Become a Ghostbuster or Ghost on Epic Games Store, PlayStation, Xbox
LAKEWOOD, Colorado — March 22, 2022 —Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, the 4v1 hunt or haunt supernaturally-charged video game from the asymmetrical multiplayer experts at IllFonic, rolls out the Ecto-1 in Q4 2022 on PC for Epic Games Store, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
Put on a Proton Pack, grab a Ghost Trap, and monitor the trusty PKE Meter as a Ghostbuster in a team of four brave souls pursuing ghastly ghosts terrorizing public locations. Work together to find the Ghost, blast them with streams from the Particle Thrower to tether the slimy foe in place, and shut the trap at the perfect moment! Keep citizens calm and corral the Ghost before the environment gets too haunted.
Play as a Ghost, scaring unsuspecting citizens at various locations. You ain’t afraid of no Ghostbuster, thanks to the ability to fly and teleport between rifts. Possess objects lying around each room to sneak by roaming Ghostbusters and frighten passersby. If that doesn’t work, sliming and summoning ghoulish minions will. Haunt each map to completion as one of multiple Ghosts with different abilities.
Prepare for each match in the iconic Firehouse by customizing your Ghostbuster or Ghost, upgrading equipment and abilities, and getting some target practice in using the Particle Thrower as well as its different modifications. Talk with Winston Zeddemore, voiced by Ernie Hudson, and get missions before going out into the field. Meet some new and old friends like Dan Aykroyd’s Ray Stantz, ready to hand down some busting wisdom at Ray’s Occult Books.
Who you gonna call when you wanna bust some ghosts? Thanks to cross-platform multiplayer, anyone on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and/or Xbox Series X|S or One can come together to cross the streams or spew slime. AI companions can help fill games, or enable solo Ghostbusters or a solo Ghost to play offline.
“Ghostbusters is one of the most beloved IPs in the world, so we are pulling out all the stops to make something special and accessible to this diverse fanbase,” said Charles Brungardt, CEO, IllFonic. “If you’re someone who loves the movies or asymmetrical multiplayer games, this was made for you.”
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed will launch on Epic Games Store for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. For more information, please visit lllFonic’s official website and follow IllFonic on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
About IllFonic
Founded in 2007, IllFonic (IllFonic, LLC) is an independent video game developer with studios in Lakewood, Colorado; Tacoma, Washington; and Austin, Texas. Our staff is composed of video game, music, and technology veterans redefining how games are made and marketed. Past titles and collaborations include Arcadegeddon, Predator: Hunting Grounds, Friday the 13th: The Game, Dead Alliance, Star Citizen, Evolve, Armored Warfare, and Nexuiz.
Sony Pictures Consumer Products (SPCP) is the licensing and merchandising division of Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group and Sony Pictures Television for Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition, and distribution; television production, acquisition, and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. Sony Pictures Television operates dozens of wholly-owned or joint-venture production companies around the world. SPE’s Motion Picture Group production organizations include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, 3000 Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films, AFFIRM Films, Sony Pictures International Productions, and Sony Pictures Classics. For additional information, visit http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/divisions.html
Leading Mobile Game Developer Kabam Releases First Trailer Featuring Powerfully Amplified Disney and Pixar Characters, Opens Pre-Registration Today
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – 22 MARCH, 2022 – At an exclusive online event, Disney and Kabam revealed fresh details for Disney Mirrorverse, the Team-based, Action Role-Playing Game (RPG) releasing June 23, 2022 worldwide on the App Store and Google Play. Invited participants experienced an all-new, action-packed trailer that showcased battle-ready versions of iconic characters and settings as never seen before, built in collaboration with Disney and Pixar Games. View the trailer below and pre-register HERE.
In Disney Mirrorverse, players enter a new, divergent universe separate from the settings of the original Disney and Pixar films. In these high-stakes worlds, dark and light magic influence the lands, evolving iconic Disney and Pixar characters into Mirrorverse Guardians who are ready for combat and poised to fight against the Fractured, a malevolent threat whose goal is to shatter both realities.
Filled with visually stunning 3D animated characters and environments, players will unite a team of empowered Guardians and take full control in real-time, action-oriented gameplay. As players progress through the game, they’ll collect a large roster of characters and assemble a powerful team of three to take into battle. Each character has unique battle abilities, including an armored-up Sulley, the ultimate personal-battle companion Baymax, the vengeful draconic mage Maleficent, and many more Guardians who stand ready to defend against those seeking to conquer the Mirrorverse.
Disney Mirrorverse features:
ENTER A DIVERGENT DISNEY UNIVERSE & STORYLINE –Experience a new storyline that authentically reflects dynamic Disney and Pixar characters in a way fans have never seen before as they defend against a new dark, unrelenting threat – the Fractured.
CHOOSE AND CUSTOMIZE STUNNING 3D DISNEY AND PIXAR CHARACTERS –Enter richly detailed new worlds filled with 3D Disney and Pixar characters that have been powerfully evolved to match this high-stakes universe. Uncover the intriguing backstories of these Guardians and discover their surprising and authentic special abilities equipped for epic battle and adventure.
MASTER THRILLING REAL-TIME ACTION COMBAT –Control a team of Guardians and experience the thrill and excitement of real-time action combat while controlling Guardians’ individual actions, team strategy, and special attacks, or select “auto play” to watch the cinematic action play out automatically.
