THE CYCLE’S NEWEST UPDATE ADDS
STORY MISSIONS, VISUAL UPGRADES & MORE!
Try the competitive quest shooter’s new
upcoming map before anyone else in this Friday’s public playtest
BERLIN – Nov. 21, 2019 – YAGER has released a new content update for The Cycle, the hit free-to-play competitive quest shooter. The major highlight is the introduction of story missions, a new contract type (in solo mode only) where players can learn more about the game’s lore and unlock exclusive rewards.
In addition, the update adds a new feature —
the Navigator — which lets players get information about nearby objectives more
easily without having to open the map. The patch also includes multiple visual
effect enhancements, especially for monsters and the storm, as well as a
variety of weapon and ability balance changes, performance upgrades,
quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes.
You can get a firsthand taste of The Cycle’s new Map 2
(part of the upcoming second season of content, expected early 2020) in the
public playtest this Friday, November 22, from 5-11 PM CET/8 AM – 2 PM PST. Map
2 is significantly more vertical and diverse, with four unique biomes (forest,
farmland, rocky plains and desert), plus a town center with bars and a giant
spaceship. Players who participate and complete a survey can also pick up an
exclusive in-game banner.
The
Cycle is a match-based first-person
shooter with a focus on PvEvP action: complete jobs, defeat hostile lifeforms,
gear up with new weapons and powers, out-score other prospectors, and make it
off the planet alive before it kills you. The
Cycle delivers a competitive multiplayer experience where everyone
can survive, but how you stake your claim can make all the difference. Form
squads with friends, make uneasy alliances with strangers, or go it alone — the
choice is yours!
The
Cycle is free to play in early
access for Windows PC via the Epic
Games Store. Players can also grab the Fortuna Pass, a special season pass
available in both free and premium tiers and featuring over 150 exclusive
unlockable rewards. For more information, visit www.TheCycle.game.
YAGER is an independent developer of computer
and video games based in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1999 by five dedicated
developers and artists, our focus is the creation of vivid and meaningful
high-quality gaming experiences. Today, 20 years after its foundation, a
strong, international team of game-loving developers is busy at work bringing
YAGER’s vision of gaming to life as an independent self-publishing studio. www.yager.de
Rising Storm 2: Vietnam Sounds the Horn of Plenty in Green Army Men
Thanksgiving Update
Tripwire Interactive Sets the Table with New
Update, Full of Stuffing, Including New Map, Weapons, and More
ROSWELL, Ga. – November
21, 2019 –Tripwire
Interactive and the Green Army Men
Team released Rising Storm
2: Vietnam – Green Army Men Thanksgiving today. This content update has more guns, a delicious new map,
and closely follows key gameplay updates. Available now on Steam, players can look forward to taking part in the
gritty and strategic 64-player matches Rising Storm 2: Vietnam is
famous for with a twist in the fan-favorite Green Army Men DLC, which includes
all the Christmas, Summer, and Back-to-School content—as well as the new
Thanksgiving update.
Now there are even more
ways to carve the turkey, with three brand new weapons, including the bazooka,
ready to splatter plastic on the carpet. Also, toy soldiers can jump on the
table, explore the yard, and snipe from the counter in a new
Thanksgiving-themed map. This map has players compete for a piece of the pie
inside and outside a home dressed and prepped for Thanksgiving dinner. And to
top it off, Tripwire Interactive and the Green Army Men team are committed to
keeping playing with toys fun, having recently adjusted the time-to-kill and
damage models for the Green Army Men DLC, based on community feedback.
To celebrate the
Thanksgiving update, Tripwire Interactive has kicked off a franchise sale on Steam for Red Orchestra and Rising Storm
titles and DLC items! For more information on the discounts, please visit the
Tripwire Interactive Publisher page on Steam here: https://store.steampowered.com/pub/tripwire
All Rising Storm
2: Vietnam players can play the Green Army Men DLC for free as the
Rifleman class. If players want to unlock more classes and support the
development team, there is the option to buy the Green Army Men Upgrade, which
unlocks all the other classes for Rising Storm 2: Vietnam – Green Army
Men.
Available now on
PC, Rising Storm
2: Vietnam is
the sequel to Rising Storm, PC Gamer magazine’s 2013 ‘Multiplayer Game of the
Year,’ published by Tripwire Interactive and developed by Antimatter Games.
