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Lawn Mowing Simulator out today on PC and Xbox Series X|S

Get down to mowing the beautiful british countryside now!

London, UK – 10th August 2021: Are you ready to get mowing? Curve Digital and Skyhook Games are delighted to announce that Lawn Mowing Simulator, a stunning mowing simulator and detailed business management game set in the British countryside, is out today on PC and Xbox Series S|X. 

The game is available now with 15% off on PC and Xbox from today until 24th August 2021.

David Harper, Co-founder of Skyhook Games said: “Lawn Mowing Simulator is lawn-mowing at its absolute best! Mowing a lawn well and efficiently is something we find immensely satisfying – and we think other people feel the same way, so we’re really excited that people now get to play Lawn Mowing Simulator in all its glory.”

“We’d like to thank our wonderful community who have supported us through the development of the game, sharing their invaluable feedback on our Discord server. We’ve been blown away by the positive sentiment and have worked incredibly hard to make the game as good as it can possibly be for launch and beyond. We hope everyone enjoys playing Lawn Mowing Simulator as much as we’ve enjoyed making it and we’re looking forward to more content to come in the future!”

About Lawn Mowing Simulator

Experience the beauty and detail of mowing the Great British countryside in Lawn Mowing Simulator, the only simulator that allows you to ride a genuine and expansive roster of real-world licensed lawn mowers from prestigious manufacturers; Toro, SCAG and STIGA as you manage your mowing business. 

Lawn Mowing Simulator will feature:

  • PHYSICALLY AUTHENTIC LAWN MOWING EXPERIENCE – Execute ground checks, set your blade height, and measure your engine load as you complete a variety of contracts across Career Mode, Free Mode or Challenge Mode. Take your mowing to further heights with several attachments from stripe rollers, mulching kits, grass collectors, recyclers, flail decks and more.
  • BEAUTIFUL RURAL BRITISH COUNTRYSIDE – Lawn Mowing Simulator is set in a beautiful British countryside town. Busy residential streets, vast castle grounds, quaint cottage greens, and large equestrian fields are just some of the locations that await your mowing blades.
  • REAL WORLD LICENSED MOWER MANUFACTURERS - Toro, SCAG and STIGA front line Lawn Mowing Simulator with their real-world machines painstakingly recreated visually and physically. 12 Mowers are available in the base game, each with their own challenges, attachments and upgrades to pursue.
  • ACCURATE AND ATTENTIVE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT - Build your own lawn care business from the ground up. Purchase and upgrade your headquarters, hire employees, purchase advertising and balance the books as you grow and expand your business.

Lawn Mowing Simulator is out now on PC and Xbox Series S|X for £24.99 / €29.99 / $29.99.

To be kept up to date with any news, follow Lawn Mowing Simulator on Steam.

Related links

Discord: http://discord.gg/lawnmowingsim

Official page: https://www.curve-digital.com/en-gb/games/detail/168/lawn-mowing-simulator/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurveDigital 

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1480560/Lawn_Mowing_Simulator/

About Curve Digital

Curve Digital is an award-winning independent label working with developers across the world to deliver the best in interactive entertainment. With a uniquely diverse games catalogue that includes classic indie gems For The King and Bomber Crew, critically acclaimed experiences such as Flame in the Flood and Autonauts, and the multi-million selling smash hit Human Fall Flat, Curve Digital has taken its place as one of the leading games publishers worldwide. In addition to working with a host of independent developers, Curve Digital’s internal family of studios includes Brighton-based development team, Runner Duck Games and established game studio IronOak Games. More information on Curve Digital can be found at http://www.curve-digital.com 

About Skyhook Games

Founded by two expert game developers with over 50 years of combined development experience, Skyhook Games is a creative production house and developer based in Liverpool, UK. Their first in-house developed title, Lawn Mowing Simulator, will come to PC and Xbox Series S|X in 2021. More information on Skyhook Games can be found at www.skyhookgames.com 

A500 Mini: Now other classic consoles are just toys!

Now other classic consoles are just toys!

25 Amiga classics, including Worms, The Chaos Engine, Another World & Simon The Sorcerer all feature on the THEA500® Mini

10th August 2021 – Continuing the popular line of timeless classic consoles being given a new lease of life, today Retro Games announces the creation of THEA500® Mini, a fully licensed reimagining of the much-loved 16-bit home computer starring a plethora of classic Amiga games.

Due early 2022, THEA500® Mini is a homage to the 1980s heyday of 16-bit personal computing; inspired by the 1987 release of the Amiga 500, which featured a 16/32-bit CPU, 512Kb of RAM and an array of custom chips for producing best-in-class sound and video.

Play one of the included 25 classic Amiga games, selected from a simple to use carousel, including all-time greats Another World, Simon The Sorcerer, The Chaos Engine and Worms. Or side-load your own games via USB stick with full WHDLoad support and an array of options to choose from. Plus, save and resume your game at any time to help you finish those punishingly-difficult classics.

