SMG Studio Unpacks Chaotic Cooperative Moving Simulator
Moving Out Scheduled for Q2 2019 Delivery on PC, Consoles
SYDNEY, NSW – Dec. 10, 2018 – Moving Out, the chaotic ‘80s-themed co-op moving simulator from SMG Studio, has booked a Q2 2019 delivery for the latest home-entertainment platforms.
It’s orientation day at the Smooth Move company. To become certified Furniture Arrangement & Relocation Technician (F.A.R.T), employees need to pop the training tape into the VCR and take in the dos and don’ts of moving furniture. Guided by narrator Mick “RicePirate” Lauer, players will learn the ropes in a series of increasingly precarious and fantastical instructional lessons. These span everything from unloading cargo off moving planes to smuggling giraffes out of the zoo and transporting goods to strange locales like haunted houses and outer space.
No matter what the job entails, customers appreciate prompt delivery. So, whether on a heist or doing a repo job, load as much into the truck as possible before zooming off to the next gig. How freight gets from one place to another is entirely up to players, though, so toss the manual out the window and get creative. Break down the walls, throw things, and use technology like portals and ray guns across more than 50 levels. Anything goes, as long as the work gets done!
Enjoy the game solo as an independent contractor or team up with a friend or loved one. Moving Out features both local and online play across its arcade, story, and versus modes. Each level also adjusts the experience dynamically to account for the number of players on screen, thereby welcoming Smooth Move employees of all ages and skill levels.
“Moving Out offers a wonderfully weird take on the world of movers,” said Ash Ringrose, founder, SMG Studio. “We’re creating a wacky, irreverent co-op experience that allows players to tackle problems how they see fit in a lighthearted sandbox. Expect a dash of dark humor also!”
Moving Out is currently in development as the premiere title from SMG’s Melbourne studio and is made in collaboration with Stockholm-based developer Devm Games.
About SMG Studio Founded in 2013, SMG Studio creates original experiences with a strong sense of humor. Using the patented D.A.F.U.Z. System, SMG’s games are Dynamic, Addictive, Fun, Unique, and Zany. Known for titles like Death Squared, Thumb Drift and One More Line, SMG is headquartered in Sydney, Australia with additional offices in Melbourne, Australia and Los Angeles, California.
Moving Out is the debut project from SMG’s new Melbourne studio.
About Devm Games Devm Games is a small independent game development studio based in Stockholm, Sweden. Run by Jan Rigerl, Devm has a decade of experience creating games like Desert Worms and the Extreme Forklifting game series for web, mobile, and other platforms.
YIIK: A Post-Modern RPG Spreads Conspiracy Theories on Switch, PlayStation 4, Steam on 17 Jan. 2019
PS Vita Joins the Discussion in 2019
SINGAPORE – 11 Dec. 2018 – As revealed Saturday, Dec. 8 in the Kinda Funny Games Showcase, YIIK: A Post-Modern RPG, the surreal Japanese-style RPG set at the end of last millennium from Ysbryd Games and Ackk Studios, arrives on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PC and Mac on 17 Jan. 2019. A PS Vita version will follow down the rabbit hole later in 2019.
After witnessing a woman vanish from an elevator, college graduate Alex embarks on an adventure to rescue her, which spirals into an epic quest with stakes higher than he could have ever imagined. Alex’s search for the woman and the truth behind her disappearance lead him and his companions on a journey rife with mystery and danger.
Traverse dungeons littered with puzzles, traps and bizarre monsters with a party whose members can be swapped out mid-battle on the fly in a combat system that blends twitchy minigames with turn-based combat. Brandish records, cameras, musical instruments and more against enemies ranging from floating, yammering skulls to tortoise samurais.
YIIK has more than 30 hours of content including a fully-voiced main story campaign featuring talents such as Chris Niosi (Tales of Zestiria, Disgaea 5), Clifford Chapin (Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Attack on Titan, RWBY) and more.
Polygonal rendering, lack of textures and a rich, saturated color scheme lend to the dreamlike, otherworldly qualities of the environments and their inhabitants. The soundtrack – including contributions from composers such as Toby Fox (Undertale) and Hiroki Kikuta (Secret of Mana) – is as eclectic as the gameplay, featuring an electroacoustic fusion of jazz, funk, traditional JRPG-style tunes and swing.
“YIIK is an unusual mix of almost hallucinatory imagery and cross-genre gameplay,” said Andrew Allanson, founder and co-director, Ackk Studios. “These elements will draw the player deep into a bizarre, dreamlike world as Alex pursues his quest for answers. But what truths will he discover? How many layers does the onion have?”
