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Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass: Middle-earth: Shadow of War, Dead Rising 4, and More

Hey, Xbox Game Pass members! If you didn’t catch them on Twitter, it’s time for our IRL patch notes. Updates include: A major buff for The Sun. There is a new debuff: Sunburn, where overexposure to The Sun will cause damage over time and limited mobility. A new item has been added named Sunscreen that gives you a temporary resistance to Sunburn. The seasonal event Vacation was added, giving players a significant stress resistance when applied. New items have been added in the tailor shops like Swim Trunks and Sleeveless Cloth Armor. Lastly, Grilled Meat is more readily available at vendors.

Games Coming to Xbox Game Pass

July 4

  • Middle-earth: Shadow of War (Xbox Game Pass for Console, Xbox Game Pass for PC, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)
  • My Time at Portia (Xbox Game Pass for Console, Xbox Game Pass for PC, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)
  • Undertale (Xbox Game Pass for PC, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)

July 11

  • Blazing Chrome (Xbox Game Pass for Console, Xbox Game Pass for PC, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)
  • Dead Rising 4 (Xbox Game Pass for Console, Xbox Game Pass for PC, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)
  • LEGO City Undercover (Xbox Game Pass for Console, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)
  • Timespinner (Xbox Game Pass for PC, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)
  • Unavowed (Xbox Game Pass for PC, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)

On top of all those games, you can be among the first to play the new Gears 5 Versus mode this month during the Gears 5 Tech Test.  All current Xbox Game Pass members get access, with no preorder required! If you’re not a member yet, you can snag your first month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for just one buck. That’s right, just $1.

We add new games all the time, but to keep the library curated and fresh for you, we do have to let some beloved titles go. Now’s your chance to get in some playtime before they leave this month! Or, if you love them too much to part with, don’t forget you can use your Xbox Game Pass member discount to buy them at up to 20% off before they go.

Games Leaving Xbox Game Pass for Console

  • Aftercharge (July 9)
  • Warhammer Vermintide 2 (July 10)
  • LEGO Movie: The Videogame (July 16)
  • Dandara (July 31)
  • Dead Rising 2 (July 31)
  • Hitman Season 1 (July 31)
  • Metal Slug XX (July 31)
  • Defense Grid: The Awakening (July 31)
  • Hexic 2 (July 31)
  • Iron Brigade (July 31)
  • Xbox Game Pass Quests

While we anxiously await the big announcement of when exactly the Gears 5 Tech Test will be playable, check out our Xbox Game Pass Quests for July. Earn more than 1,500 Microsoft Rewards points in the games you love including Monster Hunter: WorldHollow KnightForza Horizon 4LEGO Batman and many, many more. And that’s not all. Score a killer prize by completing as many Xbox Game Pass Quests as possible by July 31. Each quest gives you 10 entries for a chance to win one of these amazing prizes:

  • Trip for two to Paris, France for Paris Games Week 2019 (1 prize)
  • Alienware Gaming Rig (2 prizes)
  • Razer Turret Keyboard and Mouse (10 prizes)
  • Xbox Elite Controller (30 prizes)

Wait, Don’t Forget This Part

My last reminder is to stay on top of all these games and other Xbox Game Pass tidbits, you should download the Xbox App for PC, as well as the Xbox Game Pass mobile app, where you can easily download games to your console while you’re out. For more memes, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and for news about PC gaming, follow our new PC Twitter handle @XboxGamePassPC. And of course, stay tuned here to Xbox Wire for all the latest and greatest Xbox news.

The Princess Bride Review

The Princess Bride

Studios: Act III Communications
Publisher: 20th Century Fox
Platforms: Cinema
Release Date: Out Now

I first saw The Princess Bride back in high school when I was 13. I remember deriding the film for its name and its (assumedly) feminine tones and themes. Oh golly, how wrong I was… To see whether the film has held itself up in my eyes into adulthood, I headed on down to George St cinemas to see the In the House screening of the cult classic.

The screening opened up with the Movie Nerds, Ryan and Draz, discussing some of the film’s trivia to entice the audience. The interesting tidbit that stood out for me this time was the fact that Robin Wright and Cary Elwes, our two leads, were in a relationship during the production of the film and deliberately sabotaged their performances during romance scene shoots in order to spend more time with each other. With such chemistry, it’s no surprise that audiences love the romance between the two characters on screen!

