects are displayed.
Compared to the first game, it’s much easier and fun to follow with attacks after a launcher. You can bounce enemies for days before they land or even pursue your enemy in the air before finishing with a piledriver, for example. The partner system was also improved. Now, besides recruiting normal enemies, you also have the option to hire more powerful ones. It’s a lot of fun smacking multiple characters at once and calling in your buddies to extend the combo even more.
Boss battles are fun, and each one has a unique pattern that you must overcome before you can continue to deplete their HP. Most of these patterns are simple and easy to deal with. One boss in particular has a very nice surprise in store for fans. RCG2 isn’t really a difficult game. The only perceived difference for me while switching between normal, tough and nightmare difficulties was an increase on the damage output of enemies and especially stage hazards.
Visuals
If you’ve played the first RCG, you probably already know that this sequel looks almost exactly the same. To clarify, RCG2 uses sprite work to compose its characters and backgrounds. Many of the previous game’s assets are reused here. Some areas seem to be expanded, while others are completely new. This same notion also applies to the animations. Multi-layered areas are sometimes confusing which makes it a bit hard to discern if a layer is in the front or in the back but these are minor complaints. Overall, RCG2’s sprite work is detailed and a lot of work and care were put into animating the characters’ ample move set.
Audio
Megan McDuffee returns as a composer and singer. Her songs have a distinct melody to them, and they make for a nice contrast to the simpler tunes that can be heard throughout the game. Sound effects are also a mix between modern and classic 8-bit fare. The dialogues are plentiful in this game, and as far as I can tell, they are all voiced. This time you can choose between English and Japanese voice-overs which is a huge plus: Which one you’ll choose will depend on your preferences since both VOs are very well-done.
Overall
Wayforward did a nice job on River City Girls 2. It’s a bigger and better game than its previous iteration. Unfortunately, RCG2’s technical constraints detract a lot from the overall experience. There are indications that at least some of these issues are getting addressed soon. I truly hope that that’s the case, as I’d even start a new save to enjoy the game in its proper form.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
RAPTORCLAUS DELIVERS HOLIDAY GIFTS! ARK EXPANDED STORY CONTENT UPDATE, WINTER WONDERLAND EVENT NOW LIVE, & UPCOMING LAUNCH OF ABERRATION FOR SWITCH & SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST!
‘Tis the season to bring ARK goodies for the holidays! The ‘Winter Wonderland’ in-game event makes its annual return running now through January 5, during which ARK survivors can grab boosted rates, loot-filled presents, and collect 12 new chibis from this epic winter-themed extravaganza. The ARK Winter Wonderland event is the very first in-game event for Nintendo Switch players after last month’s reboot of ARK: Survival Evolved, bringing content parity with PC and console ARK players. A solid 2023 roadmap of ARK content updates is planned, including parity with all traditional in-game events as well as the release of the ARK: Aberration Expansion Pack on December 26, which brings an elaborate underground biome system with exotic new challenges for Switch players to face. Watch the ARK: Aberration Switch gameplay trailer HERE:
October’s reboot for ARK Switch players revealed an Expanded Story Content Update which is now available for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation players. The story update includes a series of new intro and ending cinematics for each ARK map, as well as the arrival of the community-requested Scorched Earth Ascension cinematic! Finally, the patch revisits older content and gives it fresh experience by adding in new voiceovers from David Tennant (as Sir Edmund Rockwell) and Madeleine Madden (as Helena Walker & H-LNA) to the game’s Dino Dossiers, Explorer Notes, and the epic Aberration showdown with element-addicted Rockwell! Watch the Expanded Story Content Update trailer HERE:
To end the year on a dino-high, PC players of ARK can jump into the Survival of the Fittest Crossplay Prototype starting on December 23. Re-evolved from the ground up with redesigned mechanics, survivors will strive to be the last one standing in this competitive dino-battle mode. Stay tuned for information on console launch dates in the future.
ARK: Survival Evolved is available on Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. In ARK, players are stranded naked, freezing and starving on a mysterious island where they must hunt, harvest, craft items, grow crops, and build shelters to survive. Use skill and cunning to kill, tame, breed, and ride dinosaurs and primeval creatures. Team up with hundreds of players online or try solo survival in offline play.
