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Celebrate the Lunar New Year with a Brand-New Event in World of Tanks

Earn a collection of great rewards, including the mighty Tier IX WZ-114, in this test of skill

January 27, 2022 — The Year of the Tiger is fast approaching and to mark this significant event of Lunar New Year, World of Tanks has prepared a special event which will see players challenge themselves to get a brand-new (and the second-ever) Tier IX Premium tank, the WZ-114.

Running from January 28th until February 7th, the Hidden Tiger event will consist of two chapters and each one has a unique and valuable reward at its end: completing Chapter I will reward the WZ-114 and Chapter II will gift players with the Tiger Claw 3D style, only available during this event. The WZ-114 is a Tier IX Chinese heavy tank that’s well-prepared for any duel, thanks in part to its 530 alpha damage, 266mm of penetration with standard rounds and decent frontal armour.

As well as being a tank you can boast about in your collection, the WZ-114 will earn those who play it more Credits, Combat XP, and Crew XP in battle as well as bonds, just like a Tier X vehicle would. To earn this Chinese Premium for free, tankers will need to complete 10 consecutive stages by fulfilling missions. Along the way, they can also earn a unique 2D style, Personal Reserves, useful equipment items and days of World of Tanks Premium Account.

To receive the Tiger Claw 3D style, players will have to have fully completed Chapter I and then fulfill any 8 Chapter II missions. This unique style takes inspiration from the mighty Water Tiger, this year’s lunar patron.

In the case a tanker doesn’t finish all 10 missions of Chapter I, they will receive a 10% discount on the WZ-114 for each one they have completed.

For more information about the Hidden Tiger event, visit https://worldoftanks.asia/en/news/game-events/lunar-challenge-2022/.

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About World of Tanks

World of Tanks is the first team-based, massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to tank warfare. Throw yourself into the epic tank battles of World War II with gamers all over the world. Your arsenal includes over 600 armoured vehicles from 11 nations, carefully detailed with historical accuracy.

Official website: worldoftanks.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 19 offices spread all over the world. Over 200 million players enjoy Wargaming’s titles across all major gaming platforms. Our flagship products include the free-to-play hits World of Tanks and World of Warships, as well as World of Tanks Blitz — the critically acclaimed mobile tank shooter with cross-platform support.

Official website: wargaming.com

Musical Narrative Shooter PopSlinger Blast Onto Nintendo Switch Today

MONTERREY, Mexico – Jan. 26, 2022 – PopSlinger, a vibrant musical shooter inspired by ‘90s anime from developer Funky Can Creative, saves the world from interdimensional invaders on Nintendo Switch today.

Explore a hand-drawn, marker art style world inspired by City Pop album covers as Ria Carbon, a newfound soda-powered PopSlinger hero with magical powers bestowed upon her by a former PopSlinger Gin. Cruise alongside a Future Funk soundtrack reactive to Ria’s in-game performance as she blasts colorful goopy monsters into oblivion.

Out on a quest to save the Earth from an otherworldly threat, Ria must load her soda-powered guns with cola laser, exploding lemon marbles, popping orange bottle caps, and shooting strawberry straws. Follow Gin’s teachings on how to get rid of the gooey blobs spreading evil and corruption everywhere while enjoying a fresh, crisp summer drink. 

Use strategic battle sequences to pop, dodge, and slam the corrupted hearts of the Corazones, the mega-powerful bosses trying to take over the world through sadness and despair. Face a super secret agent sporting a coffee-loaded gun and perfect multiple colorful sequences to gain points and climb to the top of the scoreboard in the arcade-inspired ranking system. 

Unlock new content, such as new weapons and energetic power-ups ranging from speedy health recovery or a summoning of Gin to aid in battle. Collect Popping Souls, the ghostly-looking bottle caps in various colors that increase Ria’s health while serving as sources of power for other weapons. As the story progresses, expect challenges to become tougher and soundtrack beats to ramp up their speed, intensity, and energy.

PopSlinger merges futuristic, funky aesthetics with reminders of childhood in the ‘80s and ‘90s in a wholesome indie game setting. Partnering with Neoncity Records, the game’s entire soundtrack will be available for purchase on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022, as cassette tapes for $14 USD. The vinyl version will be available at a later date.

“Launching PopSlinger on my favorite console and its physical soundtrack is a dream come true,” said Jose Luis Abreu, Funky Can Creative founder. “As developers, we always hope our games will resonate with others just as much as it resonates with us. The support we’ve gotten thus far has been greater than we could have anticipated. We can only hope it will continue to grow once people get their hands on it!”