EMBARK ON EPIC QUESTS AND EXPERIENCE ALL-NEW DISNEY STORIES – Unlock unique narratives and battle Fractured enemies to obtain rewards and restore the worlds and characters of the Mirrorverse that have been corrupted by fractured magic:
STORY MODE: Immerse yourself in an original storyline of tasks and quests to complete–experience the story of the Mirrorverse and the Ages of Isolation, Discovery, and the Fractured.
STORY QUESTS: Updated every few months, new chapters to the main Story Quest or side stories featuring select heroes and villains will be constantly added for players to battle through and compete.
EVENT QUESTS: Players can participate in limited-time quests that tie into real-world Disney and Pixar-inspired content and events, and offer unique characters, awards, and progression items during a specific timeframe.
ALLIANCE MISSIONS: Join an Alliance and work together to complete event milestones and earn great rank-based rewards by competing against other Alliances.
TOWER OF TROUBLES: Players climb through progressively harder encounters while using a themed team of Guardians to earn progression items.
DANGEROUS DUNGEONS: Players compete against other players and alliances worldwide in ever-changing dungeons to earn progression items and other unique awards.
MONTHLY CONTENT RELEASES -The Disney Mirrorverse experience is ever-evolving and expanding with regular releases of new Disney and Pixar characters, story chapters, event quests, and more.
Kabam is a world leader of developing entertaining, immersive, and highly social multiplayer games for mobile devices. They merge consumer behavior with the art of game design to create experiences that are enjoyed by millions of players across the globe. Each game has raised the benchmark in mobile gaming, bringing high-quality graphics, next-generation technology and revolutionary gameplay to the console in every player’s pocket.
Kabam has worked with leading entertainment brands like Disney, Hasbro and Universal to create mobile games based on some of the world’s most iconic franchises.
Kabam’s games have generated hundreds of millions of downloads including Marvel Contest of Champions, Transformers: Forged to Fight, Shop Titans, and Fast & Furious 6: The Game.These games have also received multiple awards such as Apple’s Editors’ Choice and Google Play’s Best Game of the Year.
Founded in 2006, Kabam has studios and offices in Vancouver, Montreal, Charlottetown, San Francisco and Austin, Texas. Kabam is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Netmarble.
About Netmarble Corporation
Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble Corporation is a top developer and publisher pushing the boundaries of the mobile gaming experience with highly innovative games including Lineage 2: Revolution, The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross, Blade & Soul Revolution and MARVEL Future Fight. As a parent company of Kabam, and a major shareholder of Jam City and BigHit Entertainment, Netmarble strives to entertain audiences around the world with a variety of mobile games based on its powerful franchises and collaborations with IP holders worldwide. More information can be found at http://company.netmarble.com
Sony Interactive Entertainment Australia has today announced the acquisition of Montreal-based developer Haven Studios.
Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios took to the PlayStation Blog to say, “Jade Raymond brings a wealth of experience from her industry achievements and an infectious passion for creating games, and the leadership team at Haven is an equally impressive group of industry veterans who have collaborated on some of the biggest and most beloved games and franchises that many of us still enjoy today.
We began working with Jade and her team in early 2021 when they were on the brink of announcing the formation of Haven Studios. From their first pitch, we were inspired by Haven’s vision for creating a modern multiplayer experience that brings gamers together in positive and meaningful ways. We were confident in their creative and technical expertise to deliver on such an ambitious project and were thrilled to invest in their journey developing a new, original IP for PlayStation.”
Here are a few words from Jade Raymond, CEO and Founder, Haven Studios about this exciting acquisition and what it means for players.
“Today, the Haven team begins a new phase of our journey, as part of the PlayStation Studios family. Working with Hermen, Connie Booth and the team at PlayStation over the past year has been a career highlight. SIE is a supportive partner that truly understands the creative process and what it takes to make a blockbuster AAA game. They have empowered and encouraged us to bring our bold vision to life and make our dreams come true and we could not be more thrilled about this opportunity to strengthen our partnership.
As a SIE first-party studio, we will have the opportunity to collaborate with some of the world’s most renowned development teams, including studios like Guerrilla, Naughty Dog, Media Molecule, and Insomniac Games, the creators of games that have inspired us as players and developers for years. We’re excited to learn from these world-class studios, as well as the exceptional central creative, technology and marketing teams whose expertise will enable us to deliver even better games to players.”
To read more about this acquisition head to the PlayStation Blog.
For Console and PC Gamers On-the-Go, Turtle Beach and ROCCAT’s New Bluetooth True Wireless Earbuds Deliver a Low-Latency Game Mode, 20 Hours of Battery Life, a Water and Sweat Resistant Design, and Long-Lasting Comfort
White Plains, NY – March 21, 2022 – Best-selling console gaming headset brand Turtle Beach®, and ROCCAT® – Turtle Beach Corporation’s (NASDAQ: HEAR) award-winning PC peripherals brand, today announced the global retail availability of the all-new Scout Air™ and SYN™ Buds Airtrue wireless gaming earbuds. Perfect for gamers on-the-go, the Turtle Beach Scout Air and ROCCAT SYN Buds Air true wireless earbuds are compatible with iOS, Android, and other Bluetooth®-enabled devices like Nintendo Switch™, Windows PCs, and Mac®. For mobile gaming, the Scout Air and SYN Buds Airfeature a 60ms low-latency Game Mode to ensure critical in-battle audio recognition. Dual mics pick up voice chat clearly, and 20 hours of battery life keep the buds powered-up while on the move. The Scout Air and SYN Buds Air are IPX4-rated for sweat and water-resistance for working-out between gaming sessions, and the included multiple ear tip options ensure a comfortable fit. Customizable touch-enabled controls, easy selection of EQ presets, low-latency Game Mode activation, and battery monitoring are available via Turtle Beach’s Audio Hub app for the Scout Air, and via ROCCAT’s SYN Buds Air app. Turtle Beach’s Scout Air and ROCCAT’s SYN Buds Air true wireless earbuds are available today at www.turtlebeach.com and www.roccat.com, respectively, as well as at participating retailers globally for a $99.99 MSRP.
