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TWO-TIME ACADEMY AWARD® NOMINEE JACKI WEAVER TO STAR OPPOSITE NAOMI WATTS AND ANDREW LINCOLN IN “PENGUIN BLOOM”

Philip Federico
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TWO-TIME ACADEMY AWARD® NOMINEE JACKI WEAVER TO STAR OPPOSITE NAOMI WATTS AND ANDREW LINCOLN IN “PENGUIN BLOOM”

Rachel House, Leeanna Walsman and Lisa Hensley round out its supporting cast.

LOS ANGELES, CA (July 31, 2019) – Jacki Weaver (SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, ANIMAL KINGDOM), will star opposite Academy Award® nominated actress Naomi Watts (THE IMPOSSIBLE, 21 GRAMS) and Andrew Lincoln (THE WALKING DEAD, LOVE ACTUALLY), in PENGUIN BLOOM, the upcoming adaptation of Bradley Trevor Greive’s (BTG) and Cameron Bloom’s international bestseller.  The film, directed by Glendyn Ivin (THE CRY, SAFE HARBOR) and written by Shaun Grant (SNOWTOWN, BERLIN SYNDROME) and Harry Cripps (THE DRY), will commence production in August, in Sydney, Australia. Watts will also serve as producer alongside Emma Cooper and Made Up Stories’ Bruna Papandrea, Jodi Matterson and Steve Hutensky.

Weaver will portray Jan, the mother of Sam Bloom (Watts), in this incredible true story of a young family struggling to come to terms with a near-fatal accident that left Sam paralyzed. As they learn to adjust to her new situation, an unlikely ally entered their lives in the form of an injured Magpie chick. The family dubbed her ‘Penguin.’ Featuring the deeply personal images of photographer Cameron Bloom (Lincoln) and an inspiring narrative from BTG, the story is a reminder that angels come in all shapes and sizes.

Said Watts, “Having been a huge fan of Jacki’s for such a long time, it is beyond exciting to have her join our incredible cast to tell this heart-warming story.”

THOR: RAGNAROK star Rachel House, also joins the cast, playing Kiwi Kayak coach, Gaye Hatfield. Leeanna Walsman (7 TYPES OF AMBIGUITY) and Lisa Hensley (WONDERLAND) round out the supporting cast alongside Australian newcomers Griffin Murray-Johnston, Felix Cameron and Abe Clifford-Barr, after a nationwide search to find the Bloom children.

Cameron, Sam Bloom and BTG will also executive produce alongside Ricci Swart, Sonia Amoroso, George Kekeli and Meryl Metni.

PENGUIN BLOOM is a Made Up Stories production. Major production investment from Screen Australia. Financed with support from Create NSW. ANZ distribution by Roadshow. Endeavor Content is handling worldwide rights.

Weaver is known internationally for her performances in ANIMAL KINGDOM and SILVER LINING PLAYBOOK, which both earned her Oscar® nominations for Best Supporting Actress. She is currently portraying “Lillian” on the US drama series PERPETUAL GRACE, LTD and most recently completed filming on STAGE MOTHER and the forthcoming ZEROVILLE for James Franco.

In addition to currently portraying “Gretchen Carlson” in Showtime’s Roger Ailes saga, THE LOUDEST VOICE, two-time Oscar® nominee Watts will next be seen starring in LUCE and THE WOLF HOUR.  She is also currently shooting the prequel to GAME OF THRONES.  

Lincoln is best known to audiences for his roles in AMC’s highly-acclaimed series THE WALKING DEAD, LOVE ACTUALLYand the popular British television series TEACHERS. He will reprise his role as “Rick Grimes” in the forthcoming THE WALKING DEAD films. Lincoln is represented by CAA and Markham, Froggatt and Irwin and attorney Geoffry Oblath.

Originally from New Zealand, House rose to international fame after portraying “Paula” in the highly acclaimed HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE from director Taika Waititi. She most recently completed filming the Australian TV series STATELESS, opposite Cate Blanchett and the upcoming Australian feature BELLBIRD.

