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Your Invitation to Mystery Awaits, London Detective Mysteria Opens the Case on PC on July 31

XSEED Games Prepares for a Summer of Victorian-Era Romance and Mystery

Torrance, Calif. – July 16, 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, will release digitally for Windows PC on July 31 via Steam, GOG.com, and The Humble Store by Humble Bundle for $29.99, €29.99, and £24.99. The game will have a 10% launch week discount, and all copies will include a bonus 92-page digital art book as a special “Thank you” to the fans for their support. The soundtrack containing 27 songs will be offered separately for $19.99, €19.99, and £14.99, though it can be purchased for a 50% discount when purchased together with the game. 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.

https://youtu.be/gvUJGgnl54E

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 darker, less known side 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 will be available 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 on July 31, 2019 with a 10% launch week discount. The official soundtrack will be sold separately for $19.99, €19.99, and £14.99, but it can be purchased for a 50% discount when purchased together with the game. 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.

More information about XSEED Games’ products can be found at www.xseedgames.com. Fans can also follow XSEED Games on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Twitch and get in depth info from their developer blog on Tumblr.

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TROPICO 6 ARRIVES ON CONSOLES SEPTEMBER 27

El Prez’s Latest Campaign Hits PlayStation 4 and Xbox One This Fall

Ridgewood, NJ – (July 16, 2019) – Strategy gaming specialists Kalypso Media and developers Limbic Entertainment have today announced that Tropico 6 will release worldwide on September 27, 2019 for PlayStation®4 and Xbox One.

The Xbox One version is available now in Game Preview, and just received a major update, which introduces the random map generator alongside other improvements and fixes. The full changelog can be found on the Kalypso forum.

Tropico 6 is a strategic city builder and dictator simulator where players assume the role of El Presidente on the fictional banana republic of Tropico. With a dynamic and lively population of individually-simulated Tropicans, balance city building, infrastructure, politics, tourism and economics on your island paradise and rule Tropico as a peace-loving statesman or fearmongering dictator, and everything in-between.

Interviews are available with publishing and development staff at Kalypso Media and Limbic Entertainment.

Follow Tropico on Facebook and Twitter. Visit the World of Tropico website at WorldOfTropico.com

For more information, please see www.kalypsomedia.com

About the Kalypso Media Group
Kalypso Media Group GmbH is an independent publisher, developer and marketer of interactive entertainment software with 100 employees in 7 locations in Germany, England and the USA. The group includes Kalypso Media Group GmbH in Worms, Kalypso Media UK Ltd. in Bracknell, Kalypso Media USA Inc. in Ridgewood, Kalypso Media Digital Ltd. in Great Britain and Kalypso Media Mobile in Hamburg/Germany, which was launched in 2015. With Realmforge Studios (Munich) and Gaming Minds Studios (Gütersloh), the company also has two development studios of its own.

Kalypso Media’s products include the Tropico series, popular with critics and players alike, the Dungeons series, the successful new Sudden Strike series, the tycoon saga Railway Empire and the fan favorite Dungeons 3. Since July 2018, the IP portfolio of Kalypso Media Group GmbH has also included all rights to the titles of the legendary Pyro Studios (Commandos, Imperial Glory, Praetorians). With Commandos 2 – HD Remaster and Praetorians – HD Remaster, the redesigned versions of these PC strategy classics will be released in Q4 2019. The launch of the PC version of Tropico 6, released in March 2019, was the largest launch in the company’s history. The console versions will follow in September 27, 2019. In addition, the Tropico franchise is also available for the first time on mobile platforms with Tropico for iPad/iPhone. A new IP, Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars, will release on PC in Fall 2019 and on consoles in Spring 2020.

More information about the Kalypso Media Group is available at www.kalypsomedia.com

PixelNAUTS Games Blasts LOST ORBIT: Terminal Velocity Onto PlayStation®4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam

Battle Space Pirates and More in the Definitive Version of the Momentum-Driven, Dodge ‘Em Up Game

St. Catharines, Ontario – July 16, 2019 – Blast off into the emptiness of space and embark on an epic journey filled with space pirates, orbital boosts, deadly asteroids and more in LOST ORBIT: Terminal Velocity, the definitive version of the fast-paced, dodge ‘em up game from PixelNAUTS Games. Available today for the first time ever on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, as well as on PlayStation®4 and Steam (PC, Mac, Linux) for $9.99 USD, Terminal Velocity upgrades include new mechanics such as the ability to drill through asteroids, increased levels and more, to provide players with the best momentum-driven experience possible.
 