Story

The film’s story follows the romance of star-crossed lovers Buttercup (Robin Wright) and Wesley (Cary Elwes) as they live an idyllic rural life together in each other’s embrace. Tragedy strikes when Wesley is lost at sea and five years later, in her heartbreak, Buttercup is convinced to marry the crown prince of the kingdom, Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon). Misfortune follows Buttercup once more when she’s kidnapped by a trio of thugs, Fezzik (André the Giant), Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin), and Vizzini (Wallace Shawn). Their plan to murder her and frame a rival kingdom for the crime hits a complication when they begin being followed by a mysterious stranger. As the film unfolds, we see who this enigmatic individual is and whether they’ll be Buttercup’s salvation or seal her fate…

One of the film’s core strengths is its excellently  crafted screenplay. The writing is so wonderfully camp that it’s a real pleasure to have a film which leans so strongly and unabashedly into the ridiculousness of its premise, setting, and characters. There are elements of children’s fantasy storytelling in how the script approaches its characters. The physically imposing giant is slow but strong; the swashbuckling swordsman is passionate and impetuous; the hero is charming and suave; the villains are sadistic and conniving. It would have been easy for the film to leave the characters as one-dimensional archetypes but it goes out of its way to give each of our protagonist characters depth by additions to their personalities you might not expect. There is ONE very noteworthy exception, Buttercup, who I’ll go into more detail in the final paragraph of this section in order to give her her proper due…

The performances from the cast are strong across the board with pretty much everyone digging their teeth into their roles with relish. Elwes, André and Sarandon do a very respectable turn in their roles and do well at embodying their roles to a remarkable degree. The real shining standouts, however, are Patinkin and Shawn as the hotheaded Inigo and arrogant Vizzini respectively. Patinkin brings a remarkable amount of emotional depth to his character which finds a wonderful pay off for his character in the conclusion of his narrative arc. Shawn gives Vizzini a very frenetic energy which makes him a fun foil in the scenes he interacts with the other characters. This strong performances are universal for almost all of our protagonists except for Wright who, unfortunately, did not appear to be given much to do with her role… 

To say that this film is “of its time” with regards to how it depicts women is a bit of an understatement. This isn’t a misogyny which outright abuses or desires to harm women but rather it does really think them capable of the sort of adventure its male protagonists have throughout the course of the story. Buttercup, the film’s only named woman character, is completely ineffectual in the entirety of the film with her having no autonomy for almost every scene she’s in. You might be fooled into thinking that this is a result of her heartbreak and captivity in the first act but the rest of the film only seeks to reinforce the fact that no, she is a one-dimensional damsel in distress whose personality is only defined by her relationship to Wesley. If this aspect is something that upsets you, this film may not be for you…

Visuals

The film has a distinct and pleasant visual direction which really works to reinforce the fairytale feel of the story. The visual style doesn’t lean into the camp and ridiculous as much as the writing does but it’s certainly present. Each of the characters are dressed in a faux-medieval garb and, despite the muted tones, still appear quite colourful and visually distinct. The cinematography is also quite pretty with plenty of shots of pictaresque countryside interspersed with fetid swamps, castles, villages and torture chambers. 

Audio

The film’s soundtrack maintains a thematic consistency with its orchestral pieces serving to punctuate the film’s emotional beats without pulling the audience out of its medieval setting. The film’s main theme, Storybook Love, in particular has a soft and pleasant melody which reinforces the gentle love of Wesley and Buttercup with the guitar notes hanging in the air with ethereal violin notes keeping a steady backing pace. It’s a lovely piece of music and will likely stick with you after the film’s runtime has finished. The rest of the soundtrack is largely unremarkable with a couple of quirky exceptions here and there but it does serve to adequately hit the emotional points of the film’s story.

