Spike Chunsoft has announced that, due to various circumstances related to manufacturing delays and global shipping issues, AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative will no longer be releasing in Europe alongside the other versions of the game. While the North American and Japanese versions of the game will still be released on June 24th and 23rd respectively the European version of the game will now be releasing on July 8th.
In a move that may be a bit odd for some, the company announced that not only will the physical version of the game be delayed but the digital version will also be pushed back as a result to maintain parity with its retail release. Currently AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative is being developed for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA— May 10, 2022 — Today, Ubisoft announced that new content for Tom Clancy’s The Division® 2 will release on May 12. Season 9: Hidden Alliance along with a new PvE mode, Countdown, will highlight the upcoming Title Update 15. Season 9: Hidden Alliance is available to all The Division® 2 Warlords of New York owners.
A New Enemy Emerges in Season 9: The latest season continues the The Division narrative and brings agents back to the aftermath of their takedown of a former Division commander-turned-traitor. A new target, Captain Lewis, is out there and the Division must gather intel and face four high-ranking True Sons before they can face him. Season 9 is one of three seasons scheduled to run throughout the year.
New Eight-Player Co-op Mode: Countdown is a new and intense co-op mode where up to eight Division agents are sent to a power plant and have 15 minutes to stabilize the plant and prevent a lockdown. The agents, deployed in two teams of four, will start at different locations on the map and must work together to overcome the challenge. The Division will be confronted by some familiar foes and will have to fend them off to secure the plant, then call for extraction before time runs out.
New Feature – Expertise: Starting May 12, the Expertise feature gives players a new way to improve their equipment with upgrades to base values such as damage, armor and skill stats. Players can increase their Expertise by using any item in the game. Using more varied items means increasing their level. Expertise also allows players to increase the base stats of each individual item and reach a new power ceiling.
New Weapons and Gear: The new update will also include a variety of new items, including the Heartbreaker gear set, new Exotics, new named items, and more! Additional rewards will also be offered for players with the Season 9 Pass.
Twitch Drops: From May 12 through May 31, all Twitch streamers within the The Division 2 directory are eligible for Twitch Drops. This means all viewers will receive free rewards if they watch any Division 2 streams during that period. Rewards include a Legacy Cache, two High-End Caches and one Exotic Cache. Drops will occur after each hour (watch Division 2 streams for four hours to receive all Drops).
Free Weekend: From May 13 through May 15, The Division 2 will be free to play on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Connect on Windows PC, as well as on Ubisoft+.*
For the latest news on Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 and other Ubisoft games, please visit news.ubisoft.com.
Led by Massive Entertainment in collaboration with seven other studios around the world,* Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 is the next evolution in the open world online shooter RPG genre that the first game helped establish. Set seven months after a deadly virus was released in New York City, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 brings players into a fractured and collapsing Washington, D.C. The world is on the brink, its people living through the biggest crisis ever faced in human history. As veteran Division agents, players are the last hope against the complete fall of society as enemy factions vie for control of the city. If Washington, D.C., is lost, the entire nation falls. Building upon more than two years of listening to and learnings from The Division community, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 offers a substantial campaign that organically flows into a robust endgame to create a cohesive and meaningful experience for all types of players, helping players emphasize their freedom to make strategic choices and hone their own approach. *Associate Ubisoft studios are Reflections, Red Storm, Annecy, Leamington, Shanghai, Bucharest and Sofia.
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 2020–21 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated net bookings of €2,241 million. To learn more, please visit: www.ubisoftgroup.com.
Players can Wishlist the game now and suit up for its first demo set to debut in June
SEOUL – May 10, 2022 – MINTROCKET, a stand-alone brand of publisher Nexon, has unveiled its first unique gaming experience with DAVE THE DIVER, set to launch on Steam Early Access later this year. Combining some adventure, a little RPG and splash of tycoon gaming, DAVE THE DIVER plunges players into an oceanic adventure set in a mysterious marine cavern. As they explore the depths of the ocean with Dave, gamers will uncover the secrets behind the big Blue Hole.
