Plus, Smuggler’s Loot Appearing Around Southern San Andreas, Bonuses and Rewards for Enterprising Bikers, and More
The 2000s didn’t give us much except disillusionment. But for those who remember, they also gave us the high-performance ZZ-8, the greatest model in the Ruiner lineage.
The Imponte Ruiner ZZ-8 muscle car — Available Now from Southern San Andreas Super Autos.
Mayday over Los Santos and Blaine County
Keep an eye on the sky, as rumors abound of a smuggler plane issuing a distress call. If the plane goes down, opportunists should scour the wreckage for any illicit prizes that may have been on board.
And if you notice a flare billowing smoke up into the sky, make sure to investigate and follow the trail: a mysterious benefactor has stowed smuggler caches in remote areas of Southern San Andreas, ready to be plundered.
Premium Deluxe Motorsport Showroom Walk around Simeon’s showroom to check out the following vehicles, give them a test run, and buy them outright:
A Classic Red Vapid Speedo, previously unavailable in GTA Online
The Weeny Dynasty in a Classic Saddle Brown paint job and Oye Taxi livery
The Vulcar Fagaloa in Metallic Cast Iron Silver and wrapped in the Classic Stripes livery
A Karin Sultan Classic in Classic Olive Green and the Tribal Throwback livery
The Declasse Impaler painted Metallic Race Yellow and equipped with the Lowrider livery
Luxury Autos Showroom Cross the street from Record A Studios to peruse the Luxury Autos showroom’s window display, featuring the brand-new Imponte Ruiner ZZ-8 in a Classic Orange paint job. Plus, there’s an Ocelot Pariah that’s discounted at 50% off this week — painted a beautiful Pearlescent Dark Steel and wrapped in the Ocelot Stripe Livery.
Only on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S
Hao’s Premium Test Ride: The Übermacht Sentinel XS
Visit Hao’s Special Works at the heart of the LS Car Meet to scope out this week’s Premium Test Ride, a super-charged version of the Übermacht Sentinel XS that’s sure to strike terror into anyone unfortunate enough to share a stoplight with it.
This Week’s HSW Time Trial
Floor it and cut a route between the Ron Alternates Wind Farm located in the foothills of the San Chianski Mountain Range and the industrial park of Elysian Island — in this week’s HSW Time Trial.
MC Clubhouse Contract Bonuses and More
Completing any MC Clubhouse Contract this week will land you an extra 50% GTA$ and RP plus a bonus to the tune of GTA$200,000 (delivered within 72 hours of completion).
Players who log into GTA Online before August 24 will receive a free pair of Wild Striped Pool Sliders to keep things cool and casual.
And successfully completing any Gunrunning, Nightclub Warehouse, MC, or Special Cargo Sell Mission will continue to net players a pair of White Beat Off Earphones, free of charge. 2X GTA$ and RP on Land and Air Races
Offset your spiraling health insurance premiums this week in the driver’s seat or the cockpit — all Land and Air Races will pay out 2X GTA$ and RP to those who dare to tempt fate.
Car Meet Prize Ride: The Vapid Retinue Skilled racers who place in the Top 5 in the Street Race Series for two days in a row will win the keys to the Vapid Retinue, the working-class rally car built to withstand the test of time.
Test Out the Coil Cyclone, Emperor ETR1, and Pfister Comet S2 Visit the Test Track inside the LS Car Meet to give the Coil Cyclone, Emperor ETR1, and Pfister Comet S2 a cursory spin between the columns on the painted track, race against your peers in a Scramble or the clock in a Time Trial — all at no personal cost.
On The Casino Podium: The Dewbauchee Rapid GT Classic Visit the lobby of The Diamond Casino & Resort and give the Lucky Wheel its daily spin to win GTA$ and other prizes — including the Dewbauchee Rapid GT Classic on the podium nearby.
GTA+
This month’s benefits for GTA+ Members include:
The Lampadati Corsita Sports Car
Upgrades for your Executive Office
Free Clothing and Accessories
50% Bonus GTA$ and RP on Operation Paper Trail Missions
Additional Member Bonuses
Visit the GTA+ website to check out all the GTA+ Membership Benefits available through August 31. To learn more about how to make the most of your GTA+ Membership, check out the GTA+ Guide.
Discounts:
Make sure your furtive biker operation is running up to snuff: Clubhouses are all 40% off at Maze Bank Foreclosures, while Biker Jackets are 50% off at all local clothing stores.