Conclusion

I very much enjoyed my time with this film and it’s easy to see how it earned its cult classic status. The film’s story is wonderfully witty and sweet but has some problems with how it depicts its woman lead. The film’s visuals are fun and compliment the film’s storybook feel wonderfully. The soundtrack has an incredibly strong main theme amongst an otherwise unremarkable but fine orchestral score. There’s a lot in this movie to love and it’s easy to see why so many people love. I can absolutely recommend this film to almost everyone but do have some caveats for individuals who would not do well with the caveats I’ve raised. It was a pleasure to see it on the big screen in a theatre.

For other films which In The House is screening, feel free to check out their schedule for the next season here.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Samurai Shodown Review

Samurai Shodown

Developer: SNK
Publisher: Athlon Games
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One (Reviewed), Nintendo Switch, PC
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $59.99 USD – Available Here $89.95 AUD – Available Here

Overview

Once seen as a fairly popular fighting series, Samurai Shodown struggled with its last few releases to the point that SNK had left the series sit for some time. Now after letting it rest for over a decade many were surprised to see that the series would be returning with a revival that is aimed at both reintroducing the game to newcomers and bringing in longtime fans with weapon based technical combat that is unlike many other fighters out there. The question is, has this time at rest let Samurai Shodown come back with a fine finish or has it only gathered rust?

Story

Being a series that originally debuted back in the early ‘90s it may initially seem like Samurai Shodown would be a hard game for newcomers to try and enter but as mentioned before, rather than being a sequel this entry instead can serve as a new starting point for the series as it is technically set between a prequel, Samurai Shodown V, and the original release of Samurai Shodown in 1993. 

While this release does feature a story mode it is instead similar to the standard arcade experience. Players will have the option of playing as any of the members of the roster who initially have their own set of goals that they journey after, leaving a pile of bodies in their wake. Rather than trying to tie these stories together each character will end up facing off against a final boss that is the same as others, though some of the in-between fights do give the characters a chance to interact with one another, ever so slightly.

This classic arcade style sequence does offer a decent enough narrative for most of the cast, especially since the new face of Darli Dagger and other characters get the same treatment as longtime cast members, but with only sixteen characters at launch it does leave some fan favorites such as Cham Cham and Mina left out of the roster entirely. As such, while it may be serviceable, the relatively archaic approach to a story a bit lacking.

Gameplay

In many ways Samurai Shodown plays in a way that newcomers will find rather easy to at least grasp the basics of but also incredibly complex due to the fact that matches tend to play out incredibly different from other games in the genre. Fighting is fairly simple as players have access to light, medium, and heavy slash attacks that use the fighter’s weapon as well as a kick attack. To go along with this players will build up a Rage gauge when they receive damage and this gauge can be used to either trigger a Rage Explosion that will significantly increase the damage your character does or perform a powerful Weapon Flipping technique that not only does a massive amount of damage to your opponent but also disarms them. 

It is worth noting that the Rage gauge also allows players access to a Lightning Blade attack that can only be used once per match during a Rage Explosion. The interesting thing about Lightning Blade is that it can deal a staggeringly large amount of damage to your opponent to the point that it can shave off up to eighty percent of their health off with a single strike but should a Lightning Blade miss not only is it not usable for the rest of the fight but your Rage Gauge will also remain gone throughout the fight.

With such a powerful move at the player’s disposal it quickly will become evident to those unfamiliar with the franchise that Samurai Shodown is a far more strategic fighter than a brawler. In many cases there have been rounds decided with only three strikes being exchanged between the combatants since some attacks deal such high levels of damage. While special moves are available to every fighter and technically fairly easy to pull off for many of them, battles are more about properly positioning yourself, timing an attack, and retaliating at the proper moment. Punishing a missed strike can increase the damage of a blow by a significant (and shown) percentage and while it is possible to perform precise blocks to nullify damage, player’s can even attempt to parry a blow and send their opponent’s weapon flying to the ground, leaving them open to be punished. Of course, should they manage to perform a blade catch, then both fighters will be left with only their fists and kicks until their weapon is retrieved. That being said, playing defense can also turn against you as non-damaging throws have been implemented that break a fighter’s stance and leave them open to a punishing blow if caught.