YIIK: A Post-Modern RPG will be available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Steam for $19.99 and support English and Japanese. The Steam version will also support Simplified Chinese at launch. Interested gamers can wishlist YIIK on the Steam store page.
About Ackk Studios Founded by brothers Andrew and Brian Allanson, Ackk Studios is just a couple of dudes making the games they’ve wanted to play since they were kids growing up in New Jersey. YIIK: A Post-Modern RPG is one of those games.
About Ysbryd Games Publisher Ysbryd Games, best known for VA-11 HALL-A, delivers games with stories that have the heart and soul to stay with players for a lifetime, underlined by captivating gameplay and striking aesthetics.
The Conan franchise will be getting its first RTS in Q2 2019. Conan Unconquered will launch on PC via Steam. As part of the announcement, a cinematic trailer has been released.
Developed by Command & Conquerveterans at Petroglyph and published by Funcom, Conan Unconquered challenges players to build a stronghold and survive against the hordes of Hyboria. The game will offer a variety of units, from the humble foot soldier to mighty legendary heroes. Human enemies and monsters are not the only danger though, as environmental hazards like disease can just as easily wipe out the stronghold.
While the game is designed for two player co-op, Conan Unconquered also supports singleplayer. The game’s lore will be inspired by the Black Colossus story, but it does not appear that Conan Unconquered will be part of the franchise’s canon.
Twisted Cyberpunk First-Person Shooter 2084 Announced for PC
What are the absolute depths of human misery, and how hard will you fight to survive?
Krakow, Poland — December 10, 2018 — Descend into the dark world of cyberpunk dystopia this month, as Feardemic today announced that 2084, its FPS with hacking mechanics is coming to Steam Early Access on December 13th. The result of a 72-hour internal game jam involving some of the developers behind >observer_ and Layers of Fear, 2084 casts players into a horrific post-apocalyptic labyrinth full of deadly hostiles. In order to eliminate their adversaries and, ultimately, escape, players must utilise an array of computer hacking commands on the fly while engaging in the the game’s deep, satisfying combat. Expect eerie plot twists and techno-thrills when 2084 launches on Steam Early Access with its full commercial launch expected in 2020.
“We’re amazed at what the team has put together in just 72 hours. 2084 has a really polished look, is fun to play and will certainly please fans of cyberpunk and shooters in general,” said Marcin Kawa, CEO of Feardemic. “After checking out the final build we decided that the game deserves to be shared with players. It’s a super fast-paced shooter with a hacking twist. We really can’t wait to hear what people think about the game!”
2084 is an intense first-person shooter where player success is dependent on their skill as a hacker as much as a marksman. Only by hacking the network for perks such as ammunition and augmented health stats will players stand any change of escaping the mysterious cyberpunk chamber while under the constant deluge of mindless, murderous creatures. The Early Access version will include two game modes: a story mode where players must kill enemies and level bosses before facing off against the game’s final, most challenging adversary, and then an endless mode where gamers face wave after wave of enemies, killing everything in sight to gain top ranking on the leaderboards.
About Feardemic
Feardemic is a boutique publisher and production house established in early 2017 and a wholly owned subsidiary of Bloober Team SA, the company behind the horror classic Layers of Fear and critically acclaimed cyberpunk horror >observer_.
The Witcher takes on a new contract in Monster Hunter: World crossover
CD PROJEKT RED, creators of The Witcher series of games, together with Capcom, announce a special collaboration between The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Monster Hunter: World.
The collaboration sees Monster Hunter: World players take on the mantle of Geralt of Rivia — a professional monster slayer equipped with superhuman strength and reflexes — and has them take on a series of Witcher-inspired quests. These offer a unique gameplay experience blending RPG mechanics of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt with Monster Hunter: World’s game systems.
Geralt is a master swordsman considered one of the deadliest warriors in the world of The Witcher. Monster Hunter: World players get to utilize his signature fighting style, seamlessly blending swordplay, combat magic, and an assortment of monster hunting equipment.
Reprising his role as the White Wolf in the English version of Monster Hunter: World is Doug Cockle — the English voice of Geralt of Rivia throughout The Witcher series of games.
The Witcher-inspired content is coming to Monster Hunter: World on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in early 2019 as a free title update, with the PC release to follow soon. More details regarding the collaboration will be revealed at a later date.