“With the continued historic growth of the mobile gaming market, this strategic expansion of our portfolio of mobile gaming products gives gamers access to Turtle Beach and ROCCAT’s game-winning advantages when they’re on the go,” said Juergen Stark, Chairman and CEO, Turtle Beach Corporation. “The Scout Air and SYN Buds Air true wireless earbuds deliver the audio quality, clarity, and comfort gamers want.”
The Turtle Beach Scout Air and ROCCAT SYN Buds Air true wireless gaming earbuds are designed to connect to Bluetooth 5.1 equipped devices like compatible Android and iOS mobile devices, Nintendo Switch, Windows PCs, and Mac. Turtle Beach’s Scout Air and ROCCAT’s SYN Buds Air feature a 60ms low-latency Game Mode to ensure critical in-battle audio recognition. The Scout Air and SYN Buds Air feature built-in dual mics to deliver crystal-clear chat. Battery life is 20 hours total playback time, with five hours in the earbuds and an additional 15-hours in the charging case. The charging case features a battery indicator and can recharge the earbuds with five hours of battery life in just 15-minutes. The Scout Air and SYN Buds Airare also ready for the gym or outdoors thanks to their IPX4-rated sweat and water-resistant design, and three sets of swappable ear tips provide a secure, comfortable fit for all day use.
Turtle Beach Corporation (corp.turtlebeach.com) is one of the world’s leading gaming accessory providers. The Company’s namesake Turtle Beach brand (www.turtlebeach.com) is known for designing high-quality, comfort-driven headsets for all gamers. Innovation, first-to-market features, a broad range of products, and top-rated customer support have made Turtle Beach a fan-favorite brand and the market leader in console gaming audio for over a decade. In 2021, Turtle Beach expanded the best-selling brand beyond headsets and successfully launched the first of its groundbreaking game controllers and gaming simulation accessories. Turtle Beach’s ROCCAT brand (www.roccat.com) combines detail-loving German innovation with a genuine passion for designing the best PC gaming products, including award-winning keyboards, mice, headsets, mousepads, and other PC accessories. Turtle Beach’s Neat Microphones brand (www.neatmic.com) creates high-quality USB and analog microphones for gamers, streamers, professionals and students that embrace cutting-edge technology and design. Turtle Beach’s shares are traded on the Nasdaq Exchange under the symbol: HEAR.
CD PROJEKT RED Begins Development on Unreal Engine 5 as Part of a Strategic Partnership with Epic Games
CD PROJEKT RED today revealed that the next installment in The Witcher series of video games is currently in development with Unreal Engine 5, kicking off a new saga for the franchise and a new technology partnership with Epic Games.
Today’s announcement marks the first official confirmation of a new game in The Witcher series since the release of CD PROJEKT RED’s previous single-player, AAA RPG in the franchise — The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — which won a total of 250 Game of the Year awards and was later expanded upon with the Hearts of Stone and Blood & Wine add-ons.
The teaser image for the new game features a medallion, accompanied by the phrase A New Saga Begins. Beyond this initial confirmation of a new saga in The Witcher franchise, no further details — such as a development time frame or release date — were provided.
CD PROJEKT RED also announced that they will be moving to Unreal Engine 5 as part of the multi-year strategic partnership with Epic Games. Since The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, released in 2011, CD PROJEKT RED has used their proprietary REDengine technology to build their games. This new relationship with Epic covers not only licensing, but technical development of Unreal Engine 5, as well as potential future versions of Unreal Engine, where relevant. Developers from CD PROJEKT RED will collaborate with those from Epicwith the primary goal being to help tailor the engine for open-world experiences, beginning with the development of the next game in The Witcher franchise.
Speaking on the use of Unreal Engine 5 for this, and future games, CTO of CD PROJEKT RED, Paweł Zawodny stated:
“One of the core aspects of our internal RED 2.0 Transformation is a much stronger focus on technology, and our cooperation with Epic Games is based on this principle. From the outset, we did not consider a typical licensing arrangement; both we and Epic see this as a long-term, fulfilling tech partnership. It is vital for CD PROJEKT RED to have the technical direction of our next game decided from the earliest possible phase as; in the past, we spent a lot of resources and energy to evolve and adapt REDengine with every subsequent game release. This cooperation is so exciting, because it will elevate development predictability and efficiency, while simultaneously granting us access to cutting-edge game development tools. I can’t wait for the great games we’re going to create using Unreal Engine 5!”
