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Hood: Outlaws & Legends’ Final Character Trailer Reveals: The Mystic!

Hood: Outlaws & Legends’ Final Character Trailer Reveals: The Mystic!

Hood: Outlaws & Legends, the upcoming multiplayer PvPvE heist game from Sumo Digital and Focus Home Interactive, has released its latest character gameplay trailer revealing its fourth and final launch hero: the Mystic.

Mystic Gameplay Trailer:

Trained from a young age as an inquisitor, the Mystic chose to rebel against the government’s iron fist and brings several unique powers to the battlefield. Use your abilities to reveal nearby enemies for a short time and heal yourself and nearby allies. Meanwhile, the Mystic’s poisonous smoke bombs can bring foes to their knees — or be adapted with perks to heal allies in an area-of-effect.

The Mystic is also a capable melee fighter, with a deadly flail that can set the pace of combat. Swing it to create space or launch it forward to perform a powerful mid-range attack, stunning enemies to create an opening for a finishing blow. In a game where close cooperation is key, the Mystic can be a vital addition to your team composition and strategy.

Pre-order Hood: Outlaws & Legends now on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and PC to get exclusive early access on May 7 — three days before the official release on May 10. Pre-orders will receive the “Forest Lords” cosmetic pack for free, featuring unique outfits and weapon skins for your characters. You can also pre-order the game’s Year 1 Edition, which includes three Battle Passes due to be released post-launch.

If you missed any of Hood’s character gameplay reveals, check out the full YouTube playlist for each trailer! And for more on the game, visit www.focus-home.com/en-us/games/hood-outlaws-legends.

PUBG MOBILE SURPASSES ONE BILLION DOWNLOADS, TEAMS WITH EPIC ACTIONER GODZILLA VS. KONG FOR SPECIAL COLLABORATION

PUBG MOBILE SURPASSES ONE BILLION DOWNLOADS, TEAMS WITH EPIC ACTIONER GODZILLA VS. KONG FOR SPECIAL COLLABORATION

The World’s most popular mobile game celebrates three-year anniversary with impressive milestone, new tracks from superstar DJs Alesso, Lost Frequencies and R3HAB

LOS ANGELES – March 25, 2021 –PUBG MOBILE has surpassed the groundbreaking milestone of one billion accumulated downloads, announced as part of the game’s ongoing three-year anniversary celebration. In addition, PUBG MOBILE will soon be partnering with Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ upcoming epic action adventure movie Godzilla vs. Kong for an exclusive in-game event. And later this week fans around the globe will witness the kick-off of the highly-anticipated PUBG MOBILE Pro League Spring Split 2021, followed by the new All-Talent Championship on Friday, March 26.

In just three years, PUBG MOBILE has climbed app store charts around the globe to garner more than one billion accumulated downloads worldwide, excluding Mainland China. PUBG MOBILE released a video to thank for the support from over one billion players worldwide.

To mark the occasion, Changhan Kim, Chief Executive Officer of KRAFTON, Inc. shared a video to congratulate the game on this momentous achievement.

“PUBG MOBILE was able to surpass 1 billion downloads worldwide within just three years and continues to rewrite the history of mobile games. Back in March of 2018, we released PUBG MOBILE with the goal of delivering the original PUBG experience to a wider audience. Our focus was to offer PUBG’s unique Battle Royale play on mobile and continue to excite players with fun, thrilling gameplay by creating a variety of new innovative content.”

Rick Li, Producer of PUBG MOBILE and Executive Producer of Lightspeed & Quantum Studios, Tencent Games also shared his feelings about the three-year development.

“As an authentic mobile version of PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS, PUBG MOBILE is loved and supported by more than 1 billion worldwide players in the past three years. We are highly appreciated for all the support. The development team will continue to provide the most realistic and creative gaming experience, with highest quality on the mobile platform.”

Since launching in March 2018, PUBG MOBILE has soared to become a global phenomenon that swept across the world to surpass 1 billion accumulated downloads. As the most recent addition to the one billion downloads club, PUBG MOBILE continues to display innovation with more than 30 version updates since launching globally.

