Available on Steam with New Route Collection and Deluxe Edition Featuring Bahnstrecke Strasbourg – Karlsruhe
KENT, U.K. – Sep. 30, 2021 – Dovetail Games today launched Train Simulator 2022 on Steam. Featuring a new collection of updated routes, officially licensed locomotives, fast loading times and the brand new Bahnstrecke Strasbourg – Karlsruhe as part of the Deluxe Edition.
Take to the tracks and control powerful iconic locomotives from around the world. Master complex operations on the BR Class 323 as you explore Birmingham Cross City Line, master the DB BR 429.1 FLIRT 3 on Frankfurt – Koblenz, and take the controls of the fastest US commuter with Amtrak’s Acela with NEC Washington DC. Deliver passengers and freight to their destinations with a packed timetable of real-world services and scenarios. Whatever you love about trains, Train Simulator 2022 lets you take rail fanning to the next level.
Get the Deluxe Edition and cross the French/German border aboard high-speed traction and heavy freight motive power with Bahnstrecke Strasbourg – Karlsruhe. immerse yourself into the extensive and bustling operations on this key international route. Climb aboard the SNCF BR 186 and haul container traffic into Germany, make the return trip from the complex cabs of the TGV Euroduplex or ICE 3M, and hop on-board regional and additional ICE trains to Offenburg. One of Germany’s most important lines awaits your arrival.
For the release of Train Simulator 2022 the game has also been updated to dramatically improve loading times, thanks to the feedback from the amazing community over the past year. All routes included in the simulation, including Add-Ons, now load and perform better than ever before.
Key Features:
Three detailed real-world routes: Northeast Corridor: Washington DC – Baltimore in the US, Frankfurt – Koblenz in Germany, Birmingham Cross City Line: Lichfield – Bromsgrove & Redditch in the UK
11 officially licensed locomotives to drive: This includes the famous Amtrak Acela, BR Class 323 EMU in London Midland livery, DB BR 429.1 FLIRT 3 in DB SÜWEX livery and more
Brand-new route in the Deluxe Edition with Bahnstrecke Strasbourg – Karlsruhe: This 112 km route crosses the border from Germany to France and features a variety of rolling stock, including the SNCF BR 186 in FRET livery which is brand new to Train Simulator
Improved fast loading times to ensure players can get onto the rails quickly: All routes now load and perform better than ever before with this update
Train Simulator 2022 is available now on Steam priced at $29.99 / €29.99 / £24.99 for the Standard Edition and $49.99 / €49.99 / £39.99 for the Deluxe Edition with Bahnstrecke Strasbourg – Karlsruhe included. https://store.steampowered.com/app/24010
Dovetail Games was launched in 2013. Previously trading as RailSimulator.com Ltd, the business launched in 2009 initially producing and marketing PC game Train Simulator. Today Dovetail Games is responsible for train and fishing simulation games and is developing for PC and leading consoles. http://www.dovetailgames.com.
Publisher Coatsink and developers Bunnyhug are unfortunately announcing Moonglow Bay, the story-driven ‘slice-of-life’ fishing RPG set in a fishing town afraid to fish, will be departing the bay a little later than expected. Originally planned to release October 7th, Moonglow Bay is now expected to set sail on 26th October for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One Consoles, Xbox Game Pass for Console, Xbox Game Pass for PC, and Steam.
Epic Games Store is still set to release on November 11th. Moonglow Bay is priced at £19.99 / $24.99 USD / €24.99 SRP across all platforms.
Developer Bunnhug offered the following statement addressing the 19-day delay:
“The game is delayed, but not by much! We at Bunnyhug have been working on Moonglow Bay for 4 years alongside Coatsink to make the best experience possible. Sadly, over the last few weeks we’ve been encountering some pesky bugs which have made getting a clean release build difficult. The game is now in a good place and in the final stage of development, but still needs to pass the final hurdles, so to ensure all is right as rain, we’ll be releasing Moonglow Bay on October 26! We hope you can enjoy what’s coming!” – The Bunnyhug team
Moonglow Bay was once the jewel of the Eastern Canadian coastline until rumours of dangerous, fantastical creatures ruined the fishing trade. With the town on the verge of bankruptcy and only one year until its centennial, you decide to fulfil your partner’s final wish of starting a business in a decisive attempt to revive the town.
