THQ Nordic and Airship Syndicate announced Darksiders Genesis will be the next video game in the Darksiders franchise. The game is scheduled to launch on Stadia, Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One later in 2019.
Darksiders Genesis departs from the previous third person camera in favour of a top down angle, but Airship Syndicate promises the gameplay will still be familiar to fans of the previous two titles.
Darksiders Genesis stars Strife, the gun-toting fourth Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Very little of the story has been revealed so far, but Strife will be going toe to toe with Lucifer for the future of humanity.
New Pathfinder Class Headlines
MapleStory Update After Defeat of the Black Mage
Pathfinder pre-creation, Tera
Burning Project, and more starting on June 12
June 6, 2019 – World renowned MMORPG MapleStory announced today its highly-anticipated Explorer Bowman class Pathfinder will be available to players on June 26, with a pre-creation period starting June 12. In the game’s update following the conclusion of the Black Mage storyline, players can explore the new Adventure Island events, take on a new theme dungeon, and level up faster with new characters via the Tera Burning Project.
Pathfinderpre-creation will start on June
12 and will allow players to choose their Pathfinder’s features such as
gender, hair colour, and more before rolling out their characters for play on
June 26. From June 12 to July 23, players will also enjoy the Tera Burning
Project, where one new character per account will gain the extraordinary
ability to gain a total of three levels each time they level up!
Starting
June 12,players can also participate in a number of engaging events in Adventure
Island including Adventure Bingo, Maplerunner, Reverse Battle and more.
Through these events, players can work on their Adventurer Tier and collect
Adventure Coins to purchase new items in the Adventure Coin Shop.
The update
also brings massive improvements to gameplay systems to help players of all
levels. These improvements include refining tutorial and job advancement
quests, improving rewards for low level theme dungeons, increasing meso drops
in Reboot worlds, as well as lowering quest requirements for 5th Job
advancement and improving Star Force success rates and Arcane Symbol
improvement costs. Multiple jobs will also be getting skill revamps in order to
improve their abilities as well as increase consistency across the various
jobs. The new theme dungeon, Secret Forest of Elodin, will also be available for
players level 30 to 59 to explore.
Players who
visit the Return to Adventure event now through June
10 can earn the Adventure Microsite Gift Box by clicking on the “Get Gifts Now”
button on the page. Those who participate in the Return to Adventure event can
also receive additional gift boxes with tons of new and exclusive prizes on
June 12.
With 14
years of sustained gaming excellence, MapleStory remains a critically-acclaimed
classic MMORPG with millions of registered active players around the world.
First released in North America in 2005, MapleStory has experienced memorable
in-game events, over 274 million created characters, and still is the World’s
Largest Online Adventure. For more information about the game, please visit http://maplestory.nexon.net.
Nexon America, a subsidiary of NEXON Co., Ltd.
(“Nexon”) (3659.TO) is a global leader in online games with more than 80 live
games operated across more than 190 countries. Nexon America introduced
micro-transactions and the free-to-play business model in 2005, and is widely
credited with unmatched global expertise in sophisticated live game operations,
nurturing player communities, and for sustaining titles for years, even decades.
Nexon is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, and the company was placed on the
Nikkei Stock Index 300 in 2017.
PREPARE TO
DIVE: MULTIPLAYER SCI-FI SUBMARINE SIMULATOR BAROTRAUMA OUT NOW ON STEAM!
Survive alien monsters, environmental disasters, traitors
from within and total undersea chaos for up to 16 players deep below the
surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa
HAMBURG, Germany –
June 5, 2019 – Publisher Daedalic Entertainment and independent
developers FakeFish and Undertow Games have released the hilarious multiplayer
sci-fi submarine simulator Barotrauma
for Windows PC, Mac and Linux via Steam
Early Access for $29.99/£21.49 GBP/€24.99 Euro. Barotrauma sends up to 16 players on an
underwater journey beneath the surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa, where you’ll
discover alien wonders and/or horrors, command various submarine systems, and
fight to survive dangers from both outside and within.
