World of Tanks ANZ smashes goal raising over $90,000
for the Australian bushfires
4th February 2020 – World of Tanks ANZ has
exceeded their fundraising efforts, raising over $90,000 for those affected by
the Australian bush fires.
With an initial goal of raising $10,000 for BlazeAid, the
combined efforts of the World of Tanks APAC team and most importantly players
and the community from the region, saw the goal achieved in the first three
hours of the eight-hour livestream.
More than $90,000 was raised following a series of
fundraising activities including an eight-hour livestream by World of Tanks
ANZ’s Jake (JayRated) and Dillon (Vondle), a silent auction, donations, premium
shop donations and Wargaming APAC contributions. This included Wargaming APAC
matching dollar for dollar, from all the funds raised via the livestream and
silent auction.
Jake Truman, World of Tanks ANZ Community Manager, said the
team were overwhelmed with the support from ANZ players and across
Asia-Pacific.
“We’d like to thank our players from across Australia, NZ,
Japan, China, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and South-East Asia, for their
generous support by participating in the silent auction, providing a pure
donation or purchasing fundraising items in the premium shop.
“This is the first silent auction that World of Tanks APAC
has held, and I was blown away to see tanks, such as the FV215b (183) and Type
59, go for as high as $1,000 each. Alongside this, players were incredibly
generous with their donations, with one player alone donating $5,000,” said
Jake.
Funds raised for BlazeAid will go towards the purchase of
three custom trailers, and rebuilding dozens of kilometers of fencing, sheds
and fodder for livestock.
For more
information on World of Tanks or to download World of Tanks for free, visit https://worldoftanks.asia/
###
About
World of Tanks
World of Tanks is the first
team-based, massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to armoured
warfare. Throw yourself into the epic tank battles of World War II with gamers
all over the world. Your arsenal includes over 600 armoured vehicles from 11
nations, carefully detailed with historical accuracy.
Wargaming is an award-winning
online game developer and publisher headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus. Operating
since 1998, Wargaming has grown to become one of the leaders in the gaming
industry with 4500+ employees and offices spread all over the world. Over 200
million players enjoy Wargaming’s titles across all major gaming platforms.
Their flagship products include the massively popular free-to-play hit World of
Tanks and the strategic naval action game World of Warships. Official website: https://asia.wargaming.net/en/
APPLE
TV APP AND APPLE TV+NOW
AVAILABLE ON 2019 LG TVS IN AUSTRALIA AND
MORE THAN80 COUNTRIES
With the Apple TV App, owners of compatible LG Smart TVs Can Now Enjoy
Apple TV+, Apple TV Channels and With Titles in Stunning Dolby Vision
SEOUL, Feb. 04, 2020 — LG Electronics (LG),
which introduced its 2020 smart TVs with the Apple TV app in January at CES, is now launching the Apple TV app for
compatible 2019 LG smart TVs in more than 80 countries. Easily
accessed from the LG Home Launcher, the Apple TV app gives LG TV owners the
ability to subscribe to and watch Apple TV+, Apple’s new video subscription
service, which features popular Apple Originals such as ,“The Morning
Show,” “See,” “Servant” and “Little America.”
With the Apple TV app, LG TV owners can also subscribe to Apple TV
channels — direct subscriptions to premium video services available both online
and offline, ad-free and on demand — and access their iTunes video library and
buy or rent over 100,000 movies and TV shows. A quick click of the LG Magic
Remote is all it takes to get started.
LG TVs offer users a cinematic experience with the incredible
picture and sound to match the constantly growing number of programs from top
global content providers. With a wide range of titles available in Dolby
Vision, the Apple TV app is an ideal match for LG TVs. LG was an early adopter
of Dolby technology, and its latest TVs continue to support Dolby Vision,
offering users the most immersive viewing experience with truly vivid colours,
greater depth and stunningly realistic sound.
