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NieR Replicant Being Remastered for Modern Systems

Jamie Laike Tsui
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NieR Replicant Being Remastered for Modern Systems

Square Enix has announced two major pieces of news for the NieR franchise. First, a modern remaster of NieR Replicant is currently in development. Square Enix is being guarded in details, but the remastered is officially called NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… and will be released in Japan and the West for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows via Steam.

Several familiar faces from the Nier: Automata development team have been tapped for the remaster. Director Yoko Taro is taking the lead on the project, while composer Keiichi Okabae and producer Yosuke Saito will also be working on the game.

Some extra news for Xbox owners. Xbox Games Pass subscribers who are looking to catch up with Nier: Automata will be able to play the game starting on April 2nd.

Resident Evil 3 Review

Travis Bruno
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Resident Evil 3 Review

Resident Evil 3

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Platforms: PC, Xbox One (Reviewed), PlayStation 4
Release Date: April 3, 2020
Price: $59.99 USD – Available Here $99.95 AUD – Available Here

Overview

After the rousing success that was last year’s release of the Resident Evil 2 remake it only made sense that Capcom would follow the series’ history and release a remake of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis a year later, exactly like they were back in 1998 and 1999. With the original release featuring a number of adjustments to the standard formula the focus has now been placed once again on the familiar face of Jill Valentine who must escape from a highly infected Raccoon City. Now with a relentless foe chasing her down and a variety of changes made to mirror the original release’s style of gameplay, does Resident Evil 3 manage to succeed the original successfully?

Story

A couple of months have passed since the surviving members of S.T.A.R.S. managed to escape the Spencer Mansion outbreak but since then the group has been suspended with no one in any position of power willing to take action against Umbrella. With Jill Valentine growing tired of being under constant surveillance in her apartment, she is preparing to leave Raccoon City once and for all only to quickly find the city falling apart around her. Compared to the original release that saw a fairly cold open to the events unfolding in Raccoon City, Resident Evil 3 now features a far more impactful beginning that throws Jill into the chaos far quicker than before.

In fact it takes almost no time at all before she ends up meeting with Carlos and the other members of the U.B.S.C. task force. Driving most of this chaos is the Nemesis, a nigh invincible bio-weapon designed to hunt down the S.T.A.R.S. members and anyone else that gets in its way, making Jill a walking target. In many ways Resident Evil 3’s storyline and pacing have been modified and adjusted to try and create a more cohesive plot. The Nemesis is quickly introduced to players as a threat while the U.B.S.C. members including Carlos are given a bit more depth as to why they are there, giving Jill more of a reason to work with them as a whole.

Compare this to the slower beginnings of the original and we see that the more action oriented pace that Resident Evil 3: Nemesis tried for once again rings true in its remaster with Resident Evil 3 taking things to the next level. This sees a number of locations in the game either removed entirely or expanded upon in an attempt to help bridge previous gaps but alongside these changes come the removal of some other elements as well. Players will find that the time-freezing choices that could be made from time to time in the original have been removed, resulting in there being very little variation in-between replays of the game which only hurts the already short length of the campaign even more. While this is unfortunate, the more cohesive storyline as well as the expansion and addition of a few areas, including some new plot beats, help expand the story a bit for longtime fans of the series who may be a bit disappointed about the lack of variation. Though these longtime fans will certainly be pleased with the few extra nods that the game makes towards the events interwoven between Resident Evil 3 and Resident Evil 2 here.

Gameplay

In many ways the original release of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis saw the franchise taking a step towards having a bit more action mixed in with the survival horror and that carries over fully into Resident Evil 3. Jill Valentine is a veteran that has already lived through one disastrous night facing down the undead and various bio-weapons, giving her some keen reflexes that allow players to dodge incoming attacks and, if timed properly, even perform an evasive roll that can be followed up with a slow-motion gunshot to the attacker. On the other side of things, Carlos is a more physical type that can perform a shove combination that can knock a number of zombies down or out of the way. Alongside this Jill carries with her an unbreakable knife that can be used to tag potential zombies or take advantage of an opening on a downed opponent. There are some caveats however as the knife is now no longer a defensive weapon, in fact all previous weapons such as the grenade and flash grenade that could previously be used in Resident Evil 2 to avoid taking damage are now no longer used for that purpose. Instead if Jill is grabbed by an enemy players will need to mash A to avoid taking extra damage by escaping their grasp.

Ammo crafting makes a return similar to the original release though it is worth noting that players no longer need to worry about carrying an ammo kit with them to do so, that being said there are fewer weapons available in the game as well as fewer ammo types for the grenade launcher, with the coveted freeze rounds now being replaced with an ammunition type previously found in another weapon. It is also worth noting that the remake also makes use of the original’s environmental hazards as players will find things such as exploding barrels and faulty generators that can be shot to take out a horde of undead or temporarily stun an enemy. This is a very useful feature as often players will be forced to face off against more than a few zombies at a time and couple that with the Nemesis and other bioweapons that make an appearance in the game, things can quickly turn in the enemy’s favor.

