The legendary arcade racing series returns to consoles with 29 thrilling tracks, 23 wild vehicles and four-player multiplayer!
Skokie, Ill. — Sept. 14, 2021 — Raw Thrills has officially released the arcade phenomenon Cruis’n Blast on Nintendo Switch. You can pick up this iconic racing title today at major retailers and digitally on Nintendo eShop for $39.99.
“We have received countless requests from arcade players to bring Cruis’n Blast to Nintendo Switch,” said Eugene Jarvis, President of Raw Thrills and creator of the Cruis’n series. “We are thrilled to make that dream a reality. Now millions of Switch players can experience the magic of Cruis’n for the first time!”
The first Cruis’n game on consoles in over a decade, Cruis’n Blast brings the classic racing series back with all the high-speed gameplay and style you’d expect, including over-the-top tracks, ridiculous vehicles and intense multiplayer action.
Cruis’n Blast Key Features:
Blast your way through 29 outrageous tracks featuring alien invasions, prehistoric dinosaurs, mountain rallies, police chases, dangerous weather and so much more!
Take the wheel of 23 customizable vehicles, from licensed supercars to sharks and unicorns!
Play with friends in four-player local network and split-screen multiplayer.
Cruis’n Blast is rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and Up) by the ESRB. For more about Cruis’n Blast, visit the game’s official website.
Alwa’s Legacy coming to PS4, Alwa’s Awakening coming to… NES!
Karlstad, Sweden – September 14th, 2021 – Clear River Games and developer Elden Pixels have partnered together to bring the acclaimed retro metroidvania platformers Alwa’s Awakening and Alwa’s Legacy to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in the physical bundle Alwa’s Collection, that will be sold at retail later this year for $29.99 / €29.99 / £25.99. Alwa’s Collection standard edition for Nintendo Switch and PS4 will include three holographic stickers as bonus content.
A special Limited Edition with the deluxe versions of soundtracks on USB, a game scene diorama, art cards with early concept art sketches, and a keychain, delivered in a hard embossed collector’s box that will be sold exclusively through Limited Run Games for $69.99.
Additionally, Alwa’s Legacy will also be available as a standalone digital title on PS4, launching the same day as Alwa’s Collection. Find out why Nintendo Life called the Switch version “the special sort of game that only comes around once in a great while,” and awarded it a 9/10.
That’s not all! Alwa’s Awakening will also be premiering on the Nintendo Entertainment System! That’s right, Elden Pixels has partnered with Retro-Bit Publishing to make cartridge editions of the old school platformer for the hardware that inspired it in the first place. This will be an extremely limited and packed with exclusive content, so take notice, any retro game collectors!
Retro-Bit Publishing has always looked at ways to preserve a game’s history while supporting the developers. Thanks to feedback from the community, Retro-Bit Publishing created a simple and groundbreaking method to provide gamers a new option to own a game with their new Digical version of Alwa’s Awakening: The 8-Bit Edition. Digical combines aspects of both DIGItal and physiCAL releases for those interested in playing the digital copy of the game via ROM without all the bonus extras found in the physical releases, while still supporting the developers. The game ROM and exclusive digital content come packed in a Zoe themed USB® memory stick along with a display case that really stands out in any collection! Retro-Bit Publishing hopes that this concept can be embraced by the community so that more classics can be released in the future using this format.
Alwa’s Awakening is an 8-bit inspired contemporary take on the metroidvania genre. You play as Zoe, a heroine sent from another world to bring peace to the land of Alwa. Your journey will be fraught with peril, full of puzzles to solve, dungeons to explore, magical items to acquire and ancient secrets to discover. Alwa’s Awakening hearkens back to classic platformers with controls that are easy to learn, but difficult to master. Along this adventure, you will meet all manner of interesting characters, comb through dangerous dungeons, and uncover incredible secrets as you attempt to save the land from extinction.
