Relive the thrilling story of Lucas Kane in this classic interactive drama
Madrid, Spain – 26th January 2021. Meridiem Games is thrilled to announce that Fahrenheit: 15th Anniversary Edition, the classic story driven interactive drama from Quantic Dream, is out now on PlayStation®4 as a special retail boxed edition across Europe and Australia.
Fans of classic story driven interactive dramas can now rediscover one of the first highly acclaimed titles from French developer and publisher Quantic Dream. The story of Fahrenheit follows Lucas Kane who finds himself hunted by police detectives Carla Valenti and Tyler Miles after fleeing the scene of a murder with no memory of what happened. What follows, is a thrilling, story driven adventure where your choices have a direct effect on how the story unfolds.
This special edition of Fahrenheit: 15th Anniversary Edition will include a specially created case and sleeve, a sticker set, high quality printed artbook and a thank-you letter written by the team at Quantic Dream. This boxed edition will retail for £24.99 GBP / €29.99 EUR / $49.99 AUS (suggested retail price) and is available to purchase in specialist gaming stores across Europe and Australia now.
For over two decades Quantic Dream, founded by industry visionary David Cage, is best known for their use of cutting-edge motion capture technology to create story driven interactive dramas including the critically acclaimed titles Heavy Rain™, Beyond: Two Souls™ and Detroit: Become Human™.
The PlayStation®4 retail boxed version of Fahrenheit: 15th Anniversary Editionis available to purchasein specialist gaming stores now for £24.99 GBP / €29.99 EUR / $49.99 AUS (SRP).
For more information on Meridiem Games please visit the official site at www.meridiem-games.com
Meridiem Games is an independent company working on the distribution and publishing of videogames in all platforms. All the members of Meridiem Games´ team are players who are looking to satisfy the final client, the gamer. That is why we bring to you all kind of games, from AAA to Indie projects. This is our target, this is Meridiem Games. https://meridiem-games.com/
About Quantic Dream
Quantic Dream is an award-winning French video game developer and publisher established in Paris in 1997 by industry veteran David Cage. The studio was founded to create AAA games with a focus on emotional, interactive storytelling and has been at the forefront of innovation in narrative, popularizing the genre of choice-dependent stories while consistently driving technological innovation within the gaming space. https://www.quanticdream.com/en
TRUE MAGIC AWAITS! ATELIER RYZA 2: LOST LEGENDS & THE SECRET FAIRY LAUNCHES THIS FRIDAY ACROSS EUROPE
What Dark Secrets will Ryza Uncover in the 22nd Edition of the Beloved Atelier Franchise?
Hertfordshire, 26th January 2021 – KOEI TECMO Europe and developer GUST Studios are excited to release their upcoming JRPG, Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy, this Friday, 29th January 2021, across Europe for Nintendo Switch™, Windows PC via Steam®, PlayStation®4, and digitally on PlayStation®5*.
Check out the first hour of gameplay here:
The thrilling and emotional JRPG picks up three years after Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout, as Ryza sets out in an all-new quest to discover the secrets behind the ancient ruins and the truth behind the lost legends. Joining Ryza on her journey is a host of new and old friends from the franchise, along with Ryza’s adorable and enigmatic new furry companion known as Fi.
Adding to the fun and adventure, Ryza now has all new dynamic abilities to help her navigate across the deadly terrain, including the ability to swim underwater, use plants to climb walls, and even swing on a magical rope! These and other abilities allow Ryza to explore various areas and ruins more fully and actively. In addition, the thrilling real-time tactics battle system has been powered up to include up to 4 members (3 main party members plus 1 sub-member), with characters able to link multiple skills and items in a row to defeat even the deadliest of enemies thanks to the new Skill Chain and Item Rush techniques!
Also new to Ryza 2 is an evolved synthesis system, helping the heroine collect and combine unique and customizable items to use along her journey — simplifying the synthesis experience for new players, while at the same time enabling experienced alchemists to make full use of the new synthesis systems like Essence and Evolution Link. Another new feature is Ryza’s ability to Research Ruins. Use conversations with characters to investigate the locations of the ruins, then explore the area and enter the darkness to help Ryza reveal the true mystery inside.
