Step into an atmospheric dystopia as a young Ravengirl attempting to flee the brutal systemic oppression of the hierarchical White City
Gothenburg, Sweden – December 7th, 2021 – Thunderful Publishing, Mixtvision & Monokel are pleased to announce that cinematic puzzle platformer White Shadows is out now on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC for $19,99 / €19.99 / £16.99. Step into a rich and atmospheric world where you play as a little Ravengirl trying to escape a brutal dystopia founded on propaganda that puts her at the bottom of its hierarchical social ladder.
White Shadows’ striking architectural forms and stunning monochrome art style combine to create a world of tragic beauty. It’s a world where the lies of the elite are plastered across its walls, where twisted forms of entertainment are used to keep everyone in their place, and where hope seems in short supply.
Composed of a vast network of towers rising from the void of post-catastrophe darkness into the sky above, the city our young heroine seeks to escape is a dangerous place to be. She will have to find ways to avoid the teeth of machinery primed to grind her into dust, leap across rickety infrastructure that bridges the cavernous darkness all around and avoid the watchful eyes of guards ready to gun her down. She will travel to the city’s brightest highs and delve to its darkest depths on her journey, discovering her destiny among the last free people alive.
“It’s been a long road to get to this point and we couldn’t be more happy that people are finally going to be able to get to play the game we’ve been working so hard on,” said Daniel Wagner, creative director and co-founder at Monokel. “We can’t wait to see what people make of White Shadows and how they connect with the impactful experience we are trying to deliver.”
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 Monokel Monokel is an independent development studio for interactive narratives. Situated in Cologne and with friends all over, we produce games that see themselves as stories – stories worth telling in a world that grows in polarization, marginalization, and injustice in the distribution of wealth and power. Our shared goal is to inspire through our stories and encourage critical thinking. We try to provide thought- and heart-provoking gameplay experiences for curious players around the world.
The nature of our work is strongly experimental. Monokel sees itself as a social company. We try to emphasize and amplify the voices of every single person who works with us. We put self-organization over classical hierarchies and talent over resumes.
As of now, we are a band of eight mostly highly likable weirdos from all kinds of different backgrounds. Our team includes an emotional support dog (Bonny, named after a famous pirate queen) and a big rubber chicken (Mono, named after nothing in particular). Bonny likes it when you hug her. Mono screams. And of course, we are very pretty. On the inside.
About Mixtvision Mixtvision is a cross-platform publisher based in Munich, Germany. A dedicated team works to publish indie games that resonate with players through moving stories and gameplay, inspire thoughts and emotions, and leave a lasting impression. Titles released to date include the critically acclaimed Far: Lone Sails, Minute of Islands and A Juggler’s Tale.
If you mention the New War anything outside the Warframe subreddit or Warframe Twittersphere, you might get some weird looks and not much else. Folks would assume that it is likely an upcoming sci-fi epic from Michael Bay or perhaps a new album by Slipknot. So if you’re one of those people, this article might not be of much use to you. But this is where I come in! I’m here to explain to you all about New War, why is it pretty much the only thing that is being talked about in Warframe circles, and why this just might be the best time to hop in Warframe (if you are not in there already).
Let’s take a short timeline trip
Warframe has come a long way for a game that’s technically still in beta. I didn’t get early on the train (started seriously playing in 2015 and the game was released in 2013) but through perseverance and a lack of social life, I sure achieved a lot. 1840 hours of playtime and counting, all Steam achievements unlocked and every quest and Warframe (prime and non-prime) acquired. Even when I joined in, the game was pretty tough around the edges. Visually it wasn’t exactly appealing and the grind was something you had to put up with. It is still there, though, but DE found a way to not make it so mind-numbing like it is in other MMOs (I wrote more about that here). Slowly but surely, we got a lot of content and expansions to the story. New characters were introduced, some plot twists that shook us to the core, and to this day I haven’t played a game that has such fluid movement and engaging gunplay. The game always has a large and dedicated fanbase and one thing that constantly impresses me is how the veterans are always there to support new players and guide them through the game. After all, with so much content that’s been released in these 8 years, finding your goal at the start can be a bit overwhelming.