Command your team to victory in massive 64-player battles with authentic
weapons, aircraft, and maps that pit conventional military forces against
guerilla forces.
Formed in 2005 as a
humble independent developer founded by gamers who found success in the video
game modding community, Tripwire Interactive has developed and self-published
multiple critically acclaimed titles in the wildly popular KillingFloor and Rising
Storm franchises, which have collectively sold over 20 million units
to date. The studio’s latest project, Maneater, breaks new ground
in the popular action RPG genre and finds players taking on the role of a
deadly shark with the uncanny ability to evolve as it feeds.
Since then, Tripwire
Interactive has expanded its business and now turns its experience and
resources to include publishing titles spanning multiple platforms and genres
from other talented independent studios. Led by John Gibson, the publishing
division aims to help like-minded independent studios bring their titles to
market, including Chivalry 2 developed by Torn Banner
Studios, Espire 1: VR Operative developed by Digital Lode,
and Road Redemption developed by EQ Games and Pixel Dash
Studios.
COMBINE UNIQUE MAGICAL POWERS AND UNLEASH A UNISON
RAID TO DEFEAT YOUR FOES IN FAIRY TAIL
Form Your
Dream-Team With Familiar Guild Members and Rivals Alike – Five New Characters
Join The Roster!
Hertfordshire, 21st
November 2019 – Today,
KOEI TECMO Europe and developer GUST Studios revealed five new playable
characters and further details of the intense magic battle systems in their
upcoming JRPG, FAIRY TAIL, available Spring 2020 on Nintendo
Switch™, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, and Windows PC
via Steam®. Based on the anime and manga of the same name by Hiro
Mashima, players will be able to follow the series’ enchanting storyline from
the popular Tenrou Island arc through to the Tartaros arc, along with all-new
original episodes.
FAIRY
TAIL will see
Natsu and the team fight against a variety of foes in their quest to become the
No. 1 guild in Fiore. Battle parties consist of up to five mages, allowing
fan-favourite characters to combine together to perform impressive magical
attacks displayed across a three-by-three battlefield grid. Each move deals a
certain amount of damage across the tiles – choosing appropriate attacks can
ensure a swift victory over troublesome enemies. By dealing damage, players
will fill up the ‘Fairy Gauge’. This special ‘Magic Chain’ attack allows each
party member to deal a combo of attacks before unleashing a powerful finisher –
sometimes strong characters, like the beloved Guild Leader Makarov, may even
jump in to deal devastating damage with their ‘Extreme Magic’.
When the ally party
comes under heavy damage and are in a pinch, characters can awaken dormant
abilities for a few turns, drastically increasing their powers. Some mages even
have access to whole new attacks – Dragon Slayers can use ‘Dragon Force’
instead of their ‘Awakened’ abilities, while some mages can perform a ‘Mode
Change’ offering a wealth of new battle options. Natsu’s renowned ‘Lightning
Fire Dragon’s Iron Fist’ is an example of the enhanced abilities that can be
performed. Some mages are even able to unite together to perform mighty
combination attacks, known as a ‘Unison Raid’, triggering a special ‘Unison
Raid’ cutscene right before unleashing the incredible attack against oncoming
foes.
To assist in battle,
GUST Studios announced five new playable characters joining the fray — not
from FAIRY TAIL but from rival guilds in Fiore. New characters include the ‘Sky
God Slayer’ Sherria Blendy from Lamia Scale, the ‘Strongest Fencer’ Kagura
Mikazuchi from Mermaid Heel, the ‘Handsome’ Blue Pegasus mage Ichiya Vandalay
Kotobuki, and the ‘White Dragon’ Sting Eucliffe and ‘Shadow Dragon’ Rogue
Cheney from Sabertooth. These exciting new additions to the cast join the
previously announced Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfilia, Gray Fullbuster, Erza
Scarlet, Wendy Marvell, Gajeel Redfox and Juvia Lockser – all battle-ready with
powerful magic abilities. With more than 12 playable characters available,
players will able to form a dream team with FAIRY TAIL members and their rivals
and set off on an adventure like never before.
