Sydney, Australia – August 1, 2019 – Ubisoft has acquired a 70% stake in Green Panda
Games, a leading publisher of free-to-play mobile games, specialised in
hyper-casual games.
Founded in 2013 and based in Paris, Green Panda Games
develops and publishes games in the idle genre. Boasting a highly-talented
30-person team, Green Panda Games has launched more than 55 games since its
creation, downloaded by some 85 million players worldwide. Many of its games
have been instant hits, such as Bee Factory, Sushi Bar and Terrarium. Green
Panda Games will bring to Ubisoft a sharp editorial vision in the idle games
segment, data-based iterative creative processes and undisputed expertise in both
user acquisition and ad monetisation strategies.
Commenting on the deal, Jean-Michel Detoc, Executive
Director of Ubisoft Mobile, said “This acquisition strengthens our position
in the hyper-casual market, particularly within the idle games segment. Bringing
Green Panda Games into the Group fits seamlessly with our aim of offering a
diversified and high-quality line-up of mobile games to an ever-wider audience.
We are very excited that this talented team is joining Ubisoft’s creative
force”.
Guillaume Sztejnberg, Founder of Green Panda Games,
said “We are delighted to be coming on board with Ubisoft and are looking
forward to continue developing our games portfolio within a group that is in
the full throes of expansion.”
The acquisition was completed on July 31, 2019 and its
underlying agreements give Ubisoft the option of raising its stake in Green
Panda Games to 100% in the coming four years. None of the other acquisition
terms have been disclosed.
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, and Tom Clancy’s video game series including Ghost Recon,
Rainbow Six and The Division. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network
of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and
memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles,
mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2018-19 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated
net bookings of €2,029 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.
GRID®– Developers Chase Down Fernando
Alonso in Newly Added ‘Havana’ Street Circuit
Codemasters® have released a new
gameplay video for the upcoming, highly anticipated racing game GRID® releasing October 11th on
PlayStation®4, the Xbox One family of devices including
the Xbox One X and Windows PC (DVD and via Steam).
This
latest GRID gameplay footage drops you on the brand-new Havana street circuit
and showcases official cars from the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car
Championship. As they race, they also pursue the legendary driver Fernando
Alonso across the lanes of this new track.
Game
Director Chris Smith and Community Manager Chris Groves take you through the
new footage, outlining some of the key features in GRID, such as available
circuits and the Teammates, Rivals and Nemesis systems. Using the livery of his
FA Racing team, the video captures the chase as the Codemasters team hunts down
Fernando Alonso: GRID’s Race Consultant, who is also an AI opponent in the
game. Get a glimpse of the intense, unpredictable action you’ll experience in
every race in GRID.
Codemasters (AIM:CDM) is an award
winning British video game developer and publisher with over 30 years of
heritage. The company specializes in high quality racing games including DiRT,
GRID, ONRUSH and the BAFTA award-winning official F1®
series of videogames.
For more information on Codemasters’ product
portfolio, please visit www.codemasters.com.
Join in the conversation with @codemasters on Twitter or Like us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/codemasters.
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.
Deep Silver also owns the development studios Deep Silver Dambuster Studios in
Nottingham, UK; Deep Silver Fishlabs in Hamburg, Germany, and Deep Silver
Volition based in Champaign, IL, USA. 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 and
the USA. The Koch Media group has more than 20 years of experience in the
digital media business, and has risen to become the number one distributor in
Europe. It has also formed strategic alliances with numerous games and software
publishers: Bethesda, Capcom, Kaspersky Labs, NC SOFT, Sega, Square Enix and
Tecmo-Koei, 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.
WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT, TT GAMES,THE LEGO GROUP AND UNIVERSAL GAMES AND DIGITAL
PLATFORMS ANNOUNCE LEGO®JURASSIC WORLD FOR NINTENDO
SWITCH™
T. rex–sized Adventure Game Spanning Four Jurassic
World Films Coming to New Platform This Fall
Warner Bros. Interactive
Entertainment, TT Games, The LEGO Group and Universal Games and Digital
Platforms have announced that the top-selling 2015 video game LEGO®
Jurassic World is coming to Nintendo Switch™ on September 18, 2019. The
game also supports handheld mode and will be playable on the upcoming Nintendo
Switch™ Lite.
Developed by TT Games and published
by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, LEGO® Jurassic
World, which was originally released in 2015, covers more than two
decades of the epic Jurassic World franchise from Universal Pictures and
Amblin Entertainment. Re-imagined in LEGO form and told with TT Games’
signature humor, the thrilling adventure re-creates unforgettable scenes and
action sequences from Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Jurassic
Park III and Jurassic World, allowing fans to play through key
moments and giving them the opportunity to fully explore the expansive islands
of Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna.
“We’re delighted to bring the exhilarating adventures
in LEGO®Jurassic World to a new generation of players on Nintendo Switch™,”
said Jonathan Smith, Head of Production and Strategic Director, TT Games. “The young and young-at-heart
will love re-experiencing the magic of the movies told through a LEGO lens at
home and on-the-go.”
Players can take on the roles of heroic film
characters, such as Dr. Ian Malcolm, Dr. Henry Wu, Claire Dearing, Owen Grady
and more, throughout 20 story levels on a mission to collect precious amber
containing dinosaur DNA. Players can use the DNA they’ve collected to create
completely original dinosaurs with the Dino Customiser by mixing and matching
colour, body parts and abilities, or fill the giant footsteps of the LEGO
dinosaurs and play the game as the beasts themselves.
LEGO® Jurassic World for Nintendo Switch also offers three previously
released DLC packs, including:
Jurassic
World DLC Pack: Gives
players access to six new characters, two new vehicles, the JURASSIC
Response Unit, the JURASSIC WORLD Shuttle, and more.
Jurassic
Park Trilogy Pack #1: Grants
access to three characters and one vehicle including, Dino Handler, Eric
Kirby and Paul Kirby, and the Animal Control Vehicle.
Jurassic
Park Trilogy Pack #2:
Provides access to three characters and one vehicle including Jurassic
Park Helicopter Pilot, Lex and Tim Murphy, and Dr. Ian Malcolm’s
convertible.
To view and share the Official LEGO® JURASSIC WORLD Trailer
# # #
About The Jurassic World Franchise
From Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, the Jurassic
World franchise immerses audiences of all ages in a new era of wonder and
thrills where dinosaurs and humankind must learn to coexist. Jurassic World is
more than a film franchise. At every turn, this $5 billion film series delivers
a larger-than-life destination for exploration, discovery, and epic adventure.
Dinosaurs live again and they live in Jurassic World.
About Warner Bros. Interactive
Entertainment
Warner Bros.
Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc.,
is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of
entertainment content for the interactive space across all platforms, including
console, handheld, mobile and PC-based gaming for both internal and third-party
game titles.
About TT Games
TT Games, an affiliate of Warner Bros. Entertainment,
Inc., is the developer behind numerous hit LEGO videogame franchises such as
LEGO® Batman™, LEGO® Star Wars™, LEGO® Harry Potter™, LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes
and LEGO® Indiana Jones™, as well as popular titles LEGO® Marvel’s Avengers,
LEGO® Jurassic World™, LEGO® Worlds and many others, which combined have sold
over 200 million units worldwide to date. With U.K. offices in Knutsford,
Wilmslow, Brighton and Maidenhead, TT Games has a distinctive focus on console,
handheld, mobile and PC games of the highest quality, aimed at young gamers and
their families. Additional information about TT Games can be found at www.ttgames.com.
About The LEGO Group
The LEGO Group is
a privately held, family-owned company with headquarters in Billund, Denmark,
and main offices in Enfield, USA, London, UK., Shanghai, China, and Singapore.
Founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, and based on the iconic LEGO® brick, it
is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of play materials. Guided by the
company spirit: “Only the best is good enough”, the company is committed
to the development of children and aims to inspire and develop the builders of
tomorrow through creative play and learning. LEGO products are sold worldwide
and can be virtually explored atwww.LEGO.com
About Universal Games and Digital Platforms
Universal’s Games and Digital Platforms group leverages the vast portfolio of
IP and characters from NBCUniversal. The Games and Digital Platforms group is a
business unit of Universal Brand Development, which is chartered with globally
expanding the company’s intellectual properties, franchises, characters and
stories through innovative physical and digital products, content and consumer
experiences. The company’s extensive portfolio includes properties created by
Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation, and
NBCUniversal cable and television. Universal Brand Development is part of
NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. www.universalbranddevelopment.com
Sandbox RPG Project Witchstone Journeys to
PlayStation 4, Xbox One in Q2 2020
MONTRÉAL – 31 July 2019
–Project
Witchstone, the living world
sandbox RPG from Omensight and Stories: The Path of Destinies developerSpearhead Games, wanders to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in Q2
2020 alongside the previously-announced PC version.
Drawing inspiration from
classic pen-and-paper games, Project Witchstone offers unmatched freedom
and opportunity to roleplay in a vibrant, reactive world. Every move
adventurers make ripples outward into the environment, opening new doors and
closing others, as dynamic systems intertwine to produce a one-of-a-kind
experience tailored to the player’s actions.
Set on a newly-colonized
continent where a patchwork of competing factions struggle against one another
for control, Project Witchstone’s landscape is teeming with potential
allies and adversaries to befriend, confront, double-cross, rob, swindle, and
more. Everyone on this massive island has their own motivations, allegiances,
and routines that connect with the people around them to form a bustling place
filled with boundless potential.
Designed around choice
and consequence, the world of Project Witchstone provides a canvas with
near-endless possibilities that players are invited to explore, shape, plunder,
or even destroy. There are a myriad of interweaving systems spanning from
turn-based combat and dialogue trees to dice-based ability checks and
subterfuge that wield influence over the world and allow travelers to write
their own unique stories and decide the fate of this realm.
“Project Witchstone
will deliver a roleplaying experience unlike any video game you’ve seen
before,” said Atul Mehra, co-founder, Spearhead Games. “Bringing the freedom of
pen-and-paper games into a digital space is such an exciting undertaking and we
can’t wait to share the experience with everyone when Project Witchstone
comes to consoles and PC early next year.”
Spearhead Games will be
demoing Project Witchstone at PAX West 2019 in booth 6314.
Founded in 2012,
Spearhead Games is the Montréal-based independent studio behind Omensight,
Stories: The Path of Destinies, and Tiny Brains. The brainchild
of Malik Boukhira and Atul Mehra, the team features industry veterans with
experience creating titles in the Assassin’s Creed, Prince of Persia,
Need for Speed, and Dead Space series who are now focused on
pursuing their own ambitious ideas and creating innovative new
experiences.
TWO-TIME ACADEMY AWARD® NOMINEE JACKI WEAVER TO STAR OPPOSITE NAOMI WATTS AND ANDREW LINCOLN IN“PENGUIN BLOOM”
Rachel House,
Leeanna Walsman and Lisa Hensley round out its supporting cast.
LOS ANGELES, CA (July 31, 2019) – Jacki
Weaver (SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, ANIMAL KINGDOM), will star opposite
Academy Award® nominated actress Naomi Watts (THE IMPOSSIBLE, 21 GRAMS) and
Andrew Lincoln (THE WALKING DEAD, LOVE ACTUALLY), in PENGUIN BLOOM, the
upcoming adaptation of Bradley Trevor Greive’s (BTG) and Cameron Bloom’s
international bestseller. The film,
directed by Glendyn Ivin (THE CRY, SAFE HARBOR) and written by Shaun Grant
(SNOWTOWN, BERLIN SYNDROME) and Harry Cripps (THE DRY), will commence
production in August, in Sydney, Australia. Watts will also serve as producer
alongside Emma Cooper and Made Up Stories’ Bruna Papandrea, Jodi Matterson and
Steve Hutensky.