Alwa’s Legacy is a standalone sequel that offers an expansion of its predecessor’s classic gameplay. Varnished with 16-bit inspired visuals, Alwa’s Legacy mixes classical pixel art aesthetics with new visual flourishes such as a realistic lighting system. It also adds some more modern game design principles, like a new character upgrade system that allows you to craft your individual playstyle, centered on offensive, defensive and explorative skill sets. Using magical upgrades, novel pathways can be found as you explore the nonlinear interconnected world by summoning blocks to climb on, bubbles to bounce off of, and lightning bolts to attack with.
“We were so happy with how the Alwa’s games were received, so we’re very excited about letting PlayStation players check out Alwa’s Legacy,” said Mikael Forslind, Game Designer for Elden Pixels. “We couldn’t be happier that Clear River Games and Retro-Bit are bringing our titles to physical collectors too, as we feel like that’s the most fitting home for the Alwa’s series.”
The Alwa’s Collection Limited Edition will be available exclusively through Limited Run Games, while Alwa’s Awakening: The 8-Bit Edition (NES and Digical) will be available at various e-commerce platforms throughout the NA and EU including Limited Run Games. These titles are a limited edition, available only during the pre-order window from 9/14 – 10/17.
About Elden Pixels Elden Pixels was founded in 2016 when a group of friends started making games together. A few years later with several of their own games developed and released and one externally developed game published, Elden Pixels is trying to cement themselves as purveyors of quality boutique game releases.
About Clear River Games Founded in 2020, Clear River Games is a Swedish publisher located in Karlstad next to Klarälven. The company specializes in the packaged goods versions of games, such as Ys Origin and Huntdown. Clear River Games is part of the Embracer Group. For more information please visit https://www.clearrivergames.com.
About Retro-Bit Since 2007, Retro-Bit® has been a pioneer of the retro-gaming community. One of its counterparts, Retro-Bit® Publishing has brought gamers the physical form of many rare and exclusive titles in the retro-gaming industry. In order to provide this new way to play, Retro-Bit Publishing has re-created rare games into physical media and brought them to where they were never released. Retro-Bit Publishing gives gamers and collectors across the globe the opportunity to experience an alternative way to play, and own one-of-a-kind and limited-edition exclusives that include many extra collectible items.
Alpha Currently Underway; Available for $9.99 on PC, Mac and Linux
September 14th, 2021 — Indie developer Maxim Karpenko announces the highly-anticipated sandbox simulation game Worldbox – God Simulator will launch this December on Steam via Early Access! Create your own world or destroy it using different powers. Watch civilizations grow, form kingdoms, colonize new lands and sail to far continents. Towns will rebel, empires will fall. It’s your choice to help or watch them fight.
In Worldbox – God Simulator you can build your own world and fill it with life. Create different creatures: sheep, wolves, humans, orcs, dwarves, and even Dragons or UFO! Watch how civilizations progress and interact with each other; or you can use your powers to destroy. Start fires, tornadoes, earthquakes, launch meteorites — everything is up to you!
Create your own world or destroy it using different powers:
God Simulator. There are a lot of powers in your toolbox that can be used without mana or resources.
Living world. Creatures have traits and needs. Animals will look for food. Greedy kings will try to get more lands.
Use different tools and brushes to design and populate your world:
Fantasy Races. There are 4 civilized races in WorldBox. Humans, orcs, elves and dwarves. Each with its own design and specific race traits.
Civilizations. Races will form kingdoms, colonize new lands and will sail to far continents that you’ll create.
Diplomacy system. Kingdoms will fight with each other. Towns will rebel. Empires will fall. It’s your choice to help or watch them fight.
Many fun and crazy abilities that you can use:
Destruction powers. Lightning, tornadoes, acid rain, nukes, meteorites, plague, dragons and even UFOs.
Different creatures. Demons, skeletons, zombies, tumors, cold ones, dragons, UFOs and even a giant Crabzilla that you can control yourself!