To learn more about PopSlinger, visit the game’s official website, follow @FunkyCanDev on Twitter, @funkycancreative on Instagram, and like the studio’s Facebook page.

About Funky Can Creative

Based out of Mexico, Funky Can Creative was founded as a way to beat the lack of opportunities and resources local developers face on a daily basis. The team’s main goal is to welcome everyone by creating expressive and inclusive experiences and contributing to a healthy gaming industry. PopSlinger is the studio’s first title.

GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL IN SQUAD BATTLE, A NEW FAST-PACED, CLOSE-QUARTERS COMBAT BATTLE ROYALE GAME

Pre-Registration for Testing Starts Today and Pre-Alpha Kicks Off February 16

LOS ANGELES – January 26, 2022 – Netmarble, a leading developer and publisher of high-quality gaming experiences, is thrilled to reveal Squad Battle, Netmarble’s first Battle Royale TPS for Windows PC. Squad Battle is a fast paced game where players join a 3-player squad in a 20-squad battle, teaming up to survive in intense and creative close-quarters combat. Featuring a variety of weapons and augmenters, players can creatively personalize their combat style in order to lead their squad to victory.

Squad Battle features a huge cast of characters, each with different backgrounds and motivations, and an assortment of unique melee and ranged options that players can choose for multiple weapon combinations. There are also several items and upgrades awaiting players on the field to boost their performance, including support items and augmenters. Lastly, Squad Battle’s interactive objects like zip lines and jump pads among other objects add a layer of strategy for players to consider as they strive for victory.

To commemorate the reveal, Netmarble is kicking off Squad Battle’s Pre-Alpha Tester recruitment for US-based players starting today. The pre-alpha is designed to show the game’s development process and to obtain feedback from testers on how to further improve the game ahead of its worldwide launch. Pre-Alpha testing will last from February 16 – 20, from 5pm PST/8pm EST to 9pm PST/12am EST.

Specific details on the Pre-Alpha Test are as follows:

  • Pre-Alpha Test Period (Available for 4 hours per day)
    • February 16 at 5pm PST/8pm EST – February 20 at 9pm PST/12am EST
  • Pre-Alpha Test Registration Period
    • January 26 at 6pm PST/9pm EST – Until the Pre-Alpha Test Period’s end
  • How to Register for the Pre-Alpha Test
    • Search for “Squad Battle” on the Steam Store
    • Click the “Request Access” Button
    • Applicants will be granted as a tester starting on February 14 at  6pm PST/ 9pm EST
      • Applicants who are granted as a tester can download Squad Battle’s Pre-Alpha test build in advance via Steam Library
      • Players can still apply and receive access while the Pre-Alpha Test is in progress
    • Players will receive an email once access is granted to the Pre-Alpha Test

Additional details on Squad Battle will be revealed in the near future. More information can be found at Squad Battle’s official YouTube  page, Steam and Discord.

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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 Seven Knights 2, Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds, MARVEL Future Revolution, Lineage 2: Revolution, The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross, Blade & Soul Revolution and MARVEL Future Fight. As a parent company of Kabam and SpinX Games, and a major shareholder of Jam City and HYBE (formerly Big Hit 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.

ACTION ARCADE WRESTLING TO DELIVER HIGH-FLYING 60FPS EXCITEMENT ON SWITCH FEBRUARY 9

2022 Roadmap for Indie Wrestling Sensation Details Upcoming Updates

It all starts in the ring… but it doesn’t have to end there! Action Arcade Wrestling will launch on Nintendo Switch on February 9. Toss around a Joy-Con, choose from over 30 powerful characters to settle who brings home the belt across 25 playable game modes with up to 10 players in the ring – all in a smooth 60 FPS docked or on the go.

Media interested in checking out AAW on Switch, please respond to this email with your Discord handle to secure a slot for a 15 to 20-minute preview demo.

Smash a folding chair over some knucklehead’s skull in 5-on-5 tag team, Elimination matches, Battle Royale, and more. Grab a power-up and show the competition what’s cooking with pyrokinesis, ice blasts, energy beams, lightning bolts, lasers and… sprinkles? Lay to rest with piledrivers and fireballs, then head to the extensive Wrestle Lab to create the world’s next wrestling superstar or one of your friends! Action Arcade Wrestling on Nintendo Switch is a homage to ‘90s arcade wrestling games that can be enjoyed by old school fans, newcomers, and everyone in between.