Check out Barotrauma’s new launch teaser here:
The feature trailer is available here:
Navigate a chilling ocean filled with strange creatures, explore alien
ruins, and cooperate with your crewmates to complete missions on your voyage.
Choose from several classes and work together managing complex systems,
including the nuclear reactor, guns, engines and sonar. Fend off hostile
monsters, seal deadly radioactive leaks, and survive crewmates infected with
extraterrestrial viruses.
Barotrauma’s
thrilling and often hilarious chaos is both fun to play and watch thanks to
procedurally generated levels, ridiculous ragdoll physics and full mod support.
But beware: some threats are closer than you think. Multiplayer’s traitor mode
option may randomly assign players as secret conspirators, complete with their
own individual missions like assassination and sabotage.
Key Features:
Team up in
adrenaline-filled 2D co-op multiplayer for up to 16 players. Or betray
your crew and bury them in an icy grave…
Master intricate
submarine management and crafting systems to survive Europa’s frigid
depths.
Explore a vast ocean
filled with unknown life and other dangerous secrets on an alien world.
Play as one of
several classes, including captain, engineer, security officer, mechanic
and medic.
Procedurally created
levels and events ensure no two games are the same.
Make your own
monstrosities! Transform the game via Steam Workshop and create your own
submarines, sprites, levels and alien creatures for other players to
download.
Early access is just the beginning for Barotrauma!
The game will continuously be updated and expanded with new content, features
and improvements in partnership with the game’s community.
For further information, visit the game on Steam and its official website, barotraumagame.com.
# # #
About Daedalic
Entertainment
Daedalic Entertainment publishes and develops high-quality games for all
platforms. The company has a diverse line-up of high-quality titles, including
classic adventures, RPGs, and strategy and multiplayer games. With more than 80
employees, Daedalic is currently developing a new line-up of innovative games
across consoles, PC and mobile platforms.
Among the AAA titles in production at the studio are the team-RTS A Year of
Rain (PC), as well as The Lord of the Rings – Gollum (multiplatform). A Year of
Rain combines classical elements like base-building and a comprehensive story
campaign with hero-focused and team-oriented gameplay. The Lord of the Rings –
Gollum is an action-adventure that tells the story of Gollum from a perspective
never witnessed before in any storytelling media, all the while staying
faithful to the legendary books of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Based in Hamburg, Germany, Daedalic is one of Europe’s most acclaimed
publishers and developers. With a total of 32 awards in the German Developers
Award (including multiple accolades for “Studio of the Year”) and 11 German
Computer Game Awards for genre-defining games such as Deponia, Edna & Harvey,
Silence, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the
Earth, The Long Journey Home, and State of Mind, Daedalic is a record holder
for the two most prestigious games awards in Germany.
About FakeFish and
Undertow Games
Barotrauma began as an open-development project by Undertow Games, the
developer of the free open-source horror game SCP – Containment Breach. In
early 2018, the award-winning fellow indie studio FakeFish Ltd. joined the
project with their team of industry veterans and fresh talents to launch
Barotrauma on Steam. Now the joint studio, based in Turku, Finland, develops
survival horror PC titles supporting extensive user-generated content and
packed with built-in editors.
I first had Heathers described to me as “Mean Girls but with a serial killer”, which sold me immediately on the concept. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed the musical numbers from the stage musical adaption of the same name but I had not ever actually gotten around to seeing the original film. That is no longer the case, thanks to the good folks at In the House down at George Street cinemas.
As is customary for In the House, Ryan and Draz from The Movie Nerdz, discussed some of the film’s trivia before the screening. The tidbit that stood out for me from their pre-movie talk was the fact that the screenwriter had originally envisioned Stanley Kubrick to direct the film as in his hands it would become an unsettling and stylish piece of cinema… unfortunately that’s just going to remain a cinematic what if so I’ll instead I’ve written this review about the film that is; enjoy!
