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CRIS TALES DIGITAL PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE NOW

Collector’s Edition now available in additional countries

Walnut Creek, Calif. (May 25, 2021) – Get ready to shape the past, protect the present and save the future on any platform that you see fit – Cris Tales is now available for digital pre-order across Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Pre-order on your preferred system here: https://modusgames.com/cris-tales

In addition, the previously announced Collector’s Edition is now available for pre-order in Canada and across both Central and South America (excluding Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Venezuela) after previously being available in the US only. European consumers will be happy to know Modus Games will also supply a Collector’s Edition to Europe, with more details to come soon.

Cris Tales is an era-bending JRPG created by Colombian developer Dreams Uncorporated where past, present and future are brought together on one screen. Players can use Crisbell’s amazing ability to slip between time periods to both aid citizens across Crystallis’ kingdoms and perform surprise attacks on enemies. If Crisbell wants to save her magical world from the evil that threatens it, she must make use of her power to shape the past, present and future while gathering allies that will help her in her quest. 

The game has been highly anticipated since its reveal at E3 2019, where it won several accolades and nominations, including Best Indie Game, and was recently nominated for Best Indie Game and Best RPG at Gamescom 2020. Players can head to the Xbox Store, PlayStation Store, Nintendo eShop, Steam, or GOG to download the demo on their platform of choice now.

To learn more about Cris Tales, visit www.cristalesgame.com, join Modus’ Discord channel (modus.games/discord), and follow Modus on Twitter (@Modus_Games).

Buyers of the Collector’s Edition are responsible for additional costs related to shipping, customs clearance and value-added taxes.

About Modus Games 
Modus Games is one of the fastest-growing video game publishers in the world. The label prides itself on providing AAA publishing services to talented independent developers across the globe. For more information, visit www.modusgames.com.

About SYCK
With gameplay, art or mechanics, a team of artists, geeks and pirates are creating delightfully enjoyable experiences to bring a smile to the child inside all of us.

About Dreams Uncorporated
Dreams Uncorporated is a game studio focused on using innovative gameplay and art style to tell stories that reach the world. Inspired by the art that raised us, we’re bringing our dreams into reality and sharing them through experiences never seen before.

FIRST STRIKE: Nuclear strategy comes alive with all-new Daily Conflicts on iOS and Android

Free to play and always growing with new features and content, FIRST STRIKE comes alive on PC, iOS and Android with new Daily Conflicts which reimagine the nuclear battlefield with new ways to play

Zürich, Switzerland – 25 May 2021. Swiss developer Blindflug Studios AG has launched its first major gameplay update for free-to-play Nuclear War Strategy game FIRST STRIKE, introducing new daily challenges for players on iOS and Android.

First Strike: Final Hour first launched in March 2014 and has been played by more than 11 million players worldwide, with fans residing in every country on Earth (except North Korea)! Blindflug Studios has now announced ongoing development and further updates for First Strike – the free-to-play version of their internationally-popular strategy game. 

First Strike will become a true ‘nuclear playground’ with new features and content added over time, challenging new and long-time fans with new ways to play. In this first content update, gameplay modifiers will redefine the battlefield every day. 

Play with super-slow rockets, extra radium contamination or even a massive infiltration war. The Daily Conflict Update brings seven new challenges to the slowly decaying First Strike globe.

  • Dirty War – All normal rockets do permanent destruction damage.
  • Massive Expansion – Expansion goes to all targets.
  • Iron Curtain Warfare – Max silo size is 1, building cruises is 400% faster and expansion is unavailable.
  • Capital Busters – Players only have their capital at the start with a permanent Iron Dome. But any superpower loses if its capital gets destroyed.
  • Covert Ops Infiltration – Every player has two Infiltrator superweapons, but expansion is unavailable.
  • Rocket Storm – Research, expansion, build time and cooldown are 200% faster, flight speed is 66% slower.
  • Science Fiction – All research is completed on game start.