Tim Sweeney, Founder and CEO of Epic Games, remarked about the partnership:
“Epic has been building Unreal Engine 5 to enable teams to create dynamic open worlds at an unprecedented scale and level of fidelity. We are deeply honored by the opportunity to partner with CD PROJEKT RED to push the limits of interactive storytelling and gameplay together, and this effort will benefit the developer community for years to come.”
Simultaneously with these announcements, CD PROJEKT RED also provided confirmation that REDengine, the technology which powers Cyberpunk 2077, is still being used for the development of the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 expansion.
About The Witcher franchise
Created by CD PROJEKT RED, The Witcher is a series of dark fantasy role-playing games featuring gripping narratives, multilayered characters, and mature choices and consequences. To date, the series has sold over 50 million copies worldwide and garnered over 1000 awards. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which was released in 2015 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and later in 2019 on the Nintendo Switch, won a total of 250 Game of the Year awards and has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. The Witcher games are set in the universe created by Andrzej Sapkowski in his series of books.
About CD PROJEKT RED CD PROJEKT RED is a game development studio founded in 2002. It develops and publishes video games for personal computers and video game consoles. The studio’s flagship titles include The Witcher series of games, Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, GWENT: The Witcher Card Game and the futuristic AAA role-playing game — Cyberpunk 2077. Together with GOG.COM, a game store offering hand-picked titles for PC and Mac, CD PROJEKT RED is part of the CD PROJEKT Capital Group. CD PROJEKT S.A. is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (ISIN: PLOPTTC00011).
About Unreal Engine Epic Games’ Unreal Engine is the world’s most open and advanced real-time 3D tool. Creators across games, film and television, architecture, automotive, manufacturing, live events, simulation and other industries choose Unreal to deliver cutting-edge content, interactive experiences, and immersive virtual worlds. Follow @UnrealEngine and download Unreal for free at unrealengine.com.
It’s been almost a month since Elden Ring came out and (to the surprise of absolutely no one) it’s garnering stellar reviews. Today, I managed to pull myself away from the monitor after almost a week of being glued to my PC to give you some crucial tips in case you’re going for that 100% completion in the game.
There are not many things that you can overlook in Elden Ring, but even skipping out on one will lock you out of that perfect completion. A good number of bosses are optional and you can leave most of the NPC quests for whenever you feel like doing them. Before we even start – a fair warning. This article will contain a bunch of spoilers so if you’re just going for playing blindly and don’t care much for achievements, you might want to leave it for later.
With all that said, there are a couple of items, bosses, and locations that you can lock yourself out of if you’re not paying attention. So here they are:
#1 Lichdragon Fortissax
A completely optional boss that is tied to Fia’s questline. Don’t do her questline and there is no chance of ever seeing that boss. Beating him also yields a specific achievement (and counts for that sweet 100% ) so more reason to focus on him. You probably know Fia by now as “that lady who hugs you” in Roundtable Hold but there’s more to her than giving you some comfort. After you defeat one Shardbearer, claim a Great Rune, and ride Grand Lift of Dectus you can return to Fia for another hug and she will give you a Weathered Dagger item. For this option to appear you must first have already received her blessing and then agree to a second embrace. Next, you have to talk to D nearby in Roundtable Hold and give him the dagger to trigger the next part of the quest. Reload the area to find her in a newly opened room next to the blacksmith. Then you have to find the Cursemark of Death (more on that down below) and find her in Deeproot Depths in the area just after the Across the roots site of grace. Fight her 3 champions and talk to her after that. Important: after the champions fight, you have to select the second “no, I want to be held” dialogue option. The other option will effectively lock you out of the rest of the quest and that will be the end of it. Give her the cursemark, exhaust the dialogue with her, enter the dream and defeat Fortissax.
#2 Ranni’s quest and Darkmoon Greatsword
This quest is one of the longest NPC quests in Elden Ring but it rewards you with a signature From Software weapon and a new ending. However, we shall focus on one particular item (needed for Fia’s quest and Fortissax) and on Darkmoon Greatsword. After you obtain your horse from Melina, you should head to Church of Elleh at night, meet her and get a Spirit Bell from her. Later, after you go through Caria Manor and defeat the boss there, she will be in one of the three towers there called Ranni’s Rise. Speak to her, agree to serve her, and find Blaidd in Siofra River Bank and talk to him about Nokron. Our next stop is to defeat General Radahn in Caelid. Doing so will open a new area west of Fort Height through which we can finally access Nokron, the Eternal City. Explore it and find Fingerslayer Blade near Night’s Sacred Ground. Give her the blade in Ranni’s Rise, she will give you Carian Inverted Statue. Important: this is where you should pause Ranni’s questline for now and take the inverted statue and use it in Carian Study Hall. Go through that new area and pick up Cursemark of Death which is needed for Fia’s quest. Now you can head to (previously inaccessible) Renna’s Rise tower nearby. At the top is a teleporter that will take you to Ainsel River Main and you can find a miniature doll nearby. The doll is actually Ranni in disguise, talk to her near the site of grace there and she will give you a new task to defeat a Baleful Shadow in this same area. Defeat it, take the Discarded Palace Key from it and use it to unlock the chest in Raya Lucaria Grand Library where you fought Renalla. Take the Dark Moon Ring from the chest, travel to Lake of Rot in Ainsel River area, at the end of Grand Cloister use the coffin to travel, defeat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void and enter the new area after him known as Moonlight altar. Enter the Cathedral of Manus Celes, drop down to a small cave, give Ranni the Dark Moon Ring. After the cutscene, she will disappear, finally leaving the Dark Moon Greatsword behind as a drop.
