After staying in the shadows for quite a while Kitana has finally stepped into the spotlight in the official television commercial for Mortal Kombat 11, both giving us a decent cinematic battle as well as a confirmation of her place on the roster.
As Shao Kahn’s biological daughter Kitana once served as one of his deadliest warriors but once she learned the truth about her father she fought against him and his conquest of Earthrealm only to fall in battle. After being resurrected as an evil revenant version of her former self, Kitana now rules the Netherrealm alongside revenant Liu Kang, dedicated to the destruction of all the realms.
Remember that joke how we used to earn cheats by completing games but nowadays we have to pay for them? Well, for CAPCOM it’s nothing but a cold reality.
Bonus weapons with infinite ammo (knife, rocket launcher, Samurai Edge gun, minigun, and a submachine gun)
Costumes, models and concept art
Now all of these can be earned by playing and completing the game while fulfilling certain requirements. However, if achieving S+ rank for infinite weapon unlocks (by clearing the game under 02:30 hours with less than 3 saves) seems a bit much for you, then you can simply buy your way to all the rewards. In any case, I won’t judge. If you’re here just for the story of RE2 Remake, this is a good deal. Just note that you’ll be negating a lot of the horror experience this way. It will be hard to find any enemy threatening or scary if you can just blow them to pieces with an infinite ammo rocket launcher.
After a quiet start Sony has really been ramping up their promotions for Bend Studio’s Days Gone with the latest trailer being the one everyone will be seeing on television as it is their 30-second long commercial. The commercial, found below, gives players an ominous look at the situation that the world now finds itself in and how a single bullet now has so much value.
For those who haven’t heard, players take control of Deacon St. John, a bounty hunter who has to face a brutal struggle for survival while trying to find a reason to stay alive as he battles against hostile drifters, marauders, and even militia. Not to mention the various “Freaker” types that are more than willing to eat everything in their sights.
SNK had quite a lot to reveal for Samurai Shodown recently as the company has announced that the game will be releasing on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on June 27th in Japan, with the West getting it sometime in June still, an arcade release sometime this summer, and finally a Switch and PC release sometime in winter 2019. The game will be sold both physically and digitally and will offer a season pass when it is released that will feature four yet to be announced characters as DLC.
SNK did announce the three new original characters that will be added to the game and they happen to be a shipwright aiming to build an unsinkable ship named Darli Dagger, a descendant of an ancient and honerable feng shui clan named Wu-Ruixiang that is a bit clumsy but can call forth the power of divine beasts to aid her in combat, and the fallen samurai Yashamaru Kurama who hates villains that exploit the weak and tries to move in the shadows as much as possible.
After waiting some time fans of the Senran Kagura series will be happy to hear that the odd little spin-off pinball game, Senran Kagura: Peach Ball, is finally getting a Western release. XSEED Games and Marvelosu have announced that the game will be released digitally on the Nintendo eShop for the Switch in North America and Europe for $39.99 though a very limited retail release will be available in North America.
The opening cinematic as well as a number of screenshots have been released for Senran Kagura: Peach Ball and you can check those out below. The story of the game takes place after Haruka, the mad scientist of Homura’s Crimson Squad, ends up brewing a strange concoction with unknown effects and since she has been working at the local arcade, she has been storing her experiments there. After an accident causes five of her fellow shinobi to be infected, it turns out the concoction turns their mentality to that of animals.
Now, with Asuka, Yumi, Yomi, Ryona, and Murasaki causing wild havoc in and around the arcade, Haruka has devised a way to return these shinobi to their senses – the mystical Peach Ball. Applied to a subject’s body repeatedly, with the proper vibrational force, it can undo the effects of her experiment. Conveniently, it’s just the right size for a pinball table.
Warner Bros. and NetherRealm Studios have revealed a new character that will be joining the Mortal Kombat 11 roster. The Kollector, as he is named, was born in poverty and seized his collections duty with a zeal that impressed Shao Kahn, becoming one of the Emperor’s most feared associates. As more of a corrupt, mafia enforcer than a government official, The Kollector stole riches from Outworld’s people, rewarding himself with wealth and status in turn, but when Shao Kahn died, Kotal Kahn vowed to weed out the former regime’s corruption.