Check out dangers of space, including pirates, laser fences and exploding debris, in this new gameplay trailer: https://youtu.be/fBVKVtS2vcs


In LOST ORBIT: Terminal Velocity players boost, swim, bounce, leap, smash and teleport their way through a myriad of obstacles in a desolate yet beautiful galaxy as they struggle to find their way back to civilization. Armed with only an improvised set of equipment and a relentless spirit, astronauts will need to survive 65 intense levels across 5 systems, and confront not only their mortality, but also what lurks in the darkness. To aid in the travels, survivors must upgrade their abilities and employ fast-thinking skills to complete their interstellar journey alive.

Terminal Velocity contains so much new and revamped content that those playing it, regardless if they’ve played the original, will find a wealth of entertaining features to challenge themselves with for hours,” said Alex Golebiowski, co-founder of PixelNAUTS Games. “With Terminal Velocity players will get the most robust asteroid dodging experience possible and for Xbox and Switch owners, the chance to test their skills at LOST ORBIT for the first time.”

LOST ORBIT: Terminal Velocity features a bevy of new content including:

New Mechanics:

  • Drill through asteroids, but make sure to not overheat.
  • Smash into explosives to send them flying in obstacles and space pirates to clear the way.
  • Dodge mines, laser fences, spikes and other space pirate traps!
  • Grind and change rails to easily pass by obstacles.

 New Levels:

  • Explore 12 new story-driven levels in a brand-new solar system!
  • Clear a path for an out of control starship.
  • Escape pirates in an intense boss chase.
  • Sneak and smash your way through an old space mine.
  • Try your skills at over 15 new and extremely challenging levels

For more information regarding LOST ORBIT: Terminal Velocity please visit the game’s website, or PixelNAUTS Twitter page.  

About PixelNAUTS Games
PixelNAUTS Games is an independent video game studio based in St. Catharines, Ontario. Formed in 2010, the team is comprised of developers and artists that are creating fun, unique and beautiful games. PixelNAUTS also partners with like-minded developers to build projects the studio is passionate about.

THE 90’S ARE BACK AND NOT JUST IN MOVIE THEATERS! SFL INTERACTIVE ANNOUNCES FLASHBACK LAUNCHING JULY 22

Original Cinematic Platform Game Combines Classic Puzzle-Platformer Mechanics with Beautiful Rotoscope Animation on Mobile

BENELUX, FRANCE – July 16, 2019 – Indie videogame publisher SFL Interactive, together with veteran game creator Paul Cuisset, announced today that FLASHBACK, the iconic and award-winning action adventure game from 1992, is coming to the App Store and Google Play July 22. FLASHBACK is the original trailblazing Sci-Fi game that puts players in the role of Conrad, a scientist suffering from amnesia while being pursued by hostile forces on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. Additionally, SFL Interactive has also released a “Behind the Scenes” video featuring game creator Paul Cuisset as he discusses how he seamlessly transitioned the classic game from consoles to mobile devices for modern players.

Watch the FLASHBACK “Behind the Scenes” video

The year is 2142. The young scientist Conrad B. Hart awakens on Titan, a colonized moon of Saturn. Stripped of all memory and with enemies and kidnappers on his heels, Conrad must defend himself against the dangers of this new world, all the while unravelling an insidious extra-terrestrial plot that threatens the planet.

FLASHBACK MOBILE GAMEPLAY FEATURES:

  • Action Adventure: Experience the gripping Sci-Fi storyline of an extra-terrestrial plot that threatens the whole planet! Players must help scientist Conrad B. Hart make his way back to Earth, dodging kidnappers and enemies along the way.
  • Post-FX Graphic Filters: Enjoy the beautiful and original artwork of FLASHBACK.
  • Remastered Sound and Music: Same music remastered – enjoy the original soundtrack with updated and revamped audio.
  • Rewind Function: Players can rewind the previous gameplay, all variable according to level of gameplay difficulty.
  • Tutorial: Those who need a boost can use the tutorials to understand the game and play better!
  • Play How You Want: Players can use the old and original control mechanics or utilize the new touch screen version.

FLASHBACK will be available on the App Store and Google Play on July 22 for $4.99. North American media interested in reviewing FLASHBACK on mobile should email Danitra Alomia ([email protected]).