LG 2019 TVs* also support Apple AirPlay 2**, which
allows users to share or mirror content from their compatible iPhone, iPad or
Mac directly to an LG TV. Customers can also play music on the TV and sync it
with other AirPlay 2 compatible speakers anywhere in the home. Also supported is Apple HomeKit, which lets users easily
and securely control their TV with the Home app on their iPhone or iPad or by
voice using Siri, enabling them to power on or off, switch inputs and more.
LG TV customers can now enjoy Apple TV in addition to AirPlay 2
and HomeKit on all LG 2019 OLED TVs and compatible LG SUPER UHD TVs (series
SM99, SM94, SM90, SM86, SM81) and later this month, the Apple TV app will roll
out on select UHD TVs (series UM76, UM74, UM73, UM69). The Apple TV app and
Apple TV+ will be available on 2020 TVs at launch and on
LG’s 2018 TVs later this year via an over-the-air firmware upgrade.
“LG continues to offer the latest in home entertainment experience through
technological innovations that support the delivery of high-quality viewing and
user convenience,” said Park Hyoung-sei, president of the LG Home Entertainment
Company. “By bringing the Apple TV app and Apple TV+ to even more TV models, we are once again demonstrating our determination to
meet consumers’ needs and add value to our products.”
# # #
About LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company
The LG Home Entertainment Company is an industry leader in televisions and audio video systems. The company is a recognized innovator in the industry for its leadership in OLED TVs which is revolutionizing the premium TV category. LG is committed to improving customers’ lives with innovative home entertainment products led by category-leading OLED TVs and award-winning NanoCell TVs featuring artificial intelligence capabilities. For more information, visit www.LG.com.
UBISOFT® REINFORCES ITS POSITION IN MOBILE IDLE GAMES WITH THE ACQUISITION OF KOLIBRI GAMES
Sydney, Australia – February 4, 2020 – Today, Ubisoft announced the acquisition of 75% of Kolibri
Games, one of the premier
developers of mobile free-to-play games and one of the leaders of the
“idle” games genre. Ubisoft continues building its presence in this growing
category, with this acquisition following closely upon the company’s purchase
of Green Panda Games in 2019.
Kolibri Games, based in Berlin, develops and publishes
Idle Miner Tycoon, which has been downloaded by more than 104 million players
worldwide since releasing in 2016.
The studio, with a talented team of around 100, has
grown the game with more than 160 content updates since its launch, and will
bring its lauded know-how in mobile games development and live services to
Ubisoft.
Jean-Michel Detoc, Executive Director of Ubisoft
Mobile, declared, “We are strengthening our ‘idle’ games portfolio with the
acquisition of Kolibri Games, one of the leaders in the segment, whose flagship
game Idle Miner Tycoon has grown steadily since 2016. We are delighted that
this great talented team, recognized for the longevity of their flagship title,
is joining Ubisoft.”
“Ubisoft is a creative powerhouse and one of
the strongest brands in the games industry – we are humbled to be invited to
join this great family,” said Daniel Stammler, co-CEO and co-founder of
Kolibri Games. “This marks a high point in the history of our young company
and will enable us to expand our development.”
The acquisition was completed on January 31 and is
expected to be accretive to Ubisoft’s earnings. The agreement gives Ubisoft the
option of gradually raising its stake in Kolibri Games to 100% over the next
four years.
About
Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and
distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of
world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, For Honor, Just
Dance, Watch_Dogs, Tom Clancy’s video game series including Ghost Recon,
Rainbow Six and The Division. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network
of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and
memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles,
mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2018-19 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated
net bookings of €2,029 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.
Armed and Gelatinous Splats onto PlayStation 4,
Xbox One, Steam in Q3 2020
New Food Fight, Dodgeball, Target Practice Modes
LOS ANGELES – 3 Feb.
2020 –Armed and
Gelatinous, the frenzied
multiplayer arcade space shooter featuring squishy blob warfare fromThree Flip Studios, bursts onto PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as well
as Windows, Mac and Linux via Steam in Q3 2020. The new Food Fight and
Dodgeball multiplayer modes and single player Target Practice campaign will
debut atPAX East 2020.
