AxE: Alliance vs
Empire Launches Worldwide Today Beginning a New Generation for Mobile MMORPGs
Nexon’s Revolutionary MMORPG Delivers a
Full-Featured, PC & Console-Quality Experience Built for Mobile Devices
EMERYVILLE,
Calif. – FEBRUARY 21 – Nexon has released AxE: Alliance vs Empire, a revolutionary new
massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) built from the ground
up for the mobile platform, to the App Store for iPhone and iPad and on Google
Play for Android devices. Players worldwide can now experience a
fully-featured MMORPG experience on-the-go, including an expansive storyline
and campaign, a massive evolving open world to explore, challenging cooperative
dungeons and raids and a variety of competitive player-vs-player (PVP) modes.
In celebration of launch, a special AxE starter kit will be available to all
players who download AxE for a limited time.
“Nexon RED
has tapped the power of modern mobile devices to provide a PC and
console-quality MMO experience in AxE featuring a breadth of single-player,
cooperative and competitive gameplay modes with an incredible amount of depth.”
said Tommy Lee, General Manager of NEXON M. “We’re excited to bring AxE to a
global audience of MMO gamers today and look forward to an exciting journey in
this unique fantasy world for years to come.”
AxE is set
in a sprawling fantasy universe where two warring factions, the Darkhaan
Empire, which fights for law and order and the Galanos Alliance, who battles
for self governance, clash to control the fate of the world. As players begin
their journey, they must align with one of the two factions. Once a side is
chosen, players can select from one of the three unique unique character
classes on each faction. Each character can be tailored to fit every play style
preference by using an arsenal of weapons, armor and special abilities.The
epic single player adventure of AxE finds players exploring a range of
vibrant open-world locations, where they will meet unique characters and
enemies and complete quests and objectives to earn powerful loot and equipment
to further level up and customize their characters.
Battles in AxE
offer a players a variety of real-time competitive modes, ranging from tactical
four vs four player matches, to the large-scale 75 vs 75 faction warfare
arriving to the game soon. Cooperative battles and raids give players a chance
to team up to take on powerful enemies and dungeon bosses. In AxE, rivalries
between players are taken to new heights with the Chase and Revenge feature,
giving them the ability to track and pursue enemy players in the game in
real-time. Players can also easily communicate and interact withfeature
robust social systems which include chat and team management, providing players
with the tools to strategize before every team battle.
Stay up to
date on game developments by liking AxE on Facebook:
NEXON Co.,
Ltd. (“Nexon”) (3659.TO) is a worldwide leader in free-to-play online and
mobile games. Founded in Korea in 1994, Nexon developed one of the world’s
first graphics-based massively multiplayer online games. Nexon also pioneered
the concept of microtransactions and the free-to-play business model, setting a
new standard in which play is free, and users have the option to purchase
in-game items to enhance their experience. Nexon currently services nearly 100
titles in more than 190 countries. The Company is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan
and its shares are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Drop into TERA x PLAYERUNKNOWN’S
BATTLEGROUNDS Collaboration on March 5
En Masse Entertainment,
a player-driven publisher focused on delivering great games and great service,
today announced TERA x PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS,
the latest crossover event for TERA, their flagship True Action
Combat MMORPG. This month-long collaboration will launch on March 5 for PC, the
PlayStation®4 and the Xbox One consoles.
TERA players can look forward to dropping-in and
engaging PUBG-style BAMs. Additionally, TERA x TERA x
PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS will bring the chance to earn and
unlock exclusive themed cosmetics and pets, and En Masse Entertainment will be
running daily login bonuses for the duration of the limited-time crossover.
With decorative jeeps
and planes littering the landscape around Highwatch, TERA players
will need to keep their eyes peeled for PUBG-themed consumables and air drops.
The collaboration will have TERA players traversing the map,
navigating dungeons, searching for vehicles, zeroing-in on BAMs, and flexing
their skills to bring home the chicken dinner.