Winter New War is coming
The New War was teased at the end of Tennocon, in July 2018 and we didn’t learn anything more about it for a while. That all changed this year where it was revealed that for the first time in Warframe, we get to play different non-Tenno characters during the quests. The characters will be Kahl-175 of the Grinner faction, Veso of Corpus faction, and one of the key characters in Warframe – Teshin. We got to see some gameplay finally but the most of story is still under the wraps. Understandably so, considering that a certain plot twist from The Second Dream quest is still being talked about (and it is always fun reading the reactions of newbies on r/Warframe who just got there). In any case, on December 2nd I was a part of a virtual press event with DE (along with other journalists and streamers) where Reb talked about the upcoming update, gave us an expanded look at the gameplay, and answered the questions from us. My question was specifically about Stalker and considering his story was pretty much in limbo after the Second Dream update, I wanted to know if he will make an appearance in The New War. Well, I got the answer from Reb that he will indeed return and that only got me even more excited. All the questions from others were pretty much story-related and the answers were given without being too spoilerish. Unless something changes along the way, the update is set to go live on December 15 for PC.
Why should you NOT lower your expectations
I’ll tell you why. The most recent big updates to Warframe introduced a new planet (and a hub) and gave us a railjack (aka a fully operable spaceship) and aside from some large bug fixes and QOL improvements, that’s where the story ended. Or better yet, stopped. Ever since then, we have been pretty much on our own. Lotus abandoned us at the end of Apostasy Prologue quest, Stalker occasionally appears in missions but he is now more of a nuisance than a threat (and we still know very little about him and Hunhow). I have a strong feeling that is all about to change once The New War drops. Based on what I’ve seen so far, it will be the most story-focused update yet and it will give us a much-needed expansion regarding some story elements and lore. As scarce as it can sometimes be, the world of Warframe is also incredibly engaging and it is with one of the most unique stories and settings as far as MMO games go.
In any case, the countdown to New War has officially started.
Set for a June/July release, the hazard-filled star system Drake is described by ROCKFISH Games developers as the largest star system to come to the space-fairing RPG yet
Hamburg, Germany – December 7, 2021 – Independent AA studio ROCKFISH Games have shared their 2022 Early Access plans for their acclaimed space-faring looter shooter, EVERSPACE 2. The 2022 roadmap reveals more details about the next updates Early Access and Xbox Game Pass for PC players will see as the team works towards their early 2023 launch.
“After over three years of hard work, EVERSPACE 2 had a rocket launch Early Access release topping the global Steam charts in January, selling three times more copies than the predecessor within the first week. The game hit 91% positive reviews right out of the gate, and, after two major content packs, is now sitting at 93% positive reviews,” said Michael Schade, CEO and co-founder. “But the best is yet to come! We’ll be pushing hard with an ambitious 2022 roadmap to maintain the top position within the space combat & exploration genre and deliver a rock-solid product at full release in early 2023.”
The first update, scheduled for spring, adds a third light fighter subclass, improved crafting, trading, and resources gathering/processing, new equipment, new story content, new perks and more challenges. This update will also inctlude UI and text language support for German, French, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean so the international EVERSPACE 2 community can join in the fun.
This summer, EVERSPACE 2 will receive its largest update yet, adding the massive star system Drake to the list of areas daring pilots can explore. Set in a cluster filled with natural extremes, three opposing factions fight for dominance over the rich resources of the Drake system. Pilots will have to keep a low profile to not be caught in the crossfire while also not becoming a victim to the harsh environment. New planetary locations introduce new hazards—players will have to avoid lava geysers on Planet Mota and dive deep to find underwater treasures on the water planet Gilbert amongst other exciting, and deadly, locations that are to come.
The autumn update will also introduce a sliver of endgame content. Daring pilots will be able to venture into Ancient Rifts where they’ll face all-new challenges as they hunt legendary equipment. These rifts will feature high-risk/reward mechanics known from popular looter titles, but with a twist in space.
For more details about the EVERSPACE 2 roadmap, check out the latest Steam news update.
EVERSPACE 2 is currently available on Steam, GOG, and the Microsoft Store, and is planned to release on Xbox and PlayStation consoles when the full game is launched in early 2023.
Join the ROCKFISH Games team this Friday as they show off content from their latest EVERSPACE 2 dev build on the ROCKFISH Games Twitch and YouTube channel from 8 pm to 10 pm CET / 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm ET / 11:00 am to 1:00 pm PT. Viewers even have the chance to ask questions directly to various members of the dev team, while the CEO and co-founder, Michael Schade, is almost always moderating both chats.
Follow EVERSPACE 2 on Twitter, Facebook, and join the game’s Discord to stay in the loop on the latest developments.
About EVERSPACE™ 2
EVERSPACE 2 continues the story of Adam Roslin from the first part of the series. Starting with two sprawling star systems that can be freely explored by space pilots, players experience Adam’s emotional journey and personal development from an immortal clone space pilot to an individual of character whose death has final consequences in an open-world action RPG. EVERSPACE 2 offers in the current Early Access version more than 25 hours of gameplay and already contains all core mechanics of the targeted final version.