Gamers who purchase a physical or digital copy of Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy during the first two weeks of launch will receive an Early Purchase Bonus – the Summer Fashion Costume Set. Furthermore, those who have save data from Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout will also be able to unlock the Classic Costume Set, including outfits for Ryza and her friends from the previous title.
*By purchasing the digital or physical PlayStation®4 versions of Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy, you can receive an upgrade to the digital PlayStation®5 version of Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy at no additional cost.
ABOUT KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD.
KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, UK. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI TECMO’s best known for their signature ‘one versus thousands’ Warriors series, the fan-favourite Ninja Gaiden and fighting entertainment title Dead or Alive. Through collaboration with strong existing franchises, such as A.O.T. Wings of Freedom (Attack on Titan), has brought fan-favourite shows to life in video game form. The company’s desire for innovation and diversity has seen the creation of the critically acclaimed dark-samurai action title Nioh, which takes on new and unique gameplay styles. The company’s acquisition of GUST, developer of a variety of heart-warming titles, has seen their flagship Atelier series span generations of consoles and fans alike. More information about KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD and its products can be found at www.koeitecmoeurope.com
Over the twenty four year history of the Atelier franchise the games have seen a change in lead character with nearly every release. Instead, any characters either serve as long running NPC references to past trilogies or as side-characters and extra party members if they happen to be in the same series but that all changed with the most recent entries in the Atelier series. Two years ago Koei Tecmo and Gust happened to strike gold with its lead character Reisalin Stout, better known as Ryza. This explosive popularity has seen Ryza retaining for a new adventure in Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy, marking the first time a lead character has returned to lead the story once more in what is once again a highly satisfying RPG that captures nearly every aspect of the Atelier series while still leaving things mostly approachable for newcomers.
Story
Three years have passed since Ryza and her friends managed to resolve the issues plaguing their hometown Kurken Island and, for the most part, everyone has moved on to either grow stronger through training, pursue a higher level of education, continue their own objectives, or further their family business. Everyone except for Ryza, who has spent the past three years doing her best to study alchemy but not making much in the way of progress outside of teaching other children in her hometown about alchemy. This all changes when she is invited to travel to the capital city of Asha-am Baird to join up with her friend Tao to investigate a new set of ruins that he has uncovered. Combine this with the fact that Ryza has been entrusted with a certain egg-looking rock by the local rich family and all of the ingredients for Ryza’s next big adventure are ready to go.
Despite being the first direct sequel in the franchise, Gust has made a noteworthy effort to try and make sure that newcomers who may not have played the original won’t feel too out of place here. There is enough reasoning to explain why Ryza and some of her returning allies have become a bit weaker in combat and alchemy over the years, especially in Ryza’s case as she now is dealing with entirely new ingredients, and while there are references to events that happened in the first game and certain returning characters, newcomers won’t be too in the dark here.
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy is something of a slow starting game but not quite as bad as usual for an Atelier game as players are expected to at least know something about Ryza and her allies allowing for new characters to be introduced and added to the group dynamic at a quicker pace. This also allows players to see Ryza and her group come to grip with the various differences that come from living in a major city compared to the small island that they recently called home as this new bustling town is filled with those needing their help and wanting to assist them as well.
At their cores, the Atelier games have mostly been lighter games that eventually can take a more dire turn and once again that is true for Atelier Ryza 2. Character development and interaction is one of the major drawing points for the game and, considering the story now sees Ryza actually on a mission rather than simply wandering in hope of adventure of, gives us a chance to see the character in a whole new light and watch as she and her friends continue to grow and develop. Of course, it helps that Ryza herself continues to serve as one of the best protagonists in the entire series thanks to her upbeat personality and the way she interacts with the rest of the cast, including the addition of a certain mascot character this time around.
It is also rather noteworthy that the world-building isn’t pushed to the backburner this time around either as one of the key elements that players will quickly be introduced to is a compass that will reveal memories scattered throughout the many ruins that players will need to explore. These memory fragments, when combined properly, reveal information about the world itself and the history of the ancient civilization that players are now exploring the ruins of. While uncovering all of these pieces of information isn’t necessary most of the time, it is incredibly interesting as it also serves as a way to solve various mysteries and questions that players may have once had about the world in Atelier Ryza. It also helps that solving these riddles also generally rewards players with SP or extra synthesis recipes at the same time.