Interact with your world and create various scenarios:
Interact. Interact with your world with the divine magnet. Use your powers to start wars or create huge tornadoes! You can affect the world in unique ways.
Share your maps. Show your creations to other players of the WorldBox community!
Procedural Generation. Generate worlds of different sizes and find kingdoms with unique flags and names.
WorldBox – God Simulator is the ultimate god simulation and sandbox game! Available now in alpha directly from the developer for $9.99 on PC, Mac, and Linux platforms.
About the WorldBox Development Team The WorldBox team is small and remote based. We are working from different parts of the world fully since 2018. Our goal is to create an ultimate god simulator game, where you have no boundaries and without the game taking powers from you. This our dream game and we still have a lot of stuff to add!
Become even more enveloped in the simulation with Settler Demands and dynamic interactions
Wiesbaden, Germany, 14th September, 2021. Live long and prosper—ity, survivors! Today, publisher Assemble Entertainment and developer Gentlymad Studios announced an October 21st, 2021, release date for the Endzone – A World ApartProsperity expansion coming to Steam and GOG! Not only that, but they’ve dropped a brand new gameplay trailer showing off the soon-to-come features. The Prosperity expansion will take the plucky post-apocalyptic wasteland dwellers from struggle-mode to alive‘n’thrivin’ with new materials, buildings, challenges, and new adventures! While their predecessors worked hard to eke out a meager existence in a world that wanted them dead, this new generation finally has a chance to actually enjoy life — whether that means a nice soapy bath or a cold ale.
After a successful launch on Steam and GOG with more than 350,000 units sold and 3,800 positive Steam reviews, the game’s developers have been hard at work crafting a new expansion that brings some refreshed hope and positivity to the world of Endzone. Residents of the colony can now make demands of the player, providing even more depth and realism to the experience and adding new layers to the strategy. It’s not just about building a functioning colony, the needs and requests of this new generation have gone beyond simply finding a safe place to sleep and food to eat.
Of course, toxic rain, violent sandstorms, savage raiders, and the ever-present threat of radiation aren’t just going away, but the colonists deserve some time to kick back and enjoy the good things in life. The Prosperity expansion brings fresh luxuries like soap, beer, cake, and coffee, along with new resources like sand, concrete, metal, and cement for enhanced constructions and a whole set of new buildings!
Key Features of the Prosperity Expansion:
Live Your Best Life: With growth and security comes luxury, and hot new items like beer, cake, coffee, and thankfully, soap are now available for survivors to enjoy!
Built to Last: New construction materials like sand, concrete, metal, and cement will ensure your buildings can withstand the toughest environmental challenges while providing a more sophisticated dwelling
Expand Your Industries: New materials and more spare time means growing the colony’s production capabilities with all new buildings, including sand huts, aqua farms, and concrete factories
New Adventures: The Prosperity update will introduce three brand-new scenarios that will test the limits of the next generation of survivors
Endzone – A World Apart is a city-builder-meets-survival-sim that puts players in charge of growing and maintaining a colony beset by toxic rain, sandstorms, radiation, and roving gangs of violent raiders. Build farms, water plants, schools, and everything else a burgeoning society requires to not only survive but thrive in a world that’s not exactly fit for human occupancy!
Staying with the environmental themes of Endzone – A World Apart, Assemble Entertainment has teamed up with the charitable organization One Tree Planted to plant a tree for every Save the World Edition bundle purchase. Not only that, players that buy the Save the World bundle will also receive a free copy of the game’s stellar soundtrack!
For the latest news about Endzone – A World Apart, follow Assemble Entertainment on Twitter, Instagram, “like” on Facebook, and join the official Assemble Discord server.
If you’d like to speak to the minds behind Endzone – A World Apart or any of the titles in Assemble Entertainment’s award-winning roster, just reply to this email and we’d be happy to coordinate. Submit a review key request via the button above.