DAVE THE DIVER will be showcased during Steam Next Fest this summer along with its first ever demo allowing players to get their hands on the game ahead of its early access launch. Steam Next Fest takes place from June 13-20. In the meantime, gamers can head to Steam now to Wishlist DAVE THE DIVER and stay on top of all upcoming news.
DAVE THE DIVER offers a variety of gameplay including:
Deep-sea Exploration – Players will dive into a beautiful sea full of numerous fish species and giant creatures whose ecology and topography are constantly changing.
Restaurant Management – After the ascent, players can make and sell special sushi dishes with the fresh ingredients they’ve caught. Successfully running the restaurant and earning money allows players to take their exploration even deeper.
Avoiding Lurking Danger – An unknown creature awaits players in the giant blue hole, making it important to upgrade equipment along the way in order to keep up defenses.
Players can find out more on the Official Website for the latest news and updates.
About MINTROCKET
MINTROCKET is a stand-alone brand of NEXON that commits to offering new kinds of enjoyment with various genres. It sets to bring unique, innovative, and fun new games to the world with an immersive gaming experience. The first game, DAVE THE DIVER, coming from MINTROCKET, will be presented the first look in Steam Next Fest 2022.
About NEXON Co. Ltd. Founded in 1994, NEXON Co., Ltd. (Nexon) (3659.TO) is a company engaged in the production, development and operation of online games and Virtual Worlds. First listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December 2011, Nexon was placed on JPX400 in 2015 and added to the Nikkei Stock Index 300 in 2017. In 2020, Nexon was added to the Nikkei 225. Nexon currently has more than 50 live games on multiple platforms including mobile and available in more than 190 countries. Major game franchises include MapleStory, KartRider and Dungeon&Fighter.
Australia– May 9, 2022 – Kingston FURY, the gaming division of Kingston Technology, a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, announces the release of Kingston FURY™ Impact DDR5 SODIMMs. Perfect for the gamer or PC enthusiast who want the latest cutting-edge performance from their laptop or small form factor machine.
Kingston FURY Impact DDR5 is fifty percent faster than DDR4 to provide a boost in gaming, rendering, and multitasking, while its low power consumption and increased efficiency keeps your system cool at 1.1V. Available in Intel® XMP 3.0 Certified SODIMM kit capacities up to 64GB, Kingston FURY Impact DDR5 packs all the enhanced features of DDR5 into a slim, compact form factor. With innovative Plug N Play1 overclocking technology and on-die ECC, it automatically supports 4800MT/s2 at lower latencies than standard DDR5-4800. Thus, improving system performance without having to enable a profile and maintains data integrity while hitting extreme speeds.
“We’re thrilled to be expanding our line of high-performance DDR5 memory with Kingston FURY Impact DDR5 SODIMMs,” said Kingston. “Gamers and content creators can now experience the power of DDR5 on both desktops and laptops.”
Kingston FURY Impact DDR5 is available in single modules up to 32GB and kits of 2 up to 64GB and backed by a limited lifetime warranty and over 30 years of expertise.
Kingston FURY Impact DDR5 Features and Specifications
Mighty DDR5 SODIMM Performance: 50% faster than DDR4 for a boost in gaming, rendering, and multitasking.
Plug N Play Automatic Overclocking Functionality1: Kingston FURY Impact DDR5 automatically overclocks to the highest listed speed.
Intel® XMP 3.0 Certified: Maximize memory performance with advanced pre-optimized timings, speed and voltage for overclocking.
Lower Power Consumption, Increased Efficiency: Keep your system cool and efficient with Impact DDR5’s low 1.1V power draw.
Improved Stability with On-Die ECC: Maintain data integrity while hitting overclocking speeds.