For the latest updates, join the ARK Survivor’s conversation on Discord, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube, visit our website at playark.com and watch us tame ‘n train leviathan dinosaurs on Twitch.TV.
Free credits available for developers that sign-up now with release 0.10 ahead of more news next year
December 16th, 2022 – For developers who sign up for free to try the 0.10 release of coherence’s new game-changing multiplayer technology before January 15, 2023, coherence is offering double the credits to run their multiplayer projects for the first three months of 2023. This Early Access phase and the extra credits gives developers a great opportunity to find out for themselves how this fully-featured toolbox for developing, testing and running games in the cloud revolutionizes multiplayer game development.
coherence is the first network engine that a designer can use with zero need for coding, offering a powerful set of tools that allows developers to have working multiplayer prototypes running in a matter of minutes. It is open, easy-to-use, and highly scalable, offering everyone from the world’s biggest studios, to small indie teams, a highly-intuitive and streamlined way of creating, testing and deploying networked games.
Check out the new coherence video:
coherence currently offers full Unity integration, with the option to scale automatically with just a few clicks in the Unity editor, expert tools that give developers full bandwidth control, a flexible architecture that supports peer-to-peer, client-server, persistent virtual worlds, state replication, input-based synchronization or any combination of the above, with full authority control and more.
coherence is completely free to use during local development. Details on pricing for online services will be announced soon, but pricing will always remain fair and developer friendly.
Opening coherence to everyone with this 0.10 release and offering free credits for developers to try it out for themselves is just one step on the route to delivering a powerful network engine to the world. Expect more news on the roadmap, Unreal compatibility and pricing for coherence ahead of a full commercial launch early next year.
About coherence coherence is a network engine, a platform, and a series of tools and plugins for your favorite game development environment built to democratize the way developers make connected experiences. Our mission is to give any game developer, regardless of how technical they are, and scope of game, the power to make a connected game.
With a brand new studio to work with, the possibilities for what Glen Schofield could create were endless but when you take the director of the original Dead Space and give him plenty of freedom, what better way to make a fresh splash than to stick with what you know, sci-fi horror with plenty of blood and guts in space. This brings us to The Callisto Protocol, the first release from Striking Distance Studios. With The Callisto Protocol offering a fresh new experience with excruciating attention to graphical detail, is this new take worth your time or merely a retread of Schofield’s original sci-fi horror?
Story
Nearly three hundred years in the future, Jacob Lee is transporting a fresh set of cargo from the “United Jupiter Company ” on Jupiter’s moon Callisto when his ship is boarded and forced to crash land back on the frozen moon. Despite the fact that the crash was entirely out of control and the only other survivor happens to be the one that forced them to crashland, Jacob finds himself wrongfully imprisoned as an inmate at the Black Iron Prison that serves as the only functioning structure on Callisto.
After having a CORE implant brutally installed on the back of his neck, Jacob awakens from his stupor only to find that something has gone incredibly wrong in the prison. Not only have fires broken out everywhere with malfunctioning security robots and bodies scattered around, nearly everything that is still moving is now a twisted biophage monstrosity out for blood. Escaping from his cell and teaming up with a fellow prisoner, Jacob must do whatever he can to survive the twisted mutations that have overrun the facility.
The Callisto Protocol is light on story and even worldbuilding as players will spend most of their time barely interacting with characters before something goes wrong and they are quickly ushered off to the next location. In fact, many moments that see Jacob potentially spending time talking with a character are interrupted by him simply falling into a pit requiring the player to then travel, once again, to the next area for a brief interaction until the last section of the game. Jacob himself is a mostly blank slate despite a solid performance by his voice actor and he does have some trauma that makes infrequent appearances though the writers do try to add some form of actual development in the last hour of the game. These developments do give Jacob some extra personality as well as reveal various motivations about what is happening but these happen far too late to change much.
This is something of a significant issue with The Callisto Protocol’s story development as the entire game provides only the minimal level of detail about what is happening in Black Gate before rushing through with a plot dump right at the end of the game that attempts to explain not only everything that has happened but also expand the game’s world at the same time. This issue isn’t helped by the fact that, even when finding every audio log available, the collectibles provide barely only a bit of context outside of a few significant recordings. These recordings can only be listened to while stuck in the menu screen rather than playing automatically when acquired or allowing players to walk while they play which is an odd decision since on the PlayStation 5 the audio plays through the DualSense controller’s speakers.