Gameplay
Gust has taken the time to make a number of modifications and improvements to nearly every key aspect of Atelier Ryza 2 as exploration, combat, and item synthesis have all been given a few changes in one way or another. The biggest change for exploration is the fact that the entire game is now linked together in a way that players can easily travel from point A to point B on foot should they choose rather than using any form of quick travel. Of course, quick travel to previously visited places and back to Ryza’s Atelier is eventually unlocked but this ability to openly explore a number of large maps is quite a boon to the game.
This is especially true as Ryza’s country-girl upbringing has made her all the more willing to get a bit dangerous exploring the world. Ryza can now climb certain walls, travel across ledges, crawl through holes, and eventually dive into ponds and swim below water or use a whip to reach previously unreachable areas. These are minor improvements but noticeable considering the fact that not only have past games only allowed a simple jump button but also since players are now encouraged to heavily explore areas for items to gather as well as the aforementioned memories that are hidden all throughout the game’s various ruins that also serve as dungeons.
As usual players will be able to gather various items by harvesting them from spots located in fields, from monsters they have defeated, and of course through a number of tools that they have crafted with some gathering spots providing different materials depending on the tool used. Item synthesis has mostly been untouched as it still uses the simple to learn but potentially deep Material Loop mechanics that allow for players to craft basic versions of items as well as highly modified versions should they choose. The shortcut of auto-adding materials for high-quality production remains an option as well making things a bit easier for newcomers, a nice touch that is also welcome when making some standard ingredients that will be used in another recipe.
There are some additions in the form of “Essence Refinement” that allows players to gain essence from synthesis and combat that can later be added to items or change their properties but the other change makes a bit more sense considering Ryza already knows most of the ins-and-outs of alchemy and this is through a skill tree. Players will use SP gained from synthesizing items, completing ruin missions, and more to unlock various recipes that Ryza can then craft and improve her gathering capabilities. This allows for some interesting character building as players can choose to unlock certain tools far earlier than necessary or find themselves missing out on a basic recipe depending on how they’ve spent Ryza’s SP.
Back in the field players will find that combat with the various creatures is once again a faster paced affair as the game has continued with its hybrid active battle system that allows for players to only control one of their, up to three, party members at a time to deal out normal attacks and perform “perfect guards” to earn “AP” that can be used to unleash powerful skills or use items out of the turn order. Combat moves incredibly fast thanks to this system, especially with players being able to string together large combo chains with their party triggering follow-up attacks depending on the skills the player uses. It is worth noting that while the mechanic that makes item use a trivial thing as they are basically never treated as consumables now, it is actually easier to simply string together skills rather than use offensive items which is something of a shame as items, and their use being limited to alchemists, was one of the better points of the Atelier series.
Outside of all these systems players will also find plenty of other smaller elements that they can delve into that are both entirely optional and fun to partake in as well. Players can craft and purchase items that are simply used to decorate Ryza’s atelier, sell specific items to shops in an effort to upgrade the various stalls and the items that they sell, raise their reputation with various groups in the city by completing small tasks, and more. This gives players plenty of ways to explore and take advantage of everything Atelier Ryza 2 has to offer even if it means straying off the core path for hours on end harvesting the best ingredients possible.
Visuals & Audio
By creating larger, more open areas for players to explore Gust has really went all out in trying to create unique looking areas for players to explore, ranging from colorful and vibrant forests to desolate mountain ranges. Even the capital city of Asha-am Baird is the biggest and most detailed one in the franchise so far giving players plenty to see even if most of it is never actually used. The core character models are once again highly detailed and gorgeous looking and, of course, Ryza’s character model is given special attention thanks to her signature assets as well as the addition of water having an effect on character clothing. It is a bit unfortunate that while combat can be rather flashy with plenty of great looking attacks and special skills the overall enemy variety is a bit lacking and once again features far too many palette swapped foes.
