Home Blog Page 2022

Play Cross-Platform Shooter Rogue Company Now – Exclusive Beta Launched on PC and Consoles

Cross-play & progression on Switch, PC, PS4 and Xbox One

Alpharetta, Georgia USA – 20 JULY 2020: First Watch Games® and Hi-Rez Studios® have today launched their stylish cross-platform team shooter Rogue Company™ to early access players worldwide on Nintendo Switch™, PC via Epic Games Store, PlayStation®4 and Xbox One®.

Playable with cross-play and cross-save on all platforms, Rogue Company delivers action, tactics and a whole lot of attitude.

This early version of Rogue Company gives players exclusive access to Rogue Company’s energetic gameplay and third-person, action movie flair before the full game launches later this year. It’s time to… 

Save the day. Look good. Get paid.

Rogue Company is available to purchase today in three different versions:

  • Starter Founder’s Pack – $14.99 (€14.99 / £11.99)
  • Standard Founder’s Pack – $29.99 (€29.99 / £24.99)
  • Ultimate Founder’s Pack – $59.99 (€59.99 / £49.99)

All Founder’s Packs give players:

  • Early access to Rogue Company
  • Six core Rogues to choose from: Dima, Dallas, Ronin, Anvil, Trench and Saint
  • Squad Unlocked – 2 bonus Founder’s Pack Rogues: Phantom and Chaac
  • Rare Founder Spray
  • Epic Superstar Dance Emote
  • Rare Speed Demon Ronin Outfit
  • Epic Solar Flare Weapon Wrap

The Standard Founder’s Pack also gives:

  • Six additional Rogues
  • Rare Exterminatin Chaac Outfit

For the complete Rogue Company experience, the Ultimate Founder’s Pack gives players more exclusive outfits, emotes, sprays and 1500 Rogue Bucks to spend in game. For the full list of exclusive content for each Founder’s Pack please visit roguecompany.com/founders

Headed-up by Lead Game Designer – and former Halo world champion – Scott Lussier, Rogue Company is the debut game from First Watch Games; a band of Hi-Rez Studios developers and industry veterans with experience working on some of gaming’s most famous and successful shooters.

“From today, players will be able to play Rogue Company with their friends, regardless of platform”, says Lussier. “Whether playing on Switch, PC, PS4 or Xbox One, gamers will enjoy the same intense third-person action at a minimum 60 fps”.

“We’re proud to be launching across four platforms on the same day – a first for Hi-Rez Studios”, says Chris Larson, Executive Producer. “From day one, we’re bringing together a huge community of cross-platform gunslingers and delivering an ever-growing roster of mercenaries, game modes, weapons and gadgets”.

The exclusive early version of Rogue Company is available to purchase today on all four platforms:

Also today, First Watch Games® and Hi-Rez Studios® announced a new Rogue, Gl1tch. He’s a hacker extraordinaire and Rogue Company’s secret weapon.

For more of the latest information and assets for Rogue Company, please visit: 

  • Website: roguecompany.com
  • Twitter®: twitter.com/RogueCompany
  • Facebook®: facebook.com/RogueCompanyGame
  • Instagram®: instagram.com/roguecompanygame
  • YouTube®: youtube.com/RogueCompanyGame

For more information or if you would like an interview with First Watch Games or Hi-Rez Studios, please contact:

-END-

About First Watch Games:

First Watch Games is a new development studio under the Hi-Rez Studios’ banner, consisting of senior developers from Blizzard, Daybreak Games, Electronic Arts, Vicarious Visions and Hi-Rez Studios. This team of talented and passionate developers bring their years of games-as-a-service experience to their first title, Rogue Company. For more information about First Watch Games please visit: www.playfirstwatch.com.