“We are very happy to have such a persistent and passionate community.” says Moritz Zumbühl, CEO of Blindflug Studios. “The first version of the game came out in 2014 and has maintained a huge player base over the years. With these new updates, the player base is growing even larger and it’s raining requests for features! The next update is already planned for this summer and we’re looking forward to showing our community more soon.”

For fans of the original game, First Strike: Classic retains the spirit of First Strike: Final Hour and is available for PC, iOS and Android.

First Strike on the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1434281598?mt=8
First Strike on the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.blindflugstudios.firststrike.free&hl

First Strike Homepage: http://www.firststrike.mobi/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/first_strike_game/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/firststrikegame
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/firststrikegame

Blindflug Studios: www.blindflugstudios.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlindflugStudio
Instagram: www.instagram.com/blindflugstudios
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BlindflugStudios

About Blindflug Studios:
We are an indie game studio founded in 2014 by Jeremy Spillmann and Moritz Zumbühl, based in Zürich, Switzerland and Poznań, Poland. Our mission is simple: We want to create beautiful, imaginative and incredibly fun games that center around real-world dilemmas. We believe that games are an incredible medium for allowing players to experience the most complex of problems while being hugely entertaining too! Our first title First Strike, a nuclear war RTS game, has been played by more than eleven million players so far. It was followed up by the highly critical acclaimed Cloud Chasers that explores the topic of migration, the dieselpunk action game Airheart and the Apple Arcade launch title Stellar Commanders. With over 50 nominations and prizes at international awards and festivals, like the Best GDC Pitch and German Developer Innovation Prize, Blindflug is one of the standout indie game studios in Europe.

Avast Ye Landlubbers! Pirate Action-RPG King of Seas Sets Sail

Highly-anticipated swashbuckling game available today for PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch

Milan, Italy – 25th May, 2021. Developers 3DClouds and global independent games label Team17 are thrilled to announce that highly-anticipated pirate action-RPG King of Seas launches today. Prepare for adventure on the high seas and enter a buccaneering world filled with colourful characters and treasure-laden missions. King of Seas is now available to purchase for PC via Steam and GOG, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.  

Raise a bottle of grog and watch the action-packed King of Seas launch trailer here

Budding pirates looking to get their sea legs before taking the plunge can download a demo version of King of Seas for PC, Xbox and Nintendo Switch

About King of Seas

King of Seas is an action role-playing game set in a deadly procedurally generated pirate world. In a ferocious plot, you will fight to regain what has been taken away and embark on an epic adventure in a fantastic world, filled with battles, lost islands and treasures. A universe full of amazing characters and breathtaking missions will keep you anchored as you strive to become the king of all pirates.

Main features

  • Story: A series of quests guide you on your journey and uncover the intriguing characters of the King of Seas world who will lead you to the next path of your epic adventure.
  • Procedural Generation: Dive into a lush, procedurally generated world that constantly refreshes the exploration mechanics within each new game.
  • Dynamic World: The world reacts to your every action, naval routes change and with each conquered settlement the difficulty adapts to constantly give you a more challenging time.
  • Map: A thick fog will ensure travelling towards objectives is not plain sailing, after all wouldn’t you want to lose the joy of exploration?
  • Navigation system: Atmospheric effects influence gameplay. Sail during a storm at your own risk, escape the enemies and always remember to carefully watch the wind direction to stay in control during battles. The strategy starts here.
  • Ship customization: Five types of highly customizable ships through an equipment and skill system, just as in any true role-playing game!
  • Combat system: Not only cannon shots and nautical strategy but also speed and spectacle, thanks to a set of more than 20 skills to choose from and three branches of talents to suit any playstyle.

3DClouds and Team17 also revealed the post launch roadmap for King of Seas kicking off towards the end of June with a PC Tech update featuring re-bindable keys and following that there will be a quality of life update, Monster update and mouse support all on the way. More information on the roadmap can be found here

King of Seas is available now for Windows PC via Steam and GOG, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Demo versions of the game can be downloaded for Nintendo Switch, Xbox and PC.  For all the latest information please visit the official website here or follow on social media Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Discord and YouTube. 