About The Witcher franchise
Created by CD PROJEKT RED, The Witcher is a series of fantasy role-playing games following the adventures professional monster slayer Geralt of Rivia. To date, the series has sold over 33 million copies worldwide and garnered over 1000 awards. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which released in 2015 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, won a total of 250 Game of the Year awards. The Witcher games are based on the prose of Andrzej Sapkowski.
About CD PROJEKT RED
CD PROJEKT RED is a game development studio founded in 2002. It develops and publishes video games for personal computers and video game consoles. The studio’s flagship titles include The Witcher series of games, Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, GWENT: The Witcher Card Game and the upcoming futuristic AAA role-playing game — Cyberpunk 2077. Together with GOG.COM, a game store offering hand-picked titles for PC and Mac, CD PROJEKT RED is part of the CD PROJEKT Capital Group. CD PROJEKT S.A. is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (ISIN: PLOPTTC00011).
Racing games have come in many forms over the years but over twenty years ago a series came around that added an extra level of violence that went beyond simply crashing into walls or other vehicles. That happened to be Road Rash, a game that saw players racing through the streets while wielding weapons to knock out other racers and police to try and win. Now that that series has been gone for many years, Road Redemption is here looking to scratch that itch. The question is, does this game manage to deliver a solid enough experience?
Gameplay
The premise for Road Redemption is simple enough, players take on the role of a biker whose gang is hunting down an assassin with a massive bounty on his head. The problem is, every other biker gang in the country is trying to hunt him down as well and of course the police aren’t about to ignore bikers racing through the streets swinging weapons and shooting at each other, leading to a race across the country where numerous bodies will be left on the side of the road, including your own.
For the most part players will be sinking the majority of their time in the game into the campaign mode that tasks the player with racing across country through a large number of stages that have different missions to keep things varied and occasionally throws a bit of a twist into them as well for a more unique feeling. These missions tend to involve either racing to the finish line within a certain period of time, being one of the top three to finish, slay a certain number of enemy bikers, and other such objectives.
To do this players, at least most of the time, are equipped with a blunt melee weapon as well as a bladed one though certain unlockable characters do start out with special weaponry once you’ve made them available. Blunt weapons allows for standard damage while bladed weapons can decapitate enemies and double your reward for a takedown but they do extremely low damage to riders still wearing their helmets, often making it so players can knock off a helmet with a blunt weapon and finish them off with a blade in what ends up being a very satisfying combat system that also features longer slower weaponry that can take down multiple riders at once.
Other weapons come in the form of explosives that can simply be stuck to an enemy biker or larger vehicle to deal massive damage or thrown into a pathway as well as firearms. These guns allow for a bit of extended reach as you can easily shoot foes in front of you, and deal damage to some of the more finicky enemy types such as some specific riders that will block most attack types, but aiming while racing often ends up being an exercise in frustration. If you don’t feel like taking other riders down with your melee weapons it is also possible to simply kick their bikes away from you though this usually only gives the player a brief respite unless you kick them into an oncoming vehicle or off the track entirely.
As you race you will have to keep an eye on your health gauge as it is more than possible to die during a race if you sustain too much damage from other bikers or crash too often. Defeating foes will reward you with some health as well as nitro that can be used to boost yourself back into the race but it will also reward the player with money and experience points. Money can be used in between stages to unlock various boosts to the character and also restore health and nitro between races while experience points play into the more roguelike features of Road Redemption. Once a player dies in a race or fails too many objectives they will be forced to start over while losing all of their money and items, though experience points can then be applied to provide permanent boosts to various stats and even unlock the ability to start at later stages if you so wish to.
Other modes found outside of the campaign mode happen to be a more difficult version of the same mode that can be unlocked, a simple race against AI opponents or your friends with more tracks being unlocked the more you win, or racing online against other players though it is unfortunate to say that these online lobbies are quite barren more often than not which leads into some of the rougher aspects of Road Redemption.
Most of these issues come in the form of numerous bugs as well as roughly balanced AI that rubberbands to a ridiculous degree at times. Thanks to the fast paced nature of this game, especially when using nitro, players will find themselves moving at a quick pace and often Road Redemption struggles with this fact as the number of times that my biker was sent flying only to see an obstacle load in too late has been too many to count. This carries over into the finicky nature of the collisions in the game, where smashing into a fence at high speed will do nothing only for a smaller obstacle to send you off the bike.
All this while the AI often avoids incoming obstacles with ease all while keeping easy pace with your rider no matter how fancy of a bike you happen to be riding on at the time. In fact there were numerous moments that saw a clear lead vanish into a tight finish or loss simply because the AI immediately appeared behind me, a problem made all the more obvious thanks to the rear view mirror that players can display. These issues compounded with only three real unique looking areas make for a game that ends up feeling like a repetitive experience despite its fun combat mechanics.