Begin conquering space by selecting one of four vibrant blobs. Absorb an arsenal of more than 12 weapons including machine guns, rocket launchers, and laser rifles. Each firearm gained adds more viscous mass along with greater damage capabilities, but don’t be jelly when opponents claim massive stockpiles. Smaller, more agile wobbly warriors can take aim with a juiced up dash attack to blast their bloated brethren to smithereens. Fear not, if peppered with grenades or a hail of bullets, munch on delicious space tacos to replenish health.
PAX East attendees will
be first to master every weapon in the timed challenges of Target Practice, be
the last warrior wiggling in the Dodgeball arena or race for tacos in Food
Fight mode, where the blob who eats the most tacos wins. Climb the global
leaderboards with the best single player times or jiggle through the far
reaches of space with online and local competitive game modes in a plethora of
celestial battlegrounds.
Customize matches by
setting the victory point goal, time limit, number of lives and which weapons
and items are available. Create a bazooka-only match and try to time explosive
attacks perfectly or limit weapon drops and rely on dash attacks.
Armed and Gelatinous features voice talentBrian Sommer from Diablo III and League of Legends
under the direction ofJory Prum (The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, Among
the Sleep), who also engineered the game’s more than 20 eclectic jazz and
retro music tracks in collaboration with artists includingChris Huelsbeck (R-Type, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron) andZac Zinger (Street Fighter, Final Fantasy XV).
“Jory recorded the
perfect sound effects for our wacky zero-gravity space shooter, and his masters
of the 21 tracks on our original soundtrack have given it a truly stellar
vibe,” said Rob Howland, co-founder, Three Flip Studios. “Anyone can learn to
play Armed and Gelatinous, but only the most skilled will dominate. It’s
super easy to pick up and play with friends or the whole family, providing
hours of fun at maximum silliness for every kind of player.”
Armed and Gelatinous will be available for hands-on demos of the
console and arcade cabinet versions at PAX East booth 28077. It will support
English, Japanese, Spanish, French, German and Italian on PlayStation 4, Xbox
One and Steam for Windows, Mac and Linux for $19.99 USD in Q3 2020. Arcade
cabinets are live now at Two Bit Circus in Los Angeles, CA, Quarters Arcade Bar
in Salt Lake City, UT, Starport Arcade and Pub in Morgantown, WV and Glitch Bar
in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
Three Flip Studios is a
passionate two-person team based in Los Angeles. Prior to Armed and
Gelatinous, they released Influent, a language learning game
developed for a research project at the Entertainment Computing Laboratory at
the University of Tsukuba, Japan.
To learn more about
Three Flip Studios, please visit itsofficial website.
XSEED Games to Publish PC Version of Popular Mech Game
Torrance, Calif. – February 3, 2020 – XSEED Games, the independent-minded publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., today announced the high-speed mech action game, DAEMON X MACHINA, will be launching globally for Windows PC via Steam on February 13. The title is currently available for pre-purchase with a 20% discount off its normal MSRP of $59.99, €59.99, and £49.99, ending when the title launches on February 13 at 10 a.m. PST, at which time it will be reduced to a 10% launch week. All copies purchased during the pre-purchase period or during the first month of the title’s launch will come with exclusive bonuses including an Arsenal mech, Outer suits for their character, and a set of five weapon. The Prototype Arsenal Set, containing the Prototype Arsenal mech and Prototype Plugsuit outfit, will be available for purchase at a later date. The Metallic Equipment Set, containing 5 unique weapons and the Metallic Plugsuit outfit, will only be available as a part of the pre-purchase and early bird purchase promotions and will never be sold separately.
From the visionary minds of producer Kenichiro Tsukuda comes a new generation of high-speed mech combat. Featuring mechanical concept design by Shoji Kawamori, DAEMON X MACHINA brings the frenetic mech action to a new platform with visual upgrades, customization options, and support for gamepads as well as keyboard and mouse. With the exception of some licensed DLC, the PC release will include all content updates including new Arsenal gear, cosmetic options, Colossal Immortal battles, and a co-op Exploration Mission mode.