After years in hiding, living off his ill-gotten gains, The Kollector was captured and now faces execution, determined to destroy anyone in his path. A trailer showing off the Kollector in action can be found below while the game itself is set to be released on April 23rd on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Previously 2K Games and Gearbox Software only revealed a little bit of information regarding Borderlands 3 and now they have not only given us a solid release date but a number of other details as well. The game will be launching on September 13th for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC and pits players up against the fanatical Calypso Twins who are trying to unite the bandit clans and claim the galaxy’s ultimate power.
The four new Vault Hunters introduced this time are Moze the Gunner who can summon her mech named Iron Bear for additional firepower, Amara the Siren that is a capable brawler that can summon ethereal fists to pummel her foes, FL4K the Beastmaster who can call upon loyal beasts to assist in battle, and Zane as the Operative that specializes in battlefield gadgets. Check out the new trailer and the screenshots for Borderlands 3 below.
Few could have believed that seven years ago when Telltale began telling their own story in The Walking Dead world that the series would end up coming so far. After four seasons that started with Lee and continued with Clementine, fans have watched Clementine’s journey for many years as she continued to grow and survive in a world that takes pity on no one. Now after nineteen episodes and the closure of the original company, the story comes to an end in The Walking Dead: The Final Season – Take Us Back
Story
Considering this is the final episode of the season as well as the final episode of the series it is worth noting that readers should play through at least the most recent episode before continuing to read as some spoilers regarding major events that occurred in Broken Toys will be discussed below.
Picking up immediately after the explosion that capped off the end of Broken Toys, Clementine and AJ find themselves struggling to survive on the flaming sinking boat that once served as a stronghold for Lily’s group. Regardless of the choice players made at the end of the previous episode events play out in a similar enough fashion that finds the pair left with very little resources as a massive amount of Walkers begin to flood the area, drawn both by James’ previous actions and the noise from the explosion. With little to rely on but her own wits and the help of a few others, Clementine must still try to survive and find her way home once more.
While the previous episode may not have suffered too much from the unstable situation the developers found themselves in it does come through a bit more in Take Us Back as the episode finds itself struggling to find a solid enough pace while trying to tie up loose ends. This primarily comes down to the fact that there are really only is one major decision to make this episode that also ends up betraying the fact that most of your previous handlings of AJ really don’t matter too much in the end. Witnessing the outcome of both choices shows that, outside of a few minor dialogue changes, how AJ ends up acting and the choices he ends up making on his own boil down to only a single choice by the player, rather than the culmination of a season which just ends up feeling a bit disappointing.
What isn’t disappointing are the stakes that constantly end up getting raised as players progress. While danger was always nipping at Clementine’s heels the tenacious nature of the final enemy and the zombies themselves lead to some intensely emotional sequences before culminating in an incredibly touching series of events that take place between Clementine and AJ. In fact there even is a flashback sequence that finally touches upon how exactly she managed to find him once again between season three and four, though the exact circumstances about what is happening there, as well as numerous other elements, are left vague.
Obviously the ending for such a long running series will leave players feeling a number of different emotions and it is difficult to really say just how someone should feel after everything is said and done. While there are still loose ends that were never tied up and the nature of the ending does end up being drawn out a bit more than it should, we do find a solid enough finale to Clementine’s journey here even if it may leave some feeling a bit unsatisfied by the time the credits roll.
Gameplay
Similar to past episodes players will be given quick time event sequences to survive against both the undead and living threats though it is worth noting that this time around the game is far less forgiving in some sequences so players will need to be on their toes to avoid getting killed. There are only a few real exploration sequences and if you have been gathering the various collectibles throughout the season there are bonus dialogue scenes and thoughts given by AJ after a certain point in the episode.
It is also nice to note that there is a different feeling once a certain shift occurs in the episode. Rather than making timed dialogue choices using the usual Telltale system players are instead given multiple options for dialogue and actions with a much more forgiving timer. Perhaps this is a sign of a difference to come should the development team continue with another series in the future or simply a shift between characters but it is a nice touch.
Visuals & Audio
The shift between studios seems to have at least settled in better this time around as Take Us Back manages to avoid any of the graphical glitches that plagued the previous episode and features a number of great looking sequences and detailed character models. This is especially true during a few of the more haunting sequences in the game involving a certain persistent enemy and the finale as well.
The soundtrack features a fairly standard set of tunes that players are familiar with but the real credit here goes to the voice actors. More than ever some of these sequences needed to shine through with strong performances and all of the voice work managed to do that splendidly.
