Just when you thought In the House might pass Event cinemas this year, they go and put out their new line up for this year! We’re big fans of the cult classic film screening series and we’re very glad to see them make another return to give modern audiences a chance to see these films up on the big screen.
This new season has a couple of old favourites (which we’ve reviewed) and quite a few new ones. We’re particularly keen to see Heathers and First Blood up on the big screen. You can see the new line-up here:
Be aware that the screenings are now only on Mondays but they have kept the cheaper tickets for students for those of you who are film buffs but also yet to enter the work force. The Movie Nerds, Ryan and Draz, will continue hosting the screenings and we look forward to catching up with them too.
You can find tickets for all their film screenings here and read more about our film opinions here.
For many, Japanese visual novels tend to be a genre that can be hit or miss. This is primarily due to the fact that there are so many out there and until about five or six years ago the titles that were translated into English only fell into the adult category. That has since changed and now numerous classic visual novels have been given official English releases with the Science Adventure series containing the Steins;Gate games being seen as some of the best. Now after a console release Chaos;Child has made its way to PC. Being part of a franchise that hasn’t been entirely translated and the sequel to a game that was never officially released in English outside of an anime adaptation may put Chaos;Child as a tough start but does it turn out to be worth your time?
Story
Now it is worth noting that Chaos;Child is a sequel to Chaos;Head but playing this first game is not necessary to actually enjoy the experience here. There are references and discussions relating to the events that occurred during the first title but Chaos;Child does a swell enough job of explaining events that you will not feel like you are missing out. That being said, watching the anime adaptation of the prequel Chaos;Head will indeed make things more confusing than it is worth due to the poor handling of the main route and storytelling in said adaptation, leaving players best left to sticking to Chaos;Child’s description of events than anything else.
To avoid spoiling too much about the game it is worth noting that we will avoid going into too much detail regarding specific events outside of the core driving event. Chaos;Child begins six years after the events of the previous game where an “earthquake” devastated the entire city of Shibuya. Survivors of the earthquake saw the city be rebuilt in almost record time and Takuru Miyashiro, the president of the newspaper club at Hekiho Academy just so happens to be one of these survivors alongside the rest of his club members.
Takuru is more than a bit of an odd one as he places people into either being “right-siders” or “wrong-siders” and the oddly used “normals” rather than the term generally used in that regard. His inquisitive nature has led him to take an intense interest in a series of odd deaths that not only have mysterious circumstances but also line up with the same dates of the New Generation Madness murders that occured before the earthquake. The point of view of the story does shift around a bit from character to character but for the most part players will be seeing through Takuru’s eyes as he and the rest of the characters begin to look into the events surrounding these murders only to find numerous mysterious twists and mind-bending events awaiting them that we won’t spoil here but will say is incredibly worth experiencing.
Now it is worth saying that while Chaos;Child may not feature any “adult” content that this isn’t really a game for those who are afraid of a gory deaths. The murders and states of corpses are gone into extensive detail while playing through the game and can be a bit unsettling for those who aren’t prepared for it. Also players shouldn’t really expect a greatly paced game here as this visual novel loves to deliver big story events and then spend a lot of time focusing on the characters’ lives as they try to cope with their past and the events they’ve been witnessing. This does make for some sections of the game that can drag a bit but these don’t really drag the game down much.
Chaos;Child does feature multiple endings and it is interesting to note that the first ending players will get will not be the true ending. In fact until the first playthrough is completed there isn’t really much to be done that will change the outcome of the story, only in subsequent playthroughs can players aim towards trying to follow a certain storyline path and completing the game again and eventually heading towards the true ending once you see each individual storyline for the heroines in the game. This does mean that this is a very lengthy visual novel but also it happens to be one that will keep you hooked especially with the delusion trigger system.
Gameplay
From time to time when playing through the story players will be given access to the Delusion Trigger system that will allow them to change how Takuru will end up seeing a situation. Players are able to either see a Positive or Negative delusion ro choose not to have any delusion at all. Depending on what is going on these scenes may range from being something comedic in nature to something incredibly disturbing. These delusions work similar to the choice system in other visual novels as these will send players down different story routes in later playthroughs.