Developed by Retro Games Ltd. and distributed by Koch Media, the THEA500® Mini features the perfect emulation of, not only, the original A500 (OCS) and Enhanced Chip Set (ECS) of future revisions, but also the Advanced Graphics Architecture (AGA) of the A1200.

The THEA500® Mini comes with the original style 2-button mouse and newly engineered 8-button precision gamepad, allowing you to choose your control method. To compliment the on-screen keyboard, you can plug in an external standard PC keyboard for additional functionality.

In this initial mini version of THEA500®, we have created what we believe gaming fans will love, and will see as the evolution of mini games consoles”, said Paul Andrews, Managing Director at Retro Games.

Retro Games have developed a truly unique product”, said Debbie Bestwick MBE, CEO at Team 17, “and I’m very excited to have our classic games represented in all their original glory”.

THEA500® Mini will hit the shops in early 2022 with a suggested retail price of $199.95 AUD.

For more information, please visit www.retrogames.biz,

visit us on Twitter www.Twitter.com/THEC64_RGL

or Facebook www.facebook.com/THEC64andMoreByRetroGamesLtd 

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Included in the box with THEA500® Mini is a 1.8m (6ft) wired USB classic mouse, a 1.8m (6ft) wired precision 8-button gamepad, a USB-A to USB-C power cable (PSU not included) and HDMI cable (both 1.8m (6ft) in length) allowing full compatibility with all modern TVs.  Other features include a save game function, selectable 50Hz or 60Hz screen refresh, CRT filter and multiple scaling options. Also upload your own files, games and firmware revisions via USB flash drive (not included).

THEA500® MINI ANNOUNCED GAMES LIST (12 of 25)

Alien Breed 3D, Another World, ATR: All Terrain Racing, Battle Chess, Cadaver, Kick Off 2, Pinball Dreams, Simon The Sorcerer, Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe, The Chaos Engine, Worms: The Director’s Cut, Zool: Ninja Of The ‘nth Dimension.  Additional games will be announced at a later date.

© 2021 Retro Games Ltd. THEA500 is a registered trademark of Retro Games Ltd.  All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

About Retro Games

Retro Games Ltd is made up of people with a combined games industry experience of over 100 years. Having successfully produced and released many games across many formats, such the C64, Spectrum, GBA, Wii and more. Members of the team also successfully bought to market the C64DTV direct to TV C64 games console, THEC64® Mini and full-sized THEC64®. Based in the UK but operating on a global basis.

About Koch Media

The Koch Media Group is a global developer, publisher and distributor of video games, VR games, gaming hardware and merchandise.

The group’s publishing activities, marketing and distribution extend throughout Europe, America, Australia and Asia. Koch Media has more than 25 years of experience in the digital media business and has risen to become a leading global publishing partner. The Koch Media Group runs a multi-label strategy with fully owned publishing units such as Deep Silver, Milestone, Vertigo Games and Ravenscourt, publishing games for consoles, PC and VR platforms across all physical and digital channels.

Additionally, as global publishing partner Koch Media has formed long-term multi-national publishing collaborations with numerous game publishers including Activision Blizzard, Bethesda, Capcom, CI Games, Giants Software, Kalypso, Koei Tecmo, Konami, Paradox, Sega, SNK, Square Enix, Techland, Tripwire, Warner Bros, and many others.

With its parent company in Höfen, Austria, and the Publishing HQ in Munich, Germany, Koch Media owns local publishing companies in

Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Australia, the United States as well as Japan and Hong Kong.

The Koch Media Group owns nine game development studios: Deep Silver Volition (Champaign, IL / USA), Deep Silver Dambuster Studios (Nottingham / UK), Deep Silver Fishlabs (Hamburg / Germany), Warhorse Studios (Prague / Czech Republic), Milestone (Milan / Italy), Voxler (Paris / France) , Flying Wild Hog (Warsaw, Kraków, Rzeszów  / Poland), Free Radical Design (Nottingham / UK) and Vertigo Games (Rotterdam /The Netherlands). Additionally, the Koch Media Group collaborates with numerous independent development studios around the world.

Part of the Koch Media Group is also Koch Films, a leading European independent film distributor with business primarily in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy as a cinema, TV, online and Home Entertainment distributor. The Koch Media Group also owns Gaya Entertainment, a leading video game merchandise company in Munich, Germany, and the Quality Assurance Facility in Olomouc, Czech Republic. 

Koch Media is an Embracer Group company. 

Watch Colin McRae’s Subaru Impreza WRC in action in new WRC 10 video

Lesquin, France, August 9, 2021 – NACON and the KT Racing studio are pleased to present a new gameplay trailer for WRC 10, the official FIA World Rally Championship video game, now available for pre-order for PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation®5 and PlayStation®4.