Looking to bolster your roster of vehicles? Look no further…
Ocelot Pariah – 50% off
Karin Sultan Classic – 40% off
Pegassi Vortex – 50% off
Declasse Impaler – 40% off
Willard Faction Custom – 40% off
Benefactor Glendale – 40% off
Next week in GTA Online, there’s good news for Sprunk and eCola loyalists looking to rep their brand. Plus, Lamar needs your help locating his missing product, there’s a new weapon to uncover, and much more.
Prime Gaming Benefits
GTA Online players who successfully connect their Rockstar Games Social Club account with Prime Gaming will get GTA$125K just for playing anytime this week.
All bonus GTA$ will be deposited into your Maze Bank account within 72 hours at the start of the next weekly event. To ensure access to future benefits, make sure to visit Prime Gaming and sign up.
Rewrite NBA History in NBA® 2K23 with All-New MyNBA Features For PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S Consoles
Explore endless ‘what ifs’, recreate memorable moments in NBA history, or make new league-shattering moves in MyNBA Eras
2K today unveiled the details and changes coming to MyNBA* in NBA® 2K23 for PlayStation® 5 (PS5™) and Xbox Series X|S players. Experience the ability to change the very fabric of NBA history with newly introduced Eras, creating new iconic moments with NBA legends and classic teams.
“This is a banner year for MyNBA, and our team is incredibly excited for fans of the game mode to explore the changes that have been in the making for over a decade,” said Erick Boenisch, VP of NBA Development at 2K and Visual Concepts. “MyNBA Eras takes the in-depth MyNBA experience of years past and plugs it into some of the most iconic periods of the NBA, allowing players to explore endless ‘what if?’ scenarios in the most authentic way possible.”
MyNBA provides players with a time machine that allows them to start a new MyNBA save at a specific point in NBA history called an Era. Players can play through solo, or join up with friends and choose to either relive or rewrite key moments, including:
The Magic Vs Bird Era: Starting in 1983, players will find themselves in the heat of the Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird rivalry that took over the league. Fans can rewrite 1980’s NBA history while they compete to draft the likes of Michael Jordan, Akeem Olajuwon, or any of the other NBA legends who were drafted in that legendary decade;
The Jordan Era: Beginning in 1991, The Jordan Era puts players right at the beginning of Jordan’s dominant run with the Chicago Bulls. They will battle with Isiah Thomas’ “Bad Boys” Detroit Pistons, John Stockton and Karl Malone, Olajuwon’s Houston Rockets, and Patrick Ewing’s New York Knicks for a chance to claim 1990’s basketball supremacy;
The Kobe Era: The Kobe Bryant era takes fans back to 2002, where a new generation of talent had emerged in the West, including Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs, Kevin Garnett and the Minnesota Timberwolves, Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks, and of course, the Black Mamba himself, Kobe Bryant. In addition to competing against the legends of this era, players will also be fighting for draft position in anticipation of the legendary 2003 draft class;
The Modern Era: The previous MyNBA experience is now dubbed the Modern Era. Long-time fans of the mode can continue to start with the most up-to-date rosters available and enjoy the traditional MyNBA experience.
Each Era received a variety of updates to recreate the atmosphere of the times. Every team has at least one unique court along with unique uniforms. Additionally, a specific filter system was intricately designed to recreate the television experience of watching these games as they were originally broadcast, and every expansion team and franchise relocation is accounted for in-game.
For full details on the new MyNBA updates coming to NBA 2K23 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles, check out the latest Courtside Report. Stay tuned for additional deep dives in the coming weeks to reveal even more of what’s new in NBA 2K23.
NBA 2K23 is currently scheduled for release on September 9 for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC platforms. For more information, please visit the NBA 2K23 official website.
Developed by Visual Concepts, NBA 2K23 is rated PG by the OFLC.
Showcase highlights partnerships, innovations to iconic roleplaying, card collecting games
Wizards of the Coast, a gaming division of Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS), today announced a lineup of innovative releases for later this year and beyond during their direct-to-fan virtual event, Wizards Presents. These initiatives enhance Hasbro’s $2.1 billion games portfolio for players of all ages, which include iconic fantasy brands Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons.
Hosts Jimmy Wong, Ginny Di, and Sydnee Goodman showed off exciting fantasy storytelling products for use at the table, in the game store, and digitally online, cementing Wizards’ leadership in the fantasy gaming category and building on the company’s continued success within Hasbro’s family of brands. Watch the entire video presentation of Wizards Presents on YouTube on our Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering channels and on our Twitch channels (twitch.tv/magic and twitch.tv/dnd) for details and commentary from the creative product designers.