Along the way you will befriend locals and encounter strange fish, cook and sell a variety of recipes; acquire new equipment, such as rods and a fishing boat; learn to cast nets, set traps and fish through ice. Explore the furthest reaches of the bay, from frigid glaciers to boiling geysers; and ultimately determine if there is any truth to the tales…
Combining a playful voxel art style and a sumptuous soundtrack, Moonglow Bay features distinct story arcs, 100+ aquatic species to discover, monster encounters, and a fully-inhabited town to explore, which can be enjoyed both single-player or with drop-in-drop-out local co-op. Explore the ocean, grow your business and restore life to an enchanting coastal town!
About Coatsink Coatsink formed in 2009 and has grown into a diverse and versatile development studio and indie Publisher which is now part of the Thunderful Group. Coatsink has created and published fantastic games for all current gen consoles, PC and Virtual Reality, including the recent games Get Packed, Onward, Cake Bash, Transformers: Battlegrounds, PHOGS! and Jurassic World: Aftermath. Coatsink has built its reputation on exciting and innovative titles and a wicked sense of humor.
About Bunny Hug Bunnyhug is a diverse, global studio based in the UK, focused on creating small, beautiful voxel games. Founded in 2018, the studio is currently working on its debut title: Moonglow Bay.
Get a first look at the immersive war-story during Steam Next Fest
Vilnius, Lithuania – 30th September 2021 – Perelesoq and Nordcurrent are excited to announce that the demo of poignant war story Torn Away will be available for press and players to enjoy during this year’s Steam Next Fest. After a successful Gamescom, the demo will be available once again for players to get a taste of this genre-defying experience across war-torn Europe.
Torn Away combines a variety of genres while exploring the tale of Asya, a lost orphan who escaped from a forced labour camp and has to cross the wintry wilderness of Germany and Poland to make her way back home. You will have to persevere through the harsh elements of nature, solving puzzles and engaging in a variety of different types of gameplay to hide from soldiers, look for shelter and food and survive to see your home once again.
Exploring themes around the consequences of war and the effect these tragedies can have on children and other non-combatants. In a marketplace filled with glorifications of violence and gun-toting power fantasies, Torn Away hopes to change the dialogue about war and nationalised violence.
Second Extinction Launches Its Biggest Update Yet, Featuring Horde Mode, A New Playable Hero, Crossplay & More
Systemic Reaction’s co-op dino shooter arrives on Epic Games Store and is free to try this weekend on Steam!
STOCKHOLM — Sept. 30, 2021 — Pre-Season 6 of Second Extinction, the action-packed co-op dino shooter from Systemic Reaction, is underway now — and it’s a big one! Pre-Season 6 is the game’s most significant update yet, introducing Emergency Landing: Horde Mode, a new playable character, and full crossplay between Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.
And it’s the perfect time to jump in! Second Extinction is now available in early access on the Epic Games Store. It’s also free to play on Steam today until October 4, with a special 40% discount to purchase.
Here’s what’s new in Second Extinction’s Pre-Season 6 update:
Emergency Landing: Horde Mode has arrived! You’ll start inside a crashed dropship armed with nothing but a pistol, but as you conquer wave after wave of increasingly challenging dinos, you’ll earn credits to purchase new equipment and abilities to survive. Get your practice in now, because Horde Mode leaderboards are on their way soon with their own special rewards.
New playable operative hero: Sunetra, a biology researcher who kills dinos with science. Reduce damage for your squad while using pheromones to make enemies turn on each other. Sunetra bumps the game’s roster of playable characters up to six.
Full crossplay between Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam, the Microsoft Store, and the Epic Games Store.
Augments, unique drops from enemies that give your character special new abilities. You can only equip a limited number of augments, forcing you to choose how to customize your build.
In-game voice chat and matchmaking lobbies.
New Wardrobe function, letting you preview everything in the game even without unlocking it.
New seasonal contracts and rewards.
Second Extinction pits teams of up to three players against swarms of bloodthirsty dinos in fast-paced battles across Earth’s post-apocalyptic wastelands. Equip a range of powerful weapons and abilities and fight solo or with friends against monstrous dinosaurs long thought extinct — now mutated and deadlier than ever! The War Effort is Second Extinction’s community-driven global metagame: by completing missions and activities, you’ll affect the threat level and challenges players around the world face.