Action Arcade Wrestling is now available on PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. The Nintendo Switch version will launch on February 9. Stay up to date on Action Arcade Wrestling by following the game on Twitter, ‘liking’ it on Facebook, and visiting its official website at ActionArcadeWrestling.com.
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INTENSE DARK FANTASY STRATEGY GAME, ‘GORD’, FROM FORMER WITCHER 3 PRODUCER, SIGNS WITH TEAM17

Multi-award-winning indie games label signs Covenant.dev’s upcoming debut inspired by Slavic folklore and set in a world of primordial gods and legendary creatures

Wednesday, 26th January 2022 – Team17 has today announced that it will be working with Polish game dev creative house, Covenant.dev, to bring Gord, a single-player dark fantasy strategy game, to PC. In theworld of Gord, players will lead the Tribe of the Dawn as they strive to establish new settlements and explore eerie forbidden lands while interacting with horrific creatures and deities inspired by Slavic folklore. Players will have to complete quests to grow the tribe’s settlements (known as ‘gords’) and fortify these from invaders while managing a populace whose personal stories, familial ties, and well-being, can have devastating impact on the survival of their communities.

Covenant.dev is a 24-person creative development house including alumni from prominent Polish developers CD Projekt RED (The Witcher 3), 11 bit studios (Frostpunk), and Flying Wild Hog (Shadow Warrior 2). Headed by Chief Executive Officer, Stan Just, former producer on The Witcher 3, Gord is the studio’s debut title and aims to deliver players a mature and unforgiving strategy experience.


Gord Key Features

  • Dark Fantasy Strategy: Lead the people of the Tribe of the Dawn and venture deep into forbidden lands in a lore-rich, dark fantasy, real-time strategy campaign
  • Build and Survive: Grow your gord from humble settlement to formidable fortress while protecting your citizens from invading tribes, gruesome monsters, and mysterious powers that lurk within the surrounding woods
  • Unique Sanity System: Keep a close eye on your townsfolk as everything from illness to hunger and the death of kin can have devastating impact on their lives and well-being
  • Hand-Crafted Quests: Take on a wide variety of quests and random encounters that will lead you deep into the wilderness to hunt legendary creatures, uncover ancient secrets, and vanquish deadly scourges
  • Unleash Powerful Incantations: Unlock a variety of offensive and defensive spells to tip combat in your favour
  • Custom Scenarios with Procedurally Generated Levels: Take on an endless variety of challenges by creating your own scenarios. Customize your playthrough by picking a main objective, choosing your starting party, level size, number of resources, enemy types, raid intensities,
    and even the severity of the weather!


Stan Just, chief executive officer, Covenant.dev, said:

“Gord is our debut game as a studio, and we’re thrilled to have Team17 as our publishing partner. They have an excellent global track record and have repeatedly proven that they care about smaller teams and helping them realise their vision. Gord is an unapologetically dark and sometimes quite confronting game; Team17 has been hugely supportive in helping us bring it to life and home in on what we really feel makes our world special. We look forward to sharing more soon.”

Harley Homewood, head of publishing, Team17 Digital, said:

The team at Covenant.dev already has an impressive development pedigree and Gord’s relentlessly bleak world and unique combination of city building, survival, strategy, and adventure promises something brand-new for PC players looking for a deeper and more mature experience. Bringing Gord onto our label solidifies our commitment to super high-quality and diverse games and we look forward to working with Stan and his team to welcome players to its brutal dark fantasy world.”

About Covenant.dev
Covenant.dev is an independent game dev creative house offering well-executed and fresh gameplay experiences. The company works only on proprietary IPs and champions employee empowerment to help develop these into original, globally recognisable franchises. In 2021, it was also the first Polish game developer to be named as one of the ‘Best Workplaces in Poland’. Core team members have experience at notable Polish game development studios, including CD Projekt RED, 11 bit studios, and Flying Wild Hog. Covenant.dev’s first title will be the upcoming dark fantasy strategy game, Gord.