Story
The narrative follows Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) navigating her way through high school and her dealings with the psychotic Heathers, a clique of three popular but cruel girls at the top of the high school pecking order named Heather Chandler (Kim Walker), Heather McNamara (Lisanne Falk), and Heather Duke (Shannen Doherty). Veronica has found her way into the Heathers clique but after using her talent for forgery to play a trick on her childhood friend on behalf of Heather Chandler, leader of the Heathers clique, she begins to question whether high school popularity is worth it. At the same time, a new student, Jason Dean (Christian Slater), wins her infatuation by intimidating some bully jocks with a gun he smuggled into school. After falling out with Heather Chandler at a frat party who then threatens to ruin her life, Veronica is comforted by Jason who offers to kill Heather Chandler. As the story unfolds and the body count gets ever higher, we see how things quickly spiral out of control between Jason and Veronica.
The film’s script is extremely well-crafted and polished with a lot of thought behind the dialogue on the page. My biggest gripe with teenagers on film is how commonly screenwriters completely miss the mark with writing teen dialogue and teen characters who aren’t simply gratingly stupid. The film is, I would argue, largely allegorical and so it dispenses with trying to make its character sound and speak like teenagers in favour of having them be witty and incisive. It’s a script which has more to say about greater society than just the society found within the walls of a high school. The characters talk about the vacuousness of their lives and nihilism in a way that’s a bit too jaded to pass from the mouth of a teenager but you won’t care because it’s an interesting topic on it’s own to hear them talk about.
The film has a subtle surreal element to it’s presentation to give its audience some emotional distance to laugh at the action. From the opening scene, we get little details which are equal parts ridiculous and disturbing such the Heathers playing croquet with Veronica’s head as a target. Besides creating interesting stylistic choices with its cinematography, dialogue and characterisations; it’s effective in pulling the audience out of the film enough in order to be able to laugh at it. The film’s comedy is as black as sin and deals with topics like nihilism, alienation, murder and suicide which can be confronting on the face of it. The film’s absurdism, however, gives us the breathing space we need to be able to laugh at it and overlook the tragedy.
The greatest joy in Heathers is how much it revels in sadistic cruelty on par with any horror movie you might see. Certainly, the film doesn’t have as much gore or monsters or tension as a horror movie would but it engages with the same glee you might feel at watching someone get torn apart by monsters by instead having teenagers cut each other down viciously. There’s a sadistic joy in seeing how the characters lash out at each other with perfect timing and vitriol; their hostility is mutual and shared freely between everyone which defanged the pang of empathetic embarrassment I might have felt since they’re all dicks. The film gives you free license to laugh at their cruelty and it is a joy to watch.
All my praise aside, however, there are definitely elements of the script which have not aged well into the modern day. In particular, the elements dealing with homophobia are particularly tin-eared in how the film approaches it. The film does play it out as quite ridiculous but it might still be of some discomfort to audience members which are rightly sensitive to that subject matter. A saving grace of this, in this regard, is that it does play the homophobia as absurdly as the rest of its material and I ended up laughing at a bottle of mineral water. All the same, mindfulness and caution are advised for those who might need it.
Visuals
The film works with a similar subtle surreal elements alongside more conventional (but not naturalistic) visual direction. Alongside the humdrum depictions of American High School life with classrooms, gyms and cafeterias; you get quite carefully crafted shots of light coming through open windows and psychedilc dream funeral. This design philosophy follows through to the costume design and the film wears it’s 80s style on its sleeves and shoulders. The characters are all dressed in way which makes them stand out but follows along the lines of what you’d expect from the various stereotypical cliques in your general high school movie. It’s a unique and eclectic mix which I find to be quite pleasant.
Audio
The music follows through in this vein of subtle surrealism in order to compliment the wider ecclectic tone of the film. There is an almost constant but subtle synthesiser tone which plays throughout most of the film’s pieces. The best way to describe it would be a like a discordant 80s techno or a very, very gentle industrial blend where synthesiser mix with clicks, flutes and drums. It’s super weird but unless you’re paying attention to it specifically, it probably won’t make that big an impression on you after the film finishes but it will unsettle you while the film is going.