In this new video, you can watch the iconic Subaru Impreza WRC in the 1997 Rallye Sanremo, when Colin McRae achieved one of the most stunning victories of his career, overcoming the impressive Tommi Mäkinen and Carlos Sainz. 

Watch the video on YouTube

This historic event will be available in WRC 10 for players who pre-ordered either the Standard or Deluxe version of the game. You too can become a legend like Colin McRae on the roads of Sanremo!

WRC 10 is currently available for pre-order and will be released September 2nd in Europe and September 7 in North America

With more than 22 events, WRC 10 pays homage to the careers of a wide range of rally stars such as Sébastien Loeb, Sébastien Ogier, Carlos Sainz, Peter Solberg, Tommi Mäkinen, Colin McRae, Ari Vatanen, Marcus Grönholm, Walter Röhrl… and many more!
                                             

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WRC 10 official website: wrcthegame.com

WRC 10 will be available on September 2, 2021 on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC in Europe; September 7, 2021 in North America and on Nintendo Switch™ at a later date. 
 
Add WRC 10 to your Steam wishlist

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About Nacon
NACON is a company of the BIGBEN Group founded in 2019 to optimize its know-how through strong synergies in the video game market. By bringing together its 10 development studios, the publishing of AA video games, the design and distribution of premium gaming devices, NACON focuses 20 years of expertise at the service of players. This new unified business unit strengthens NACON’s position in the market and enables it to innovate by creating new unique competitive advantages.

About Kylotonn
Created in 2006, Kylotonn is one the most important French video game development studios, also known under KT Racing label. Specialized in motorsports and official developer of the WRC FIA World Rally Championship series and Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, the company is internationally recognized for its know-how and for the passion of its teams. With more than 110 employees as of today in Paris and Lyon, Kylotonn has developed more than 25 titles distributed by major publishers. Kylotonn has forged itself a strong technological expertise thanks to the real-time 3D engine KT Engine that the company owns. At the forefront of the video game industry, this technology is also used within R&D partnerships on autonomous vehicle projects in the automotive industry. Since 2018, NACON, one of Europe’s leading video game publishers, holds a 100% stake in the company. Kylotonn is member of the French National Developers Federation (Syndicat National du Jeu Vidéo) and Capital Games. The company is supported by BPI, IFCIC and the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.

About WRC Promoter GmbH
WRC Promoter GmbH is responsible for all commercial aspects of the FIA World Rally Championship, including TV production and the marketing of global media and sponsorship rights. The Promoter also has responsibility to increase the field of participants and to propose the venues that form the FIA WRC calendar.
The World Rally Championship is the FIA’s premium rally series. WRC showcases authentic motorsport, high performance cars and the world’s best drivers competing in dramatic surroundings ranging from the ice and snow of Scandinavia to the blistering heat of Italy in mid-summer. Established in its current format in 1973, WRC participants battle for the drivers’ and manufacturers’ world titles at 12 rallies spanning three continents.

Unleash the Fury on the go! Darksiders III is coming to Nintendo Switch on September 30! 

Sydney, Australia, August 10th,  2021 – Fury, the third and probably most badass horseman, cracks her whip again! Darksiders III will launch on September 30, 2021 on Nintendo Switch™, both digitally and in retail stores. The Apocalypse is in your hands!

The Nintendo Switch™ version comes with both DLCs, Keepers of the Void and The Crucible, and is available for an RRP of $59.95.

About Darksiders III

Players return to an apocalyptic planet Earth in Darksiders III, a hack-n-slash action-adventure where players take on the role of FURY in her quest to hunt down and dispose of the Seven Deadly Sins. The Charred Council calls upon FURY to battle from the heights of heaven down through the depths of hell in a quest to restore the balance between good and evil and prove that she is the fiercest of the FOUR HORSEMEN. FURY is a mage, her form evolving throughout gameplay and with it, her powers and weaponry. The expansive Darksiders III game world is presented as an open-ended, living, free-form planet Earth, dilapidated by war and decay, and overrun by nature. FURY will traverse back and forth between environments, battling other-worldly creatures and unlocking puzzles while advancing the Darksiders story. More on Darksiders III here: https://darksiders.com/

World of Warships’ lethal new submarines bring new depths to all out naval warfare 

World of Warships’ lethal new submarines bring new depths to all out naval warfare 

Dive into deep sea combat with this explosive update, build a Dutch cruiser in the new Dockyard or escape to the anime world with

‘Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These’ crossover

10 August 2021 – World of Warships, the world’s biggest naval warfare MMO developed and published by Wargaming, has revealed the upcoming Update 0.10.7, packed with new content including the addition of submarines to Ranked Battles, the De Zeven Dockyard, the long-awaited return of the USS Missouri, and a unique collaboration with Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These, the Japanese anime series based on the popular science fiction novels.

