PlayStation Australia is excited to reveal the stunning new design of the next generation VR headset, PlayStation VR2, together with an updated and final design image of the PlayStation VR2 Sense controller.
The PS VR2 headset has a similar shape to the PS VR2 Sense controller, taking on a matching Orb” look; the circular orb shape represents the 360-degree view that players feel when they enter the virtual reality world. PS VR2’s headset was also inspired by the look of the PlayStation 5 family of products. The goal was to create a headset that will not only become an attractive part of players’ living room decor but will also keep players immersed in the game world.
For the PS VR2 headset, comfort was a key consideration, by adding new features such as a lens adjustment dial, so users have an additional option to match the lens distance between their eyes to optimise their view. In addition, the design is slimmer with a weight reduction, taking onboard players feedback.
Yujin Morisawa, Senior Art Director at Sony Interactive Entertainment took to the PlayStation Blog to explain why the new vent design is his absolute favourite part of the design:
“When I started to work on the design for the PlayStation VR2 headset, one of the areas I wanted to focus on first was the idea of creating a vent in the headset to let air out, similar to the vents on the PS5 console that allows airflow. Our engineers came up with this idea as a good way to allow ventilation and avoid having the lens fog up while players are immersed in their VR games. I worked on many design concepts to achieve this, and in the final design, you can see there is a little space in between the top and front surface of the scope that contains the integrated ventilation. I am really proud of how this turned out and the positive feedback I have gotten so far. I hope our PlayStation fans will also agree, and I can’t wait for them to try it out.”
Finally, another treat, similar to the thousands of tiny PlayStation symbols added to the design of the PlayStation 5 console and DualSense controller, players will find tiny PlayStation symbols on the front and back bands of the PS VR 2 headset to add a comfortable feel for players to enjoy.
There are plenty of exciting new features to look forward to in the PS VR2 system when it launches, including stunning visual fidelity in 4K HDR and state-of-art graphical rendering, enhanced tracking, new PlayStation VR2 Sense Technology features, and the new intuitive, PS VR2 Sense controller that creates an incredibly deep feeling of immersion.
To find out more about the new headset design of PlayStation VR2 head to the PlayStation Blog.
NETMARBLE’S CASUAL SHOOTING GAME,‘GOLDEN BROS’ DELIVERS PRESALE PLAN AND 2022 ROADMAP
LOCATION – FEB. 22, 2022 –Netmarble, a leading developer and publisher of high-quality mobile games, revealed the Presale plan for its newest Casual Shooting Game ‘Golden Bros’.
Golden Bros is collaborating with Binance NFT Marketplace to conduct Presales on ‘GB Genesis Mystery Boxes’ for the fans. By obtaining the Mystery Boxes, the players are able to acquire limited edition costumes as well as Collection Cards, which are the NFTs needed in order to participate in Golden Bros’ Early Access. This presale marks Binance NFT’s first collaboration with a global AAA studio and Netmarble’s first full-scale appearance in the cryptoscene
While the initial release will be conducted on March 2, further details on the Presale will be announced here. The presale NFTs will have multiple benefits for the participants, including 33% discount from original price, unlimited durability during Early Access, and up to 73% chance of winning a Super Rare costume.
The overall roadmap for 2022 was also disclosed to bolster fans’ anticipation of Golden Bros. Players will get the chance to experience Golden Bros in advance via Early Access, which is planned to be in the month of March. Further, the global service for Golden Bros’ Grand Launch is slated to be in the month of April.
‘Golden Bros’, developed by Netmarble F&C, is the latest release from Netmarble to apply blockchain technology, and related updates to be revealed progressively. While the players can celebrate the easy control and intuitive combat rules, various maps let players come up with all kinds of strategies during their battles. Loaded with a number of unique and fun ‘Bros,’ new experiences await players in each match thanks to short battle periods and the ability to construct their own growth tree through various skill configurations.