Capacities:
Singles: 8GB, 16GB, 32GB
Kit of 2: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB
Frequencies1 2: 4800MT/s
Latencies: CL38
Voltage: 1.1V
Operating Temperature: 0°C to 85°C
Dimensions: 69.6mm x 30mm
1 Kingston FURY Plug N Play memory will run in DDR5 systems up to the speed allowed by the manufacturer’s system BIOS. PnP cannot increase the system memory speed faster than is allowed by the manufacturer’s BIOS. Kingston FURY Plug N Play DDR5 products support XMP 3.0 specifications so overclocking can also be achieved by enabling the built-in XMP Profile.
2Learn more about megatransfers per second – MT/s denotes megatransfers (million transfers) per second and represents the effective data rate (speed) of DDR (Double Data Rate) SDRAM memory in computing. A DDR SDRAM memory module transfers data on the rise and fall of every clock cycle (1 Hz).
From big data, to laptops and PCs, to IoT-based devices like smart and wearable technology, to design-in and contract manufacturing, Kingston helps deliver the solutions used to live, work and play. The world’s largest PC makers and cloud-hosting companies depend on Kingston for their manufacturing needs, and our passion fuels the technology the world uses every day. We strive beyond our products to see the bigger picture, to meet the needs of our customers and offer solutions that make a difference. To learn more about how Kingston Is With You, visit Kingston.com.
# # #
Kingston and the Kingston logo are registered trademarks of Kingston Technology Corporation. IronKey is a registered trademark of Kingston Digital, Inc. Kingston FURY and the Kingston FURY logo are trademarks of Kingston Technology Corporation. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Outward: Definitive Edition Releases 17 MayON Playstation 5, xBox series X/s & PC
Explore the world of Aurai with a brand new trailer
Sydney, Australia – May 9th, 2022: The wait is almost over: the all-encompassing ultimate adventure experience, Outward: Definitive Edition will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on 17 May 2022.
The Definitive Edition of Outward lets seasoned players rediscover the base game with both DLCs – “Three Brothers” and “The Soroboreans” – along with a plethora of new and updated content.
On your journey you’ll experience unique encounters – and dangerous foes – as you explore the dungeons while traversing the vast world laid out in front of you.
A new trailer – looking at the world through the eyes of an experienced adventurer – was also unveiled; you can check it out here:
For first time players, this is a golden opportunity to dive headfirst into all the adventures the magical world Aurai has to offer, either as a solo experience or co-op with a friend.
As an ordinary adventurer, you’ll not only have to hide or defend yourself against threatening creatures, but also brave the hazardous environmental conditions, protect yourself against infectious diseases, make sure you get enough sleep and stay hydrated. Embark on perilous expeditions across untamed lands to reach new cities, undertake varied missions and discover hidden dungeons crawling with formidable enemies.
Complicating matters is the ‘Corruption’ – a toxic material spreading across the land that can best be described as radioactivity of the soul. Found naturally in the land, it’s distribution was concentrated and expanded after the Scourge Spell was cast, which also destroyed cities and created the most dangerous monsters at the same time.
These and many more challenges await all adventurers who dare to go venture out into the wilderness and cities the world of Outward has in store.
Returning players who already own the base game and the Three Brothers DLC can redeem a free copy of the Definitive Edition.
What are you waiting for? Pick up your backpack and go!
About Prime Matter
Headquartered in Munich, Germany, Prime Matter the premium gaming label dedicated to delivering a range of diverse and immersive games from amazing gaming development talent all around the globe. Working across projects of all styles, scopes and sizes, single-player, co-op to live ops, from producing to publishing, from ambitious teams taking their first step that need full support without compromising their dream to larger established successful studios searching that next step in the global market and building of brands. Prime Matter looks to lead through creativity, expression and passion, with games that will grip and enchant with enthralling story-telling, winning an audience with its incredible moments and larger-than-life experiences. Prime Matter is a proud member of the Koch Media Group.