Skybound Games and Lab Zero Games have announced that they will be releasing Skullgirls 2nd Encore for the Xbox One and Switch sometime during spring. The game will be released digitally on both platforms though a physical limited edition of the game for the Switch is being sold through the Skybound Shop where it will include a physical version of the game, a controller skin for the Switch, and an original soundtrack on a never before released 12″ vinyl record where it is priced at $49.99.
For those unfamiliar, Skullgirls was originally released back in 2012 and has seen numerous improvements and additions over the years into what has eventually turned into 2nd Encore and while this version of the game has been released on other platforms, this will mark the first time this version of the game will be available on both consoles.
STORY-DRIVEN RPG LYN: THE
LIGHTBRINGER OPENS REGISTRATION WORLDWIDE
Nexon teams up with famed
illustrator Jeong Juno (Lineage 2) to bring the stunning role-playing game
to iPhone and Android players worldwide
Seoul –
Feb. 20, 2019 –
Beautiful original art and mysterious heroes merge for a twisted journey in LYN:
The Lightbringer, the new story-driven role-playing game (RPG) from NEXON
Korea Corporation, subsidiary of NEXON Co., Ltd. (“Nexon”) (3659.TO), a
worldwide leader in free-to-play online and mobile games. LYN is
available for pre-registration today worldwide on Android and iPhone.
LYN: The
Lightbringer is a
collaboration between publisher Nexon and Jeong Juno, the acclaimed art
director of Lineage 2 at Pulsar Studios. LYN boasts a beautiful
cast of 3D-rendered models converted from two-dimensional characters, all
originally designed by Jeong himself. In this stunning RPG, players can explore
a diverse and action-packed world filled with epic stories and countless
collectable heroes. LYN: The Lightbringer delivers a myriad of in-game
features including:
Elegant Graphics – Jeong Juno’s gorgeous illustrations set the stage for riveting
gameplay and cinematic cutscenes;
Elevated Combat – LYN’s premiere chain-combo system allows for crisp control
and movement in battle. Players can challenge each other around the world
in dynamic, real-time online player vs. player (PvP) combat and epic Boss
Raids;
Intriguing Story – Jean and his ragtag band of heroes embark on a fateful, twisting
journey. Players can learn about the diverse worlds and backstories that
accompany each hero;
Explosive Game Modes – LYN offers a multitude of varying game modes for players
to explore and master, including:
Adventure Mode – Players can experience LYN’s epic main quest and write
history as the hero of the tale;
Rank Blitz Mode – Intense one-on-one battles challenge players to fight for
supremacy;
Boss Raids – Players can join forces with allies and work together to take
down powerful bosses;
Dragona Ruins – Daily dungeons are ready to be
explored for valuable in-game gold;
Altar of Heroes – Powerful heroes await combat to earn their loyalty in battle;
Time Rift – All the heroes in LYN: The Lightbringer have captivating
backstories for players to journey through.
The LYN:
The Lightbringer is now available for pre-registration worldwide for iPhone
and Android. Additional information for members of the press:
About NEXON Co. Ltd. NEXON Co., Ltd. (“Nexon”) (3659.TO) is a
worldwide leader in free-to-play online and mobile games. Founded in Korea in
1994, Nexon developed one of the world’s first graphics-based massively
multiplayer online games. Nexon also pioneered the concept of microtransactions
and the free-to-play business model, setting a new standard in which play is
free, and users have the option to purchase in-game items to enhance their
experience. Nexon currently services nearly 100 titles in more than 190 countries. The
Company is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and its shares are listed on the Tokyo
Stock Exchange.
In what is a bit of odd news it has been announced that The World Next Door, an indie game featuring visual novel style storytelling and puzzle battles, will be arriving on the Nintendo Switch and PC through multiple digital storefronts courtesy of Viz Media who, for the most part, has only handled releasing anime and manga in the past.