About 3DClouds

3DClouds is a graphic studio creating multimedia productions in Computer Graphics and MultiService 3D. For some years 3DClouds has specialized in creating video games thanks to a team of veterans of the sector, with experience in Microsoft, Milestone and Ubisoft, and a team of young and enthusiastic talents. 3DClouds debut videogame All-Star Fruit Racing released in 2018 was a kart racer available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch. The following year 2019 turned out to be a very big year for 3DClouds with three separate titles released. Xenon Racer our second game was released in the spring showcasing another example of design innovation within the racing video games genre. In November “Race With Ryan” a second kart racing game was released which we developed for the most famous youtuber channel in the world, Ryan’s Toy Reviews. Closing out on a busy 2019 we also released CARRUMBLE, a completely new take on the brawler genre.

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.

Garena Free Fire and McLaren Racing feature the McLaren P1 and MCLFF in exciting in-game collaboration

Exclusive McLaren Racing x Free Fire collection among the collaboration content dropMcLaren Formula 1 racing driver Lando Norris will be featured in the collaboration

SINGAPORE – May 25, 2021 – Garena has announced a collaboration with Formula 1 team, McLaren Racing, and Free Fire, the world’s most downloaded mobile game in 2019 and 2020.Free Fire’s crossover with McLaren – Ace the Field – will feature thematic takeover in Free Fire, exclusive collaboration content, and various in-game features, as well as various promotional social media campaigns and offline activations.

Not only would Free Fire bring a future inspiration of McLaren into the game, both teams have collaborated for an exclusive version to be named “MCLFF”, an abbreviation for McLaren-Free Fire. The design in collaboration with the McLaren Racing design team, takes inspiration from other McLaren race cars, including the MCL35M. 

The McLaren P1™ is designed, engineered, and built to be the best driver’s car in the world, while the MCLFF will represent McLaren’s vision of the future, where Grand Prix racing meets the age of advanced technology.

Mark Waller, Chief Commercial Officer, McLaren Racing, said: “We are thrilled to be collaborating with Free Fire for an in-game McLaren Racing integration. Our fans are always looking for ways to connect with our team and this integration gives this accessibility in a new and exciting way. It’s a brilliant collaboration in a time when gaming is only continuing to grow, and McLaren wants to be a part of that growth!”

Enjoy the exclusive Free Fire version of MCLFF in the game along with the iconic McLaren P1™

Harold Teo, Producer for Free Fire, said: “Both the MCLFF and McLaren P1™ are signature cars and represent the innovation, leadership, and prestige that McLaren stands for. To bring these elements into Free Fire is something that we are truly excited about.”

With this crossover, McLaren fans will be able to enjoy driving the signature cars in the Free Fire universe. They can choose their favorite in-game with the MCLff & McLaren P1™ look and drive around Bermuda, Kalahari, or Purgatory and battle in style!         

“We look forward to our players enjoying the best of McLaren in Free Fire. Collaborations like this allow us to deliver new experiences for current players and interest others to try Free Fire out,” Harold added.

A race track will also feature in Free Fire’s Training Island, where players can take their cars out for a test drive.

Ace the Field with the McLaren x Free Fire collection

Players can complete the racing look by equipping their characters with the exclusive McLaren Racing x Free Fire collection, which includes drivers’ overalls featuring the McLaren papaya and blue, the original colors chosen by founder Bruce McLaren.

The crossover will also see various other elements within Free Fire inspired by McLaren, from the moment they enter the game until they engage in battle. This means having Gloowall skins, surfboards, airships, and emotes inspired by McLaren, to name a few.

Lando Norris – from race track to Free Fire

McLaren Formula 1 racing driver Lando Norris, as a gamer himself, will feature in this collaboration. Fans can expect to catch Lando Norris throughout the campaign, with more details to be revealed at a later date.

Also on offer are opportunities to win VIP McLaren Racing prizes and experience a McLaren x Free Fire activation in a city near you. Stay tuned to Free Fire’s social media channels for all the latest on the McLaren Racing x Free Fire crossover!