EVERSPACE 2 can be purchased on Steam here and on GOG here. The full version for PC, including Mac and native Linux support, will be released at a reasonably increased price in summer 2022 and come with UI and text language support for German, French, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish, Russian, simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
About ROCKFISH Games GmbH
ROCKFISH Games is a 100% independent game studio specializing in high-quality Unreal Engine 4 action video games for PC and consoles. Industry veterans Michael Schade and Christian Lohr founded ROCKFISH Games to create a new breed of adrenalin-filled adventures for space shooter fans through their acclaimed EVERSPACE IP. After spending over 20 years as joint entrepreneurs in the 3D graphics and mobile gaming space, Schade and Lohr built ROCKFISH Games from the ground up alongside a small team of veteran developers to the current studio of 25 cherry-picked developers and community experts from across the industry.
Using Kickstarter as a platform to build a new community in 2015, ROCKFISH Games reached a runaway success with EVERSPACE, which has sold over two million copies on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. Building on this success and propelled by yet another wildly successful Kickstarter campaign in 2019, ROCKFISH Games is dedicated to crafting a true next-gen open-world space shooter experience driven by quality storytelling as an open-development project together with space action aficionado from around the globe in their upcoming title, EVERSPACE 2.
Anno 1800’s UNEP Choice Award-Winning Game Mode Launches December 14
Experience the impact of sustainable practices on a city’s ecosystem with the new Scenario game mode
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – December 7, 2021 – Today, Anno 1800 teased its Season 4, and announced that its UNEP Choice Award-winning game mode, Eden Burning, will be available for free on December 14. Anno 1800 is available now on Ubisoft Connect and the Epic Games store for Windows PC. In 2022, Anno 1800 will release three DLCs as part of its Season 4.
Anno 1800 recently surpassed two million players, and to celebrate this milestone, players will receive two ship skins with the upcoming Game Update, one for the Battlecruiser and one for the Ship of the Line, as a gift.
First debuted during the 2021 Green Game Jam, Eden Burning introduces a new game mode: Scenarios. The Eden Burning Scenario features a rogue-like mechanic that teaches players the dangers of an exploitative economy for the environment. Players must finish an industrial project without destroying their ecosystem while weighing the impacts of using renewable versus non-renewable resources. Their decisions will affect their environment positively or negatively – and players who prioritise sustainable practices will see the best results. Eden Burning will be available as part of the free Game Update 13 on December 14. In Season 4, at least one new Scenario will be released alongside each new DLC.
Anno 1800 is also partnering with Ecologi, a social enterprise funding reforestation and other carbon reduction projects. Beginning December 14, players can buy the Plant A Tree DLC for $4.99 to receive a new ornamental tree to plant in their cities. A minimum of $1 of every purchase of the Plant A Tree DLC will be forwarded by Ubisoft to Ecologi. After March 31, 2022, the DLC will be removed from the in-game store, but players who own the DLC will retain it in their account. The ornament will also be given away for free later in 2022.
“The Anno team believes it is crucial to protect our planet and take action to address climate change. Taking part in the Green Game Jam earlier this year and winning the UNEP Choice Award was a real honor for us. We are happy that we can now bring this concept to life in our latest free game update and show how video games can play a role in teaching players about environmental issues.” said Marcel Hatam, International Brand Manager for the Anno series at Ubisoft Mainz.
In addition, Anno 1404 History Edition will be free as part of Ubisoft’s 35th Anniversary celebrations from December 7 to December 14.
The teams at Ubisoft Mainz engineer some of Ubisoft’s biggest blockbusters. Operating from a historic city in the center of Germany, the studio develops games pushing the limits of the genre like the acclaimed Anno 1800 and lends decades of expertise to AAA co-development projects like the Esports phenomenon Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege and the upcoming blockbuster Beyond Good and Evil 2. Ubisoft Mainz is part of the Ubisoft Blue Byte studio network. More information can be found at mainz.ubisoft.com.
About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, For Honor, Just Dance, Watch Dogs, and Tom Clancy’s video game series including Ghost Recon®, Rainbow Six and The Division. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2020-21 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated net bookings of €2,241 million. To learn more, please visit: www.ubisoftgroup.com.
How to get the celebrated action hero as a commander, Missions from Arnie, Holiday Post, Decorider, a festive soundtrack and other intricacies of Holiday Ops 2022
December 7th, 2021 — With the most magical World of Tanks event in sight, the developers have disclosed more details about this year’s Holiday Ops—this time commanded by Arnold Schwarzenegger!