#3 Bolt of Gransax
One of the legendary armaments. Found in Leyndell Royal Capital after beating Godfrey the First Lord. Walk outside of the west door, take the elevator down, follow the path, and keep on the lookout for an area to jump over the railing and onto a spear that is connected to the dragon statue. The area to jump off is near a Crucible Knight. Climb the spear and you will find the Bolt of Gransax a little way up. The reason why this is unobtainable is that later in the story Leyndell becomes the Capital of Ash and that whole area will be inaccessible for good. This also brings us to…
#4 Leyndell, Royal Capital
After you complete the Crumbling Farum Azula and defeat Maliketh, the Black Blade half of the Leyndellwill be destroyed and turned into ash remains. While it is absolutely necessary to grab Bolf of Gransax before that happens, it is also a good idea to fully explore those parts of Royal Capital before they are gone for good.
#5 Knight Bernahl and Devourer’s Scepter
Knight Bernahl is an NPC that you meet reasonably early in the game. He is located in Warmaster’s Shack in central Stormhill and he is in possession of Devourer’s Scepter – another legendary armament that is missable if you completely ignore Bernahl. Now there are two ways to get your hands on the scepter; the easy way and the hard way. Surprisingly, the easier way is just to find Bernahl in the shack and (with a little luck and skill) kill him right away and pick up the dropped scepter. The hard way (although way more rewarding) is to meet him in Warmaster’s Shack, talk to him and meet him later in the Volcano Manor. Do the first two assassination quests for the Manor and talk to Bernahl (now known as Resucant Bernahl) in the room nearby. Help him with his assassination target in Leyndell and talk to him after that in Manor again. Later on, he will invade you in Crumbling Farum Azula and drop Devourer’s Scepter upon defeat. While this is a longer path to the weapon, it will get you some armor sets from his assassination and Volcano Manor ones that you can’t get otherwise.
That’s it for the missable content. There are way more other things in Elden Ring that are not related to the main path such as optional bosses and unique and powerful weapons which I will talk about in my next article.
For quite some time Shinji Mikami has been part of some of the biggest games in the industry, especially when it comes to horror games in the late 90s and early 00s. After trying his hand at a variety of other projects since then Mikami’s own studio Tango Gameworks has settled itself nicely into creating unique feeling horror games in the form of The Evil Within and its sequel. Now he has returned with something that is a bit different, taking and delivering a first person action adventure game steeped in Japanese mythology and horror in the form of Ghostwire: Tokyo. By offering a dense multilayered near-open world, gorgeous presentation, and a combat system that both works and feels great to use, it is evident that Tango Gameworks has tapped into some brand new potential here.
Story
For Akito, his life is at an end as a horrible motorcycle crash has left him on death’s door. For everyone else in Shibuya however, things are about to get much worse as a mysterious poisonous fog that instantly eliminates any human that comes into contact with it rolls through the streets of the district turning these once bustling streets into a ghost town. Quite literally in fact as the only beings capable of roaming the streets are hostile “Visitors” that are paranormal manifestations of society’s issues such as total exhaustion, those forced to always wear a smile, hidden rage, and even some spirits that will be incredibly familiar to anyone familiar with Japanese ghost stories.
The mastermind behind this scheme appears as a masked man called Hannya and claims to these spirits that it is time to begin a ritual that will bring the world into a new age. As for Akito, he not only escapes death through the help of the mysterious spirit KK but gains the ability to survive the streets of Shibuya with powerful Ethereal Weaving that he is now capable of using thanks to KK. With Hannya kidnapping Akito’s hospitalized sister, not only must Akito agree to share his body with KK to stay alive but also prevent his only loved one from being used in his ritual.
Initially Ghostwire: Tokyo may take a fairly slow pace when it comes to opening up about the various secrets of the world as KK and Akito’s interactions with one another are just shy of hostile at the beginning of the game and Hannya’s plans are kept secret for quite some time. That being said, once the pace begins to pick up players will quickly begin to learn more about KK and his past which also reveals more about the man in the Hannya mask as well as elements of Akito’s own past. Those who stick through the initial slow opening will be treated to quite a few unique twists and turns, especially if they happen to investigate as much as possible around the city.
Not only is the core storyline for the game fairly solid, but the majority of the game’s side-quests are also given a lot of care. As players reveal parts of the map and advance through chapters in the game various spirits will appear asking for some sort of help. These side-quests can be anything from investigating mysterious disappearances or strange noises to flat out tracking down a yōkai though even then these side-quests can end up being rather surprising in nature. Obvious answers to what may have been the cause turn out to be something else entirely while a potentially dangerous threat is instead completely harmless and only wants to be left alone.
Alongside these side-quests players will also find that there are countless collectables scattered throughout the Shibuya streets and buildings. While most of these collectables are “spirits” that we will mention later on, there are also a large number of Japanese artifacts that range from being historical art pieces or statues to pop culture references such as plastic lizards and super loose socks and of course paranormal ones as well such as knives found around toilets. Nearly every collectible has a detailed explanation to go with it and alongside these there are even various notes from KK’s past investigations, audio recordings, hidden takuni, and more that reveal more about the world and its characters to those willing to explore.