Submarines Arrive in Ranked 

Submarines completely changed the face of real-life naval warfare in the 20th century and are now set to do the same again in World of Warships. Players can experience a whole new world beneath the surface, by taking control of the deadly submarines, now playable out of testing for the first time. These delicate but stealthy vessels bring a whole new tactical element to the game, as players weigh up the pros and cons of the four separate diving levels and try out acoustic homing torpedoes, bolstered by sonar ping mechanics. 

Some battleships have been equipped with anti-submarine defense aircraft to blow these vessels out of the water, while many destroyers and some light cruisers can dispatch depth charges to tackle them. Players can test out this new class in more relaxed co-op battles, and then put them to the test in the special upcoming season of Ranked Battles. 

Dutch Cruisers: Part Two

Early Access to Dutch Cruisers continues in 0.10.7, with the added ability to construct the Tier VIII ship De Zeven Provinciën at the new Dockyard through 24 shipbuilding phases. In addition, the “Dutch Cruisers: Part 2” special event offers the reward of a commemorative flag and Klaas Jenssen, a Dutch commander with enhanced skills, when a chain of combat missions is completed.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These 

This update signs our first collaboration with Japanese anime series based on the science fiction novels of the same name “Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These”©, which have a profound story and an overwhelming scale. Accompanied by a newly recorded custom voice for the new commanders, players will be able to take charge of their fleet with the commanders, Reinhard von Lohengramm from the Galactic Empire, or Yang Wen-li from the Free Planets Alliance and more. New camouflages also will allow players to pick their side by coating their ship in the colours of these two factions. More details will be revealed soon.

The Return of the Missouri

The USS Missouri will soon return to the waves, now sat at an equal economic level with other Premium Tier IX ships. With this update, the iconic vessel that ended World War II will be available for purchase in exchange for Doubloons.

For more details, please see the patch notes here and further assets  here

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©YOSHIKI TANAKA/SHOCHIKUProduction I.G

About World of Warships 

World of Warships is a free, historical, online combat PC game from Wargaming. With its massive fleet of most iconic war vessels, including four different ship classes and strategically designed environment, World of Warships provides the ultimate naval warfare gaming experience, suitable for everyone. Thanks to its largest collection of historically accurate ships available to play, World of Warships prides itself as a digital ship museum and a focal point for naval history enthusiasts. New thematic content and innovative game modes are being added on a regular basis, providing a diverse and exciting gameplay to its broad player base. 

Official website: https://worldofwarships.asia/

One franchise – multiple platforms 

After the successful launch of World of Warships on PC, its unique gameplay and design has been adapted to bring free massive naval battles to other platforms with World of Warships: Legends available on PlayStation and Xbox and World of Warships Blitz on iOS and Android mobile devices.

Official website: https://wowslegends.com/

 About Wargaming 

Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus. Operating since 1998, Wargaming has grown to become one of the leaders in the gaming industry with 5,500 employees and offices spread all over the world. Over 200 million players enjoy Wargaming’s titles across all major gaming platforms. Their flagship products include the massively popular free-to-play hit World of Tanks and the strategic naval action game World of Warships.

Official website: https://asia.wargaming.net/en

Join Us for the gamescom 2021 Xbox Stream and More Later this Month

by Sandro Odak, Communications Lead, Xbox DACH

August is always a very special time for us at Team Xbox. This time of the year we would normally pack our stuff and meet our fans and community in Cologne, Germany at gamescom. This year, however, gamescom will be a 100% virtual experience that you can tune in to from all over the world. The good news is that Xbox will be at gamescom 2021 and you can join with your very own front-row seat as we share the latest updates and gameplay for some of the biggest games coming soon to Xbox.

Here’s an overview of what you can expect from us at gamescom 2021:

Tune in for all the action at the gamescom 2021 Xbox Stream

To warm you up for gamescom week we’ll be airing the official gamescom 2021 Xbox Stream, hosted by Parris Lilly and Kate Yeager. Join us on August 25 at 3:00am AEST to learn more about our biggest exclusive games line up ever.

You’ll get in-depth updates from some of our previously announced Xbox Game Studios titles alongside some of our third-party partners, including some of the incredible titles coming to Xbox this holiday, upcoming releases to our monthly subscription service, Xbox Game Pass, and much more.

You can watch the show on YouTubeTwitchFacebook GamingTwitter. To make sure all of our fans around the globe can enjoy the stream, we plan to offer support for 30 languages, along with our English Audio Descriptions and American Sign Language. We hope to provide additional accessibility support for the live broadcast in additional languages.  

Gamescom Opening Night Live and Bethesda MainStream

As many of us gather virtually for the largest annual gaming event in Europe, Geoff Keighley will again be hosting gamescom: Opening Night Live. Tune in on August 26 at 4:00am AEST. You can watch gamescom: Opening Night Live on TwitchYouTubeTwitter and Facebook Gaming.

You can also join our friends over at Bethesda Germany in a livestream program over several days, starting August 26. Tune in to Bethesda’s MainStream on Twitch.