About Garena

Garena is a leading global online games developer and publisher. Free Fire, its self-developed mobile battle royale title, was the most downloaded mobile game in the world in 2019 and 2020, according to App Annie. 

Garena is run by passionate gamers and has a unique understanding of what gamers want. It exclusively licenses and publishes hit titles from global partners – such as Arena of Valor, Call of Duty: Mobile, and League of Legends – in selected markets globally. Garena champions social and entertainment experiences through games, enabling its communities to engage and interact. Garena is also a leading esports organiser and hosts some of the world’s biggest esports events.

Garena is a part of Sea Limited (NYSE:SE), a leading global consumer internet company. In addition to Garena, Sea’s other core businesses include its e-commerce arm, Shopee, and digital financial services arm, SeaMoney. Sea’s mission is to better the lives of consumers and small businesses with technology.

Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit Headup Signs Its Next Point & Click Adventure

Crowns and Pawns is set to be Headup’s next adventure hit for PC, following Trüberbrook and The Inner World

Cologne, May 26, 2021 – After the success of The Inner World and Trüberbrook, Headup announced Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit, their next beautifully hand-painted point & click adventure. Developed by the Lithuanian team Tag of Joy and led by the art director of Broken Sword 2.5, the game will take the players to a vivid modern Europe, zesting for life. The game will be released for PC, Mac, and Linux in 2022.
 
The story follows a girl from Chicago, Milda, who unexpectedly receives an inheritance from her grandfather – a house in Lithuania. She sets off to Europe, but an unknown stranger threatens her upon arrival, demanding that she give up her inheritance. Determined and intrigued, she explores the run-down house, discovering old documents and clues dating back to the 15th century. In no time, Milda gets dragged into a dangerous search for a long-lost mysterious relic.

The tech behind the game

In Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit, we use 2D hand-painted backgrounds that we project on a 3D world and blend them with 3D characters”, says game director Šarūnas Ledas. “As challenging as it may be, this allows having various visual effects in the game: smart lighting effects, real-time shadows, 3D depth effects (parallax), which react to the cursor’s and the main character’s positions in the scenes.” What’s more, many of the scenes in the game have various perspectives and camera angles, from traditional side view to top-down.

Wishlist now, and stay up to date by following Crowns and Pawns on Twitter and Discord.

If you like to learn more about the game directly from the developers, you’re welcome to check out this part from last week’s AHEAD live stream.

And of course, there is an announcement trailer, too:

About Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit
 
Crowns and Pawns is a modern-day point & click adventure. Inspired by classics such as Broken Sword, Still Life, Syberia, and the like, it brings the less explored history of Europe to the world of adventurers. Experience legendary stories of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, beware of the villainous branch of the KGB, solve puzzles and follow hints to reveal the secrets of the king who was never crowned.
 
Milda, a girl from Chicago, unexpectedly receives the last will of her deceased grandfather – it appears that she is an heir and the last guardian of a mysterious family secret. Following a handful of obscure hints, Milda is embroiled thrown into an adventurous, puzzle-packed search for the truth.
 

  • A blend of history and myths set in a modern world, featuring real-life locations all around Europe
  • A game directed by the art director of the highly acclaimed fan-adventure Broken Sword 2.5
  • A wide variety of puzzles, items, dialogues, mini-games and more!
  • Beautiful hand painted art that comes to life with a touch of modern graphics features
  • A world that reacts to your decisions
  • Change the looks of the main character to solve puzzles (or for fun!)
  • Fully voiced dialogues
  • Music written by the award-winning composer Daniel Pharos (A New Beginning, Memoria, Blackguards)

About Headup

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. 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 Tag of Joy

Tag of Joy is an award-winning, creativity-powered independent development studio focused on innovating games technologically, visually, and gameplay-wise. In 2014, the studio released Monster Buster, the first of its kind AR, location-based, treasure hunting, and monster collecting game for mobile. Currently, the team is aiming to bring novel ideas to narrative games. The studio has received multiple awards throughout the years and was a finalist at the Unity Awards in 2013 and 2015. More information can be found on their official website and Twitter.