Visuals & Audio
Fans of racing games will enjoy that there are at least a decent selection of motorcycle types to choose from in the game, though don’t expect anything fancy here, while fans of indie games will enjoy the number of guest characters that have made their way onto the roster. That being said, the actual designs of the worlds that you race through are as bland as they come with, as mentioned before, only three areas that feel truly varied and the generic look of most enemies doesn’t help things much.
The soundtrack features a decent selection of tracks that fit this aggressive style of racing game while the voice work is humorous sounding more often than not but fitting given the tone of Road Redemption.
Overall
Road Redemption has managed to capture the fun of racing against other bikers while trying to take one another down with all different types of weapons but unfortunately it doesn’t do too much else beyond that. With a number of glitches and only the campaign mode offering a lengthy experience, and even that limited due to its repetitive nature, Road Redemption is a blast in short bursts but skids out beyond that.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
UNLEASH YOUR POWER IN THE ANTHEM VIP DEMO STARTING JAN 25
Pre-Order for Access to VIP Demo on Jan 25, or Play the Public Demo on Feb 1 WATCH THE NEW GAME AWARDS TRAILER HERE
AUSTRALIA – Dec 7, 2018 – Today Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) announced the dates for the VIP Demo of Anthem™, as well as the Open Demo. Fans who pre-order Anthem*, as well as EA Access and Origin Access subscribers**, will get access to the VIP Demo on January 25, 2019†, and all players will have a chance to step into their Javelins and experience Anthem for themselves on February 1, 2019. Both Demos will be available on Origin for PC, Xbox One and PS4.
VIP Demo players will be the first Freelancers to face the dangers of the world of Anthem, and will receive an in-game item celebrating their trailblazing spirit. They will also see all their progress carry over from the VIP Demo into the Open Demo. All Freelancers should keep an eye on the horizon during the Open Demo, as the developers have a special surprise in store for the most daring Freelancers.
“It’s time for the fans to get their hands-on Anthem and experience it for themselves,” said Mike Gamble, Lead Producer for Anthem. “We truly hope they enjoy this taste of flying and fighting in this brand-new world our team has been crafting for many years.”
Last night at The Game Awards BioWare™ also unveiled the latest trailer for Anthem, providing the most in-depth look yet at the game’s villain, The Monitor, and his grand designs. The trailer also introduced some of the dangers lurking in the world that players will face as they try and quell the chaotic powers of the Anthem of Creation.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers. EA has more than 300 million registered players around the world.
In fiscal year 2018, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $5.15 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognised for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality brands such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, Battlefield™, Need for Speed™, Dragon Age™ and Plants vs. Zombies™. More information about EA is available at here.
Traditionally, Ubisoft has followed up a mainline Far Cryrelease with a more experimental title re-using some of the assets from the previous year’s Far Cry game. Things will be no different as Far Cry 5 will be re-purposed for Far Cry New Dawn.
Set 17 years after a nuclear blast tore through Hope County, Montana, the world is slowly rebuilding. The order means the powerful take what they want and leave nothing to the weak. We don’t know how players will fit into the story quite yet, but the trailer appears to be inspired by classic films like Mad Max.
Far Cry New Dawn is set to launch on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows on February 15, 2019.
While we may never get Fallout: New Vegas 2, The Outer Worlds may be the next best thing. Obsidian Entertainment is teaming up with Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky, the original creators of Fallout, for the new singleplayer first person RPG. The game is set to launch on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows in 2019.
The Outer World is set in the edge of the galaxy. Players will take on the role of a colonist who wakes up from deep sleep to discover their colony ship is way off course. After landing at the edge of the colony, player’s arrival throws off the delicate balance of power between the corporations who own the colony. Now, it’s up to the player to decide who will come out on top in this dark and humorous tale.
Grapeshot Games is a new development studio founded by Jeremy Stieglitz and Jesse Rapczak, the two creators of ARK: Survival Evolved. They are now taking their expertise to their latest project, Atlas. The game is a MMO survival game that will support up to 40,000 players on a 45,000 square kilometre world. Players will be able to design and build their very own ship, then fill the crew with human players and AI. The game supports both naval and infantry combat using a variety of period appropriate weapons.
Atlas will launch with PVE and PVP servers. Mod tools and private server support is planned, so modders can make Atlas their own.
Atlas is scheduled to launch on Steam Early Access on December 13th. An Xbox One Game Preview release is scheduled for 2019.