“Wizards Presents” the following products and initiatives coming later this year, in 2023, and beyond:
D&D:
One D&D: the next generation of Dungeons & Dragons that brings together updated rules, backwards compatible with 5th Edition and D&D Beyond
Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen: a D&D adventure set in the world of Krynn with the backdrop of the War of the Lance. Dragonlance: Warriors of Krynn is a complementary board game allowing players to jump into a mass battle and make decisions on memorable events during the war
The Legend of Drizzt Visual Dictionary will chronicle lore, creatures, weapons, enemies, and allies in one tome to celebrate the drow hero’s 35th anniversary
Five exciting products coming from D&D in 2023:
Keys from the Golden Vault: Ocean’s Eleven meets D&D in this book of short adventures revolving around heists
Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants: A companion to last year’s Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons focused on giants
The Book of Many Things: A collection of creatures, locations, and other goodies that are connected to the mysterious Deck of Many Things
“Phandelver Campaign”: Expands the classic Lost Mine of Phandelver into a full campaign tinged with cosmic horror
“Planescape”: The legendary setting returns! Like Spelljammer: Adventures in Space, Planescape is a three-book slipcase: setting guide, bestiary, and adventure campaign
MTG:
MTG celebrates its 30th birthday in 2023: the year-long celebration kicks off this year and includes the Magic 30 event taking place at Las Vegas’ EXPO at World Market Center on October 28-30
Wizards of the Coast revealed upcoming products in its Universes Beyond product line: a way for fans to play MTG beyond Magic’s planes with cards representing iconic fictional settings and characters in pop culture
Universes Beyond: Warhammer 40,000: includes four Commander decks, each representing a faction: The Imperium of Man, Tyranids, Necrons, and Chaos
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth: players can journey to Mount Doom with Frodo, Aragorn, and the rest of the Fellowship on their quest to destroy The One Ring released as a physical set and on MTG Arena as an alchemy set
Universes Beyond: Doctor Who: a collaboration that includes Commander decks, collector boosters, and Secret Lair drops spanning the 60-year history of the longest-running action-adventure television series in the world
Upcoming sets including:
Dominaria United
The Brothers’ War
Phyrexia: All Will Be One
March of the Machine
March of the Machine: Aftermath
Wilds of Edlraine
Lost Caverns of Ixalan
Since 1993, Magic: The Gathering has thrilled players and card collectors. With more than 50 million fans to date, Magic is a worldwide phenomenon in more than 150 countries.
Dungeons & Dragons continues to innovate the tabletop and digital roleplaying genre with the next evolution of core rules to enhance players’ imaginations and enjoyment of the game. Crossover opportunities with the film and book industries can only add to the more than 50 million people who play D&D, fast approaching its 50-year anniversary.
ABOUT MAGIC: THE GATHERING Magic: The Gathering’s compelling characters, fantastic worlds, and deep strategic gameplay have entertained and delighted fans for more than 25 years. Fans can experience Magic through the tabletop trading card game, the digital game Magic: The Gathering Arena, a New York Times bestselling novel, and a critically acclaimed comic book series. With more than 50 million fans to date, Magic is a worldwide phenomenon published in more than 150 countries.
ABOUT DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
Dungeons & Dragons has enchanted fans for nearly 50 years with innovative gameplay allowing friends and family to adventure in fantasy worlds together. The World’s Greatest Roleplaying Game boasts more than 50 million fans to date who have enjoyed the franchise through video games, novels, comics, roleplaying games, and accessories. A major feature film produced by Paramount Pictures and eOne, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is poised to captivate audiences next year and fans can experience D&D online right now through easy-to-use tools on D&D Beyond.
ABOUT WIZARDS OF THE COAST
Wizards of the Coast, a division of Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS), develops legendary games that inspire creativity, spark passions, forge friendships, and foster communities around a lifetime love of games. Wizards delivers compelling experiences for gamers across tabletop and digital gaming through its best-known franchises MAGIC: THE GATHERING and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and Hasbro’s unparalleled portfolio of approximately 1,500 brands. With headquarters in Bellevue, Washington and studios in Austin, Montreal, Raleigh, and Renton, Wizards is dedicated to fostering world class talent to create unforgettable play experiences on all platforms. To learn more about Wizards, please visit our company website and social channels (@Wizards on Twitter and LinkedIn).