Weaver will portray Jan, the mother of Sam Bloom (Watts), in this
incredible true story of a young family struggling to come to terms with a
near-fatal accident that left Sam paralyzed. As they learn to adjust to her new
situation, an unlikely ally entered their lives in the form of an injured
Magpie chick. The family dubbed her ‘Penguin.’ Featuring the deeply personal
images of photographer Cameron Bloom (Lincoln) and an inspiring narrative from
BTG, the story is a reminder that angels come in all shapes and sizes.
Said Watts, “Having been a huge fan of Jacki’s for such a long
time, it is beyond exciting to have her join our incredible cast to tell this
heart-warming story.”
THOR: RAGNAROK star Rachel House, also joins the cast, playing
Kiwi Kayak coach, Gaye Hatfield. Leeanna Walsman (7 TYPES OF AMBIGUITY) and
Lisa Hensley (WONDERLAND) round out the supporting cast alongside Australian
newcomers Griffin Murray-Johnston, Felix Cameron and Abe Clifford-Barr, after a
nationwide search to find the Bloom children.
Cameron, Sam Bloom and BTG will also executive produce alongside
Ricci Swart, Sonia Amoroso, George Kekeli and Meryl Metni.
PENGUIN BLOOM is a Made Up Stories production. Major production
investment from Screen Australia. Financed with support from Create NSW. ANZ
distribution by Roadshow. Endeavor Content is handling worldwide rights.
Weaver is known internationally for her performances in ANIMAL
KINGDOM and SILVER LINING PLAYBOOK, which both earned her Oscar® nominations for
Best Supporting Actress. She is currently portraying “Lillian” on the
US drama series PERPETUAL GRACE, LTD and most recently completed filming on
STAGE MOTHER and the forthcoming ZEROVILLE for James Franco.
In addition to currently
portraying “Gretchen Carlson” in Showtime’s Roger Ailes saga, THE LOUDEST
VOICE, two-time Oscar® nominee Watts will next be
seen starring in LUCE and THE WOLF HOUR.
She is also currently shooting the prequel to GAME OF THRONES.
Lincoln is best known to audiences for his roles in AMC’s
highly-acclaimed series THE WALKING DEAD, LOVE ACTUALLYand the popular
British television series TEACHERS. He will reprise his role as “Rick Grimes”
in the forthcoming THE WALKING DEAD films. Lincoln is represented by CAA and
Markham, Froggatt and Irwin and attorney Geoffry Oblath.
Originally from New Zealand, House rose to international fame
after portraying “Paula” in the highly acclaimed HUNT FOR THE
WILDERPEOPLE from director Taika Waititi. She most recently completed filming
the Australian TV series STATELESS, opposite Cate Blanchett and the upcoming
Australian feature BELLBIRD.
Penguin Bloom is available in Australia and New Zealand (via ABC Books),
the UK (via Canongate Books), and in the USA and Canada it was published by
Atria Books as Penguin the Magpie in April 2017.
Ten Percent of the book’s worldwide royalties
are being donated to leading spinal cord injury research charities, including
SpinalCure Australia, Wings for Life and the Christopher and Dana Reeve
Foundation.
NETMARBLE
ERUPTS WITH NEW ‘DARK VOLCANO’ UPDATE FOR FISHING STRIKE
All-New Legendary Angler, Fishing Sites, and Equipment Await Fish
Hunters in Latest Update
LOS ANGELES – July 31, 2019 – Netmarble Corp.’s ambitious next-generation mobile fishing game Fishing Strike introduced a large update today that includes an
all-new fishing zone, new characters and in-game fishing equipment for Fish
Hunters to experience, collect, and meet.