About Nine Dots At Nine Dots we create games aimed at hardcore gamers with sophisticated tastes. We specialize in making games that would normally be out of scope for a studio of our size by refining our management practices and by focusing on creating the best work environment for our team. Our team currently counts 17 employees, all based in Quebec City, Canada.
The golden age of point and click adventure games is long gone but it doesn’t mean that some developers aren’t trying to bring the genre back. Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit is only Tag of Joy’s second game. It is inspired by classic adventure games such as Broken Sword, which is in itself a good thing since these games set the groundwork for what a good adventure game is. But the danger of inspiration is to simply copy and paste the formula without adding anything new.
Story
The main character Milda receives a letter telling her that her grandfather died and that she inherited his house. The thing is that she lives in the United States while the house is in Lithuania, Europe. She doesn’t have enough money to travel there and if she doesn’t go within two weeks the house will be auctioned. But thanks to the help of her friend Dana, she can go to Lithuania.
When she arrives at the house, someone else is already there. That person escapes before she has the time to see who it was. A bit later, she receives a threatening call asking her for documents, but she has no idea what they are. After looking around the house, she does indeed find some strange documents. She then makes research on them and learns that her grandfather as well as her father have ties to the old monarchy and the KGB, a security agency dating back to the Soviet Union.
I found the story to be engaging and well written. It featured a good mix of mystery and humor. The main characters were funny, endearing and it was enjoyable to interact with them.
What’s also interesting about this game is the historical aspect. The game was partly funded by the Lithuanian council of culture and Creative Europe Media, which helps explain why the history of Lithuania is so important in the game. It also is a sign that the history the player learns is based on real knowledge.
I liked the historical parts. I was genuinely curious to learn new things, and I think video games can be a good way to learn even when, like it is the case here, they are not educational games. What seemed even more interesting to me is that Lithuania isn’t the most well-known country in the world and even I, a European, didn’t know much about the history of that country.
Gameplay
Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit follows the model of a classic point and click adventure game which means that the player has to collect objects and talk to characters to solve puzzles in order to progress in the story. By clicking on the mouse wheel, the interactive parts of the map are highlighted making it easier to know which character or object the player can interact with.
The difficulty of the puzzles was well done overall: they weren’t too easy nor too difficult, and the solutions were mostly logical. I only encountered one issue which was that Milda’s phone doesn’t notify the player when there’s a new message. The game does have an audio cue when Milda receives a call or when she writes important information in the notes app but none for new messages. I’ve been stuck in a game on multiple occasion only because I didn’t notice that I had a new text message. This is even more regrettable since it’s a very easy thing to fix.
While the game clearly takes inspiration from older games of the same genre, it still has its own identity. A very interesting feature is that at the beginning the player can choose Milda’s job, and this will impact how to solve some of the puzzles. This increases the replayability of the game if someone wants to play through all three routes: photographer, psychologist, and programmer.
Visuals
The characters are in 3D while the backgrounds are in beautiful hand painted 2D. This allows the game to run more smoothly and the mix between 3D and 2D looks good. The player can change Milda’s appearance a little bit, but it is only limited to switch to her hairstyle and her clothes.
Audio
Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit is fully voiced in English which is very appreciable. The voice acting is of quality. The voices go well with the characters and the actors are good. When it comes to the music, it is varied and in accordance with each of the locations.
Overall
Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit took the best out of older games but also added its own personality into it. It doesn’t feel just like a copy of another game; it has its very own identity and a great one at that. This is a must play for any fan of the adventure game genre. The ending was sort of open and some of the questions were not answered hopefully hinting at another entry in the series.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
The legendary Wu-Tang Clan rapper and Evil Dead fan creates an original anthem for the multiplayer action game, coming to consoles and PC on May 13
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – May 6, 2022 – Saber Interactive and Boss Team Games have announced the release of “Come Get Some,” an original new song created by legendary recording artist and hardcore Evil Dead fan Method Man and renowned hip-hop producer Statik Selektah. Steeped with lyrical references to the Evil Dead universe, “Come Get Some” features original voice samples from Bruce Campbell as the iconic Ash Williams. The track is available now on major digital streaming platforms and stores. It will also be showcased in the official launch trailer for Evil Dead: The Game when it releases on May 13.