PUBG MOBILE also recently showcased the unique music themed gameplay mode “HUNDRED RHYTHMS”, which featured a collaboration with three world-renowned DJs for the game’s three-year anniversary including: Stockholm-based dance music producer Alesso, Belgian musician Lost Frequencies and Dutch-Moroccan DJ and producer R3HAB.  All three DJ’s shared their mix sets exclusively in PUBG MOBILE’s three-year anniversary party. The sets included the worldwide debut of Alesso’s new single “Going Dumb”, Lost Frequencies’ new single “Rise” and R3HAB’s new single “Stars Align”. Iconic Kpop group BLACKPINK also sent their three year Anniversary wishes through a video and released a remix to the hit single “DDU-DU DDU-DU” in the game for players and Blinks alike. Players can now land in the in-game electronic music square to listen to clips of hit singles.

PUBG MOBILE fans can recap the star-studded event on the game’s official YouTube channel, including the special celebrity exhibition tournament event.

PUBG MOBILE also revealed today an unprecedented partnership with the highly-anticipated movie Godzilla vs. Kong, with the long-awaited showdown between these two cinema Titans coming to theaters on March 31 and on HBO Max for 31 days from theatrical release. In a special congratulatory video, the film’s director Adam Wingard teased an exclusive game mode for the collaboration, along with additional specially-themed content.

The new video released by PUBG MOBILE  announces that the sixth classic map Karakin is set to be made available for players on Wednesday, April 7. Karakin is a two-by-two kilometer rock filled land located in North Africa, which combines Miramar’s tension with Sanhok’s fast-paced gameplay. A new Demolition purple zone, new throwable, and bullet penetration mechanics exclusive to Karakin will bring thrilling experiences to mobile players where only one of 64 players earns the chicken dinner in tension-filled battles.

Mobile esports fans can also tune into PUBG MOBILE ESPORTS official YouTube channel to watch the PUBG MOBILE Pro League Spring Split 2021 (PMPL), with seven new leagues joining PMPL this year. In addition to the PUBG MOBILE Pro League, all players can experience the glory of high-intensity esports gaming with the PUBG MOBILE All-Talent Championship, beginning Friday, March 26. In this remote virtual tournament, players can partner with teammates to participate in three stages of competition. Points are calculated through the addition of eliminations combined with match rank, with 15 points awarded for a chicken dinner. As teams collect points in each round, they will be divided into categories for the chance to move on.

Stay tuned for more information about the collaboration and more, including the upcoming launch of the two-by-two kilometer desert Karakin map.

PUBG MOBILE is available to download for free on the App Store and Google Play Store. 

ABOUT Godzilla vs. Kong

On March 31, 2021 from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures comes the long-awaited face-off showdown between two icons in the epic adventure Godzilla vs. Kong, starring Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Shun Oguri, Eiza González, Julian Dennison, with Kyle Chandler and Demián Bichir, under the direction of Adam Wingard, from a screenplay by Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein, story by Terry Rossio and Michael Dougherty & Zach Shields, based on the character “Godzilla” owned and created by TOHO CO., LTD.. Legends collide in Godzilla vs. Kong as these mythic adversaries meet in a spectacular battle for the ages, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.  Kong and his protectors undertake a perilous journey to find his true home, and with them is Jia, a young, orphaned girl with whom he has formed a unique and powerful bond.  But they unexpectedly find themselves in the path of an enraged Godzilla, cutting a swath of destruction across the globe.  The epic clash between the two titans—instigated by unseen forces—is only the beginning of the mystery that lies deep within the core of the Earth. Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Present a Legendary Pictures Production, A Film By Adam Wingard, Godzilla vs. Kong.

ABOUT ALESSO

Hailing from Stockholm, ALESSO is one of Dance music’s most treasured producers. ALESSO is a global maverick in the industry having garnered nearly 2 billion streams. His list of collaborations is filled with a mix of eclectic artists ranging from OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, Calvin Harris, Tove Lo, Liam Payne, Swedish House Mafia’s Sebastian Ingrosso, Hailee Steinfeld, Florida Georgia Line, Anitta, and more. In 2020, he released “Midnight” featuring superstar, Liam Payne. The record received praise from Rolling Stone, Billboard, Harper’s Bazaar, MTV, and graced national television on The Late Late Show With James Corden and Good Morning America. When he’s not releasing music, he’s touring the world, headlining festivals and selling out clubs and venues alike.

