Ary and the Secret
of Seasons Releases Stunning New Gameplay Trailer, Reveals New
Details About the World of Valdi
The greatest adventures have
small beginnings
Walnut Creek, CA – June 6, 2019 – Developer eXiin and indie publisher Modus Games released a vibrant new gameplay trailer today for the upcoming action-exploration game Ary and the Secret of Seasons, coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC in 2020. Next week, E3 attendees can view a demo of the game in person by visiting Modus in the South Hall at booth #2513.
Taking on a
role traditionally reserved for young men, Aryelle (Ary) has become the newest
inductee into the mysterious Guardians of Seasons and is tasked with overcoming
monstrous enemies, secret plots and stuffy traditions to bring back balance to
Valdi after a mysterious force throws the seasons into disarray.
With
unforgettable characters and larger-than-life enemies, Ary and the Secret of
Seasons takes players on an adventurous ride through a fanciful world where
the seasons themselves hold ancient, hidden powers. Ary must learn to harness
these powers if she is to restore order from chaos, save her land and establish
herself among the Guardians of Seasons.
Ary and the Secret of Seasons is due out early next year. To keep up with Modus
Games, hit up @modus_games on Twitter. Wishlist Ary on Steam, and follow Ary on Twitter and Facebook @ArySeasons.
* * *
About Modus Games
Modus Games is one of the fastest-growing video game
publishers in the world. The label prides itself on providing AAA publishing
services to talented independent developers across the globe. For more
information, visit www.modusgames.com.
About eXiin and Fishing Cactus
eXiin is
a fast-growing indie game company based in Brussels, Belgium. Since June 2016,
eXiin is developing their new IP called Ary; the first game is “The Secret
of Seasons.”
To
increase the scope of Ary and the Secret of Seasons, eXiin joined forces with
one of the most experienced Belgian based game developer: Fishing Cactus.
Fishing
Cactus has been developing games for almost a
decade and share with eXiin a certain taste for innovation. Fishing Cactus
counts over 50 released titles and a crew of 22 developers. Fishing Cactus is
behind the successful atypical typing RPG Epistory: Typing Chronicles and
handcrafts smart games with soul.
Taking a relatively played out genre and putting a new spin on things is a great way to draw attention and when Retro CIty Rampage blew onto the scene back in 2012 it proved that top down action games in an open world still have plenty of life left in them. Now VBlank Entertainment has returned with a new open world game in that same vein in the form of Shakedown: Hawaii. Is this entry worth your time or was this one best left retiring?
Story
The aging CEO of Feeble Multinational may have written an autobiography about how his company runs itself while he’s at the beach but unfortunately over the years new technology has caused that business to run itself into the ground. After hearing that his company is nearly bankrupt the CEO learns that online shopping, video streaming, and more modern day conveniences have put his previous businesses underwater.
Not one to just let his previous dynasty crumble into nothingness the CEO immediately consults with his top men and figures that the best way to get back on top will involve some rather underhanded tactics that involve mostly criminal behavior, some rough game show appearances, and violating pretty much every law protecting consumers from predatory business practices. The CEO isn’t the only character in this game however as his son, an “aspiring” DJ who hasn’t booked a gig in a decade, is trying to earn street cred and the CEO’s own personal fixer also end up being playable characters.
That being said, this dynamic of allowing for three characters to have a story and be playable on the fly doesn’t really work the best in Shakedown: Hawaii as the other two characters besides the CEO end up feeling a bit flatter in comparison. Sure it is funny a few times seeing the CEO’s son attempting to be a gangster and failing at it but the best parts of the narrative come when playing as the CEO himself. Thankfully the writing for the story mission is as witty and humorous as one could expect from the developer of Retro City Rampage.
Sure the direct references have been toned down to basically winking at the player since we all know exactly what they are talking about in most situations and obvious memes are now non-existent but if anything that makes the comedic nature of the storyline all the better. Not only is it often hilariously over the top given what the CEO’s plans end up being and the backlash that he can end up facing (or simply getting away with), but the story often is a witty bit of social commentary on the marketing business as a whole and those looking for a game that is more than willing to let humor take the wheel need look no further than Shakedown: Hawaii.
