We’ve known for some time that Sega was planning on bringing Project Sakura Wars to the West and now the company has announced exactly when fans can expect the game to be released. The company has announced that Sakura Wars as it is now simply called will be released on the PlayStation 4 on April 28th in North America and European regions and feature Japanese voice work accompanied by English, Spanish, French, and German subtitles.
At release the retail copy of the game will feature a bonus sheet of stickers that feature many of the game’s playable characters as well as a reversible piece of cover art that allows fans to use either the Western or original Japanese box art. The announcement trailer alongside some English screenshots can be found below.
Marvelous Europe has announced that they are planning on releasing a side scrolling hack-and-slash RPG by the name of Dead or School in the West for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch with a planned release date of March 13th. Developed by Studio Nanafushi, the game was released on PC last year and tells the tale of a post-apocalyptic Tokyo where humans live in isolation underground in fear of the Zombie infestation above ground.
After hearing stories of high school life above ground from her grandmother, our protagonist, Hisako, dreams of experiencing this mysterious and energetic lifestyle for herself; wearing her grandmother’s old school uniform Hisako ventures into the zombie-infested Tokyo in order to reclaim the city and finally go to school.
As part of this adventure for a modern-day high school life, Hisako travels across Tokyo using the subway system with each mission being located at a familiar location in Tokyo. Players will travel through and explore locations such as Shinjuku, Asakusa, Akihabara and Roppongi as they attempt to defeat the zombie infestation overthrowing the city. To aid Hisako’s quest, players will also be able to upgrade Hisako’s weapons and skill sets as well as unlock entirely new weapons that will make sure the dead stay dead.
Capcom has revealed two new maps that will be available in Resident Evil Resistance alongside two different masterminds that players can also take control of in their upcoming asymmetrical survival horror game that comes bundled with Resident Evil 3. The maps are called the “Abandoned Park” and the “Casino” while the masterminds are some familiar faces in the form of Alex Wesker and Ozwell E. Spencer.
The horror themed theme park was once a place of fun but now its abandoned at the edge of Raccoon City and filled with true monsters and bioweapons while the casino is left in complete disarray with neon machines now stained in blood.
Alex Wesker’s playstyle places an emphasis on using traps, while also manipulating the map to slow Survivors down with roadblocks and enhanced zombies. As if these were not intimidating enough, when Alex gets really serious, she can call upon a vicious carnivorous plant called Yateveo. This stationary bioweapon might not move, but in the right place it’s a powerful obstruction that keeps Survivors from their objective of escaping. As for Ozwell Spencer, he is a more hands on mastermind that generates a Disintegration Field that severely damages any Survivor that passes through it.
A new trailer for Monster Hunter World: Iceborne has been released and it focuses entirely on the two brand new variant monsters that will be added in the next free title update that is set to be released sometime in March for the console versions of the game and in April for the PC version.
The two creatures, the Furious Rajang and the Raging Brachydios can be seen in the trailer from Capcom below, though the items that players can craft from their corpses are not shown off, and it is worth noting that this expansion does require players to own the Iceborne expansion of the base game.
Crafting crossovers can create some interesting combinations, especially when the developer behind the crossover has access to a number of popular franchises that they can pull characters from. As such when Arc System Works revealed Code Shifter many wondered just how many different series would be appearing in the game and how it would tie everyone together, so now that this interesting crossover featuring characters from even some more obscure Arc System Works games has been released, is it worth your time?
Story
The video game development company Awesome Rainbow Corp, that fits so well with ARC, is preparing to launch their biggest game yet, a brawling fighting game by the name of Colorful Fighters. The problem is, while the release date continues to approach the amount of bugs and glitches never seem to drop and, if anything, are getting worse. As such a programmer named Stella has crafted a unique program called Code Shifter that allows her to easily navigate through corrupted files and directly target any buggy code, glitched graphics, and more by using a virtual avatar named Sera. It doesn’t take long before the never ending pile of bugs and errors appear to lead towards an unknown user that is seemingly targeting the developer directly and only Stella’s capable avatar can put a stop to it.