Starting on December 9, 2021, and running until January 10, 2022, Holiday Ops 2022 will offer players a traditional set of recreations, an enticing decoration quest and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get Arnie himself as their tank commander! Now for the details.
Everything starts in the Garage. Here, players will instantly get their first present (the brand-new T3 Convertible, a Tier III Premium American medium) and will receive special Missions from Arnie. Each day a new mission will be revealed and there’s a total of 32 to complete. Upon completing 27 of them, the player will get Arnold Schwarzenegger as a commander. And this is the only way to recruit the action hero who comes with a voiceover recorded by the man himself, which includes some of Arnold’s most iconic phrases! Additionally, Arnold comes trained with three skills (Sixth Sense, Repairs, and Brothers in Arms as a zero perk).
Each successful mission will bring Small Boxes and Holiday Stamps. Small Boxes contain Shards for players to craft Standard and Large Decorations in the Decorider. This year, Standard Decorations will be of equal value, some of them containing easter eggs from Arnold’s acting career. The more embellishments, the more Festive Atmosphere Points and the higher the Festive Atmosphere Level. Holiday Post allows players to send parcels with Small Boxes to their friends by amassing Holiday Stamps. Their generosity will pay off: exchanging these parcels will bring senders special rewards.
“World of Tanks proves better than anything else that nothing is beyond reach for a person who has the desire, determination, and dexterity to get it,” states Arnold Schwarzenegger, World of Tanks Ambassador. “So, start your engines, commanders, and don’t miss a moment of Holiday Ops 2022!”
“We are happy beyond measure that Arnold Schwarzenegger joined this year’s World of Tanks Holiday Ops. Needless to say, it’s been the cherished dream of our players for years!” states Max Chuvalov, World of Tanks Publishing Director.
“Enjoy Holiday Ops 2022 hosted by the invincible Arnold and grab your chance to recruit the greatest action hero as a commander!” The cherry on top, a special soundtrack will be accompanying the event to overwhelm the players with the spirit of careless merriment!
World of Tanks is the first team-based, massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to tank warfare. Throw yourself into the epic tank battles of World War II with gamers all over the world. Your arsenal includes over 600 armored vehicles from 11 nations, carefully detailed with historical accuracy.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is known all over the globe for his many accomplishments: world champion bodybuilder, successful businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, best-selling author, California’s 38th Governor, and, of course, Hollywood action hero. A star of numerous blockbusters, his iconic film roles include The Terminator (The Terminator franchise), Dutch (Predator), John Matrix (Commando) and Trench (The Expendables).
Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus. Operating since 1998, Wargaming has grown to become one of the leaders in the gaming industry with 5,500 employees and 19 offices spread all over the world. Over 200 million players enjoy Wargaming’s titles across all major gaming platforms. Our flagship products include the free-to-play hits World of Tanks and World of Warships, as well as World of Tanks Blitz — the critically acclaimed mobile tank shooter with cross-platform support.
Venum & Ubisoft Team Up to Launch an Exclusive Assassin’s Creed® Collection
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – December 07, 2021 – Today, Ubisoft announced its collaboration with Venum, the world’s leading manufacturer of combat sports equipment and apparel, to create an exclusive line of products inspired from the game Assassin’s Creed® Valhalla. The collection is available now.
Built on common values like resilience, commitment and self-transcendence, this association between both brands has been quite natural. Through this exclusive collection including t-shirt, sweatshirt, cap, boxing gloves, and joggers; Venum and Assassin’s Creed aim to transform entertainment fans around the world into “modern day Vikings”.
Franck Dupuis, Founder & CEO of Venum: “We are very happy to announce today this collaboration with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, which is fully in line with the brand’s partnership strategy. We are currently setting up partnerships that break away from what the brand has been doing since its creation in order to open up to a new target group, which at first glance is quite far from combat sport fans, but which fully recognizes itself in the values carried by the brand.” Franck Dupuis also added: “This collaboration with Assassin’s Creed, a true global reference in video games, is once again a sign of recognition of the success of our diversification and democratization strategy for the brand.”
Sarah Buzby, VP Consumer Product at Ubisoft: “We are enthusiastic to partner with Venum to go beyond video games, translating the Valhalla universe to a unique capsule collection for Assassin’s Creed fans globally.” Inspired by the black of the Nordic night and the blue of the northern lights, this collection invites everyone to travel to the world of the Vikings by featuring tradition Viking sigils, and through the use of typical materials, both from the Vikings and boxing worlds, like leather, fleece, or ripstop.