Second Extinction is available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, the Microsoft Store for PC, and Xbox Game Pass for consoles and PC via Xbox Game Preview. It is also available in PC early access via Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Small but fierce, we started as a group of veterans from within Avalanche Studios Group. Based in Stockholm and Malmö, we focus on crafting new and empowering games with unique settings. Drawing from our experiences within the industry, we want to create games that appeal both to us, and to you — our players. We want to play in a sandbox that lets your creativity thrive.
Our focus is freedom, exploration, and a drive to create games like the ones that kept us up at night as kids. We’ve got Generation Zero launched and Second Extinction on Xbox Game Preview and PC early access — with even more to come. Join us in the sandbox!
Paradox Interactive celebrates the acclaimed grand strategy game’s first birthday with new player data
STOCKHOLM – September 30, 2021 – Crusader Kings III, the renowned grand strategy role-playing game from Paradox Development Studio, is celebrating one full year atop the throne. To commemorate the occasion, Paradox has today shared a set of noble accomplishments achieved by lords and ladies across the realm to date.
Since launching on September 1, 2020, Crusader Kings III players have spent over 128 million hours growing prodigious bloodlines fit for royal diplomacy and political intrigue. Within that time, saints and sinners have seen:
334 million children born
18 million marriages and betrothals
4 million characters broken by stress
4 million pets petted
1 million prisoners escaped
Over the year, player habits and patterns have also begun to take shape:
The most popular starting region is Britannia
The most popular faith tenet is Warmonger
The most popular lifestyle is Stewardship / Wealth
Pagan religions have been reformed 1 million times
The Roman Empire has been restored 190,000 times
The Great Schism has been healed 220,000 times
Cannibalism has been adopted 14,000 times
“It’s wild to me that CK3, the game we poured so much time and passion into, has been out and in the hands of players for a full year,” said Alexander Oltner, Lead Game Designer at Paradox Development Studio. “It has been fantastic and humbling to read on Reddit and watch on Twitch the myriad ways that this community has both built dynasties and failed to get them off the ground. We can’t wait to see what else the monarchs of CK3 continue to get up to as we work to bring new features and content to the game in the future.”
Crusader Kings III launched a year ago to both critical and community acclaim, combining the depth and complexity of Paradox’ grand strategy offerings with a new level of approachability and accessibility. Fans can look forward to the game’s first major expansion, Royal Court, which will bring upgrades, improvements, and an all-new throne room to the game when it launches later this year.
For more information on Crusader Kings III, please visit the game’s website and follow its official Twitter and Facebook pages.
Crusader Kings III is available for a suggested retail price of $49.99/ £41.99/ €49.99 on Steam, the Paradox Store, and other major online retailers.
Paradox Interactive is a leading global publisher of strategy games for PC and console. The company has developed and published a world-renowned catalog stretching back to 1999, with players hailing from all around the world.
The publisher’s steadily-growing portfolio includes firmly established franchises such as the critically acclaimed Europa Universalis, Crusader Kings, Hearts of Iron, and Stellaris series created by Paradox Development Studio, the Age of Wonders series created by Triumph Studios, as well as award-winning titles such as Cities: Skylines, Pillars of Eternity, and more from a network of partner studios. Paradox is the owner of the World of Darkness IPs and is publishing Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. Today, over four million people play a Paradox game each month, and the number of registered Paradox users is over twelve million.
Paradox’s head offices are located in Stockholm, Sweden. Our development studios are located in Stockholm, Malmö and Umeå, Sweden, in Delft, The Netherlands, in Seattle, Washington, and in Berkeley, California. We share a passion for gaming and gamers, and our goal is to provide deep and challenging games with hours of gameplay and endless variety to our ever-growing community.
EA delights fans with the release of four beloved titles on NVIDIA GeForce NOW available from tomorrow, with more games coming soon.
Perth, Western Australia – September 30, 2021 – Pentanet, one of the fastest growing Internet Service Providers in Australia, is pumped to announce Electronic Arts games are coming to GeForce NOW™ Powered by Pentanet.
From tomorrow, GeForce NOW Powered by Pentanet is set to welcome Electronic Arts to the service, giving EA an opportunity to get some of their most beloved franchises into the hands of a rapidly growing global audience instantly.
Four games from the popular Battlefield, Mirror’s Edge, Unravel and Dragon Age franchises are releasing on GeForce NOW Powered by Pentanet and beaming from the cloud to underpowered PCs, Macs, Chromebooks, SHIELD TV and mobile devices — joining the popular Apex Legends on the service:
Going beyond free-to-play, and into the broader collection from Electronic Arts’ massive catalogue, it’s the first step in bringing more of EA’s great games to GeForce NOW. The teams are actively working to onboard the Origin version of each of these four games – completing the work for some of the games as early as tomorrow as well.