Conclusion
Now that I’ve seen the film properly in a cinema, I can absolutely see why this film became enough of a cult hit to inspire a musical. The script is well crafted, dark and fun; although some elements haven’t aged too well into the modern day. The visuals and audio are both strange and unsettling in a pleasant way. There’s a lot that still made me laugh in this film, even three decades later and that’s no small feat to accomplish. It’s a high school movie which twists and subverts the whole genre to hold a mirror up to the world and society which produced it. It was great to watch and I recommend it to anyone who can handle the dark and problematic humour it features.
For other films which In The House is screening, feel free to check out their schedule here.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
VENTURE INTO THE
UNDERWORLD IN ASSASSIN’S CREED® ODYSSEY THE FATE OF
ATLANTIS, EPISODE 2
Sydney, Australia— June 5, 2019 — Today, Ubisoft announced that Torment of Hades, the
second episode of the post-launch story arc of Assassin’s Creed® Odyssey
The Fate of Atlantis, is now available on the PlayStation®4 computer
entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X and
Windows PC.
Torment
of Hades transports players to the Underworld, a vast world of endless gloom
filled with wandering dead, ruled by the sharp and cunning Hades. As the story
unfolds, players will come face-to-face with the ghosts of their past and
continue their journey in mastering the Staff of Hermes. In order to escape the
afterlife, players will have to help the dead find their rightful resting place
and settle the debt that Hades demands.
Each of
the episodes of The Fate of Atlantis will introduce new ability enhancements
related to the different branches of the skill tree – Hunter, Warrior and
Assassin. In this second episode, players will discover three new ability
enhancements, including:
Kronos Time Shift is part of the Warrior branch of the skill tree, and will launch
players into the air while temporarily blinding surrounding enemies.
While you are in the air, time stops for a moment, letting you use
abilities from above or in a chain with Leap of Faith’s ground smash. When
you shoot in the air, the damage will also automatically crit targets.
Ares Last Breath is also part of the Warrior branch of the skill tree. This
healing ability will grant immunity to enemy attacks, restore 5% of
damage dealt as Health and automatically parry enemy melee hits.
Artemis Trickery is part of the Hunter branch of the skill tree, and will
transform players’ arrows into deadly traps that detonate and deal damage
to enemies that come in close proximity. Any type of arrow can be used
and will offer a different type of effect on detonation.
In order
to play Torment of Hades, players will have two different options:
Following
the main game, players will have to complete the questline Between Two Worlds,
the mythological main game story arc, and the Lost Tales of Greece questline
Heir of Memories that is available after completing the former questline.
Finally, they must have reached character level 28 or above.
Players
who do not fulfil all the above conditions will be able to use a shortcut
created specifically for them. Thanks to this shortcut, players will enter
Greece level 52 with preset abilities and resources, enabling them to start
their adventure into the afterlife with Heir of Memories. They will also have
the opportunity to choose their hero. However, contrary to the previous option,
player progression using the shortcut will not carry over to the main game save,
and they will not be able to obtain achievements.
The
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey post-launch plan is the biggest and most ambitious in
the franchise, and season pass owners will be able to access two major episodic
storylines, Legacy of the First Blade and The Fate of Atlantis. Players can
dive into new episodes as they premiere or experience the epic adventures in
their entirety once all episodes are available. The season pass also includes
Assassin’s Creed®
III Remastered and Assassin’s Creed®
III Liberation Remastered, which released for the PlayStation®4
computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox
One X and Windows PC on March 29, 2019.
The Fate
of Atlantis can be purchased as part of the Assassin’s Creed®
Odyssey Season Pass for $39.99 or as part of The Fate of Atlantis story arc for
$24.99 and will be downloadable for players who already own the Season Pass or
Gold Edition starting today.