Through an innovative marketing campaign perfectly mixing the video games and combat sports universe, both brands aim to highlight the similarities between the world of combat sports and video games.
Discover more about this exclusive collection on venum.com
For more information about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, please visit assassinscreed.com
MONTERREY, Mexico – Dec. 6, 2021 –PopSlinger, a vibrant musical shooter inspired by ‘90s anime from developer Funky Can Creative, pops its way to Nintendo Switch on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022.
Enter into a hand-drawn, marker art style world as Ria Carbon, a regular girl turned into the overconfident goofball hero PopSlinger. Set out to save the planet from sinister invaders using Ria’s soda-powered guns, popping everything in sight, and having fun with magical powers bestowed upon her by a former PopSlinger named Gin.
As Earth’s new savior, Ria combats the nefarious invaders stirring up conflict and dispersing corruption, clashing with an agent from a secret organization and her coffee-powered guns along the way. Pop, dodge, and slam gooey monsters, including the ultra-strong bosses leading the invasion, known as Corazones. Utilize strategic battle sequences in beat ‘em up clashes, all while racking up high scores.
Climb to the top of the scoreboard implementing arcade-inspired scoring mechanics and a ranking system to unlock flavored-guns including the Cola laser, straw shooting Strawberry, and cap popper Orange. Collect Popping Souls, ghostly-looking bottle caps in various colors which double as sources of power for other weapons and to increase Ria’s health.
Gain Popping Powers by shooting sequences of colored enemy gloops. Obtain the mighty magical Dream Time, making Ria unbeatable and collecting massive points for the ranks, by perfecting multiple sequences in a row. Choose targets depending on the abilities needed: double invokes Gin as a rearguard, while heal summons a can of soda to speed up her recovery. As the story progresses, expect more challenges and for soundtrack beats to become faster, livelier, and more intense, all while immersing in a gorgeous world.
Enjoy a fresh, yet nostalgic New Retro art style with a performance reactive soundtrack inspired by vibey, City Pop and Future Funk music genres alongside illustrations influenced by dreamy ‘90s Japanese animations and modern music videos. PopSlinger brings to life a world of colorful, funky aesthetics in a wholesome setting.
“It is a dream come true to share our charming colorful world with Nintendo’s community,” said Jose Luis Abreu, Funky Can Creative founder. “PopSlinger is heavily inspired by the anime I grew up watching as well as artists and musicians who are also still part of my life today. We hope everyone will enjoy the mix of nostalgic and current references we put together to bring Ria’s world to life and have as much fun with it as we do!”
Based out of Mexico, Funky Can Creative was founded as a way to beat the lack of opportunities and resources local developers face on a daily basis. The team’s main goal is to create expressive and inclusive experiences welcoming everyone and contribute to a healthy gaming industry. PopSlinger is the studio’s first title.
SAN DIEGO – December 6, 2021 – Psyonix, the San Diego video game developer, and Ford announced that the electric Ford Mustang Mach-E™ SUV and the iconic, classic 1965 Ford Mustang Shelby® GT350R will be available in Rocket League beginning December 9 on all platforms! In addition, Ford is once again teaming up with Rocket League Esports to be the Presenting Sponsor of the upcoming Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) Fall Major and of the second Ford + Rocket League Freestyle Invitational.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E Rocket League Edition (RLE) and Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R RLE will be available in the Rocket League Item Shop from December 9 until December 22. The Mustang Mach-E RLE also becomes electrically charged when it goes supersonic in-game, giving it a shocking visual lightning effect. Each car bundle can be purchased separately for 1100 Credits each or together for 2000 Credits. The contents of each car bundle are:
Ford Mustang Mach-E RLE
Ford Mustang Mach-E RLE Car (Octane Hitbox)
Ford Performance Decal
98 Decal
Ford Mustang Mach-E RLE Wheels
E.V. Boost
Mach-E Player Banner
Ford Mustang Mach-E RLE Engine Audio
Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R RLE
Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R RLE Car (Dominus Hitbox)
Ford Performance Decal
98 Decal
Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R RLE Wheels
98 Player Banner
Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R RLE Engine Audio
In addition, Ford will be the Presenting Sponsor of the RLCS 2021-22 Fall Major taking place from December 8 through December 12 in Stockholm, Sweden. The Fall Major will be players-only and marks the return of cross-regional RLCS competition in over a year! Shortly after the Fall Major, the second Ford + Rocket League Freestyle Invitational will take place December 15-16, where the best Rocket League freestylers in the U.S. will be invited to compete for a chance to win a real-life 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E. The RLCS 2021-22 Fall Major and Ford + Rocket League Freestyle Invitational can be viewed on Twitch.