Once again Koei Tecmo has chosen to speed up the release of the game in the West by only providing a Japanese voice track with Atelier Ryza 2. This isn’t too much of an issue considering the original game also lacked an English dub so fans should already be quite familiar with the cast of characters here and their voice cast, it would be nice to see the return of that option. The soundtrack is once again a mix of nice and calming music that is great to explore or synthesize items to as well as some faster tracks that work great during combat.
Overall
Gust took something of a risk here by breaking the mold of using a new protagonist for every Atelier game but that risk has paid off as not only has it allowed for players to experience a more interesting storyline with actual lore but also one that allows everyone to enjoy the adventures of Ryza and her friends once again. The development team has made a number of improvements across the board to combat and exploration, making what was already an exciting but accessible game even better. Sure, it may be another step away from what was once a turn-based RPG that required more complex thinking at times when it came to item synthesis but those looking to experiencing an upbeat adventure with a lovable protagonist need look no further than Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
COVID-19 has offered some unique opporitunities for cinemas to try new things with new featured films either being postponed or rushed to streaming services. Australian cinema goers will get a chance this year to catch three classic Indiana Jonesfilms at their local cinema starting January 28th. This is the first time the films have been seen in major Australian cinemas in decades.
Raiders of the Lost Arkis set to hit cinemas on January 28. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom will follow up one week later on February 4. Finally, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade will be released two weeks later on February 18.
BLADE & SOUL REVOLUTION, NETMARBLE’S NEWOPEN WORLD MOBILE RPG, COMES TO THE WORLD IN 2021
All-New Teaser Showcasing Story and Cinematic Visuals Now Open for Players
LOS ANGELES – JAN. 22, 2021 – Netmarble Corp., a global mobile game company focused on creating entertaining gaming experiences for players of all ages, announced today that Blade & Soul Revolution, Netmarble’s latest Open World Mobile RPG directly inspired by the popular Blade & Soul MMORPG for Windows PC, is officially coming worldwide in 2021.
An all-new site for Blade & Soul Revolution is available now that showcases first looks at the story, artwork and visuals, along with key features of the mobile version of the game. This gives Blade & Soul fans and mobile game players’ access to initial content in anticipation of its launch.
“The Netmarble team could not be more thrilled to work with NCSoft once again to create the definitive mobile edition of their long-running Blade & Soul,” said Andy Kang, Executive Producer of Netmarble. “Our success of Lineage 2: Revolution really showed a strong demand for full-featured MMORPG experiences players can easily pick-up and play anywhere around the world, and we are eager to continue that success with Blade & Soul Revolution’s upcoming launch.”
Blade & Soul Revolution is an Open World Mobile RPG that translates breathtaking cinematic stories of revenge based on the PC online game of Blade & Soul. The game stays true to its PC roots with a high level of full 3D graphics and large-scale content that has been revamped to perform flawlessly on mobile devices. It displays eastern-fantasy world with stunning full 3D graphics backed by the Unreal Engine 4, offering massive real-time faction battle and incomparable hands-on action experience.
Blade & Soul Revolution will launch in 2021 as a free digital download (with in-app purchases) on Apple’s App Store and Google Play. For more information, please visit the official website and follow Blade & Soul Revolution on Facebook and YouTube.
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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 Lineage 2: Revolution, The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross, Blade&Soul Revolution and MARVEL Future Fight. As a parent company of Kabam, and a major shareholder of Jam City and 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
Stuttgart, Germany -25th January 2021- ININ Games and STUDIOARTDINK are happy to present a new trailer for Wonder Boy – Asha in Monster World and reveal the retail packshots for North America, Europe and Australia as well as to provide additional information about the limited and retail editions, their prices and release dates.
New Trailer showing the adventure that awaits Asha & Pepelogoo
We are happy to announce the brand new trailer of Asha in Monster World showing unique characters, teamwork with Asha’s blue sidekick Pepelogoo and gimmick-filled stages.
The trailer is packed with lots of content. Whether you’re a longstanding fan of the series or discovering Monster World anew, we hope you sense the beginning of an exciting adventure.