One thing that players will find neat about the game is the fact that the “TIPS” system will go into quite a bit of detail about the various terms players read through the game. Some of these are just fictional items that players can look back into if they forget what they meant while others explain various pieces of internet slang that even longtime users may not even recognize.
As far as the localization effort goes, Chaos;Child has been translated quite well for the most part. The only noticeable issues players will encounter are some untranslated icon text during some of the computer scenes and during the puzzle map sequences as well as a few more annoying spelling issues and word usage making for a few odd sounding sentences. This latter issue pops up far more frequently then one would expect but doesn’t really hamper the story in any way.
Visuals & Audio
The artwork in Chaos;Child is very cleanly handled with a standard looking style for the core cast of characters though the majority of the side characters are given no portraits at all. There are quite a few CGs in the game that are handled very well artistically and while the game may be rather graphic when it comes to describing certain events the actual CGs tend to rarely go to the same lengths. That being said be prepared for at least some gore and murdered corpses being shown here.
The audio tracks are fairly standard for a visual novel such as this though the voice work is where the game truly shines. Not only are all side and background characters fully voiced but the core cast of characters are all handled greatly by their Japanese voice actors, truly drawing the most emotion out of the more suspenseful scenes.
Overall
Chaos;Child may feel like a slow burn at times thanks to its length and pacing issues but it does feature a core cast of characters that interesting are interesting in their own right but the mysteries and twists that are unveiled throughout the game provide an incredibly interesting storyline that will keep players pushing through even it if means playing through the game multiple times just to see how it ends
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
CD Projekt Red teams up with Capcom and the collaboration brings Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher into Monster Hunter: World. In a special contract you can go on the hunt to deal with a powerful creaturve named Leshen. Of course you can make use of the arsenal and abilities from Geralt. This includes for example his silver sword and combat magic.
Additionally you can show your skills in a challenging multiplayer event against an even more dangerous enemy. The ‘Contract: Woodland Spirit’ will only be available for a limited time, until March 1st, 00:59 AM CET.
If you defeat Leshen and the Woodland Spirit, you’ll earn unique, Witcher-themed items, which allow you to craft Geralt’s and Ciri’s armor and weapon sets.
The Monster Hunter: World x The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt crossover is available as a free update forMonster Hunter: World. Currently you can download it on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The content will be coming to PC at a later date.
Fans of Stephen King rejoice. Paramount Pictures have released a brand new trailer and poster for the upcoming supernatural horror film Pet Sematary, based on Stephen King’s 1983 novel of the same name.
The film, directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer, stars Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz and John Lithgow, and follows Dr. Louis Creed who discovers a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near the family’s new home. When tragedy strikes, Louis turns to his unusual neighbour, Jud Crandall, setting off a perilous chain reaction that unleashes an unfathomable evil with horrific consequences.
The trailer features some very creepy looking children in animal masks, with some very tense horror action that audiences have come to expect from Stephen King, writer of It and The Shining.The trailer gives away some elements of the plot, which have been received with mixed reviews from Stephen King fans across Twitter and other social media platforms.
Regardless, Pet Sematarylooks set to scare audiences when it enters theatres April 4, 2019.
Besides playing video games, writing about them and saving the world (also in them), I do have other special talents. One of them is my love for cooking. Playing Re-Legion reminded me of my early days of cooking where I’d try to replicate some grand dish but whether for my lack of skill (at the time) or some other mishap, it rarely turned out to be exactly how I wanted. I’d do everything by the book but somehow things weren’t the same. Re-Legion is a good example of having all the right ingredients, following all the standards for an RTS game and yet….things just don’t work.
Story
The year is 2184. Everything is filled with electronics and robotics and despite all the advancements, things are pretty bleak. People are living day by day in their miserable existence, being paid the bare minimum for their work and having no hope for the future (sounds like Amazon opened their headquarters pretty much everywhere by that point). You are Elion, our famed protagonist that decides to take the matters in his hands and lead everyone into a brighter tomorrow. And what better way to gather a large number of followers in such a short while than by starting a religion (since Twitter doesn’t exist anymore). So the goal is simple – get as many followers as you can, destroy the corporations and stomp on many robot heads as possible and hopefully a new era of prosperity and decent living wage awaits us.