More information can be found in the latest blog post HERE
If you or a member of your team is interested in codes for the Ford Mustang Mach-E RLE and Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R RLE, please let us know and we will send you a code when it becomes available in the game on December 9.
Shelby is a registered trademark of Carroll Hall Shelby Trust.
ABOUT ROCKET LEAGUE Winner or nominee of more than 150 “Game of the Year” awards, Rocket League is one of the most critically-acclaimed sports games of our generation. Rocket League is a high-powered hybrid of arcade-style soccer and vehicular mayhem with easy-to-understand controls and fluid, physics-driven competition. Available on Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on Epic Games Store, Rocket League includes nearly endless customization possibilities, a fully-featured offline season mode, multiple game types, casual and competitive online matches, and special “Mutators” that let you change the rules entirely.
ABOUT FORD MOTOR COMPANY Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification; mobility solutions, including self-driving services; and connected services. Ford employs approximately 187,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit corporate.ford.com.
Wrocław – 6 December 2021 – Techland’s new episode of Dying 2 Know More is now live on YouTube. This episode’s guest is Jonah Scott, voice of Aiden Caldwell, the main protagonist of Dying Light 2 Stay Human. In this episode, Jonah reveals some cool details about working as a voice actor, Dying Light 2’s script length, and his voice acting dream roles. If you have ever wondered what it’s like to play the main character of the game, do not miss this special episode of Dying 2 Know More.
December 2021 is also a month of Techland’s celebrations as they commemorate their 30th anniversary! For this, the studio has partnered with GOG and Steam* to let gamers play some of their previous games** completely free of charge. There will also be even more gifts and offers available for players – for more details make sure to visit the special anniversary section on TechlandGG, Techland’s own player reward program. Become a part of this event, grab a free copy of Crime Cities and Call of Juarez and join in the celebrations of Techland’s 30th anniversary!
Dying Light 2 Stay Human, published by Techland, launches on February 4th 2022 on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Pre-orders are available via dyinglightgame.com/preorder. All pre-orders will come with an exclusive digital Reload Pack, featuring a unique outfit, weapon, and paraglider skin.
Dying Light 2 Stay Human is a story-driven open-world action role-playing game, a sequel to the critically acclaimed Dying Light published in 2015, played by over twenty million people worldwide. This time players are visiting the City – mankind’s last stronghold in the fight against the virus. Developed parkour mechanics enable players to explore the vast open world and master tactical combat. This lost civilization, a world set in the modern dark ages, requires creative approaches to finding items and crafting gear. Gameplay shifts during a day and night cycle, so players can dare to plunder abandoned lairs of infected at night and discover the dark secrets of those in power by day. Players must choose which side they want to take and write their own story.
About Techland
Founded in 1991 in Poland, Techland is a renowned independent game developer and distributor for all leading platforms, including PC, Sony PlayStation, and the Xbox family of devices. Techland is best known for the original Dead Island games, the Call of Juarez series, and the Dying Light franchise, a global phenomenon played by over 20 million unique players to date. To top that, Techland’s experienced teams allow the developer to work on two of its own AAA titles at the same time. Comprising over 400 professionals across three offices in Poland, the company is committed to delivering unforgettable experiences and using the latest technology for innovative entertainment, which includes the proprietary C-Engine. For more information about the company itself, visit the official website at: www.techland.net.
All product titles, publisher names, trademarks, artwork, and associated imagery are trademarks, registered trademarks and/or copyright material of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Fans of the Shin Megami Tensei series have been hoping for a new game for quite some time as the last full release was five years ago with the last actual numbered release being three years prior to that. As such when Atlus announced Shin Megami Tensei V alongside the reveal for the Switch back in 2017 many were delighted only to be left waiting with no information until last year when it was finally set for a 2021 release. Now that the wait for Shin Megami Tensei V is over has the series’ latest entry taken it to news heights?
Story
Players step into the shoes of a nameable high school student who is leaving school for the day. The only problem is, strange violent attacks have been happening around Tokyo so students are warned of traveling alone and are instead recommended to travel in pairs. With no other details to go on and no one willing to join the player, they venture back to the student dorms only to find themselves traveling through a tiny pedestrian tunnel and emerging in a desolate wasteland with the ruins of Tokyo as far as the eye can see.