And, since this is just the beginning, GeForce NOW Powered by Pentanet members can look forward to additional Electronics Arts games to come.
The welcome trailer, which can be embedded in stories, can be found here:
As Australian Beta Play continues, selected participants have the opportunity to experience streamed RTX-ON gaming for real-time ray tracing. In addition to EA titles, Users will have access to a library of over 1,000 games, and can play them by connecting to their Steam, Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect and GOG.COM accounts. Players will also have access to more than 80 free-to-play titles, instantly, included with GeForce NOW™ Powered by Pentanet.
Players are encouraged to visit https://cloud.gg to learn more about the future of gaming in Australia.
What is GeForce NOW Powered by Pentanet?
GeForce NOW is NVIDIA’s cloud-based game streaming service, delivering real-time gameplay straight from the cloud to your laptop, desktop, Mac, SHIELD TV, Android device or iPhone and iPad.
With GeForce NOW Powered by Pentanet, Australian gamers can instantly transform underpowered or incompatible hardware into the PC gaming rig you’ve always dreamed of. Experience instant loading, real-time ray-traced graphics and smooth FPS, even when playing the most demanding games.
Connect to your store accounts and stream your own library of games, or play your favourite free-to-play games. With cloud saves for supported games, you can pick up your game where you left off, on any supported device, wherever you are.
How To Begin:
The https://cloud.gg portal is currently live for players to access. You can begin your Beta Quests, earn XP, achievements, badges, prizes, and be in the running for Beta Play. The results of the Beta Play program above will rapidly refine the experience for all users of GeForce NOW Powered by Pentanet, so players are encouraged to begin the Beta Quest journey today and help shape the future of this incredible service in Australia.
ABOUT PENTANET (ASX:5GG) Pentanet is a Perth-based, growth-focused telco delivering high-speed internet to a growing number of subscribers by providing them with next-generation internet speeds. This is achieved through Pentanet’s market-leading private fixed-wireless network, the largest in Perth, as well as reselling fixed-line services, such as NBN, where its wireless is not yet available. Pentanet’s flagship fixed wireless network has benefits for both customers and investors, offering an outstanding customer experience and a fixed-wireless product that is technically superior to most of the NBN – with attractive margins for investors. This sets Pentanet apart from most broadband providers, which only resell the NBN. Pentanet will also be part of the rollout of the next wave of subscription-based entertainment services – cloud gaming.
The Company’s Alliance Agreement with NVIDIA – a world-leader in accelerated computing for gaming, data centers, self-driving vehicles, and more – allows Pentanet to be the first to bring their GeForce NOW technology to Australia in 2021. Pentanet was listed as #28 in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500TM Asia Pacific 2020, a ranking of the region’s 500 fastest growing technology companies. On top of the Company’s #28 overall ranking, Pentanet also ranked #3 for Australian companies on the list.
Take control of the mysterious Grey Knights and strike down corruption as a new daemonic threat emerges from the shadows.
Cambridge, UK – September 2021. Frontier Foundry, the games label of Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV, ‘Frontier’), today offered players a first-look at gameplay for its turn-based tactical RPG Warhammer 40,000®: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters, coming up on PC in 2022 in partnership with Warhammer 40,000 creator Games Workshop®.
Assemble your squad, shaping their abilities through an in-depth skill tree and class system, and customising each Knight to a level worthy of the Emperor’s blessing. Not only will your team build experience from each bloody encounter, but you will also invest resources into the advancement of your Strike Cruiser, ‘The Baleful Edict’ as you hunt the plague from system to system, severing the tendrils of Chaos before they can spread their foul corruption.
Join your battle-brothers in the first-look gameplay trailer here:
Set across a multitude of evolving maps including crumbling gothic cathedrals and daemon-infested factorums, utilise the battlefield itself to your advantage. Target plasma generators to throw enemies from their hiding spots in the darkness, or bring a crumbling pillar crushing down upon them. Whether you choose to strike down the warp-spawn up close or from afar, Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters adds a variety of new mechanics to the turn-based tactics genre.
Developed by Complex Games, Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters places players in command of a squad of Grey Knights, humanity’s greatest weapon, as they battle the forces of Chaos. In an epic new story composed by New York Times bestselling author, Aaron Dembski-Bowden, players will purge the daemonic in brutal turn-based combat as they seek a cure to a mysterious plague sweeping the worlds of the 41st millennium.