About DAEMON X MACHINA
Welcome to your battlefield.DAEMON X MACHINA puts players in the cockpit in a fight for the future of humanity. Taking the role of an Outer, a new breed of human that emerged following a global catastrophe, players will suit up and pilot their fully customizable mechs, called Arsenals, on the front line of a desperate war for survival against corrupted AIs known as “Immortals.” Team up with fellow mercenaries in the Orbital organization to turn the tide, but be careful – mercenaries always have their price, and today’s allies can become tomorrow’s enemies.
Soar across the battlefield in an Arsenal mech to combat the
Immortals wherever they appear – in crumbling cities, strange deserts, and
inside of massive facilities. As players progress through missions they will be
able to salvage new equipment from defeated enemies, providing more combat
options ranging from laser swords to explosive artillery, and can customize
their characters with a variety of cosmetic modifications and cybernetic
upgrades that grant new skills. Players can also participate in online 1 vs. 1
or 2 vs. 2 Versus Modes with competitive leaderboards for top mercenaries, or
team up for Co-op Modes, allowing up to four players to team up to take on
Colossal Immortals or explore randomly generated Immortal bases for powerful
rewards.
Published by XSEED Games globally on Windows PC, DAEMON X
MACHINA will launch February 13 on Steam for $59.99, €59.99, and £49.99 with a 20%
discount for pre-purchases, dropping to a 10% launch week discount between
February 13 – 20. The PC version of this title is not rated by the ESRB.
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 AKIBA’S TRIP andthe Corpse Party series,
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.
Azur Lane and British Cruisers in World of Warships:
Legends
Azur Lane
Commanders and Skins, British Light Cruisers, a new Campaign, and Ranked
Battles Season 3!
February
3 – World of Warships: Legends
is releasing its first feature update of 2020 today. There is a ton of new
content: players can collect new skins and commanders from the Azur
Lane Collaboration, the British nation received a cruiser tech
tree, there is a new campaign, and Season 3 of
Ranked Battles is here.
World
of Warships: Legends has launched its first collaboration—featuring commanders
from the popular mobile game, Azur Lane! Dunkerque, Nelson, Atago, Hipper,
Hood, and Belfast will be represented. Each new commander will have unique
skills and voice-overs from their character in Azur Lane. So for example,
Atago’s “Arsonist” skill has been brought to World of Warships:
Legends as a unique commander skill that provides similar effects. Each ship
represented with a commander also has a new colourful camouflage to fit each
character’s theme. There is an option to opt-out of the Azur Lane visuals for
those who prefer to retain the classic approach.
The
British cruiser tech tree will finally be complete! These royal
vessels are distinct from the cruisers of other nations and provide a
unique playstyle. They come equipped with excellent 6-inch guns,
light armour, torpedoes that can be individually launched, repair parties, and
smoke generators. All this combined with awesome acceleration, and the British
cruisers become real opportunistic warriors! Players will be able to use these
cruisers to ambush enemies and punish exposed flanks.
There
is also a new campaign to tie-in with both the British cruisers and the Azur
Lane collaboration—His Majesty’s Raider. This campaign has items throughout for
players, ranging from Doubloons and Equipment to Premium Account time and more.
At the end of the 80-level campaign lies the Belfast—a famed British cruiser
that now serves as a museum ship in London on the River Thames. In-game, the
Belfast is a Tier VI cruiser that is equipped with quick-firing 6-inch guns,
Radar, Sonar, and Smoke Generator. This load-out makes Belfast ideal for
fighting enemy destroyers, setting fires, and evading the enemy.
Ranked
Battles are back for a third season to provide players the opportunity for even
more intense and competitive battles. Season 3 will focus on Tier V ships
throughout the update, meaning there is 5 weeks to climb through the 20 ranks.