Now for the big bad himself, the Nemesis. In the original release Nemesis would often appear and players would be given a choice to either run or fight the creature and potentially take him down for a time but with those choices now removed, it is instead on the player’s own skill to avoid the never-ending onslaught that the creature can bring. The Nemesis is a powerful threat that can deal a lot of damage in a short period of time, even with Jill’s dodge move being the player’s best friend in these encounters. Unfortunately while the Nemesis is powerful and has a variety of moves at his disposal including being able to quickly appear from a number of locations, there is only really one major area where he feels like an ever-present threat, since even if he is downed Nemesis only remains in this position for a short time.

Once the player manages to pass this area of the game nearly every other encounter with Nemesis feels like a more scripted and forced event that sees players either running through a narrow corridor in an action set-piece (or downing Nemesis once more while still having to run) or being chased into a boss arena. These boss battles against the Nemesis are a big delight and often feature some various elements that require players to think outside the box a bit to defeat him as the Nemesis can soak up tons of damage, but the fact that nearly every encounter past the one area ends up being a standard scripted affair tarnishes the threat that the Nemesis used to provide.

It is worth noting that the focus on the action does leave the puzzle aspects of Resident Evil 3 even more on the smaller side than what was found in even the Resident Evil 2 remake. Players will only encounter a few puzzles that are only minimally challenging while a few other instances simply provide little easter eggs to content found in the original game. Alongside these diminished puzzles are also the enemy types that players will face off against. While the zombies remain an ever present threat and most other bio-weapons including a new type make a return appearance players will find the removal of a few smaller enemies and another boss a bit disappointing as it leaves only the Nemesis as the only significant threat players will face.

Outside of the core game Resident Evil 3 comes with Resident Evil Resistance, a 4 vs 1 multiplayer mode that we will be covering separately at a later time, as well as RP that is rewarded for completing various challenges in the game. While the original release included a Mercenaries mode players will now find that they can use earned points to purchase everything from infinite ammo for certain weapons, to various buffs for the characters, and even a few other items as well.

Visuals & Audio

Utilizing the same RE Engine that made Resident Evil 2 look so great has only made Resident Evil 3 shine all the brighter as the character models for Jill Valentine and all of the human characters in the game are absolutely gorgeous to witness. Between Jill and Carlos the two characters have a great deal of emotional range when it comes to experiencing the horrors that play out in front of them through cutscenes though their models do lose a bit of luster during normal gameplay dialogue. Raccoon City itself is also flush with detail as players will travel through some amazingly detailed looking locations while on their journey for survival. The zombies and other bio weapons that players face off against also share a similar level of detail with some great re-imagining taking place for the extra enemies players face off against. It is a bit unfortunate however that the gore does appear to be toned down quite a bit this time around, since while enemies still reflect damage down to them by slashes and gunshots, actual decapitations (outside of a critical headshot) and limb severing is nearly non-existent even when using a shotgun or grenade launcher on an enemy.

When it comes to background music Capcom has once again nailed it down when it comes to creating a haunting atmosphere that can quickly fluctuate from simple exploring to bombastic action piece depending on what is happening at the time. There is always a sense of tension while exploring thanks to this type of sound design and the quality shows in this regard. The voice work is also handled expertly with the voice actors fitting their roles perfectly when it comes to the new dialogue and personality types of Jill and Carlos and one must give recognition to the signature S.T.A.R.S. growl of the Nemesis remaining as threatening as ever.

Overall

Resident Evil 3 will likely be a fairly divisive title when it comes to fans of the franchise. Unlike the previous remake released last year this one happens to take quite a few more liberties with the original storyline and gameplay to create a survival horror game with quite a bit more action elements to it compared to what was originally on offer. Coupled with the fact that the Nemesis, as threatening as he is to face, is now relegated mostly to set pieces, Resident Evil 3 ends up being a solid, albeit even shorter than the original, game that doesn’t quite know if it wants to reinvent itself or stay true to the source.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

“GIGANTOSAURUS: THE GAME” AVAILABLE NOW!

Philip Federico
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“GIGANTOSAURUS: THE GAME” AVAILABLE NOW!

The smash hit dino show comes to life in the franchise’s first ever video game. Featuring 1-4 player adventures and racing action for the whole family to enjoy together

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe, Leading animation entertainment company Cyber Group Studios, worldwide family entertainment publisher Outright Games™ are thrilled to announce that “Gigantosaurus: The Game” is now available to play on Playstation® 4, Nintendo Switch™, Xbox One and Steam.

Families can join in on the fun together, side by side, with 1-4 player action across prehistoric, vibrant worlds, epic racing levels, puzzles and challenges all showcased today in a brand-new launch trailer.

Developed by Wildsphere Studios, “Gigantosaurus: The Game” is an all new ROARsome adventure based on the world of the hugely popular CGI animated show “Gigantosaurus”. The series is currently airing its 1st season on Disney Junior worldwide. Season 2 and 3 have been commissioned by The Walt Disney Company, France Télévisions and Super RTL. The first season will also air on Netflix and on major international networks throughout 2020.