What storyline is provided in The Callisto Protocol, including the final developments, happen to be fairly predictable and the game even ends on a note that is just leading right into the already planned DLC or, hopefully, more fleshed out writing in a sequel. It is also worth noting that, while horror can be subjective, The Callisto Protocol is simply not scary. The development team has done their best to create eerie halls and environments for players to travel through but the gloriously grotesque appearances of the biophages fall on the side of simply being gross and not scary while the poor attempts at jump scares are not frightening in the slightest with there being almost no build-up to actual horror or even tension, which is a disappointment considering what fans have come to expect from Glen Schofield’s history.
Gameplay
In many ways The Callisto Protocol will feel incredibly similar to fans of the Dead Space games as it utilizes a number of elements found in the game. This includes the use of a small health bar displayed on the back of Jacob’s neck alongside a battery indicator for his telekinetic GRP device, the ability to stomp downed enemies and crates to obtain money, ammo, and health, and of course the aforementioned telekinesis ability that has seen significant improvements. The major difference here however is that rather than focusing entirely on firearms, The Callisto Protocol leans heavily into melee combat instead for nearly every enemy type.
While players will obtain two different pistols, a mini-shotgun, full combat shotgun, and eventually even an assault rifle while progressing through the game the primary weapon for players will be Jacob’s stun baton. Every enemy in the game, outside of one type that can spit long range acid and an explosive type, will rush at Jacob and players must sway out of the way of their attacks and follow their dodges up with a combo attack of their own. Initially it may be difficult to get used to this combat style as dodging isn’t as intuitive as one would hope but once players get the hang of it, the game rewards an aggressive playstyle by making sure to keep the pressure on the monstrous biophages that appear before Jacob. As such, it is a little hard to be afraid of something by the third time the player has charged at an enemy to take them down. To add some extra offense players can bring their currently equipped gun up for a quick trick shot at the end of a light or heavy combo attack. This may not feel necessary early on but becomes vital later on once more enemies begin to swarm the player, especially once enemies begin to “mutate” into stronger forms once they are near death and a proper gunshot will put a stop to them.
The higher focus on melee combat gives The Callisto Protocol a unique feel and comes off as one of the game’s greatest strengths but also begins to fall apart later in the game while also preventing the game from actually feeling scary. While fighting biophages can feel incredibly weighty with satisfying swings crushing through bone and slicing off limbs, especially once the stun baton is given a few upgrades, the fact that players will almost always be running at an enemy to take them down or squaring up with a foe means that there is no chance to actually scare players and even cheap jumpscares are quickly met with a electrified baton edge and dispatched just as quickly. In fact, the game introduces a number of stealth areas where Jacob can sneak around blind enemies, dispatching them with stealth kills if players choose. Oddly enough, these “stealth” kills happen to be loud and brutal to the point that it is a surprise they don’t actually alert these blind enemies while walking too fast will.
As for the latter half of the game, The Callisto Protocol often raises difficulty simply by throwing more biophages at Jacob and while many times multiple enemies will simply wait around for their chance to attack, they can also take quick swipes, explode, grab Jacob, or shoot acid and, even with the game’s helpful assist features turned on to make combat a bit easier, the game’s dodge mechanics simply fail to work properly. Along these same lines, while players are meant to always be able to dodge an enemy’s first strike if they are pushing the analog stick correctly, the system sometimes does not work and when this happens multiple times against the game’s bosses this simply becomes frustrating rather than enjoyable.
Speaking of bosses, The Callisto Protocol only features two actual bosses of any kind. The first is a mini-boss that players will fight multiple times in different arenas, capable of killing the player in one or two blows and restarting the fight over from scratch while the final boss of the game is a bit more detailed and gives players more of a chance, it also deals plenty of damage in a single blow. This results in less of a “survival horror” feeling to gameplay and more of a gamble hoping the game’s dodge will work properly or simply running to keep distance from these bosses. It is also worth noting that while the game’s guns are meant primarily as back-up weapons in The Callisto Protocol, these boss fights rely almost entirely on using firearms to deal damage using either the GRP to throw explosives with melee taking a complete backseat.