Penguin Bloom is available in Australia and New Zealand (via ABC Books), the UK (via Canongate Books), and in the USA and Canada it was published by Atria Books as Penguin the Magpie in April 2017.

Ten Percent of the book’s worldwide royalties are being donated to leading spinal cord injury research charities, including SpinalCure Australia, Wings for Life and the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.

www.penguinthemagpie.com  @penguinthemagpie  #penguinthemagpie  #penguinbloom

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NETMARBLE ERUPTS WITH NEW ‘DARK VOLCANO’ UPDATE FOR FISHING STRIKE

Philip Federico
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NETMARBLE ERUPTS WITH NEW ‘DARK VOLCANO’ UPDATE FOR FISHING STRIKE

All-New Legendary Angler, Fishing Sites, and Equipment Await Fish Hunters in Latest Update

LOS ANGELES – July 31, 2019 – Netmarble Corp.’s ambitious next-generation mobile fishing game Fishing Strike introduced a large update today that includes an all-new fishing zone, new characters and in-game fishing equipment for Fish Hunters to experience, collect, and meet.  

Starting today, players can dive into the Dark Volcano fishing zone, which boasts nine stages of fishing sites inspired by actual volcano mountains. These include Mount Pinatubo in The Philippines, Krakatoa in Indonesia, Mount Etna in Italy and Mauna Kea in Hawaii among others. Players can also look forward to 90 new types of fish from level 61~143, and the maximum level for Fishing Strike’sNo Limit Challenge is now extended from 108 to 126.

The new Legendary Angler ‘Yuri,’ is also available for Fish Hunters to partner with. ‘Yuri’ has a powerful freezing skill that is activated through magic. New fishing equipment, including the Golden Phoenix Set, Pink Dia Phoenix Set and the new Blaze Phoenix Boat was also added for players to collect in today’s update.

Fishing Strike offers a unique and hyper-realistic mobile fishing experience as players travel the globe and cast their lines in the hopes of collecting the best fish in the world. Fishing Strike is currently available worldwide and offers over 700 species of fish for players to catch, over 30 anglers to choose from, and nine different regions for Fish Hunters to explore. 

Fishing Strike is available on iOS and Android. For more information on Fishing Strike, please visit the website at https://www.facebook.com/fishingstrikeEn/.

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About Netmarble Corporation

Netmarble Corporation strives to entertain audiences of all ages around the world by providing great mobile gaming experiences. Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble is one of the fastest-growing mobile game companies and consistently ranks as a top mobile developer and publisher worldwide. With more than 6,000 employees, Netmarble has been producing and servicing some of the most successful mobile games including Lineage 2: Revolution, Blade & Soul Revolution, MARVEL Future Fight, Everybody’s Marble, and Seven Knights. As a parent company to Kabam, a top mobile game developer in massively multiplayer free-to-play games, and the largest shareholder to Jam City, a leading casual social game developer, Netmarble has a strategic partnership with CJ ENM Corporation, Asia’s largest entertainment company, Tencent Holdings, Asia’s largest internet company, and NCsoft, a prominent MMORPG company. More information can be found at http://company.netmarble.com.

London Detective Mysteria’sVictorian-Era Romance Available on Windows PC Now

Philip Federico
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London Detective Mysteria’sVictorian-Era Romance Available on Windows PC Now

XSEED Games Launches the Otome Visual Novel on Steam, GOG, and Humble

Torrance, Calif. – July 31, 2019 – XSEED Games, the independent-minded publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., today announced that London Detective Mysteria, the detective romance visual novel set in 19th century England, is now available for Windows PC via Steam, GOG.com, and The Humble Store by Humble Bundle for $29.99, €29.99, and £24.99. The game has a 10% launch week discount, and all copies include a bonus 92-page digital art book as a special “Thank you” to the fans for their support. The soundtrack containing 27 songs is offered separately for $19.99, €19.99, and £14.99, though a value bundle together with the game can be had for a 20% total discount when compared to purchasing the game and soundtrack separately. The title was previously released for the PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system on December 18, 2018 and is the first otome visual novel published by XSEED Games.