One of the most respected hip-hop producers in the world and a veteran of original soundtracks for franchises like Grand Theft Auto, Midnight Club, Max Payne and more, Statik Selektah built the soundscape for “Come Get Some” around samples taken from The Evil Dead’s original 1981 soundtrack, provided courtesy of renowned composer Joseph LoDuca, who created original music for the game, as well. The song also features guest verses from two members of the next generation of Wu-Tang Clan: Method Man’s son PXWER and U-God’s son iNTeLL.
The debut of “Come Get Some” follows the release of the game’s official theme song earlier this week. Created by long-time Evil Dead collaborator and Emmy Award-winning composer Joseph LoDuca and Saber Music Director Steve Molitz, the track can be heard here.
Inspired by the iconic horror, humor and action of the Evil Dead franchise, Evil Dead: The Game brings the series’ biggest characters together in a pulse-pounding battle with the forces of darkness. Work as a team of four survivors in co-op PvP|PvE multiplayer to kick Deadite butt and banish the vile Kandarian Demon. Or become the Demon yourself, using its powers of possession to stop the good guys dead and swallow their souls!
Evil Dead: The Game delivers the ultimate Evil Dead action experience. Choose your squad with fan-favorite characters from every era of the franchise, including Ash, Kelly Maxwell, Pablo Simon Bolivar, Annie Knowby, Scotty and Lord Arthur. Battle with more than 25 hard-hitting weapons, like the good ol’ chainsaw and boomstick, and level up a variety of character classes with their own unique abilities to survive the night in multiplayer and bonus single-player missions.
Evil Dead: The Game is available to pre-order now on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and PC via the Epic Games Store. Pre-ordering any version of the game unlocks two bonus Ash outfits: the Ash Williams S-Mart Employee Outfit and Ash Williams Gallant Knight Outfit. Evil Dead: The Game’s Deluxe Edition includes Season Pass 1, featuring the “Classics Bundle,” full of outfits that take the team back to their roots, as well as three upcoming DLC packs delivering new characters and cosmetics.
Evil Dead: The Game is also in development for future release on Nintendo Switch. The title is officially licensed by Boss Team Games from Renaissance Pictures, STUDIOCANAL, leading entertainment company Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), and global content leader Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) to develop the first multi-platform console and PC game based on “The Evil Dead,” “Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn,” and “Army of Darkness” films and the STARZ “Ash vs Evil Dead” television series. The game is developed and published by Saber Interactive and Boss Team Games.
An Embracer Group company headquartered in the U.S., Saber Interactive is a worldwide publisher and developer consisting of 22 studios in the Americas and Europe. Creating games for all major platforms based on original and licensed IPs, Saber’s titles include Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, World War Z, SnowRunner, Evil Dead: The Game and A Quiet Place. Founded in 2001, Saber is known for two decades of development partnerships with AAA publishers, producing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for Nintendo Switch, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Crysis Remastered, and many others.
About Boss Team Games
Boss Team Games, LLC focuses on console, PC, and mobile games based on iconic characters and franchises. In addition to Evil Dead: The Game, the company recently released the hit mobile game Cobra Kai: Card Fighter and is working on other titles adapted from popular film and television franchises. Follow Boss Team Games on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @bossteamgames.
About Renaissance Pictures
Renaissance Pictures was formed in 1979 by Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert and Bruce Campbell.