Outside of using the game’s meaty melee combat and simple guns that have an incredibly slow “quick-swap” system, the GRP system will often give players quite an advantage in most standard fights. Rather than simply being able to throw items around an area, the GRP now can grab a living enemy and throw them around the area. This can be used to simply grab an enemy and drag them over, leaving them wide open for a brutal melee combo but it is best used to throw enemies into the many stage hazards that are scattered around most areas. These range from spikes to impale them on, spinning blades or grinders to turn them into pulp, and simply pits that erase them from existence. This makes the GRP an extremely useful tool and while it does require a recharge or use of a battery players can once again upgrade it in various ways to make it far more reliable.
Unfortunately no matter how players improve their gear in The Callisto Protocol, there is currently no way to actually take that progress forward in a New Game+. Currently it has been announced that this mode will be added into the game sometime in the future but the lack of a New Game+ in a title where players can upgrade their weaponry is a big disappointment, especially given the game lacks any actual replayability as a result. This is due to the title featuring an incredibly linear level design with only a few small detours that may contain an item chest or a recording and little else. Along these same lines, there are zero puzzles of any kind in the game with the only collectibles being the aforementioned audio logs.
It is worth noting that while the PlayStation 5 handles The Callisto Protocol the best of all current platforms, it is not without its fair share of issues. These range from simple graphical bugs that see an enemy killing Jacob with an arm it no longer has or teleporting across the room while in the middle of an animation to more annoying issues. These tend to involve enemies that either end up getting stuck inside of the floor or wall and on multiple occasions. One type of enemy, a spider-like biophage, also had the tendency to phase through the walls and ceilings at times making them particularly difficult to target.
Visuals & Audio
It must be said that The Callisto Protocol is probably one of the best looking PlayStation 5 games around and easily pushes the console to the max when it comes to graphical performance. The character models are incredibly detailed with life-like facial scans for its main characters and constant reactions to the environment around them as well as great facial animations that perfectly portray the emotions the characters are feeling. Traveling through a sewer filled area will leave muck and slime on Jacob’s jumpsuit that will dissipate over time and traveling through the harsh weather can have snow build-up on his armor. Bloody fights can feature Jacob just coated head to toe with blood spatter and this doesn’t even touch upon the gruesome looking death animations. Jacob can die in a number of bloody ways, usually involving a few limbs being separated from his body and all of these are delightfully gory, though perhaps a few run on a little too long considering they are unskippable.
The performances by the voice cast in the game are handled quite well despite the simplistic nature of the plot that they have to work with. It is also nice to note that the game does feature some great sounding enemy snarls and growls as they emerge to attack. Along these same lines the company has done a nice job creating some great atmospheric sounds for most areas in the game, helping to create a somewhat creepy atmosphere from time to time, especially since the title makes great use of 3D audio to help convey where enemies may be coming from.
Overall
The Callisto Protocol is a ridiculously good looking game with some incredibly satisfying melee combat that, once players get the hang of it, flows quite well however it begins to fall apart in larger encounters and the title’s few boss battles. With a straightforward level design and no puzzles, the focus is on taking down the countless gruesome foes that attack Jacob and seeing just how brutally they can kill him but its simplistic and predictable storyline, lack of actual horror, and any kind of replayability make it one that has plenty of room for improvement as the ground work here is solid, but lacking in many regards.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Another year, another Need for Speed title. As many of you (probably) do, I also have a lot of history with this franchise. High school years and Need for Speed Underground….my first job and Need for Speed Carbon, bought my first console and tested Need for Speed Pro Street on it. It seems like this series has been around every relevant milestone of my life. The series also had its ups and downs, but you can’t deny one thing – it always wanted to try something new.
What we have now is a new entry called Need for Speed Unbound. A fresh art style, fresh characters, and a new story. Let’s see if another venture into the unknown will pay off for this title.
Story
Let me ask you something; when was the last time you genuinely paid attention to the story for any of the Need for Speed games? The only one I can somewhat remember is the one from Need for Speed Most Wanted and that’s mostly because of that BMW M3 GTR. Every other had the same old gimmick of climbing up the ladder, proving themselves, taking down rivals, evading cops, and being the very best racer in….whatever big city you’re in at the moment.