There is a ton of rewards dotted throughout the ranks, including a pile of
credits, doubloons, and commander XP. These 7v7 battles are the best place for
players to show their skills in-game.
It’s
a strong start for 2020 in World of Warships: Legends!
####
About World of Warships: Legends
Experience epic naval action in
World of Warships: Legends, a massively multiplayer online game where you can
master the seas in history’s greatest warships! Recruit legendary commanders
from maritime history, upgrade your vessels and stake your claim to naval
supremacy with or against players around the world in thrilling and immersive
battles.
World of Warships: Legends brings
the online naval action loved by millions to home consoles for the very first
time, alongside a host of content and features exclusive to the console
experience.
Azur Lane is a side-scrolling
shooter RPG mobile game (for Android / iOS) that features ships that are
anthropomorphized into beautiful girl characters and fight a wide variety of
enemies.
It has both an auto mode and a
manual mode, so even those who are not good at shooting games can enjoy
playing.
Wargaming is an award-winning
online game developer and publisher headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus. Operating
since 1998, Wargaming has grown to become one of the leaders in the gaming
industry with 4500+ employees and offices spread all over the world. Over 200
million players enjoy Wargaming’s titles across all major gaming platforms.
Their flagship products include the massively popular free-to-play hit World of
Tanks and the strategic naval action game World of Warships.
Even back when Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE was first announced many wondered just how a game would properly mix together the Fire Emblem series and the Shin Megami Tensei franchise together into one game and the end result ended up being quite a unique game. Unfortunately, even though Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE had its shot back in 2016, the fact it was released for the nearly doomed Wii U left it with little hope for even reaching the hands of most RPG fans. Now Nintendo is giving the game another chance with a Nintendo Switch version featuring a variety of enhancements and a bit of added content in the form of Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore. Is this second chance the one this game needs to step into the spotlight?
Story
Five years prior to the start of our story, a strange event occurred during a live performance that saw every actor and audience member disappear with only one girl surviving the mass disappearance that has yet to be solved to this day. At the current date Itsuki Aoi is attending a special event that will allow girls to try out for an idol position and happens to run into his friend Tsubasa Oribe who wants to follow in her older sister’s footsteps. During the tryouts members in the audience begin to feel sick and strange apparitions appear on the stage and kidnap everyone, including Tsubasa. Despite suffering from the strange exhaustion flowing from these beings, Itsuki follows these strange creatures through a mysterious door.
Upon doing so, he finds himself in a strange realm filled with monstrous creatures known as Mirages and somehow manages to obtain the power of one such Mirage by the name of Chrom, giving Itsuki the ability to defend himself and rescue Tsubasa. Upon surviving this ordeal, the pair learn that Mirages are seeking the “Performa” essence contained within talented humans and the only ones that can defeat these beings are Mirage Masters, who just so happen to be what Itsuki and Tsubasa are now. With an already established special force that uses idol production as a front, taking the pair under its wings it will be up to these Mirage Masters to try and find out the truth behind what is happening and possibly save the world all while working as members of the Japanese entertainment industry.
The core storyline of Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore isn’t an entirely deep one but it does manage to be a highly entertaining one, especially thanks to the fact that the cast of characters are incredibly endearing. The structure of the story features major plot points that are split up with intermissions that allow players to delve a bit deeper into each character’s storyline. Most of these side-stories and sub-quests reward players with various in-game items and skills but often the real rewards come from the character interactions. In fact, thanks to this version of the game featuring all of the Wii U’s DLC there are even more sub-quests to explore and unlike standard enhanced versions of games, these additional quests are mixed properly into the storyline so players will be able to experience them properly rather than sticking all of the new content near the end of the game.
It is also worth noting that while this game may feature a mish-mash of two franchises put together, the actual storyline really doesn’t require much, if any, knowledge of either series. The Fire Emblem series is the only one that manages to play into the story but this is generally just in the form of cameos with fan favorite characters and series longstays Caeda, Tiki, Tharja, and more making appearances in various roles while the Shin Megami Tensei series is mostly relegated to gameplay systems. This means that those who may not be experienced with either series will still find the game incredibly approachable though be prepared for a heavy hand when it comes to various anime style tropes.