ABOUT HASBRO
Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global play and entertainment company committed to Creating the World’s Best Play and Entertainment Experiences. From toys and games to television, movies, digital gaming, and consumer products, Hasbro offers a variety of ways for audiences to experience its iconic brands, including NERF, MY LITTLE PONY, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH, MONOPOLY, BABY ALIVE, MAGIC: THE GATHERING, and POWER RANGERS, as well as premier partner brands. Through its entertainment labels, Allspark Pictures and Allspark Animation, the Company is building its brands globally through great storytelling and content on all screens. Hasbro is committed to making the world a better place for children and their families through corporate social responsibility and philanthropy. Hasbro ranked No. 13 on the 2019 100 Best Corporate Citizens list by CR Magazine and has been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute for the past eight years. Learn more at www.hasbro.com and follow us on Twitter (@Hasbro) and Instagram (@Hasbro).
ABOUT GAMES WORKSHOP
Games Workshop® Group PLC (LSE:GAW.L), based in Nottingham, U.K., produces the best fantasy miniatures in the world. Games Workshop designs, manufactures, retails, and distributes its range of Warhammer®: Age of Sigmar®, and Warhammer® 40,000® games, miniatures, novels, and model kits through more than 500 of its own stores (branded Warhammer®), the www.games-workshop.com web store and independent retail channels in more than 50 countries worldwide. More information about Games Workshop and its other, related, brands, and product ranges (including our publishing division ‘Black Library’ and our special resin miniatures studio ‘Forge World’) can be found at www.games-workshop.com.
Ex-Hand of Fate Key Team Members Return Under New Studio “Spitfire Interactive”
World Premiere Superhero Strategy RPG Capes Revealed
Brisbane, Australia – 18 August 2022 – Spitfire Interactive rises from the ashes of the beloved, multi-million unit selling Hand of Fate series developer. Key team members from Defiant Development return with their debut title, Capes, a gritty superpowered turn-based strategy RPG that will return hope to a world without heroes on PC via Steam in Q1 2023.
Return to the Golden Age where heroes saved the day for fame and glory and villains concocted schemes in glorified games of cops and robbers… until it wasn’t fun anymore. One dark day, the villains truly won, brutally wiping humanity’s protectors off the face of the planet. After nearly two decades of villains running the world and instilling a fear of superpowers, a new generation of heroes are ready to stop the filth of crime from spreading or die trying.
Take center stage in turn-based tactical battles, rescuing reluctant citizens trapped by dangerous debris, each in different situations best handled by specific units. Traverse the battlefield on foot or via teleportation to draw the attention of goons and create openings for teammates. Upgrade efficiencies and stats after each mission, before readying for the next bout.
Combine superpowers to create iconic strategies worthy of their own comic book panel, like slinging a spiky-crystal-covered powerhouse head-first into a villain’s chest. Character diversity is at the forefront of Capes throughout its modern take on classic comic tropes. Not just in powers, but in the heroes themselves to showcase a variety of ethnicities, genders, hopes, and dreams. The future is in the hands of the nascent youth as they work together to fight against the overwhelming odds of the generation before them.
“I started my career writing on Freedom Force alongside Ken Levine, so this feels like a return to where my journey began,” said Morgan Jaffit, Director of Spitfire Interactive. “My team and I want to explore the ‘darker side of every coin’ and we have the best people possible to do it.”
Capes will be available on PC via Steam in Q1 2023 with English language support. For more information on Capes, pleasevisit the official Spitfire Interactive website.
About Spitfire Interactive
Spitfire Interactive is a Brisbane, Australia based studio founded by key members of Defiant Development, most well known for their multi-million selling series Hand of Fate. This group of industry veterans aim to go back to the roots of why they started making games in the first place while also exploring new ground in the process.
For more information, visit the official Spitfire Interactive website.
DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL NINTENDO SWITCH PRE-ORDERS NOW AVAILABLE FOR HARVESTELLA
SYDNEY (August 19, 2022)– SQUARE ENIX® announced today that HARVESTELLA™, a brand-new life simulation RPG, is now available for digital and physical pre-order on Nintendo Switch™ in anticipation of its November 4, 2022 release. Featuring concept art by Isamu Kamikokuryo (FINAL FANTASY® XII) and music by Go Shiina (Tales series), HARVESTELLA will deliver a compelling mix of life simulation, fantasy and RPG elements.