About Hi-Rez Studios:

Based in Alpharetta, Georgia, Hi-Rez Studios is an industry-leading video game publisher and developer at the forefront of the games-as-a-service industry. Hi-Rez Studios’ games have been played by more than 70 million people worldwide across PC, Xbox One®, PlayStation®4, Nintendo Switch™, iOS and Android. With multiple games regularly among the Top 10 free-to-play games on Steam, Hi-Rez Studios is one of the few Western developers to have successfully launched multiple, multi-platform games-as-a-service titles to a large audience. Having won multiple awards and accolades for innovation and technology, Hi-Rez Studios has also been recognised for its company culture, leadership and diversity as an employer. More information about Hi-Rez Studios can be found at: www.hirezstudios.com

WATCH WARFRAME’S INFESTED HEART OF DEIMOS DEBUT AT TENNOCON THIS AUGUST

Get Free Hydroid Prime and Exclusive, Time-Limited Weapon by Watching TennoCon on Twitch Saturday, August 1

LONDON, ONTARIO, CA – July 20, 2020 – Forging a blend of the grotesque and the beautiful, the old and the new, Canadian developer and publisher Digital Extremes will debut Warframe®’s new expansion, Heart of Deimos, focused on the Infested faction, at its fifth annual TennoCon, Saturday, August 1. The all-day digital conference celebrates the spirited Warframe community, who will have the chance to acquire the highly coveted Hydroid Prime Warframe and the limited-time, exclusive hand cannon, Athodai, for free. Anyone who connects their Warframe and Twitch accounts and watches 30 consecutive minutes of TennoLive, the announcement-filled Devstream that concludes the event, and 30 minutes of any TennoCon event, respectively, can earn these big-time items!

For a detailed schedule of events, programming, and cool new merchandise, go to www.warframe.com/tennocon now.

Due to world events, TennoCon 2020 is an all-digital conference — streamed from our homes — that serves to join together the game’s community and the DE team to share their common love for Warframe. This year’s digital conference blends live and recorded events for a fully digital experience. Players can watch and participate in panels, contests, a community-created artwork showcase, and Warframe’s biggest content reveals, starting with the Infested-themed Heart of Deimos demo and the new community-created Warframe.

“Tenno” (players’ in-game name) will see the community-created Warframe (the “Broken Frame”) played live at TennoCon. They will witness the new, technology-enabled Arsenal Twitch Extensions, which gives streamers the power to share their decked-out, high-ranking (or any ranking) loadouts with their players. The Arsenal Twitch Extension soft launches pre-TennoCon, on Thursday, July 23 with a full launch on Saturday August 1. And, of course, they will be a part of the super-charged show highlight, TennoLive, where Heart of Deimos will come to life.

A portion of all TennoCon proceeds will be given to Digital Extremes’ valued 2020 partners, Autism Ontario London and Alzheimer Society London and Middlesex (ASLM), two community-oriented, local Canadian organizations that help citizens in need of special attention and care.

For more detailed info on our scheduled panels, new TennoCon merch, and free items, go to www.warframe.com/tennocon now. Warframe is available for free on PC, PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and Nintendo™ Switch. Download it here: www.warframe.com. To keep up with the latest updates from the development team, be sure to follow Warframe on Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

ABOUT DIGITAL EXTREMES
Founded in 1993 by James Schmalz, Digital Extremes ranks as one of the world’s top independent video game development studios. Originating with the co-creation of Epic Games’ multi-million unit selling Unreal® franchise including Unreal and Unreal Tournament, Digital Extremes went on to develop Dark Sector®, BioShock® for the PlayStation®3, the BioShock 2 multiplayer campaign, and The Darkness® II. The studio has reached its greatest critical and commercial success with the free-to-play action game, Warframe®, boasting a global community of 50 million registered players on PC, PS4™, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch™. For more information about Digital Extremes, visit www.digitalextremes.com. To sign up for Warframe, visit www.warframe.com.

# # #

XSEED Games Confirms Worldwide November Launch for Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin; Retail Edition Available for Pre-Orders Now

Indie Development Team to Deliver Harvest Goddess’ Great Adventure onto Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4, and PC on November 10

Torrance, Calif. – July 20, 2020 – XSEED Games, the independent-minded publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., is excited to announce that the Action/Simulation game, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, will launch in North America for the Nintendo Switch™ system, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, and worldwide for Windows PC on November 10. Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin will release with two retail editions for PS4™ system and Nintendo Switch™; a standard retail release priced at $39.99 and a special “Divine Edition” priced at $59.99. Both versions are available for pre-order on the XSEED Games Store and participating retailers.