With the brief appearance of an angelic looking being carrying away a fellow classmate, players are left to wander into the never-ending desert on their own and die to the hands of the demons roaming the land. Or at least they would until the friendly being known as Aogami appears and fuses with the player, turning them into what is called the Nahobino and giving them not only the power to fight and survive in this dangerous new area but also transforming them into something beyond just a demon or angel. The Nahobino is now standing in what is left of Tokyo as the real land was destroyed twenty years prior and still to this day demons and angels continue to do battle while humanity is kept afloat by Bethel, who works to disguise the damage done by the war and keep humanity alive.
Going into too much detail about what happens throughout Shin Megami Tensei V would be spoiling quite a few events, especially since once again Atlus has managed to write an engrossing tale that players will eagerly want to learn more of as they progress through the game. It is a bit unfortunate though that, outside of some heavy bits of lore being dropped at the beginning of the game and scattered throughout, the pacing of the actual plot is rather poorly handled. Even for a Shin Megami Tensei game the title takes an excessively long time to develop many of the key factors that players will need to deal with, to the point that even one of the game’s massive dungeons features very little in the way of development outside of the final moments. This leads to many hours being spent simply following a very shallow explanation of events with the biggest bright spots being the interactions with the countless demons and angels that cross the Nahobino’s path.
That being said, once the game does begin to develop itself the team has handled the game incredibly well, leaving the slow start behind and settling into a solid pace. There are plenty of moral quandaries that appear throughout the story, a signature element of the series, and there is also a bit more focus on characters as well. Once certain developments take place Shin Megami Tensei V finds its footing and begins to deliver a highly satisfying tale that isn’t afraid to wildly swing in tone depending on what is happening at any given time. One moment a devastating event may happen the next the Nahobino is arm-wrestling Berith, outwitting Jack Frost, or bribing Lamia to recruit them to their team.
It is also interesting to note that the demons have more personality than ever. Not only do most side quests in the game come from demons or angels but numerous non-hostile ones will simply be available for small conversations throughout a map. Combine this with a certain charismatic assistant that often join the Nahobino while traveling around and the fact that, from time to time, demons from similar lore on the player’s team may talk to an enemy demon with unique dialogue and we have some of the most interesting demons in series history alongside a strong cast of characters… eventually.
Gameplay
After becoming the Nahobino players will find themselves immediately facing one of Shin Megami Tensei V‘s newly designed open styled dungeons. Unlike a standard dungeon crawler players will find that every dungeon in the game is set in a sprawling multi-layer landscape with numerous side-paths to explore and quite a few treasures hidden away in chests and as well as 200 collectible “Miman” that not only immediately reward the player with “Glory” but also item rewards everytime five are gathered. That being said, despite the dungeons now featuring a massive layout there is rarely a chance to actually end up lost. Not only are players always shown the location of where they need to go next, but even side-quest objectives are often pointed out as well. It is also worth noting that there is only one true path forward through a dungeon even if it means jumping around hills or decayed buildings to advance.
To help assist players even further when it comes to navigating the landscape the game now features a very handy fast travel system in the form of the “Leyline Founts” that work as multipurpose locations scattered throughout every map. Leyline Founts serve as save points, the item shop, the location that fusions and miracles can be performed, healing, and of course fast traveling to any other fount that has been found so far. Shortly after beginning the game players will also unlock the ability to immediately return to their last accessed fount at no cost, allowing for quick saves or healing should players find themselves desperate. In many ways not only does this remove the need to constantly navigate more troublesome locations but also revisit areas that may have featured a powerful field boss, of which there are many per dungeon, that may have stomped the Nahobino and their party the first time around but can be challenged after getting stronger.
As the Nahobino travels through a dungeon they will no longer need to worry about random encounters as all foes are shown openly exploring a field. They can be surprise attacked for a potential advantage or will chase after the player and actively seek combat most of the time, though it is a nice touch that foes far weaker than the Nahobino will often flee from him instead. Once combat is entered players will be treated to the very familiar Press Turn system that the series has used through the last few entries.
The player’s party will feature the Nahobino and up to three demons with each fighter given one action per turn. Hitting an enemy’s weakness or getting a critical hit will reward the player with an extra turn though missing an enemy or having an attack blocked entirely will not only waste that turn but an extra one as well. With every character in the game having a weakness to various elements or physical attacks players will always need to keep an eye on things as enemies can take just as much advantage of the Press Turn system that the player can. This can lead to even some basic encounters turning into close calls should an enemy have the player’s weakness or nails a lucky critical, meaning that the difficulty that the Shin Megami Tensei series is known for is still alive on Normal, though there is the option to make things easier or even harder should the player choose. That being said, Shin Megami Tensei V’s fights and challenges are far more manageable than before thanks to a few quality of life additions.