About Netmarble Corporation Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble Corporation is a top developer and publisher pushing the boundaries of the mobile gaming experience with highly innovative games including Marvel Future Revolution, Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds, Lineage 2: Revolution, The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross, Blade & Soul Revolution and Marvel Future Fight. As a parent company of Kabam, and a major shareholder of Jam City and HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment), Netmarble strives to entertain audiences around the world with a variety of mobile games based on its powerful franchises and collaborations with IP holders worldwide. More information can be found at http://company.netmarble.com
About Binance NFT :
About Binance NFT Binance NFT, the official NFT marketplace of Binance, offers an open market for artists, creators, crypto enthusiasts, NFT collectors and creative fans around the world with the best liquidity and minimal fees. Consisting of three product lines: Premium Events, Mystery Box and a marketplace. Now, Binance NFT aims to build the first and largest GameFi NFT trading platform for gaming projects via IGO (Initial Game Offering) – featuring core in-game assets from top gaming projects. For more information, visit https://nft.binance.com/
PARIS – Feb. 22, 2022 – A Plague Tale: Requiem, the sequel to the critically acclaimed A Plague Tale: Innocence by Asobo Studio, is gearing up with an incredible Collector’s Edition! Available exclusively on the Focus Entertainment Store, this special edition is packed with amazing content sure to delight fans of the series.
The highlight of the Collector’s Edition is a gorgeous statue of Amicia and Hugo. Imagined and designed by the artistic team at Asobo Studio, this 21cm/8in-tall resin statue painted in vibrant colors portrays Amicia and Hugo in action, wearing their main outfits from A Plague Tale: Requiem.
Additionally, the Collector’s Edition features: a bird feather metallic brooch inspired by the feathers Hugo wears in game, a 45 RPM vinyl of the game’s soundtrack composed by Olivier Derivière, three amazing A4 lithographs of exclusive artwork from the game, and, last but not least, the alternative cover for the game’s box exclusive to the Focus Entertainment Store!
The Collector’s Edition of A Plague Tale Requiem for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation®5, and PC (digital Steam key) is exclusively available for pre-order on the Focus Entertainment Store, along with the standard versions of the game and their Focus Store exclusive covers.
ELDEN RING LAUNCH TRAILER DROPS FROM BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA INC.
The ELDEN RING launch trailer is now:
The trailer gives an exciting and action-packed glimpse into the world, characters, and enemies found in FromSoftware Inc.’s highly anticipated epic fantasy action-RPG. ELDEN RING releases on February 25, 2022, for the PlayStation5, PlayStation4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via STEAM.
An ELDEN RING 101 trailer was also released over the weekend. This trailer gives viewers a quick overview of the gameplay systems they will come to use throughout the game. You can watch this trailer here:
Check out new Twitch Drops content and grab the competitive bounty hunting game and its DLC at a discount for a limited time on Steam
FRANKFURT, Germany – Feb. 22, 2022 – Diehard fans and new players alike are invited to jump into the bayou and celebrate Hunt: Showdown’s fourth anniversary since its original release in early access. To mark this milestone, Hunt: Showdown is thanking the community with bonus Twitch Drops in-game content, as well as new artwork and a special anniversary sale on Steam.
There has never been a better time to join Hunt’s more than 3.5 million unique players, a number that continues to grow year-on-year. The bayou is a strange and dangerous place – just ask the 1,595 people killed by doors or 276 killed by horses – and everyone’s invited to the anniversary celebrations by hunting down bounties… and each other.
Fatih Özbayram, Senior Producer for Hunt: Showdown, said, “The whole team has worked really hard over the past four years to make Hunt a special experience for everyone. Every match tells a unique story, and that’s why people come back to the bayou again and again.
“We’re constantly looking to keep the game fresh with updated content and events – over the past year we’ve added a new map and new boss, and held events including Light the Shadow and As the Crow Flies – and we can’t do that without our amazing and welcoming community. By putting players first and listening to what they want from Hunt, we’re able to create a gaming experience that is truly special.”
The Twitch Drops campaign, which includes four Legendary Weapons and a Legendary Hunter for use on PC, Xbox and PlayStation, starts February 23 at 10 a.m. ET and runs until Tuesday, March 1, at 10 a.m. ET. Drops are open to all – simply watch your favorite Hunt: Showdown Twitch streamers to start collecting free rewards.
Hunt’s new key art branding, reflecting its unique PvPvE gameplay, will appear across all Hunt: Showdown channels and will be available to players to download as wallpaper.
New to Hunt? Check out our social media channels (YouTube|Twitter|Instagram) to view the 50 Ways To Die videos, which give some hints and tips on what not to do, and our Beauty of Hunt video, which will go live soon showcasing some of the incredible locations and scenery that’s waiting to be discovered.
PC players can grab Hunt: Showdown plus four DLCs for 65% off as part of the Anniversary Bundle, available on Steam until Thursday, March 3.