Starting today, players can dive into the Dark
Volcano fishing zone, which boasts nine stages of fishing sites inspired by
actual volcano mountains. These include Mount Pinatubo in The Philippines,
Krakatoa in Indonesia, Mount Etna in Italy and Mauna Kea in Hawaii among
others. Players can also look forward to 90 new types of fish from level
61~143, and the maximum level for Fishing Strike’sNo Limit
Challenge is now extended from 108 to 126.
The new Legendary Angler ‘Yuri,’ is also available for
Fish Hunters to partner with. ‘Yuri’ has a powerful freezing skill that is
activated through magic. New fishing equipment, including the Golden Phoenix
Set, Pink Dia Phoenix Set and the new Blaze Phoenix Boat was also added for
players to collect in today’s update.
Fishing Strike offers a unique and hyper-realistic mobile fishing
experience as players travel the globe and cast their lines in the hopes of
collecting the best fish in the world. Fishing Strike is currently available worldwide and offers over 700 species of fish for
players to catch, over 30 anglers to choose from, and nine different regions for
Fish Hunters to explore.
Netmarble Corporation strives to entertain audiences
of all ages around the world by providing great mobile gaming experiences.
Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble is one of the fastest-growing mobile
game companies and consistently ranks as a top mobile developer and publisher
worldwide. With more than 6,000 employees, Netmarble has been producing and
servicing some of the most successful mobile games including Lineage 2:
Revolution, Blade & Soul Revolution, MARVEL Future Fight, Everybody’s
Marble, and Seven Knights. As a parent company to Kabam, a top mobile game
developer in massively multiplayer free-to-play games, and the largest
shareholder to Jam City, a leading casual social game developer, Netmarble has
a strategic partnership with CJ ENM Corporation, Asia’s largest entertainment
company, Tencent Holdings, Asia’s largest internet company, and NCsoft, a
prominent MMORPG company. More information can be found at http://company.netmarble.com.
London Detective Mysteria’sVictorian-Era Romance Available on
Windows PC Now
XSEED Games Launches the Otome Visual Novel on
Steam, GOG, and Humble
Torrance, Calif. – July 31, 2019 – XSEED Games, the independent-minded publishing
brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., today announced that London Detective
Mysteria, the detective romance visual novel set in 19th century
England, is now available for Windows PC via Steam, GOG.com, and The Humble Store by Humble Bundle for $29.99, €29.99, and
£24.99. The game has a 10% launch week discount, and all copies include a bonus
92-page digital art book as a special “Thank you” to the fans for their
support. The soundtrack containing 27 songs is offered separately for $19.99,
€19.99, and £14.99, though a value bundle together with the game can be had for
a 20% total discount when compared to purchasing the game and soundtrack
separately. The title was previously released for the PlayStation®Vita handheld
entertainment system on December 18, 2018 and is the first otome visual novel
published by XSEED Games.
Originally released in Japan as Eikoku Tantei Mysteria: The
Crown, in London Detective Mysteria players will solve cases
as main protagonist Lady Whiteley, where the choices they make influence their
detective rank and relationships with other characters. As Lady Whiteley,
players will mingle with dashing detectives and debonair characters of
questionable background while exploring the dark underbelly of Victorian-era
London. The PC version will receive a number of improvements including support
for multiple resolutions and language options, ensuring that the detailed
character illustrations remain crisp to keep players immersed in the story as
they learn more about the cast of characters while tracking their relationships
with them in-game.
About London Detective Mysteria
Eschew the frivolities of 19th century
London’s high society and instead delve into the curiosities that lie hidden in
London’s darkest corners in London Detective Mysteria. Playing as
the heiress of House Whiteley, players will name their own Lady Whiteley as
they investigate mysteries of London and interact with personalities inspired
by famous fictional characters including Detective Holmes, Jack the Ripper, and
more. Take full control over the experience by adjusting text speed or even the
individual speaking volumes of individual characters and their original
Japanese voices. Players must choose their words carefully as they interact
with other characters, as decisions made throughout the story will not only
affect special rewards but will also shape whether Lady Whiteley finds love or
something more sinister in the shadows of 19th century
London.