For more information on FLASHBACK please visit, www.sfl-games.com/en/, follow FLASHBACK Mobile on Twitter, and ‘Like’ the game on Facebook.
 

# # #ABOUT SFL INTERACTIVE
SFL Interactive and SFL Games is an indie publisher founded by industry veteran Michael Sportouch in 2019. Marketing and publishing executive for more than 25 years, Michael Sportouch previously co-founded award winning French indie publisher Delphine Software in 1987. From 2006 until 2018, Michael Sportouch has worked at Activision Publishing in Europe. FLASHBACK on mobile devices will be SFL Interactive’s first title.

ABOUT PAUL CUISSET
At the age of 19, while starting his university studies, Paul Cuisset found his passion for game development an industry still blooming at the time. A developer for more than 30 years, and a director for 13 years at Delphine Software Studios, Paul Cuisset is currently working as an independent developer. Graphic designer, programmer, game designer, Paul was involved in everything, notably point and click adventure games series, Future Wars Adventures in Time, Cruise for a CorpseOperation Stealth, the FLASHBACK series, and The Moto Racer Series. Today he is turning to mobile development, a platform with infinite game design possibilities. Aware that the new age of gamers are looking for more demanding games, he intends to offer them this challenging title FLASHBACK by adapting mobile controls, especially with a brand new “touch-screen” system.

Wired Productions & KeokeN Interactive Celebrate The Giant Leap That Inspired Deliver Us The Moon

New Game Video Highlights the Story of How the Apollo 11 Mission Inspired Two Brothers to Reach for the Stars through their Love of Games

Watford, UK – July 16, 2019 –– Award-winning publisher, Wired Productions and acclaimed Dutch game studio, KeokeN Interactive, have today released a developer video for Deliver us the Moon. The video highlights new gameplay from the upcoming Sci-Fi thriller along with narration from Koen Deetman, Game Director, explaining how he and his brother, Managing Director Paul Deetman, knew from an early age that their future was destined to involve space!

Currently in development for Steam, PlayStation® 4 and the Xbox One family of devices, including the Xbox One X, the team at KeokeN wanted to celebrate the heroic mission of the men and women who took part in Apollo 11’s journey to the Moon.  Inspired by their Grandpa’s stories the developers set about creating something that captured everything they used to dream about. Set 100 years after the first human-made object reached the surface of the Moon, Deliver Us The Moon even pays homage to the original moon landing, with the original moon lander and US flag recreated for players to visit!

“It’s unimaginable to think about how much bravery it takes to leave our home-planet and set foot on another celestial body.’ Said Koen Deetman. “My brother and I have always asked the question ‘What would it be like being an Astronaut’, and Deliver us the Moon was our way of living out our childhood dreams.”

Deliver Us The Moon is a Sci-Fi thriller set in an apocalyptic near future where Earth’s natural resources are depleted. In an effort to solve the energy crisis, global powers created the World Space Agency and secured a promising new source of energy on the moon. The World Space Agency colonized and operated from the moon until one fateful night all communications with Earth ceased and the energy source was lost. Now, years later, you assume the role of Earth’s last astronaut on a do-or-die mission to investigate what happened and save humanity. During this adventure, players only companion is a small robot named ASE. Together you will traverse the moon, explore abandoned facilities, gather clues and ultimately uncover the secrets and hidden agendas of those long gone!

Deliver us the Moon is scheduled for release later this year. Wired Productions will share more details in the coming months.

For more information, visit https://www.deliverusthemoon.com/ or follow the game now to receive future updates on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/deliverusthemoon or Twitter https://twitter.com/deliverthemoon.

About Wired Productions
Wired Productions is an award-winning video games publisher based in Watford, UK. Wired has produced and published award-winning titles across all major platforms. Bringing games to market in both physical and digital media, notable launches to date include Close to the Sun, GRIP: Combat Racing, Victor Vran: Overkill Edition, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood and The Town of Light.

For more information, or to join the Wired community, please visit:
wired.gg | facebook.com/WiredPro | twitter.com/Wiredp | youtube.com/wiredproductionsltd | discord.gg/wiredp | instagram.com/wired_productions_games

About KeokeN Interactive
KeokeN Interactive is a young Dutch Indie game development company which was founded by Koen Deetman, Paul Deetman and Johan Terink in 2013. The firm was born out of the passion for developing great and engaging 3D game experiences. The unique elements of the gaming industry show that the possibilities seem to be truly endless and that the limitations are only bound by one’s own creativity.