Ultimate ADOM – Caverns of Chaos Joins European Week Against Cancer + New Early Access Update

Assemble Entertainment and Team ADOM are Inviting Streamers to Join the Fight Against Cancer by Streaming Ultimate ADOM

Wiesbaden, Germany – 25th May, 2021.Publisher Assemble Entertainment and developer Team ADOM are inviting streamers to go monster slaying for a good cause, as they join the ‘European Week Against Cancer’ (EWAC). Content creators who stream the “modern-meets-classic” roguelike dungeon crawler Ultimate ADOM – Caverns of Chaos are invited to donate to ‘The International Agency for Research on Cancer’ (IARC). EWAC runs until May 31 and sees European policy-makers and the public engage in activities designed to educate people about cancer prevention, access to treatment, and provide support for both current patients and survivors. The publisher is joining the fight and will donate 10% of the proceeds of every ‘Save the World Edition’ of Ultimate ADOM – Caverns of Chaos to the IARC. Assemble Entertainment will also start a stream today at 11:00 am EDT / 8:00 am PDT on their official Twitch and YouTube channel.

It’s never been a better time to jump into Ultimate ADOM – Caverns of Chaos, as the game has received another fantastic update that adds even more content to an already deep experience. A new race known as the Dark Elves is now playable and features a brand new and entirely unique skill tree to explore. The new Assassin class is perfect for players who prefer to strike from the dark, using a variety of virulent poisons and the shadows themselves as deadly weapons. Additionally, Spanish and French-speaking players will be pleased to hear they can now enjoy localizations in their native tongues! Also new are 22 different magical wands, secret skills that only unlock after meeting a certain number of previous skills, 11 new monster types, and the ‘Possession’ ability!

Ultimate ADOM – Caverns of Chaos is a follow-up to the genre-defining roguelike title first debuted 25-years ago! With challenging gameplay, permadeath, randomly generated levels, and more items, crafting, and skills than you can shake a severed limb at, Caverns of Chaos is a title that rewards multiple playthroughs and appeals to players who crave that “just one more run before bed” feeling.

Follow the Ultimate ADOM – Caverns of Chaos Early Access Road Map here

The Latest Early Access Update Includes:

  • New Race: Dark Elves — Clawing their way up from the Deependark, these brave cave-warriors are ready to throw their might at all the slithering terrors from the Caverns of Chaos. They also have access to an entirely unique skill tree available only to their race!
  • New Class: The Assassin — Why fight a monstrous beast of the deep head-on? The new Assassin class utilizes slick and deadly poisons to slay from the dark, and can even use the very shadows themselves as wicked weapons to whittle their enemies down
  • New Mechanic: Possession — Step into the shoes — or lack thereof — of the various creepy-crawlies and monsters that lurk in the Caverns of Chaos. Become a a frog, a dragon, a worm, a rat, an ogre, a hill giant and more to take your beast-breaking badassery to whole new levels of creativity
  • Updates and Fixes — Along with a host of bug fixes and improvements, Ultimate ADOM – Caverns of Chaos now features Spanish (European and South American) and French localizations

Developed by Team ADOM and published by Assemble Entertainment, Ultimate ADOM – Caverns of Chaos is now available on Windows PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam Early Access. Add the game to your wishlist by visiting the Steam Store page and learn more at the official Ultimate ADOM website

For more information about development, early access roadmap info, and dev diaries, follow the developer blog here

Stay up-to-date with Ultimate ADOM by following the game on Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit

Follow Assemble Entertainment on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and join the official Discord server. 

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. 

About Team ADOM 

Team ADOM is a team of creative game professionals with several decades of experience, and we’re creating the games we love to play ourselves. Ultimate ADOM – Caverns of Chaos and its planned spin-offs are developed by the same core members who have been revolutionizing the rogue-like genre since 1994 with ADOM

Party The Night Away Without Leaving Your Room – Isolationist Nightclub Simulator Goes on Sale for 50% off from May 24th to May 31st!