For more information on Assassin’s Creed, please visit
assassinscreed.com.
For the latest on Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and other
Ubisoft games, visit https://news.ubisoft.com.
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,
Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. 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.ubisoft.com.
THE JUNGLE AWAITS AS NEW VIDEO GAME BASED ON THE
SUCCESSFUL JUMANJI FILM FRANCHISE LAUNCHES NOVEMBER 15, 2019
LEAVE YOUR WORLD
BEHIND IN ‘JUMANJI: THE VIDEO GAME,’ A HILARIOUS NEW 3D ACTION ADVENTURE COMING
TO PLAYSTATION® 4, NINTENDO SWITCH™, XBOX ONE AND PC
“A Game For Those Who
Seek To Find… A Way To Leave Their World Behind.”
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe, worldwide family entertainment publisher Outright Games, and UK based development studio Funsolve, in collaboration with Sony Pictures, today announce Jumanji: The Video Game, the officially licensed game set in the world of the massively successful Jumanji film franchise.
Releasing November 15th,
2019, Jumanji: The Video Game puts you in control of Jumanji’s
greatest heroes as they seek to find the precious Jewels of Jumanji, save the
world and find a way home. What’s stopping them? Only a deadly array of exotic
creatures, dangerous locations and an army of evil marauders.
Unite with up to three friends on this
hilarious adventure in online or split-screen modes, as you tackle all new
Jumanji environments and choose your hero from Dr. Smolder Bravestone, Ruby Roundhouse,
Franklin “Mouse” Finbar or Professor Shelly Oberon and combine their unique
abilities to keep one another alive.
“This is a dream come true for our
studio” Funsolve Founder and Director, Richard Tawn said “Adapting the
exotic, dangerous and hilarious world of Jumanji into a video game has pushed
us to create something truly special. We’ve got some incredibly exciting
features and reveals coming soon, but for now let’s just say the game is coming
this November, and puts you in the shoes of iconic Jumanji heroes.”
Jumanji: The Video Game is based on the wildly successful film
franchise that began in 1995 with Jumanji and has gone on to produce the
box office hit Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle in 2017 as well as
its highly anticipated sequel releasing this December.
“Jumanji is a property we have been
eager to work with for a long time” said
Terry Malham, CEO of Outright Games “Our specialty as a video game publisher
is in producing high-quality interactive-entertainment for the whole family to
enjoy and there is no brand more exciting for families right now than Jumanji.”
Jumanji:
The Video Game will run on Unreal Engine 4, and releases worldwide
on 15th November 2019 for PlayStation®4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch™ and PC
Digital.
About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment
Europe S.A.S. BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe S.A.S., part of BANDAI
NAMCO Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive
entertainment for all major video game consoles, iOS, Android, and online
platforms. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the
industry’s top video game franchises including PAC-MAN™, GALAGA™,TEKKEN™,
SOULCALIBUR™, ACE COMBAT™ and DARK SOULS™. BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe is
the premier publisher for anime based video games including NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™,
DRAGON BALL™, and ONE PIECE™.
Sony
Pictures Entertainment
(SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., which is a subsidiary of
Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture
production, acquisition, and distribution; television production, acquisition,
and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and
distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment
products, services and technologies. SPE’s Motion Picture Group production
organizations include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, Sony
Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films, AFFIRM Films, and Sony Pictures Classics.
For additional information, visithttp://www.sonypictures.com/corp/divisions.html.
About
Funsolve
Founded in 2015 by industry veteran Richard Tawn,
Funsolve are an independent videogames studio based in Warwickshire, UK.
Dedicated to creating outstanding, fun experiences for gamers in stunning
immersive worlds that resonate with a global audience, Funsolve have experience
with both established and new brands. Previous work include projects with SEGA,
Exient, Imaginati, Marker Studio, and many more.Funsolve are currently
developing their first AAA licensed project with publisher Outright Games,
releasing in 2019.