Brave heroine Sakuna charmed editors and gamers alike at E3 and left PAX fans wanting (and waiting) for confirmation of when they could join her on Hinoe Island. Developer Edelweiss has also been eagerly waiting for this moment, speaking for CG Artist Koichi and himself, Director Nal said:

“We’re elated to finally announce that Sakuna will be available worldwide in just a few months. So much care has been put into bringing our vision for Sakuna and her world to life. Five years ago it was just the two of us with a dream, then character artist Ryota Murayama-san and composer Hiroyuki Oshima-san joined, and now, we’re in the home stretch thanks to our partners. We are counting down the days until we can introduce you to Sakuna, her friends, the joy and serenity of traditional rice cultivation, and all of the demons she’ll defeat with her farming tools.” 

The special “Divine Edition” for Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is fit for a young goddess, coming wrapped in a custom outer box with exclusive artwork. Inside will be the retail edition of the game on the respective platform, a large 8.2” x 5.8” artbook with over 130 pages of illustrations and concept art from the title, a full OST of 42 songs on 3 CDs, and a special 2” x 3” Japanese omamori charm to bring owners good luck in combat and farming.

Developed by Edelweiss, the two-man team behind acclaimed indie darling Astebreed, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruincombines side-scrolling action with deep crafting and farming simulation. Players take on the role of Sakuna, a spoiled harvest goddess banished to a dangerous island with a group of outcast humans. As she explores the beautiful yet forbidding environments of the island, she will also find a home in a mountain village, proving herself worthy of her title by harvesting rice and bettering the lives of humanity.

Features

  • Refined Side-scrolling Platform Action‒ Using farm tools as weapons, chain together quick, heavy, and special attacks to take down demonic beasts, while mastering the magical “divine raiment” will be essential to grapple distant platforms, evade danger, and overcome powerful enemies.
  • Detailed 3D Simulation-style Gameplay‒ Learn the ancient art of agriculture by following detailed steps from planting to harvesting to cultivate the perfect crop. As a harvest goddess, Sakuna’s strength grows with each successful rice crop, with attributes such as aesthetic and flavor directly correlating to her combat abilities.
  • Creating a Home in the Wilderness‒ Sakuna’s mortal companions make weapons, armor, and meals for her using the materials and ingredients she gathers on her adventures, and completing quests for them will unlock even more options.
  • A Fresh Take on Japanese Mythology‒ The heroine is part of a pantheon of gods and demons inspired by traditional Japanese mythology but featuring many unique twists. The story and world are filled with lovingly rendered details, some familiar and some completely original.

Developed by Edelweiss and to be published for the Nintendo Switch™ system and PS4™ system in North America and globally on Windows PC by XSEED Games, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin launches on November 10. The retail game is available for pre-order now in a standard and limited “Divine Edition” for $39.99 and $59.99, respectively, on the XSEED Games Store and participating retailers. The title has been rated “T for Teen” by the ESRB for all three platforms. Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin will also be published for the Nintendo Switch™ system and PS4™ system in Japan by Marvelous Inc. on November 12, and Europe by Marvelous Europe, Ltd. on November 20.

More information about XSEED Games’ products can be found at xseedgames.com. Fans can also follow XSEED Games on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, get in depth info from their localization blog, and join the discussion on their Discord server at: http://discord.gg/XSEEDGames.

About XSEED Games

XSEED Games is the independent-minded publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Marvelous Inc., which is a publicly traded company listed in the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Formed in 2004 and located in Torrance, California, XSEED Games publishes interactive entertainment content for PC and consoles from the Marvelous portfolio as well as from a wide variety of third-party partners. Whether it’s Marvelous properties such as STORY OF SEASONS (Bokujo Monogatari), SENRAN KAGURA, and Rune Factory, or third-party titles such as the Corpse Party and AKIBA’S TRIP series or the recently released Granblue Fantasy: Versus, XSEED Games has grown its reputation among gamers with its critically acclaimed localizations and commitment to fans, remaining ever dedicated to its “indie spirit, player-first” approach.  ###

Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy Officially Announced During July’s Nintendo Direct Mini

Ryza Returns in an All-New Adventure. Teaser Site Activated!

Burlingame, Calif. – July 20, 2020 – KOEI TECMO America and developer GUST Studios are excited to announce the latest game in their fan-favorite Atelier franchise: Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy. This magical JRPG is set to launch across North America this Winter for the Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, and Windows PC via Steam®.

Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy is a direct sequel to the best-selling Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout, a worldwide smash hit that has already shipped over 420,000 copies to date. In this latest entry in the Atelier series, Ryza makes her triumphant return as the protagonist, making franchise history as the first character to take on the hero role in two successive titles.

The new game was first revealed during July’s Nintendo Direct Mini, giving fans their first glimpse into Ryza’s upcoming quest. The game’s teaser site also went live during the official reveal, with more details and the official website launch set to go live July 29, 2020.

For all of the latest news on Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy, like KOEI TECMO on Facebook @KoeiTecmoUS, and follow us on Twitter @KoeiTecmoUS.

ABOUT KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP.

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

©KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. The KT logo is a registered trademark of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD.

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

© 2020 Nintendo

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

###

WATCHDOG MAN AND GAROU JOINS THE BATTLE IN ONE PUNCH MAN: A HERO NOBODY KNOWS TODAY

WATCHDOG MAN AND GAROU JOINS THE BATTLE IN ONE PUNCH MAN: A HERO NOBODY KNOWS TODAY

Watchdog Man, the S-Class hero and the defender of Q-City, is now available as part of the third Character Pack for ONE PUNCH MAN: A HERO NOBODY KNOWS. As a treat to players, GAROU, the fourth Character Pack is also available now for any Hero Hunters ready to use him in battle. ONE PUNCH MAN: A HERO NOBODY KNOWS is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB.

Both DLC Packs will also include new customization items, special moves, and missions. The available DLC Packs can be purchased now through the Character Pass or individually. A trailer showcasing Watchdog Man and GAROU battling it out in Q-City can be viewed here

ONE PUNCH MAN: A HERO NOBODY KNOWS is currently available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via STEAM.

Cris Tales Demo Available Now on Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One

Play Modus Games’ indie love letter to JRPGs ahead of game’s November 17 release

Walnut Creek, Calif. (July 20, 2020) – Modus Games announced today that fans of the upcoming JRPG Cris Tales can now play a demo for the gameon Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch (Switch version available in the Americas today, available July 21 on the Nintendo of Europe eShop). Cris Tales was one of the top demos in Steam’s Summer Game Festival, and now console fans can experience the beginning of Crisbell’s journey for themselves. As players use the protagonist’s powers to not only see the past, present and future simultaneously, they’ll learn how to use this innovative mechanic to their advantage ahead of the game’s launch on November 17.

Today’s console demo launches on Colombian Independence Day, celebrating a country that Cris Tales is heavily inspired by and where it is currently being developed by Dreams Uncorporated and SYCK. Players can see this inspiration first-hand in the architecture, culture, and even character design of the game, allowing for the developers to share their culture through ‘endemic fantasy’ by infusing their personal connections with Colombia into the game itself.

Learn more about the game’s Colombian influences here: https://modusgames.com/news/cris-tales-reveals-colombian-inspirations-launches-console-demo.

Also a part of the demo is a look at the game’s Colosseum mode, in which players will work with party-member Wilhelm to take on eight waves of battles that will increase in difficulty every round, ending in a mini-boss fight and giving players a small glimpse of the full mode they’ll encounter at launch.

Cris Tales is a classically inspired RPG where past, present and future are brought together on one screen. Players can use Crisbell’s amazing ability to slip between time periods, aiding citizens across Crystallis’ kingdoms and pushing enemies to specific points in time for an upper hand in battle. The game has been highly anticipated since its reveal at E3 2019, where it won several accolades and nominations, including Best Indie Game. Players can head to the Xbox Store, PlayStation Store, and Nintendo eShop to download the demo on their platform of choice now.

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

# # #

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. Modus Studios Brazil is a full-service development studio supporting creators of inspired interactive entertainment. 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.

Atari and Game Jolt Partner to Bring New and Exciting Independent Video Game Titles to the Atari VCS

The Atari VCS Store Will Feature Some of the Most Innovative and Creative Titles Incubated on the Game Jolt Platform

NEW YORK, NY (July 20, 2020) – Atari® — one of the world’s most iconic consumer brands and interactive entertainment producers — today announced a partnership with Game Jolt, the largest community for indie games and the people who make and play them, that will bring some of the best and most creative indie games to the Atari VCS PC-based hybrid platform. Under the partnership agreement, a curated list of games incubated on the Game Jolt platform will be brought to market on the all-new Atari VCS™ PC/console hybrid. Notable games that first emerged on the Game Jolt platform include: Bendy and the Ink Machine and FNaF World.