“Gigantosaurus: The Game” allows players to explore and race across the vast, prehistoric world of Gigantosaurus in a one-of-a-kind dinosaur adventure. Play as your favourite dino buddies from the show – Rocky, Tiny, Mazu, and Bill – as they discover secrets, solve puzzles and save the day.

“Gigantosaurus” the animated series is based on Jonny Duddle’s bestselling book. Directed by award-winning director Olivier Lelardoux, the series takes preschoolers on exciting comedy-filled adventures as our dino heroes leave their nests and explore the big, wide world beyond. Each episode centres around discovering the mystery of “Gigantosaurus” – the biggest, fiercest dinosaur of all. As the inquisitive Mazu, playful Tiny, timid Bill, and courageous Rocky aim to learn more about Gigantosaurus, they face their fears, work together and discover that they each have something to learn from him, too!

“We have always been committed to creating the highest quality video games possible and ensuring they tie-in expertly to the story-world of the source material,” said Terry Malham CEO of Outright Games. “With “Gigantosaurus: The Game” this process has been easier than ever as Cyber Group Studios has been able to create a title that mirrors the world of the books and TV show perfectly.”

“We have had high aspirations for this title from the beginning and wanted to ensure we captured the magic of our premier animated show,” commented Thierry Braille, Vice President Interactive and Videogame Division and Dominique Bourse COO Cyber Group Studios. “Working with Outright Games has allowed us to create something truly special that the whole family can enjoy together at home. With the launch of our first ever video game we now have the opportunity for a brand-new audience to experience the world of Gigantosaurus for the first time ever.”

“Gigantosaurus: The Game” is available now worldwide to buy on Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4, (digital) Xbox One (digital)  and Steam (digital).

For more information about the game and other products from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe please visit: https://www.bandainamcoent.eu, follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoEU, or join the conversation at https://www.twitter.com/BandaiNamcoEU.

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About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe S.A.S.
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe S.A.S., 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™, ACE COMBAT™ and DARK SOULS™. BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe is the premier publisher for anime-based video games including NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, DRAGON BALL™, and ONE PIECE™.

For more information please visit www.bandainamcoent.eu . All the BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment products are available on the official store https://store.bandainamcoent.eu

About Outright Games:

Outright Games is a global video games publisher with a focus on quality family entertainment to a worldwide audience. Founded in 2016, Outright Games has established its place in the market delivering engaging interactive games of beloved entertainment licenses globally. Outright Games brings stories and characters to life with titles including such favorites as Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion and Ben 10 with Cartoon Network, Hotel Transylvania 3: Monsters Onboard with Sony Pictures and Dragons: Dawn of New Risers with NBCUniversal. With an Outright Games title there will be fun for all the family to enjoy. For more information please visit: www.outrightgames.com

Gamedec, supported by Brian Fargo & Obsidian Entertainment, gets funded on Kickstarter within 36 hours. GOG.com version & the stretch goal revealed.

Philip Federico
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Codex Update, March 25th. Gamedec – a story-driven, cyberpunk-themed adaptive RPG – launches its Kickstarter campaign. Fast forward 36 hours later, and the game is fully funded and beyond its $50,000 goal, thanks to more than 1,400 AWESOME backers. Backers include game development legends like Brian Fargo and Obsidian Entertainment. Dive in to get to know the details about the GOG.com version, the first stretch goal, and further game development plans.

It’s not the end; it’s just the beginning. These words have never been more true for the Anshar Studios developers, whose game has just been successfully funded on Kickstarter. After only 36 hours of the campaign and with 31 days left to go, this is where it really gets interesting. The next few days will show the scope of the changes that will be added to the game, depending on the level of support provided. However, don’t stop here, as the real fun is just about to begin.

You can still support Gamedec’s Kickstarter campaign HERE and add the game to your wishlist on Steam  HERE.

If you’ve already done all that, you might be interested in what the game’s creators have cooked up for the days ahead, starting with the game’s GOG.com version, available at the time of launch. Great news for all the DRM-free game lovers out there!

And now, to reveal the first stretch goal. If gamers around the globe keep supporting the game on Kickstarter and reach the $60,000 mark together, they’ll unlock True Detective mode. This mode is designed for true gamedecs, where making a wrong decision means someone dies or someone lives. A case gets solved or remains a mystery. And you, as a detective, will end up either in a VIP lounge celebrating your success with Warsaw City elites, or getting drunk on cheap whiskey in one of Low City’s dingy pubs. Your fate is in your hands as in this mode, there will be no second chances to redo your actions. The option to reload earlier saves will be omitted.

With over $55,000 already raised on Kickstarter and 31 more days still to go, it’s more than certain that this goal will be reached, so make sure to visit the campaign page frequently for further updates!

ABOUT GAMEDEC

Gamedec is an authentic RPG experience where every decision is important and comes with consequence. The world you live in always adapts to the decisions you make. As the story progresses, your hero adapts as well. Just like in “real” life, the consequences of your choices can be immediate, long-term, or stay hidden, surfacing when least expected. Whatever you decide, the game will remain neutral, neither judging your choices nor suggesting “better” options. It’s up to you to evaluate what you’ve done, bearing in mind that you are the sum of your choices.