The World Next Door, when it is released on March 28th, will be priced at $14.99 and will follow the story of Jun, a rebellious teen, who finds herself trapped in the parallel world inhabited by magical beings. Developed by Rose City Games and featuring character designs by Lord Gris, the game will see players taking part in real time puzzle battles in a universe where the human realm and the magical world of Emrys are connected by portals. Check out a trailer and some screenshots below.
With Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice set to be released a little over a month from now, Activision has chosen to release a brief new trailer to show off a new boss enemy that players will encounter in the game named Lady Butterfly. While no actual combat from the fight is shown, we do get a decent look at the arena and a sampling of the boss fight music.
You can check out the short video below and be sure to keep an eye out for From Software’s latest action game when it is released on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC worldwide on March 22nd.
Today Koei Tecmo went into some new details regarding the gameplay in Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World. With players taking control of Nelke they will be tasked with building a brand new town where they must venture out into Westwald’s surrounding lands to find raw materials; perfect to entrust to one of the town’s alchemists to synthesize into sellable goods. An adventure party of up to five characters from throughout Atelier’s collection of fan-favorite games will be formed before setting off on an investigation route, with each party member having a role: Attack or Support. During an investigation, players will need to be mindful of the Action Gauge. Running through an area too fast will not only rapidly decrease the gauge, but there is risk of missing items and finishing the exploration with less rewards. The Action Gauge is also used for special Field Events where investigative teams will search for unique items critical to success, like a shovel.
Exploration does come with its fair share of danger, though. While venturing out on various investigative routes, players will encounter perilous foes which must be defeated in order to proceed. Utilizing a collection of different skills, players will whittle down the enemy’s HP bar during their time on the Turn Gauge. As attack and support skills are used, the Burst Gauge gradually fills, enabling characters to perform a more powerful ability, striking down enemies with a damaging blow, or using the new power to boost defense. In addition, each character will have their own Drive Gauge, a meter that will be filled from both attacks and the use of the Burst Gauge. Utilizing the Drive Gauge is of upmost importance as it enables members of the party to speed up their normal attacks.
With hundreds of properties to work with and a massive array of powers to choose from, the crossover potential for an anime/manga style fighting game is endless and Japan has capitalized on this fact many times in the past. The latest crossover of these series happens to be Jump Force with its focus being on Shonen Jump properties. With an odd stylistic art choice and bringing in over forty different characters from sixteen different series, Jump Force seems like it has potential but does it take advantage of it?
Story
Due to unknown forces the real world, has been merged with elements of various Jump (manga) worlds. With cities across the globe coming under attack from mysterious enemies known as Venom being led by numerous villains from popular series, the Jump Force has been organized to take them down and protect what is left of the world from falling into complete disarray. During a battle between Goku and Frieza in New York a random civilian is blasted with a stray energy blast and mortally wounded. With no other option, Trunks chooses to revive the civilian with a powerful “umbras cube” that not only brings them back to life but gives them powers that match those of the heroes and villains.
As such, the player takes on the role of this newly revived fighter who can be customized at will and learn a wide array of abilities but not quite all of them. Being recruited as the newest member of the force, the player must team up with the rest of the group to put a stop to the plans of two original characters and potentially put the world back to the way it once was. Now it is worth noting right off the bat that those who are looking for an interesting story or one with twists that you won’t see coming will be disappointed here.
Jump Force’s storyline plays things as safe as possible and the actual progression of the story also feels like a humdrum affair as you rescue various heroes and do battle against evil forces to move the story along. Even the various interactions that fans of the series’ could have hoped for are kept to something of a minimum as so many elements of the game’s story are kept so rigid that outside of exchanging some lines of dialogue, you won’t be seeing many funny crossover interactions which is highly disappointing in a game where seeing Light Yagami, Goku, and Kenshiro all in the same room would be ripe for interactions that just don’t exist.
Gameplay
Before getting into the fighting players will find themselves navigating a hub world. This area allows for interaction with various NPCs who can give you mission select screens, shops to purchase items, upgrade areas, and locations to partake in online and offline battles. Players control their create-a-character here and will be able to purchase various outfit pieces that allow them to change the look of their fighter, be it costumes from the various series or generic items, skills from unlocked fighters, and even ability enhancements that provide overall boosts to your character’s stats. It is worth noting that this area can be accessed either through online play where other players can be seen running around or offline if you want to stay in the game and not be disconnected when the terrible servers drop you from the lobby.