ABOUT LOST FREQUENCIES

Felix De Laet, better known by his moniker LOST FREQUENCIES, has soared to success in the international music industry over the past half-decade. Releasing his global smash hit ‘Are You With Me’ back in 2014 with the track rapidly ascended by hitting multi-platinum status, taking the #1 spot in 18 countries and becoming the first Belgian artist to hit #1 in the UK. In 2018 LOST FREQUENCIES amassed over 1 billion streams, that as of 2020, has eclipsed over 3.5 billion. From show-stopping live appearances, to career-making studio hits, LOST FREQUENCIES continues to soar to a meteoric rise at his own accord.

ABOUT R3HAB

Dutch/Moroccan DJ and producer Fadil El Ghoul, better known as R3HAB, has been trailblazing his way through dance music for the better part of the last decade. From his breakthrough hit remix of Afrojack, Pitbull and Ne-Yo’s “Give Me Everything” to his dance anthems, “All Around The World (La La La)” and “Lullaby,” which have collectively amassed +600M streams, to his collaborations with ZAYN, Sofia Carson and more, R3HAB has proven himself as one of most talented artists in the game. In 2016 he founded label CYB3RPVNK, which passed one billion streams on its catalog within its first two years.

About BLACKPINK

BLACKPINK is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment. The quartet consists of JISOO, JENNIE, ROSÉ, and LISA. BLACKPINK had captured the hearts of audiences from the moment they released their debut single [SQUARE ONE] in August 2016. Since then, they have turned every single they release, such as “DDU-DU DDU-DU” and “Kill This Love”, into hit songs, making their foray into global superstardom. Spurred by this success, BLACKPINK became the first female K-pop band invited to perform at Coachella in 2019, the largest music festival in the U.S.  In 2019, they successfully finished a world tour spanning 23 cities, 4 continents, 32 shows, and 4 Japanese dome tours. In October 2020, BLACKPINK had released the first full album “THE ALBUM”, topped prominent music charts, and recognized by numerous prestigious awards.

The band’s global influence keeps growing, and it is shown with their recent collaborations with international pop artists such as Dua Lipa, Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez and Cardi B.

BLACKPINK had completed their first live stream concert, “THE SHOW” on YouTube on Jan 31, 2021 with success. Now Various projects such as solo projects for each member are under way.

ABOUT PUBG MOBILE

PUBG MOBILE is based on PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS, the phenomenon that took the world of interactive entertainment by storm in 2017. Up to 100 players parachute onto a remote island to battle in a winner-takes-all showdown. Players must locate and scavenge their own weapons, vehicles and supplies, and defeat every player in a visually and tactically rich battleground that forces players into a shrinking play zone.

For more information, please visit the official PUBG MOBILEaccounts on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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Ryu Games Secures $2.3 Million to Accelerate Growth of Mobile Cash Tournament Gaming Platform

Ryu Games Secures $2.3 Million to Accelerate Growth of Mobile Cash Tournament Gaming Platform

SAN FRANCISCO, California – March 25, 2021 – Ryu Games, a mobile gaming platform offering cash tournaments, announced the close of a $2.3 million seed round of funding from Velo Partners, Citta Ventures, MGV Capital, INP Capital, Side Door Ventures, and 500 Startups, which will help further fuel the company’s growth. Other investors with deep gaming and cash gaming expertise include Geoff Bough, the former head of Business Development at FanDuel, David Kirk, the former chief scientist at NVIDIA and Riz Virk, formerly on the founding team at TapJoy. Since the launch of its SDK in late 2020, the company has announced several partnerships with game studios and launched a dozen mobile cash tournament games as well as the Pearl Shop for players to redeem its in-game currency “Pearls” for fun and entertaining rewards, such as avatars and in-game cosmetic items. With this additional capital, Ryu will continue moving forward to grow rapidly in the cash tournament gaming market within the US.