Deliver Us The Moon uses the Unreal® Engine. Unreal® is a trademark or registered trademark of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere. and “Unreal® Engine, Copyright 1998 – 2019, Epic Games, Inc. All rights reserved.

My Arcade Partners with Konami Cross Media NY to Launch Playable Contra™ Collectibles This Holiday Season

Introducing My Arcade’s CO-VS™ Technology Enabling Friends to Run ‘n’ Gun Together

Los Angeles, CA, 16.07.2019 – My Arcade announced today a line of collectibles featuring Konami’s run-and-gun icon, Contra, created in partnership with Konami Cross Media NY, Inc. The initial line-up will include the compact desktop Micro Player™ and handheld Pocket Player™, each slated to launch this holiday season.

The Contra Pocket Player and Micro Player will each feature the game’s signature co-op play mode. Players can link two of the same devices to fend off alien invasion cooperatively, made possible with My Arcade’s new CO-VS™ technology. The Micro Player will feature the original arcade version of Contra while the Pocket Player will include original arcade versions of Contra and Super C™. These new products will allow fans to celebrate their passion for the iconic title and reignite the adrenaline with elite commandos Bill Rizer and Lance Bean in compact, playable form.

“Our mission is to find unique and exciting ways to extend Konami’s iconic game franchises,” says Jennifer Coleman, Vice President of Licensing and Marketing, Konami Cross Media NY. “The expansion of the Contra game line into standalone, compact versions, thanks to our partners at My Arcade, provides a unique opportunity for its millions of fans around the world to show their love for the game. We are happy to develop this new line of products with them for this popular title.”

Amir Navid, SVP Product Development and Creative Director, My Arcade, added, “We’re honored to be working with Konami Cross Media NY on Contra, one of the top games of all time and one of my personal favorites. It’s been almost 30 years since its introduction and we’re pleased to celebrate that milestone by giving fans another way to experience the game and show their love for it!”

Keep up with My Arcade’s mission in bringing arcade nostalgia out from memory lane and onto your tabletop at myarcadegaming.com, Instagram and Twitter.

About My Arcade
My Arcade is a retro-focused gaming accessories manufacturer that offers an exciting array of portable handhelds, Mini Arcades, Plug N’ Play gaming devices, collectibles and unique accessories for classic consoles. My Arcade is dedicated to becoming a go-to source for all things retro. For more information on My Arcade and its wide selection of retro gaming products, check out myarcadegaming.com, follow on Instagram @MyArcadeRetro and Twitter @MyArcadeRetro.

About Konami Cross Media NY, Inc.
Konami Cross Media NY, Inc. is a member of Konami Group and specializes in multiplatform brand management and production. Konami Cross Media NY takes a 360-degree approach in managing the rights to globally iconic IPs such as Yu-Gi-Oh!, Bomberman, Contra and Frogger.

The Intergalactic Bounty Hunt Begins as Futuristic Co-Op Action RPG Killsquad Launches on Steam Early Access

The Intergalactic Bounty Hunt Begins as Futuristic Co-Op Action RPG Killsquad Launches on Steam Early Access

Team up with mercenaries for loot and galactic kudos in Novarama’s sci-fi space western available today

Barcelona, Spain — July 16th, 2019 — Independent developer Novarama today announced that the anticipated co-op action RPG, Killsquad,  is now available for PC on Steam Early Access for $19.99 / €19.99 / £16.99. Killsquad is a top-down co-op action RPG set within the futuristic world of bounty hunters known as ‘killsquads’, who take on contracts and raid planets for loot and glory. 


Killsquad made a huge splash at E3 2019, appearing at the eSports stage and receiving several award nominations such as “Most Engaging” by Unreal, “Best of E3” by COGConnected and “Best of E3” by RPGFan.  “Killsquad is a culmination of various ideas we wanted to see in a video game, but also one that delivered the necessary pace of a high octane action game with a combination of progression and customization that players would expect from an action RPG,” said Game Director Dani Sanchez-Crespo. “We’re looking forward to getting players’ feedback and expanding the Killsquad universe with the introduction of more content later this year. See you in The Outer Reach, bounty hunters!” 

Killsquad’s quick session-based gameplay means action is fast and intense as players overcome various obstacles in the course of their mission and quest for that big payday. Players can select one of four different heroes to play, each of which has their own distinct capabilities based on their class: Assassin, Warrior, Specialist or Support. These classes have plenty of skill and upgradeable gear options to completely customize the chosen character down to its appearance.