Originally released in Japan as Eikoku Tantei Mysteria: The Crown, in London Detective Mysteria players will solve cases as main protagonist Lady Whiteley, where the choices they make influence their detective rank and relationships with other characters. As Lady Whiteley, players will mingle with dashing detectives and debonair characters of questionable background while exploring the dark underbelly of Victorian-era London. The PC version will receive a number of improvements including support for multiple resolutions and language options, ensuring that the detailed character illustrations remain crisp to keep players immersed in the story as they learn more about the cast of characters while tracking their relationships with them in-game.

About London Detective Mysteria

Eschew the frivolities of 19th century London’s high society and instead delve into the curiosities that lie hidden in London’s darkest corners in London Detective Mysteria. Playing as the heiress of House Whiteley, players will name their own Lady Whiteley as they investigate mysteries of London and interact with personalities inspired by famous fictional characters including Detective Holmes, Jack the Ripper, and more. Take full control over the experience by adjusting text speed or even the individual speaking volumes of individual characters and their original Japanese voices. Players must choose their words carefully as they interact with other characters, as decisions made throughout the story will not only affect special rewards but will also shape whether Lady Whiteley finds love or something more sinister in the shadows of 19th century London.

London Detective Mysteria is available now digitally with a bonus 92-page digital art book for Windows PC via Steam, GOG.com, and The Humble Store by Humble Bundle for $29.99, €29.99, and £24.99 with a 10% launch week discount. The official soundtrack is sold separately for $19.99, €19.99, and £14.99, though a bundle with the game offers 20% savings when compared to purchasing the game and soundtrack separately. The title was previously released in North America and Europe on the PlayStation®Store for “PS Vita” system and is available for $29.99, €29.99, and £24.99 on December 18, 2018. More information can be foundon the official website at: http://www.ladymysteria.com. The title is rated “M for Mature” on the “PS Vita” by the ESRB. The PC version is not rated by the ESRB.

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

About XSEED Games:

XSEED Games is the independent-minded publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Marvelous Inc., which is a publicly traded company listed in the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Formed in 2004 and located in Torrance, California, XSEED Games publishes interactive entertainment content for PC and consoles from the Marvelous portfolio as well as from a wide variety of third-party partners. Whether it’s Marvelous properties such as STORY OF SEASONS (Bokujo Monogatari), SENRAN KAGURA, and Rune Factory, or third-party titles such as the Corpse Party, AKIBA’S TRIP, and The Legend of Heroes: Trails series, XSEED Games has grown its reputation among gamers with its critically acclaimed localizations and commitment to fans, remaining ever dedicated to its “indie spirit, player-first” approach.

The Blackout Club Review

Jamie Laike Tsui
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The Blackout Club Review

The Blackout Club

Developer: Question
Publisher: Question
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows (Reviewed)
Release Date: 30 July 2019
Price: $29.99 USD/$42.95 AUD – Available Here

Video Review

Overview

Something weird is going on in the town of Redacre. People are waking up covered in dirt. The teenagers in town have realized people are sleepwalking at night, working on some weird contraption in the tunnels that run under town. After the bravest member of The Blackout Club goes missing, the rest of the club takes it upon themselves to record evidence so they can expose the cult underneath the town.

Story

The Blackout Club has a decent amount of story for a multiplayer heavy title. The world itself is interesting, with new unlocked areas often creating more questions than answers. The lengthy tutorial does an excellent job setting the stage for the rest of the game. As players gain levels, short video clips, journal entries, dreams, and unlocked areas fill in the lore. The only issue is the pace of the lore. Between each match, players have the option of hearing a dream, which contains a previously recorded ritual conversation between a player and the voices. I am unsure if new lore is tied to experience gain or random chance, but it is a very slow trickle.