About Hunt: Showdown
Hunt: Showdown is a competitive first-person bounty hunting game that packs the thrill of survival games into a match-based format. Set in 1895 Louisiana, the game boasts a mixture of PvP and PvE elements that creates a uniquely tense experience. It’s not just the creatures who are a threat—it’s every Hunter on the map. In the classic game mode, a match of Hunt pits 12 players—playing solo or in teams of two or three—against each other as they race to take out gruesome beasts for a bounty they must collect and get off of the map. Hunt’s quickplay mode offers a shorter match for solo players to scavenge for weapons as they compete for a diminishing pool of bounty. The higher the risk, the higher the reward–but a single mistake could cost everything. For more information, visit www.huntshowdown.com.
3D Pet Simulation WOBBLEDOGS Launches 15 March on Steam
The weird and wonderful world of Wobbledogs is unleashed following a year of Overwhelmingly Positive reviews on Steam Early Access
Leamington Spa, United Kingdom – 22 February 2022. After six years of development, publisher Secret Mode and developer Animal Uprising are thrilled to announce that Wobbledogs, the colourful mutant pet simulator, will launch for Steam on 15 March.
Currently available on Steam Early Access, Wobbledogs is a 3D pet simulation that allows players to raise their own kennel of mutating dogs, hatched from eggs and simulated all the way down to their wobbly guts. Wobbledogs is a casual and chill sandbox experience for players of all ages who want to care for their very own virtual pets in a surprising, unique, and stress-free environment. The dogs start out relatively normal but mutate and behave in surprising ways as the game progresses and their evolutionary lines advance.
Launching on Steam on 15 March, Wobbledogs launch features include resizable decorations, customisable dog dens, an anti-gravity machine, ghostly hauntings and WINGS. Like its colourful canine characters, Wobbledogs will continue to evolve with new content and game updates after launch.
“Wobbledogs is a funky and wonderful pet simulation like nothing you’ve ever played before,” said James Schall, Director of Publishing at Secret Mode. “It’s colourful, it’s creative and utterly crazy. Dogs are simulated right down to the guts, meaning players can create their own versions of wobbly canine (im)perfection and create the perfect home for their dogs to explore. And yes, in case you were wondering: you can pet the dog!”
“I’m incredibly proud of how far Wobbledogs has come during its year in Early Access. ” said Tom Astle, developer at Animal Uprising. “There’s still so much more to come, but the game is in a great place and I’m excited to finally give it a full release. If you’ve been waiting to pick it up, there’s never been a better time.”
Wobbledogs launches globally on Steam for $19.99 / €19.99 / £15.99 on 15 March. Wobbledogs will be available with a 10 percent discount during launch week. For more information visit Wobbledogs.com.
About Secret Mode Greetings from The Bunker! Secret Mode is the newly founded publishing wing of the award-winning Sumo Group Plc. Our goal is to publish internally developed projects from any of our 14 game development studios across the UK, US, Europe, and India, as well as third party independent game developers. We believe that games are for everyone, and that creativity has no limits. We believe quality and fun are everything.
New story trailer offers a closer looks at Broken Sword inspired adventure’s beautiful hand-painted scenery & witty dialogue
Gothenburg, Sweden – February 22nd, 2022 – Thunderful & Tag Of Joy are pleased to announce that Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit will be coming to PC in spring 2022. The intriguing adventure will deliver an engaging mystery rooted in real history, brain-teasing puzzles and memorable characters in a beautiful hand-painted rendition of Eastern Europe.
In the game’s new story trailer, players are introduced to protagonist Milda and a backdrop that delves not only into her intriguing personal tale, but the rich history of the developers’ home country of Lithuania and its significance to Europe. Being born to Lithuanian-American parents, Milda first visits her grandfather in Lithuania right after the country got its independence back. After spending the summer at her grandfather’s house, Milda and her mother returned to America, her father deciding to stay a little longer with the promise that he’ll come back soon. Yet, he never did.
Milda’s Lithuanian roots were buried until a fateful letter arrives. It contains a note for Milda from her late grandfather. A note that says Milda is now the safe keeper of the family secret. It’s that tantalizing secret that draws Milda to return to Lithuania and kickstarts an exciting investigation across Europe that will see you becoming embroiled in a hunt for a lost relic, digging into historical figures like revered Lithuanian leader Vytautas the Great, and uncovering the murky past of the KGB’s clandestine activities during Soviet occupation.