Overall
It has been a long journey since Clementine made her way down from her tree house to save Lee but now her journey has come to a fairly solid ending. While the lack of a meaningful player choice throughout the season is a bit of a damper and many plot threads are left hanging, this at least is an ending that may never have happened and while everyone may take to the ending in a different way, it still packs an emotional punch.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Gust’s Atelier series first began back in 1997 and over the years numerous games of various types have been released for the series even if it took a few being exclusive to Japan before they started making their way West. Over the years many of these games feature a similar formula and only have a little bit in the way of crossover with other entries in the series outside of guest appearances. This time around Gust is trying something a bit new with the spin-off Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World. Featuring a different gameplay focus as well as characters from the series’ long history is this one fans will enjoy?
Story
After graduating at the top of her class Nelke von Lestamm, along with her maid Misty, have traveled to the village of Westwald to pursue her dream of discovering a powerful plant known as the Granzweit Tree that will grant it’s finder great powers. Nelke has always loved alchemy but unlike other game’s in the franchise, she has absolutely no talent so no matter how intelligent she might be, becoming a famous alchemist never happened to be in the cards for her. Despite this setback Nelke poured her heart into learning about economics, town management, and more in an effort to become a great aristocrat.
Since rumors have pointed towards the tree being near Westwald, Nelke offered to take control over the tiny village from her father, promising to turn it into a thriving city. With both her father’s expectations, the lives of her citizens, and her dreams on the line Nelke has a lot of challenge awaiting her but it isn’t long before numerous familiar faces appear and end up being more than willing to help since Nelke’s goals line up directly with their own.
Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World’s storyline is a bit of an odd thing this time around as it plays out in a far more linear manner due to the way story progression actually is handled by the ending of days and weeks. Now this is far from a bad thing as the narrative itself is enjoyable on its own but longtime fans of the franchise should be prepared for that. What really does help the game’s story shine also happens to be the characters that appear from throughout the franchise’s history.
While the new characters are treated well the real shine comes from seeing so many of everyone’s favorite alchemist’s and fighters in one place. Of course, outside of the core characters of Pamela and Hagel, some of the first characters introduced happen to be characters that Western fans likely won’t recognize as they come from games that were never localized but rather quickly players will begin to gather a massive number of characters spanning across every game in the series. One of the best aspects of the way Gust’s writers happened to handle this crossover is to fully embrace the fact that fans want to see these characters interact with one another.
Instead of simply speaking to Nelke or other characters in their series while ignoring everyone else almost all of these characters have chances to talk and interact with one another as you bring them along with your party, fulfill little missions for them, and interact with them during Nelke’s holidays. This creates an incredibly large and highly enjoyable number of scenes that fans of the franchise will just adore and these really help breath some extra life into an already solid enough storyline as fans never quite know who may appear or how each character will interact with one another, making for a great story that fully embraces the fact that it’s a crossover.
Gameplay
The biggest difference with Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World happens to be the fact that unlike other games in the franchise, this one happens to be more city building and management than anything else. As the leader of the town of Westwald Nelke is in charge of making sure everyone in the city is happy and that it continues to grow while she pursues her own dreams.
To do this players will find Nelke’s schedule split between weekdays and holidays where weekdays see Nelke having to manage the various aspects of the city, building various facilities such as areas that can produce various resources, ateliers for the numerous alchemists to work at and synthesize items, and of course shops to actually sell various items and earn a profit. Players can also craft various roadways that serve as a connection between all of the buildings as well as various cosmetic boosts to the city to pretty things up a bit and make the city your own. Things do get more complicated as the game progresses as the amount of requests from the residents and other aspects can add up after awhile and the need to properly assign the most skilled resident to fit a specific job does mean there is still some micromanagement involved here, especially when it comes to avoiding a shortage of certain ingredients or products, but this resource management tends to be the only major concern when it comes to making sure the city runs smoothly, making for a game that can feel a bit too simple at times when it comes to managing a city.
Holidays are where Nelke, and players, take a more hands-on approach to helping assist the city. Players are given a limited amount of action points for the day and can use these to interact with the various characters introduced at the time, raising their affection levels that unlock new character specific story scenes and possibly boosting their various stats as well, and head out into the wilderness with a team that can be handcrafted to bring along a player’s favorite characters should they desire. While out in the field players do not have direct control over the exploration as the party will simply walk through the path gathering items from harvest points and entering battles with enemies at random though it is possible to have the group speed things up and run, since moving through an area drains the player’s action point total, but a running team is unable to harvest various ingredients along the way.