Developed by the original members of Westone Bit
The fully remastered version of Wonder Boy IV is led by none other than it’s creator, Ryuichi Nishizawa. Additionally, he is supported by Shinichi Sakamoto for new and improved music and sound effects, Maki Ōzora for character design and Takanori Kurihara as creative manager to create a worthy remake and new entry to the iconic series.
Experience the dynamic duo Asha and Pepelogoo like never before
Asha is tasked to free the four spirits being confined by evil forces whose origin she discovers throughout her journey. Luckily, she does not have to face this adventure alone, as early on she finds her new companion, a special blue Pepelogoo.
While the story remains true to the original game from 1994, the game is a full remake of Monster World IV, with cell-shaded 3D graphics and 2D gameplay that stays close to the beloved original gameplay as well as enhanced visuals and refined play content. Especially in the event scenes the performance is deepened and the world view is reproduced vividly and colorfully. Plus for the first time in the series, it comes with a character voice – by the popular and talented Japanese voice actress Ai Fairouz.
Including the original Monster World IV
As an ode to the game’s legacy, the beloved original Monster World IV is included in all physical editions of ININ Games. The original game is not included in any of the digital versions, it’s exclusively available in the physical retail and limited editions for North America, Europe and Australia. For the Nintendo Switch, it will be featured on the cartridge, while there will be an exclusive download code included with the PS4 disc version.
Retail Edition
The retail editions for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 will be available at a price of €39,99. As mentioned above, these will also include the original Monster World IV.
The Western retail release will be in Q2 2021 for North America, Europe and Australia.
Exclusive, physical editions
Three exclusive limited editions can be pre-ordered only at Strictly Limited Games. All limited editions come with the original Monster World IV:
The Limited Edition is available for €39.99, limited to 3,500 copies for Nintendo Switch and 1,700 copies for PlayStation 4 worldwide.
The Collector’s Edition is available for €99.99, limited to 2,500 copies for Nintendo Switch and 1,200 copies for PlayStation 4 worldwide and includes fantastic items to celebrate the game like Monster World Map, 2x OST (Original + Remix), Artbook and a Squishy Ball Pepelogoo and many more.
The Mega Collector’s Edition is available for €179.99, limited to 999 copies for Nintendo Switch and 499 copies for PlayStation 4 worldwide. This edition celebrates the origins of the game and features everything from the Collector’s Edition and in addition more awesome items like the Asha and Pepelogoo Figurine (18cm / 7.1″), Asha Pixel Pin, a Vinyl Sticker for your console and more.
Mega Collector’s Edition
Join Asha and Pepelogoo in their quest to save the world!
About ININ Games
ININ Games focus on the digital and physical publishing of high-quality, feel-good retro and arcade games. ININ Games brings retro games to life and creates the classics of the future. They are best known for “Bubble Bobble 4 Friends. The Baron is Back”, “Slaps and Beans”, “Crosscode”, “Space Invaders Forever” and “Turrican Flashback”. Numerous other milestones of classic gaming culture are in the planning and will be announced in the coming months. ININ Games is part of United Games Entertainment GmbH. For more information visit http://www.inin.games
About STUDIOARTDINK
STUDIOARTDINK CORPORATION was founded in 2001. As a console game developer we have developed many titles of major Japanese publishers. We also have sold a number of titles as a publisher and in 2020 we are going to launch a game content brand “G Choice” (https://gchoice.jp/). We provide attractive game contents created by talented developers and creators for customers all over the world.
About SEGA CORPORATION
SEGA CORPORATION is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company offers a variety of game contents for console, PC, wireless devices including planning, development, sales and operation, and amusement machine including planning, development and sales. Moreover, it provides game content developed by studios in countries around the world through global publishing bases.
Wishlist on Steam to stay ahead of the pack in your post-apocalyptic sci-fi treasure hunt!
January 25, 2021 – Unlock the secrets of a post-apocalyptic universe in Age of Rust, a single-player RPG (roleplaying game) and crypto treasure hunt launching on Steam on March 19th. US-based indie developer SpacePirate Games combine combat and stealth play mechanics with an NPC-driven story, AAA graphics and cerebral gameplay into an epic treasure hunt for a grand prize of 20 Bitcoin (BTC), worth over $650,000 at the time of writing. This bounty hunt will be complemented by additional prizes of 4 BTC and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) backed with Enjin Coin (ENJ).