Killsquad introduces a live contract system which players can undertake in real time with other hunters. These contracts allow other players in the Killsquad community to drop in and ride shotgun, enjoying the same experience and grabbing a share of the mission’s rewards. The contract system presents a myriad of challenges and deadly adversaries from automated defence systems to meteor showers and boss characters. The hunt is not without its dangers as players navigate the exotic, richly detailed environments of each planet in search of their quarry. 

Killsquad will be continually updated with much more content planned for the game later this year including additional heroes and mission types. Novarama will also confirm more details on console versions for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Killsquad on Steam
Killsquad on Twitter
Killsquad on Facebook
Killsquad on Instagram
Killsquad Discord Channel

About Novarama

Novarama was founded in 2003 in Barcelona, Spain, with a simple idea in mind: to create innovative games with mass-market appeal. Novarama’s games focus on creating and supporting game worlds across formats, building game communities that bring people together and last many years. 

For over nine years, Novarama has worked exclusively for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, publishing titles on PSP, PS VITA and PS3. They introduced Augmented Reality to the masses with the Invizimals saga, which has generated six titles, sold 2.5 million units, and spawned a franchise ranging from TV Shows, toys, trading cards and video games.

Killsquad is Novarama’s first title as self-published developer. For more information, visit: http://novarama.com

FIFA eWorld Cup line-up complete as world’s top 32 players prepare to take centre stage

• FIFA 19 Global Series Playoffs in Berlin confirms final 16 qualification spots
• Music activities and an early version of FIFA 20 on-site in London at the final
• FIFA eWorld Cup™ 2019 takes place at The O2 on 2-4 August. Tickets for the final day are available via
fifa.com/fewc.

After months of excitement, upsets, drama and countless surprises on the EA SPORTS FIFA 19 Global Series, the final line-up and participants for the FIFA eWorld Cup 2019 have been confirmed after the conclusion of the final round of the FIFA 19 Global Series Playoffs in Berlin.

Nicolas “nicolas99fc” Villalba established his number one ranking spot in spectacular fashion after a stunning performance at the playoffs by being crowned FIFA 19 Global Series PlayStation Playoffs champion.

Following the conclusion of FIFA 19 Global Series, Villalba will be one of the 32 top EA SPORTS FIFA 19 players in the world who have qualified and will go head-to-head at the FIFA eWorld Cup, which returns to The O2 in London on 2-4 August.

Featuring competitors from England, Spain, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Brazil and other countries across the globe, the top players in the world will battle it out to become the FIFA eWorld Cup champion and win a life-changing USD 250,000 in prize money, along with a trip to The Best FIFA Football Awards™.

The FIFA eWorld Cup 2019 will be broadcasted in six languages including English, German, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Portuguese. The livestream will also be available on FIFA’s and EA’s digital platforms such as YouTube and FIFA.com and linear rights has been placed in over 50 territories.

FIFA eWorld Cup – Group Draw

Group A – Xbox

  • Donovan ‘Tekkz’ Hunt (ENG) – Seed #1
  • Michael ‘MegaBit’ Bittner (GER) – #4
  • Tom ‘Stokes’ Stokes (ENG) – #5
  • Pedro ‘Resende’ Resende (BRA) – #8
  • Dani ‘Dani’ Hagebeuk(NED)- #9
  • Javier ‘Janoz’ Munoz (COL) – #12
  • Tassal ‘Tass’ Rushan (ENG) – #13
  • Ebio ‘Ébinho’ Da Costa Filho (BRA) – #16

Group B – Xbox

  • Mosaad ‘Msdossary’ Aldossary (KSA) – Seed #2
  • Lucas ‘DaXe’ Cuillerier (FRA) – #3
  • Niklas ‘NRaseck’ Raseck (GER) – #6
  • Nawid ‘GoalMachine’ Norzai (CAN) – #7
  • Dylan ‘DullenMIKE’ Neuhausen (GER) – #10
  • Marcus ‘MarcusGomes’ Gomes (AUS) – #11
  • Fouad ‘Rafsou’ Fares (FRA) – #14
  • Kilian ‘Zidane10’ Pita Ossario (ESP) – #15