Outright
Games is a global video games publisher with a focus on quality family
entertainment to a worldwide audience. Founded in 2016, Outright Games has
established its place in the market delivering engaging interactive games of
beloved entertainment licenses globally. Outright Games brings stories and
characters to life with titles including such favourites as Adventure Time:
Pirates of the Enchiridion and Ben 10 with Cartoon Network, Hotel Transylvania
3: Monsters Onboard with Sony Pictures and Dragons: Dawn of New Risers with
NBCUniversal. With an Outright Games title there will be fun for all the family
to enjoy. For more information please visit:
www.outrightgames.com
Team17 (My Time at Portia) and Spanish indie developers The Game Kitchen announced their new Metroidvania game Blasphemous. This action-platformer is set in a world combining Gothic horror and a twisted religion. Players take on the role of The Penitent One, a heavily armoured warrior seeking freedom from eternal damnation. His quest takes him to Cvstodia, where he must purge the curse known as The Miracle from the lands.
Blasphemous features a large world to explore, full of secrets to discover. Combat is gory, filled with epic boss battles and bone crushing attacks. Players will have access to a variety of skills, relics, and prayers to help them conquer the twisted monsters of Cvstodia.
Blasphemous is scheduled to launch later in 2019 for Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Hunter vs Hunted. A common image in most of the action and thriller movies since….well, forever. Sometimes the sides get switched and one becomes the other but the formula stays the same. It’s fairly simple to come up with a decent movie with it if one knows what they’re doing and now we have a game with that approach. I’ve played a lot of fast-paced games with a simple premise and they usually end up being far better than I suspected so let’s see how Deathgarden: BLOODHARVEST holds up on that front.
Story
” In a dark, dystopian future, the world is divided. Only a few deemed worthy are granted access to the Enclave, an opulent safe haven, while the rest are damned to almost certain death in the slums”. Hm, sounds suspiciously close to the plot of Elysium but let’s move forward. ” The only way to obtain the right to a better life and reach the Enclave is to face the hunter and put one’s life on the line in a ruthless game of blood”. Not sure how to see this. Seems pretty weird to opt-in for this instead, you know…..buying your way into it but if most are fine with it, who am I to judge?
Gameplay
After a short preparation, you are thrown into the map with one hunter and a bunch of scavengers. I think the roles are pretty self-explanatory but I’ll break it down by explaining that the hunter’s job is to track and kill all the scavengers on the map while they have to scavenge the map (duh!) and collect blood units. Blood units are then used to charge one of the three portals on the map until they are fully charged allowing the scavengers to escape into a better world. Of course, the job of a hunter is to prevent that. As of right now, you have three classes of hunters at your disposal and five different scavengers. They all have unique skills enabling them to better track the scavengers or to better escape from the clutches of a hunter. So what about the core gameplay? It’s all pretty simple. As a scavenger, zigzag across the map, collect blood units and deposit them into a portal super fast ( since you are visible to the hunter while doing that). As a hunter, be always on the move looking for scavengers on the map and unload your weapon into one once you establish contact. I played most of my matches as an Inquisitor hunter and it was fun. The only complaint is that it takes too long to kill the average scavengers unless you are a God of aiming where every one of your hits connects. They appear to also be slightly faster than you so the winning strategy is to sneak up on them and unload all of your shots as fast as possible. Now, playing as a scavenger, I found that gameplay was far more engaging. Unless you are playing against a seasoned hunter, it is fairly easy to escape, avoid their drones and hide. The hunter is always outnumbered by default, so a well-trained team of scavengers with voice chat is almost always guaranteed to win.
Visuals
As simple as the core gameplay. Nothing breathtaking on this front. Even though each map is procedurally generated, it doesn’t take much to become aware of your surroundings. It’s easy to separate the pickable objects from the environment and you never have a hard time trying to distinguish what is what. Nothing much stands out, although some character models and cosmetics look pretty good.