Need for Speed Unbound is no different in that regard. The only exception is that a star of the show (besides you) is a cell-shaded version of an American rapper A$AP Rocky, although if you ask me the real star of the show is his custom Mercedes 190 E (which you can get if you beat him later in the game). Everything else is the same old formula of beating everyone else before facing a sudden but inevitable betrayal from someone close to you, then beating some more odds stacked against you ad finally coming out on top. Eh, what can I say. Not great, not terrible.
Gameplay
While most of the creativity was spent on visuals (more on that later), the core of the gameplay has remained pretty much the same. If you played any of the previous Need for Speed games, you know what to expect. Aside from easy-to-spot story missions, you also have a bunch of collectibles around the map in the form of speed traps, breakable objects (billboards, bears), drift zones, speed runs, and so on.
One thing that takes a lot of time to get used to is the drift mechanic during races. Turning corners without breaking and holding that direction will shift you into a hard drift turn which can be quite helpful at tight corners but also a bit also somewhat problematic when you just want to gain some speed – and a random mild turn is there to just completely kill your top speed and acceleration. At least you get some nitro whenever you do such a drift corner maneuver, so there’s that. As for the rest of it, car controlling is quite improved compared to Need for Speed Heat and there is more freedom when it comes to customization – especially regarding full-body kits.
Visuals
The cream of the crop. The icing on the case. It’s no secret that during promotional videos for Need for Speed Unbound the visuals were taking the spotlight. So what are we talking about here? Well, most of the cars are cell shaded as well as your playing character and everyone else you meet in the campaign. Also during braking, cornering, jumping, and boosting your car might get temporary visual effects in form of colored smoke or wings. It is purely visual and has no effect on gameplay and depending on how you customize those effects, it can range from barely noticeable to heavily distracting. Imagine a 6 player race and all of those visual gimmicks light up as all of you enter a tight corner. Points for trying out something new, I guess.
Audio
And now….the soundtrack. A bit of everything is thrown into the mix here. The official soundtrack for Need for Speed Unbound is certainly eclectic if anything. There are some French tunes, a bit of Russian, and as you might expect, a couple of tracks from A$AP Rocky. Is the soundtrack good? I can’t say quite yet even though I put more than 20 hours into the game so far. It doesn’t sound bad but it takes some time to get used to it. It’s like EA wanted to play it safe at the same time while trying something new with their song selection. The result is a tracklist that might only “click” with you while you’re halfway through the campaign.
Overall
I feel like my opening line of the review could also serve well as a perfect closing line. Another year, another Need for Speed title. Cause that’s what pretty much all of it is. The gameplay went through minor tweaks compared to the previous title, and the story is tacked on and merely there so you don’t feel like you’re going aimlessly from point A to point B. The visual gimmicks might serve their purpose for some cool screenshots but most of the time they stand out as you play, and not in a good way.
It’s all more of the slightly same. I could only recommend it if you feel like playing some fresh racing title and perhaps you’re suffering burnout from Forza Horizon 5. Does this game offer anything new? No, and it doesn’t really feel like it’s trying to. Might give it a chance so you can get behind the wheel of that gorgeous Mercedes 190 E. What you get from this game is based on how much you expect and my honest advice would be to keep your hype and expectations low and you’ll be just fine.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Scavenge, struggle, and survive in zombie-infested urban environments
WELLINGTON, NZ – Dec. 16 – Leading games developer and publisher PikPok® today announced that development has begun on the PC-first title Into the Dead®: Our Darkest Days, a new installment in the highly successful Into the Dead franchise.
Texas, 1980. Walton City has fallen to a zombie outbreak, and escape is the only chance for survival. Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days is a side-scrolling shelter survival game that tasks players with guiding a group of desperate survivors from refuge to refuge in an attempt to get everyone out of the city alive.
Scavenge for supplies, craft tools and weapons, fight off the dead, and keep moving as the zombie threat closes in. While their experiences will lead survivors to gain new skills, players will also need to manage their physical and psychological needs because in this world, there are no second chances — and death is permanent.
Experience personal stories of tested morality and humanity in a dynamic urban landscape that changes with time. Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days will bring a new level of depth to the Into the Dead experience, challenging both newcomers to the series and seasoned veterans alike to ask: how far will you go to survive?