Escape to the virtual nightclub scene this Spring in Edwin Montgomery’s Isolationist Nightclub Simulator sandbox-meets-multimedia art simulation, which goes on sale for 50% off on Steam. From May 24th until May 31st, create, explore, vibe or simply relax in the lush soundscape of this immersive nightlife experience, with a new step sequencer instrument added to let you blast the bunker beats out to your heart’s content!

In an alternate timeline, a plague has all but shut down life on Earth’s surface, driving you to seek safety of your very own desolate fallout shelter, where you escape into the vivid simulation of a futuristic, neon lit, labyrinthine nightclub. Create your own nightclub mix with no musical knowledge necessary by using in-game instruments, including a synth keyboard, drum machines, bass loops, arpeggiators and an all-new step sequencer which allows you to build and control 8 note loop patterns. Feel like dancing and relaxing instead? Explore a series of serpentine spaces, including an art gallery, a forest-scale garden, an arcade and a number of chill-out rooms where you can enjoy a virtual beverage and relax to the soothing sonic tones. With the in-game messaging system, leave notes for other players to appear in their nightclubs as randomly generated toilet wall graffiti or messages on drink coasters.

Isolationist Nightclub Simulator is supported by Creative Victoria’s Sustaining Creative Workers grant and is designed to provide a relaxingly creative part walking simulator, part modern art installation experience that offers something for everyone, no matter what mood you are in.

About Edwin Montgomery

With a background in classical composition and a Masters Degree from AFTRS in composing for screen, Edwin Montgomery is a composer, musician and sound designer who works across film, games, immersive theatre, installations and mixed media artworks. Recently they scored the award-winning feature documentary Time, which won Best Documentary Directing at Sundance 2020, and created the unique sonic-drive interactive multimedia cult hit Sisyphus Reborn, as well as the Neon Cyborg Cat Club.

Introducing CircoLoco Records, A New Record Label from Rockstar Games and CircoLoco

Introducing CircoLoco Records
A New Record Label Created in Partnership with CircoLoco: First EP Coming June 4th

Music has always been a fundamental part of Rockstar Games — from the championing of underground artists and scenes across our titles, to the meticulously curated radio stations of the Grand Theft Auto series and the introduction of fully-realized digital nightclubs in Grand Theft Auto Online with the After Hours update, as well as expanding the possibilities for in-game social spaces and music discovery with the release of The Cayo Perico Heist.

Now, we’re further fusing the physical and digital worlds of entertainment by teaming with CircoLoco — creators of some of the world’s biggest and most influential real world parties and one of the most recognized brands in modern dance music — to create a brand-new record label, CircoLoco Records.

Debuting with a series of EPs featuring tracks from the label’s forthcoming first compilation album, Monday Dreamin’, CircoLoco Records will showcase contributions from some of the visionaries and icons from every era of CircoLoco’s greatest parties including new music from Music Locker resident DJ Moodymann, After Hours resident Dixon, along with Carl Craig, Luciano, Seth Troxler, and Rampa, as well as up and coming artists that point to the future of dance music including Sama’ Abdulhadi, Lost Souls of Saturn & TOKiMONSTA, Red Axes, and many more.

https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/7o8ygzs06bj5LbwO72N6Nw

The first EP, Monday Dreamin’ Blue EP, will kick things off on June 4th featuring new tracks from Sama’ Abdulhadi, Kerri Chandler, Rampa, and Seth Troxler alongside a new Dixon remix of Deichkind’s “Autonom.” The Seth Troxler track, “Lumartes” is now available. Further EPs will release weekly in the lead-up to the full compilation’s release on July 9th.

Representing house and techno for over 20 years through its parties at Ibiza’s DC10 and around the world, CircoLoco’s dancefloor has become a principal intersection between underground dance music and elements of fashion, art and wider culture. From the beginning, the club’s commitment to music-focused, no-frills club nights with mixed lineups and an eye to the future supercharged the careers of many DJ’s including Tania Vulcano, Ricardo Villalobos, Jamie Jones and many more, along with featuring many of the artists from GTA Online’s After Hours and The Cayo Perico Heist, including The Blessed Madonna, Dixon, Solomun, Keinemusik, Tale Of Us, and Moodymann.