Connect with the global Xbox community and special guests

Something that we always loved about the physical event of gamescom was the energy of the gaming community coming together. When we all met in the past, we were able to connect, talk and play together and celebrate one of our greatest passions: videogames. We couldn’t imagine gamescom without this and therefore, we’re happy to announce that we will be hosting a gamescom special edition Xbox FanFest this year – an activity that has had a long tradition during the in person show. We’ll be sharing more details very soon, so keep your eyes open on www.xbox.com/fanfest and Xbox social channels, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.

ROCKET LEAGUE SEASON 4 BEGINS ON AUGUST 11

SAN DIEGO – August 9, 2021 – Psyonix, the San Diego video game developer, announced that Rocket League Season 4 will go live on August 11 on all platforms! The upcoming new season will feature a new Rocket Pass, Arena, Limited Time Modes (LTMs), Tournaments additions, and more.

Rocket League Season 4 will feature:

  • New Rocket Pass – The new Outlaw car and 70+ Tiers of unique items will be available for those who unlock Rocket Pass Premium.
  • Deadeye Canyon Arena – The new Deadeye Canyon Arena will be available for all standard Playlists when Season 4 goes live.
  • New LTMs – 2v2 Heatseeker will be live as the featured LTM on August 12 Speed Demon, an LTM that combines mutators, the speed of Boomer Ball without the wild bounces, demos on contact, and a fast respawn timer, will follow on August 19. Spring Loaded, the Rumble variant that is currently a mutator option in Private Matches, will also be added later this month.
  • Expanded Competitive Tournaments – With the addition of 2v2 and Extra Modes Tournaments, the daily schedule of Competitive Tournaments will be expanded in every region. 
  • Streamer Safe Music Feature – There will be a new Audio Setting added where players can turn off copyright protected music for streaming and videos.
  • Additional Updates – Undersized party Rank restrictions, improvements to Casual Matches, and general quality of life improvements. Check out the latest blog post HERE for more in-depth information about what’s coming in Season 4.

Rocket League Season 4 will be live on August 11 following a game update on August 10 at 4 p.m. PDT (11:00 p.m. UTC). If you or a member of your team is interested in Rocket Pass Premium codes, please let us know and we will send you a code when Season 4 is live.

ABOUT ROCKET LEAGUE
Winner or nominee of more than 150 “Game of the Year” awards, Rocket League is one of the most critically-acclaimed sports games of our generation. Rocket League is a high-powered hybrid of arcade-style soccer and vehicular mayhem with easy-to-understand controls and fluid, physics-driven competition. Available on Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on Epic Games Store, Rocket League includes nearly endless customization possibilities, a fully-featured offline season mode, multiple game types, casual and competitive online matches, and special “Mutators” that let you change the rules entirely.

To learn more about Rocket League, please visit www.RocketLeague.com, “Like” it on Facebook, and follow it on Twitter @RocketLeague for all the latest developer updates and news.

ABOUT PSYONIX™
Based in San Diego, CA, Psyonix is a critically-acclaimed video game developer and a leading expert in Unreal Engine technology. For more than 15 years, the studio has been a driving force behind some of the most successful games in the industry, including Gears of War, Mass Effect 3, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Bulletstorm, Unreal Tournament III, Unreal Tournament 2004, and the award-winning Sports-Action hit, Rocket League®. Psyonix joined the Epic Games family in 2019.

© 2015-2021 Psyonix LLC. Rocket League, Psyonix, and all related marks and logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of Psyonix LLC. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle Review

Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle

Developer:Cygames
Publisher:XSEED Games
Platforms:Switch (Reviewed)
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $49.99 – Available Here (US) Available Here (AU)

Overview

Every generation, a property will come along that is so rich in lore and intrigue that it is hard to ignore. With growing popularity, Shadowverse is finally ready to debut on consoles with Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle. Based on the hit anime, this title introduces us to a colorful cast of characters, offering a new way to play the addictive card game. Is this going to be the next big thing, or are we looking at a licensed title that doesn’t translate well to audiences on consoles? Let’s find out. 

Story

The story in Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle is obviously focused moreso on the anime, rather than the card game lore that already exists. Players take the role of the main protagonist, who can be either male or female. You are a new student at a school who quickly realizes this place is infected with fans of the hit game Shadowverse. Tensai Academy is the kind of school where everyone (including staff) happen to be a Shadowverse fanatic, and you are swept up into an adventure almost immediately where our cast begin to try to bring back the Shadowverse Club, while forming friendships and finding out secrets out how it disbanded along the way. 