This more nuanced style to fighting can be a bit difficult to get the hang of at first, especially since there is an unfortunate lack of a proper character tutorial or training system outside of the basic tutorial and training area against an AI, but once you manage to learn the style of Samurai Shodown‘s fights your battles against the AI and other players will feel all the more rewarding. Baiting a potentially large strike only to either parry or block the blow and deal devastating damage back becomes a real test of patience and technique. In a way this makes the game quite accessible since many of the best moves in the game don’t require complicated button inputs just knowledge of when to push an advantage or hold back for an opportunity.

With sixteen initial characters on the roster Samurai Shodown may not be as packed as many would expect for such a long running series but each character has a unique feeling to them. With no potential duplicates the roster makes great use of a wide variety of weapon styles and makes every character feel unique in some form. In fact, some fighters can still deal a decent amount of damage even if they are unarmed as Darli Dagger can unleash a powerful armored strike if she resorts to her fists. The high risk and high reward feeling of combat along with the wide variety on display with the roster makes for some great fights, if only there were some more complicated modes to actually fight.

Single player content is kept pretty basic as players are treated to the aforementioned arcade Story Mode that features probably one of the cheapest final bosses the genre has seen in years, a survival mode that tests your skill against fighters while managing your health, time attack mode, and a gauntlet mode that puts the player up against the whole roster in a row. There is also a Dojo mode that will allow players to take ghost data accrued from their own playstyle or take on ghost data from other fighters online to test their skills against. While unique sounding in theory, the learning mechanics of these ghosts seem incredibly poor as nearly every battle against them sees them randomly jumping, backing into corners, or using special moves with no chance of hitting leaving most battles incredibly one sided.

Should players want to test their mettle against others there is the option to fight locally with a friend or of course take your skills online. There are casual and ranked matches that players can take part in and for the most part the net code in Samurai Shodown holds up incredibly well, which is essential given how precise players want to be when trying to win in this technical fighter.

Visuals & Audio

Initially there was some worry about how Samurai Shodown looked upon release but now that it has come out fans of the series have nothing to worry about as this oil painting style presentation is absolutely gorgeous to see in motion. The character animations feel fluid making fights flow together well and the models for these characters are nicely detailed with a handful of color options for each fighter and flashy finishing moves for each of them should they be pulled off. The stages players battle on are also varied enough to feel impressive with even the training dojo featuring a background character that tracks hits. Interestingly enough the game also allows players to have a dynamic damage option that will show a character’s model getting bloody throughout the fight but this level of detail doesn’t go too deep outside of some special finishes here and there and the random dismemberment that always appears the same way.

The soundtrack for the game features a wide array of music that is a mix of both brand new bits of music that fits the theme and time period of the game to tracks that have been remixed from earlier releases in the series. It is worth noting that while the game offers numerous subtitle options for languages, the only voice work is in Japanese though this is handled more than well enough that players will be pleased.

Overall

After taking some time to retreat from the public eye Samurai Shodown proves that SNK still has what it takes to make a great fighting game. This is especially true in the case of this game as it delivers something different from the norm as players are expected to play at a slower more technical pace while also using the brand new mechanics to their advantage. This leads to the game being a successful revival that both brings the game to the newest consoles as well as introduces it to a whole new set of fans while keeping longtime fans pleased with its consistent style of combat.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

WE’RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER BOAT! STUDIO WILDCARD LAUNCHES ARK: SURVIVAL EVOLVED SUMMER BASH 2019!

REDMOND, WA – July 3, 2019 – Summer has officially arrived in ARK! Today kicks off a two-week Summer Bash 2019 event in ARK: Survival Evolved where players can deck out their dinos and characters in sizzlin’ summer styles. Start off this holiday week right with a patriotic party complete with Uncle Sam Tophats and fireworks!

During the Summer Bash 2019 event, survivors will be able to breed their dinos at twice the speed, gain XP two times as fast, and double anything they harvest – get everything at a faster speed, that’s what the forefathers would have wanted! Gather seasonal candy that when eaten by tamed beasts, changes their skin colors randomly. Deck out your party in stylin’ summer game cosmetics including new Sparkler Skin, Fireworks Flare Gun Skin, RPG Firework Rocket Skin, Summer Swimsuits for both male and female characters, an Uncle Sam Tophat, a Dino Uncle Sam Tophat, and finish it all out with new Flex Emotes!
 