Competitive cash tournament gaming, also called “esports”, was estimated to exceed $1.1 billion in 2020, up 15.7% from 2019. While posing tremendous opportunity, regulation is managed tightly state to state in the U.S. Ryu’s cash tournaments SDK makes navigating this regulation easy, enabling developers to turn any mobile game into a cash tournament game.

Ross Krasner, CEO of Ryu Games, said: “Real money esports tournaments on mobile games have exploded in popularity over the past few years. We want to bring these players social functionality that gamers on other platforms have grown to expect. This round of funding will allow our team and our developer partners to bring our winning twist on cash tournaments to a broad audience through a carefully curated catalog of titles.”

Jim Mao, General Partner at Citta Capital said: “In the rapidly growing cash tournament gaming landscape, Ryu’s SDK stands out by providing a solution that enables developers to tap into the lucrative cash tournaments market seamlessly, combined with growing social features that drive greater player retention and spend. They have a tremendous opportunity ahead to expand their business in the US, and we’re looking forward to working with them on this journey.”

Evan Hoff from Velo Partners said: “We believe cash tournament gaming is becoming an established category within the gaming sector and is already seeing explosive growth among players. Ryu Games is uniquely positioned with its innovative and scalable platform to capture a material slice of this market. What we particularly like about Ross and the team is their understanding of the inherent social characteristics of gaming and their approach to product is built around that proposition. We are extremely excited for the journey ahead.”

Ryu’s mobile cash tournaments platform features hyper-casual games and deep social feature integration, including in-game chat, detailed match history, leaderboards and more. Players can earn rewards for playing such as Pearls and cash rewards for completing tasks, like inviting friends. Play challenges and tasks differ across Ryu’s network of games, and rewards also include player customization items, such as game-specific skins and win animations.

Since initially launching its SDK in September 2020, Ryu has released several mobile titles in the App Store, including such games as Bingo Boost, Blackjack Boost, and Hit 1000.

To learn more about Ryu’s growing mobile cash tournaments network, please visit https://ryu.games/.

About Ryu Games
Based in San Francisco, Ryu Games is a mobile gaming platform combining cash tournaments with social interactions. Its SDK can turn any mobile game of skill into a real-money tournament, while providing developers with a steady monetization stream and inclusion in Ryu’s growing catalog of games for cross-promotion opportunities. Ryu is also changing the way people play by mobile games by bringing competitive and social features into any game, including chat, leaderboards and more. For more information about Ryu’s platform and growing catalog of mobile multiplayer titles, visit https://ryu.games/.

Atari® and Chain Games Extend Partnership on the Atari Multiverse

Atari® and Chain Games Extend Partnership on the Atari Multiverse

The collaboration will see the expansion and development of the Atari Multiverse and further integration of ATRI & CHAIN games across both parties’ platforms

Atari and Chain Games will also increase the collaboration between their respective tokens, $ATRI and $CHAIN 

NEW YORK – MARCH 25, 2021 — Atari® — one of the world’s most iconic consumer brands and entertainment producers — has announced today that they will expand their existing partnership with Chain Games to integrate into the upcoming Atari Multiverse experience. As a part of this expansion, Chain Games and Atari will develop a region within the Atari Multiverse where users can experience their collaborative efforts, including brand new interactive experiences provided by both parties. Chain Games will have their own land plots where they will integrate their gaming experiences.

Chain Games is integrating the Atari Token ($ATRI) into their existing games. Atari Chain, a subsidiary of Atari and ICICB Group operates the Atari Token. As a part of the deal, Chain Games Token ($CHAIN) will be available for use in the Chain Games land of the Atari Metaverse. In addition to the Atari Multiverse collaboration, Chain Games will also take part in the Beta program for the Atari Crypto-Casino. Atari Chain and Chain Games are jointly working on additional initiatives.