About Team17 Digital
Founded in 1990, Team17 Digital is a leading developer, video games label, and creative partner for developers around the world. Part of Team17 Group plc, which floated on AIM in 2018, Team17 Digital has an extensive portfolio comprised of over 120 titles, and fully encapsulates the spirit of independent games. Team17 Digital’s portfolio of multi-award-winning and award-nominated in-house brands include Hell Let Loose, Golf With Your Friends, The Escapists, and the iconic Worms franchise, alongside its games label partner titles, including the award-winning games Blasphemous, Greak: Memories of Azur, and Overcooked! franchise

Dying Light 2 Five-Year Roadmap, Launch Time by Region, New Audio Story, and More

Dying Light 2 Five-Year Roadmap, Launch Time by Region, New Audio Story, and More

A week’s worth of news in one press release

Wrocław, Poland — January 26, 2022 — Techland today shares several updates on Dying Light 2 Stay Human, set for release next Friday, February 4 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Yesterday, Techland published a new Audio Story, “Takeshi,” voiced by the Yakuza game series’ main actor, Kazuma Kiryu himself, Takaya Kuroda.

Techland also presented the roadmap for the next few months of Dying Light 2 Stay Human post-launch support. The first story DLC is planned for this summer, and many updates are planned for at least five years beyond launch, including stories, events, challenges, cosmetics, weapons, and much more.

Today, a new Dying 2 Know More episode will be released on Dying Light’s official YouTube channel. This special episode is full of artistic inspiration and details about Techland’s artists’ daily work.

Tomorrow, Techland will release a time zone map for the launch, showing fans when they’ll be able to start playing by region.

More information is available on Dying Light’s official social channels and coming throughout this week. Look forward to a new in-game event, Spike, for Dying Light, more character introductions, a Warsaw Mural making-of video, and much more on Discord, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

The world premiere of Dying Light 2 Stay Human is just around the corner, so don’t miss any episode of the Dying 2 Know web series (all available here) and if you’re Dying 2 Know More, go further behind the scenes with more episodes of exclusive interviews.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human, published by Techland, launches on February 4, 2022 on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S.

Pre-orders are available via dyinglightgame.com/preorder. All pre-orders will come with the exclusive digital Reload Packand Reach for the Sky Pack, featuring unique outfits, weapons, backpack and paraglider skins. Reach for the Sky Pack, was created in collaboration with Rosario Dawson (The Mandalorian, Sin City), who plays Lawan, a key character whose fate connects with main protagonist Aiden during his journey.

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About Dying Light 2 Stay Human

Dying Light 2 Stay Human is a story-driven open-world action role-playing game, a sequel to the critically acclaimed Dying Light published in 2015, which has been played by over twenty five million people all over the world. This time players are visiting the City – mankind’s last stronghold in the fight against the virus. Developed parkour mechanics enable players to explore the vast open world and master tactical combat. This lost civilization, a world set in the modern dark ages, requires creative approaches to finding items and crafting gear. Gameplay shifts during a day and night cycle, so players can dare to plunder abandoned lairs of the infected at night and discover the dark secrets of those in power by day. Players must choose which side they want to take and write their own story.

About Techland

Founded in 1991 in Poland, Techland is a renowned independent game developer and distributor for all leading platforms, including PC, Sony PlayStation, and the Xbox family of devices. Techland is best known for the original Dead Island games, the Call of Juarez series, and the Dying Light franchise, a global phenomenon played by over 20 million unique players to date. To top that, Techland’s experienced teams allow the developer to work on two of its own AAA titles at the same time. Comprising over 400 professionals across three offices in Poland, the company is committed to delivering unforgettable experiences and using the latest technology for innovative entertainment, which includes the proprietary C-Engine. For more information about the company itself, visit the official website at: www.techland.net.

All product titles, publisher names, trademarks, artwork, and associated imagery are trademarks, registered trademarks, and/or copyright material of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

Play the DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 Empires Demo Today

Create an Officer and Join the Fight in the Game’s Exciting New Siege Battles! 

BURLINGAME, Calif. – Jan. 26, 2022 – Today, KOEI TECMO America and developer Omega Force are excited to announce that the free-to-play demo of their upcoming tactical-action game, DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 Empires is now available on the Nintendo Switch™, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles, PlayStation®4, and PlayStation®5. The title adds strategic war elements to the 1 vs. 1,000 action of KOEI TECMO’s revered DYNASTY WARRIORS series, as gamers set out on a quest to conquer ancient China.

The DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 Empires demo features the all-new evolved castle sieges, including both invasion battles and defense. Storm the enemy castle, or fight to defend your fortress in this challenging tutorial. Virtual warlords can play through each siege scenario repeatedly to discover and develop the best strategies to overpower and outthink opponents.