For a crossover game, Code Shifter does its best to at least set up a premise as to why characters from Guilty Gear, River City, Blazblue, and many other franchises would be appearing in the same worlds but does little really beyond that and most attempts at humor fall flat. Players can interact with their fellow co-workers in the office but their personalities are barely developed beyond their initial introductions and while there is some effort to highlight the crunch that developers can be forced into when an incompetent boss forces work on them to meet strict deadlines, it doesn’t quite go far enough. As such those looking for a solid storyline will be a bit disappointed here as it mostly serves as window dressing to seeing your favorite characters in a new type of game.
Gameplay
At its core Code Shifter is designed as a 2D platformer with players having to navigate the mixed up world of each stage while eliminating or avoiding the various enemies in their path and solving some small puzzles to get past various obstacles. Most stages can be quite large in size and, since players are not given any time limit, they are free to explore and are encouraged to find little side paths throughout the level as various defeated glitches and item pick-ups increase their overall score for the stage. Taking damage and losing lives lower this final score and while players don’t need to aim for an S ranking every time, they are encouraged to as an S ranked stage will unlock various boosts that can be applied to Sera such as allowing her to move quicker, deal more damage, knockback enemies, carry more “heroes,” and more.
These heroes are where Code Shifter pulls in its crossover mechanics. Players will always have control of Sera who can deal basic damage and is the only one that can target glitched items in the environment but alongside her numerous Arc System Works characters will be at the player’s disposal as the viruses have spread them throughout the stages in these games. These heroes range from playable characters that can be swapped back and forth from to simply being assist characters that can be called in to deal damage or apply a buf. Heroes are not only generally stronger than Sera but also play a major role in navigating the various stages in the game.
Some characters, such as Sol Badguy, can use fire type moves to melt away ice pillars that may be blocking the way, while lightweight ones such as Rachel Alucard can float using air-jets. Similarly we have characters such as Abobo who are so heavy they sink light platforms and can tear apart boxes and Juubei is small enough to slip through tight passages. Numerous characters will have these special feats, with a few having more than one, but since the amount of heroes Sera can transform into are limited, players may need to backtrack to regain one they need should a puzzle, or a hidden area, require.
The actual combat in Code Shifter is unfortunately rather bland and simple with players having a standard light attack combo that has a few different variations depending on the direction being pressed as well as a “special attack” that is often quite powerful but drains some of the user’s health as a price. The various heroes are oddly missing a number of their signature moves though fans will still find plenty of familiar attacks being used for their favorite characters but they will need to be wary of hitboxes as enemy damage zones, as well as the various platforms that players will often need to navigate, are incredibly rough feeling. Often enemies will land hits that are nowhere near the player while direct attacks will miss entirely and floating platforms can be the bane of any solid run through a stage as landing near an edge almost guarantees a fall due to a few poorly designed areas.
Outside of the core game players will find that there is a fairly solid extra mode players can access through the office and that is the game Stella is trying to fix, Colorful Fighters. This mode allows players to take part in four way brawls that are either timed or dependent on a set of lives and use any characters that they have unlocked in the game so far. These characters are only unlocked by completing special hidden fights scattered throughout the more difficult EX stages of the game’s story mode so it is worth noting that some fan favorites will take some extra work to unlock. Colorful Fighters is a solid enough brawler though it can be incredibly hectic to the point that a life could easily be lost during the initial chaos and it is also worth noting that while four players can play locally, there is no online option which is a bit of a disappointment. It is also worth noting that players can also choose to eventually play through the story mode with a co-op partner should they choose but once again, it is only available through local play.
Visuals & Audio
The design work in Code Shifter is a bit at odds with itself as the core gameplay features some great 8-bit versions of everyone’s favorite characters, a few of which end up looking very impressive considering their detailed origins, and the level designs themselves can be quite interesting to playthrough but it also happens to feature some incredibly lackluster normal designs for the game’s story mode models and Sera herself is as generic as they come even when she obtains extra outfits later in the game. It is also worth noting that while the layouts of some stages are rather interesting, they only feature some small theme changes between sets of stages which is a bit disappointing, especially since special stages from various franchises only appear through EX fights or while playing Colorful Fighters.