Headed up by the art director from Broken Sword 2.5, Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit takes inspiration from adventure classics like Broken Sword and Syberia, while offering a modern and unique take on the genre that brings to light the less explored parts of Europe’s mysterious history.
A demo for Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit is currently part of Steam’s Next Fest, running from February 21st – 28th, giving players the opportunity to take a short trip into this delightful adventure’s enticing world and get a taste of the mysteries you will be investigating and the secrets you will uncover when you take on the role of Milda in the full game.
“It’s great to be able to offer players a chance to get a firsthand taste of the mystery we are teasing in Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit’s new story trailer with the Steam Next Fest demo,” said game director Šarūnas Ledas. “When the full game hits in spring 2022, we are going to take players on a journey across Europe, introducing them to a stunning host of sites and an eclectic roster of memorable characters. We hope players enjoy what’s on offer right now and we can’t wait for them to see more when the game releases!”
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.
River City Girls came out a couple of years back and offered a fresh take on beat-em ups with an awesome soundtrack and visuals to match. The game was a hit for WayForward, who localized its inspiration as an appetizer before the eventual sequel. Released nearly three decades ago in Japan, Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-tachi no Banka has adopted the name River City Girls Zero for the west, getting some minor changes to make it a better fit for the namesake. Does this brawler still have punch all this time later? Let’s find out.
Story
River City Girls Zero is kind of a game within a game, wearing its “meta” badge proudly as our two heroines’ dust off a copy of a classic game featuring their boyfriends in a journey that took place long ago. After some modern cutscenes, the player is thrust into Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-tachino Banka, where they will assist Kunio and Riki as they bust out of prison to prove they were framed for a crime they didn’t commit. Traversing high school, the streets, and dark alleyways of River City, it is up to these four to clear names and kick ass in what is a highly narrative driven adventure.
The story can get a bit winded at times but comes off as accessible due to the tongue-in-cheek nature of how this game was localized with the script. In all honesty, I do think I would have liked to see a little more modernization here as some parts seem a bit too far-fetched, but that is kind of the charm of the experience. The execution is very clever, putting this new title on an older gem of the past – and WayForward seemed to have gone into this project with a lot of respect for the game that brought River City Girls to life.
Gameplay
The gameplay is about as River City as you can get, but with a twist to make it feel unique. Players start as Kunio and Riki and must beat up squads of enemies in set locations to progress. Players are equipped with punch and kick combos, and for the little sets of enemies at the start, those work well enough to move onward without much issue. As the game pushes forward, our girls join the squad and players can then utilize a few new techniques in combat, as well as switch back and forth between heroes to prevent a quick death. The switching mechanic was very intuitive for its time, as it gives players access to a new health bar if they are playing solo, giving them a bit of an advantage due to the lack of support.
I’m not new to beat-em ups whatsoever, but sometimes the combat feels a bit too aged for its own good, especially in comparison to Zero’s predecessor. Sure, I get this is an old localization, but a few extra mechanics would have added some spark to a game that sometimes feels heavy and stiff in terms of actual gameplay. There isn’t a lot of fluid movement, and while we do see some expanded options later, the player’s own preference for that old River City style will ultimately determine their own infatuation with the experience. Boss difficulty also has a bit of a sudden spike, with small hit boxes blending with overly complicated foes who seem to only have a strategy of extending their presence as you nail a few hits, dodge, and wait the more opportune times to strike again.
There are some cool 3D bike segments to break up the combat a bit and they work well enough here, but you will still have to factor in that old-school mindset as basic attacks work about the same in these areas as well. I don’t want to sell the experience short by pointing out where Zero shows age, as it ultimately is a well-polished brawler that is awesome to see on modern consoles. I do feel however that attaching both WayForward’s name along with River City Girls in the title comes with a bar that most would expect the overall package to hit – and Zero seems to just inch below that as it still comes off as a well-meaning port, rather than something new and exciting that can contribute to what was such an innovative take on the genre.
Visuals
Gotta love that 16-bit charm! I truly was taken back to my own childhood with the visuals here, as the sprites are well animated, but still show that aged quirk through facial expressions and hindered walking animations. Again, this is a port, so that is expected and, in most cases, perfectly fine. The hud and menus are a bit basic as well, giving us those old green to red health bars of the past, along with the usual simplistic stylings that have maintained their atmosphere and delightful nature after thirty years.