In HARVESTELLA, players will grow and tend to crops, use ingredients to cook and craft items and venture into the overworld, which vibrantly changes based on the season, to visit different towns, interact with townsfolk, go fishing and more. Players can select from various Jobs, such as Fighter, Shadow Walker, and Mage, and venture into dungeons with their party to discover the origins of the world as well as the truth behind the “Quietus,” or season of death, along the way.
HARVESTELLA will be available digitally for Nintendo Switch and PC via STEAM on November 4, 2022. A physical edition for Nintendo Switch will also be available. The game is currently available for pre-order on all platforms. For more information, visit: https://www.harvestella.com
Square Enix Ltd. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content in Europe and other PAL territories as part of the Square Enix group of companies. Square Enix Ltd. also has a global network of leading development studios such as Crystal Dynamics® and Eidos Montréal®. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 168 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 84 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 88 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix Ltd. is a London-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
CRYSTAL DYNAMICS, DRAGON QUEST, EIDOS, EIDOS MONTREAL, FINAL FANTASY, SPACE INVADERS, SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo, TAITO and TOMB RAIDER are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Square Enix group of companies. Nintendo Switch is a trademark of Nintendo Co., Ltd. Steam and the Steam logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Valve Corporation in the US and/or other countries. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
Kaizen Game Works Team Up with Chorus Worldwide and Kowloon Nights for Paradise Killer Dev’s Sophomore Release
VANCOUVER, Canada — August 18, 2022 —Kaizen Game Works, developer of the award-winning, open world murder mystery Paradise Killer, joins forces with Chorus Worldwide, the global console publisher of critically acclaimed indies like heart-to-heart talking simulator Coffee Talk. Kowloon Nights, a gaming fund supporting independent developers worldwide, will finance this next title, which will be revealed early next year.
Oli Clarke Smith and Phil Crabtree formed Kaizen Game Works in 2018 after working on renowned projects such as Until Dawn and Drop Dead. Debuting with Paradise Killer in 2020, Kaizen impressed players with unprecedented freedom to solve mysteries as well as a deft intentionality behind every choice, character, and building. Now fans around the world wonder what’s next from one of the UK’s most exciting new studios.
Powered by games industry veterans from Xbox, Supermassive Games, and Electronic Arts, Chorus Worldwide guides indie teams from across the globe into the limelight of a stage often crowded by AAA releases. Spearheaded by founder and CEO Shintaro Kanaoya, Chorus also helps developers access hard-to-reach Asian markets, helping innovative games like Coffee Talk and Mothmen 1966, as well as upcoming projects like Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER and Paper Ghost Stories: Third Eye Open reach a global audience.
Operating as a global video game investment fund, Kowloon Nights supports independent game developers from across the globe. Since 2017, more than 50 games have received Kowloon funding support, including Sifu, Godfall, Spiritfarer, Garden Story, and many more. Having surpassed over $150MM in shared revenue across its portfolio earlier this year, Kowloon also added eight new titles to its roster and continues to grow into 2023.
Chorus Worldwide, Kaizen Game Works, and Kowloon Nights look forward to sharing more about this upcoming project soon.
“All of us at Kaizen are delighted to be working with the teams at Chorus and Kowloon. We are once again making a game set in a strange place, full of strange people and both Kowloon and Chorus have shown nothing but complete belief in our weird game. They are a joy to work with and are helping us create something special. We look forward to showing something soon!”
“Kaizen and Chorus share many values in what we love about games, from what we play to how we think they ought to be made,” said Jez Harris, Publishing Director at Chorus Worldwide. “Our teams have a bit of history too, so we leaped at the chance to partner with them on their follow-up to the gloriously eccentric Paradise Killer. No one will guess what Kaizen has in store!”
About Kaizen Game Works
Kaizen Game Works is a UK based independent game studio formed in 2018 by two games industry veterans. Drawing on their experience working on BAFTA winning AAA narrative games and wildly popular high end mobile games, Kaizen want to change the rules around game narratives and how players experience them. With a focus on player agency and story interaction, Kaizen want to allow players to craft their own tales and express themselves within games.
About Chorus Worldwide
Chorus Worldwide is a global publisher composed of gaming veterans with experience at world-renowned companies including Microsoft, Supermassive Games, and Electronic Arts. Originally created to guide indie developers into the rapidly growing Asian markets, Chorus now works with talented developers across the world, including Argentina, Indonesia, and Malaysia, finding huge success in titles like the acclaimed Coffee Talk, and the Asian releases of The Room and The Room Two.