Gameplay
Shakedown: Hawaii adopts the old school top-down approach to the action as players are tossed into a world that is almost immediately available for them to explore. Free-Roam is of course an option separate from the Story should the player choose but there’s no real reason not to take part in the game’s story mode at the same time as various collectible and the crazy challenge missions are still available in this mode. Players will find various mission markers that trigger cutscenes in the aforementioned story and, at least in the early parts of the game, introduce various mechanics and ways to make money.
Combat in this game has a nice arcade style feel to it with players easily gaining access to a wide array of weapons running anywhere from baseball bats and handguns to scissors that can cut off hair and even spread-shot guns that can annihilate anything in their path. It is worth noting that the lock on system in the combat is a bit finicky at times and considering the amount of random civilians and other vehicles around, the game can often struggle to target specifically what you wish to aim at but this is only a small problem in the end as ammo rarely feels like an issue and even if the police get a bit riled up, a quick escape in a car, which handle quite well, or run to a mission is all it takes to lose them.
You see, while players have their own pocket money that can be used to purchase clothing and eventually character upgrades this money is seperate from their overall business pool. After a set amount of time passes in-game a day will pass and depending on the player’s current income stream their business will gain that amount of money that can then be invested in various ways, or paid out to the player as a salary that can be as paltry or as exorbitant as you wish.
Outside of completing story missions one of the first ways players learn to earn a steady but smaller source of income happens to be in the form of the titular shakedowns. Nearly every building in the game is available for players to enter and then trigger a shakedown in order for that business to “subscribe” to the player with some protection money. To do this players will need to perform some sort of task that ends up leading to some of the most crazy situations that the game can offer. This can range from simply smashing shelves, clogging up all the toilets, and shooting up a rival gang, to invading customer’s personal space, escaping from their trap door dungeon, or cutting off their hair. There is such a wide array of shakedown types that this is easily one of the best parts of the game and a way for players to earn a solid bit of income.
As players advance through the story they will quickly be told different ways to help increase their daily revenue and this happens to range from everything to blowing up rival same-day delivery trucks to repossessing cars with predatory loans. This is all introduced at a fairly blistering pace and immediately gives players a variety of activities to do outside of the story mode but if you really want cash then real estate is where it’s at. Nearly every building on the island can eventually be purchased by the player and the more things they own, the more money they can end up making. Everything from homes to entire malls can eventually be purchased and to top that off, multipliers in the form of short term gift cards and targeted advertisements help increase the daily revenue to an extreme degree.
The way this is done is unfortunately a bit rough around the edges however as the game’s menu systems for multipliers as well as purchasing properties are a bit annoying to deal with. Players will need to look through the map and apply each multiplier as needed while the actual businesses need to get purchased one at a time and considering the massive amount of property available, this can be a bit time consuming even if the load times are non-existent. It also is a bit disappointing that while the goal for the player is eventually to end up owning everything, it quickly becomes an afterthought. The low cost of player upgrades, cosmetics, and weaponry won’t put a dent in any of your real spending and eventually even new buildings can be bought up without batting an eye as a single payday can eventually buy out an entire block. This makes the eventual overflow of money a bit disappointing as there simply aren’t enough ways to spend it.
Visuals & Audio
One of the first things players of the previous game from this developer will notice is that Shakedown: Hawaii has been given a significant graphical improvement over the past game and presents everything in crisp 32-bit style pixel art. This is true both in the open world overworld as well as in the cutscenes that take place, though it is worth noting that any character customization is only reflected on the overworld screens. There is a ton of variety to see in different parts of the city and while it is true that some of the buildings do end up repeating themselves, being able to venture inside of over two hundred buildings is a significant feat.
Along those same lines players will find that the game’s soundtrack happens to fit perfectly with the theme of the game. It is worth noting that while the world is designed with plenty of attention to detail with numerous things being destructible, there are parts of the map that don’t get quite the same amount of attention story-wise compared to others which is a bit disappointing.