Haven’t yet ridden a dinosaur yet? ARK: Survival Evolved is part of the Steam Summer Sale! Grab the base game for $17.49 (65% off S.R.P.) or treat yourself and get the Explorer’s Edition Bundle for $40.12 (58% off S.R.P.).
 
For the latest updates follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube, visit the website at playark.com and watch us tame and train leviathan dinosaurs on Twitch.TV.
 

METAL WOLF CHAOS XD BELIEVES IN YOUR OWN JUSTICE ON AUGUST 6

METAL WOLF CHAOS XD BELIEVES IN YOUR OWN JUSTICE ON AUGUST 6

– Of All Man’s Achievements in the 21st century, This is the Climax –

The White House – Developers FromSoftware and General Arcade along with Devolver Digital have announced that Metal Wolf Chaos XD will launch on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on August 6. Patriotic gamers from all over the world can pre-order the upgraded re-release for $24.99 and receive an exclusive mech suit skin on their platform of choice [metalwolfchaos.com].

The country is in peril as President Michael Wilson defends the nation against a full-scale rebellion lead by Vice-President Richard Hawk and the mechanized legions he commands. As the 47th President of the United States, it is your sworn duty to take your country back by any means necessary and end this unjust coup d’état. Battle in your advanced mech – armed to the teeth – across iconic American landscapes including the Brooklyn Bridge, the Grand Canyon, and the front steps of the White House.

FromSoftware originally released Metal Wolf Chaos in December 2004, appearing exclusively on the original Xbox and only in Japan. The game went on to become something of legend as it was hard to acquire and even harder to play outside of Japan. Devolver Digital and FromSoftware have partnered together with developer General Arcade to modernize Metal Wolf Chaos with updates to the game including upgraded visual fidelity, refined controls and gameplay, a new save system, and 4K + 16:9 support for modern displays.

Visit metalwolfchaos.com to pledge your allegiance to either President Wilson or Vice President Hawk and pre-order Metal Wolf Chaos ahead of its August 6 launch.

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SINoALICE BRACES FOR JULY 18 GLOBAL RELEASE WITH UNDERWORLDLY NieR: AUTOMATA COLLABORATION

SINoALICE BRACES FOR JULY 18 GLOBAL RELEASE WITH UNDERWORLDLY NieR: AUTOMATA COLLABORATION

Nexon’s acclaimed dark fantasy role-playing game surpasses one million pre-registrations for iOS and Android

Seoul – July 3, 2019 – Acclaimed creative director Yoko Taro enchanted spectators earlier this month at the Media Showcase with SINoALICE, the upcoming mobile role-playing game (RPG) codeveloped by Square Enix and Pokelabo, and published by NEXON Korea Corporation, subsidiary of NEXON Co., Ltd. (“Nexon”) (3659.TO), a worldwide leader in free-to-play online and mobile games.

During an interview at the showcase, Yoko Taro fueled excitement for SINoALICE by revealing an unprecedented collaboration with his acclaimed dystopian action role-playing game, NieR: Automata. While full details of the collaboration are still a mystery, Taro teased the ominous presence of infamous NieR: Automata characters 2B and 9S. Players can check out the official collaboration teaser trailer here. Yoko Taro’s groundbreaking interview is also available for English media for the time ever, available here.

In addition to the upcoming collaboration between Taro’s hit games, SINoALICE officially surpassed one million pre-registrations, earning special rewards for all participating players. Launched in Japan in 2017, SINoALICE’s impressive story and character design earned it the top of the mobile gaming charts with over four million downloads. After much anticipation, SINoALICE descends on its official global launch on Thursday, July 18, 2019.

Cinderella, Pinocchio, Snow White and more come to life in SINoALICE’s dark retelling of classic storybook fairy tales within an unsettling fantasy world, inspired by the game’s creative director, Yoko Taro (NieR: Automata). The game follows several popular fairy tale heroes as they work together to traverse dangerous lands, battle menacing enemies and solve mind-bending puzzles to save the storytellers that created their stories.