FAIRY TAIL is available to pre-order now from GAME and independent retailers
through Centresoft.
KOEI TECMO EUROPE
LTD. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current
generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in
Letchworth, Hertfordshire, UK. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI
TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI TECMO’s best
known for their signature ‘one versus thousands’ Warriors series, the
fan-favourite Ninja Gaiden and fighting entertainment title Dead or Alive.
Through collaboration with strong existing franchises, such as A.O.T. Wings of
Freedom (Attack on Titan), has brought fan-favourite shows to life in video
game form. The company’s desire for innovation and diversity has seen the
creation of the critically acclaimed dark-samurai action title Nioh, which
takes on new and unique gameplay styles. The company’s acquisition of GUST,
developer of a variety of heart-warming titles, has seen their flagship Atelier
series span generations of consoles and fans alike. More information about KOEI
TECMO EUROPE LTD and its products can be found at www.koeitecmoeurope.com
AxE: ALLIANCE VS
EMPIRE AWAKENING SYSTEM FORTIFIES POWERFUL ROSTER OF HEROES
Acclaimed open-world mobile
MMORPG earns new game systems, events and more for Android and iOS
Seoul –
Nov. 20, 2019 – The
epic war for control of the universe rages on in the latest massive content
update for AxE: ALLIANCE VS EMPIRE (AxE), the fantasy massively
multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) from NEXON Corporation,
subsidiary of NEXON Co., Ltd. (“Nexon”) (3659.TO), a worldwide leader in
free-to-play online and mobile games. Beginning today, players are invited to
plunge into AxE’s gritty universe to experience an overhaul of new
in-game systems. Players in western countries can download AxE here, players in southeast Asia can download here and players in Thailand here.
Since its
launching earlier this year, AxE has set a new standard for mobile games
with innovative MMORPG gameplay and console-inspired graphics. Set in an
enchanted yet treacherous world, AxE combines single-player, tactical
faction combat with large-scale competitive modes.
Today, AxE’s
spellbound warfare intensifies with an overhaul of new features, including:
Awakening System – In this unprecedented new character development system, players
can acquire new skills along three stages for every playable character.
Upon Awakening, characters will earn new attack motions, skill and even
appearances
Peaceful Village – The new neutral village Sky City Esonia is now available for
players who complete Main Quest 1-2. The Village offers buffs and other
bonuses for visiting players, along with new merchants and blacksmiths for
strengthening gear
Fresh Accessories – Four new sets of Earrings, Bracelets, Brooches and Belts are
available after each Awakening and can be upgraded to Mythic grade using
Accessory Upgrade Stones
Dimensional Tear – In this new top-tier Raid of four to eight participants, players
are challenged to complete four increasingly-difficult stages in exchange
for Awakened Gear, Augmenter Development Materials, Gold and more
Character Level Expansion – The maximum character level has been
increased to Level 150, along with new Gems, Artifacts and Skill Points.
The Eternal Sanctum has also been expanded to 100 Floors to challenge
daring players
Gorgeous Wings – The fabulous new Justice Wings equipped with powerful skills and
stats are now available.
AxE:
ALLIANCE VS EMPIRE is
available today for iOS and Android users worldwide. Additional information for
members of the press:
Like the official global Facebook page here and Thai page here
About NEXON Co. Ltd. NEXON Co., Ltd. (“Nexon”) (3659.TO) is a
worldwide leader in free-to-play online and mobile games. Founded in Korea in
1994, Nexon developed one of the world’s first graphics-based massively
multiplayer online games. Nexon also pioneered the concept of microtransactions
and the free-to-play business model, setting a new standard in which play is
free, and users have the option to purchase in-game items to enhance their
experience. Nexon currently services nearly 100 titles in more than 190 countries. The
Company is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and its shares are listed on the Tokyo
Stock Exchange.
South America’s Most Prestigious Club Tournament Available Exclusively in FIFA 20. eLibertadores Tournament Added to EA SPORTS FIFA 20 Global Series on the Road to the 2020 FIFA eWorld Cup Next Summer
November 21, 2019 – Electronics Arts Inc. today announced that it’s bringing South America’s biggest club tournament, CONMEBOL Libertadores*, exclusively to EA SPORTS™ FIFA 20 as a free* content update in March 2020 for PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and PC.