In addition, fans will be able to experience the game’s in-depth edit mode, enabling gamers to create their own officers before taking them into battle. The newly created characters can then be transferred from the demo version to the full game as long as you are playing the same platform on both the demo and final product.

DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 Empires is currently in development and will release in North America on Feb. 15, 2022 for the Nintendo Switch™, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles, Windows PC via Steam®, Google Stadia™, PlayStation®4, and digitally on PlayStation®5*. For all of the latest information on DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 Empires, visit the official site, Like us on Facebook @KoeiTecmoUS, Follow us on Twitter @KoeiTecmoUS, and Follow us on Instagram @KoeiTecmoUS.

*By purchasing the digital or physical PlayStation®4 versions of DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 Empires, you can receive an upgrade to the digital PlayStation®5 version of DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 Empires at no additional cost.

ABOUT KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP.

KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Burlingame, California. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI is best known for its Dynasty Warriors® and Samurai Warriors® franchises. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive®, Ninja Gaiden®, Tecmo Bowl®, and Fatal Frame® series.

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DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 Empires ©2022 KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. DYNASTY WARRIORS is a registered trademark of KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. The KT logo is a registered trademark of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD.

“PlayStation”, “PS5”, and “PS4” are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

Nintendo Switch is a trademark of Nintendo.

©2022 Valve Corporation. Steam and the Steam logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Valve Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox One X, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Live, the Xbox logos, and/or other Microsoft products referenced herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Stadia, the Stadia beacon, and related marks and logos are trademarks of Google LLC.

3D Runner Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield Gets Big Free Update Along With Mobile Release

“Da Update” brings new levels, music, modes, leaderboards and more to stylish 3D runner on PC, PlayStation, Xbox & Switch

Düren, Germany – January 26th, 2022 – Headup & Aerial_Knight are pleased to announce that the artistically exquisite narrative 3D runner, Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield, will soon be getting a huge free update and will be on its way to mobile platforms soon. Players will soon get a peek in the upcoming trailer that will showcase the game’s new features and updated visuals.

Set in a sci-fi version of Detroit, Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield tells the story of Wally and the sinister evidence he has uncovered with the potential to change his city forever. You will be forced to run for your life as you jump and slide to avoid upcoming obstacles with style to the incredible soundtrack created by Danime-Sama, showcasing the authentic sounds of Detroit  artists along with the vocal talents of artists of color from across the globe. 

“Da Update” adds a host of free new features to the game and makes huge improvements based on the feedback to the original release. The update includes new bonus levels, new music, a brand new endless mode and the introduction of leaderboards to allow you to compete for high scores. Level and story updates aimed at adding refinement and intrigue to the core game, including a new post-credits ending, mean speeding through this sci-fi version of Detroit is slicker and more satisfying than ever before. Players can also look forward to overhauled UI, graphical improvements, new Trophies and Achievements, Xbox accessibility controller support and hundreds of other smaller tweaks.

In addition to the free update for existing versions of Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One, the game is coming to mobile platforms soon. This version of the game will include all the additional content and improvements being added via the update. All these new features will be on show in the game’s new trailer, coming soon.

“I’ve loved reading the reviews, feedback, and watching people enjoy the game since it was released less than a year ago,” said creator Neil Jones, also known as Aerial Knight. “Soon after the base game launched I started working on bug fixes and it quickly turned into much more. I decided that if I was going to update the game one more time, I was going to ‘Do the damn thing’! I’m excited to see the response when people get to dive into this new improved version of the game and soon play the mobile release.”

About Headup GmbH

Headup is a hybrid games publishing and development company providing players worldwide with the best content in the independent gaming sector. Established in 2009, it is active on all major platforms such as consoles, mobile devices and PC, and was awarded as “Best Publisher” at the German Developers Awards in 2012, 2013, 2017 and 2019. Since February 2021, Headup is part of the Thunderful Group based in Gothenburg, Sweden. 

With over 80 million customers served on mobile and further several million players on the PC and consoles, Headup is always looking to raise awareness and commercial success for developers thinking outside the box. More information can be found at www.headupgames.com and twitter.com/headupgames.


About Aerial_Knight 

Neil Jones (aka. Aerial_Knight) is a multi-disciplined 3D Artist / Game Developer with professional experience in a wide variety of projects, currently working out of Detroit, MI. He is a generalist when it comes to game art, loving 3D modeling and doing stylized work on a diverse set of art-related projects mostly in an indie studio setting. More info at www.aerialknight.com and twitter.com/aerial_knight.