Anshar Studios returns to the foundations of the RPG genre. Their new game is built on mechanics like Deduction, a Codex, and Aspects. These allow for complex conversations and interactions as players create or expose networks of conspiracies while discovering unusual relationships between virtual worlds. Gamedec’s pen-and-paper based RPG mechanics give players the freedom to approach situations from multiple perspectives.

YOU ARE THE SUM OF YOUR CHOICES

Your goal is to hunt down the criminals of virtual worlds. Rich and spoiled businesspeople, parents who want better lives for their children, or corporations with plans to rewrite history. Are they acting alone, or are they mere puppets? What does a “happy ending” mean to you? To them? Each decision changes the world around you and your character’s personality. Some decisions will feel right, but others can be unexpected.

EXPLORE THE CYBERPUNK OF THE XXII CENTURY

Welcome to Warsaw City in the XXII century, where “real” is relative and “life” and “death” have many meanings. Real and virtual worlds have merged, giving rise to ancient vices: lust, sloth, pride, envy… That’s why everyone needs gamedecs – specialists who solve real problems in virtual worlds. Whether it’s the Wild West or a prehistoric amusement park, these and many other worlds reveal our inclinations and weaknesses.

EXPERIENCE THE ESSENCE OF ROLE-PLAYING

Use your wits to gather info from witnesses and suspects, get to the bottom of deceptive schemes, save lives, and investigate the extraordinary relationships between virtual worlds and their inhabitants. Gamedec emulates the nature of tabletop RPGs by focusing on character development through decision making. Like in classic tabletop RPGs, you’re given the freedom to approach situations from multiple angles rather than forcing a single solution – the choice is yours and yours alone.

Gamedec is currently in development. Its release date will be announced shortly.

More information can be found on the game’s official website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Discord.

STORY OF SEASONS: Friends of Mineral Town to Sprout on Nintendo Switch™ This Summer

Philip Federico
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STORY OF SEASONS: Friends of Mineral Town to Sprout on Nintendo Switch™ This Summer

XSEED Games to Launch Latest Entry in the Popular Farm/Life Simulation Series in North America this Summer with a Bounty of New ContentTorrance, Calif. – March 27, 2020 – XSEED Games, the independent-minded publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., is pleased to announce today that STORY OF SEASONS: Friends of Mineral Town will launch in North America this summer on the Nintendo Switch™ system. Retail pre-orders will open shortly at the XSEED Games Store and participating retailers, and an adorable “pocket plushie” based on the in-game animal, “Strawberry Hanako,” will be available as a pre-order bonus item while supplies last at participating retailers and the XSEED Games Store.

STORY OF SEASONS: Friends of Mineral Town is a long-awaited return to one of the most beloved entries in the original farm/life simulation franchise, known in Japan as Bokujo Monogatari. Originally released for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance in 2003, STORY OF SEASONS: Friends of Mineral Town is the first mainline title to be released in the series for the Nintendo Switch™ platform and will launch with an abundance of new content. In this complete remake, veterans will be able to enjoy a return to a wonderful world with updated systems and character designs along with a completely new translation. Newcomers to the series will discover the compelling farming gameplay and complex characters that made this series the standard in the genre.

About STORY OF SEASONS: Friends of Mineral Town

Summoned by Mayor Thomas to visit the farm once owned by their late grandfather, a young city-slicker returns to Mineral Town to find the once lush farmland has fallen into disrepair. Memories of idyllic summers spent in Mineral Town come rushing back and they immediately pick up their tools, vowing to restore the fields to their former glory. In their new hometown, they’ll tend the land and become part of the bustling rural community. Along the way to becoming a world class farmer, they’ll befriend townsfolk and, perhaps, even find romance.

STORY OF SEASONS: Friends of Mineral Town is a complete remake, re-envisioning the charming and occasionally mysterious world of Mineral Town with updated gameplay, graphics, and characters for the modern day. Core features of the STORY OF SEASONS series also make their return, with multi-floor mining and fan-favorite events like horse racing.

Returning the series to the simulation style that put it on the map, Friends of Mineral Town features detailed farm management by individual squares of land, while also introducing smooth, modernized controls to make managing tools and items fun and easy. Once the crops and livestock are tended to, players can spend their days catching fish in the river, mining for ore, or taking a relaxing break in the hot spring.

Seasons bring new events and Mineral Town is chock full of them! Local festivities bring townsfolk together, giving more opportunities to build relationships during events including animal contests, pet fetch competitions, mochi making, and more. Mineral Town is jam-packed with interesting characters to meet, befriend, and even romance. Learn their stories, help them in their times of need, and become an integral part of this lovely community.

Developed by Marvelous Inc. and published by XSEED Games in North America, STORY OF SEASONS: Friends of Mineral Town will launch this summer on the Nintendo Switch™ system. The game will be available for a suggested retail price of $49.99, and pre-orders will open shortly at the XSEED Games Store and participating retailers. This game has been rated Everyone 10+ by the ESRB.