About Creative Licensing
Located in Los Angeles, Calif., Creative Licensing is a full-service independent merchandise licensing agency that specializes in long-term brand development. Founded in 1982, Creative Licensing currently represents a large catalogue of classic films and properties, including STUDIOCANAL for this project.
STUDIOCANAL, a 100% affiliate of CANAL+ Group held by Vivendi, is Europe’s leader in production, distribution and international sales of feature films and series, operating in all four major European markets – France, United Kingdom, Germany, and Spain – as well as in Australia and New Zealand. It finances and produces around 30 films per year, distributes around 50 films per year and owns one of the largest film libraries in the world, boasting nearly 6,500 titles from 60 countries. STUDIOCANAL also produces more than 200 hours of TV series each year at an international level, either directly or through its award-winning network of European production companies (TANDEM Productions, RED Production Company, URBAN MYTH FILMS, BAMBÚ PRODUCCIONES, STUDIOCANAL ORIGINAL, SUNNYMARCH TV, SAM Productions).
About Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Metro Goldwyn Mayer is a leading entertainment company focused on the production and global distribution of film and television content across all platforms. The company owns one of the world’s deepest libraries of premium film and television content. In addition, MGM has investments in numerous television channels. For more information, visit www.mgm.com.
About Lionsgate
Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) encompasses world-class motion picture and television studio operations aligned with the STARZ premium global subscription platform to bring a unique and varied portfolio of entertainment to consumers around the world. The Company’s film, television, subscription and location-based entertainment businesses are backed by a 17,000-title library and a valuable collection of iconic film and television franchises. A digital age company driven by its entrepreneurial culture and commitment to innovation, the Lionsgate brand is synonymous with bold, original, relatable entertainment for audiences worldwide.
Now launching June 2nd on PC, Switch, Xbox and PlayStation
Madrid, Spain, May 6th 2022 – Indie studio Retro Forge, working in partnership with publisher Dear Villagers (The Forgotten City, ScourgeBringer) are sorry to announce that its upcoming 16-bit inspired action-RPG metroidvania adventure Souldiers has seen a short delay. Originally planned for a May 19th launch on all platforms, the release has been pushed back to June 2nd on Switch, Steam, PlayStation and Xbox platforms.
“We’re very pleased with how Souldiers is coming along overall, but we still have a few bugs to work out and we want to ensure that when we release the game – and ask consumers to spend their hard earned money on it – that they’re getting a bug-free premium experience,” said Alberto Hernández, creative director at Retro Forge. “We know how much it sucks to have to wait longer, but we assure everyone that it will be worth the wait. We’re a small team, and developing a game of Souldiers’ scale, during a global pandemic no less, saw us overcoming many unforeseen challenges, so we really appreciate your patience as we polish up Souldiers into the refined retro experience you all deserve..”
Souldiers wraps metroidvania exploration, crunchy soulslike combat, RPG customization,and precision platforming into one gorgeous pixelart package. Players take on the role of either scout, caster or archer, battling for freedom in Terragaya, a mystical land on the border between life and death. Each class has its own unique attacks along with different agility, attack, defense, and health stats. Your character can further be customized through branches of unlockable skill trees, offering a huge degree of freedom as you venture through Souldiers’ fantastical realm.
Outwit cunning enemies, solve nefarious puzzles, upgrade your character, and explore every corner of a dazzling, intricate 16-bit world. Souldiers is a handcrafted retro epic for the ages.
Features:
Choose your class: Unleash the fury of your sword with the scout, summon the wrath of elements with the caster, or rain down arrows on your foes with the archer.
Gripping combat: Slash, parry and dodge your way through an ever evolving roster of enemies, upgrading your skills and equipment to find a combat style that’s perfect for you.
An interconnected world: Discover a sprawling handcrafted landscape filled with treasures, tough-as-nails bosses and secrepathways.
16-bit sensation: Terragaya comes to life with vibrant world-class pixel art packed to the brim with details.
Smart moves: Solve environmental puzzles and leap from place to place using an ever expanding moveset.