The Age of Rust will go on sale on March 19th on Steam for $14.99. Wishlist the game on Steam now to stay updated and start your adventure and treasure hunt as soon as the game is available!
“When we first started working on Age of Rust in 2014, we decided to do a treasure hunt to teach people about cryptocurrency and provide a fun onramp into this new world of blockchain,” said Chris LoVerme, CEO of SpacePirate Games. “We set aside 24 BTC, which was worth about $20,000 at the time. We had no idea that this bounty would grow to be so valuable, as the roots of the idea were planted back when Bitcoin was virtually unknown. We believe Age of Rust is not only a fun RPG adventure that players will love, it will also serve as a great, easy introduction to the exciting world of blockchain gaming just as it’s really starting to take off.”
As one of the 22nd’s century’s most prolific weaponized cipher-hackers, you were sequenced and stored away for future use. Forgotten for centuries, you wake up in the year 4424 to the desolate and dilapidated remnants of humanity’s once great creation. In a post-apocalyptic wasteland with a healthy dose of cyberpunk aesthetics, you must fight, hide and hunt for special items to help you survive and progress through perplexing puzzles. But Age of Rust is more than just a danger-fraught journey with secrets to uncover and treasure troves to progress; it’s an immersive, cryptocurrency-enriched experience with an innovative new class of weapons and items with real-world value and blockchain-verified ownership, which can be used in various games across the metaverse.
Season 1 of Age of Rust contains approximately 40 hours of gameplay, with 3 Seasons planned in total. However, earning the BTC bounty by discovering easter eggs and solving puzzles could take much longer, possibly even years. The winner of the largest bounty will claim 20 BTC (approximately $650,000); the next-biggest bounty is 4 BTC, with over 35,000 smaller bounties to win and more than 250,000km2 of landscape to explore. As bounties are discovered, they will be removed from gameplay, with ownership of the item passed onto the player.
Follow Age of Rust on social media to stay up to date!
About Enjin Launched in 2009 by Enjin, the Enjin Network is a gaming community platform boasting over 20 million users. In 2017, Enjin launched a successful ICO, raising $18.9 million to build an ecosystem of integrated blockchain software products. Comprised of the Enjin Platform, Explorer, Wallet, Beam, and other tools and services, this ecosystem enables game developers and studios to utilize tokenized digital assets as part of their acquisition, retention, engagement, and monetization strategies. The Enjin ecosystem is fueled by Enjin Coin (ENJ), a cryptocurrency used to directly back the value of blockchain assets. For more information, visit enjin.io.
Lesquin, France, January 22, 2021 – Two weeks before the release of Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood, NACON and Cyanide are pleased to reveal more information about the game, and how the studio created a stealthy and bestial gaming experience from the original World of Darkness universe.
In these two videos, the production team for the game speak about Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood, and in particular the project’s Game Director, Julien ‘Patch’ Desourteaux, as well as Bren Bruylant, animator, Clément Demaret, level designer, Simon Decottignies-Renard, narrative designer, Maxime Roy, project manager and Juliette Ruaux, UI/UX artist.
After a long development phase, they are all delighted to be able to talk about their work and what they set out to do. Their passion for World of Darkness, the fictional universe that the game takes place in, shines through in the first notebook. For them, it was first and foremost about adapting a world they had already encountered in tabletop roleplaying game form to a video game context. In the first video, the developers return to the world of the game and to the story of Cahal. The exiled Garou, haunted by family tragedy, sets out to reunite with his loved ones and to fight Endron, a multinational corporation bent on destroying all forms of life behind its benign greenwashed facade. The company is run from the shadows by a malignant entity called the Wyrm, one of the werewolves’ most dangerous enemies.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood | Dev Diary #1
In the second notebook, the team presents Earthblood’s beat’em up orientation, which makes for a decidedly violent and heart-pounding experience. The transformation system makes the game’s overall experience unique. Cahal can shift between three shapes: the Homid form is used to interact with other characters; the Lupus form is excellent at exploration and infiltration; and, finally, the Crinos form, the most exhilarating, gives Cahal the supernatural strength to fight his enemies.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood | The Essence of Rage (Dev Diary 2)
This creates highly-varied gameplay, leaving the player free to play the hero however he or she wants in the dark and mature world of Werewolf: The Apocalypse, skilful blend that you will be able to explore starting February 4th, 2021.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is the first action-RPG game adapted from the eponymous horror franchise. Mature, brutal, and complex, it invites the player to embody Cahal throughout his quest of bloody redemption. He’ll play an essential role in the great war led by the Garou against Endron, a global corporation whose activities are devastating the natural world.