For more information about the Story of Seasons series, please visit www.storyofseasons.com. More information about XSEED Games’ products can be found at www.xseedgames.com. Fans can also follow XSEED Games on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, get in depth info from their developer blog on Tumblr, and join the discussion on their Discord server at: http://discord.gg/XSEEDGames.

About XSEED Games

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

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Award-Winning Coming of Age Story Lost Words: Beyond the Page Now Available on Stadia

Philip Federico
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Award-Winning Coming of Age Story Lost Words: Beyond the Page Now Available on Stadia 

Uncover an Emotional Tale of Loss and Growth in the Narrative-Driven Puzzler Today, Due on Consoles and PC Next Year

Walnut Creek, Calif. (March 27, 2020) – Indie publisher Modus Games and developer Sketchbook Games are pleased to announce that Lost Words: Beyond the Page is now available on Stadia. An atmospheric puzzler revolving around the touching story of a young girl named Izzy coming to terms with life’s hardships, Lost Words: Beyond the Page will arrive on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC in 2021.

Watch Izzy bring her memories to life within today’s launch trailer

Penned by renowned writer Rhianna Pratchett (Mirror’s Edge, Tomb Raider, Rise of the Tomb Raider), Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a captivating adventure wrapped in an overarching and undeniably touching narrative, exploring a young girl’s journey as she faces the harsh reality of losing a loved one. The title has already gained more than a dozen accolades and game awards throughout its time in development, including ‘Best Indie Game’ at Game Connection Paris, ‘Special Selection Indie Award’ at Reboot Develop and ‘Best Story’ at Game Connection USA.

In the game, players will interact with the words within Izzy’s diary to solve challenging puzzles and build unique platforming segments to progress through an evolving and aesthetically wondrous landscape. As players leap between the words on each page, they become useful stepping-stones and puzzle-solving methods to unlock each new chapter. 

For more on Lost Words: Beyond the Page, visit the official site (https://www.lostwordsgame.com), and wishlist the game on Steam if you prefer to play next year (https://store.steampowered.com/app/599610/Lost_Words_Beyond_the_Page/). For the latest on Modus Games, head over to https://modusgames.com/, join the Discord channel (modus.games/discord), and follow @Modus_Games on Twitter.

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Lost Words: Beyond the Page is also supported by Creative England and Microsoft’s Greenshoots Programme, The Wellcome Trust, Games Co London and The UK Games Fund.

About Modus Games

Modus Games is one of the fastest-growing video game publishers in the world. The label prides itself on providing AAA publishing services to talented independent developers across the globe. Modus Studios Brazil is a full-service development studio supporting creators of inspired interactive entertainment. For more information, visit www.modusgames.com.

About Sketchbook GamesSketchbook Games is a multi-award-winning studio founded by game designer Mark Backler, who previously worked at companies such as EA, Lionhead, and Sony, on a variety of games including Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the BAFTA award winning Fable 2. The company is based at the Colchester Games Hub and is developing Lost Words: Beyond the Page in collaboration with Fourth State.

SAINTS ROW IV: RE-ELECTED OUT NOW ON THE NINTENDO SWITCH

Philip Federico
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SAINTS ROW IV: RE-ELECTED OUT NOW ON THE NINTENDO SWITCH

Party like it’s 2013 on the Nintendo Switch with the mayhem, destruction, and dubstep of Saints Row IV: Re-elected

Larkspur, Calif. (March 27, 2020) – Deep Silver today announces that the critically acclaimed Saints Row® IV™ Re-Elected™ is now available for the Nintendo Switch at retail and the Nintendo eShop (MSRP $39.99). Saints Row IV: Re-Elected for Switch is fully charged with an impressive 25 pieces of outlandish DLC to offer the total package of high-octane gameplay.

Taking the story of the Third Street Saints to a level out of this world, the boss of the Saints gang has been elected as President of the United States of America and charged with saving everyone from a deadly alien invasion. This super-charged edition of the much-loved series has to be seen to be believed.

Deep Silver Fishlabs handled the conversion to Switch and the game runs flawlessly at native 720p resolution in handheld mode and 1080p when docked. Players can enable dynamic resolution to achieve a stable 30fps, although in this mode resolution will be varied in intensive gameplay situations in order to keep framerate consistent.

The much-lauded gyro aim feature for Switch will be included in the digital version from the start and via the day one update for retail copies. Enabled by default, this can be switched off and on depending on player preference.

About Saints Row IV: Re-Elected:

The boss of the Saints has been elected the Presidency of the United States and must save everyone on Earth, but the Saints are only getting started. After a catastrophic alien invasion of Earth, led by the evil Overlord Zinyak, the Saints have been transported to a bizarro-Steelport simulation. With homies new and old at their side and an arsenal of superpowers and strange weapons, they must fight to free humanity from alien granddaddy Zinyak’s mental grasp.

The Saints have gone from the crackhouse to the Penthouse, to The White House – but now it’s up to you to free the world from Zinyak and his alien empire, saving the world in the wildest open world game ever, playable for the first time on Nintendo Switch.