About Assemble Entertainment Based in Wiesbaden, Germany, Assemble Entertainment is an independent games developer and publisher, best known for Leisure Suit Larry – Wet Dreams Don’t Dry, the latest installment in the humorously naughty point-and-click adventure saga, and the multi-award-winning Endzone – A World Apart, that challenges players to survive and thrive following an environmental apocalypse. Assemble Entertainment also organizes GermanDevDays, an annual conference that attracts more than 1,100 attendees from across the German-speaking video game development industry.
The update brings Italian and British troops and a trench digging feature
Gaijin Entertainment and Darkflow Software have announced that the Closed Beta Testing of the new campaign “Battle of Tunisia” has started in the military online shooter Enlisted. Italian and British infantry, ground vehicles and aviation debut in Enlisted and the battles will now take place on the beautiful North African maps. There are also a number of new features available to players including trench digging, smoke artillery strikes and controllable motorcycles and boats.
Players will be able dynamically change the landscape right in the middle of the Battle of Tunisia, thanks to the new Dagor engine technology. A soldier can be equipped with a shovel and ordered to dig a small shell scrape to hide in. Further digging will allow the creation of a fox hole up to 1.5 meters deep or a long trench. This will provide cover for the soldiers and block the path of enemy vehicles. Digging can be done almost anywhere apart from on solid rock and inside buildings or existing trenches. Another important addition are the smoke artillery strikes that can be called for by radio operators.
The first battles in Tunisia take place in the centre of a large African city and near a picturesque gorge. New equipment includes Armaguerra Mod. 39 rifles, Lee-Enfield No.4 MkI sniper rifles, Boys Antitank Rifle, Grant I tanks, 75/32 M41 SPGs, Hurricane Mk IV fighters and other signature WWII weapons. More missions, squads and equipment will be added to the “Battle of Tunisia” in the near future.
Access to the campaign CBT is available to owners of the early access bundle, comprising two premium motorcycle squads – one for each side. Each squad includes two soldiers of the Riders class, one soldier of the Engineer class and a unique motorcycle equipped with a machine gun. Similar to the “Battle of Berlin” CBT, the testing will be split into two phases. Players can use a predefined set of squads at first so that the campaign missions can be tested and polished. The progression system will be unlocked during the second stage and players will be able to level up and upgrade their troops. All progress will remain with them even after CBT, when all Enlisted players will get access to the Battle of Tunisia battles.
More information on the new campaign is available at the official Enlisted website: https://enlisted.net
About Enlisted Enlisted is a squad-based first person MMO shooter covering key battles from World War II. The game carefully recreates weapons, military vehicles and the atmosphere of that era, while demonstrating really massive clashes of numerous soldiers, tanks and aircraft with artillery and naval support. Official website: https://enlisted.net
About Darkflow Software Darkflow Software is a game studio founded in 2016 by video game industry veterans and is located in Riga, Latvia. Currently, the company is working on the squad based multiplayer WW2 shooter Enlisted and online shooter CRSED: F.O.A.D.
About Gaijin Entertainment Gaijin Entertainment is the developer and publisher of the online games War Thunder, Crossout, Enlisted, Cuisine Royale and Star Conflict as well as PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, iOS and Android titles across several genres. The company’s diverse portfolio has received a range of mass media and game industry awards including such as Gamescom Award and many more. Official website: http://gaijinent.com/
Sole Survivor Game’s debut title launches alongside an Early Access roadmap that outlines new features, upgrades, and improvements coming to the cult management sim in the months ahead.
Tuesday, 14th September 2021 – Team17 and Sole Survivor Games have today launched 1970s-based cult management sim, Honey, I Joined a Cult into Steam Early Access. As architect of a new and groovy cult, players design everything from the ground up, from the deity they worship to the location of the energy spa; no detail is too small for the cult leader to decide. Running a lucrative cult is no easy feat though: the leader’s ego, local law enforcement, government agencies, and angry protestors all threaten the all-important bottom line if not managed correctly.