Gameplay
Re-Legion is a simple RTS at its core. Elion can get regular citizens to his side by clicking on them (conversing with them) and in a few seconds, they are ready for your every command. Random citizens are pretty much everywhere, just mindlessly walking around so if you ever lose anyone from deadly robots, you can just look around and convert a new one. As you go through missions, you gain more abilities (such as buffing and healing your followers) and different units to control but most tasks are pretty repetitive. Break into an enemy stronghold, hack this or that or kill certain enemies. Following these short quests will eventually result in an abrupt mission/level complete screen and it all gives you an impression that all of those are randomly generated (they’re not, though). One of the main issues is the followers AI (and enemy AI while we’re at it). They will often take suicidal routes to the objective, focus on another enemy while one is shooting them point blank. The enemies are not strangers to this “feature” as well. I’d often see them getting stuck on the edges of building and city walls, hopelessly running in place trying to get to me.
Visuals
To be honest, it’s not like I expected much from an indie game in terms of visuals but some stuff could have used a double pass. It’s not unusual to see jagged edges of objects while zooming in. I have to give credit where credit is due since the game does have some unique aesthetic. The mixture of cyberpunk and hopelessness is shown rather well and it’s emphasized by an overall narrative of the game.
Audio
Re-Legion has some catchy synthwave and vaporwave tunes and it’s a selling point if we’re talking about the music background, but the voice acting could definitely use some polish. Sometimes it’s brought far into the focus, feeling like everyone is speaking through a tin can. Our protagonist is supposed to be this charismatic leader with a stern voice but the reality couldn’t be farther from that. His heart and mind is in the right place, but not the voice as well.
Overall
While Re-Legion is something that I wouldn’t write off completely, I would recommend it to only hardcore RTS fans. The RTS repertoire is kinda slim at the moment, so Re-Legion is cornering the market for the time being. I plan to revisit it at some point but at the current stage, understand that you’re going for a barebones and raw RTS experience.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Activision and FromSoftware released a brand new trailer for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The trailer introduces viewers to the end of the Sengoku era in Japan. Several groups are locked in an extended war for control over Japan.
After a battle, Owl finds a child who has survived the battlefield. Named Sekiro, Owl takes him on as an apprentice, teaching him how to become a shinobi. Years later, Sekiro loses his arm on the battlefield and his master is kidnapped. The game follows Sekiro’s bloody quest to rescue his master and take vengeance upon the kidnappers, the brutal Ashina clan.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an action-adventure game combining stealth, vertical parkour, and head to head melee combat. The game is coming to PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on March 22nd.
Sony and Bend Studio have released a three part series introducing viewers to the world of Days Gone. In the game, players take on the role of Deacon St. John, a drifter and bounty hunter wandering the open roads of Oregon’s High Desert on his beloved motorcycle.
The first video “Farewell Wilderness” takes viewers to Oregon’s forests. Nature is slowly overtaking the roads humans have carved into the wilderness, making for some exciting off-road biking. There are six distinct biomes in Days Gone. Within the wilderness are hordes of zombie like Freakers and bandits that will force St. John to use all the tools at his disposal. Players will be able to use a combination of stealth, melee, and ranged weapons to overcome the enemy.
The second video entitled “Broken Road” focuses on St. John’s beloved drifter motorcycle. A variety of upgrades are available for the bike, making it grow in strength and power alongside the player. An upgraded bike will allow players to catch up with bounties and carry more ammunition. Gas is limited, so players will either need to plan their trips carefully or risk sneaking into bandit camps to steal gas. Players will only have access to the one bike, forcing them to take good care of it or face the prospect of making field repairs with a horde of Freakers closing in.
The final video is “Fighting to Survive.” The first part teaches players about the zombie like Freakers. Often found in groups, the Freakers are very much like animals: eating, drinking, and migrating as needed. There are several types of Freakers, from the basic Swarmers to the terrifying Breakers. The video also shows off the variety of weapons and skills available.