The soundtrack for the game is also something of a mixed bag as the new music crafted for the game is a bit simplistic in nature while there are tons of great chiptune style music featuring themes from various series when the player is transformed into a specific hero. These tunes are great but thanks to the nature of the gameplay, all too short. It is also worth noting that there is no voice work of any kind as the game instead opts for gibberish sound effects instead.
Overall
Code Shifter works fairly well at providing a solid enough game that brings together some classic characters of Arc System Works’ beloved franchise but unfortunately really doesn’t provide a decent enough story to tie things together. This inconsistency comes into play both when it comes to character designs and soundtracks as well as those tied into referencing crossover characters happen to shine while the original content ends up feeling lackluster. This leads to a side-scrolling platformer that is a bit too simple to really hold your attention but does provide a solid enough experience for fans of Arc System Works’ games, especially if they happen to like brawling a bit with friends in Colorful Fighters.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
A new set of screenshots as well a pair of gameplay trailers for Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX have been released by Spike Chunsoft and the Pokemon Company and this time the focus is spent on showing off plenty of gameplay mechanics and even a bit of the game’s story. In this game players wake up one day to find that they have turned into a Pokemon and must build a rescue team that can take on the mysterious changing dungeons that are around the land in an attempt to make the world a safer place and potentially find their true purpose on the way.
Currently Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is set to be released on the Nintendo Switch on March 6th though those who want to try it at the moment can currently do so as a demo is available through the eShop right now.
PQube Games have announced plans to help publish a turn based strategy RPG by the name of Tears of Avia sometime this summer. Developed by CooCooSqueaky, Tears of Avia is aiming to be released on the Xbox One and PC and follows the story of the player’s party, who can be built to fit the player’s style, as they venture across the land of Estera in search of the lost city of Avalon.
The actions that players take with their party will influence how the narrative of the story can play out and while there may be “no right or wrong” choices, there will always be consequences. With players being able to use over a hundred different type of in-game skills and combine various classes together, such as Rangers, Priests, Warriors, and more, each character has access to an expansive skill tree to allow for limitless potential should the player choose to build their party in a unique way. The announcement trailer and a few screenshots for Tears of Avia can be found below.
Bandai Namco has revealed that Dragon Ball FighterZ isn’t losing an steam as the company has revealed that a third fighter pass is on the way and with it come five brand new fighters. The first part of the reveal happens to focus on Goku’s Ultra Instinct version that does not have a set date beyond Spring 2020 while the second, far more exciting half, focuses on a highly requested fighter that does have a release date and it happens to be Kefla who will be releasing on February 28th.
The trailer featuring both of these fighters can be found below with Arc System Works’ attention to detail remaining nearly flawless. Currently Dragon Ball FighterZ is available on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and even the Nintendo Switch.
Hardcore Action-MMORPG Built for Xbox One Family of Devices Gets Launch Date and Makes Pre-orders Available
SANTA CLARA, Calif., (February 12, 2020) — Leading interactive entertainment developer and publisher, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., today announced that Bless Unleashed – which is coming exclusively to the Xbox One family of devices – is set to launch on March 12, 2020. Complete with Xbox One X enhancements (4K Ultra HD and HDR10 support) Bless Unleashed dives into a world of mystery as players take on compelling dungeons and bosses, explore open new zones, customize their character and upgrade their Blessings Skills, compete in lethal PvP combat, and much more.