A long-term effort toward environmental sustainability has been another hallmark of CircoLoco’s efforts to evolve the brand’s approach. The launch of CircoLoco Records reinforces CircoLoco’s commitment to championing forward-thinking dance music artists beyond the club.

CircoLoco Records will break new ground in an effort to support and elevate dance music culture during one of the most fraught periods ever experienced for clubs and represents an opportunity to elevate the scene through the collective power of these two entertainment brands.

For more information, visit circolocorecords.com.

Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster Review

Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster

Developer: Atlus
Publisher: Atlus
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4 (Reviewed), Switch
Release Date: May 25, 2021
Price: $49.99 USD – Available Here $79.95 AUD – Available Here

Overview

Although the Shin Megami Tensei series is nearly three decades old, for most of us the series may feel like it has only been around two decades. This is because the franchise’s first two entries were never released outside of Japan back then with Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne serving as the first proper Western appearance for the series. Back in 2004 few could have guessed that it would turn into a challenging classic that would find itself a solid fan base that would only increase in size as its spin-off series, Persona, continued to grow. Now that Atlus has brought this classic back to the forefront with a number of quality of life upgrades as well as some improved graphics for potential newcomers and longtime fans to experience, is Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster still just as strong of a JRPG after all these years?

Story

The player character begins their day meeting with their friends in Tokyo the day after a massive clash between two rival cults resulted in multiple deaths. When the group travels to the local hospital to find their teacher, they find it abandoned and shortly afterwards, the “Conception” happens. This apocalyptic event has nearly wiped out all of humanity and even the player character awakes to find that he is now the Demi-Fiend, a being that is part-demon, part-human. 

With their new powers and the ability to sway demons to their side, the Demi-Fiend must track down their surviving friends and find out what has happened to the world. Of course, unlike most games that find players trying to save the world, the darker tone of the Shin Megami series is at its best here as players will find that the world will change, one way or another and it will be up to them to decide how.

In many ways, Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster tells a straightforward narrative that is spiced up thanks to unique chaotic elements that can only exist in an apocalyptic world where demons run free and own shops while most humans only remain as ghosts and how nonchalant the world is now that things have changed. The player will still find that while the game features multiple endings, the actual path to each of them remains mostly the same outside of the special ending to the game that takes a bit of extra work and reveals a bit more about the story as a whole. 

It is also worth noting that, outside of featuring Raidou from the Devil Summoner series, as the default release guest character this still remains mostly the same exact story that longtime fans will be familiar with, with only small localization refinements made compared to the original release. The original guest character that Western fans had, Dante from Devil May Cry, is only available as a separate piece of DLC and it is rather unfortunate that, even if players purchase this DLC, the only way to experience all of the scenes with these characters is by playing through the game twice as the game only allows the selection of Chronicle, featuring Raidou, or Maniax, featuring Dante, at the start of the story.

Gameplay

In many ways Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster will still play the same as players will remember as they travel through narrow passages in labyrinth style dungeons while dealing with random encounters the whole time. The series has always been known for its Press-Turn style of turn based combat where players can take advantage of enemy elemental weaknesses to extend their turns, giving their own team additional attacks if they hit a weakness or strike a critical blow. On the other side of things, a missed attack or resisted blow will remove an action and enemies will freely be able to target the players’ teams own weak points in an effort to extend their turns. This means that players will want to always be on their toes and potentially keep their team fresh outside of battle by healing when needed or swapping out a party member for another demon in their stock that is potentially resistant to the foes in the area.

Of course, even with all the preparation possible Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster can still be an incredibly unforgiving game. While players may feel like they are initially getting the hang of things, there are numerous moments throughout the title that will serve as a true test to the player’s team building abilities and combat knowledge. Even when these challenges don’t spring up at obvious points, there are times when RNG will simply lead to the player having no way to avoid a sudden game over should they be targeted and hit with an instant kill or combo attack that leads to instant death. This is primarily due to the Demi-Fiend being the only character that truly matters in the player’s party since, when he goes down, the game is over. 