“The Into the Dead franchise has enjoyed incredible success over the last 10 years,” said Mario Wynands, CEO of PikPok. “That can be attributed to our willingness to keep innovating, focusing on delivering an exceptional player experience, and always striving to bring new fans into the ever-expanding world of Into the Dead.”
“Our Darkest Days will be a journey into a new type of zombie game for PikPok, and we are going deeper into our established world by exploring the physical and psychological effects of the loss of humanity both in our zombies and in our survivors. This exploration — along with a unique combination of gameplay mechanics — is an exciting and motivating development challenge for PikPok, and we feel confident it will offer something really different to fans of zombie survival experiences. Through Early Access on Steam we are looking forward to working closely with the community to create a game that not only meets but exceeds their expectations.”
Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days is set to enter Early Access on Steam in 2024.
About PikPok
PikPok® is a leading developer and publisher of critically acclaimed games across PC, console, and mobile. We give players rich gaming experiences with intuitive gameplay, highly polished art, and immersive audio design. Our 200-person strong team across New Zealand and Colombia have created the Into the Dead® series, the Rival Stars® franchise, the BAFTA-nominated Super Monsters Ate My Condo™, and the critically acclaimed Shatter® and Shatter Remastered Deluxe®, plus many more.
Set off on a delightfully zany quest for the whole family
Sydney, Australia – Dec. 16th, 2022 – Just in time for the holidays, the Kukoos are here to brighten up your day. Kukoos: Lost Pets, the latest title from publisher Modus Games and developer PetitFabrik, is now available on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC. Pick up Kukoos: Lost Pets from your favourite physical and digital storefronts.
When the Kukoo Tree is taken over by brainwashed pets, players will have to lead the rotund residents of the famed tree on a journey to save their home. Alone or with a friend in co-op, explore distinct, colorful landscapes in this whimsical adventure full of platforming and problem-solving that both veteran and new players alike will enjoy. See the game in action in today’s brand-new launch trailer:
Watch the launch trailer here:
Take control of a diverse cast of characters as you work to save your vibrant world and restore peace to the Kukoo Tree. With a balanced experience that features unlockable stages for heroes looking for extra challenge, Kukoos: Lost Pets offers an engaging journey that will make you bounce with joy.
A digital release for PlayStation 5 and Xbox consoles will follow in 2023.
About Modus Games Modus Games is one of the fastest-growing video game publishers in the world. The label prides itself on providing AAA publishing services to talented developers across the globe. Modus Studios is a full-service development studio supporting creators of inspired interactive entertainment. For more information, visit www.modusgames.com.
About PetitFabrik PetitFabrik is an award-winning Brazilian game studio based in Manaus, the heart of the Amazon Rainforest. Since 2007, the company has been developing games, animated series and other ground-breaking projects uniting entertainment and technology. Their main focus is to make amazing games with challenging mechanics, and charming characters within their own unique worlds.
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Civilization VI: Leader Pass – Great Commanders Pack Now Available!
The next DLC pack for Civilization VI: Leader Pass – Great Commanders – is now available! Lead your troops to victory with the Great Commanders Pack, which includes Tokugawa (Japan), Nader Shah (Persia) and Suleiman the Magnificent (Ottoman Empire). Specific details about the Leaders themselves are below.
Tokugawa Ieyasu was a brilliant military and peacetime strategist who founded the Tokugawa shogunate following the Battle of Sekigahara that ended Japan’s chaotic Sengoku period. His in-game Sakoku agenda, inspired by the edict of the same name made by his grandson, means he dislikes Civilizations that have conquered other Civilizations’ original capitals.
New Ability: Bakuhan
(Base game) International Trade Routes receive -25% Yield and Tourism, but Domestic Trade Routes provide +1 Culture, +1 Science, and +2 Gold for every Specialty District at the Destination.
(Base game) Cities within 6 tiles of Japan’s capital receive +4 Amenities and after researching Flight receive +1 Tourism for every District.
(Rise and Fall & Gathering Storm DLCs) International Trade Routes receive -25% Yield and Tourism, but Domestic Trade Routes provide +1 Culture, +1 Science, and +2 Gold for every Specialty District at the Destination.