In October, players can expect to find more information on the source of this galactic threat, as the bloom begins to take hold…
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters will release on PC in 2022 on Steam and the Epic Games Store, published by Frontier Foundry, and is available to wishlist now.
About Warhammer 40.000: Chaos Gate – DaemonhuntersLead the legendary Grey Knights against a galaxy-wide plot to infect worlds with cosmic plague in a turn-based tactical RPG set in the grimdark Warhammer 40,000 universe. Developed by Complex Games, in partnership with Frontier Foundry, and featuring a story penned by acclaimed Black Library author Aaron Dembski-Bowden, Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters offers satisfyingly strategic action in the 41st millennium.
About FrontierFrontier is a leading independent developer and publisher of videogames founded in 1994 by David Braben, co-author of the iconic Elite game. Based in Cambridge, Frontier uses its proprietary COBRA game development technology to create innovative genre-leading games, primarily for personal computers and videogame consoles. As well as self-publishing internally developed games, Frontier also publishes games developed by carefully selected partner studios under its Frontier Foundry games label.
About Frontier Foundry Frontier Foundry is the dedicated games label of Frontier Developments. By forming partnerships with quality external developers and leveraging the company’s proven publishing expertise, Frontier Foundry is best placed to bring players unique and memorable new games that break boundaries and create legacies.
About Games Workshop Games Workshop Group PLC (LSE:GAW.L), based in Nottingham, UK, 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, miniature soldiers, novels and model kits through more than 523 of its own stores (branded Games Workshop or Warhammer), its own 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 its publishing division ‘Black Library’ and its special resin miniatures studio ‘Forge World’) can be found at www.games-workshop.com.
About Complex Games Complex Games is a 20-year veteran Canadian independent videogame development studio. Having cut our teeth working on a ton of games for a variety of publishers and platforms over the years, we have since struck out on our own to create games that we are truly passionate about. Our first step on this new path of independence is Warhammer 40.000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters.
Slay mythological beasts and summon ferocious monsters in frenetic hack-and-slash combat
Hong Kong – September 30th, 2021 – Developer and publisher eastasiasoft is thrilled to announce that Xuan Yuan Sword 7 is out now digitally on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The first game in the 30-year-old legendary series to come to the West, this entry offers a standalone story following hero Taishi Zhao, making it the perfect entry point for newcomers.
For a full overview of Xuan Yuan Sword 7‘s story and gameplay, eastasiasoft has released the following gameplay commentary video exploring the game’s story, setting, and mechanics. Witness the game’s fantastical beasts, cryptic environmental puzzles, ancient board games, and a deep combat system that includes summon monsters!
Set 2000 years ago in China near the end of Western Han rule, Xuan Yuan Sword 7 sees Taishi following the trail of a mysterious bamboo slip from the crypt of Marquis of Liu that promised prosperity, but only brought famine and misery in its wake. To protect his family and seek out the truth of this calamity, Taishi Zhao embarks upon a journey through a mythological realm full of otherworldly beings bent on his destruction.
Players must master a variety of fighting techniques on their adventure, blocking, dodging, riposting and slashing their way through stylish combat encounters. They will also need to harness Taishi’s abilities to slow down time, absorb monsters and even alter the environment to succeed against the many mythological monsters that stand in their way.
This collaborative effort from eastasiasoft, SOFTSTAR and DOMO, published in partnership with Maximum Games in North America, Europe and Australia, is a celebration of ancient China’s landscape, civilization and culture. With a story deeply rooted in ancient Chinese history and mythology, Xuan Yuan Sword 7 reimagines both as one fantastical and chaotic realm under the governance of a new Xin Dynasty. Witness the final destiny of the Mohists who believed in an ancient philosophy of logic, rational thought, and science that was once as popular as Confucianism in China 2200 years ago.
“We’re thrilled that players can now get their hands on Xuan Yuan Sword 7 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One,” said Joshua M French, Community Manager at eastasiasoft. “It’s great that a series with such a long and storied legacy has finally made it to the West and that a whole new audience can experience the mythological wonders and exciting combat that it has to offer.”