Enlightenment awaits at the press of a button:
Honey, I Joined A Cult key features:
Take full control of a funky cult: Recruit cultists to maintain the organisation’s smooth operation; keep them entertained and happy in order to grow its money and influence.
Build ‘freaky deaky’ bases: Build the cult from the ground up and design the layout from ‘hypno-chambers’ and bathrooms to monoliths and bedrooms.
Branch out into the community: Send minions out to spread the good word, or just get them to steal fancy items for your cult HQ.
Stick it to ‘The Man’: Overcome threats from law enforcement, oppressive government bodies, and misinformed protesters.
Get down with deities: Choose where your cult’s heading – fiery apocalypse or the second coming of the Squid Lord?
Sole Survivor Games is a UK based studio currently working on its debut title, Honey, I Joined a Cult. Visit www.solesurvivorgames.com for more info.
About Team17 Group plc Founded in 1990, Team17 Group plc is a leading developer, video games label, and creative partner for developers around the world. Floated on AIM in 2018, Team17, with its extensive portfolio of over 100 titles, embodies the spirit of independent games. In addition to the award-winning Overcooked!, Yoku’s Island Express, and the iconic Worms, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2020, Team17 has helped bring critically acclaimed titles including Hell Let Loose, Moving Out, Golf With Your Friends, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, Blasphemous, and The Escapists to gamers everywhere.
PewDiePie & Band of Other YouTubers Set to Pop Up in Play
Barcelona, Spain – Tuesday September 14th, 2021: Plug in that microphone, sort out that lighting, fire up that camera: Raiser Games and UPLAY Online are both excited to announce their forthcoming ultimate life sim, Youtubers Life 2, will launch across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch on Tuesday 19th October, 2021.
Following up the multi-million selling original Youtubers Life, the new game opens up its world to its players and lets them step out of the bedroom for the first time to explore ‘NewTube City’.
But this brand new metropolis isn’t just a playground: Its streets will also serve as the player’s connection to the hot new trends they need to be making content about. Players will be able to hunt out the new trends other content creators are unaware of, making the most of their appeal with fresh videos. NewTube City is the key to your Youtuber taking on the world. They’ll even have a cute and customisable drone who follows them around on their adventures, recording videos to serve as content as they go.
“It’s almost five years since the first Youtubers Life came out, and the game still has a large loyal player base, which is exactly why we wanted to take what they loved from the original and make it even bigger and better with this follow-up,” offers Sergio de Benito, Marketing Director at Raiser Games. “The addition of NewTube City takes that original bedroom setting from the first game and turns it into a fully-functional world, featuring activities and trends content creators can use to power their videos. Plus, actually building in real YouTube talent has been an honour. We think Youtubers Life 2 is the ultimate content creator simulator.”
In Youtubers Life 2 you will be able to: –
Create content on different apps: NewTube, Glitch, and InstaLife.
Explore NewTube City throughout three different neighborhoods: The City Hall, Downtown, and the Port. Each one has unique stores, leisure centers, activities, and other Youtubers (NPCs) with whom we can build a social relationship.
Follow different trends triggered at different times, take pictures to Instalife, or record VOD and streamings on the way. The city is alive and will be a key to your development as a Youtuber.
Record your progress on your Drone – your closest, customisable friend who will follow you on your adventures.
New customisation options for your character and for your home. For the first time in the franchise, we will be able to customize our home and setup with our preferred style.
Youtubers Life 2, will launch across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch on Tuesday 19th October, 2021 for $29.99/£24.99 on PC, and $39.99/£34.99 on console.
About Raiser Games
Raiser Games is Webedia’s game publisher. Our talented team of professionals, with over 200 games behind our backs, helps independent developers to bring their best ideas to life by producing, marketing, publishing, and distributing their projects on multiple platforms and on a worldwide scale. Bringing entertainment to all audiences is our passion.