Players can compete with historic clubs from Uruguay, Perú, Paraguay, Ecuador and beyond in FIFA Ultimate Team™, Career Mode, Kick-Off, and a new CONMEBOL Libertadores Tournament Mode. Follow in the footsteps of some of the top players to lead teams like River Plate, Boca Juniors, Flamengo, Corinthians, and Colo-Colo through the heated competition of South American club football while playing the CONMEBOL Libertadores, CONMEBOL Sudamericana and CONMEBOL Recopa competitions.
“This alliance with EA, one of the largest video game companies, is a major step forward for the worldwide dissemination and image of South American football. Thanks to this agreement, our tournaments, clubs and players will have greater reach and recognition among the football fans who will have a whole new way to follow their heroes,” said CONMEBOL Commercial Director, Juan Emilio Roa.
The inclusion of CONMEBOL Libertadores continues to cement FIFA 20 as the most authentic sports video game, with more than 30 official leagues, 700 teams, 17,000 authentic players, and 90 licensed stadiums from all over the world already in the game.
“Bringing two of the most prestigious continental football tournaments, CONMEBOL Libertadores and CONMEBOL Sudamericana, into the world to FIFA 20 is an exciting step forward,” said Nick Wlodyka, GM, EA SPORTS FIFA. “This new partnership with CONMEBOL bolsters our position as the deepest football experience available as we continue to build the most authentic sports video game for our fans.”
In addition, eLibertadores, a new tournament that will continue to expand the EA SPORTSFIFA 20 Global Series, offers South American-based players a whole new way to connect to the CONMEBOL Libertadores through the competition.
“The addition of the prestigious CONMEBOL Libertadores to our FIFA 20 Global Series ecosystem strengthens our connection to the global fandom of football and will accelerate the growth of esports in new parts of the world,” said Brent Koning, FIFA Competitive Gaming Commissioner. “We aim to offer the most inclusive esports competition in the world and are eager to welcome South American-based players and aspiring superstars to join the tens of millions already competing in FIFA.”
The Grand Final of the eLibertadores tournament will see the top eight competitors from both PlayStation®4 and Xbox One compete from March 7-8, 2020 for the chance to earn FIFA Global Series Points along with a $100,000 USD prize pool. More details on the tournament and how to register will be available in December.
Available in stores now, EA SPORTS FIFA 20 lets players experience the prestige levels of professional football or jump into VOLTA FOOTBALL, the all-new authentic small-sided football mode. Join EA Access** on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and Origin™ Access** on PC to get 10% off digital purchases.
*CONMEBOL LIBERTADORES CONTENT AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD MARCH 2020. REQUIRES FIFA 20 FOR THE PS4, XBOX ONE OR PC (SOLD SEPARATELY), ALL GAME UPDATES AND INTERNET CONNECTION. ** CONDITIONS, LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY. SEE ea.com/ea-access/terms AND ea.com/ea-access FOR DETAILS.
About CONMEBOL Founded in 1916, the South American Football Confederation – CONMEBOL – is the governing body of South American football and the oldest continental soccer confederation in the world. CONMEBOL, made up of ten member associations, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, is responsible for the organisation and governance of the main international South American football tournaments, including CONMEBOL Copa America, CONMEBOL Libertadores, CONMEBOL Sudamericana and CONMEBOL Recopa, among others.
Since 2016, CONMEBOL has undergone a series of structural reforms to modernise its governance and operations, increase the global competitiveness of its exclusive tournaments and strengthen its promotion of football development by increasing revenues and investment.
As part of that strategy, in the last two years, CONMEBOL club competitions have been greatly improved through a new format design and the adoption of standards, designed to increase the quality of the tournaments from competitive, sporting and commercial points of view. Thanks to the recently adopted improvements, CONMEBOL tournaments last year achieved record numbers in digital participation, stadium attendance and sales.
About Electronic Arts Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers.
In fiscal year 2019, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.95 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognised for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality brands such as EA SPORTS™ FIFA, Battlefield™, Apex Legends™, The Sims™, Madden NFL, Need for Speed™, Titanfall™ and Plants vs. Zombies™. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.