Gameplay
Few could have expected that making a first person action game with elements of horror would work quite so well with players’ primary offense being magic spells but not only does Ghostwire: Tokyo manage to pull it off, it does it with style. When Akito is possessed by KK he can use the power of Ethereal Weaving to attack any hostile Visitors that he encounters. Dealing enough damage to any given Visitor will expose their core that can then be either destroyed by pressing and holding L1 or shot once again to destroy the enemy lest they recover and begin attacking again though should a Visitor recover they will be eliminated instantly the next time their core is exposed.
Initially Akito will only have access to a fast-firing wind attack that has an alternative charge attack that fires off two homing wind attacks at an enemy. Eventually players will unlock additional elemental attacks such as Fire that not deals massive damage and can upgraded to pierce through enemies and their defenses and charged to explode after striking its target and Water that sends out a wide-spray of slicing water close to the player and can be upgraded to fire additional slices per attack and charged to deal a wide range of damage to nearby enemies. Players will also eventually gain access to a powerful “Wire In” move that sends out a shockwave and increases the power of all attacks though this move can only be used when players have filled their sync gauge. All of these attacks make use of “Ether” that works as ammunition of sorts and Ether can be obtained both from defeated enemies as well as from destroying abnormal objects that are scattered around the world such as floating or corrupted garbage cans, fuel cans, fans, etc.
Of course, Ethereal Weaving isn’t the only tool that Akito will have access to, especially since there may be moments that he is left to his own devices. Players will quickly gain access to a spiritual bow that can be used to stealthily fire blessed arrows at Visitors and deal large amounts of damage to them and eventually gain access to special talismans that can be used to do a variety of things such as stunning enemies within a certain area or temporarily creating a wall to block the player from being seen and more. Of course, there is also a quick take down method should players sneak up on nearly any enemy in one shot, though a few foes can survive even this stealth takedown. Players can block incoming damage to take a bit less and even perform perfect blocks if timed correctly.
Now while combat may be the most exciting part of Ghostwire: Tokyo, players will be spending almost as much time fighting as they are exploring nearly every inch they can of the world given to them. While not a completely open world game, players are initially limited to navigating to only certain locations thanks to a poisonous fog that has spread throughout the city. Cleansing corrupted Torii gates and shrines will remove large portions of the fog, revealing aforementioned side-quests as well as clearing away large portions of the fog. As mentioned before, the game is absolutely littered with collectibles and one of these that is around nearly every corner and on every rooftop are Spirits.
Since nearly everyone in Shibuya has been vanished away by the fog, their spirits are now floating aimlessly together and occasionally at the mercy of Visitors. With over a hundred thousand to collect these Spirits are everywhere and must be absorbed using Katashiro talismans though it is worth noting that a single absorption can be anywhere from 90 spirits to 800 depending on how difficult a Spirit may be to find or whether they were being attacked. These Spirits are not required by any means but players are rewarded with experience points, the in-game currency meika, and occasionally special story relevant visions when they are returned to special phone booths scattered across the map.
Players will find a variety of things they can spend money on in Ghostwire: Tokyo as the emptiness of the city has allowed hidden Nekomata to emerge and take over various shops and food stalls. These shops allow players to purchase things like additional talismans and arrows, increase the amount of Katashiro they can carry, food to heal, and buy dog food as the other type of creatures that have survived are pets. Dogs still roam the streets and can be pet, fed for an occasional secret or just a small reward, and have their minds read using KK’s spectral vision. Cats can also be talked to and pet, occasionally revealing hidden secrets as well which is a nice touch and it is fun to note that KK can scold the player for spending too much time with animals.
Health is handled in a fairly unique manner in Ghostwire: Tokyo. When players begin the game, they will have a fairly small amount of health to the point that taking even one or two hits may be dangerous but every time the player eats food to recover, their health pool will increase slightly. This means that eating anything from a stick of dango, drinking green tea, or eating a Nether rice ball will increase their overall health as will leveling up. Nether food also can provide temporary buffs, though it is worth noting that actually trying to manage what food the player has equipped and will use is a bit rough.
As players fight Visitors, complete quests and side-quests, and transfer spirits they will earn experience points that allow the player to level up and earn skill points. Finding KK’s previous case notes also instantly provides some skill points that can then be used to unlock a variety of upgrades. These range from being able to carry additional items or dealing additional damage with the bow, increasing the firing rate of the Wind weave or explosion radius of the Fire weave and more. Some of these upgrades require additional materials known as Magatama, obtained from capturing the power of yōkai to further upgrade.
Unfortunately, for the most part a large portion of these upgrades feel a bit useless in the long term outside of a few highly recommended ones required for traversal, vision radius, and select combat abilities. These include the ability to glide in the air, giving players the chance to navigate rooftops with a bit more ease, and an expensive but near vital upgrade that allows players to instantly summon a Tengu to their location and grapple onto it allowing for the immediate climbing of most buildings. While these Tengu are harmless to the player and found in many areas, being able to summon their own is a massive help.
The reason for most of these navigation upgrades is that the world of Ghostwire: Tokyo is incredibly dense. Nearly every alleyway will feel like there is something located inside of it, be it a collectible, Spirit, or simply money and many buildings will also have special locations on top of them that simply are easier to reach with a few extra upgrades, especially since there is no fall damage. Players can easily sink countless hours delving through every square inch of Shibuya in the game and probably still miss out on something, though the game can provide a few hints here and there at Shrines that feature donation boxes.