Key Features:

  • The American Dream – Play as the President of the United States in a wild story that spans countries, time, and space. It’s up to you to free the world, now for the first time on Nintendo Switch.
  • Super Hero-in-Chief – Leap over buildings. Destroy people with your mind. Run through tanks. Those are just some of the powers on offer that you can wield in your quest.
  • Alien Toys of Destruction – Wield an impressive array of alien vehicles and weapons. The Inflato-Ray, the Polarizer, the Disintegrator, and many more are all are yours to utilize.
  • Custom Weapons, Custom Mayhem – You’ve customized your character. You’ve customized your clothes. Now you also have a powerful weapon customization system.
  • Dynamic Duo – Seamless drop-in, drop-out co-op, a Saints Row standard, now improved. The only thing better than one malicious super powered President is two. 
  • Fully Re-Elected – Saints Row IV: Re-Elected contains an impressive 25 DLC Packs, including the Dubstep Gun (Remix) Pack, the Presidential Pack, the Commander-In-Chief Pack, and two celebrated episodic story expansions: Enter The Dominatrix and How The Saints Save Christmas.

For more information on Saints Row IV: Re-Elected on Nintendo Switch head over to www.saintsrow.com.

For more information about the Saints Row universe, please visit one of the following official sites:

Web:  http://www.saintsrow.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/saintsrow

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/saintsrow

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/saintsrow

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© 2020 and published by Deep Silver, a division of Koch Media GmbH, Austria. Developed by Deep Silver Fishlabs. Developed by Deep Silver Volition, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2020 Nintendo.

ABOUT DEEP SILVER

Deep Silver develops and distributes interactive games for all platforms. The Deep Silver label means to captivate all gamers who have a passion for thrilling gameplay in exciting game worlds. Deep Silver works with its partners to achieve a maximum of success while maintaining the highest possible quality, always focusing on what the customer desires.

Deep Silver has published more than 200 games since 2003, including its own brands like the open world extravaganza Saints Row, the zombie action franchise Dead Island, and the grim post-apocalyptic future of the Metro series. Upcoming highlights from Deep Silver include Dead Island 2 and Saints Row V. Deep Silver also owns the development studios Deep Silver Dambuster Studios in Nottingham, UK; Deep Silver Fishlabs in Hamburg, Germany, Deep Silver Volition based in Champaign, IL, USA, and Warhorse Studios based in Prague, Czech Republic. For more information please visit www.deepsilver.com.

Koch Media is a leading producer and distributor of digital entertainment products (software, games and films). The company’s own publishing activities, marketing and distribution extend throughout Europe, North America and Australia. The Koch Media group has more than 20 years of experience in the digital media business and has risen to become the number one publishing partner in Europe. It has also formed strategic alliances with numerous games and software publishers: Bethesda, Capcom, Codemasters, Kaspersky Labs, Konami, Koei Tecmo, Milestone, Sega, Square Enix, etc. in various European countries. With Headquarter in Höfen, Austria Koch Media owns branches in Germany, England, France, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the Nordic regions, Benelux, Australia, Czech Republic and the United States. All product titles, publisher names, trademarks, artwork and associated imagery are trademarks, registered trademarks and/or copyright material of the respective owners. All rights reserved.

NEW ADVENTURES AWAIT ON THE HIGH SEAS AS ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4 LAUNCHES FOR PLAYSTATION®4, XBOX ONE, SWITCH, AND STEAM

Philip Federico
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NEW ADVENTURES AWAIT ON THE HIGH SEAS AS ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4 LAUNCHES FOR PLAYSTATION®4, XBOX ONE, SWITCH, AND STEAM

BEGIN YOUR PIRATE VOYAGE WITH YOUR FAVORITE BAND OF MERRY PIRATES!

SANTA CLARA, Calif., (March 27, 2020) – Leading developer and publisher of anime video games, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. today announced that ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4 is now available for purchase in the Americas for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch™, and PC via STEAM®. ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4 is the fourth installment in the ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS series, an action-adventure Musou game developed by Omega Force based on the classic Shonen Jump® series ONE PIECE. 

ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4 contains the largest character roster of any ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS game,with over 40 playable characters from various arcs of the ONE PIECE anime. ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4 also features the latest stories and environments from the ONE PIECE anime, including Whole Cake Island and an original game-exclusive Wano Kuni arc. ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4 features more missions in Story Mode in comparison to previous ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS titles. Aside from Story Mode, players will also be able to take their adventure online and play with up to four people in online Co-Op Mode. 

In ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4,players can use their favorite characters to execute powerful “Musou” attacks and take on large amounts of enemies and clear the field of battle in one fell swoop. New gameplay mechanics such as aerial battle and “Titan Mode” – where characters become larger than life – offer players more ways to experience ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4.

“ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4 is a great game for both returning and new ONE PIECE fans who want to experience the excitement of the anime as their favorite characters,” said Abelina Villegas, Associate Brand Manager at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. “Players can immerse themselves in the world of ONE PIECE and create their own crew of jolly misfits!”

For more information about ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4 or other titles from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., please visit; https://www.bandainamcoent.com, follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS, or join the conversation on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/BandaiNamcoUS

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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.