Exclusive PC Beta Announced, Pre-Order Today to
Gain Closed Beta Access on 22 Nov.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – 21 Nov. 2019 –Dungeon Defenders: Awakened, the epic return of Chromatic Games’ multimillion-selling co-op tower defense action RPG series, deploys for Nintendo Switch and PC with a Q1 2020 release, followed by PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in Q2 2020.
Defenders who preorder
at the $40 price point will receive a key granting access to an exclusive PC
beta, which begins Nov. 22, along with digital bonus content, including a
strategy guide, artbook, and original soundtrack.
Venture back to the
vibrant land of Etheria on a mission to stop the evil Old Ones’ time-traveling
plot to undo the heroes’ hard-fought victories in the original Dungeon
Defenders. Take up arms once again as a scrappy, young band of warriors,
repelling relentless hordes of dark forces from beloved reimagined locations
and explosive new battlefields. Join the fray in action-packed combat and
construct devilish defenses, all while hatching strategies to vanquish enemies
alone or as a team of up to four heroes in chaotic local or online co-op
multiplayer matches!
With four characters (and
more to come), Dungeon Defenders: Awakened features a variety of
playstyles for dispatching orcs, ogres, dark elves, wyverns, spiders,
skeletons, and other vicious foes. Go toe-to-toe with enemies as the brave,
melee-oriented Squire or skirmish at range as the magical Apprentice. Provide
support as the dynamic Monk or spring traps as the agile Huntress while
guarding the Eternia Crystals across 15 maps and five game modes that hearken
back to the series’ roots while building and improving upon them in every way.
Gather loot, upgrade
equipment, acquire pets, and more to prepare for the fights to come, including
showdowns with massive bosses spanning everything from dragons to goblin mechs.
Each battle develops heroes with new gear and customization options, allowing
them to form unique arsenals to enjoy across countless hours of fast-paced
medieval fantasy action.
“Dungeon Defenders:
Awakened is an exciting new chapter for us and we can’t wait to welcome
veterans and newcomers alike back to Etheria,” said Augi Lye, co-founder,
Chromatic Games. “The journey begins early next year on Nintendo Switch and
Steam and we hope you’ll join us!”
Dungeon Defenders:
Awakened supports cross-saves and
features English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, and
Simplified Chinese language options.
For more information
about Dungeon Defenders: Awakened, please visit theofficial website, follow the development team onTwitter andFacebook, and join the community onDiscord.
About Chromatic Games
Chromatic Games is a new
independent game studio based in Gainesville, Florida comprised of key original
Dungeon Defenders developers, industry veterans, and fresh talent.
Dedicated to forging player-first experiences in a fun, supportive environment,
the team aims to revisit its roots with a rejuvenated mindset, building this
beloved franchise up to reach new heights.
To learn more about
Chromatic Games, please visit thestudio’s website.
Borderlands
3’s First Campaign Add-On Revealed, See the New Trailer Now
Moxxi’s
Heist of the Handsome Jackpot will launch on December 19. Story DLC, next
patch, Free Weekends, and more detailed on episode three of The Borderlands
Show.
Get ready to go all in, Vault Hunter. Moxxi’s Heist of The Handsome Jackpot has been officially revealed as the first campaign add-on for Borderlands 3, and it’s slated to launch on December 19. During episode three of The Borderlands Show, regular hosts Greg Miller and Fran Mirabella were joined by Gearbox Studio Head Randy Pitchford to delve into the details of this casino-raiding caper.
In short, Moxxi’s recruiting
you to seize control of a derelict space station built by the infamous Handsome
Jack back when he was still President of the Hyperion corporation. The Handsome
Jackpot is quite possibly the gaudiest gambling spot in the galaxy, with neon
signs, slot machines, and gold statues all over the place. It’s also crawling
with multiple models of deadly Hyperion Loader Bots, as well as lunatic looters
who’ve been trapped on board ever since Jack’s death. But that’s not all:
Explore a glitzy new galaxy destination packed
with unique zones worthy of Handsome Jack’s lavish lifestyle and dirty
dealings;
Join
Moxxi’s crew of eccentric characters and pull off the ultimate casino
heist in a series of thrilling campaign missions;
Discover
hidden secrets and strange happenings in The Handsome Jackpot via fresh
side missions and Crew Challenges;
Get
a blast from Pandora’s past when you battle the Hyperion forces that
outlived Handsome Jack, including never-before-seen enemies and
larger-than-life bosses;
Perfect
your Vault Hunter’s gear loadout with all-new Legendary weapons and gear;
Expand your collection of cosmetics with even
more customization items, including Vault Hunter heads and skins, weapon
trinkets, an ECHO Device skin, and new emotes.