Gameplay
The majority of the time players spend in Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore will be in the various “idolspheres” that serve as the game’s dungeons. Sure there are times that Itsuki can explore the normal city and interact with various NPCs, purchase items, take on various sub-quests, and of course talk with fellow party members but the bulk of the gameplay comes when inside of one of these idolspheres. Enemy mirages spawn randomly while traveling through an idolsphere and players can gain a first strike advantage, or simply avoid a fight altogether, by attacking them in the field before touching them and entering combat.
Combat happens to be the place where this RPG pulls in the majority of its Shin Megami Tensei elements with a sprinkling of Fire Emblem. Combat is a turn based affair that uses simple attacks, blocks, items, swapping with a reserve party member, and the incredibly important skills menu with up to three party members at a time battling against a wide array of enemies that all have various weaknesses that can be exploited. Like the Shin Megami Tensei series, every foe is weak to various elements such as wind, holy, fire, ice, etc. and even some weapon types that follow Fire Emblem‘s old weapon triangle weakness and strength system.
What helps set apart this style of targeting weaknesses while protecting against your own is the “session” system. Whenever an enemy (including the player as enemies can take advantage of this system as well) strikes an enemy with a skill that they are weak against, a “session” will likely be triggered. These sessions allow for numerous party members to unleash a chain of attacks that pile on the damage, though players will want to be careful when choosing their party as these session chains only trigger when every character’s skills work properly together. Things can get even crazier if a second “session” is triggered in the same chain, allowing for numerous attacks to string together within a single turn. These session attacks can often make or break a fight depending on difficulty and they can also begin to feel rather over the top at times so thankfully the ability to “speed up” some of the lengthier chains is a useful feature, especially when some bonus non-party characters eventually can be unlocked to jump in and perform attacks of their own.
Alongside these sessions players will also eventually unlock special “ad-lib” performances for each character that occasionally trigger whenever said character hits an enemy weakness. These ad-libs feature their very own music number alongside a far more powerful attack that often provides other benefits alongside dealing damage. While all of these special features to combat may make it seem a bit easy sounding, it all comes down to how players build their characters. Like usual RPGs the party gains standard experience points from fighting but unlike others, they obtain skills by equipping gear that is crafted outside of battle from dropped items and mastering them one at a time. Each character only has so many skill slots available so players will need to often sacrifice skills if they find something better. Along these lines the various session chains, which require things such as an enemy being hit by fire allowing an ally to strike with lightning, to also play a factor as a sacrificed skill may ruin a possible chain players have built towards.
This level of combat depth is very appreciated in a game that features combat similar to that found in the SMT series and it truly does shine here, especially when players begin to put together some extremely powerful ability chains and mix in various buffs and debuffs but it is worth noting that players shouldn’t feel too intimidated by the system as it is easily explained and the game features a solidly designed difficulty curve to avoid throwing players into the deep end too quickly. Of course, if the player chooses, they can also partake in an early bonus dungeon that provides extensive amounts of experience and skill books but this should only really be used if needed as it can easily overpower players if used too much.
Outside of combat and standard exploration players will find that Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore has transitioned all of the features that used the Wii U gamepad into a single menu that is easily accessible at any time. This allows players to view “Topic” conversations between characters as well as pull up a full map of an area if needed, though a mini-map is also always displayed.
Visuals & Audio
The transition to the Nintendo Switch from the Wii U has helped a little bit but not quite as much as one would have hoped given the difference in consoles. Character and enemy models can still occasionally appear rough around the edges and exploring the city still features a variety of NPCs that are presented only as silhouettes but this isn’t too much of an issue primarily thanks to how terrific the game’s art style is. By using a vibrant color palette that varies wildly from different idolspheres to the normal world and featuring some gorgeously designed characters, players will find that the game is just as good looking as they may remember. This is especially true in the various cut-scenes that play in the game as well as the “ad-lib” performances. It is interesting to note that there are some inconsistencies early on during specific story chapter that sees characters commenting on risque outfits only for the designs in question to be completely clothed though this falls upon the continued censorship that carried over from the original Western release this is only a minor issue but it is one that continues in this version.