Design and Build the Ultimate Metro Station in STATIONflow, Launching April 15 on Steam

Philip Federico
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Design and Build the Ultimate Metro Station in STATIONflow, Launching April 15 on Steam

Legendary Japanese Game Producer Tak Fujii and DMM GAMES Team Prepare to Unleash Over “One Million Passengers” on Players Worldwide

Tokyo, Japan – March 27, 2020 – DMM GAMES and legendary game producer Tak Fujii (Ninety-Nine Nights II, Gal Metal), announced today the launch date for its latest project, STATIONflow. Currently in Early Access on Steam, STATIONflow will launch worldwide on Steam on April 15, 2020 – and challenges players to manage the continuous non-stop flow of passengers by designing and building the ultimate and most efficient metro station.

Build complex 3D layouts, guide passengers to their destinations with signage, keep customers happy by meeting their needs, and don’t forget to stay within budget! With a free-form building system, the only limits to your ideal station is your imagination. Drag and adjust size and shapes of corridors and platforms with no limits from a grid structure and build your ultimate dream subway station! “I am excited to share our latest project today,” said STATIONflow producer Tak Fujii. “This is a game created by a small team with big ideas and a big heart – and wouldn’t be possible without the dedication and hard work from game director Szabó Marcell. I hope players enjoy it, and I challenge everyone to make over one million passengers happy!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCyCkbc4PB0&feature=youtu.be

For the latest news on STATIONflow, be sure to follow game producer Tak Fujii on Twitter – and the STATIONflow team on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

About DMM GAMES LLC

We are the operator of DMM GAMES platform, which provides users with our in-house planned and developed games, and game titles which we have acquired permission from the original publishers. We started with providing online game services for mobile phones, and continued to expand our services in providing games for PC/smart phone for all ages, extend our services across various device platforms, develop our business overseas, develop games targeting the female audience and etc. Ever since we began our service in November 2011, we have achieved a number of 22 million users in just less than 7 years (based on January 2018’s data), and grew to become the game service platform that has achieved the largest scale of traffic in Japan. https://games.dmm.com

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Persona 5 Royal Review

Travis Bruno
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Persona 5 Royal Review

Persona 5 Royal

Developer: Atlus
Publisher: Atlus USA
Platform: PlayStation 4
Release Date: March 31, 2020
Price: $59.99 USD – Available Here $99.95 AUD – Available Here

Overview

Atlus has come to be known for taking a full experience and putting some extra polish on it a few years later and the Persona series happens to be the best example of this. The company has released enhanced versions of nearly every mainline Persona game, twice for Persona 3 in fact, and they have returned once more to give Persona 5 a touch-up. Now while it may have seemed a bit early for such treatment, what with the original releasing in the West three years ago, have the improvements made in Persona 5 Royal taken this already amazing RPG one step higher?

Story

Now before we go any further, it is worth noting that if players want to know most of the story basics as well as the original gameplay mechanics then our original review covers that plenty, and instead we will be focusing primarily on the new content added into Persona 5 Royal in an attempt to try and keep things a bit more concise, especially since there is a surprisingly large amount of content added into this release of the game.

Set in modern day Tokyo, Japan players take on the role of the nameable protagonist who has found himself on the wrong side of the law. Convicted of a crime you’ve been placed on probation and kicked out of school with your family sending you away to the only school that is willing to take a convicted criminal such as yourself. From here the story is told through a series of flashbacks after players are given a brief look at their future with the focus initially spent on introducing the character to the way the world works and unfortunately your new school as well as most of your fellow classmates are more than willing to remind you of your criminal past. By joining together with other outcasts from society the player learns of a different realm that allows them to tackle the flawed personalities of those who have come into power.

It doesn’t take long before players will begin to notice a few subtle differences and additions to the storyline throughout the initial case featuring the Phantom Thieves as the newly added Kasumi quickly makes some appearances and is introduced to the story in a small manner while other characters that make their debut later in the game also begin to make a few side appearances far earlier than before as well. Joining Kasumi is a school counselor that, in retrospect, was shockingly absent in the original game by the name of Takuto Maruki who takes a personal interest in the plights that the protagonist and his group have suffered. It is also nice to note that, like previous enhanced Persona games, the Velvet Room attendants once again are given some more interactions as Justine and Caroline can now leave the prison and interact with the protagonist alongside their previous interactions involving the Strength arcana, allowing for perhaps some of the most humorous moments in the game depending on location. 

That being said, players will still find that the story tends to follow mostly all of the same beats as the original, especially through the first “heist target” as the story and new additions begin to open up a bit more after that point. For the most part, the core storyline remains the same as before, not that this is a bad thing by any means, with the newly interwoven characters and plot points feeling like seamless additions to the overarching plot though some of the bigger changes won’t be mentioned here as they are quite spoilery in nature but let’s just say that the writers have done a great job with these new characters and the expanded interactions players can have with the original characters and “confidants” this time around. This extra content, and its focus on giving players a slightly different perspective at times, makes an already stellar story even better, though it is worth noting that it is entirely possible to miss out on the bulk of the brand new content if they don’t interact with the new confidants enough.