SINoALICE launches for iOS and Android worldwide excluding Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau on Thursday, July 18. Players can currently participate in pre-registration for exclusive rewards through the official website or Google Play. The game is rated M for Mature (ESRB). Additional information for members of the press:

Check out the official SINoALICE website
Like the official SINoALICE Facebook page

About NEXON Co. Ltd.
NEXON Co., Ltd. (“Nexon”) (3659.TO) is a worldwide leader in free-to-play online and mobile games. Founded in Korea in 1994, Nexon developed one of the world’s first graphics-based massively multiplayer online games. Nexon also pioneered the concept of microtransactions and the free-to-play business model, setting a new standard in which play is free, and users have the option to purchase in-game items to enhance their experience. Nexon currently services nearly 100 titles in more than 190 countries. The Company is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and its shares are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

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Crytek Announces Release Dates for Hunt: Showdown and Partners With Koch Media for Physical Distribution

Crytek’s online multiplayer bounty hunting game to release on three platforms this year

FRANKFURT (Germany), July 3, 2019 – Today Crytek announced that its multiplayer bounty hunting game, Hunt: Showdown, will see a full release on three major platforms this year. Hunt: Showdown for Windows PC and Xbox One will launch on August 27, 2019, for 39.99 USD/EUR. Meanwhile, PlayStation®4 players will see their own full release of the online game this fall. In addition to this digital release, Crytek is partnering with Koch Media to bring the retail version of Hunt to stores worldwide.

Hunt: Showdown launched in early access on Steam in February 2018 and on Xbox Game Preview in May 2019. Both platforms allowed the Hunt team the unique opportunity to front a community-driven development process by taking player feedback onboard and integrating it into the game’s development roadmap. Since that first release in February 2018, Hunt has seen nearly 20 updates and patches, including a new boss, a new map, two new times of day, additional AI, Quick Play, and more than a dozen weapons.

“Developing a game alongside such a passionate community has been so rewarding. It has taken us in new directions, and really inspired us to put everything we have into Hunt,” said Lead Hunt Producer Fatih Özbayram. “Now the time has come for the full release, and we couldn’t be more excited. We won’t forget the support this community has given us.”

As a thank you to that dedicated community, everyone who purchased Hunt during early access will receive an exclusive legendary weapon skin.

Meanwhile, Koch Media will be handling Hunt: Showdown’s physical distribution for PC, Xbox and PS4 for all those players who want to own a physical copy of the game.

“Joining forces with Crytek for this amazing multiplayer game is exciting for everybody in the Koch Media family,” said Koch Media’s Head of Marketing, Stephan Schmidt. “The proven track record of the team in the FPS genre and the unique approach to multiplayer gaming gives us confidence that Hunt not only fits perfectly in our broad line up, but also serves a strong need in the market for fresh ideas. The close cooperation of the team with the community ever since the first release fuel the motivation of our global Koch Media teams, and we will support this title with all our experience in the retail market.”

Hunt: Showdown is a competitive first-person bounty hunting game that combines the thrill of first person shooters and survival games and packs those elements into a match-based format. Each match pits up to ten players—playing solo or in teams of two—against each other as they compete for bounty by taking out gruesome monsters in the swamps of Louisiana in what critiques have called a unique blend of PvP and PvE elements. But once players have taken a bounty, they instantly become a target for every other Hunter left on the map. The higher the risk, the higher the reward–but a single mistake could cost everything, and death is permanent. In Hunt‘s Quick Play mode, ten solo players compete for the chance to keep their Hunter at the end of the match—and a considerable amount of gold.

For all the latest updates on the game’s upcoming launch date, additional content and roadmap, Hunt: Showdown can be found on Discord, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and its official game website: https://www.huntshowdown.com/.

About Crytek

Crytek is an independent videogame developer, publisher, and technology provider dedicated to pushing the boundaries of gaming with its cutting-edge 3D game development solution CRYENGINE. With headquarters in Frankfurt am Main (Germany) and studios in Kiev (Ukraine) and Istanbul (Turkey), Crytek has created multiple award-winning titles, including the original Far Cry, the Crysis series, Ryse: Son of Rome, Warface, The Climb, Robinson: The Journey and Hunt: Showdown. Crytek delivers fun and innovative gaming experiences for PC, consoles, and VR and continues to grow its reach in the games-as-a-service market. Every Crytek game is created with CRYENGINE, which can be used by anyone to create games.