Innovative Voice-controlled Thriller
Unknown Number is coming to Steam in 2022 

Join a group of eco-warriors and use your voice to thwart a corporate conspiracy in this unique First Person Talker

London, United Kingdom – January 26th, 2022 – Indie studio godolphin games are excited to announce that their Voice-Controlled Interactive Adventure game, Unknown Number, is coming to Steam, with a full release planned by Q2 2022. This announcement is accompanied by a new Gameplay trailer showing off cryptic puzzles and high-pressure choices. 

Answer the call from Amanda and Ethan, two eco-warriors conducting a daring heist on an abandoned oil rig. Discover a thrilling adventure filled with danger, corruption and political intrigue.
 
Talk, sing, whisper, and shout your way through an immersive audio-rich experience that uses voice commands for just about everything.

“Voice control is everywhere. And it’s not just Siri and Alexa. These days, even our cars seem desperate to talk to us. But where is voice control in the world of games?” says Creative Director, Thomas Keane. “With Unknown Number, we wanted to create a game that fully explored voice as a core gameplay mechanic. And what better starting point than a mysterious phone call? A phone call that might just save the world… but only if you’ve got the gift of the gab.”

Described as a “First Person Talker,” Unknown Number defies the usual restrictions of Adventure games and brings a whole new life to the genre with its unique Voice-Control mechanics. Using cutting edge voice recognition technology, players can enjoy total immersion in this high-octane audio blockbuster, featuring a full cast of professional voice actors, creative sound design and engaging FMV. 

And of course – like any great heist movie – the plot has more twists and turns than an offshore oil drill.

In this genre-defying thriller, use your voice to…

  • SOLVE complex puzzles to unlock treasure vaults
  • NAVIGATE a maze-like oil rig under serious time pressure
  • IMPERSONATE high-profile oil execs on conference calls
  • TRICK henchman into abandoning their guard posts
  • JOIN a burgeoning underground eco-movement
  • MAKE crucial moral decisions that impact the story
  • TELL knock-knock jokes… and maybe even SAVE the world

More information on Unknown Number:
Add Unknown Number to your Steam wishlist: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1692340/Unknown_Number_A_First_Person_Talker/

About godolphin games
godolphin games is a new indie studio devoted to exploring unlikely gameplay mechanics. It brings together award-winning talent from the worlds of games, film, and even pop music. Unknown Number is their first game, coming to PC in 2022.

Mary Skelter Finale Review

Mary Skelter Finale

Developers: Compile Heart, Idea Factory
Publisher: Idea Factory International
Platforms: PlayStation 4 (Reviewed), Switch
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $49.99 – Available Here

Overview

When it comes to Compile Heart most fans of the developer tend to think of their more light-hearted games or the Neptunia series but even though the company has dabbled in some darker titles in the past when Mary Skelter: Nightmares was released it caught many by surprise. The dungeon crawler featured a dire storyline with some rather disturbing events tied together with solid gameplay elements and plenty of customization. Not only did Mary Skelter: Nightmares manage to see success four years ago, it even saw a sequel that seemingly wrapped things up but now the story will come to a close with Mary Skelter Finale. The question is, has the series managed to hold itself together through a third release and pull off a satisfying conclusion?.

Story

When it comes to telling a conclusion to a series of lengthy RPGs, it may be difficult to jump right in should the player never have touched the first two entries but Mary Skelter Finale is prepared for that. The game comes with the storyline for both of the original games in visual novel style format allowing players who may have never seen the game’s before a way to catch up on everything or give longtime fans a chance to refresh their memories of what happened last or see something they may have missed. It is worth noting that these story recaps are incredibly lengthy as it features almost every major scene and even bonus scenes as well so trying to catch up will take many hours.

Following the events of the previous game, Mary Skelter Finale continues the story  with Jack and the Blood Maidens by his side, finally escaping the hellish underground prison that they have been living in and traveling to the surface. Unfortunately when they arrive they find that the surface is anything but safe and is instead even worse than what they previously have known as a harsh red sky, piles of bodies, and a jail larger than the one they previously resided are the first things they see. It isn’t long before many of the surviving civilians and side-characters start falling to the sadistic weaponry of those behind the killing, a powerful new threat known as Massacre Pink. With no apparent reason the new girls seek to retrieve Alice while slaughtering everyone else and it is only through the last ditch effort of one of their allies that the group manages to survive.