Chain Games™ is an evolution in Web 3.0 blockchain gaming, combining smart contract-based contests with state-of-the-art gameplay. Chain Games’ products are fully ERC-20 and Ethereum compatible. SmartContests™ is an industry-first contract-based competition system where players can compete in games of skill to earn winnings. SmartStaking™ Gaming Contracts reward stakers on the network with 15% of the fees generated on each game played, allowing them to passively earn on any game played on the Chain network. Super Crypto Kart is the first blockchain-integrated game to utilize the Chain Games SmartContests™ Gaming Contracts. Super Crypto Kart is a cross-platform kart-based racing game that will be available in the Atari Multiverse, along with other games such as CHAINO, Solitaire Plus, Speed Chess, and additional titles that are currently in development.

“It is very natural for us to extend our partnership agreement with Chain Games,” said Fred Chesnais, CEO of Atari. “Having Chain Games as a partner in our world, in one of the upcoming lands, will help us continue to push the envelope for crypto gaming.”

“We are thrilled to expand our relationship with Atari and love what they are doing in the blockchain and crypto space! ” said Adam Barlam, CEO & Founder of Chain Games. “Being partnered with such an iconic brand and staple in the gaming industry will enable us to be synonymous with the term blockchain gaming!” 

About Chain Games

Chain Games™is an evolution in Web 3.0 blockchain gaming combining smart contract-based contests with state-of-the-art gameplay. Chain Games is committed to transitioning the blockchain gaming industry into the modern gaming era. Chain Games is an Estonian Private Limited Liability Company. 

For more information on Chain Games, please join the Chain Games Telegram at https://t.me/chaingames and visit https://chaingames.io. 

About Atari / Atari Chain

Atari, composed of Atari SA and its subsidiaries, is a global interactive entertainment and multiplatform licensing group. The true innovator of the video game, founded in 1972, Atari owns and/or manages a portfolio of more than 200 games and franchises, including globally known brands such as Asteroids®, Centipede®, Missile Command® and Pong®. From this important portfolio of intellectual properties, Atari delivers attractive online games for smartphones, tablets, and other connected devices. Atari also develops and distributes interactive entertainment for Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo game consoles. Atari also leverages its brand and franchises with licensing agreements through other media, derivative products and publishing. Atari Chain is a 50%-subsidiary of Atari, SA, co-owned by Atari and ICICB Group, and is operating the Atari Token.

Get Ready For The Run Of A Lifetime As Crash Bandicoot™ Is Unleashed On Mobile Worldwide

Get Ready For The Run Of A Lifetime As Crash BandicootIs Unleashed On Mobile Worldwide

Everyone’s favorite marsupial stars in brand-new mobile adventure Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!™ now available for free on iOS and Android

First collaboration with Activision pairs King’s unparalleled development talent with legendary Crash Bandicoot franchise

NEW YORK / LONDON, March 25, 2021 – King, a leading interactive entertainment company for the mobile world, today announced that Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!™ is now available to download and play for free worldwide on iOS and Android mobile devices. In the all-new Crash Bandicoot mobile adventure, players will run, spin, swipe and smash their way through mysterious lands, defeating the henchmen of Dr. Neo Cortex who has dispatched iconic villains across the multiverse. With the help of his sister Coco, Crash must bash Cortex’s minions back to their own dimensions!

“We’re very excited for players to finally get their hands on Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!,” said Stephen Jarrett, Vice President of Game Design at King. “It’s been a labor of love for King to bring everybody’s favorite marsupial to mobile in a way that is unique and fresh, while honoring more than 25 years of rich history with the beloved character. We wanted to make this the Crashiest Crash game ever!”

“We are excited to deliver a new mobile experience that pairs Activision’s beloved franchise together with King’s unparalleled mobile expertise,” said Daniel Alegre, President & Chief Operating Officer at Activision Blizzard. “This collaboration is a great example of how we are working across our franchises to bring our IP to players on different platforms. We can’t wait for our fans to jump in.”

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! offers an un-fur-gettable gameplay experience, with a variety of running challenges and exciting features that add depth and progression to the game including time trials, collection runs, base building and crafting. The game will also be updated regularly with new cosmetic items, classic and creative new skins, and much more during regular seasonal updates.

The all-new Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! will also launch with a range of exciting social features including Teams and Survival Runs. Players can choose to join a team with friends or start their own where they can chat with other Bandicoot fans or compete against one another on asynchronous multiplayer runs to climb the leaderboard and earn special rewards.