About UPLAY Online UPLAY Online is an independent video game studio based in the city of Barcelona, Spain. Founded in 2009 and staffed by video games and sports lovers, UPLAY Online focuses on creative projects that combine classic playability values (management, runner, puzzle…) with contemporary topics like influencers and esports. They are creators of the superhit Youtubers Life (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Steam, iOs, and Android), the first and best YouTuber simulator available on any electro, reaching the top 100 best sellers on Steam in 2016. The studio has also developed franchises such as Esports Life, Striker Manager, Striker Soccer, Swipe Basketball, and Train Crisis, among other titles, which have been enjoyed by more than 50M users worldwide on multiple platforms (PC, iOS, and Android).
PGA TOUR® 2K21 Celebrates Over 2.5 Million Units Sold-in with New User-Generated Content Rollout and 100 Thieves Collaboration
New ‘Dream Courses’ theme for custom courses created by top course designers includes course inspired by 100 Thieves Founder Nadeshot
In celebration of PGA TOUR® 2K21 surpassing 2.5 million units sold-in around the globe*, 2K and HB Studios announced today the theme for the all-new custom courses coming to multiplayer playlists in September**, as well as a collaboration with lifestyle brand and gaming collective 100 Thieves. For players who missed their tee times, there’s no better time to hit the virtual links alongside legions of other players as they seek to claim FedExCup glory, take on thousands of custom courses, race opponents to the cup in a round of Divot Derby, and deck out their MyPLAYERs in the freshest fits.
Each month, several new courses, created by a group of international content creators including American Mattf27, Canadians Crazycanuck1985 and Arctic Fury, b101design from the United Kingdom and New Zealander Energ1zer, will be added to multiplayer playlists, with each month featuring a distinct creative theme. September’s theme will feature multiple “Dream Courses,” including a collaboration with lifestyle brand and gaming collective 100 Thieves. Accomplished course designer Crazycanuck1985 will work with 100 Thieves Founder & CEO Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag, a passionate golfer and avid PGA TOUR 2K21 player, to create his dream 18-hole golf course for players around the globe to enjoy.
“As an avid golfer and gamer, PGA TOUR 2K21 really nails the intersection of a challenging golf simulator and the cool, laid-back culture of modern golf,” said Nadeshot. “I’m thrilled to partner with 2K and one of the game’s most talented course designers, Crazycanuck1985, to bring my own dream golf course to life.”
Not many game studios that I hold close to my heart as much as Arkane Studios. A couple of reasons for that; they make good games, the level design in those games is astounding, and their games have a habit to hook you in from a get-go. In short, if you see Arkane Studios anywhere on the cover, you can’t go wrong. I’ll admit, I was a bit cautious when I heard about DEATHLOOP. The info was scarce and what I gathered at that time didn’t exactly reel me in. Some rogue-lite stealth shooter where you have to kill the same 7 targets over and over again until you get it right? I’ll pass. In any case, it sounded too shallow to be true and that’s not something I expect from these devs, so I knew that I had to be wrong. But all those assumptions and doubts are over since the game finally found its way to my PC, so let’s see what it’s all about.
Story
As you start the singleplayer mode and try to follow the game mechanics, the same goes for the story. You know very little (if anything at all) and there are far too many questions than answers. You wake up on some isolated island, populated with masked enemies, certain important targets (more on them later), and a female assassin intent on bringing you down. Every time you finish a loop aka a whole day of murdering and dying, you learn a bit about yourself, enemies, or that female assassin called Julianna. Your name is Colt and your main objective is to break the loop. No matter what you do and no matter how many times you kill the targets (called Visionaries), you always wake up the next day as nothing happened. Your memories and abilities don’t go away but everything else is respawned.