When entering into any battle players must select three different fighters for their team. Story missions will often relegate you to certain characters and limit your choices until some fighters are unlocked while free missions and the like will offer nearly the full roster right off the bat. Once you drop into a fight players must win two rounds while using a, generally, fast-paced feeling combat system. There are two strings of auto combos available in the form of quick and heavy attacks, guard breaking attacks that take time to charge, blocking, dodges that make use of the block button, and a dedicated grabbing button. There is even a dash button that will allow you to either quickly move in on a distant opponent or run away to avoid attacks or gain distance from a foe. There are also mechanics that allow for instant dodging or countering when blocking or attacking at the exact moment your opponent does as well as the ability to burn your entire movement gauge to escape a combo.
Outside of the standard fighting mechanics each character is equipped with four unique abilities that require the usage of the ability meter which is simple enough as it only requires holding RT and the chosen face button. One of these skills does require the player to use their “awakened” ability. As the player takes damages and dishes it out their Awakening Gauge will fill up and when it is at least half full it may be used to either Awaken and provide a status boost or unleash an instant fourth skill, an Awakened Ability. For many characters the Awakening is a full transformation, such as entering Super Saiyan form, equipping full armor, or something else that fits that character’s specific original storyline.
With over forty different playable fighters and a customizable one players will find that there are so many different play styles available here. Various characters will be stronger at long range while others can specialize in close quarters combat. In fact thanks to the wide-ranging skills there even some that provide various debuffs and buffs, deal damage over time to certain parts of the map, or even throw up walls to protect the player from incoming attacks. Along those same lines though it is extremely evident that attempting to actually balance these characters’ abilities was an afterthought, just like the enemy AI. There are a large number of abilities that are flat out better than others of the same category simply because the either track the opponent better or bust through a guard with ease. Some skills even take priority over others despite being used later, making for a highly unbalanced set of abilities. This unblockable and guard breaking abilities happen to play a factor into the aforementioned enemy AI as they generally are little more than turtles at higher difficulty levels.
When the opposing team simply guards non-stop until they are grabbed and thrown, hit with a guard buster, or an unblockable skill it turns what can occasionally be fast paced highly frantic looking action into a crawl. It doesn’t help that transitioning mid-combo into a special ability is about as complicated as the fighting system can be as not only do grabs phase right through blocking enemies if used after a combo leading to fights that often look more like beating down a wall than something one would expect from two teams of three fighters fighting one another. This part happens to be due to there being no reason to even swap characters in combat since every fighter on your team shares the same life bar, so be prepared to really only use them for an occasional assist attack or extending a standard combo a bit. Don’t get me wrong, when the combat in Jump Force actually works well it is a great spectacle thanks to the visual flourish of most moves and the fast-paced action that ends up becoming a fun core battling experience but be prepared for some waiting after every fight.
The reason for this happens to be the incredibly long load times that happen for literally everything in the game. Loading into the hub-world takes nearly a minute after completing a fight, a little over thirty seconds to load up the fighter selection screen, and then another minute to load up the stage. This often leads to load times of up to three minutes total simply to start a new battle. Even rematches against foes that defeated you require over thirty seconds of loading. Even cutscenes require more load time than they generally run for, but make sure you are paying attention as it is impossible to pause them. To make matters worse even customizing your character or even loading up a store in the hub can take up to twenty seconds so no place features a quick loading system outside of altering the character’s skills.
Visuals & Audio
Now anyone that has kept an eye on Jump Force has seen that Spike Chunsoft’s option of using Unreal Engine for the game has led to something of a unique pseudo-realistic design for the characters. This may work well for the environments in the game, of which there are a number of fun stages that show the great merging of real-life locations with signature Jump areas, and with the Awakened abilities that are absolutely glorious looking when used, but range from being decent to downright terrible looking when applied to the characters.