The Wumpa Archipelago is vast and fans of the Crash Bandicootfranchise will immediately recognize memorable regions from previous Crash Bandicoot games, such as Temple Ruins, Turtle Woods, The Lost City, The Lab and more. Classic enemies and bosses, including Scorporilla, Nitrus Brio and Fake Crash will try to thwart Crash’s progress in a brand-new adventure that gamers can play on the go.

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! is now available to download and play for free on iOS and Android. For more information visit www.CrashOnTheRun.com.

About King

King is the game developer behind the world-famous Candy Crush franchise, as well as mobile game hits including Farm Heroes, Bubble Witch and Pet Rescue. Candy Crush is the top-grossing franchise in US app stores, a position it has held for the last two years, and King’s games are being played by 240 million monthly active users as of Q4 2020. King, which is part of the Activision Blizzard group since its acquisition in 2016, employs nearly 2,000 people in game studios in Stockholm, Malmö, London, Barcelona and Berlin, and offices in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Malta.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves King’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the features, functionality and launch of Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause King’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to King and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither King nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of King or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

© 2021 Activision Publishing Inc. CRASH BANDICOOT: ON THE RUN!CRASH BANDICOOT and CRASH are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. KING and the KING crown logo are trademarks of King.com Ltd.

Back 4 Blood Release Pushed to October 12

As with many games in recent months, Back 4 Blood is going to be delayed but unlike most of these games it still has a set release date in sight. Warner bros. and Turtle Rock Studios have announced that although Back 4 Blood will no longer be hitting its previously planned release date of June 22nd the company is only pushing the game back to October 12th where it will still be releasing on the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC.

While most can figure out why this delay was necessary given the events of the past year, Turtle Rock Studios’ statement has stated that the team is aiming to give players the “best game it can possibly be at launch” and will need more time to do that. They are aiming on holding an open beta some time this summer to give fans another chance to see what this multiplayer zombie game has to offer.

Melty Blood: Type Lumina Worldwide Release Planned for 2021

French-Bread and Project Lumina had some surprising news for fighting game fans today as they revealed a brand new Melty Blood game is on the way and has already been confirmed for worldwide release this year. Melty Blood: Type Lumina will feature Japanese voice work and feature English, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean subtitles at launch when the game is released on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

Currently it is unknown who will be publishing the game in the West but the company did regeal that the first four playable characters will be Shiki Tohno, Arcueid Brunestud, Akiha Tohno, and Ciel who will all be voiced by the new voice actors that will be working on the upcoming remake of Tsukihime.

The first screenshots for Melty Blood: Type Lumina can be found below while those wanting to check out the official website can do so here.

Spacebase Startopia Review

Spacebase Startopia

Developer: Realmforge Studios
Publisher: Kalypso Media
Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Windows (Reviewed)
Release Date: 26 March 2021
Price:  $49.99 USD/$69.95 AUD – Available Here

Video Review

Overview

Spacebase Startopia is bringing an old school niche favourite back to the PC. The new game hopes to recapture the witty humour of its predecessor while adding a new RTS mechanic. The game offers a ten-mission long campaign, single player sandbox, co-op, and competitive multiplayer.

Story

Players are a human commander of a hotel located on a space station. Their murderous AI VAL serves as their guide, assistant, and taskmaster. VAL is modeled after the many evil AIs in pop culture with none of the charm that made the likes of GLaDOS or HAL 9000 amazing. The emotionless VAL is unrelenting in her disdain for biological creatures and as shallow as a puddle. The first few jokes about biological creatures’ inferiority are funny, but the thirty or so that followed fell flat. There are a few good quips in the game, but they all have nothing to do with the comparison between AIs and creatures. They were all references to pop culture or history that were weaved into the game’s setting really well. If those jokes were the bulk of the product, the writers would have had a brilliantly written game instead of the dull mess we are presented with.