London Detective Mysteria is available now digitally with a bonus 92-page digital art book
for Windows PC via Steam, GOG.com, and The Humble Store by Humble Bundle for $29.99, €29.99, and £24.99
with a 10% launch week discount. The official soundtrack is sold separately for
$19.99, €19.99, and £14.99, though a bundle with the game offers 20% savings
when compared to purchasing the game and soundtrack separately. The title was previously
released in North America and Europe on the PlayStation®Store for “PS Vita”
system and is available for $29.99, €29.99, and £24.99 on December 18, 2018.
More information can be foundon the official website at: http://www.ladymysteria.com. The title is rated “M for Mature” on the “PS
Vita” by the ESRB. The PC version is not rated by the ESRB.
XSEED Games is the independent-minded publishing brand of
Marvelous USA, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Marvelous Inc., which is a
publicly traded company listed in the First Section of the Tokyo Stock
Exchange. Formed in 2004 and located in Torrance, California, XSEED Games
publishes interactive entertainment content for PC and consoles from the
Marvelous portfolio as well as from a wide variety of third-party partners.
Whether it’s Marvelous properties such as STORY OF SEASONS (Bokujo Monogatari),
SENRAN KAGURA, and Rune Factory, or third-party titles such as the Corpse
Party, AKIBA’S TRIP, and The Legend of Heroes: Trails series, XSEED Games has
grown its reputation among gamers with its critically acclaimed localizations
and commitment to fans, remaining ever dedicated to its “indie spirit,
player-first” approach.
Something weird is going on in the town of Redacre. People are waking up covered in dirt. The teenagers in town have realized people are sleepwalking at night, working on some weird contraption in the tunnels that run under town. After the bravest member of The Blackout Club goes missing, the rest of the club takes it upon themselves to record evidence so they can expose the cult underneath the town.
Story
The Blackout Club has a decent amount of story for a
multiplayer heavy title. The world itself is interesting, with new unlocked
areas often creating more questions than answers. The lengthy tutorial does an
excellent job setting the stage for the rest of the game. As players gain
levels, short video clips, journal entries, dreams, and unlocked areas fill in
the lore. The only issue is the pace of the lore. Between each match, players
have the option of hearing a dream, which contains a previously recorded ritual
conversation between a player and the voices. I am unsure if new lore is tied
to experience gain or random chance, but it is a very slow trickle.
Gameplay
While listed as a horror game, The Blackout Club is
more of a stealth title than true horror. Four players cooperate to complete a
series of randomly generated goals. Actions like being spotted, attacking NPCs,
and breaking in doors will cause NPCs to report the sin to the mysterious
Shape. The Shape has an increasing chance to spawn as players generate sin. The
Shape is a dangerous foe. The Shape is an invisible NPC that can only be seen
if players close their eyes. Additionally, The Shape has better hearing and
vision than other NPCs. If players are caught by The Shape, it will put them to
sleep for the first two times. Players will lose control of their character and
must rely on a teammate to wake them from their sleep. Get caught a third time
and the character is dead for the rest of the match.
One of The Blackout Club’s most striking features is
constant feeling of vulnerability. Since players take on the role of teenagers,
they are smaller and weaker than the adults that roam around town. Without the
help of specialized equipment, the best players can do is ambush the adult by jumping
on their back and choking the adult out. This isn’t a permanent takedown, but it
can buy players a few precious seconds to make a get away. Since the tranquilizer
darts and sleep traps needed for permanent disable are so rare, The Blackout
Club creates a tense atmosphere where players rightfully fear the enemy. The
Shape spawning makes the game all the more intense, often forcing players to
run for their lives.
There is a clear line of progression in the game. As players
level up, they gain skill points that can be spent on minor and major skills.