Tango Gameworks has made great use of the PlayStation 5’s Dualsense controller as not only are players able to feel the firing off of their Ethereal Weaves through the trigger haptics as well as when using the bow but raindrops also cause a slight rumble whenever it rains, which is quite often and a nice touch. The controller’s speaker also gets a lot of work as it makes an eerie noise when Visitors are nearby, chimes when the player’s Spectral Sense picks up a shrine, and even meows when near a collectible. In fact, KK will often speak through both the player’s television as well as the controller to help drive home the fact he is a spirit inhabiting Akito.
Visuals & Audio
It will quickly become evident to those playing on the PlayStation 5 that Ghostwire: Tokyo is an absolutely gorgeous game, especially if players choose to select one of the many graphics options available that focuses on ray tracing. The city of Shibuya is recreated in outstanding fashion to the point that the neon glow reflects off puddles while the eerie nature of the Visitors and spiritual beings from horror stories are replicated greatly here. Combat is also presented excellently as Akito’s hand movements to fire off his weave attacks are similar to those from kung fu moves while the weaves themselves look great when striking opponents.
The game will automatically default players to the Japanese voice track with English subtitles and this works incredibly well, especially with how steeped in Japanese mythology and supernatural the game is, though those who simply want to listen to the game in English will find a perfectly handled English dub as well. The soundtrack features a solid mix of tracks that fit the style of the game perfectly including a number of tracks that work exceptionally well during the more tense moments that arise from time to time.
Overall
There came a lot of risks with taking a game as large as Ghostwire: Tokyo and going all out with it but Tango Gameworks has pulled it off. Not only does the game feature some outstanding combat set in a densely packed city that players can spend hours searching through but it delivers a solid storyline with plenty of enjoyable side content as well. It may lack a bit in rewarding player upgrades and take a bit to get going but once it does, players will find they are in for quite a treat, especially if they have any interest in Japanese mythology.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Join us for the first 1.5 hours of Gameplay for Ghostwire: Tokyo as we put our elemental powers and ghost-hunting skills to the test to vanquish the twisted supernatural forces prowling the streets of Tokyo. We run through the first few main mission quests and complete a side mission as well.
Tokyo’s population has vanished, and deadly supernatural forces prowl the streets. Use an arsenal of elemental abilities to unravel the truth behind the disappearance and save Tokyo.
Recommended – “Ghostwire: Tokyo’s great feeling combat and densely packed world offer countless hours of enjoyment, especially for fans of Japanese mythology.”
Sydney, Australia – March 21st, 2022 – Microids is over the moon today as Syberia: The World Before has launch on Steam, GOG and the Epic Games Store. Dive head first into the universe created by Benoît Sokal with this latest installment of the famous Syberia series. In this new adventure, play as Kate Walker and Dana Roze, two women capable of moving mountains to uncover the deepest buried mysteries.
Watch the Launch Trailer
Syberia: The World Before is now available on PC (Steam, GOG and Epic Games Store) and will launch later this year on consoles.
Vaghen, 1937: Dana Roze is a 17-year-old girl, who is beginning a brilliant career as a pianist. However, shadows begin to appear over her future as the fascist threat of the Brown Shadow hangs over Europe, at the dawn of the Second World War. Taiga, 2004: Kate Walker survives as best she can in the salt mine where she has been imprisoned, when a tragic event propels her into a new adventure in search of her identity.
Set off on an adventure across continents and through time. Play as both Kate Walker and Dana Roze as you get to the bottom of mysteries that have remained buried for too long.
Explore the fantastic and poetic world of Benoît Sokal, with its breathtaking sceneries and iconic characters.
Unveil a mysterious plot sprinkled with puzzles in the traditional Syberia’s fashion!
Discover two captivating stories with incredibly high stakes written by Benoît Sokal and Lucas Lagravette.
Allow yourself to be transported by the symphonic soundtrack composed by Inon Zur (Syberia 3, Fallout, Dragon Age, Prince of Persia)
PC Review keys for Syberia: The World Before are available upon request.
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About Microids
Microids is a French video game publisher. Founded in 1985, Microids’ editorial strategy now focuses on 4 major areas: adventure games, racing games, retro gaming and games inspired by iconic titles. By collaborating with renowned studios and authors (Pendulo Studios, Eden Studios, Benoît Sokal, Paul Cuisset, Philippe Dessoly and Pierre Adane), Microids has become a major player in international video games. Taking inspiration from legendary titles, including Asterix & Obelix, and Titeuf, Garfield, Fort Boyard, XIII and Blacksad, Microids reaches a wide audience and creates original adventures which give gamers the chance to play as some of their most beloved characters.