Gameplay

Spacebase Startopia is an empire management-RTS hybrid. Unfortunately, the RTS section is painfully bad. The gameplay is shallow with only three hero type mechs and a swarm of disposable drones available. The RTS controls are incredibly clumsy. The game provides terrible feedback about what your units are doing and what problems they are encountering. Setting up the base to be economically efficient and time efficient for mech movements is an unpleasant chore given the small map size. Considering how limited the scope is, I would have preferred to see the RTS portion of the game dropped completely. Spacebase Startopia’s PVP would be much better served by focusing on sabotage and economic combat only.

The empire management half of the game is where Spacebase Startopia is at its best. It is an incredible balancing act where players are keeping multiple plates spinning at a time. The game offers a large breadth of clientele. Each race and client type have their own needs and interests, and only a few basic ones overlap.  Changes in employment, adding new buildings, and new alien species can quickly disrupt the harmonious balance and send station ratings plummeting within several minutes. Digging yourself out of these messes is what makes the game fun.

Base planning is an enjoyable challenge when combat pathing is pushed aside. While it is not as intense as a full-blown city sim, players will need to make sure their space station’s air quality, power grid, and garbage needs are met. Some buildings can be customized which works well for Spacebase Startopia’s cramped maps. The game offers a few pre-set blueprints that are highly efficient. I like that players can save their own blueprints in case they find themselves relying on a super skinny design to shove into tight alleys often.

Spacebase Startopia struggles with presenting information clearly. The game just drowns the player in useless information with its social media-like voting system. The population submits feedback at a set interval. Players can filter the feedback by race, positive reviews, and negative reviews. The hashtags and likes are supposed to give a quick overview of the issue, but the commentary is rarely detailed enough to hint out where the actual problem lies. Instead, players need to dig around individual character menus and buildings to figure out what is the cause. All of this trouble could be avoided by sticking with tried-and-true methods like detailed tables and graphs.  

There are two sets of tutorials in the game. The initial set of tutorials are a few quick maps to teach the absolute basic principles. The campaign is a longer chain of missions that walk players through all the game’s mechanics. When I previewed this game a few months back, I was quite happy with the early missions and wished for more. In hindsight, I should have been careful what I wished for. I got what I wanted, but not at the quality I was hoping for. The later campaign missions have very frustrating win conditions that unnecessarily drag out play time by either adding a dull grind or throwing an unwanted last-minute surprise. For example, the space trader mission dragged on for an extra half hour because fake traders that cheat the player can spawn at what I believe to be their normal spawn rate.

The controls are usable but far from perfect. I find the mouse controls never made complete sense to me as gamer who put more hours into the original Starcraft than I wish to admit. I suspect the controls were designed with consoles in mind and simply tacked onto PC with the almost singular obsession for using the right mouse button to interact with the game. A left mouse click is randomly thrown in for item management which makes the controls feel weirder than it already is. To add insult to injury for PC gamers, there is no ability to rebind keys either.

The quality-of-life features are lacking. There’s no way to dump entire stacks of items into the recycler, or if there is, the game isn’t clear about it. Moving buildings around also takes about two steps too many.

Visuals

The art style is good. The art team did a great job making three visually distinct floors that reflect their different gameplay roles. The team also did a good job modernizing the original Startopia style and giving the new game a slightly more cartoony touch.

Audio

The audio is decent. The voice acting works well for a soulless AI. Players are given a few options to choose from, including no voice acting at all. The sound effects are passable. The soundtrack is extremely limited though. There’s only a handful of tracks that play on loop when the camera is near specific buildings. Otherwise, the audio landscape is just barren.

Overall

Spacebase Startopia is not worth the AA price tag. The developers took a big gamble when they tried to make a hybrid empire management sim-RTS game, and it blew up in their face mightily. The writing is bad. The RTS portion of the game is shallow and poorly executed. The empire management section is better, but there are still some glaring issues with the campaign and how information is presented. One must wonder how much better the game would be if the developers just cut their losses early and spent all that time making a better empire management sim. Combined with the dull audio experience, the only people I see playing this game are empire sim fans looking for a weird experimental title during a major sale.  