About Kowloon Nights
Founded in 2017, Kowloon Nights is a global source of production funding that allows developers to chart a path towards creative independence across PC, console and mobile platforms. The team continues to seek more titles to add to its portfolio; for more information, please visit https://www.kowloonnights.com/.
More free content will keep seasoned players busy and a free weekend calls new recruits to the trenches
Sydney, Australia – August 19th, 2022: The world of Iron Harvest is getting bigger once more: The free addon that started the World Campaign Map in June is getting an update, including a new map and new starting scenarios.
With a free update in June, the award-winning RTS Iron Harvest kicked off the World Map Campaign Mode. The well-balanced mix of turn-based and real-time strategy garnered a lot of praise from players thanks to its replayability with over 40 new missions to start.
Giving players even more to sink their teeth into, Iron Harvest now gets a new world campaign map: Archipelago. Set up as a small continent, some regions on the exterior are connected while those on the inside are separated by several bodies of water. The continent’s center is the key to success, so it’s the hard fought-over heart of the map.
Archipelago will be accompanied by four new starting scenarios:
Us or them: The single enemy faction in the west is slowly expanding and getting dangerously close to two areas of importance on this archipelago.
Pioneers: The major factions are in a race to colonise and conquer new lands. Seize as many regions as possible before the other factions take the new lands for themselves.
Scattered Kingdom: Each factions territory is fragmented. You must put down the natives’ uprising and reunite – and potentially expand – the realm.
Custom: Play your way, select which faction begins where, their starting strength, difficulty and victory goals.
Players who haven’t entered a mech cabin yet soon get the chance to go on a test drive: Iron Harvest’s base game will be playable for free 18-21 August on Steam.
About Iron Harvest
At the dawn of the 20th century, shortly after the end of the Great War, the world is full of secrets and mysteries, of opportunities and challenges. Tradition clashes with scientific and technological progress, while Europe is still recovering from the brutal battles of the World War. Iron Harvest is a real-time strategy game (RTS) set in the alternate reality of 1920+, just after the end of the Great War. To create the perfect RTS-experience the team has been working in close cooperation with global RTS-fans ever since the highly successful kickstarter campaign.
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 PLAION.
About KING Art Games
KING Art is an independent game developer with years of experience in creating high-quality games for all major platforms. More than 40 employees across several teams are located at the offices in Bremen, Germany and work with about as many freelancers around the globe. Founded in 2000, KING Art has since released more than 50 titles in different genres, with a focus on narrative games, RPGs and strategy games. The company and its games have received multiple prestigious awards, including Best Strategy Game and Best Development Studio.
KING Art is a licensed developer for Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo platforms and member of Verband der deutschen Games-Branche (GAME) and bremen digitalmedia.
New Age Cult Trailer Reveals How A Spiritual Journey Becomes An Agonising Nightmare…
Sydney, Australia – August 19th, 2022 – A new trailer, showcasing the dark sides of cultism and a glimpse into the unique spiritual melee combat of The Chant– a single-player third person cosmic horror action-adventure game due to ship on November, 3rd – goes public today.
Developed by Brass Token and published by Prime Matter, the game – set on a remote spiritual island retreat – has players facing a host of cosmic horrors after a group ritual goes terribly wrong and opens a gateway into a dimension of cosmic terror.
This spiritual journey is already turning into a nightmare. What will you choose: fight or flight?
The Game
Nothing is as it seems on the idyllic and beautiful Glory Island. They say ‘open your mind to a whole new way of being and be ready to free you inner demons’ but with The Chant you need to be ready to jump headfirst into a not-so-peaceful dimension.
A cult has been performing dark rituals since the 1970s, harnessing the collective energy of prisms to open up a spiritual portal to The Gloom.
The goal is to achieve spiritual enlightenment and be guided on what is meant to be a deep and liberating journey. The truth, however, hides a dark and complex story; as the chaos unfolds in front of your eyes and drags you down a horrifying path.
In The Chant, players will encounter terrifying creatures and fight using occult weapons and abilities, or they can succumb to panic and flee.
The dark truths discovered by the cult are about to be uncovered. Are you ready for this petrifying spiritual journey?
The Chant is a cosmic horror action-adventure game developed by Brass Token and published by Prime Matter, launching on Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC on November 3rd.
Based in Vancouver, Canada, Brass Token is an independent video game development studio led by AAA industry veterans who have worked on titles such as Bully, Sleeping Dogs and Gears of War. This focused team combines their passion for storytelling and inventive game mechanics to create timeless third person action experiences.