Retail editions will be produced in partnership with Maximum Games, available at all major retailers in North America, Europe and Australia or directly from Maximum Games starting October 12th. About Eastasiasoft Limited Eastasiasoft Limited is an independent, Hong Kong–based developer and publisher of interactive entertainment specializing in video games and related media. Founded in 2007, eastasiasoft has published a diverse variety of titles in digital and physical format. Eastasiasoft is a licensed PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One publisher. Some of eastasiasoft’s recently licensed and published games are Moero Crystal H, Ghost Blade HD, Gunlord X, Sword & Fairy 6, Rainbow Skies, Rainbow Moon, and the Söldner-X franchise.
About SOFTSTAR Softstar Entertainment Inc. is a leading brand for PC games for the Chinese market and has created the Sword & Fairy, Xuan Yuan Sword, and Richman as the top three best known Chinese-speaking game IPs. It is also the very first Chinese game provider to invest in the development of spin-off products & services, presented in such diverse media as TV dramas, novels, comics, and physical games, so as to satisfy all the entertainment demands of its numerous and wide-ranging consumers. Up to date, Softstar owns a fan base of 500 million people in Greater China, as well as fan clubs across the whole China; its domestic and international business partners span across North East Asia, South East Asia, North America and Europe.
About DOMO Studio DOMO Studio is one of Softstar’s main development studios, led by the producers Yang Yuansheng and the “Father of Xuan Yuan Sword” Mark Tsay. DOMO Studio consists of more than 60 team members and is one of Taiwan’s leading game development studios.
In addition to “Xuan Yuan Sword” team members, DOMO Studio also includes a dozen senior animators, character artists, scenery artists, 3D designers and senior engineers who have participated in well-known game projects in Taiwan and abroad, as well as well-known novel authors, animation directors, senior animators, story writers, and others.
About Maximum Games Maximum Games ranks as a top 20 global video game publisher of interactive digital entertainment spanning all genres and supporting multi-platforms. The company’s mission is to provide a proven and strong hands-on approach to publishing, marketing, and distribution. Established in 2009, the company is led by female entrepreneur Christina Seelye, a seasoned executive of digital consumer products and channel marketing. Under Seelye’s leadership, the company has been recognized with numerous awards such as “Fastest Growing Tech Company” by American Business Awards and has made the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Private Companies for five consecutive years. Maximum Games has offices in both the US and UK and continues to expand its scope of global publishing and distribution via direct reach and strategic partnerships. For more information on Maximum Games, visit the company’s website at http://www.maximumgames.com.
The Tales series has become one of the longest running Japanese RPG franchises with consistent releases through the years and while every release has seen some form of upgrade or modification, few titles have really changed the mold in recent years. In fact, the gap between games in the franchise has always been small to the point that the release of Tales of Berseria nearly five years ago marked the largest time between releases in series history. As such, with Bandai Namco taking extra time to revitalize the franchise, have they managed to succeed with Tales of Arise? With a brand new engine, multiple modifications to a familiar combat system, and more, Tales of Arise may just be one of the best games in the series so far.
Story
Three hundred years ago the advanced planet of Rena invaded the medieval world of Dahna and took advantage of their technological supremacy to lay waste to the Dahnan population. After utterly destroying the planet’s forces, the Renans split the land into five separate regions and enslaved the Renan’s to do their bidding. So much time has passed since the invasion that the Renans’ spirits have been all but crushed to the point that almost nobody is willing to resist the Dahnan rule, even with the cruel slave labor being simply used to gather Astral Energy that is then gauged in a once every decade contest to select the next Renan king/queen from among the five ruling lords at the time.
Players take the role of Alphen, an amnesiac Dahnan slave who, until a few hours into the game, cannot even remember his name. To make things even stranger, he is incapable of feeling any kind of pain and ironically ends up teaming up with a Renan woman on the run named Shionne who suffers from a curse that shocks and hurts anyone who tries and touches her. With his inability to feel pain and her “thorns” the pair seem like a perfect match however that is far from the truth as long standing issues constantly keep the two at odds. Considering the two only begin working together simply because their abilities benefit one another, watching their relationship evolve throughout the story works incredibly well. In fact, while Alphen may not be the most interesting character around on his own, his interactions and growth with Shionne make for some of the best character moments in many recent Tales games.