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Lifesize NBA® 2K21 Zion Williamson LEGO® Brick Statue Unveiled by The Brickman

Lifesize NBA® 2K21 Zion Williamson LEGO® Brick Statue Unveiled by The Brickman

2K partners with Australia’s only LEGO® certified professional for one-of-a-kind build

With NBA® 2K21* built from the ground up for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, 2K Australia and New Zealand teamed up with Ryan McNaught – known as The Brickman and Australia’s only LEGO® Certified Professional – to give Next-Gen cover star Zion Williamson a fresh new blocky look.

The statue was built using approximately 42,000 LEGO® bricks and is an impressive, true to size recreation of Zion, a player who is known for his on-court power and also fittingly possesses a Gold “Brick Wall” badge in NBA 2K21.

“Working on this project with 2K Australia and New Zealand has been amazing. We had the whole workshop come together to help build Zion Williamson, and thanks to 2K, we’ve managed to create one of the coolest LEGO® models we’ve ever built,” said Brickman. “The most unusual aspect about our LEGO® Zion was his pose. Getting the LEGO® bricks to stay together on these crazy angles – almost gravity-defying – was quite a challenge. Our skills were well and truly put to the test while building Zion, and we’re really proud of the model we’ve been able to build through this partnership.”

NBA 2K21 is a significant milestone for the series introducing ground-breaking new features that have been built from the ground up utilising the power of new gaming hardware,” said Ben Seccombe, Director of Marketing & Communications at 2K Australia and New Zealand. “This is a fitting way to celebrate this landmark by rebuilding cover star Zion Williamson out of LEGO® bricks, showcasing his impressive brick wall style physique.”

NBA 2K21 is the latest title in the world-renowned, best-selling NBA 2K series andleads the charge with next-gen innovations while continuing to deliver an industry-leading sports video game experience for the current generation of gaming platforms.

NBA 2K21 is available for $49.95** (AUD) & $ 59.95** (NZD) on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and is available for $109.95** (AUD) & $119.95** (NZD) on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. 

For more information on NBA 2K21, please visit www.nba.2k.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or subscribe on YouTube.

Visual Concepts is a 2K studio. 2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). 

*PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S required to play the next-generation version of NBA 2K21. 

**Based on 2K’s suggested retail price. Actual retail price may vary. See local retailer for info. # # #

SOLASTA: CROWN OF THE MAGISTER SPRING UPDATE AVAILABLE NOW ON STEAM AND GOG

SOLASTA: CROWN OF THE MAGISTER SPRING UPDATE AVAILABLE NOW ON STEAM AND GOG

Create, and Play Through Your Very Own Dungeon with the New Dungeon Maker

PARIS, FRANCE – MARCH 25, 2021 – Tactical Adventures, a French development studio of passionate and dedicated RPG game developers and tabletop players, announced today the Spring Update for its tactical RPG Solasta: Crown of the Magister is available now. The new update hosts a variety of new gameplay features, achievements, increased progression level cap, martial feats, more difficulty settings, pickup quests, characters background-related missions, and of course the highly anticipated brand-new Dungeon Maker tool. Solasta: Crown of the Magister is available on Steam and GOG for $27.99 (a -20% discount).

Players can now enjoy the Beta version of the highly requested Dungeon Maker, a tool that allows players to create and customize their own dungeons, bring them into the game to play, as well as share with other players to enjoy. The Spring Update marks the last chance to purchase Solasta: Crown of the Magister at its Early Access price of $27.99 (a -20% discount).

Wizards of the Coast has granted Tactical Adventures a license to use the Dungeon & Dragons SRD 5.1 content and rules in Solasta: Crown of the Magister.

Solasta is a team-based tactical role-playing game where each character plays a critical role in the campaign and can be a hero. The dynamic and mysterious world features elements of verticality, allowing players to use their surroundings as an element of strategy. Players can position ranged characters on high vantage points or send their rogue down into shafts and caverns to scope out what lies ahead. In Solasta, light is a tool to explore the depths and hallows of dungeons or can be used as a weapon against the creatures of the dark, but if players are not careful, it will give away the party’s position to nasty creatures bent on their demise.

Stay up to date with Solasta: Crown of the Magister: visit the website, purchase on Steam, purchase on GOG, follow on Twitter, Instagram, like on Facebook, watch on YouTube, and Twitch, and join the conversation on Discord or the official forums.