After encountering enemies players will find their five player party entering a fairly simple style of combat where their party and the enemies take part in a turn based battle system. Players can have direct control over what actions Nelke and her friends make but the other alchemists and fighters end up working more as support fighters that will act automatically with a wide array of skills at their disposal. It is interesting to note that while players do have the ability to stack “Drive Points” that can be used to activate special skills, players will rarely need to actually worry about the challenge for these fights. The ease of these battles is even signified by the ability to turn fights into “auto” battles right away and have the computer assume complete control of the fight and, nearly without fail, win with little actual input from the player.
Visuals & Audio
Fans of the Atelier franchise will be happy to hear that while this game does branch out a bit from the norm it still retains the signature art style that everyone has fallen in love with. The character designs continue to be a strong point and seeing some characters that first debuted back on the PlayStation with new modernized designs are a real treat. The designs of the buildings and many of the environments you explore are also quite varied once you progress far enough in the game and players can still expect to see some flashy combat moves despite the toned down fighting mechanics.
As far as the voice work goes, the game only features the original Japanese voice track but this works incredibly well partly due to the fact that every returning character appears to have retained their original voice actor. The soundtrack features a satisfying mix of tracks that work well during the management scenes and dialogue sequences with an overall feeling of fitting in perfectly fine with what fans expect from the series.
Overall
Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World manages to tell an amazing crossover storyline that fans will appreciate due to how much Gust embraced that aspect of the story but be prepared for a title that ends up feeling a bit too easy for its own good. Managing and building up your city is a rather fun endeavor that grows more challenging at a satisfying pace but it is clear that the focus was spent on that rather than the JRPG style elements that have been merged in, as combat and exploration feel rather anemic in this entry.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
SKYBOUND
AND NMC STUDIOS’ VEHICULAR BATTLE ROYALE GAME notmycar NOW AVAILABLE ON STEAM
Grab an Exclusive Vehicle Paint Job
Today During Founders’ Week (April 5-12)
April
5, 2019 (LOS ANGELES, Calif.) –
From publisher Skybound Games and developer NMC Studios, the all-out automotive
battle royale game notmycar
is now available to play for free on Windows PC via Steam
Early Access! Players can grab a free exclusive custom paint job for notmycar’s one and
only pick-up truck of punishment – The Beast – by playing during Founders’
Week, going on today through April 12. Buckle up, buttercup!
Check out notmycar’s unique blend of high-octane motorsport and explosive competitive multiplayer action in today’s new gameplay trailer.
notmycar delivers total vehicular battle royale mayhem,
putting you on a massive island battleground where you’ll have to fight for
your life at breakneck speeds to outlast the competition and remain the last
car standing. Drop, drive and destroy with diesel-powered fury and an arsenal
of brutal weapons and abilities. You’ll need a skilled hand on the wheel and
the trigger to win the fast-paced, tire-burning chaos that is notmycar.
Game
Features:
Drop: Get
an instant shot of adrenaline as you freakin’ glide your car into each match.
Pick the best landing zone on a massive island battlefield that gets smaller
and smaller over time, driving your enemies right into your sights.
Drive:
Race across dangerous terrain to chase down targets and leave all rivals in
your dust. Customize your battle wagon to the nines so your worthless enemies
know fear as they spot you on the horizon. With a variety of flags, paint jobs
and more, you’ll make sure they remember exactly who blasted them into
oblivion.
Destroy:
It’s pedal-to-the-metal as you race to snatch the best weapons from caches all
over the island. Second place is the first loser, so show no mercy and fight
your way to the top of the junk heap to be the last car standing!
Get the latest news, updates, reminders and
exclusives for notmycar by
visiting www.notmycar.com
and following the game on Twitter.
About
Skybound Games
Skybound Games is a division of Skybound
Entertainment that publishes videogames and tabletop games, focusing on unique
and exceptional independently developed IP. Skybound Games expanded into the
videogames space in 2018, led by CEO Ian Howe. The current slate of games
includes Slime Rancher
by Monomi Park, The Long
Dark by Hinterland, Skullgirls
by Lab Zero Games, and Death’s
Gambit with Adult Swim Games and White Rabbit. Skybound Games also
took ownership of Telltale’s
The Walking Dead in October 2018.
Tabletop games include The Grimm Forest with
James Hudson and Druid City Games,
Pitchstorm with Ben Kepner, and Superfight
and Red Flags
with Jack Dire.