Group C – PlayStation

  • Nicolas “nicolas99fc” Villalba (ARG) – Seed #1
  • Lev “LevVinken” Vinken (NED) -#4
  • Mohammed “MoAuba” Harkous (GER) – #5
  • Diogo “tuga810” Pombo (POR) – #8
  • Fatih “Üstün” Üstün (DEN) – #9
  • Victor “Tore” Dos Santos Coelho (BRA) – #12
  • Erhan “DrErhano” Kayman (GER) – #13
  • Marko “Marko” Brijeski (AUS) – #16

 Group D – Playstation

  • Corentin “MaestroSquad” Thuillier (FRA) – #2
  • Stefano “Pinna97” Pinna (BEL) – #3
  • Joksan “Joksan” Redona (USA) – #6
  • Chris “Didychrislito” Holly (USA) – #7
  • Flavio “Fifilza” Brito (BRA) – #10
  • Gonçalo “RastaArtur” Pinto (POR) – #11
  • Henrique “Zezinho” Lempke (BRA) – #14
  • Tim “TheStrxngeR” Katnawatos (GER) – #15

Exciting on-site activities on the final day

Visitors of the broadcasted event will have the chance to experience several on-site activities on 4 August. Fans will get the opportunity to play an early version of EA SPORTS FIFA 20 on site and discover up and coming music talents, who will be determined via a public contest beforehand, at The O2 Arena.

Regular tickets will provide access for 4 August, including the two semi-finals as well as the final, while premium tickets will additionally offer exclusive access to the after-show party on 4 August and preferred seating.

Tickets are on sale now on fifa.com/fewc.For more information about the FIFA eWorld Cup 2019, please click HERE.

Earth Defense Force 5 Review

Earth Defense Force 5

Developer: Sandlot
Publisher: D3 Publisher
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows (Reviewed)
Release Date: 11 July 2019
Price: $47.99 USD/$67.96 AUD – Available Here

Video Review

Overview

Earth Defense Force 5 is an over the top shooter pitting humans against a massive alien invasion. A love story to old school B-movies and early Japanese action games, Earth Defense Force 5 offers four classes, a wide variety of weapons, and a ton of targets to shoot.

Story

The game’s writers are either the really talented or really awful. It’s 2022 and aliens are invading Earth. Like any good cheesy B-movie, Earth Defense Force 5’s plot is over the top and utterly ridiculous. It’s so bad, it’s funny. There’s no real character development in sight. Characters are caricatures of the standard action movie tropes. The dialogue has a weird, stilted pacing that almost perfectly imitates the old, poorly translated Japanese games from the PlayStation 1 and 2 eras. The whole package is simply so bad that you have to believe all of this was done for parody.

Gameplay

At its core, Earth Defense Force 5 is a pretty simple shooter. Players are thrown into levels filled with massive aliens. Most of the game’s challenge comes from good positioning and avoiding friendly fire, as most enemies are at least one story tall and hard to miss.

The game offers four classes with increasingly difficult playstyles. The Ranger is the easiest of the bunch, handling like a standard soldier from any old third person shooter. The remaining three classes are a bit more memorable. The Wing Diver is equipped with a jetpack and weapons that interact with the amount of jetpack energy. Their squishy, but quick nature make them great for hit and run attacks. The Air Raider is a support class with a few weapons for defense when things get dicey. They’re a bit slow, but they really shine online. The Fencer is the last class, capable of wielding two weapons using their exoskeleton. I disliked the Fencer the most as they are painfully slow in relation to the game’s large map sizes.

The level design is rather straight forward. Large maps give players a lot of freedom of movement, which is especially helpful for Wing Divers. The action is usually rather linear, with enemy spawns slowly prodding the player forward.

The real addicting thing about Earth Defense Force 5 is the item system. The game offers a ton of weapons and equipment that behave differently enough to warrant trying them out. A large number of items drop every mission, giving the game an almost MMORPG feel. The only catch with the item system is players need to pick up each item individually. Considering the large size of the maps and the constant need to move to survive, cleaning up all the items at the end of engagements feels more like a chore. Things only get worse when players are stuck with the slower Air Raider or Fencer classes.

The controls are decent. The infantry controls are excellent, even with difficult to handle classes like the Wing Diver. Vehicles are a little more cumbersome. A controller is highly recommended for fast moving vehicles like the bike.