Gameplay

While listed as a horror game, The Blackout Club is more of a stealth title than true horror. Four players cooperate to complete a series of randomly generated goals. Actions like being spotted, attacking NPCs, and breaking in doors will cause NPCs to report the sin to the mysterious Shape. The Shape has an increasing chance to spawn as players generate sin. The Shape is a dangerous foe. The Shape is an invisible NPC that can only be seen if players close their eyes. Additionally, The Shape has better hearing and vision than other NPCs. If players are caught by The Shape, it will put them to sleep for the first two times. Players will lose control of their character and must rely on a teammate to wake them from their sleep. Get caught a third time and the character is dead for the rest of the match.

One of The Blackout Club’s most striking features is constant feeling of vulnerability. Since players take on the role of teenagers, they are smaller and weaker than the adults that roam around town. Without the help of specialized equipment, the best players can do is ambush the adult by jumping on their back and choking the adult out. This isn’t a permanent takedown, but it can buy players a few precious seconds to make a get away. Since the tranquilizer darts and sleep traps needed for permanent disable are so rare, The Blackout Club creates a tense atmosphere where players rightfully fear the enemy. The Shape spawning makes the game all the more intense, often forcing players to run for their lives.

There is a clear line of progression in the game. As players level up, they gain skill points that can be spent on minor and major skills. Minor skills will give small buffs like an extra set of lockpicks at the beginning of the game. Major skills are split into four different trees specializing in brawling, distraction, escaping, and reconnaissance. The skill trees cover every play style, and the abilities are well thought out. The only issue is the incredibly slow pace at which players level. The first few levels go by quick, but the levels start to feel like a real grind after level five. To make matter worse, players only get one skill point a level. Each skill requires a point more than the preceding skill.

The map design in The Blackout Club is excellent. Since players are supposed to be roaming around in their own neighbourhood, the map does not change night in and night out. Players don’t have a reference map on hand either. Instead, they are slowly taught the map as new sections are unlocked as players level. The map itself is an excellent mix of claustrophobic corridors and wide-open spaces. The objectives are randomly generated, providing the needed variety between missions. Each mission requires two to three steps and usually will have at a step above and below ground.

The game’s user experience is solid. The controls are simple and follow the traditional FPS layout. The UI is minimalistic and well organized. The only thing I would prefer to see is a better indication of what actions could be considered a sin and what is not. For the most part, red is used to represent actions that will generate sin, but noise alerts that generate sin are marked with yellow.

The Blackout Club is a lot of fun. It’s a tough game to play alone and is best enjoyed with at least a friend. It’s an intense game that offers plenty of heart stopping moments. The 1.0 release is still not perfect though. I’ve run into my fair share of bugs ranging from the benign to game stopping. The worst right now are the trees that are just the right height to get stuck in, which requires the match to be restarted to fix.

Visuals

The Blackout Club is a solid looking game. The art style is on the cartoony side with a splash of realism. The Maze is probably the most memorable part of the game’s visuals. It looks so foreign and out of place compared to the town that stand above ground. The red and white colour scheme is particularly striking.

Audio

The audio experience in The Blackout Club is enjoyable. The sound effects are good. The audio engine and sound design creates the right atmosphere for a stealth game, allowing players precious seconds to prepare for incoming enemies. The voice acting is excellent, but the game could use a few extra lines.

Overall

The Blackout Club is an excellent cooperative stealth game that splashes in a little bit of horror to spice things up. While it is still plagued by some minor bugs, it’s a fantastically tense experience that fans of first person stealth games will enjoy.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Maneater Developer Diary #1 Released

Travis Bruno
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Maneater Developer Diary #1 Released

Usually “Shark Week” is filled with little news stories advertising local aquariums, documentaries, and marathons of Jaws, but now a video game has taken this time and made it their own by not only releasing the first developer diary showing off their open world shark RPG but also launching the game for pre-order on PC through the Epic Game Store for Maneater.

Those who pre-order Maneater from now until Monday August 5th will receive a $5 discount thanks to Shark Week. The video, found below, gives us some insight behind the development of the game as well as an explanation of how players will be able to help grow their sharks’ various abilities to become an even stronger killing machine.