Killer Queen Black’s PC Version Available First
On the Discord Store in Q3 2019
Cross-Platform Play and Chat, Powerglove
Performing Main Theme, New Trailer
CHICAGO — 8 Feb. 2019 —Killer Queen
Black, the strategic
eight-player arcade action platformer from Liquid Bit and BumbleBear Games, will fly First on Discord for the PC release in Q3 2019, and
simultaneously release on Nintendo Switch.
For the first 90 days after launch, PC gamers can download Killer Queen Black exclusively from the Discord store. With day-one cross-platform play and chat, friends can bumble-brawl together no matter what they are playing on.
The Glam Rock-inspired
16-bit art-style will require some rocking new tunes, so instrumental power
metal cover band Powerglove will
provide the theme and end-of-level stingers. Check out the game’s brand-new second trailer for a
taste!
Battle for the hive in
two teams of four — one Queen, and three Workers. Coordination and adaptability
are the keys to dominating opponents. The Queen enters the fray armed with a
stinger she can use to both attack the other team and defend herself, as she’s
the only Bee with limited lives. Her heightened maneuverability and wings help
her cross the battlefield quickly and tag power-up gates on the map, claiming
them for her team.
But what’s a Queen
without her loyal subjects? Workers excel in adaptability, making them
essential for game-winning objectives. While initially defenseless, by grabbing
a berry and taking it to the gates, Workers can boost their speed, become
Soldiers, wielding maces, swords, shields, and laser rifles, or even do both
and transform into deadly-quick aggressors. Choose whichever form helps the
team pursue one of three different types of victories.
Economic Victories task
Workers with collecting berries on the battlefield and bringing them back to
their home base. Prefer a more aggressive style of play? Slay the opposing
team’s Queen three times with either a Queen or a Soldier to earn a Military Victory.
Finally, one snail waits in the middle of each map. Slowly ride it back to base
and secure a Snail Victory. Win three times, and the game’s over. Ascend the
ranks and there’s a chance to become the dreaded Black team.
Any given time there is
one Black team playing in the world, clad in special, glowing outfits. Once
dethroned by up-and-comers, the usurpers become the new Black team. These
nail-biting competitions will be broadcasted at all times, making the ultimate
team a coveted, constantly-shifting goal.
“Killer Queen
Black launching for PC on the Discord store is a perfect fit,” said Matt
Tesch, co-founder of Liquid Bit. ”Discord’s focus on community and
communication reflects the core tenets of our game, and we hope to see everyone
on the battlefield later this year.”
Killer Queen Black will be available digitally Q3 2019 in English.
There will also be a Switch physical edition.
To learn more, please
visit the game’s official site, or follow the game on Twitter.
About Liquid Bit
The Chicago-based Liquid
Bit is a group of builders, dreamers, designers, and developers striving to
earn emotional reactions with their games. The team’s name was inspired by
Bruce Lee’s admiration for the fluidity of water. Liquid Bit wants to harness
this concept of “being like water” to online gaming and networking in any
configuration and platform to bring joy to its players.
To learn more about
Liquid Bit please visit the studio’s official
website.
About BumbleBear Games
BumbleBear makes games
for smart people to play together in public spaces. Its “platform”, the New
Arcade, is a blend of digital and physical worlds through arcade cabinets,
installations, and VR. The team is based in Brooklyn, NY.
KOEI TECMO EUROPE REVEALS WESTERN RELEASE DATE FOR ATELIER LULUA: THE SCION OF ARLAND
Use The Power of Alchemy to Uncover An
Ancient Text and Discover the Hidden Truth of Arland
Sydney, 8th February 2019 – KOEI TECMO Europe
today revealed that the latest entry in GUST Studio’s cherished Atelier
franchise, Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland, will release for
the Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment
system, and Windows PC via Steam® on the 24th May 2019
across Australia. Atelier Lulua continues the story of the
fan-favourite Arland trilogy, set several years after the 2012 release of Atelier
Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland.
Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland invites
players to assume the role of Elmerulia “Lulua” Fryxel, a young aspiring
alchemist training under former student turned mentor, Piana. Lulua studies
diligently to fulfil her dream of becoming a great alchemist just like her
mother, Rorolina Frixell; but during her training Lulua discovers a mysterious
Codex, awakening an ancient power within her that enables Lulua to decrypt but
a single page – with many more riddles for her to unravel. Players will be
tasked with performing actions focused around the core Atelier series gameplay
– Gathering, Battle, and Synthesis – to allow them to decipher more of the
text, as well as learn exciting new types of alchemy.