I went into this review trying not to make the Pokémon comparison, but it’s really hard not to as there are a lot of parallels between the two namesakes. Every character is ready to battle at a moment’s notice, and even if you don’t know a thing about the game (as I didn’t prior to Champion’s Battle), it can be really hard to ignore the efforts here as the world feels bursting with energy and excitement, making the narrative a great gateway for anyone looking for an RPG that comes weighted with depth and character. There is a bit of cheese in the writing, but considering the targeted demographic – that is something that can be forgiven as the subplots and interesting tidbits scattered about make this world worth exploring, with what feels like a never-ending number of things to do and accomplish. There may not be as many locales to explore compared to other RPGs with a similar format, but there definitely is an atmosphere here that is unmistakable, where I got instantly nostalgic due to how fleshed out our in-game universe actually was. The cool thing is, this title is just one section of the property and not even fully diving into the actual Shadowverse lore that already exists, meaning there will be a lot of rabbit holes to go down if you want to know more about the characters on the cards outside of this offering. 

Gameplay

When it comes to gameplay, there are a few different elements to speak about. The first is the general control of your character, where you can freely move around from place to place, speaking to fellow student and making standard decisions to move the plot forward. We will call this the “story” or “anime” portion to make it make more sense. Players will be able to utilize a currency system in-game, where funds are provided by completing quests or partaking in battles, which can then be utilized to buy cards from one of the many electronic kiosks. I never had any issue with control and the menus are all clean and make navigation of this part of the experience quite easy and accessible. Most of the time, you need to find something or someone, which will open dialogue sequences for battles that progress the game once complete. 

Where I am a bit on the fence about is how long it took for this newcomer to understand how to actually play the game itself. It goes without saying that this is a card battling game within a game, but Shadowverse itself took me a bit to understand. The battle portion has many tutorials and such, but never really focuses on the WHY portion of the ruleset. I kept asking myself “why does this card have that ability?” and “why don’t I just only attack the opponent instead of his cards if that is the objective?”. Needless to say, I went on Youtube and spent hours watching online tutorials, and even started an account on Steam to practice. Within a few hours, everything clicked and it completely changed my perception as I became addicted to the game of Shadowverse. There is a lot here to just the card game meta, and while I was happy to know how much Hiro and friends loved Shadowverse, I think I would have preferred to have it broken down a bit more so the entry would have felt more accessible. 

I don’t know if that is really a flaw with myself or with Shadowverse: Champions Battle as at the end of the day, the main game is just a clone of Hearthstone, with enhanced and tweaked features that keep it distinct. The story portion here does a good job of setting you up to learn about the game and tutorials do enough to teach you how to play, but without much provided when it comes to the ruleset other than how to play, I see newcomers having a bit more of a learning curve as I felt this game expects everyone to already know about Shadowverse. It’s a weird feeling knowing less than our protagonist who is also new to all this, and again – maybe this is just my age finally catching up with me. All that said, the battle portions are a ton of fun and I spent a ton of hours battling and re-battling everyone, farming funds, buying cards, and crafting decks. I could spend hours explaining to a new player now how to play, but as far as this review goes, I will tell you just do some research and you will be just fine, new or not. 

Those wanting to do more than just battle NPCs will be able to also connect online and fight the world, with several lobbies offering live ranked and free battles. Another fine feature is the ability to share deck codes, which is great for introducing others to the experience. 

Visuals

Shadowverse: Champions Battle looks fantastic. The animation is all fluid and crisp in the main story sections, and battle portions even feature little animations for attacks (which sometimes evolve into a full cutscene). There are even some sequences that borrow directly from the anime, where a simple dialogue sequence suddenly becomes cinematic with a seamless transition. Cygames obviously put a lot of effort into making this game feel polished and true to both the anime and the storytelling as well as the card game the whole experience is inspired by, which I think is truly the shining feature. Despite the silliness, this title has such an interesting world to explore and each character’s personalities shine bright as you get to know more about this new club and all your schoolmates within Tensai Academy. 

Audio

Being inspired by the anime, the voice cast do a great job of making this narrative feel alive and endearing. The soundtrack is also catchy and pleasant, which is nice considering how long one may want to stay and play during a long session. I say that because this is a game that I would go into expecting to play for an hour, and end up turning off my Switch to charge after noticing I had spent almost six to seven hours in one sitting playing. I do have a little gripe with the card game’s voice sections, as some of the characters there are grating and annoying to hear as they make the same tedious dialogue bits over and over. That can be adjusted accordingly, but it is something that could be enhanced if this title manages to see a sequel. 

Overall

I will go ahead and say it. Shadowverse: Champions Battle may be the next big thing for the Switch. This game is booming with content and personality, where a newcomer can be introduced to a world within a world, where both are equally entertaining throughout. The card game itself is insanely addictive and rewarding to both learn and play, and I see the competitive elements being a huge thing due to how well incorporated the card game was implemented here. Sure, there is a learning curve and you may even have to do a bit of research to truly feel at home, but those ready for an excellent adaptation of Shadowverse are in for one of this year’s most pleasant surprises. Shadowverse: Champions Battle is fantastic and easily one of the best new properties to come to Nintendo’s portable since its launch. 

Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny Review

Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny

Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Publisher: NIS America
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $59.99 USD – Available Here $89.95 AUD – Available Here

Overview

The Disgaea franchise has always been the game that people think of when they hear of Nippon Ichi Software but few would have guessed that a mobile spin-off of that series would nearly finish the company. Despite these issues, the company still managed to hold it together and put out a proper entry in the franchise, Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny. Starring a protagonist that refuses to give up despite dying may be a bit close to home for the developer and now that the team has made a number of changes to the classic formula in an attempt to streamline it, is this change a step forward for the series?

Story

The appearance of an unbeatable God of Destruction has thrown the Netherrealms into chaos as no one has managed to stand up to the being and lived to tell the tale, let alone put a scratch on it. As such an emergency meeting of Overlords and other powerful beings is held in an attempt to find a way to defeat the creature and save the land. This meeting is suddenly interrupted when the main character Zed, a lowly zombie, breaks into the meeting after beating down every guard in his path and announces that he has already defeated the God of Destruction.

While no one believes him, Zed begins to tell his tale of victory through failure as his special ability, Super Reincarnation, allows Zed and his allies to reincarnate into a different world every time they are slain in combat, meaning that not only is it possible for Zed to grow infinitely stronger, but he will never stop even when killed over and over again. The strongest element of Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny‘s storyline is the way that players never quite know who or what they will encounter next as Zed’s reincarnation ability means players will meet a large number of different allies, all of which have their own motivations for trying to fight and are just as ridiculous and humorous as one would expect from a Disgaea game.

That being said, it is only the side-characters and their growth that actually shines as part of the best parts of the story while, for once, the main character is the worst part of the story. Zed’s personality and actions are incredibly one-note and quickly grow as stale as his corpse, though if you like undead puns then there are plenty to be had at his expense. It is also worth noting that, since the story is built around Zed and crew dying, players should expect the standard win in battle and die in cutscenes to happen over and over again to the point that, while initially funny, becomes a bit old and lacking variety after some time. 

This is a result of an incredibly slow start that makes it feel as if Disgaea 6 has one of the weakest storylines of the franchise until things eventually pick up near the end of the game, but it takes far too long to get there even if the over the top humor and ridiculous situations still run as strong as ever. Thankfully, as mentioned before, the many side characters, especially the undead dog Cerberus, help keep the story from falling too flat as players make their way through the game.

Gameplay

In most ways Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny still plays the same as most remember as this SRPG features turn based combat that takes place on a grid-based map with the goal being to defeat their foes using basic attacks, skills with various attack ranges that can potentially hit allies as well, throwing enemies and allies, and of course the ever constant Geo Blocks that can add buffs or hazards to parts of the grid depending on the ground color. Attacking enemies from the side or back can deal extra damage and having allies nearby to execute a “team attack” that boosts the damage dealt from any attack rewards careful team placement but it is also worth noting that this game takes things to the extreme almost immediately right from the get go.

While the Disgaea series has always been known for its large damage numbers and character levels, players will quickly find themselves exceeding level 1000 within a couple hours of playing and dealing damage in the millions just a bit beyond that. This is partially thanks to the fact that players can now also choose to Super Reincarnate any unit at will, returning them to level 1 and gaining Karma that can then be used to boost their base stats, allowing units to grow at an incredible rate even without the other mechanics available. Couple this with the Juice Bar, which uses Mana and money called HL to raise levels, weapon mastery, class proficiency, and of course the return of Evilities, the Item World, and even a Cheat Shop that allows players to boost certain earned rewards at the cost of others, and players will find that they are given a wealth of powerful growth options far earlier than any other entry in the series.

This massive level of power boosts right at the start is introduced simply enough through a rather extensive tutorial that eases newcomers into the game and can thankfully be skipped by longtime fans but longtime fans will also notice that their customization is also far more limited than before. A significant number of basic classes found in previous Disgaea games have been removed entirely from Disgaea 6 and even the monster classes have been given a large reduction in number with many classic staple monsters being removed, though some new ones have been added as a result. That being said, the monster classes now simply act the same way as any normal humanoid class and no longer have a special mechanic tied to them in any way, further reducing the amount of options players have access to with even weapon skills being removed.

Perhaps the most interesting and also brand new feature for a Disgaea game is the auto-battle system and Devil Intelligence mechanic. While these games have always featured some level of grind, players can now choose to auto-battle almost any stage that they wish and even repeat auto-battles ad nauseum in an effort to level up, gain Evilities, complete quests, and earn D-Merits. Although a few basic auto-battle systems are available players can go rather in-depth by heavily modifying their units’ AI through Demonic Intelligence to perform certain actions, skills, and movement depending on a variety of conditions to make sure an auto battle runs as smooth as possible. That being said, the fact that the game so heavily focuses on using this auto mechanic is a drawback in itself as players are heavily encouraged on multiple occasions to simply run things automatically rather than learn the game itself, something that is a rather shocking change to the genre and a step in the wrong direction.