That being said, there are a couple of new accessibility options to make the game a bit easier as a whole, the first of all being the “Merciful” difficulty option that makes combat significantly easier and less frequent, giving players more options to simply play as they wish and experience the game. Then there is the ability to “suspend” the game by creating a temporary save at any location, allowing for players to walk away should something come up without having to make a rush to a save location, which can occasionally be rather few and far between depending on the dungeon. 

Rarely do games reward players who freely throw away health, money, and items but the Shin Megami Tensei series is not like most games and the dark twisted nature of being able to recruit demons to fight alongside the Demi-Fiend remains as thrilling as ever in this HD release. Players will negotiate with enemies and often throw a little of everything at the enemy trying to recruit them but it is entirely possible that they’ll simply scoff and run off with everything in the end or simply give them an item that they likely requested from the player to begin with.

Nothing is a sure thing when it comes to recruiting a demon to your side but one thing that can be something of a sure thing, should the player choose, is skill inheritance. Coming in as one of the most significant quality of life improvements over the original release is the ability to choose what skills can be carried over to a fused demon in the Cathedral of Shadows can really help players in the long run as what used to be a trial and error situation that could result in losing valuable skills, allowing many unique combinations that can result in a powerful ally.

Visuals & Audio

Considering the original PlayStation 2 game was released in 2004, this HD remaster does a fairly solid job improving the graphics of the game but not quite as well as some may hope. While the character models remain fairly strong looking and the 3D models of most of the demons continue to impress, the clear limitations of the PlayStation 2 continue to ring true here as many areas remain fairly barren and even low-textured in some spots with cutscenes also being presented in only their original appearance with minimal improvements. It also is worth noting that not only is the camera still something players will struggle with from time to time but also there tends to be a strange flickering bug that happens for a second after interacting with NPCs and items.

Another key improvement to Shin Megami Tensei III HD Remaster is the ability to play with a brand new English or Japanese voice track. The original release of the game featured no voice work at all outside of some occasional chimes during combat from demons so the addition of voice work is a nice and noteworthy improvement as the English voice cast does a stellar job with their characters here. That being said, it is rather odd that while the developers recorded new voice work and touched up the graphics, the soundtrack for the game sounds quite awful more often than not. While some tracks may have sounded great originally, it instead comes off as rough and difficult to hear even at the best of times.

Overall

Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster has aged like a fine wine thanks in part due to how amazing its combat mechanics and demon recruitment system has held up over the years. With a number of graphical enhancements and some great quality of life improvements, this classic JRPG is more accessible and far more enjoyable than before but can be just as brutal and punishing if the player isn’t careful. There are still a number of rough edges as well as some elements that could still have used improvement but those looking for a great way to replay a classic or dive into the difficult origins of a series they may have only recently experienced will find this remaster a great way to do so.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Legendary Sorceress ‘Morgan Le Fay’ Casts a Dark Spell in New SMITE Cinematic Trailer

Cunning and witchcraft come to the Battleground of the Gods this June

ATLANTA – MAY 24 – Morgan Le Fay, queen of the dark arts and arch-mage of Arthurian legend will cast her spell on SMITE this June.

Wielding vast powers of sorcery and seduction, this rival or Arthur and Merlin is equal parts magic and manipulation.

Regarding others as toys for her own amusement, Morgan Le Fay brandishes white and death magics, healing powers, and the forbidden arts against her enemies. 

Watch the cinematic reveal trailer for a taste of her strength:

Morgan Le Fay will be the third God released in SMITE – Hi-Rez Studios’ free-to-play action MOBA – this year, adding to the legendary roster of over 110 mythological icons like Zeus, Thor, and Athena.

All details about Morgan Le Fay will be available on the SMITE website, following the Update Show happening on SMITE’s Twitch channel on May 26th at 3pm ET.

Website: https://www.SMITEGame.com
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YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/SMITEGame