Character designs at least attempt to stay true to their original appearances but the transition to being more realistic have created some real monstrosities. While fighting these character models may not look too rough and the characters’ appearances changing when they are hit with massive attacks that show battle damage is a nice touch, but whenever you see them in cutscenes the true horror comes forth. To make matters worse, cutscenes will see character models jittering around randomly, having hair or pieces of clothing spinning wildly out of control, or flat out clipping into other character models in what ends up being some distressingly bad scenes.
The voice work for the game retains only the original Japanese voice work for the game, which is fitting considering the massive array of series the game pulls from, and with all of the original Japanese voice actors retaining their roles fans will be happy in that regard. The soundtrack is a bit of a mixed bag as there are unfortunately no tracks or themes used from any of the series in the game and instead we have a mixture of standard tunes used throughout battles and while walking the hub-world.
Overall
Jump Force is a very odd game. It takes the combination of numerous classic series and while fans of these Jump series may wonder why some characters are included over others, the roster is impressive in size and the massive array of abilities and their unique implementations in combat make for a variety of playstyles in what ends up being a fairly decent and enjoyable brawling experience. That being said, horrendous load times, poorly designed AI that slows the game’s pace down, and terribly handled visuals filled with glitches and flat out game crashes make this one that even hardcore anime and manga fans will likely want to pass up.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
NINTENDO ANNOUNCES TWO UPCOMING
TOURNAMENTS FOR NINTENDO SWITCH GAMES IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
Compete in Super
Smash Bros. Ultimate or Splatoon 2 for the chance to be crowned the champion
20th February, 2019 – Have you always wanted to participate in a video game
tournament? Nintendo has two upcoming tournaments for you! Starting in March,
Nintendo is hosting a series of online qualifying events for the Splatoon 2 and
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Australasian Open – two tournaments for two
competitive Nintendo Switch games. These open qualifiers will
determine who will compete in the Grand Final at Supanova Melbourne on April 6th
and 7th. There are multiple ways to play and participate, and
players of all experience levels are welcome. More details about these exciting
events can be found at Nintendo Australia’s
website.
To determine the first Australian
and New Zealand Super Smash Bros. Ultimate champions, individuals will battle
it out in Timed Stock matches with low items – including the powerful Smash
Ball, which can turn up at any time to seal an emphatic victory or give the
underdog a chance to turn the tables and snatch a win.
Australia and New Zealand’s
freshest Splatoon 2 squid squad (or octo-posse) will be
decided through Turf Wars and Ranked Battles, where strong teamwork and clever
strategy will be needed in heated four-on-four match-ups. Registered teams will
face off against each other in a best-of-three single elimination bracket.
The schedule for the online
qualifying events for both the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Splatoon 2
Australasian Open tournaments are below. Both tournaments will host qualifiers
across two weekends each in March, allowing players and teams two chances to
reach the Grand Final at Supanova Melbourne.
Super Smash
Bros. Ultimate
and Splatoon 2 are both currently available for
the Nintendo Switch system. Players who are interested in taking part in the
tournaments can head online now to start practicing; online play can be
accessed in both of these games with a Nintendo
Switch Online
membership. A free seven-day trial is available for non-members directly
through the Nintendo Switch system.
Compete to be the champion of
Australia and New Zealand in the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate or Splatoon 2
Australasian Open, with the exciting Grand Finals to take place at Supanova
Melbourne in April 2019.
DiRT RALLY 2.0™ CELEBRATES FORTHCOMING RELEASE
WITH NEW TRAILER
RISE TO THE CHALLENGE WHEN DiRT RALLY 2.0 HITS
SHELVES ON FEB. 26, 2019
Larkspur,
Calif. – Feb. 19, 2019 – Codemasters has today revealed the launch trailer for DiRT Rally 2.0™,
which releases on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One
family of devices including Xbox One X and Windows PC on Feb. 26, 2019. You can
view the new gameplay trailer on the official DiRT YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/dirtgame.