For more information visit www.crytek.com and www.cryengine.com.

SOLVE PUZZLES AT HOME OR ON THE GO AS LAYTON’S MYSTERY JOURNEYTM: KATRIELLE AND THE MILLIONAIRES’ CONSPIRACY – DELUXE EDITION LAUNCHES FOR NINTENDO SWITCH ON 8TH NOVEMBER

The game includes more than 40 new puzzles in addition to other new content and improvements, and marks the LAYTON series’ debut on Nintendo Switch

3rd July, 2019 – Puzzle fans will be grabbing their magnifying glasses, notebooks and Joy-Con controllers this autumn, as LAYTON’S MYSTERY JOURNEYTM: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy – Deluxe Edition launches for Nintendo Switch on 8th November. Attendees at the Japan Expo event in France this weekend will be the first in Europe to get hands-on with the game, experiencing the distinctive Layton aesthetics and puzzle-solving gameplay in HD on the TV screen.

In this entry in the Layton mystery-puzzle series, the famous Professor Hershel Layton has gone missing, and it is up to his daughter Katrielle – a smart and spirited young lady with a knack of arriving at the truth in spite of paltry evidence – to take centre-stage as our new protagonist. She is aided in her endeavours by a colourful cast of characters new to the series, including a young student named Ernest Greeves who acts as her assistant, and Sherl, a talking dog who begins as Katrielle’s first client but quickly becomes her sidekick.

LAYTON’S MYSTERY JOURNEYTM: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy – Deluxe Edition marks the first time that a LAYTON series game is playable on TV screens, providing the perfect opportunity for would-be sleuths to share the joy of puzzle-solving with friends and family. The controls are as simple and intuitive as ever, with the game playable using either button controls, motion controls or the Nintendo Switch’s touch screen while in handheld mode. Furthermore, a host of new content and updated gameplay features mean that there is plenty to wrap one’s brain around for LAYTON series fans and newcomers alike. Here is an overview of what’s new:

  • New Puzzles: This Deluxe Edition includes more than 40 brand-new puzzles and additionally, some puzzles from the Nintendo 3DS version have been refined.
  • Improved Layout and Enhanced Graphics: The key information for each puzzle is now viewable on one screen, and all graphics have received an HD overhaul.
  • Unlocked DLC: Content that was previously released as paid DLC, including the “Daddy’s Girl” and “Luke Lookalike” outfits, is unlocked from the beginning.
  • New Outfits: More than 50 new outfits have been added, all of which can obtained through gameplay.

The mystery adventure is just getting started with new puzzles, new outfits and new ways to play when LAYTON’S MYSTERY JOURNEYTM: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy – Deluxe Edition comes to Nintendo Switch on 8th November.

Additional Links:

Nintendo Switch website: http://www.nintendo.com.au/nintendo-switch/
Nintendo Australia website: http://www.nintendo.com.au/  
Nintendo Australia Twitter: https://twitter.com/NintendoAUNZ
Nintendo Australia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NintendoAUNZ Nintendo AU on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/nintendoau

SPIDER-MAN TAKES ON THREATS IN NEW SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME UPDATEFOR MARVEL FUTURE FIGHT

SPIDER-MAN TAKES ON THREATS IN NEW SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME UPDATEFOR MARVEL FUTURE FIGHT

MARVEL Future Fight’s Update Includes New Characters, Legendary Battle and More

LOS ANGELES (July 2, 2019) – Today, new Spider-Man: Far From Home updateshave officially been added to MARVEL Future Fight, the popular Super Hero mobile game by Netmarble Corp. The update includes new characters, uniforms, battles and other improvements all inspired by Marvel Studios’ upcoming film.

In the new Spider-Man: Far From Home update, Spider-Man must step up and take on new threats to the world. New characters featured in the film have been added to MARVEL Future Fight’s roster of Villains: Molten Man and Hydro-Man.