Senran Kagura: Peach Ball Launches on PC on August 14

Travis Bruno
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Senran Kagura: Peach Ball Launches on PC on August 14

Although Senran Kagura: Peach Ball released on Switch earlier this month XSEED Games was planning a PC release of the game and now we know when that will be happening. The company has announced that Senran Kagura: Peach Ball will be releasing on PC through Steam on August 14th where it will be priced at $39.99/£35.99/€39.99.

For those unaware of what happens in this pinball game, Haruka, the mad scientist of Homura’s Crimson Squad, is up to her usual experiments again, brewing up mysterious concoctions with unknown effects. Unfortunately for her fellow shinobi, she’s chosen the local arcade she works at as her laboratory, storing her experiments in the bathroom.

After an accidental outbreak infects five of her shinobi friends, she learns that her latest concoction can transform those exposed it into animals, at least mentally.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. Now all Haruka needs is a skilled assistant to operate the table, bopping each shinobi girl with the ball until she comes around.

Borderlands 3 Introduces Zane in New Trailer

Travis Bruno
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Borderlands 3 Introduces Zane in New Trailer

Gearbox and 2K have started what will likely be a series of character introduction trailers for the playable characters in Borderlands 3 and the first character they are starting with happens to be Zane the Operative. He is described as the game’s resident tech expert, with an ingenious gadget at the ready for any life-or-death situation. Zane can equip two Action Skills at once, though choosing to do so will replace his ability to toss grenades.

To help you decide if Zane is the right Vault Hunter for you, here’s a brief overview of his three skill trees: Doubled Agent, Hitman, and Under Cover. As seen in the video, Zane’s “Digi-Clone” unique ability allows him to have two Action Skills at the same time while Double Agent can provide bonus damage while these skills are in use. You can find the video below and keep an eye out for Borderlands 3 when it is released on September 13th for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Persona 5 Royal Introduces Morgana

Travis Bruno
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Persona 5 Royal Introduces Morgana

Out of all of the Persona 5 Royal characters who could possibly forget about Morgana, the “second-in-command,” motor vehicle, and bedtime reminder of the Phantom Thieves. This latest trailer from Atlus for the game focuses on showing off a number of new scenes where Morgana interacts with various members of the cast, including a closing scene featuring Ann, and rather than a pair up attack, this time we get a brief look at his new Persona form, Diego.

Currently Persona 5 Royal is set to be released in Japan on October 31st for the PlayStation 4 and has already been confirmed for Western release sometime in 2020.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood Review

Admir Brkic
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Wolfenstein: Youngblood Review

Wolfenstein: Youngblood

Developer: Machine Games, Arkane Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Switch, Xbox One, Windows (Reviewed)
Release Date: 25 Jul 2019
Price: $29,99USD – Available Here $69.95AUD – Available Here

Overview

Wolfenstein games do a marvelous job with toeing the line of serious ad campy. On one hand, you have a game that’s not drawing anything from fantasy, but history and reminds us of the atrocities of war. On the other, it does not shy away to venture into occult and paranormal. To be fair, that also draws a bit from history considering that there are still a bunch of theories and folk tales involving Nazis and the occult. But I am digressing. The latest Wolfenstein entry gives us more weapons, more Nazis to shoot at and more gameplay features. Some good, some…….questionable.

Story

The story continues quite a bit after the ending of Wolfenstein: The New Colossus. The protagonist of all the previous games, BJ Blazkowicz has disappeared from the face of the earth and it’s up to his daughters to find him. Wait, what?! Yep, remember the pregnant Anya from the previous game? Well, she is slightly less pregnant now and a proud mother of twins. When I said that quite a bit of time has passed, I meant that the two Blazkowicz girls are now old enough to dual wield guns, bury knives and hatchets into the Nazi skulls and dig out some answers (occasionally brain bits as well).