One of these happens to be a new combat mechanic in the form of the Magatsuhi Gauge. As players fight, and eventually through a large number of actions after unlocking them, the gauge will fill and when it is filled, players can use a powerful skill to help their team in combat. These skills do not use up a turn and can provide a wide variety of effects depending on who uses it, ranging from making every attack in one turn a critical, unleashing a devastating blow, or even making every skill only take 1 MP. On the flip side, enemy demons can also use Magatsuhi skills though they tend to only feature a single type of buff and players will immediately know when it is coming and can act accordingly to try and protect themselves.
As the Nahobino ventures through the dungeons they will encounter a wide array of demons and occasionally angels as there is a fairly massive amount of variety of foes in this game but the player won’t be alone either. Similar to past games players will be able to talk to nearly every demon in the game, outside of bosses and mini-bosses, and potentially recruit them to your team. This negotiation usually involves a few questions followed by having to bribe the demon with either items, Macca (money), or some health or MP. If successful the demon will immediately join the player’s party though they can only have a limited number with them at a time with the limit being expanded through Miracles.
Once they are part of the team, a demon will earn XP similar to the player and can even be registered into the Compendium in case the player needs to re-summon a certain demon later. This may arise thanks to the necessity of demon fusions and how much easier Shin Megami Tensei V has made it to fuse every possible demon available. While before players could only see possible demon fusion results for the demons they have in their party, there is now an option to see what demons are available for fusion using everything in the Compendium as well. This often expands the fusion pool greatly though this method does require any missing demon be summoned for Macca and it is surprisingly difficult to earn money this time around.
Another type of fusion has also been included in Shin Megami Tensei V in the form of Essences. Essences can be obtained from defeating demons, found in the field, or from training an ally demon enough and these contain many of the base skills of the demon it came from. This means that Essences can be used to teach demons a useful skill that the player may be missing, or needed to conquer a difficult boss, and also teach the Nahobino skills. The player’s character no longer learns any skills from leveling up and instead learns them from Essences, giving players a massive level of control over how they want to build their Nahobino. In fact, there is even the ability to alter the Nahobino’s strengths and weaknesses to various elements using an Essence which can really help adjust the difficulty of certain encounters.
As mentioned before, Miracles are a new element introduced in this release and these are obtained through defeating miniboss style Abscesses in the overworld. Miracles range from increasing the amount of demons the player can have, increasing the amount of skills of demons or the Nahobino, make recruitment easier, and even buff elemental damage. These Miracles can only be purchased using Glory then which can be found through collecting the aforementioned Miman, items found in the field, and special chests. This addition along with many of the other quality of life improvements have made Shin Megami Tensei V feel far more accessible in a number of areas but still just as challenging as always as combat remains as tough as ever should the player run into an encounter unprepared or even come down with some bad luck.
Visuals & Audio
In many ways Shin Megami Tensei V finds itself in a strange position on the Switch. The release is certainly the best that the series has seen so far and has taken the appearance of many of the franchise’s signature demon models and have really made them stand out on the console, even matching a certain similar series from the developer. This is especially true when in combat as many stronger demons at various levels have special unique attacks featuring their own animations that really are a delight. That being said, it is quite evident that the game struggles often when exploring the game’s large open dungeons as pop-in is frequent, often many textures can appear a bit muddled, and anything that is a bit distant from the Nahobino immediately starts dropping frames and making jerking motions. These issues aren’t too problematic as they resolve as players grow close to them but it is a noticeable limitation.
With Atlus’ release of Shin Megami Tensei V players have the option to either use the English voice track that is performed exceptionally well with the humanoid characters sounding great and the familiar demon noises all coming across well though the option to download the Japanese dub and use it is always available. The soundtrack features some exceptionally great sounding tracks that work great for some of the intense battles that players will enter into and there is even a nice mix of calmer music that works well when simply exploring the world or even during the few moments of respite found between dungeons.
Overall
With the amount of quality of life upgrades made to the game and the excellent combat system, Shin Megami Tensei V feels like a true advancement for the franchise as not only are there more options than ever before for the player but the level of customization for both the main character and demons they can summon make combat a truly enjoyable thing even if it remains entirely possible to be overwhelmed. The story does take an unfortunately long time to get going and there are some noticeable performance issues due to the Switch’s limitations but once the story’s pace picks up Shin Megami Tensei V‘s writing is a real treat, resulting in an RPG that shouldn’t be missed.
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