About Retro Forge Based in Madrid, Retro Forge is a six person team of veteran gamemakers from across the industry. Their debut title Souldiers is due for release in Spring 2022.
About Dear Villagers Dear Villagers is a publishing label of Plug In Digital. It’s a place where talented studios can unleash their creativity and focus on bringing unique single player experiences to players on PC and console, experiences that will stay with them long after the credits roll. Dear Villager’s lineup includes the award-winning The Forgotten City, The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk, ScourgeBringer and Edge Of Eternity.
To mark National Space Day in the US, KeokeN Interactive and Frontier Foundry take fans behind the scenes of the emotional, thrilling and mysterious new narrative-driven adventure game.
Cambridge, UK – 6 May 2022. Frontier Foundry, the games label of Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV), today released the first developer diary for Deliver Us Mars, the cinematic narrative-driven adventure game by KeokeN Interactive coming to Xbox, PlayStation and PC. ‘Episode 1 – Journey to the Red Planet’gives players an early overview of the game’s story as the team at KeokeN take us deep into their creative process for building an ambitious sequel to 2019’s Deliver Us The Moon.
‘Journey to the Red Planet’ takes us behind-the-scenes on the narrative design of Deliver Us Mars, diving into the environmental themes that define the game’s setting, the personal stakes of the story and the painstaking effort made by the team to create an authentic-feeling astronaut experience. Players will also get a very early glimpse at the all-new traversal system and puzzle mechanics coming to the game, which become increasingly more complex as the story progresses.
Deliver Us Mars is set in a future where Earth has been ravaged by climate change, and world-altering floods are a part of our everyday lives. In the game, which is set 10 years after Deliver Us The Moon, players join a group of astronauts on a high-stakes mission to ensure humanity’s future. Their goal is to retrieve the enormous colonisation ships known as the ARKs from the shadowy organisation known as Outward, in order to revitalise planet Earth before it’s too late. Along the way, they’ll uncover the truth behind what happened to Outward’s missing colony.
This developer diary reveals that the game will depict the complicated relationship between a father and his daughter. While a full story reveal for Deliver Us Mars will arrive in the coming months, observant fans of Deliver Us The Moon may be able to guess the identity of the protagonist in this sequel based on visual clues in this developer diary.
Unlike Deliver Us The Moon’s main character, this hero is fully voiced. Her personality, motivations, and history will unfold in her own words as she explores the Martian landscape and the game’s multiple other locations. With motion-captured performances by a talented cast, this sequel represents a huge jump in narrative presentation – enabling the developers at KeokeN Interactive to capture the emotional nuances of the characters and heighten the level of drama players will feel throughout the story.
Deliver Us Mars is coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 as well as PC for Steam and the Epic Games Store. The game can also be wishlisted on Steam, the Epic Games Store and PlayStation now.
About Frontier Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV, ‘Frontier’) is a leading independent developer and publisher of videos founded in 1994 by David Braben, co-author of the iconic Elite game. Based in Cambridge, Frontier uses its proprietary COBRA game development technology to create innovative genre-leading games, primarily for personal computers and videogame consoles. As well as self-publishing internally developed games, Frontier also publishes games developed by carefully selected partner studios under its Frontier Foundry games label.
About Frontier Foundry Frontier Foundry is the games label of Frontier Developments. By forming partnerships with quality external developers and leveraging the company’s proven publishing expertise, Frontier Foundry is best placed to bring players unique and memorable new games that break boundaries and create legacies.
About KeokeN Interactive KeokeN Interactive is a Dutch independent game developer founded in 2013 by two brothers, Koen and Paul Deetman. Envisioning the games industry as a platform to go beyond traditional gaming and create immersive experiences, KeokeN Interactive aim to develop rich and believable worlds that will make you forget your surroundings and push the boundaries of your reality. KeokeN Interactive’s first game was the well-received and award-winning Deliver Us The Moon.