Audio
Being that type of game that it is, it’s no wonder that Deathgarden: BLOODHARVEST enters a new dimension when played with a decent pair of headphones. The audio is much sharper and some background noise comes better into the focus now, including the noises made by a hunter that’s on your back (not literally, of course). On the other hand, the music of the game is nothing that stands out but in this type of game, it would only be distracting if it did come into a focus too much.
Overall
For what it’s worth, Deathgarden: BLOODHARVEST lives up to its task. A simple game, designed for a simple match or two when you’re out of ideas on what to play. And just like that, a match or two that you counted on can pretty soon morph into an hour or two and then some. Deathgarden: BLOODHARVEST is deceptively engaging as it is fun. Of course, an active player base is a “make it or break it” factor for this type of product. During my playtime, I had no issues finding matches although I could see that the population was decent at best. Considering that the game was only recently released, I expected much more. But if that means the game will end up with a moderate but a dedicated player base, I’m all fine with that. Deathgarden: BLOODHARVEST is still in Early Access and when taking a look at the developers’ roadmap, I can see that we’re in for a lot of great content.
Capsule Computers
review guidelines can be found here.
World
War Z Heads
to “The Undead Sea” With a Horde of New Content in First
Major Update
Saber Interactive, in partnership with Focus Home Interactive, has released “The Undead Sea,” the first major free content update for World War Z, the action-packed co-op shooter inspired by Paramount Pictures’ blockbuster film. Players can now take on a totally new mission in Tokyo aboard an undead-infested ferry, where you and your squad will battle through open decks and tight cabins in one of the game’s most intense challenges yet. But beware: a virulent new zombie type is on the loose, one which spits deadly toxins and will come back to life if not dispatched appropriately.
Along with
other fixes and balancing, this new update also introduces private lobbies, the
ability to switch classes during PvPvZ matches, and field of view (FOV) and
level of detail sliders on PC.
The next
updates in Saber’s post-launch content roadmap for World War Z — which recently surpassed 2
million units sold since release — include a new six-skull difficulty setting,
Weekly Challenge mode, a wave-based survival mode and more.
Powered by
Saber’s dynamic Swarm Engine™, World
War Z unleashes hundreds of fast-moving, bloodthirsty zombies –
able to move and strike as one collective herd as well as break off into
individual attackers – at a time on players. Choose from six distinct classes
and an arsenal of deadly weapons, explosives, turrets and traps. Outlive the
dead through intense four-player co-op campaign missions around the world,
including New York, Jerusalem, Moscow and Tokyo, and battle both zombies and
real human opponents in competitive, team-based Players vs. Players vs. Zombies
(PvPvZ) multiplayer.
World
War Z
is currently available digitally and at most major retailers on PlayStation®4
and Xbox One, as well as Windows PC via the Epic Games Store. This game is
rated M (Mature) by the ESRB. For more information, visit http://wwzgame.com,
and follow the game on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WWZGame,
Twitter @WWZTheGame,
and Instagram @WWZGame.
The
Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure Game Is Coming Soon, Bringing
Slapstick Couch Co-op Fun to PlayStation®VR!
XR Games is thrilled to be
collaborating with Sony Pictures and Rovio Entertainment to bring The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under
Pressure game to PlayStation®VR, launching alongside the film
in summer 2019
ESPOO,
Finland – June 3, 2019 – XR
Games is leveraging the PlayStation®VR Social Screen feature to enhance the
increasingly popular couch co-op genre. The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure game
is for everyone, combining VR and TV play to create a hilarious new team
working experience. One player uses the PlayStation®VR headset, while up to
three friends play the same game simultaneously on the same TV using the
connected PlayStation®4 system and DUALSHOCK®4 wireless controllers.