Of course this is a bit expected because the relationships between party members and their interactions with one another has always been a key element in the franchise and that remains a strong element throughout Tales of Arise. Although the appearance of the classic “Skits” may have changed slightly they are still as numerous as ever and players will constantly be able to see their party members interacting with one another and talking about various things that either just happened, random cultural differences, or even just messing around. In fact, the campsites that players use to cook meals will also be a source of small conversations between the party as well as one on one interactions with Alphen and other party members. All of these moments of characters chiming in to have their own say helps develop their personalities and really give players a sense of the team and how they are growing throughout the journey. Of course it also helps that the characters themselves are strongly written on their own whether it be the pugilist Law, pampered Dohalim, or the owl toting Rinwell, every character in the group brings something to the table.
Outside of the actual character storylines and interactions the overall tale told in Tales of Arise may start a bit small and rather dark in nature as it deals heavily with enslavement and sacrifice, things eventually grow rather massive in scale as they tend to do with JRPGs. That being said, most of these massive twists and major reveals are paced out well enough to not entirely overwhelm the player and help let some of the heavier moments hit with enough emotional impact as a result. That being said, players should be ready for some of the smaller plot points to take quite a long time to be revealed as often a few elements are brought up, dropped for hours on end, only to be answered much later as a result of most of the aforementioned twists and reveals. As a result, Tales of Arise once again feels like the best parts of the story are the journey with the characters, though considering the cast assembled here, that is hardly a bad thing.
Gameplay
As players explore the various lands that they must travel through they will encounter a number of sprawling environments that have little goodies often hidden away. These can range from simple ingredients used for cooking or items with permanent stat boosts, ore used to craft accessories, or even chests and Owls. Alongside these items to track down players will encounter plenty of monsters, called Zeugles this time around, with a few occasionally appearing far beyond what the player may be capable of at the moment, instead serving as an optional boss fight at a later time. In rather interesting fashion, Tales of Arise allows players to make heavy use of quick travel between maps and, while the exploration and combat is incredibly satisfying, it is often great to be able to immediately return to a town and report a side-quest complete or travel to an old location in an instant should the need arise.
While the Tales franchise has always made use of a fairly fast paced battle system players will find that Tales of Arise has taken things a step further and made a number of changes throughout the system. Players will still be able to control only one character in their party at a time, though they can be swapped between at any time, and make use of standard attacks and Artes to chain together combos against enemies while also trying their best to avoid taking damage by almost always dodging out of the way. In fact, only Kisara is actually able to block attacks so players will want to definitely master being able to dodge attacks, especially since there is a counter option available for quick payback.
As usual, Artes cover any type of skill that players use in combat be it a weapon attack or magical ability but this time around rather than trying to tie it to a standard gauge, players will now have an “AG” (Artes Gauge) that dictates how many Artes the player can use before needing to be refilled either by taking a brief break from the fight or slowly while still pushing forward on offense. This gauge works rather well as it keeps players engaged and always wanting to try and come up with a combo that not only works best for them but also one that makes the most out of what their team is capable of pulling off. I say this because while players may initially only have three ground Artes and three arial Artes at the start, the combo list is expanded quite a bit into the game and gives players even more options to choose from.
Truly learning what your character is capable of with their combo attacks and what your party is doing at the same time has a number of advantages, especially thanks to the game’s break gauge that fills up quickly the higher a combo is on an opponent and the lower the health is. Once filled, players can call upon one of their teammates to pull off a two-man team attack that will either instantly kill a standard Zeugle or deal massive damage to a boss. Along these same lines every character in the player’s party will have a unique attack that can be called upon whenever their “boost gauge” is filled.
These Boost Attacks work similar to assists and can even bring reserve teammates into the fight temporarily. Shionne’s boost attack will instantly down flying enemies, Law can smash through enemy armor, Kisara can stop charging foes, and even Rinwell can not only put a stop to all enemies casting magic on the field but then use that same spell herself at a higher level. These Boost Attacks work incredibly well and fit perfectly into combat just like the aforementioned finishing blows as they never feel like they are interrupting a fight and instead feel integral to fights as a whole.
One of the most notable changes to the standard formula happens to come in the for of Cure Points. Rather than use a character’s Artes Gauge to cast healing Artes, these skills instead take CP every time they are used. This works as something of a double-edged sword as these healers can actively play a role in fights without diminishing their attack points but at the same time when CP is used up, players cannot heal outside of using items. CP is restored either through camping at a campfire, using Orange Gel, or slowly recovered with the help of food buffs, and it is also worth noting that certain field actions such as clearing obstacles or healing hurt civilians also takes CP, dipping even further into a player’s reserves. It is clear that Cure Points may be seen as a bit divisive but ultimately thanks to the ease of quick travel, ability to rest at campfires to restore it, and various ways to boost the total CP as a whole, players will rarely feel like they are completely out unless they happen to be fresh from a challenging boss battle.