Game Jolt is one of the largest and fastest-growing social community and game distribution platforms in the world. 140 million people have accessed Game Jolt to play, follow, and talk about games. With hundreds of thousands of creators from all corners of the world — ranging from young developers in their teens to large studios with millions of dollars in revenue — there are over 135,000 playable games currently available on Game Jolt.

Game Jolt is a proven incubator for video games, helping individual developers and small studios share games under development with the Game Jolt community in order to get feedback that helps them to refine their games and prepare them for a market launch. The Atari VCS Store will feature a “Presented by Game Jolt” section to highlight titles from the platform.

“Atari is committed to bringing the creative work of small studios and independent developers to the Atari VCS platform,” said Michael Arzt, COO of Atari VCS & Connected Devices. “Our partnership with Game Jolt will ensure the creative efforts of the Game Jolt community can find a home and reach an expanded audience on the Atari VCS.”

“We have built Game Jolt to better highlight indie games and bring global opportunities to indie studios. Through our partnership with the Atari VCS platform, we’re excited to extend our current reach into the family living room,” said Game Jolt CEO Yaprak DeCarmine. “We are excited to be publishing games hand-picked from Game Jolt to the Atari VCS.”

The all-new Atari VCS home gaming and video computer system is a unique PC-based platform inspired by classic Atari console and PC hardware. Like the legendary Atari 2600 in 1977, the modern Atari VCS is set to transform the TV-centric gaming and home entertainment experience. Users will enjoy an ever-expanding Atari world of all-new games, classic and remastered favorites, streaming media, and personal apps. The Atari VCS is powered by an AMD Ryzen™ 1606G high-performance Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) with Zen-core and Radeon Vega Graphics, enabling gaming and video streaming up to 4K HDR at 60fps. Unlike other home game systems, owners can access “PC Mode” by installing Windows or Linux operating systems and add a keyboard and mouse to transform the Atari VCS into an expandable PC and enjoy more of their favorite games and applications. The Atari VCS combines the best of PC’s and consoles into one ultra-versatile device. 

Launching in fall 2020, the Atari VCS lineup of video computer systems, bundles, and peripherals are available now for preorder at GameStop.com, Walmart.com, and AtariVCS.com at pre-release prices. The Atari VCS 800 (8GB) Onyx Base system will retail for just $299.99 USD, while Atari VCS 800 “All-In” system bundles include the Atari VCS Classic Joystick (available separately for $59.99) and Atari VCS Modern Controller ($59.99) for $399.99 USD. The Atari VCS Classic Joystick and Modern Controllers were created in partnership with PowerA. Atari VCS international presale dates will be announced soon.

Fans can follow the official Atari VCS social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and on Instagram.

To stay up-to-date on all things Atari and retro-pop-culture, follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About ATARI

Atari is an interactive entertainment company. As an iconic brand that transcends generations and audiences, the company is globally recognized for its multi-platform, interactive entertainment and licensed products. Atari owns and/or manages a portfolio of more than 200 games and franchises, including world-renowned brands like Asteroids®, Centipede®, Missile Command®, Pong®, and RollerCoaster Tycoon®. Atari has offices in New York and Paris. Visit us online at www.Atari.com.

© 2020 Atari VCS, LLC. All rights reserved. ©2020 Atari Interactive, Inc. Atari wordmark and logo are trademarks owned by Atari Interactive, Inc.

About Game Jolt

Game Jolt is one of the largest global communities for all of gaming. In addition to playing games, gamers can follow each other and share their own creations. We are dedicated to creating new tools for both developers and gamers to grow the gaming industry together! Join millions of gamers and creators on Game Jolt (https://gamejolt.com) to build communities around topics and games you care about.

Kaze and the Wild Masks hops to Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4 and Xbox One

A free demo of the 90’s inspired platformer is also available during the Xbox One Summer Game Fest from July 21 until July 27

Rotterdam, The Netherlands – July 20, 2020 – Today SOEDESCO® and development studio PixelHive announced that 90’s inspired platformer Kaze and the Wild Masks is coming to Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4, Xbox One and Steam®. The pixel-art platformer hops to the stores with both a digital and physical version. An Xbox One demo is available during the Xbox One Summer Game Fest from tomorrow until July 27.  