Starting now, Bless Unleashed is also making available for purchase the Deluxe, Exalted, and Ultimate Founder’s Packs. The Deluxe Founder’s pack includes a 7-day head start, the “Founder’s Pyreborn” title, the Ivory Unicorn mount, and 7 day Valor Perks. The Exalted Pack includes everything in the Deluxe Founder’s Pack plus a 10-day head start, the Ironclad Rhino Mount, the Gilded Enforcer Costume set, an additional character slot, 1,000 Lumena (virtual currency), and a 30 day Valor Perks. The Ultimate Founder’s Pack includes everything in the Deluxe and Exalted Founder’s packs with addition of a 15-day head start, the Inferno Stallion Mount, the Crimson Slayer Costume set, the Crimson Slayer Weapon Skin set, two additional character slots, 2,000 Lumena, and 90 day Valor Perks. The Deluxe, Exalted, and Ultimate Founders Packs are available for purchase here: https://blessunleashed.com/packs
Bless Unleashed takes place in an untamed world with a rich backstory created with hardcore MMO players in mind. With deep combo-driven mechanics, player customization, and cooperative (PvE) and competitive (PvP) multiplayer, there is an endless amount of content and gameplay possibilities to keep players engaged. Developed using Unreal Engine 4, Bless Unleashed brings unparalleled visuals to a fully realized fantasy world, offering one of the most stunning MMORPGs produced for console players. Players adventure across an open persistent world where mythical beasts roam the land and player vs. player battles can erupt over disputed areas at any time.
About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive entertainment for all major video game consoles, iOS, Android, and online platforms. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises including PAC-MAN®, GALAGA®, TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, and ACE COMBAT®. BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. is the premier publisher in the Western hemisphere for anime based video games including NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, DRAGON BALL Z®, and ONE PIECE®. More information about the company and its products can be found at http://www.bandainamcoent.com or www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS
Warlords
of New York Taking Agents on the Ultimate Manhunt Starting March 3
The Division 2’s narrative-driven
expansion will bring players to a new devastated open world in South Manhattan.
Plus starting tomorrow, players can experience the prologue with Episode 3 –
Coney Island: The Hunt, available free on February 12 for Year 1 pass
holders, February 19 for all The Division 2 players.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — February 12, 2020 — Ubisoft has announced Tom Clancy’s® The Division 2 Warlords of New York, a narrative-driven expansion in The Division 2, available on March 3, 2020 on the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Windows PC and UPLAY+*, Ubisoft’s subscription service. Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 and its expansion will also launch on the new generation gaming platform, Stadia, later in March.
While
current The Division 2 players can purchase the expansion on its own, new
players can purchase the Standard Edition, which includes The Division 2 base
game and The Division 2 Warlords of New York expansion. The Ultimate Edition,
which gives players both the game and its expansion, as well as all of The Division
2’s Year 1 content, classified assignments and unlocked specializations, will also
be available. All players must be at Level 30 and have reached World Tier 5 to
join The Division 2 Warlords of New York. As such, each edition of the game
will come with a Level 30 boost that players can activate if they wish to do
so, to immediately jump into the New York expansion. After completing The Division
2 Warlords of New York campaign, Agents can then fast travel freely between
Washington DC and New York City to enjoy the entire range of The Division 2’s
content.
All
players pre-purchasing** the expansion will be granted a free Level 30 boost
that they can use at their discretion to jump their character to Level 30 in
The Division 2, ahead of the expansion’s release.
A
Narrative Expansion to Discover a New Area in New York City
In
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 Warlords of New York, Division Agents will go on
the ultimate manhunt for Aaron Keener, a former Division Agent who has now gone
rogue. Keener, along with his network of Rogue Agents, is now a major threat to
the burgeoning rebirth of civilization. To track down Keener, Agents will roam the untamed
living open world of Lower Manhattan; a former Dark Zone that was recently hit
by a devastating hurricane that hit New York City harder than anywhere else in
the US. Agents are tasked to explore new zones, each with iconic locations such
as Two Bridges, Chinatown, and Wall Street. To get to Keener, players must take
down each of his Rogue Agents. Each Rogue Agent has their own unique back
story and skill – which you gain once you take them down.
The Ultimate Vision of Tom Clancy’s The
Division 2 Warlords of New York
After taking the time to hear and gather
community feedback, core gameplay enhancements have been implemented across
various topics such as build diversity, gear streamlining and even more
meaningful loot.