Overall
Shakedown: Hawaii continues the legacy of VBlank’s legacy of delivering over the top action combined with a hilarious story. Sure the setting this time around is a bit more grounded but its ridiculous take on corporations still rings close to home with enough parody to keep players laughing even as they blow up a toilet for protection money or take back a farm from a drug cartel simply to sell soft-drinks at a cheaper price. Though the economy eventually ends up way overbalanced towards the player, those looking for a great action game with plenty of humor will find that Shakedown: Hawaii delivers in spades.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Initially debuting back in 2010 few could have imagined just how much cross-genre potential the Hyperdimension Neptunia franchise could offer. While the majority of their games have been RPGs we’ve seen brawlers, strategy RPGs, a VR-enabled entry, and even an idol raising game so it only makes sense that the series tackle something a little different, especially since it happened to be a joke to start with. Neptunia Shooter is a bullet hell style shooter and with Neptune and her friends now in an 8-bit side scrolling shooter, is this entry worth it?
Gameplay
Neptunia Shooter forgoes the usual explanation as to how the girls have ended up in their current situation and drops players immediately into the game playing as Neptune. Neptune has a rapid fire ability that allows her to fire chainshots together for a faster rate of fire or separately for more spread. This allows her to be fairly versatile and help her avoid taking damage which is essential as players initially can only, at least initially, take three hits before facing the game over screen.
The primary enemy that players face happen to always be various types of Dogoos that act in specific ways that range from simply firing at the player or flinging themselves at them and this variety is kept fairly standard throughout the stages with each Dogoo having a unique coloration or style to help match their attack pattern. The early stages of the game are fairly simple as far as a bullet-hell style game go with the screen being filled with Dogoos that must be killed or avoided all while trying to avoid incoming fire though this can be a bit rough as the background design of the stages is occasionally a bit too similar to some incoming attacks that other shooters utilize, meaning players may end up dodging a harmless background particle into a more dangerous situation if they aren’t paying close attention.
At the end of every stage players will have to take down a boss that, when defeated, will join the player’s party as a character that can be swapped to on the fly. Each boss fight plays in a different manner that is a unique and fun enough take on the genre while also giving a bit of a preview of the character’s actual firing capabilities. Compa has the ability to fire close-range falling pills to hit enemies below, Iffy fires in the opposite direction to allow for enemies to be taken out from behind, and more.
This creates a fun enough game that while not incredibly hard to learn is actually quite difficult to master. After the initial stages players will quickly find themselves being overwhelmed as the challenge increases immensely the further along players get in the stages. Sure there are only six stages in total but it will take a lot of skill to actually face off against the final boss and hit that clear screen. It is worth noting that there really isn’t too much else to aim for in Neptunia Shooter besides clearing the game and of course getting the best score possible as there are leaderboards available if you want to see just how you rank.
Visuals & Audio
Stylized like an 8-bit shooter from yesteryear Neptunia Shooter pulls it off quite well. The character sprites for the various playable characters and their boss variants are nicely detailed while the Dogoo enemy types are varied in appearance enough that they stay fairly fresh although more visual enemy types would have been a better touch. It is also worth noting that the space style background can be a bit of a problem at times due to its simplistic nature and stylized “star sprites” looking like incoming fire.
The soundtrack is also similar to what one would expect in an 8-bit shooter with standard chiptune music accompanying players in these stages. It is also worth noting that players should not expect any voice work in this game as there is no dialogue.
Overall
Few could have imagined that an April Fool’s joke would have ended up being developed into a solidly designed side-scrolling shooter but here we are with Idea Factory’s Neptunia Shooter. While it may not be complicated and its simplicity is a bit of a disappointment for those who want a little bit more of Neptune and her friends’ charms, the design of this shooter works quite well as something to pop into for a bit and enjoy and considering it’s incredibly low price-point, isn’t going to break anyone’s bank.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
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.