Diverse platformer gameplay 
André Schaan, CEO of Brazilian development studio PixelHive, is enthusiastic to see their game come to console. “Ever since the early development stages, we’ve always held a console version for the game in mind. Kaze and the Wild Masks embraces all the classic 90’s platformer elements and we believe that both the Steam and console versions will truly complement the game in their own way. We can’t wait to bring nostalgic, yet modern-looking gameplay to today’s consoles.”   

With hand-animated pixel-art graphics, classic side-scrolling action and a fierce rabbit as the protagonist, Kaze and the Wild Masks takes players back to the 90’s where animals with attitudes ruled the day. Besides running and jumping, players can acquire masks’ and utilize the masks’ powers to perform special abilities such as flying in the air and swimming underwater.  

About Kaze and the Wild Masks
In Kaze and the Wild Masks, you journey through the Crystal Islands in 90’s classics platformer style. Play as Kaze and save your friend Hogo from a curse that spread chaos around the islands. Face enraged living vegetables by invoking the powers of the Wild Masks. Pounce ferociously like a tiger, soar through the sky like an eagle, sprint fiercely like a lizard and rule the sea like a shark.
 
Features

  • Unleash the skills of the wild masks to get powers from the tiger, eagle, lizard and shark
  • Uncover the secrets of the Crystal Islands in 30+ levels with over 50 bonus levels
  • Relive your childhood memories of classic platformers with high quality frame by frame pixel art
  • Pave your way through a satisfyingly smooth, but challenging platformer
  • Refresh your ears with 25+ tracks inspired by the musical themes of the 16-bit era

About SOEDESCO
SOEDESCO® is a worldwide publisher of both digital and boxed games on multiple platforms. The company was founded in 2002, with its headquarters in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Their portfolio includes titles such as Owlboy, Among the Sleep, Dollhouse and Teslagrad. SOEDESCO also publishes their own IPs including Adam’s Venture®, Real Farm and Truck Driver.

More information about SOEDESCO® and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.soedesco.com or by following @SOEDESCO on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About PixelHive
PixelHive is a game development company based in Porto Alegre, at the south of Brazil. Founded in 2011, they have since specialized in the development for the Unity engine, having outsourced their work to multiple companies worldwide. Today, their team consists of 17 members. Half of them works with outsource projects, and the other half works on the Kaze and the Wild Masks project.

Between the Stars Preview

Between the Stars

Developer: Isolated Games
Publisher: Isolated Games
Platform: Windows
Release Date: 28 May 2019
Price:  $19.99 USD/$34.95 AUD – Available Here

Video Preview

Between the Stars is a space action game set in a universe currently being torn apart by a war between the Children of the Sun and the Republic. The game offers a mix of real time large ship combat, text-based adventures, and RPG-style character progression. The game is currently on Steam Early Access, and developers Isolated Games recently launched the fourth chapter in the campaign.

The writing is decent in the latest Steam Early Access build. The writers have made an excellent choice tying the gameplay tutorial with a longer prologue chapter starring an already established character within the lore. This allows for players to gain a solid understanding of the state of the universe and the world they are about to throw their personalized avatar into. The actual writing quality itself is inconsistent. The writing feels a little stiff most of the times, but quickly swings to cringe inducing corniness or cutting wit. The dialogue struggles the most, as the short sentences are often too constraining for the writers to work. The text-based events are where the writers shine in comparison as the longer format gives them a better chance to showcase their skills.

Between the Stars takes a foundation of traditional space sims and text-based adventures and mixes in elements of RPGs, large ship management, and tabletop games together into one package. While the list may sound a little overwhelming, the developers have done an excellent job picking and choosing mechanics that work well together. The gameplay focuses heavily on combat and exploration, so space sim fans who are looking for another trading and economics heavy game will be disappointed.