Werewolf : The Apocalypse – Earthblood will be available February 4, 2021 on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC (Epic Game Store).
Werewolf : The Apocalypse – Earthblood is available for preorder
Find all the NACON games and accessorizes on nacongaming.com
About NACON NACON is a company of the BIGBEN Group founded in 2019 to optimize its know-how through strong synergies in the video game market. By bringing together its 8 development studios, the publishing of AA video games, the design and distribution of premium gaming devices, NACON focuses 20 years of expertise at the service of players. This new unified business unit strengthens NACON’s position in the market, enables it to innovate by creating new unique competitive advantages and achieve its ambition to become one of the world’s leading players in gaming. https://www.nacongaming.com/
About Cyanide Cyanide is a French video game development studio created in 2000 and based in Nanterre. It has two subsidiaries located in Montreal and Bordeaux. The studio is known for its sports games, such as the popular PC series Cycling Manager and its console version, Tour de France. Cyanide is also the author of Blood Bowl (Sport/Fantasy, 2009), the adaptation of the famous Games Workshop board game; Game of Thrones (RPG, 2012); Styx: Master of Shadows and the sequel Styx: Shards of Darkness (Infiltration, 2014/2017); and Call of Cthulhu, a game adapted from the tormented world of HP Lovecraft (investigative RPG, 2018). More information can be found at www.cyanide-studio.com
About World of Darkness World of Darkness is a transmedia entertainment brand encompassing a number of modern fantasy horror franchises, including Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, and more. Through tabletop roleplaying games, video games, board games, literature, comic books, and more, these franchises tell mature stories in a dark supernatural fantasy layered over our modern world. Since 1991, World of Darkness has defined monster-perspective entertainment for a generation of fans. For more information visit www.worldofdarkness.com.
We first previewed Everspace 2back in June of 2020. Since then, Rockfish Games has had a bit of a rocky start with their Early Access build. They were forced to postpone the early access launch after Cyberpunk 2077’s delay caused the two launch dates to almost coincide. With Cyberpunk 2077 sucking up all the air in the room, Rockfish’s gamble is paying off as we all have the mental space to check out Everspace 2’s solid space sim/RPG hybrid gameplay.
While the prototype was extremely story light, the Everspace 2 early access build comes with a solid chunk of the campaign already. Some of the current content is a work in progress, as there are sections that appear to have temporary placeholders that seem out of place with the rest of the campaign. I enjoy what I see so far. While the story isn’t a huge departure from standard space sim-fare, the lore is developing nicely. I like the attempt to give the rough lifestyle in the DMZ some humanity. Life is tough, but not everyone is dedicated to a merciless survival of the fittest mindset. People are trying to balance their survival with community and relationship building. While the world is not packed with deep NPCs, the approach feels more relatable.
The core gameplay mechanics established in the prototype hasn’t changed much eight months later. Everspace 2 is a space sim/RPG hybrid with an emphasis on arcade-style shooter combat and RPG mechanics like experience bars, special abilities, and potion like consumables. Part of the hook is very much the loot treadmill. The entire experience is still incredibly satisfying and feels like an improvement over the first game’s rogue-like approach.