Minor skills will give small buffs like an extra set of lockpicks at the beginning
of the game. Major skills are split into four different trees specializing in
brawling, distraction, escaping, and reconnaissance. The skill trees cover
every play style, and the abilities are well thought out. The only issue is the
incredibly slow pace at which players level. The first few levels go by quick,
but the levels start to feel like a real grind after level five. To make matter
worse, players only get one skill point a level. Each skill requires a point
more than the preceding skill.
The map design in The Blackout Club is excellent.
Since players are supposed to be roaming around in their own neighbourhood, the
map does not change night in and night out. Players don’t have a reference map on
hand either. Instead, they are slowly taught the map as new sections are unlocked
as players level. The map itself is an excellent mix of claustrophobic
corridors and wide-open spaces. The objectives are randomly generated, providing
the needed variety between missions. Each mission requires two to three steps
and usually will have at a step above and below ground.
The game’s user experience is solid. The controls are simple
and follow the traditional FPS layout. The UI is minimalistic and well
organized. The only thing I would prefer to see is a better indication of what actions
could be considered a sin and what is not. For the most part, red is used to
represent actions that will generate sin, but noise alerts that generate sin are
marked with yellow.
The Blackout Club is a lot of fun. It’s a tough game
to play alone and is best enjoyed with at least a friend. It’s an intense game
that offers plenty of heart stopping moments. The 1.0 release is still not perfect
though. I’ve run into my fair share of bugs ranging from the benign to game
stopping. The worst right now are the trees that are just the right height to
get stuck in, which requires the match to be restarted to fix.
Visuals
The Blackout Club is a solid looking game. The art
style is on the cartoony side with a splash of realism. The Maze is probably
the most memorable part of the game’s visuals. It looks so foreign and out of
place compared to the town that stand above ground. The red and white colour scheme
is particularly striking.
Audio
The audio experience in The Blackout Club is
enjoyable. The sound effects are good. The audio engine and sound design creates
the right atmosphere for a stealth game, allowing players precious seconds to
prepare for incoming enemies. The voice acting is excellent, but the game could
use a few extra lines.
Overall
The
Blackout Club is an excellent cooperative stealth game that splashes in a little bit of
horror to spice things up. While it is still plagued by some minor bugs, it’s a
fantastically tense experience that fans of first person stealth games will
enjoy.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Usually “Shark Week” is filled with little news stories advertising local aquariums, documentaries, and marathons of Jaws, but now a video game has taken this time and made it their own by not only releasing the first developer diary showing off their open world shark RPG but also launching the game for pre-order on PC through the Epic Game Store for Maneater.
Those who pre-order Maneater from now until Monday August 5th will receive a $5 discount thanks to Shark Week. The video, found below, gives us some insight behind the development of the game as well as an explanation of how players will be able to help grow their sharks’ various abilities to become an even stronger killing machine.
Although Senran Kagura: Peach Ball released on Switch earlier this month XSEED Games was planning a PC release of the game and now we know when that will be happening. The company has announced that Senran Kagura: Peach Ball will be releasing on PC through Steam on August 14th where it will be priced at $39.99/£35.99/€39.99.
For those unaware of what happens in this pinball game, Haruka, the
mad scientist of Homura’s Crimson Squad, is up to her usual experiments
again, brewing up mysterious concoctions with unknown effects.
Unfortunately for her fellow shinobi, she’s chosen the local arcade she
works at as her laboratory, storing her experiments in the bathroom.
After an accidental outbreak infects five of her shinobi friends, she learns that her latest concoction can transform those exposed it into animals, at least mentally.Now, with Asuka, Yumi, Yomi, Ryona, and Murasaki causing wild havoc in and around the arcade, Haruka has devised a way to return these shinobi to their senses, the mystical Peach Ball. Applied to a subject’s body repeatedly, with the proper vibrational force, it can undo the effects of her experiment. Conveniently, it’s just the right size for a pinball table. Now all Haruka needs is a skilled assistant to operate the table, bopping each shinobi girl with the ball until she comes around.