(Rise and Fall & Gathering Storm DLCs) Cities within 6 tiles of Japan’s capital are 100% loyal and after researching Flight receive +1 Tourism for every District.
A slave who went on to declare himself Shah, Nader was a skilled military commander whose successful campaigns and conquests made him the richest man in the world. Named for his elite infantry musketeers, his Jazayerchi agenda means he likes Civilizations with lots of land units and dislikes those with few land units.
New Ability: Sword of Persia
+5 Combat Strength attacking full Health Units.
Cities not founded by Nader Shah receive +2 Faith and +3 Gold on Domestic Trade Routes.
As the tenth Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Suleiman personally led Ottoman armies and enacted major reforms to Ottoman law. He was also an accomplished poet and patron of the arts who oversaw a golden age of cultural development. As a result, he likes other Civilizations that are currently enjoying their own Golden Ages.
New Ability: The Magnificent
+15% Science and Culture when in a Golden Age.
+4 Combat Strength when not in a Golden Age against Civilizations who are also not in a Golden Age.
Civilization VI: Leader Pass is a new season pass that adds 18 new playable leader selections to Civilization VI. Civilization VI: Leader Passcontent will be delivered via six DLC packs scheduled for release through March 2023*** on Windows PC via Steam and Epic, MacOS via Steam and the Mac App Store, and iOS via the App Store. For more details on Civilization VI: Leader Pass, visit www.civilization.com.
*Requires Persia & Macedon Scenario Pack to play. **Requires Gathering Storm expansion to play.
*** Estimated release dates, subject to change. Leader Pass content will be automatically delivered in-game as it is released
Note: Base game required to access Civilization VI: Leader Pass Great Commanders content. Base game required to access Civilization VI: Leader Pass content. Some prior DLC required to play some content included in the Leader Pass.
Wrap up in some scarves, grab your best bud, and work together on a momentous co-op journey to help adorable penguins, Bread and Fred, reach the top of the snow-capped summit. Get in sync and jump on 3, clinging and swinging across platforms, ledges, and gaps. Triumph over every hurdle in a winter wonderland that is equally as cute as it is challenging.
The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat are attached at the hip, but which friend will be the weakest link? Hold on tight with Bread’s little penguin flippers and anchor to the ground as Fred times the perfect swing to clear massive gaps, pulling their companion up the ledge before gravity drags them back down the slippery slopes. Don’t get cold feet! Take the lead or take orders when planning a path upwards, and talk things out before every attempt.
Inspired by popular single-player platformers, Bread and Fred takes the challenge to new heights by introducing the cooperative element of two pals forever-connected on their way to the finish line. Put friendships to the test and keep calm on the way up (and down) the mountain.
For the coolest duos with ice in their veins, take on the ultimate challenge in Speedrun mode to claim the title of fastest penguins on the planet. Friends giving you the cold shoulder? Trade one penguin for a trusty rock and solo-swing your way up icy peaks in a tricky single player experience.
“Formidable platformers have always put skills to the test, but our friends at Sand Castle Studios found an amazing way to incorporate a team element, making for a surprisingly original experience,” said Scott Miller, CCO and Founder of Apogee Entertainment. “Every playtest we’ve seen has been full of laughter, yells, and high-fives between friends when they completed a hard jump together. Bread and Fred is a one-of-a-kind experience that brings out both the best and the worst in players, and we can’t wait to see the hilarity that ensues when gamers get their hands on the latest demo!”
Sand Castles Studios is a group of three indie developer friends based out of Barcelona, Spain. With a deep love for multiplayer games of all types, Sand Castles Studios’ goal is to innovate within the cooperative gaming genre and create brand-new experiences for everyone to enjoy.
The “Apogee Model,” as described in the new book, Shareware Heroes (Aug. 2022 release), was the starting point for talented indie developers to bypass retail and sell their games using online distribution in 1990. Apogee founder Scott Miller created this new model and soon funded, mentored, and published many indie upstarts and released a legendary string of global success stories, like Commander Keen, Duke Nukem, Wolfenstein 3D, Rise of the Triad, Shadow Warrior, Max Payne and Prey, earning over a billion dollars commercially. Miller also created the 3D Realms label for Apogee, which was sold to Embracer Group in 2021.