With combat featuring a number of new enhancements and plenty of other smaller just as important mechanics that we’ve yet to mention, players will find plenty to do here in Tales of Arise. There also happens to be a large number of side-quests that generally are simplistic in nature but still rather fun to partake in, an enjoyable fishing mini-game that may seem challenging at first but quickly becomes an easy timesink, as well as a number of optional bosses and potential post-game content to take on once everything is said and done.
Visuals & Audio
The move from their previous long used engine to Unreal Engine has allowed Tales of Arise to make the largest graphical improvement in perhaps the series’ entire history. Almost every aspect of the game’s environments is gorgeously detailed and varied, with each region players explore having a unique theme to it while the character models are also incredibly detailed both in cutscenes and even in the skit segments. It is worth noting that while the action looks amazing as well, the game does still make use of far too many pallette swapped enemies to the point that even some bosses eventually begin appearing as standard field enemies.
The voice acting for the title is handled quite well with the English voice actors putting in a great performance, though it is worth noting that there are a few inconsistencies here and there between subtitled text and skill names and what is actually said out loud. The Japanese voice track is also included in the release for those who prefer that option. The soundtrack features a number of great pieces of music including a stellar battle theme and a classic opening track to accompany some gorgeous animation.
Overall
Featuring some of the fastest and most accessible combat the series has seen in years, Tales of Arise is a perfect jumping in point for those who haven’t tried the series before while also offering a great experience for longtime fans of the franchise. With a compelling cast of characters used to support a fairly dark story that has plenty of twists and turns and a gorgeous presentation, those looking to see what this long running series has to offer will find that Tales is as strong as ever, if not more so as Tales of Arise marks a clear step forward for the series.
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Victory Heat Rally Hangs On to Classic Arcade Aesthetics with a Modern Gaming Twist
Derby, 30th September 2021: It’s 1985 and Hang On is drawing crowds in arcades all over the world as players line up to put down their loose change & experience the wonders of Superscaler technology. Fast forward to today and the world is a very different place but the thrill of classic games like Outrun, After Burner and Rad Mobile has stuck with the team at SkyDevilPalm so what better way to bring those childhood memories flooding back than to create their own racing game in homage to some of the greats?
Victory Heat Rally is a turbocharged, high energy racing game with Neo-Superscalar aesthetics that combines the arcade thrills of Out Run with the memorable, distinct characters of Golden Axe or the Sonic series.
“As the saying goes ‘They don’t make ‘em like they used to’ and that’s what really drew us to create Victory Heat Rally” shares Ian Cid, Co-Game Designer at SkyDevilPalm “Arcade racers have fallen out of fashion over the last few years and we wanted to bring back the joy, the visual appeal and over all the satisfaction we used to feel playing titles like Sega Rally, Ridge Racer and Jet Moto 2”
Gavin Price, CEO of Playtonic Friends, added “We all remember that thrill of piecing together a perfect race in Out Run or After Burner, how you’d drop one more coin in the slot to reach the top of that leaderboard and Victory Heat Rally really captures that ‘just one more go, I can go faster’ desire from the arcades, that desire to want to beat your friend’s lap times”.
Having successfully secured their target of just $25,000 through KickStarter, the team at SkyDevilPalm set out with the aim of creating VHR for PC but quickly passed their initial target and set out for their next stretch goal – bringing that arcade excitement to Nintendo Switch.
Originally unveiled as part of the Nintendo Life Indie Spotlight a little over one year ago, Victory Heat Rally most recently featured during the IndieLand charity event and will now be heading for full launch on Steam for Windows PC and Nintendo Switch in 2022.
Playtonic Games is an independent videogame developer, started by the creative talent behind some of the most popular platform games of the past (including Donkey Kong Country and Banjo-Kazooie). Their aim is to bring fun games that everyone loves to play to new and old audiences alike across multiple platforms!
Their core team of veterans mixed with fresh, youthful talent has collectively notched up hundreds of years of videogame development. Their first release as Playtonic Games is Yooka-Laylee, launched in April 2017, and funded as a result of Europe’s biggest video game Kickstarter! They’re based in the heart of the Midlands in the UK near Burton upon Trent, within easy commuting distance of larger cities such as Derby, Nottingham, Leicester and Birmingham.