Combat is all about large ships with multi-person crews fighting against each other. Combat feels a little more like nautical battles than sleek jets dog fighting. The pace of the battle is a little slower, focusing more good positioning to unleash the full barrage of weaponry on an enemy weak point than doing a fast-paced dance of death with the opposition. There are some action RPG elements in space combat, as it is not just unloading all the ship’s missiles, rockets, lasers, and bullets on the enemy. Certain pieces of equipment and ship models come with skills that can be activated on a cooldown. The skills are general short, high impact abilities that provide instant gratification. The only problem with the skills is they are not always visually obvious. For example, the nuke will give a giant explosion eventually, but it is nearly impossible to visually confirm the launch or see where it’s travelling.

Life in Between the Stars is a lot more than just blowing up pirates and the Children of the Sun. Players will spend a lot of time exploring the universe, meeting people, discovering derelict ships, and getting into trouble when exploring on foot. All of these randomly generated events are done in a text based, Choose Your Own Adventure-like presentation. Actions of lesser consequence will automatically be decided for the player, while those with serious consequence will require an attribute roll using the player’s stats. Foot combat is more like a board game, where the player’s away team and the enemy will roll dice to determine how much damage they do to each other. The text-based adventuring is what makes Between the Stars special. It is what makes me feel like a captain of a major ship like on Star Trek. These adventures take me to the weird and wild. They make me consider the health and safety of my crew. Most importantly, they make me as the character change, for better or for worse.

The controls are decent, but it is clearly still a work in progress. There are messages in the settings that controller support is still in development. I noticed some keyboard functions could still not be rebound to keys already taken up by the unbindable functions. In practice though, the default mouse and keyboard controls are very good. The controls are a bit more like a nautical ship than an arcade flight sim. Combined with the slower pace of the game, Between the Stars’ controls are quite accessible to new players.

Like all Steam Early Access titles, there are some quality of life changes that are still needed. One improvement the controls could use is a clearer way of showing which weapons will fire when aiming in a certain direction. Right now, players can only experiment until they memorize the arcs of fire. Ideally, some sort of subtle dot representing each weapon that can be greyed out as necessary would be a welcomed addition. Some extra tutorial details would also be nice for some of the text adventuring sections. An option to skip the docking animation would be great, as they get tiring very quickly. Finally, reducing the scrollable areas of the planets would help navigation, as they are massive compared to the space stations.

The audio/visual presentation is okay so far. The graphics aren’t the splashiest, but it’s still a solid looking space sim. The audio has the right soundtrack and sound effects to create a sci-fi experience. The voice acting isn’t great though. Most actors are barely passable, and a few are awful. Worst of all, the recording quality is not even across the board. There are a few actors that either recording their lines on poor quality hardware or the audio enhancements were done poorly. I applaud the effort the developers are putting to make the game heavily voice acted, but I am wondering if the effort and money might be better spent elsewhere.

Between the Stars is shaping up to be a unique title that brings a fresh twist to the space sim genre. The combination of large ship combat, generous text-based events, and crew management create one of the best Star Trek-esque experiences I’ve played in a long time. While it may never be a flashy AAA space sim, it will provide a compelling niche title for people looking to be the captain of their own starship.

Death Stranding Review

Death Stranding

Developer: Kojima Productions
Publisher: 505 Games
Platforms: PlayStation 4Windows (Reviewed)
Release Date: 14 Jul 2020
Price: $99,95 AUD – Available Here $59,99 USD – Available Here

Overview

There are many things that Kojima has been called by the gaming press but for me, he will always be a master storyteller and a master of misdirection. That last bit is especially important considering everything that’s been happening during the promotion for Death Stranding. There were a couple of trailers at first and all of us found them as engaging as they were confusing. What kind of game is this? A horror one with some black tar and invisible enemies? A time travel story mixed up with some philosophical pondering straight out of Metal Gear Solid? We could only guess. Then the game came out and in the effort to boil it down to the basics it was labeled as a walking simulator. After playing it non stop for the previous week, I can say it is that and so much more. It is an incredibly topical game with an atmosphere that slowly grows on you and of course, it wouldn’t be a Kojima game with some philosophy sprinkled through it.