The new Apogee Entertainment, with founder Scott Miller and longtime partner Terry Nagy at the helm, will empower today’s incredibly talented indie developers, paving the way for their global success with innovative ideas, cutting-edge marketing, and the same fearlessness that changed the industry.
Techland and Olivier Deriviere present Dying Light 2 Stay Human – Behind the Music series
Discover the creative process behind the game’s original soundtrack in a 4-part video feature
Wrocław, Poland — December 15, 2022 — Experience Dying Light 2 Stay Human’s captivating soundtrack with multi-award winning and BAFTA nominated composer Olivier Deriviere. In a series of episodic videos, Olivier takes viewers through his creative process, revealing the intricate and powerful music bringing the highly anticipated game to life.
Music of the City
The dynamic video feature explores Olivier’s innovative approach to composing and music design. The collaboration with Techland culminated in working with the London Contemporary Orchestra to create an enthralling soundtrack to Villedor’s expansive environment. In further episodes, watch as Olivier dives deeper into his process for developing the perfect score for parkour sequences, strategies for enhancing narration with music, and methods for elevating action-packed fight scenes with epic tracks.
“The best part for me was the number of players who got in touch with me directly to express their excitement about the music. They told me about all the emotions they felt while parkouring, fighting, building the world, and discovering the story. This was all I could hope for – for players to immerse themselves in the music and feel like it contributed to their gameplay. I am still in awe to have received such positive feedback, but more than that, I am grateful for Techland for allowing me to explore music in Dying Light 2 like never before.”
In the video series, Olivier highlights the new wave of devastation that has swept through the world of Dying Light 2 Stay Human with a unique sound. To create this, he called upon his friend Nicolas Bras, a renowned instrument builder and musician, to construct an electric psaltery. Crafted from solid metal, twisted, and bent according to his creative vision; this brand-new instrument was just one of the pieces used to build the game’s captivating score.
“Working with Olivier was a great honor for us, and we are proud to present the results of our collaboration to millions of gamers around the world: Dying Light 2 Stay Human soundtrack. Olivier is an outstanding composer and developer who truly understands the potential of video games and what players desire. He has been — and still is — an integral part of our team, lending his skills to design a unique music control system that dynamically reacts to events within the game. The effect of this cooperation is amazing, and it’s no surprise that he is considered the best in the business.”
– Paweł Marchewka, CEO of Techland
Watch the episodes premiere on Techland’s official YouTube channel.
To help us create unforgettable experiences for all Dying Light 2 Stay Human players, join the conversation on Discord, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube – we’ll be waiting!
For more information about Dying Light 2 Stay Human and Techland, head to www.dyinglight2.com
About Techland
Techland is one of the biggest and best-known Polish game developers with studios in Wroclaw and Warsaw. For over 30 years, we’ve carried a tradition of providing gamers with unforgettable experiences. We’re an international team of over 400 highly-skilled professionals driven by a passion for gaming, always striving for the best quality.
We’re fueled by the support of our global community built on the foundation of successful AAA franchises such as Call of Juarez, Dead Island, or Dying Light. The gamers’ trust in our games has resulted in our newest project, Dying Light 2 Stay Human, selling more than 5 million copies across all platforms within the first month after release.
On top of continuously growing the world of Dying Light through a robust post-launch support plan for Dying Light 2 Stay Human, we’re also working on an unannounced AAA Open World Action RPG set in a brand new fantasy universe; our biggest project to date.
Techland’s mission strictly determines every aspect of our work: we want to create unforgettable experiences.
About Olivier Deriviere
Classically trained, BAFTA nominated composer and music designer, Olivier Derivière is widely acclaimed for both his sophisticated composition and innovative approaches to connecting music with gameplay. Olivier often blends and manipulates traditional musical elements with unorthodox sound techniques in pursuit of creating an authentic score that fully immerses the player in the gameplay and story through his neo-classical and genre-bending music styles. He is driven by his passion to provide players with a unique musical experience that truly reflects each game, both musically and directly in sync with the gameplay itself to enhance the interactive experience as a unique artform. Olivier has previously worked on games such as Dying Light 2, A Plague Tale: Innocence, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Streets of Rage 4, Assassin’s Creed IV – Freedom Cry, Remember Me, and has scored award-winning music for animation, films and video games.