Gameplay

With the story addition of introducing two new protagonists, there is also a gameplay addition of playing in co-op. The host usually takes the role of Jessica, while the other player is Sophie. This time, armored enemies tend to have a weak spot on their backs so the winning strategy most of the time is for one player to draw the attention of the enemy, while the other tries to get behind him for massive damage. Of course, it is a tactic that can be best performed in co-op since you can’t really rely on something like that while playing with an AI. There is also something called pep signal. It is a character rechargeable ability that you use when things get tough to either heal, buff up some armor, become invulnerable for a short while or deal double damage for a bit. One can also be chosen for Sophie. The weapon repertoire is decent (especially once you get the skill to use heavy weapons from super soldiers) and they are upgraded with silver coins that you find while exploring the streets of Paris. Speaking of exploring, one of the best news about Wolfenstein: Youngblood is that the Machine Games is now joined by Arkane Studios. Yes, that Arkane. One of my favorite things about Dishonored games and Prey was the marvelous level design by Arkane. I’m happy to inform that the level design in Wolfenstein: Youngblood is at the same level of quality. While the mission objectives will give you straight info on where to go and how, there is a lot more waiting to be discovered if you stray away from the usual path. Secret entrances, silver coins, secret rooms and so on. Now, let’s talk about those questionable features. At this point, you might have assumed that the game would be slightly easier thanks to the co-op. Two protagonists are stronger than one, no? Not really. To “balance” that, in a bizarre turn of events, enemies now have levels and health bars. Obviously, you can also gain levels by doing the main story and side quests, but it doesn’t change the fact that almost all enemies are now bullet sponges. And don’t you even dare to try to complete the game by following nothing but the story missions. No can do, some grinding and side questing is mandatory unless you want to deal with over-leveled opponents that can kill you in one hit. Fun. Every time you level up, you get a permanent 2% damage on your character which makes a difference after a dozen levels or so. It is also advisable to upgrade your weapons with new parts (that you can buy with silver coins). There is also something called gold bars, a currency that can be bought with real money but thankfully, those are only limited to cosmetics right now. There is one question that I haven’t found an answer for: just why? Seriously, who asked for this? In a really horrid way, the decision is understandable, since the main campaign is incredibly short (4 hours at most) and grinding and RPG mechanics are there to artificially boost the length of the game. On top of that, Wolfenstein: Youngblood features one of the most juvenile and over the top characters in a video game.

Visuals

After that rant, let’s go back to some good stuff. The visuals. The game looks amazing even on medium settings and again, thanks to Arkane Studios level design never feels anything close to generic or boring. The lightning is great, interiors look good (say what you want about Nazis, but they sure loved cleanliness) and power suits on Sophie and Jess are incredibly detailed.

Audio

First promo trailers featured tunes from Carpenter Brut which was positively surprising. I was under the impression that synthwave would play a big part in Wolfenstein: Youngblood soundtrack but alas, it left me wanting more. After three games or so, the music does feel fresh this time around. It just feels like there should be way more of it. There were plenty of times where I roamed the streets of Paris followed by absolute silence and occasional gunshots. At least the sound design is as good as ever, weapons feel and sound different depending on where you shoot (outside or indoors) and sometimes it’s just fun to lurk behind a corner and listen to Nazis talk about their daily lives before you throw a hatchet at them.

Overall

On the surface, Wolfenstein: Youngblood seems like a decent game. It looks good, has a bunch of new stuff but unfortunately, in that bunch, there is a thing or two that nobody asked for. Funny thing is, I would even be ok with a significantly shorter game after you remove all the grinding bits. Right now, we have a mixed product where half of the time playing it feels super fun and half of the time it feels like a chore. Bethesda, take my advice for the next time, work more on writing the story instead of prolonging the already short one with cheap gameplay gimmicks that nobody asked for.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Blair Witch Gameplay Video

Travis Bruno
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Blair Witch Gameplay Video

It came as a surprise that a Blair Witch game was in the works from Bloober Team and now we have a brief look at how the game will play in first-person as they have released an official gameplay trailer with a nice sampling of horror.

This video, found below, gives us a brief look at exploration, some combat, environmental interactions, the commands players can give their dog companion Bullet, and of course some horror scenes.Currently Blair Witch is set to be released on the Xbox One and PC on August 30th and will be available as part of Xbox Game Pass.

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