Story

The game is set in the post-apocalyptic USA, where the cataclysmic event known as the “Death Stranding” caused BTs (Beached Things) to appear and consume all dead beings if they’re near them. BTs are said to come from the “Beach”, a realm said to be linked with the afterlife. BTs are also known to cause “voidouts”, huge explosions triggered when they consume the dead. They also produce “Timefall”, a type of rain that deteriorates and ages rapidly anything it hits. The remaining population has confined itself in remote colonies, known as “Knot Cities” and they all form “United Cities of America”. And then, there’s you. Sam Bridges, a delivery man traversing through unpleasant terrain, avoiding BTs and all sorts of dangers in order to get your precious cargo from point A to point B.

Gameplay

You deliver stuff through abandoned cities, mountain valleys, and snowstorms. There will be a lot of walking. Occasionally some driving and gunplay once you unlock the required tools but all in all, it is a pretty lonesome game. Not to say it’s boring. Death Stranding has been out on PC for a while now but it’s clear how polarizing game it is. Either something “clicks” in you and you get immersed in its world or it will be seen as a waste of time and money for some. There is no middle ground. Funny enough, even though it is seen as an open-world game where you pick what to deliver, it is best to run through the story as soon as possible and only then have fun with optional content. The reason for that is that some important upgrades are story locked and things get a little easier when you can rush through the terrain with an electric bike or a truck. Aside from terrain, the ever-present danger is BTs and enemy porters (aka delivery men). Those porters will stop at nothing to steal your precious cargo and deliver it themselves, sometimes even employing deadly weapons against you. BTs are a different story, however. They’re usually invisible, but you can get a glimpse of them when crouching still. Any contact with them will summon an otherwordly entity that you have to defeat in order to escape. They are an enraging nuisance until you develop some weapons and tools to properly evade or destroy them. And lastly, the most important enemy in the game is you. Well, your cargo. There is a limit of how much you can carry on your back and exceeding the limit will mess with your balance and stamina. It’s especially tricky to balance 60+ kilos of anything on your back while climbing up and down the mountain slopes. One thing I have to point out regarding the gameplay is that the game is surprisingly easy, even on normal. There is this annoying story spot from Chapter 2 to Chapter 3 where BTs become a serious threat and you have exactly zero tools or ways to deal with them (besides completely avoiding them and sneaking at a snails’ pace). Other than that, every other gameplay mechanic such as stamina and cargo management is incredibly easy to master.

Visuals

Death Stranding is the first game that welcomes the DECIMA engine on PC. It feels like an improved version of FOX ENGINE from Metal Gear Solid V. Not a resource-heavy, incredibly well optimized, and a reason behind some of the most gorgeous screenshots on my Steam profile. It’s impressive how the developers made it all work on the visual front considering how little they had to begin with. You basically have three types of terrain in Death Stranding – snowy mountains, endless green pastures, and occasional ruins of the civilization scorched by the black tar. But with clever combining and some insane creativity in open-world design, you barely notice the scarcity of the said elements.

Audio

Kojima wouldn’t be Kojima if he didn’t try to introduce us to some good artists in all of his games. Metal Gear Solid V made me discover Joan Baez and Midge Ure and with Death Stranding, we got the magnum opus of a post-rock band called Low Roar. The band’s discography is featured heavily in the game and their muffled tones complement heavily the desolate atmosphere of the game. It would also be unfair to not mention the absolutely stellar voice acting by the crème de la crème of Hollywood. The cast includes Guillermo Del Toro, Mads Mikkelsen, Lea Seydoux, Nicolas Winding Refn, Norman Reedus (as the titular character) and occasional celebrity cameos such as Conan O’Brien.

Overall

As I played through Death Stranding, I couldn’t help but think about it’s strange but impeccable timing when it comes to a PC release. The society lives in a self-isolation hiding from an invisible threat (reminds you of something topical?) and the only connection with humanity in the game is seen through our eyes, as we control our character. The civilization as we knew it is long gone, people live in shelters but the technological advances and the connections are uninterrupted. You can be connected with anyone and anytime in the world of Death Stranding and then….there’ you. A single delivery man traversing on foot in order to connect already connected cities. With technology but not by human factors. And while the game is a well-rounded experience I like it because you can see Kojima’s personal growth here in terms of storytelling. He managed to achieve the right amount of subtle while not beating you over the head with crystal clear metaphors. Death Stranding is a serene and philosophical journey disguised as a walking simulator that will make you ponder more and more about what it means to be human as you travel through its desolate areas.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.