The only problem is, not only does it appear that the teleportation used to escape managed to place the survivors once again inside of a new jail, but the massive group of allies has been separated from one another. Wounded and separated from one another in unknown areas, Jack and the rest must fight to survive against the Nightmares once again. When it comes to telling a cohesive story in a lengthy dungeon crawler such as this, the Mary Skelter series has handled itself rather well throughout the previous two games but unfortunately Mary Skelter Finale falters in this regard. 

Not only does it often introduce a number of twists and plot points that feel off-the-wall even for this series, the long time it takes between events to actually take place does the game few favors even with the focus on separation allowing for a number of new interactions and character developments to take place. That being said, despite the gaps between major events and the lack of many meaningful reveals compared to previous entries, Mary Skelter Finale does manage to tell a solid enough story and even gives fans a little extra content thanks to some bonus free DLC.

Gameplay

As one would expect in the third entry in a series, little has changed in the way that Mary Skelter Finale plays outside of a key detail that we will go into later. Players will still traverse through a wide array of dungeons in first person while battling against enemies in turn-based combat, avoiding traps and other dungeon hazards, and of course running away from Nightmares. Blood being spilled in battle remains a strong factor as the Blood Maidens can enter a frenzied state called “Blood Skelter” when too much is splattered on them, giving the fighter a massive power boost at the cost of the Maiden becoming uncontrollable and possibly attacking allies. In similar fashion Jack and a number of others can use special weaponry to remove stress and blood build up to relieve anyone driven into a frenzy.

The main difference in Mary Skelter Finale from previous entries is the fact that the massive amount of characters that are fighting to survive their new jail are now separated into several different groups. This element was dabbled with a bit in the second entry but it comes full swing in Mary Skelter Finale to the point that it actually ends up being a bit problematic as a result. While the game features a number of handy features such as alerting players when to swap to a different party in a separate area of the dungeon in order to progress or unlock something, especially since only certain characters can deal with certain dungeon obstacles, there ends up being far too much padding here as a result, dragging the game’s story down even if it gives players plenty of chances to see everything Mary Skelter Finale‘s combat and customization brings to the table.

Every character that the player will bring into combat is customizable to a rather extreme extent as each character will have multiple jobs available that players can then choose to learn certain skills with permanently, allowing for players to really power up certain characters that happen to be their favorites or choose to grind should the need arise. In fact, there is even an item zapping system that allows for the transferring of equipment between parties so players will always have options available to them though this system will also regularly be used to transfer items from one team to another in an effort to unlock the way forward.

Visuals & Audio

The Mary Skelter series has always reveled in having a unique art style that blends horror aesthetics with an anime style and that remains true in Mary Skelter Finale. Characters will have their own highly detailed “Live 2D” styled portraits during visual novel scenes and portraits that will change depending on the job that they are currently fighting with while enemies and the dungeons themselves are portrayed in 3D. The enemy variety is quite high for a dungeon crawler and, while some dungeon areas make excessive use of certain gimmicks to the point of annoyance, the dungeons themselves are unique enough looking to remain fresh countless hours in. It is also worth noting that fanservice does remain throughout the game with the frenzied state of the Blood Maidens stripping them down as well as plenty of CGs and character designs with that element in mind but it has been scaled back this time and kept fairly tame, especially compared to the first two games. That said, the bonus free DLC does feature plenty of fan-service for those looking for a little something extra.

One element that Mary Skelter Finale continues to shine at is providing an excellent soundtrack to accompany all elements of exploration and combat. There is a rather surprising amount of variety here when it comes to music, to the poitn that some tracks feature a number of unique blends of instruments as well. Traveling through a dungeon has fitting exploration music that immediately kicks into an intense track once players enter combat. It is also worth noting that Mary Skelter Finale offers both the original Japanese voice track as well as a freshly recorded English dub that appears to retain all of the original voice actors from previous entries.

Overall

Mary Skelter Finale is a dungeon crawler where it often feels like everything is coming together nicely only for these moments to be dragged down by a number of poor gameplay design decisions or the incredibly slow story progression. Newly introduced characters, different interactions between team members, and some plot points are interesting to see but having it all unravel at such a poor pace due to excessive padding that even solid combat cannot help is a disappointment in what still is a solid enough ending to this trilogy.

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