Deliver Us Mars and Deliver Us The Moon are trademarks of KeokeN Interactive B.V.
Release trailer featuring praise from Broken Sword and Monkey Island devs teases mysterious investigation, stunning locations and satisfying puzzles
Check out gameplay here
Gothenburg, Sweden – May 6th, 2022 – Thunderful and Tag Of Joy are thrilled to announce that their mystery adventure game that blends stunning hand-painted scenery with a compelling investigative story wrapped in secrets, Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit, is out today. Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit is available on Steam, GOG and Epic from 5PM CET for $19.99 / €19.99 / £16.99 with a 10% launch discount.
Headed up by the art director from Broken Sword 2.5 and featuring a talented voice cast that have starred in the likes of The Monkey Island series, Day of the Tentacle, the upcoming God of War: Ragnarok, The Wolf Among Us and more, Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit takes you on a thrilling trip across beautifully rendered locations in Eastern Europe imbued with romanticism and conspiratorial intrigue. What begins as a personal story about Milda traveling to the home of her deceased Lithuanian grandfather after receiving a mysterious letter referencing a family secret, soon unfurls into a rich web of enigmatic danger that draws on the rich and underexplored history of the region. Milda’s family secret goes deeper than she ever imagined, leading her to investigate a lost relic, Lithuania’s most legendary royal and the clandestine machinations of the KGB during the Soviet era.
Praised by Broken Sword creator Charles Cecil for its “beautiful graphics” and “fascinating story” and given the “I dig it” stamp of approval by The Curse of Monkey Island artist Bill Tiller, you can get a look at what Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit has to offer in the new trailer:
From enigmatic anonymous messages, to logic-testing conundrums, to classic item puzzles, Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit is packed with a variety of satisfying mysteries and puzzles for you to solve. For some of them you might even have to change Milda’s outfit, from clothes to hairstyle. Of course, you can also just tweak her look for fun! As you explore the game’s rich hand-painted scenes, you’ll meet a host of fun and eccentric characters, all with fully voiced dialogue, further building a rich world that’s a pleasure to inhabit.
The role of Milda is being played by Erin Yvette, who is due to appear in the upcoming God of War: Ragnarok, and also has a long list of impressive credits for roles in The Wolf Among Us, Oxenfree, The Walking Dead and Batman: The Telltale Series. She is jointed by Matthew Curtis, who has appeared in Unforeseen Incidents, The Hand of Glory and Smite, as well as adventure game veteran Denny Delk, who you might recognise as Murray in the new Return To Monkey Island, alongside his other roles in Day of the Tentacle, Sam and Max Hit The Road and a host of Star Wars titles.
“We are so happy that Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit is now available to play,” said game director Šarūnas Ledas. “We have a deep love of adventure games and the incredible experiences they have delivered over the years, so it’s long been a dream of ours to create a brand new adventure that draws on the best of the classics we’ve enjoyed. We hope you like it!”
About Thunderful Thunderful Group is a group of companies that develops, publishes and invests in games as well as distributes Nintendo products, games, game accessories and toys. Founded in 2017 Thunderful Games is one of the two business segments in Thunderful Group, the other being Thunderful Distribution. Over the last few years Thunderful Games has, organically and via acquisitions, grown into a global organization with eight development studios and over 300 employees. Besides the award-winning internal development pipeline, Thunderful Games also publishes a large number of third-party titles and invests in external game projects.
About Tag of Joy Tag of Joy is an award-winning, creativity-powered independent development studio focused on innovating games technologically, visually, and gameplay-wise. In 2014, the studio released Monster Buster, the first of its kind AR, location-based, treasure hunting, and monster collecting game for mobile. Currently, the team is aiming to bring novel ideas to narrative games. The studio has received multiple awards throughout the years and was a finalist at the Unity Awards in 2013 and 2015. More information can be found on their official website and Twitter.