The UX is decent. The in-game UI is excellent. While it’s not subtle, it is clear and easy to read. On the other hand, the menu is bloated. Anything relating to the item system is the worst culprit. The equipment menu has a very small window for the available equipment crammed into the top right corner of the screen, forcing players to scroll around a good bit. The recap at the end of the mission isn’t as bad, but it could compress all the stats for the new equipment into one screen instead of hurling them one after another.

The port quality is passable, but it’s not great. Being a third person shooter, the game translates well to keyboard and mouse controls. Key configuration is a bit messy. It works fine if the user sticks with or makes minor changes to the key binds. Completely changing the bindings allows keys to only be bound to infantry or vehicle key binds. The graphic configuration options are extremely sparse, only offering options for resolution, windowed mode, anti-aliasing, anisotropic filtering, and shadow rendering. To the annoyance of some, Earth Defense Force 5 is also locked to 60 FPS.

Visuals

Earth Defense Force 5 is not the prettiest game in the world. The character design is very Japanese, with over the top mechs and a little splash of fan service thrown in. The visuals seem intentionally bad. The models and animations feel like they were torn out of a PlayStation 2 title and upgraded with the latest high-resolution textures. The levels look a little bland as the areas tend to look uniform.

Audio

The audio experience is grating. Much like the story and the visuals, the voice acting is straight out of a B movie or a poorly localized video game. While it’s hilarious for the first 30 minutes, it soon becomes obvious how aggressive the audio engine is. The same lines and screams get played repeatedly with almost no pause in between. NPC lines get shouted on top of each other and can get a bit difficult to hear. It makes for a grating experience after a while, and I think the game would have benefited from a slightly more subtle touch. The sound effects are passable. The music is decent, reminding me a lot of JRPG soundtracks.

Overall

While Earth Defense Force 5 isn’t a perfect PC port, itis a solid shooter that is perfect for the nostalgic gamer who grew up in the glory days of the PlayStation 2. It’s a near perfect recreation of those old shooters from Japan that were terribly localised, warts and all. Beyond it’s tacky, B-movie exterior, Earth Defense Force 5 is still a fun shooter with enough of a loot treadmill to keep things interesting.

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Introducing a new Twitter.com

Today, we are starting to roll out a new Twitter.com – a refreshed and updated website that is faster, easier to navigate and more personalized. The site has an updated look and feel that is more consistent with the Twitter you see on other devices, making it easier to access some of your favorite features, and with more options to make it your own. 

https://twitter.com/Twitter/status/1150812293124546561

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We’ve been testing aspects of this for a while so we could make sure the new site reflected how you use Twitter. Thanks to hundreds of thousands of responses we received during those tests, Twitter.com’s features make conversations easier to find and follow – and just a bit more fun:

  • More of What’s Happening: We’ve brought over Explore to bring you the same great content found in our apps; expect more live video and local moments personalized for wherever you are in the world. Get context with profile information within conversations and check out your Top Trends in any view so you never miss what’s happening.
  • Easy Access to Your Favorite Features: Bookmarks, Lists, and your Profile are right up front and have their own spot on the side navigation, making it easier and faster to jump between different tabs.
  • Direct Messages All in One Place: Direct Messages have been expanded so you can see your conversations and send messages all from the same view. Now there’s less hassle switching between screens to send a message.
  • Login, Logout Struggle No More: Whether you have one profile or a few, now you’re also able to switch between accounts faster, directly from the side navigation; your stan, foodie and cat meme accounts thank you.
  • Make Twitter Yours: The love is real for dark mode themes Dim and Lights Out. You’ve asked for even more ways to personalize Twitter so we’re bringing you different themes and color options, along with two options for dark mode.

Today is a big step as we continue building Twitter to best serve the people who use it every day. This update also gives us a much stronger foundation to build on so we can continue to bring you updated features faster than before. 

Want to hear more from our team on how they redesigned and built Twitter.com? Check out our engineering blog series “New Nest: Building the New Twitter.com” which shares more on how we rebuilt the website from the ground up.

We’re looking forward to hearing what you think about our new site, so check it out and take it for a spin at Twitter.com.

About Twitter

Twitter is what’s happening in the world and what people are talking about right now. From breaking news and entertainment to sports, politics, and everyday interests, see every side of the story. Join the open conversation. Watch live streaming events. Available in more than 40 languages around the world, the service can be accessed via twitter.com, an array of mobile devices, and SMS. For more information, please visit about.twitter.com, follow @Twitter, and download both the Twitter and Periscope apps at twitter.com/download and periscope.tv.