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.
A few new English videos for Soul Hackers 2 have been released ahead of the game’s upcoming release at the end of the month. The first of these videos happens to focus on devil summoning and combat while the other features the game’s opening video.
In Soul Hackers 2 devil summoners are humans who have forged contracts with demons who can then be summoned at will through their COMP systems. Demons can be assigned to each of Ringo’s teammates, and they will then have access to that demon’s abilities in battle.Identify and exploit enemy weaknesses to gain stacks at the end of the party’s turn. Ringo will use those stacks to conduct a Sabbath—a brutal attack that affects all enemies on the field.
As for the three and a half minute opening video, it gives players a brief look at characters and a little bit of what to expect from the game in something of a unique style for an RPG such as this. Currently Atlus is planning on releasing Soul Hackers 2 worldwide on August 26th for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC.
For some time now fans of Monolith Soft have had at least some idea of what to expect from the developer. After making a name for themselves early with the Xenosaga trilogy the team began to work with Nintendo and started to craft some of the most elaborate JRPGs that a Nintendo platform could hope for. Xenoblade Chronicles has since seen a number of sequels and now with Xenoblade Chronicles 3 arriving and delivering perhaps their largest, most emotional, and perhaps even most accessible entry yet it is clear that Monolith Soft knows exactly what they are doing.
Story
The world of Aionios is a war torn land where two massive nations by the name of Keves and Agnus are constantly at war with one another for seemingly unknown reasons. Rather than fighting for any great cause, these soldiers take to the battlefield to steal the life force from enemy soldiers, seeking to fill their own colony’s “flame clock.” The soldiers doing the fighting know little else as they are born from their Queen and trained as disposable soldiers of war that care little for their own lives that are measured in “terms.” Why they measure their lives on such a scale is due to the fact that every soldier’s greatest dream is to survive to their tenth term, or tenth year of life, and receive a homecoming ceremony that will return their life force directly to the Queen.
Players join this conflict as Noah, Lanz, and Eunie as the three skilled Keves fighters manage to survive a large-scale battle and “send off” the life force of those who have fallen as Noah is one of Keves’ Off-Seers. Thanks to their time lingering behind on the battlefield they must venture back to base on foot, arriving shortly before they are given new orders to pursue a strange new energy source that has appeared nearby. This brings the three Keves soldiers up against a strange new automated foe commanded by a mysterious man belonging to neither side of the battlefield and is eliminating both Keves and Agnus soldiers alike.
After some rather amazing events occur, Noah and friends find themselves allied with three Agnian soldiers by the name of Mio, Sena, and Taion as they now possess the power of “Ouroboros” and learn that their world and the things they are doing are incredibly strange and that the real enemy is something that is pulling the strings of everyone behind the scenes. With the six now finding themselves at odds with everything they once knew and pursued by those that they once called friends, their only hope is to push forward and look for the truth behind the world and find a way to put a stop to the never ending war even if it means taking on everything they once knew as a result.
All of these events happen within what is best described as the introduction/tutorial area of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and even then this is barely scratching the surface of what the full story has to offer. Obviously we won’t be going into more detail than this to avoid spoiling any of the major twists and revelations that happen throughout the easily hundred hour long game. Now while most games would struggle to keep a storyline engaging for that long, Monolith Soft almost makes things look easy here between action packed fights featuring great choreography, heart pulling emotional moments, and constant revelations that keep players on their toes. It also helps that while the core storyline is incredibly well written, nearly every side quest, besides some generic collection ones, players choose to undertake feels naturally written into the world and has an interesting element to it that makes them worth engaging in, especially since players will quickly find themselves invested in the world.
This is thanks primarily due to the various complexities that players will encounter in the world and face off against as the enemies are far more nuanced than meets the eye and many have their own motivations for what they are doing rather than simply being evil. It is worth noting that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 does take a darker tone to its storytelling than what fans of the series might be familiar with but there is still plenty of hope to be had and nowhere does this hope shine brighter than with the characters that make up the player’s party.
Players are quickly introduced to all six members of the cast and despite the fact that some remain unsure of one another for a while it is great to watch the cast come to life and reveal more about themselves as they develop over the course of the game. Not only do these six personalities manage to mesh together so well in a party, even going beyond the usual Xenoblade pairings, but it feels like every character gets at least some time to shine and prove themselves rather than simply focusing on the two primary leads. Of course, some of this charm might be thanks to the stellar and unique voice work that the series is known for but it would mean little without the excellent character writing and interactions to back it up.