Moxxi’s Heist of The Handsome Jackpot is tuned for characters who are at least level 13, but will automatically scale up so that higher-level Vault Hunters can find a challenge and appropriately powerful loot. In order to access this content, you’ll need to have unlocked Sanctuary III, your space-faring home base that you reach at the end of the campaign’s prologue. For more information on Borderlands 3’s first expansion, just click right here.
As a reminder, Moxxi’s Heist
of The Handsome Jackpot is the first of four DLC packs in development for Borderlands
3, and is included in both the Season Pass and
the Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe Edition. If you’d like to try before you
buy, you can check out Borderlands 3 for free on Xbox One and
PlayStation 4 for a limited time from November 21 to 24.
Though Borderlands 3’s
first campaign add-on doesn’t launch until December 19, its next free
content update drops imminently. Both Takedown at the Maliwan Blacksite and
Mayhem 4 are being introduced in this next patch, giving veteran Vault Hunters
more ways to put their skills to the test.
Takedown at the Maliwan
Blacksite is a brand new raid-style challenge tuned for coordinated
co-op parties of four max-level characters, with restricted respawning to make
your opposition that much deadlier. The all-new Mayhem 4 puts a spin
Mayhem Mode by removing all player penalties and instead applying just two
random modifiers: one that applies a bonus to players and one that applies a
bonus to enemies. It also offers its own exclusive batch of Legendary gear that
will only drop while Mayhem 4 is enabled.
As discussed on today’s
episode, this patch also brings all of the following changes:
All bosses will now have dedicated loot pools so
you can more efficiently farm for coveted Legendary items;
Maximum Bank Space
will be upgraded from 50 to 300 slots; as usual, SDUs that boost your bank
size can be purchased from Marcus aboard Sanctuary III;
A Target Dummy
wearing a very familiar mask will be installed in Sanctuary III’s shooting
range so you can safely test out your weapons;
New Vending Machines
will be deployed across multiple maps;
Players will notice overall UI performance
improvements.
Finally, Gearbox announced Mayhem
2.0, a long-term plan to overhaul Mayhem Mode with more UI support, new
Mayhem Modifiers that change gameplay more dramatically, Mayhem playlists, new
rewards, and additional levels of Mayhem to work through. More information
about Mayhem 2.0 will be available next year.
We’ll be showing off more of the action and adventure you can expect in Moxxi’s Heist of The Handsome Jackpot as we approach this add-on campaign’s December 19 launch date. We also plan to share the patch notes in full once the patch has gone live.
2K is a wholly owned
publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).
Well, it finally happened. Hell has frozen over. As promised before, EA managed to deliver a game without microtransactions, day one DLC content, loot boxes, season passes and any other way to weasel out an extra dime out of a fully priced AAA game. But the skeptic in me said after the first hour of play “surely there must be a catch here”. Maybe not any of the things above, but what if I accepted in their Fallen Order EULA that they can now sell my PC? What if there is a secret ending in the game that I can unlock only after purchasing every other EA game on Origin? These assumptions went on to be more and more ludicrous even after I completed the game. You have to understand they they are a side effect from years of distrust and disappointment coming from EA and that’s just how things have always been. Until now.
Story
The story of Fallen Order is set five years after the events in Revenge of the Sith movie. We play as a young padawan Cal Kestis who is being chased by an Empire as one of the few survivors of the infamous Order 66. Cal is now hunted by a mysterious Inquisitor known as a Second Sister (trained by Darth Vader himself). After a short prologue, we connect with a band of rebels comprised of a former Jedi Master Cere Junda, Nightsister Merrin and a ship pilot Greez Dritus. Our main quest is to find a Holocron obtaining a list of force-sensitive children that might become the next Jedi masters. Of course, such valuable loot is of high interest to the Empire as well, so it’s a race to the finish line for both parties (with Holocron being the winning prize). To not make it all about the main quest, Fallen Order is also filled with plenty of side activities. Notice how I didn’t write “side quests” because, well…..there are none. Instead, you have plenty of unmarked areas to discover on your map, boxes to open, seeds from plants to find for your ship, life and force upgrades to find, enemies and objects to scan and secret bosses to find. Enough to keep you occupied for some 20 or 30 hours, depending on how much of everything you want to complete.