Lulua sets off to Arland in the hopes that she can
improve her powers and uncover the riddles of the Codex. When she arrives, she
learns that her mother’s atelier shop has been forced to close, and relying on
the help of the codex Lulua works hard to save the shop before it’s too late.
The first steps into her new adventure are filled with excitement, but little
does Lulua know that Arland is home to many mysteries yet to be awoken.
On their journey, players will meet a compelling
cast of companions, with some familiar faces joining the line-up, including:
the most renowned alchemist and mother of Lulua, Rorolina Frixell; the
ex-apprentice of Rorona and influential alchemist, Totooria Helmold; keen
adventurer and private guardian of Totori, Mimi Houllier Von Schwarzlang; and
former knight turned chief of the ‘Guardian Force’, Sterkenburg Cranach.
KOEI TECMO Europe released a fresh batch of assets today
featuring the heart-warming
new trailer, the cryptic Codex, dynamic cast of characters,
and some of the beautiful environments Lulua will be able to explore.
With more
information for Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland set to be
revealed in the coming weeks, be sure to check out our official website http://www.ateliergames.eu/lulua/, Like us on www.facebook.com/ateliergames and Follow us
on Twitter @koeitecmoeurope for all the latest details.
ABOUT
KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD.
KOEI
TECMO EUROPE LTD. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for
current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in
Letchworth, Hertfordshire, UK. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI
TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI TECMO’s best
known for their signature ‘one versus thousands’ Warriors series, the
fan-favourite Ninja Gaiden and fighting entertainment title Dead or Alive.
Through collaboration with strong existing franchises, such as A.O.T. Wings of
Freedom (Attack on Titan), has brought fan-favourite shows to life in video
game form. The company’s desire for innovation and diversity has seen the
creation of the critically acclaimed dark-samurai action title Nioh, which
takes on new and unique gameplay styles. The company’s acquisition of GUST,
developer of a variety of heart-warming titles, has seen their flagship Atelier
series span generations of consoles and fans alike. More information about KOEI
TECMO EUROPE LTD and its products can be found at www.koeitecmoeurope.com
2064: Read Only Memories INTEGRAL Now
Brightening AU, NZ Nintendo Switch eShop
SAN FRANCISCO – 8 Feb.
2019 –2064: Read Only Memories
INTEGRAL, the cyberpunk narrative adventure from MidBoss with more than
200,000 copies sold across PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, tracks down the AU
and NZ Nintendo Switch eShop today.
2064: Read Only Memories INTEGRAL brings together all content from across all platforms since the initial launch, in the most complete version yet, available exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. INTEGRAL includes the remastered “PUNKS” storyline as well as new jukebox and gallery modes featuring previously unreleased art and music.
Join Turing, the world’s
first fully sapient AI, on a quest to find their missing creator in a
not-too-distant cyberpunk future. Crack the case by navigating the streets of
Neo-San Francisco, solving point-and-click puzzles and interacting with a
diverse cast of colourful characters while exploring social issues, cyberpunk
philosophy and what it means to be human.
“The future presented
within 2064: Read Only Memories INTEGRAL is not so different from our
own present. This is our pastel-colored exploration of what could be,” said
Cade Peterson, interim CEO, MidBoss. “Bringing 2064 to Nintendo Switch provides
the perfect chance to pull all the improvements to Read Only Memories
together in one amazing edition.”
2064: Read Only Memories
INTEGRAL is available now on the
AU/NZ Nintendo Switch eShop for $26.25 AUD / $31.50 NZD and supports English
with full audio and Japanese with a text-only localization. To learn more,
visit the official website and
follow it on Facebook and Twitter, or follow
MidBoss on Twitter and Tumblr.
About Midboss
Based out of San
Francisco (although not the Neo kind), Midboss aims to make the world better,
safer and more inclusive for marginalized people, especially those across the
gender and sexuality spectrum, by creating cool experiences through games and
other forms of media which diversify representation, as well as becoming a
platform for queer content around the world.
To learn more about
Midboss visit the studio’s official website.