Along with The Division 2 Warlords of New
York, Title Update 8 will include an RPG overhaul, allowing players to better
read and manage their gear inventory. The UI screen will be updated to always
show the roll ranges for each stat on a piece of gear or weapon. The overhaul
also includes the return of god rolls, improving readability and helping players
make better decisions on the gear’s usefulness to their build. Additionally,
players will see a more streamlined gear recalibration system, with item and
stat usefulness indicators, as well as permanent attribute and stat storage at
the recalibration station. This will allow Agents the flexibility to plan the
perfect build.
The existing Dark Zones in The Division 2 are also being revitalized, returning to a simpler rogue mechanic. The focus is on rewarding player-to-player interaction, whether its fighting against each other or helping a fellow Agent against a tough Rogue player.
In The Division 2 Warlords of New York,
the players’ level cap will increase from Level 30 to Level 40, but it doesn’t
stop there. The Division 2 Warlords of New York is also introducing an infinite
progression system, the SHD level, and 4 new skills that can be used throughout
the game. Owners of the expansion will also get access to new gear and new
weapons.
Introducing Seasons, including Leagues and
the Return of Global Events
The expansion will also introduce a new
post-launch philosophy: Seasons – a 3-month-long themed endgame event with a
new main target and his network to track down, introducing them at a regular
pace, each with their own stories and unique rewards. The first season begins one
week after the release of The Division 2 Warlords of New York. In addition to the
Seasonal Manhunt, Seasons will offer new in-game activities. Leagues are
a series of challenges for players with opportunities to unlock rewards based
on players’ ability to complete such challenges.
Players will also see the return of Global
Events, time-limited in game events during which a global modifier is applied
to the entire game and players will be rewarded by completing specific tasks.
During each Season, players will grow their Season level to unlock various
rewards by participating in the various seasonal activities or even simply playing
the game. Players interested in collecting additional rewards can acquire a
Season Pass. More information on Seasons and the Season Pass can be found here.
For more information on The Division 2
Warlords of New York, please visit here.
Available Tomorrow: Tom Clancy’s The
Division 2: Episode 3 – Coney Island: The Hunt
Starting tomorrow, Wednesday February 12
for Year 1 pass holders (February 19 for all players), Episode 3 – Coney
Island: The Hunt, the last episode of The Division 2’s free Year 1 post-launch
content plan, will be available to play. Episode 3 serves as the prologue to
The Division 2 Warlords of New York.
Episode 3 – Coney Island: The Hunt
features two main missions, two classified assignments (for Year 1 pass
holders), a new specialization, “Firewall, “and new rewards as part of the
referral program, as well as new weapons and exotic weapon.
About Tom Clancy’s® The Division 2
Led by Massive Entertainment in collaboration with
seven other studios around the world***, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 is the
next evolution in the open-world online shooter RPG genre that the first game
helped establish. Set seven months after a deadly virus was released in New
York City, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 brings players into a fractured and
collapsing Washington D.C. The world is on the brink, its people living through
the biggest crisis ever faced in human history. As veteran Division agents,
players are the last hope against the complete fall of society as enemy
factions vie for control of the city. If Washington D.C. is lost, the entire
nation falls. Building upon more than two years of listening to and learnings
from The Division community, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 will offer a
substantial campaign that organically flows into a robust endgame, to create a
cohesive and meaningful experience for all types of players, helping players emphasize
their freedom to make strategic choices and hone their own approach.
For the latest news on Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 and
all of Ubisoft’s games, visit Ubisoft News: news.ubisoft.com.
* €14,99 per month. Cancel anytime. More information
at uplayplus.com.
**Pre-purchase only available for Xbox and PC.
***Associatestudios are Ubisoft
Reflections, Red Storm Entertainment, Ubisoft Annecy, Ubisoft Leamington,
Ubisoft Shanghai, Ubisoft Bucharest and Ubisoft Sofia.
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 The Division, Ghost
Recon and Rainbow Six. 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/.