Gameplay
Before I even got the review code, I’ve read some previews regarding Fallen Orders and I haven’t seen two of the most important features of the game. First of all, we have a ship. Our main way of transport from one planet to another and a base of operations where we converse with other characters, tend to our cosmic garden and customize our lightsaber parts. You can also change the visuals of the ship by finding the skins for it in the containers all over the galaxy (aka the planets we get to visit). Second of all, we have glorious lightsaber combat. But not just any combat. Depending on your difficulty level, you can tweak it form just breezing through the story to the difficulty of the bastard child of the Bloodborne and Dark Souls series. On lower difficulties, the parrying window is pretty generous and enemies react way slower. Anything higher than normal difficulty will give you a run for your money. And just like in Dark Souls, parrying is a key to victory when it comes to some encounters (especially boss fights). The RPG angle in the game is in experience points from scanning objects, fighting enemies/bosses and turning that into various Jedi skills. They’re split into the three main categories; force, lightsaber, and survival. Force is reserved for “magical” stuff such as force push, slowing down time and force gripping enemies (that last one sounds like a dark side power). Lightsaber section is reserved for learning combos and deflecting blaster shots with your glowy stick while survival is reserved for improving your health and force related stats.
Visuals
Fallen Order is a game that pushes the boundaries of what Unreal Engine 4 can do. The result is a game that runs flawlessly on PC and is responsible for one of the most gorgeous collections of screenshots that I took this year. Every planet you visit has its own visual charm, from the snow caves on Ilum to the hellishly looking Dathomir and perplexingly complicated maze planet known as Zeffo. An honorable mention should go to the fantastic motion capture for all the actors in the game. Although the first Star Wars game for Respawn Entertainment, it is clearly filled with lots of love and attention to details from Cal’s chatter with his BD-1 buddy, leaving footprints while evading blaster bolts on snowy Ilum to getting lost in the gorgeous rainforest of Kashyyyk.
Audio
While the audio has some flair during boss fights and key moments in the game, it’s like the developers forgot that the rest of the game shouldn’t be silent all the time. Granted, there are some moments where mild orchestral tunes will kick in during the exploration but after you complete the game every further visit to the planets feels desolate, just like the lack of music and overall sounds (unless you want to spam the dedicated key for Cal’s chatter with BD-1). But hey, when it works it sure works like hell. Dying a couple of times while dueling with Second Sister was even more intense thanks to the fanfare of the signature Star Wars classical tunes.
Overall
Only after bringing this review to the end, I have to finally get rid of my skepticism for the game and accept that way after Star Wars: KOTOR and Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, we finally got a fully-fledged and pure singleplayer game. No catch or anything, what you see is what you get. Considering that this is the first Star Wars game for the devs is making me even more optimistic about the inevitable sequel and what new stuff will it bring to the table. I say “inevitable” because even though there’s no official confirmation of the sequel as of yet, it would be a crime not to release a follow up to it in the next year. Or the next month. Even better if it’s in the next week. Unreasonable request, I know. But understand that finishing the Fallen Order is like getting accustomed to binge-watching TV shows and now a new show came out in a weekly format. The pilot episode is great, it’s all you ever hoped to be but the next episode is a week away and that’s like a small torture. So go get the Fallen Order, enjoy it just like I did and suffer with me together waiting for a sequel.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Gorgeous FPS Bright Memory Opens Fire with New
Features, Localizations in Early Access
Full Game, Bright Memory Infinite, Storms
PC in Q4 2020, Consoles TBA
TOKYO – 20 Nov. 2019 –Bright Memory, a high-octane, visually-stunning first-person shooter made by a single developer at FYQD Studio and published by PLAYISM, receives an Early Access update today on PC adding new graphics options, voice-overs, and other improvements.