Spider-Man will receive brand new uniforms inspired by Spider-Man: Far From Home and its Stealth Suit. Mysterio will also receive a new costume inspired by the film. Agents can suit up for battle with the All-New, All-Different uniform for Spider-Man 2099 as well.

In addition to new characters and costumes, a new Spider-Man: Far From Home theme has been added to Legendary Battle, along with three new stages and backgrounds inspired by the movie.

New ultimate skills have been added for Doctor Strange, who can now be upgraded to Tier-3; and the ‘Realize Potential’ feature is now available for Molten Man, Hydro-Man, Mysterio, Spider-Man 2099, Vulture, Sandman, Rhino, Lizard, Kraven the Hunter, and new character,Electro.

The update also brings improvements to Uru Growth System. Agents can now earn ‘Premium Uru’ if they compound 6-stars level of Uru.

Other improvements to MARVEL Future Fight include:

  • Agents can join ‘Battle Practice’ regardless of the daily limitation of entering World Event
  • Character gear can be upgraded with crystals after +15 level
  • Agents can now buy Stark’s Supply Chest once a month

MARVEL Future Fight recently celebrated its four-year anniversary with 100 million players across the world. The game is currently available worldwide in the App Store® and Google Play™.

For more information, please visit http://marvelfuturefight.netmarble.com.

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About Netmarble Corporation

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.

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.

For more information visit marvel.com. © 2019 MARVEL

App Store is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the US and other countries.  App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play is a trademark of Google Inc.

Digital Extremes Prepares Warframe TennoCon Museum Featuring Life-Size MOA

Digital Extremes Prepares Warframe TennoCon Museum Featuring Life-Size MOA

Volpin Studios’ Creation Is Part of a Bigger Life-Like Exhibit  

LONDON, ON – July 2, 2019 – Digital Extremes has partnered with Volpin Studios to create incredible life-like Warframe statues, props, and surprises for this year’s fourth annual Warframe conference, TennoCon. 

This year, the collection of real-life items are collected in a “museum” highlighted by the life-like, five-foot tall MOA, a two-legged, Corpus-built robot. This year’s TennoCon sees the return of the giant Rhino statue, the MOA, a Lotus Helmet, a Relic, and more.  
 
In addition to Digital Extremes, Volpin Studios has worked with numerous other industry-leading game studio, including Blizzard Entertainment, Riot Games and more, to create an incredible array of stunning work. For this MOA, seven artists put in a combined 800 labor hours and used 11 3D printers to create it. The 3D printers were at work for more than 1,000 combined 3D printer hours and used more than 1200m/1.2km of 3D Printer filament to create the one, remarkable MOA.

“Partnering with Digital Extremes to create the MOA from Warframe has been an exhilarating experience; not only is the MOA our largest high-detail replica to date, it’s easily the most intricate!  It took the expertise of everyone here at Volpin Props to bring this piece to life, and we can’t wait to share it with fans at this year’s TennoCon!”
 
For photos and b-roll showcasing the evolution of the MOA – from inception to assembly – please visit the following download link.
 
If you’re not able to join us for TennoCon in person, you can follow the action at home via www.twitch.tv/warframe from 8 am PDT/11 PM EDT to 4 pm PDT/7 pm EDT on Saturday, July 6 and watch our all-day streams from TennoCon.

Pair your Warframe account with Twitch, Mixer and Steam and watch TennoLive from 3-4 pm PDT/6-7 pm EDT to get Nekros Prime for free, and follow the minute-by-minute details on twitter.com/PlayWarframe.

 ABOUT DIGITAL EXTREMES
Founded in 1993 by James Schmalz, Digital Extremes ranks as one of the world’s top independent video game development studios. Originating with the co-creation of Epic Games’ multi-million unit selling Unreal® franchise including Unreal, Unreal Tournament – and all its iterations – Digital Extremes went on to develop Dark Sector®, BioShock® for the PlayStation®3, the BioShock 2 multi-player campaign, and The Darkness® II. The studio has reached its greatest critical and commercial success with the free-to-play action game, Warframe®, boasting a global community of more than 50 million registered players on PC, PS4™, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch™. For more information about Digital Extremes, visit www.digitalextremes.com. To sign up for Warframe, visit www.warframe.com