Gameplay
So if breaking the loop (or at least trying to) is our main objective, how do we make the game….not boring? Well, by adding something new in every run. Whenever you kill one of the Visionaries, you can steal their powers and weapons, so you could be stronger and more efficient in the next run. There are also way more ways to dispose of those targets rather than just stabbing them or blasting them in the face, just like in the HITMAN series. Each new power opens up a new strategy and a way to kill someone. The Shift power (which is a carbon copy of a Blink power from Dishonored) enables one to travel long distances in a second. Aether makes you invisible, Karnesis makes enemies go up in the air and helplessly hover in place for a bit, and Nexus strings enemies together for shared damage – so when you kill one, you kill all. There are also clever ways to manipulate enemies into dying from “accidents” or get more than one of them to be at the same place. The more documents you read scattered in the world, the more you learn. Knowledge is power, as they say. Power to kill with style. If you’re not the scheming type, you can always to the old Rambo approach. The gunplay is superb and while some guns perform better than others, a clever mix of using powers and guns in combat is a sure way to come out of most fights alive. There are also various trinkets that you can find either through exploring or yanking them off the dead enemies. They usually provide minor boosts such as a faster reload, bigger health bar, double jump, faster hacking of turrets, and so on.
Visuals
Here we are at a stage where I expect only the very best from Arkane Studios. And they didn’t disappoint. DEATHLOOP comes with a distinct art style, a masterclass in level design, and some dense yet unique architecture. The environment on the island reminds me of those images of industrial London from the 19th century – minus the child labor, of course. The night and day cycle in the game perfectly complements the visuals and level design in DEATHLOOP. There are certain locations that you might sprint through them during the day, but at night they might be critical for your main objective. It is a subtle yet clever way to inject some diversity into a level design. There are not many things that are so visually enchanting like lighting up a nearby firework and blasting it into an enemy face. The beauty is in such little detail.
Audio
The characters. Let’s talk about the characters. Since the basic premise of the gameplay is to murder the targets over and over again until you get it right, I only assumed that there would be considerable effort put into their personalities and voice acting. And I assumed right. Eventually, you’ll get to know certain characters by voices alone and be an unintentional voyeur to their own schemes and dealings. While all the bad guys in DEATHLOOP work together, they also have their own motives for doing so. No one is evil just for the sake of it. Notable mention goes to the audio work when it comes to guns. While some may be more efficient than others, I found myself using a shotgun for 90% of the game, just because of the satisfying sounds of emptying the clip.
Overall
Let’s get one thing straight, DEATHLOOP is not love at first sight. It’s not a game that grabs hold of you instantly, but it’s one that gets under your skin. Once everything clicks, that’s when the real fun begins. The feeling of speedrunning through the level, killing everyone, and exiting the level before they even figure out what happened is unmatched. DEATHLOOP is a perfect mix of badassery, platforming smoothness, and fluid gunplay. One thing is for sure, whether you break the loop in the end or not, you’ll definitely have fun trying to.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
The classic top down open world system has long fallen out of style despite the fact that the incredibly popular Grand Theft Auto was born out of it. The first two games in the series saw players playing in top down style and now an indie game from Jutsu Games is looking to try and use that style and put their own twist on things. Rather than being set in a crime riddled city, Rustler takes place in medieval times with plenty of knights, horses, and poop all over the streets. By taking this classic style and placing a different theme on things, is Rustler worth your time?
Story
In Rustler players take on the role of a guy named Guy who is tired of being on the bottom rung of society and plowing the field whenever he isn’t too drunk to move. To this end his buddy named Buddy has come up with a scheme to help bring Guy into the spotlight as the kingdom is holding a knightly tournament soon that will reward the victor with not only the hand of the princess but also half of the land as their own. Of course, since Guy is everything but a knight, actually entering the tournament is going to involve some shady dealings, trickery, countless pop-culture references, and plenty of dead bodies.
If you can think of a humorous reference to a movie or show that happened to be set in the middle ages then Rustler probably has it and in spades. The writers for the title have honed in hard when it comes to trying to make the most out of the game’s medieval setting by dialing the stupidity and craziness up to the maximum. Of course, that isn’t to say that the game can’t get laughs without references as the game is filled to the brim with ridiculous missions that range from being run-of-the-mill like scaring people while dressed like the grim reaper or killing a bunch of people because a gravedigger needs business to trying to prove that the earth is flat and everything in-between.