It is worth noting that while Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the third entry in the series, players shouldn’t feel discouraged from checking it out if they haven’t played or completed the previous entries in the series. While there are a number of elements, including various spoilers, involving previous entries players will mostly be able to enjoy this release as its own standalone story for the most part.
Gameplay
In a number of ways Xenoblade Chronicles 3 tries to take things slow by introducing various gameplay elements over the course of a few hours to prevent players from being overwhelmed by the many mechanics that they will eventually have access to. This includes explaining how the game’s combat system works and limiting player control to a single character for quite some time. Combat involves auto-attack and making use of active combat “Arts” that can be used to deal extra damage or inflict special status effects when attacking at certain angles or under certain conditions. These attacks build up powerful finishing move gauges that vary from class to class and it doesn’t take long before players will eventually find themselves adjusting their six party members to best lay enemies out while making the most of their current capabilities.
After a certain period of time, players will gain access to the ability to swap a character’s starting class with others, giving players plenty of freedom in seeing what characters work best in certain roles. Initially only certain classes will be available to specific characters but through temporary “Hero” characters that provide new unique classes, some required and some optional, the amount of party customization can be quite extensive, especially when players master classes and unlock their skills permanently. This is only the tip of the iceberg of what the Ouroboros power can do however as players will find themselves being able to “interlink” two characters together and transform them into a large extremely powerful being. When combined with Ouroboros players will be one character short but deal tons of damage and, since it makes use of an overheat gauge instead of health, can be used to rescue party members at low health and turn the tide of battle in more ways than one.
Combat as a whole can be quite complicated but despite how it sounds, it is rather easy to master and allows for some truly powerful attacks and combinations. That being said, while there are a number of challenging fights in the form of bosses and unique field enemies, most of the battles that players will take part in while traveling through the overworld won’t really test their skills too much so while the combat can be extremely fun, it can feel a little underutilized at times especially when grinding for quests or simply traveling through a location.
Of course, traveling is something that players can always cut down on a bit as Xenoblade Chronicles 3 offers plenty of fast travel opportunities as not only are various landmarks unlocked for travel once discovered but so are unique locations and even graves that are dropped by special enemies. These graves can be used to refight an enemy that was previously defeated hoping for a better time but it is best used as a quick travel option. Combine this with the ability to make quick saves often, the ability to use banked bonus exp to level characters at camp, and the ability to cook food at camp to provide various stat boosts and players have a lot to work with when it comes to making Xenoblade Chronicles 3 a more appealing experience.
In fact, to make things a little easier, should players choose, special coins called “Nopon coins” obtained from chests, completing quests, defeating special enemies, etc. can be used to help rank up classes, complete collection side quests, cook or craft items without using materials and traded for special items at certain locations. While not required to complete various things, players having access to such a shortcut is a nice touch especially when it comes to some “Collectopaedia” card quests that can be a bit difficult to complete should players miss the required items.
Visuals & Audio
With Xenoblade Chronicles 3 landing on the Switch it is quite clear at times that Monolith Soft is really pushing the hybrid console to its limit. When docked players are presented with a fairly crisp looking image though handheld mode will drop the quality quite a bit but for the most part character designs and combat remains strong looking throughout. The character designs remain as memorable as fans of the series will remember with plenty of flashy moves and amazing looking battles that happen during cutscenes. It is worth noting that the game does suffer from a bit of slowdown here and there when fighting in the open world, especially against bigger foes, and in general a lot of the vistas, while pretty, feel a bit uninspired in design compared to what players have come to expect from the series.
The title features an absolutely astounding soundtrack mixed with various themes and types of music that work well whether players are in the middle of the fight or watching a heart wrenching scene. As for the voice work, players will have the option of the original Japanese voice track but the English voice cast has done an incredible job here making their performances a real treat. It is worth noting that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 continues the series’ tradition of using British voice actors and terminology for the English dub, giving the title a fairly unique feel with only a few odd terms here and there.
Overall
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 hooks players early by introducing an engrossing storyline with so many intriguing and emotional elements that they cannot help but keep playing through to see what could possibly be revealed next. With an amazingly written cast of characters used to support this wonderful storyline and a highly enjoyable combat system that is only limited at times due to battles being a bit easier at times than one would hope, this is an RPG that anyone with a Switch should check out, even if they have yet to dive into the Xenoblade Chronicles series until now.
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