Visuals & Audio

The most noticeable change that longtime fans of the Disgaea series will note is the fact that Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny now features character models that are entirely 3D. These models still appear as 2D during dialogue sequences with gorgeous looking artwork but gone are the detailed sprites that fans have come to know and love. This transition to 3D is a rather smooth one as the character models are nice looking and the special moves are as intricate as ever, but it does seem to be the root cause that so many classes and skills ended up removed.

Considering Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny was released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch in the West compared to its original Japanese release, players will find that a number of graphical options have been given as a result of the system’s limitations. Players can choose to focus on Quality at the cost of performance, ensuring that the character models are as amazing looking as possible with a number of fancy special attacks and this option is honestly the only choice the player should make. This is because focusing on Balance drops the quality of every visual element significantly both in combat and in the base and Performance turns everything into a blurry mess that is barely recognizable.

The soundtrack for the game features some great pieces of music, including a stellar sounding base theme and a number of solid battle tracks and it is also nice to note that players will have the option to select between the original Japanese voice actors and NIS America’s English dub. The English voice actors have done a solid role here as every major scene is voiced by the cast and even the special moves are translated and voiced properly.

Overall

Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny tries to make a number of changes to a tried and true formula that fans have come to love in an effort to try and streamline things. Some of these work for the better as long as player’s hold themselves back from abusing them, such as the auto-battle turning grinding and the game itself into nothing, while others come at the cost of long term enjoyment. Between a slow start with a lackluster protagonist as well as numerous cut mechanics and classes longtime fans will find the series moving in the wrong direction even if it still retains most of the charming humor and insane damage values the franchise is known for.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Fling to the Finish catapults towards Early Access on August 23rd

New Announcement Trailer revealed 

Hamburg, Germany, August 9th 2021 – Publisher Daedalic Entertainment and Developer SplitSide Games are happy to announce the Early Access release date for the crazy coop-racing game Fling to the Finish. Gamers can put their friendships to the ultimate test on August 23rd 2021.

In Fling to the Finish teams of two players race through colorful, chaotic obstacle courses while tethered by a stretchy elastic rope. Depending on your communication skills, this rope can be your greatest asset or your worst enemy – just like the friend you’re tethered to. Because you’re literally attached to your partner, Fling to the Finish is a truly cooperative experience. Masters of the rope use it to swing around perilous obstacles, and fling their partner up ledges seconds before they fall to their doom. When true veterans partner up, prepare for astonishing acrobatic feats.

You can even play through Fling to the Finish by sharing a controller with your partner and competitive players can try out their skills in online or local races against a host  of other players. A variety of  game modes offer challenging solo-play as well as party-focussed fun – especially when you count in the hails of plungers, sinking weights, and evil lasers trying to even the score. Fitting the chaotic theme of Fling to the Finish, over a dozen adorable, unique and crazy characters are waiting for players. You’re bound to find a pair that matches your personal vibe! Do you prefer the goofy mushroom or would you rather defeat your enemies looking like a cute blob of green slime?

As with the characters, every course in Fling to the Finish has a unique theme and style. Players will race through floating parks, giant casinos, and even worm filled asteroid fields to reach the finish line! The developers designed every obstacle to force you to use the rope in new ways, so every second is filled with new surprises and memorable moments. The race track even evolves to challenge you as you playmaking every race a nail-biter. You never know what weird obstacle you’ll find next.

Fling to the Finish starts into Early Access with 12 levels, 4 game modes, 12 playable characters and more than 20 crazy character skins for players to have fun with. New content like additional levels, abilities, characters, skins and even game modes will be added during the Early Access phase via regular updates. 

If you’re interested and want to stay up-to-date, follow SplitSide Games on Facebook, the Fling to the Finish Twitter channel or check out the official Steam page and add it to your wishlist.

About Daedalic (Publisher)

Daedalic Entertainment publishes and develops high-quality games for all platforms. The company has a diverse line-up of high-quality titles, including classic adventures, RPGs, and strategy and multiplayer games. With over 50 employees, Daedalic is currently developing a new line-up of innovative games across consoles, PC and mobile platforms.

Based in Hamburg, Germany, Daedalic is one of Europe’s most acclaimed publishers and developers. With a total of 32 awards in the German Developers Award (including multiple accolades for ‘Studio of the Year’) and 12 German Computer Game Awards for genre-defining games such as Deponia, Edna & Harvey, Silence, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth, The Long Journey Home, and State of Mind, Daedalic is a record holder for the two most prestigious game awards in Germany.

Daedalic is currently developing the AAA title The Lord of the Rings – Gollum. The action-adventure that tells the story of Gollum from a perspective never witnessed before in any storytelling media, all the while staying faithful to the legendary books of J.R.R. Tolkien.

About SplitSide Games (Developer Fling to the Finish)

SplitSide Games is a small team of student developers from Drexel University. When they’re not in classes, they spend all their free time working on their premiere title: Fling to the Finish. SplitSide’s goal is to create games that make people interact in new and engaging ways, both inside and outside the games they create.