The sheer amount of humor on offer in the game may make some missions and references miss from time to time but thankfully the comedy does pull its weight, and it certainly needs to. Despite the fact that the game takes place in a world filled with oddities for the middle ages, such as police lights on the guards’ horses, the actual core storyline is remarkably simple and relatively short as well, relying on the aforementioned comedic writing to pull it through all the way to the end. It also doesn’t help that while the humor still works great thanks to the style of the game, none of the dialogue is voiced and text boxes often appear during action sequences in story missions and end up getting in the way as a result.
Gameplay
Rustler has stayed true to its inspiration by being set in a nearly complete open world where players can navigate around either on foot or horseback, take on main story missions as well as the generally more entertaining side missions, side-jobs such as plowing the field or fighting in medieval MMA matches, and gathering a few different collectibles. Be careful however, despite being set in the middle ages there is still plenty of lawmen around and they will quickly come after Guy should they find him stealing a horse or killing anyone in the streets. Evading the police is a fairy simple affair as players either can hide out in a forest area and try to remain undetected, tear down wanted posters, or ride through the incredibly sparse “pimp-my-horse” building to lose a wanted level.
While Rustler has been designed to mimic the original Grand Theft Auto title, the camera isn’t entirely top-down as players do have a bit of an angle to work with when exploring the world. This camera angle allows for some easier navigation but still can be rather annoying when trying to navigate an area quickly on horseback as running into walls, trees, or other obstacles will usually result in the horse becoming stuck or difficult to navigate away from the object. This can become especially troubling during chase sequences or when trying to run from the law, especially since the game is incredibly rough when it comes to checkpoints.
Combat is also handled in a fairly straightforward manner as players can obtain a wide array of weapons including a sword and shield, halberd, scythe, crossbow, and of course poop. Flinging faeces is more than just a gag as it works well to slow opponents when they begin to gang up on Guy, something that players should try and avoid if they want to stay alive. Melee combat is aimed using the right analog stick with players being able to swing or, with a shield equipped, block and parry incoming blows while the crossbow often provides an instant kill but can only be reloaded when standing still. The variety of weapons available is nice but melee combat remains fairly basic and often a bit random at times as blows that seemingly should hit will miss wide open enemies and a rather small stamina meter at the start means fights are often hit and run affairs even in melee.
As players progress throughout the game, completing quests and gathering collectibles, Guy will earn skill points in what is presented as a rather bare bones upgrade system. These upgrades can do things like boost Guy’s health, stamina, or strength, or provide various discounts or new riding abilities. These unlocks unfortunately are rather basic in nature though necessary to stay alive in Rustler and it is nice to note that players can unlock them in any order they please as long as they have enough points to spend.
Visuals & Audio
By taking an open world game and presenting players with a top-down angled view of things, the developers were able to keep a fairy standard art style and present it in a unique manner. The character models are solid enough with the actual character portraits featuring a satisfying level of detail and one must note that having a blood slider that goes up to 5x is certainly enjoyable. It is also nice to note that Rustler features an amazingly tacky but wonderful live action opening.
As for the voice work, well there isn’t any. Anytime a character is talking players will only hear mumbling and grumbling and even when exploring the world players will find that there is no form of even ambient music outside of birds chirping in the woods. The only time music can be heard is if players are near a bard or hire one to follow them around, changing tunes by punching them. This is a nice little mechanic, especially since music changes in chases, but hurts the game overall as a result.
Overall
Rustler is a unique attempt at taking a once familiar style and gameplay elements and placing a medieval coat on things. The game’s simple story may not be that unique but it does offer more than enough humor that players will want to keep going just to see what absurd quest or reference will happen next. That being said, unsatisfying melee combat as well as a rather basic sandbox with only a few fun side activities to enjoy means that Rustler is more than a little lacking in excitement outside of when it is making the player laugh.
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