Gameplay

Outside of the story enhancements a number of improvements have been made to the various gameplay aspects of Persona 5 Royal. These come in the forms of both brand new additions as well as improvements that were made to previous mechanics though it is worth noting that those who want a challenge, or are replaying through Persona 5 Royal, may want to bump the difficulty above Normal as nearly every enhancement has made the game easier. 

The most simple and obvious addition comes in the form of a grappling hook that Joker is given partway through the first Palace infiltration. The grappling hook allows for players to navigate through some locations a bit easier as players can use it to reach new heights that have been created with new secrets to be found. Most of the grappling hook’s uses come from basic exploration and occasionally can be used to avoid some Shadows but generally it is used to uncover secrets in Palaces. These secrets have also been increased a bit as now every Palace features three “will seeds” that are manifestations of the Palace’s owners power and provide a bit of an SP boost when discovered though if all three are located, they will fuse together to create a powerful accessory that will help the Phantom Thieves in future fights.

Speaking of battles, most fights are also far easier now as players continue to have a number of tools made immediately available to them right out of the gate this time as well as some never-ending resources. The player’s entire party immediately has access to the Baton Pass mechanic allowing for attack strings to quickly demolish foes if properly planned and ammunition in firearms, which used to be limited and required a resource to refill, now refills after every battle. Eventually players also gain access to powerful “Showtime” attacks that feature two members of the Phantom Thieves teaming up to deliver an extremely powerful and incredibly flashy or outlandish attack.

Not only have the Palaces themselves been given a bit of revamp but Mementos itself has also seen some new additions. While still randomly generated players will now meet with Jose, a strange little child that travels the depths of Mementos for research. Players can trade flowers obtained simply from driving around for powerful healing items that are useful in Palaces or even general combat and obtain Stamps from certain locations in Mementos that can then be used to increase things such as how much experience, money, or items, are given by enemies. These stamps can be adjusted at the cost of flowers and can make grinding for certain difficult fights far easier than before.

For the most part shadow recruitment is still performed in the same manner as players must knock down all foes to trigger a “hold-up” and succeed in negotiations with their target of choice but it is once again made a bit easier. While previously players had to pay close attention to a shadow’s personality, Morgana now provides a quick tip as to what type of phrases the player should say to recruit a Shadow making things a bit easier this time around. Plus, if you already happen to have that Persona instead of simply leaving the fight the current Shadow will instead apply extra experience points directly to that Persona. Even fusion has been given a bit of a revamp as, after the player has slain enough Shadows after a certain point in the game, an alarm will trigger in the Velvet Room signifying that the next two fusions will not only be stronger but will have a high chance of causing an “accident” that creates a random, generally better, Persona compared to what the player was aiming for. That isn’t to say everything has been made easier, as boss fights have been changed up a bit to keep players guessing, new Disaster Shadows that counterattack every blow have been added into random fights, and certain Shadows refuse to negotiate now unless they have been struck with certain ailments on-top of being knocked down.

Outside of the new additions to the various aspects of the Metaverse players will find that there are now a number of new things to do in the real world as well as a new explorable location named Kichijojoi has been added into the game and with it come a number of new side activities that players can enjoy with their fellow party members and confidants. This includes things like an odd little darts mini-game that can be used to strengthen the aforementioned Baton Pass and even a jazz cafe that can be used to power up additional elements of the player’s party members. There is also a fun little “Thieves Den” accessible through the menu that is a forgettable but nice inclusion that serves as a way to show off the player’s various accomplishments, partake in another new mini-game, and view various pieces of artwork as well as previously seen cutscenes.

Visuals & Audio

While Persona 5 already looked great when it was originally released Persona 5 Royal continues to impress with some great looking new additions to the world. All of the previous character models and standard designs remain as detailed as one would expect with the Shadows being a real delight though the background characters are still given a minimalistic design. The brand new characters fit in great with the style of the cast and don’t feel out of place and players will want to keep an eye out for certain characters making earlier appearances in the background from time to time. Combat remains as flashy as ever, even more so now thanks to the aforementioned Showtime attacks that players can trigger. The Palaces are also given a few redesigns here and there to make use of the grappling hook and add some extra secrets for players to find.

Once again players will be able to play using either the English dub as well as the original Japanese voice track. All of the voice actors and actresses appear to have reprised their roles to record the various new lines to fit into the extra content and the voice work for the new characters fits in perfectly with the rest of the cast. The soundtrack continues to be rather impressive as it features all of the tracks that made the original game such a delight to play, though some may prefer the original opening theme a bit more compared to this one.

Overall

What do you do when you decide to make an enhanced version of an already critically acclaimed game? Well you add in numerous quality of life improvements that fans may never have even known they wanted and add plenty of new story sequences alongside extra content to make the game even more of a blast to play, even if it is a bit easier as a result. Many may have wondered if an enhanced release was coming too soon but Persona 5 Royal proves that Atlus knows best when it comes to designing an amazing RPG that is a must have for those who have never played the original and an amazing revisit for those who already have.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

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