“At SPVR, we believe that VR should be
social, cooperative and fun. We’re excited about XR Games’ unique take on The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR
game because friends and frenemies alike can team up and work toward a common
goal. I dare anyone to play this game and not have a blast,” said Jake Zim,
SVP, Virtual Reality, Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Players team up to run a submarine, creating
a unique new underwater setting for an Angry Birds game. The whole game takes
place within the story of the new movie, as Red and the birds must set aside
their differences with Leonard and the pigs and travel together inside an
awesome Piggy submarine en route to take on their shared new feathered foe that
threatens to destroy both of their islands. In the game, the VR player takes on
the role of Leonard, the submarine’s captain, while the Social Screen players
control the sub’s crew, including Red, Chuck and new movie character
Silver.
“We wanted a console VR game that could
replicate the humor and action of The
Angry Birds Movie 2 and take players inside the narrative of the
new movie, where the birds and pigs have to set aside their differences and
actually work together. XR Games, with support from Rovio and Sony Pictures,
are creating a genre defining VR game that will keep the entire family laughing
and playing together,” said Joe Lawson, Head of Entertainment Content and Movie
Program at Rovio Entertainment.
“VR is an exciting medium, but there are not
yet enough games that can be enjoyed with family and friends in the real
world,” said Bobby Thandi, Founder and CEO at XR Games. “We saw an opportunity
to introduce new players to PS VR by making a game in which VR and TV players
have different viewpoints and responsibilities within the same funny,
team-spirited game. Rovio’s Angry Birds IP, Sony Pictures’ The Angry Birds Movie 2 film,
and PlayStation VR’s Social Screen feature all combine to give the perfect
shared VR experience in your home. We’re super-excited to launch our game alongside
the film’s release this summer!”
ABOUT
THE
ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE 2
The flightless angry birds and the scheming
green piggies take their beef to the next level in The Angry Birds Movie 2! When a new threat
emerges that puts both Bird and Pig Island in danger, Red (Jason Sudeikis),
Chuck (Josh Gad), Bomb (Danny McBride) and Mighty Eagle (Peter Dinklage)
recruit Chuck’s sister Silver (Rachel Bloom) and team up with pigs Leonard
(Bill Hader), his assistant Courtney (Awkwafina) and techpig Garry (Sterling
K. Brown) to forge an unsteady truce and form an unlikely superteam to save
their homes.
Featuring the voices of Jason Sudeikis, Josh
Gad, Leslie Jones, Bill Hader, Rachel Bloom, Awkwafina, Sterling K. Brown,
Eugenio Derbez, Danny McBride, Peter Dinklage, Zach Woods, Pete Davidson, Dove
Cameron, Lil Rel Howery, Beck Bennett, Nicki Minaj, Brooklynn
Prince and JoJo Siwa. Directed by Thurop Van Orman. Screenplay by Peter
Ackerman. Produced by John Cohen.
ABOUT
SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT
Sony
Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc.,
which is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations
encompass motion picture production, acquisition, and distribution; television
production, acquisition, and distribution; television networks; digital content
creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of
new entertainment products, services and technologies. SPE’s Motion Picture
Group production organizations include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar
Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films, AFFIRM Films, and Sony
Pictures Classics. For additional information, visit http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/divisions.html.
ABOUT
ROVIO ENTERTAINMENT
Rovio Entertainment Corporation is a global,
games-first entertainment company that creates, develops and publishes mobile
games which have been downloaded 4.5 billion times so far. The Company is
best known for the global Angry Birds brand, which started as a popular mobile
game in 2009, and has since evolved from games to various entertainment and
consumer products in brand licensing. Today the Company offers multiple
mobile games, animations and has produced The
Angry Birds Movie, which opened number one in theaters in 50
countries, the sequel to which is set for theatrical release in 2019. Rovio is
headquartered in Finland, and the company’s shares are listed on the main list
of NASDAQ Helsinki stock exchange with the trading code ROVIO. (www.rovio.com)
ABOUT
XR GAMES
XR Games (based in Leeds, England) makes
virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) games for world-famous intellectual
properties. XR Games makes both console and mobile VR/AR games. XR Games is a
start up with venture capital funding. For additional information, visit www.xrgames.io,
or email Bobby Thandi, Founder and CEO, XR Games, at [email protected].