Audio
The soundtrack is awesome, all around. Right off the bat, we get treated to a new, fully voiced theme that gets you in the right mindset for a continuation for Misoko and Kyoko, which is just as excellent as what we saw within River City Girls originally. The music within the actual game is upbeat and pleasant as well, where fans of the original River City Ransom franchise will feel right at home. Could there have been more cutscenes added with voice acting to capture more of that feel of the original as the two girls’ dust off this classic? Well, probably so, but what is here is decent and achieves in giving us an awesome start to unveiling the curtain of this already stellar port.
Overall
River City Girls Zero is a bit of a complicated one. It ultimately is a port with a name change, and that is fine as old-school brawler fans are going to love how well this old relic still holds up. I do think there is a lot in a name though, as modern fans of the original experience are sure to come in with higher expectations than what is ultimately delivered here. Part of me loves the final package as it’s still a good game, while the other part cannot stop thinking about how well this would have gone as an actual reboot, with the original version packed in as a bonus. Either way, at less than fifteen bucks – River City Girls Zero is still a nice way to localize an otherwise forgotten classic, and yet another release that will surely deepen the franchise’s history as it moves forward.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
GoldKnights And Prime Matter release first public PC Demo of The Last Oricru on Steam Next Festival
TLO gets Online Coop support – New Trailer & Developer Diary released
Sydney, Australia, February 22nd 2022 – GoldKnights and Prime Matter are happy to release the first public PC Demo of their anticipated 3rd Person, Action RPG The Last Oricru on the Steam Next Festival. During the event from February 21st through the 28th (PST), players will be able to get a first taste of the anticipated action RPG experience. The public PC Demo will contain the first two areas of the game, will already introduce plot changing decisions and local/offline coop. A new trailer introduces the brutality of the civil war on Wardenia and sets the mood for The Last Oricru:
Due to high public demand from media and the community, the Prague based team of GoldKnights decided to extend the previous planned offline Couch Coop feature with an online option that will be available on release, later in 2022. To get acquainted with the team and the coop features GoldKnights released a new Developers Diary to introduce the idea and opportunities behind the offline and online Coop gameplay.
Dev Diary:
The Last Oricu releases on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X in 2022.
The Last Oricru is an action RPG with a strong emphasis on dynamic storytelling and player choices. Waking up in the living and breathing Sci-Fi/Medieval world of Wardenia, players find themselves in the middle of a massive civil war over supremacy on the planet. Tough combat, massive fights and a dark conspiracy overshadow the once so peaceful area. Choose your own path, side with the different factions or betray them, influence the outcome of the war as Your Choice Matters! The Last Oricru is designed as both a single-player and a coop experience.
About GoldKnights
GoldKnights was founded in 2015 by Creative Director Pavel J. Strnad with a vision to build an epic gaming saga, joined later by Executive Producer Vladimir Gersl (Activision, Sony) to help utilize the potential of the studio to the fullest. A nearly 40 heads strong team, combines experienced professionals (PUBG, Keen Software House, NapNok Games, Ubisoft) with go-getting juniors, creating a unique mix of know-how and passion. Together they are working on their first title, action RPG The Last Oricru.
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.
Decrypt Destiny in Soul Hackers 2 when it comes to PlayStation, Xbox and PC later this yea
Sydney, Australia – February 22, 2022 – Today ATLUS, the makers of the critically acclaimed Shin Megami Tensei ™, Catherine™ and Persona™ series, announced its latest RPG: Soul Hackers 2™.
Soul Hackers 2 will be released on August 26 for next-gen platforms PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S as well as PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC. Produced and directed by Eiji Ishida and Mitsuru Hirata, other featured staff includes music composed by MONACA, character designs by Shirow Miwa and Production Manager Shinjiro Takata.
In a war between devil summoners, it is up to Ringo and her team to decrypt destiny and save the world from an apocalypse.
Hack into this brand-new story to prevent the destruction of the world and watch the Announcement Trailer here:
About ATLUS
With a wealth of award-winning titles, such as The Game Awards 2020 and DICE awards 2021 nominee for “Best RPG,” Persona™ 5 Royal, the long-running, legendary JRPG Shin Megami Tensei™ series, the groundbreaking action-adventure/puzzle game Catherine™, and many more, ATLUS delivers unforgettable, story-driven gameplay experiences to enthusiastic and dedicated fans around the globe. Learn more about ATLUS at www.atlus.com.
About SEGA of America, Inc.
SEGA of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA CORPORATION, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. SEGA of America, Inc.’s website is located at www.sega.com.