About Benoît Sokal
Benoît Sokal began drawing for À Suivre magazine in 1978. At this time, he created the Inspector Canardo series, featuring a depressed anthropomorphic duck detective with a penchant for cigarettes, alcohol and femmes fatales. In 1996, he started the video game project Amerzone, published by Microids. Benoît Sokal is one of the first graphic novel artists to design, implement and supervise the entire production of a video game. He then went on to become Microids’ Art Director, publishing his second game, Syberia, in 2002. He was recognized as “Person of the Year” at the 2002 video games Phenix Awards; Syberia was crowned “Best adventure game of the year” in 2002 in the USA. In April 2004, the release of Syberia 2 met the same success as the first episode of the saga and was greeted with enthusiasm by fans all over the world. With Syberia 3, Benoît Sokal chose to stick with the old-fashioned way of drawing with pencils and watercolors, rather than using digital tools, giving his universe and characters a very distinctive look. A multi-talented artist, he also crafted the beloved game story and the characters’ dialogue. During these last months, Benoît Sokal was working with the teams at Microids and Koalabs on the upcoming game Syberia: The World Before.
Despite his prolific career in video games, Benoît Sokal never let go of his original passion, and released the graphic novel Kraa in 2010. He also developed the Aquarica universe for several years with his friend François Schuiten, together, they adapt Aquarica as graphic novel, which first part has been published in 2017, the second one is expected for 2022 second semester.
Leveraging the Power of Cloud Computing to Enable Unprecedented Freedom, Scalability, and Flexibility for the Games of Tomorrow.
Sydney, Australia – March 21, 2022 –Ahead of the Games Developers Conference (GDC), Ubisoft announced Ubisoft Scalar, a new cloud-native technology for game development. Ubisoft Scalar unlocks the power and flexibility of cloud computing for Ubisoft’s game engines – the software used for creating games – reducing dependency on players’ hardware and providing new possibilities for game development and player experience.
Spearheaded by Ubisoft Stockholm in collaboration with Ubisoft studios located in Malmö (Ubisoft Massive), Helsinki (Ubisoft Redlynx), Bucharest and Kyiv, the Ubisoft Scalar team looks to establish a new game development framework focused on crafting the ideal game design and experience, rather than working around traditional production constraints.
As a platform-agnostic cutting-edge technology, Ubisoft Scalar brings developers and players the inherent freedom and benefits of a cloud-native experience to power the games of tomorrow.
Unprecedented scalability, flexibility and creative freedom for developers
Built on a microservice architecture, Ubisoft Scalar places each component and system of traditional game engines independently in the cloud (AI, audio, physics…), moving from the closed, single-processor systems of today to a distributed model across a potentially unlimited number of machines. Games using this technology can therefore leverage a virtually infinite amount of computing power to push the envelope on all aspects and run anything from vast virtual worlds to extremely deep simulations and environments that were previously unachievable.
With scalability as a core design decision, one of Ubisoft Scalar’s key differentiator lies in its on-demand philosophy. The technology dynamically starts and stops services, optimized based on players and developers’ activities to only use required computing power in real-time. This optimization extends to intensive compute tasks that are cached and distributed globally, removing the need to recompute what has been computed already.
In addition, the flexibility of cloud computing also enables developers to update and improve one service without impacting others, or even add new features to a game without interrupting play sessions, meaning no patch to download and no downtime for players.
Christian Holmqvist, Technical Director at Ubisoft Stockholm says, “This is a major moment in our careers as game developers. We feel that same inspiration and freedom as when we first started using our home computers as teenagers – that feeling that you can do anything by fully tapping into the power of cloud, for the first time in gaming.”
Limitless, dynamic, persistent worlds for players
Removing historical frictions between creativity and technology, Ubisoft Scalar lets creators fully focus on game design to offer radically new gaming experiences to players. Natively cross-platform and scalable, it allows them to gather by the millions in a singular, shared virtual environment for new types of games and massively social experiences. And with cloud-accelerated systems, game worlds also reach a new level of persistency where players actions can have an immediate and lasting impact on their environment, opening the doors to new forms of emergent gameplay.
Ubisoft Scalar will progressively be made available to all Ubisoft studios whose future projects require cloud capabilities. Home to this groundbreaking technology, Ubisoft Stockholm is actively working on a new IP leveraging its full potential to deliver an experience at a scale never seen before. More information about this project will be revealed at a later date.
A foundational technology, Ubisoft Scalar stems from the recently created Production Technology department, a transversal group of more than 500 tech experts with the mission to develop the best tools and technologies that bolster Ubisoft game creators to bring their visions to life.
“Ubisoft builds on 35 years of continued investment in R&D and proprietary technologies, because technological independence is a critical differentiator,” saysGuillemette Picard, Ubisoft’s VP of Production Technology. “Ubisoft Scalar is in line with that spirit, enhancing both our creativity and our unique co-development model with new, seamless ways to collaborate at a global scale. It marks a step forward and an exciting milestone for the gaming community”.
To find out more about Ubisoft’s Technology vision and updates, visit: Ubisoft.com/technology
About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a creator of worlds, committed to enriching players’ lives with original and memorable entertainment experiences. Ubisoft’s global teams create and develop a deep and diverse portfolio of games, featuring brands such as Assassin’s Creed®, Brawlhalla®, For Honor®, Far Cry®, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon®, Just Dance®, Rabbids®, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six®, The Crew®, Tom Clancy’s The Division®, and Watch Dogs®. Through Ubisoft Connect, players can enjoy an ecosystem of services to enhance their gaming experience, get rewards and connect with friends across platforms. With Ubisoft+, the subscription service, they can access a growing catalog of more than 100 Ubisoft games and DLC. For the 2020–21 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated net bookings of €2,241 million. To learn more, please visit: www.ubisoft.com