Combat feels great so far. While the game is on the arcade end of the spectrum, combat can still be punishing and difficult due to level differences, enemy swarm tactics, and players failing to use all available tools. The dog fights are pretty intense. Players are usually pitted against three or more enemies at once, and drones can quickly overwhelm players. Armour and shields are effective against blocking certain types of weapons, so players need to juggle between weapons to optimize their damage output. I like the mechanic as it adds an extra layer of challenge when engaging in frantic dogfights. There is a good mix of enemy types and attack strategies so far. There are even a few enemies like the bomb throwers who use existing game mechanics in novel ways that really shine.
The mission design is good so far. Most of the missions follow the RPG standard format of go to this place and destroy or collect X. I like how many missions have a surprise cache of loot for observant players who are willing to put in a little extra work at the end. There is also a decent number of puzzles in the side areas. Most are straight forward, but there are a few smart ones that are quite devious.
The controls are solid. The game plays well using a mouse and keyboard or a controller. I did not get a chance to test the game using a HOTAS set up. I suspect preference on which control scheme will end up being a matter of which one a player is used to. I found the controller to be very good, but accessing special abilities and consumables was a touch too clumsy with the limited number of keys. I preferred a mouse and keyboard due to the more flexible key binds, but I can see how some players would prefer flying in a three-dimensional space with analog sticks.
The User experience is decent, but some work is still needed. The game is currently not 100% optimized for ultrawide monitors. While it is very playable, some small things like odd boxes popping up during hangar conversations and 21:9 cut scenes hurts the experience a little. On the other hand, the UI is incredibly clean. It is unobtrusive yet offers all the important information in an easily accessible manner. My only issue is the map takes a second or two to load in which feels awkward as switching between other menu sections is flawless.
The audio/visual experience is enjoyable so far. The visual style is a nice fusion of clean sci-fi style mixed with the grittier edges of the DMZ. The soundtrack and sound effects are solid. The voice acting is excellent for the most part, but I hope the narrator for the placeholder cutscenes will be replaced.
Everspace 2 will be in early access for the next 12-18 months right now with a much needed focus on churning out content. The game is shaping up to be an excellent space-sim for players looking for a more arcade-like experience or a new twist on the genre. It is fast paced and very intense. Rockfish Games has picked all the right mechanics from each genre and packed them all in an entertaining package. I suspect Everspace 2 has a bright future ahead.
BLADE & SOUL REVOLUTION, NETMARBLE’S NEWOPEN WORLD MOBILE RPG, COMES TO THE WORLD IN 2021
All-New Teaser Showcasing Story and Cinematic Visuals Now Open for Players
LOS ANGELES – JAN. 22, 2021 – Netmarble Corp., a global mobile game company focused on creating entertaining gaming experiences for players of all ages, announced today that Blade & Soul Revolution, Netmarble’s latest Open World Mobile RPG directly inspired by the popular Blade & Soul MMORPG for Windows PC, is officially coming worldwide in 2021.
An all-new site for Blade & Soul Revolution is available now that showcases first looks at the story, artwork and visuals, along with key features of the mobile version of the game. This gives Blade & Soul fans and mobile game players’ access to initial content in anticipation of its launch.
“The Netmarble team could not be more thrilled to work with NCSoft once again to create the definitive mobile edition of their long-running Blade & Soul,” said Andy Kang, Executive Producer of Netmarble. “Our success of Lineage 2: Revolution really showed a strong demand for full-featured MMORPG experiences players can easily pick-up and play anywhere around the world, and we are eager to continue that success with Blade & Soul Revolution’s upcoming launch.”
Blade & Soul Revolution is an Open World Mobile RPG that translates breathtaking cinematic stories of revenge based on the PC online game of Blade & Soul. The game stays true to its PC roots with a high level of full 3D graphics and large-scale content that has been revamped to perform flawlessly on mobile devices. It displays eastern-fantasy world with stunning full 3D graphics backed by the Unreal Engine 4, offering massive real-time faction battle and incomparable hands-on action experience.
Blade & Soul Revolution will launch in 2021 as a free digital download (with in-app purchases) on Apple’s App Store and Google Play. For more information, please visit the official website and follow Blade & Soul Revolution on Facebook and YouTube.
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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 Lineage 2: Revolution, The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross, Blade&Soul Revolution and MARVEL Future Fight. As a parent company of Kabam, and a major shareholder of Jam City and 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