Rather than provide an English dub for this re-release Nintendo has kept with only providing the original Japanese voice work for the game. This isn’t much of an issue as the localization is handled well, but there is a remarkably large portion of unsubtitled dialogue in the game as none of the combat interactions between characters or remarks made during fights are given subtitles. This is disappointing as it is clear that some characters are making specific remarks, especially in important battles, and is something that could easily have been implemented. Thankfully the game’s soundtrack is absolutely amazing as it should be given the game’s themes around the entertainment industry. There are numerous vocalized songs mixed in with standard background music and players will be delighted with almost any track found in the game.
Overall
Those looking for an incredibly solid RPG for their Nintendo Switch will find that Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore delivers that in spades, especially if players never had a chance to try the original Wii U release. It features an entertaining, albeit heavily Japanese styled, storyline following a cast of likable characters and features a combat system that can be incredibly in-depth and flashy, especially if properly planned out. It may be a bit slow moving at times, lack an English cast, and the upgrade from the original version may feel a little lacking for those who already dove deep into original but this RPG that takes bits of fan favorite franchises and mixes them together to create a new game is certainly worth your time.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Indie devs Rockfish revealed some new improvements betweenEverspace1 and 2 this week. The team has been hard at work since their Kickstarter campaign wrapped up in November. The larger budget and scope of the game means more enemies and major improvements can be added.
Two new drone variations will be available in Everspace2. These smaller pests can be missed during big firefights, but pilots ignore them tend to end up dead. The Outlaw Sniper Drone has a rail gun that charges up for a few seconds before delivering a punishing blow to the player. Pilots should either run down the drone right away, take cover, or snipe back with a rail gun of their own. The detonator drone is a classic suicide bomber that rams into the player and causes massive damage. Once locked onto the player, they make a lot of noise to give players a few seconds to react.
Rockfish also revealed new changes to the UI to be easier to use, convey information better, and offer more simplified views if desired. The overhaul seems to be a top to bottom upgrade, affecting every menu in game.
A new cinematic teaser trailer was also released. The video offers a glimpse at some of the ships and environments in game plus a few short combat sequences.
Finally, Rockfish offered a short update on the progress of the closed alpha test. The prototype has been received well so far, so the hope is to launch the closed alpha to eligible Kickstarter backers at the end of April.
XSEED Games has announced that they now have a set release date for Granblue Fantasy: Versus in North America as the publisher has announced that they will be releasing the fighting game on March 3rd for the PlayStation 4. This comes a little under a month after the game’s February 6th release in Japan.
To accompany this announcement a new trailer for Granblue Fantasy: Versus has been released and features an English voice track alongside gameplay footage of all eleven characters that the game will launch with.
Granblue Fantasy: Versus will release both physically and digitally with a special “Physical Premium Edition” priced at $79.99 that offers the game, original soundtrack, art book, a collector’s box, color pack, and PlayStation 4 theme while the “Character Pass Set” for the same price is a digital download that offers the game, theme, and the Character Pass that will allow players access to five characters that will be released as DLC in the future, including Chaos Bringer, Narmaya, Soriz, Djeeta, and a yet to be revealed fifth fighter.
A new trailer for Final Fantasy VII Remake has been released and while Square Enix is highlighting the fact that it shows off the game’s theme song “Hollow” performed by Yosh, the real treat here is the fact that the trailer not only shows off the infamous cross-dressing scene for Cloud but also plenty of footage of major plot points, the inclusion and voice of Red XIII, a look at different in-game areas, and even a flashback scene featuring Cloud and Tifa when they were younger.
The trailer can be found below and Final Fantasy VII Remake will be released on the PlayStation 4 on April 10th.