The full game, titled Bright
Memory: Infinite, will explode onto Steam in Q4 2020 with console versions
to follow. Owners of the Early Access version of Bright Memory will
receive the full PC version, Bright Memory: Infinite, at no additional
cost upon release.
Until then, Steam Early
Access players can enjoy a variety of new visual options, including 90, 100,
and 100-degree field-of-view options, chromatic aberration, and ultrawide
support. Controller rumble support is now implemented and the English and
Japanese localizations have been fully revamped with dubbed voice-overs
featuring talent such as Ishikawa Yui, who portrayed 2b in Nier Automata
and Mikasa in Attack on Titan.
Lay waste to enemies
with a mix of gunfire and fast-paced swordplay. Dodge attacks with a smooth
dash, then quickly dish out damage, juggling foes to keep them off-balanced and
racking up massive combos. Unleash a powerful pulse ability to obliterate
barriers and extinguish fires, then knock enemies into the air, making them
vulnerable to swift melee strikes.
In the year 2020, a
mighty material is discovered capable of reviving the dead. The private
military company SAI will stop at nothing to claim this powerful new substance
for themselves, and infiltrate the base in which it is stored. When defending
the compound, Special Operative Shelia accidentally activates the teleporter
SAI used to penetrate the fort, warping her and the SAI to a continent floating
over the north pole, where due to the substance revived creatures once assumed
to be of myth, such as dragons and demons, are resurrected alongside
humans.
Bright Memory is made by a solo developer based out of
Guangxi, China. Inspired by AAA first-person shooters and combo-driven action
adventures, he has used ray-tracing and other techniques to create a
breathtaking and realistic visual aesthetic rivaling the work of larger teams.
“Playing AAA shooters
inspired me to make games, and I aspire to create an experience on par with my
favorite titles in quality and polish,” said Zeng, developer, FYQD Studio. “The
visuals may be the first thing to catch your attention, but it’s the tight,
visceral gameplay wrapped in a fusion of classical myths with futuristic
technology that will keep you playing.”
The new Bright Memory
updatewill be available on Steam Early Access in Japanese, English and
Simplified Chinese at no cost for current players. New players can join the
fray at a sale price of $4.68 USD.
Known for bringing
popular indie games from Japan including Touhou Luna Nights, La-Mulana 2
and One Way Heroics, PLAYISM was created with the global indie community
in mind. The company focuses on helping developers every step of the way, from
localization to distribution of their games.
Experience
the First Strategic Turn-Based Sword Art Online RPG to Release Globally!
Tokyo,
Japan, (November 20, 2019) – Leading anime video game publisher and developer BANDAI NAMCO
Entertainment Inc. today announced the official launch of SWORD ART
ONLINE Alicization Rising Steel for iOS devices via the Apple App Store and Android devices via Google Play. SWORD ART ONLINE Alicization Rising Steel,experience
the first Strategic Turn-Based Sword Art Online RPG to release globally!
To
celebrate today’s launch, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. is inviting players
to enter a sweepstakes for the chance to win an exclusive SWORD ART
ONLINE Alicization Rising Steel poster that is not for sale anywhere
else. Fans can enter by commenting on the Sweepstakes Campaign post on the SWORD
ART ONLINE Alicization Rising Steel Facebook fan page here: https://www.facebook.com/SAO.risingsteel
SWORD
ART ONLINE Alicization Rising Steel’s intuitive anime-style combat enables players
to control the SWORD ART ONLINE characters like never before, displaying
their unique skills with animations adapted directly from the anime series. In
addition to fan-favorite characters like Asuna, Kirito and Alice, SWORD
ART ONLINE Alicization Rising Steel introduces Eydis Synthesis Ten, a
brand-new character created exclusively for the game.
In
addition to supporting English, traditional Chinese and Korean, the worldwide
version of SWORD ART ONLINE Alicization Rising Steel will be the
first-ever Sword Art Online mobile game to support French, German and
Spanish.
SWORD
ART ONLINE Alicization Rising Steel gives players the chance to experience the
“Alicization” story arc in brand-new ways, showcasing stories from the Sword
Art Online anime series fused with original scenarios provided by series
creator Reki Kawahara. This exclusive content will drop players into the middle
of Sword Art Online’s virtual world, surrounded by characters from the
series who are ready to do battle.