The new
trailer showcases the breadth of challenge on offer: from piloting legendary
rally cars through the fast and flowing mixed surfaces of Poland, to fighting
for first place in an FIA World Rallycross Championship supercar, to conquering
tricky weather conditions in the Porsche 911 RGT Rally Spec. With new features
including improved handling, stage degradation and tire choice, DiRT Rally 2.0
brings the most immersive and truly off-road racing experience ever.
DiRT Rally
2.0 is follow-up title to the critically and commercially acclaimed DiRT Rally®
– which after its hugely successful Early Access program on Steam, launched
fully on consoles and PC in April 2016.
Codemasters’
SVP Product Development, Clive Moody, said of the game: “DiRT Rally 2.0 builds
on the challenge thrown down by the original DiRT Rally and delivers the
toughest challenge in the DiRT franchise. The combination of enhanced handling
with each individual car and improved weather systems, alongside the new track
degradation, makes every stage feel completely different. Every corner in every
location has its own personality, requiring drivers to remain focused and
determined from start to finish. Aim for a clean stage, but failing that just
try to get to the end!”
In addition
to the content available at launch, Codemasters recently announced additional
content available through Season 1, starting on March 12:
Week 1: ŠKODA
Fabia Rally, Citroën C4 Rally
Week 3:
Monte Carlo Rally, Special Livery
Week 5:
BMW M1 Procar Rally, Opel Manta 400, Special Livery
Week 7:
Sweden Rally
Week 9:
Ford Focus RS Rally 2007, Subaru Impreza, Special Livery
Week 11:
Germany Rally
Players who
pre-order or buy the Deluxe Edition will receive this Season One content as
part of their purchase, plus Season Two which contains a similar level of
content and features as part of their Season Pass. Players who pre-order the
Deluxe Edition will also have early access to the game from Feb. 22, 2019. The
retail versions of the DiRT Rally 2.0 Day One Edition includes the stunning
Porsche 911 RGT Rally Spec along with early unlocks for the Fiat 131 Abarth
Rally and Alpine Renault A110 1600 S.
Day One or
Standard Edition players will have the opportunity to purchase each season and
piece of content separately from their digital store of choice.
DiRT Rally
2.0, including official licensed content of the FIA World Rallycross
Championship presented by Monster Energy, will launch on the PlayStation®4
computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox
One X and Windows PC on Feb. 26, 2019.
With more
news to come on the forthcoming release of DiRT Rally 2.0 you can keep up with
all the news and follow updates from the studio on Facebook and Twitter.
# # #
About
Codemasters Codemasters
(AIM:CDM) is an award winning British video game developer and publisher with
over 30 years of heritage. The company specializes in high quality racing games
including DiRT, GRID, ONRUSH and the BAFTA award-winning official F1® series of
videogames.
For more
information on Codemasters’ product portfolio, please visit www.codemasters.com. Join in the
conversation with @codemasters on Twitter or Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/codemasters.
All
copyrights or trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are
being used under license. Developed and published by Codemasters.
“PlayStation”,
“PLAYSTATION” and “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer
Entertainment Inc. Trademarks are property of their respective owners.
About
Deep Silver Deep Silver
develops and distributes interactive games for all platforms. The Deep Silver
label means to captivate all gamers who have a passion for thrilling gameplay
in exciting game worlds. Deep Silver works with its partners to achieve a
maximum of success while maintaining the highest possible quality, always
focusing on what the customer desires.
Deep Silver
has published more than 200 games since 2003, including its own brands like the
open world extravaganza Saints Row, the zombie action franchise Dead Island,
and the grim post-apocalyptic future of the Metro series. Deep Silver also owns
the development studios Deep Silver Dambuster Studios in Nottingham, UK; Deep
Silver Fishlabs in Hamburg, Germany, and Deep Silver Volition based in
Champaign, IL, USA. For more information please visit www.deepsilver.com
