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Red Dead Redemption 2 Review

Dustin Spencer
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Red Dead Redemption 2 Review

Red Dead Redemption 2

Developer: Rockstar Games
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Platforms: Playstation 4 (Reviewed), Xbox One
Release Date: October 26, 2018
Price: $59.99 USD – Available Here / $99.95 AUD – Available Here

Overview

Red Dead Redemption was one of the most complete and celebrated experiences from last generation. It may not feel like it, but Rockstar’s hit has been out for over eight years – and fans have been hungering for another trip to the west. With all that the publisher has learned and produced since, Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of those titles that we don’t ask if its good, but rather how big of a legend it will be in this industry after release. Can a game live up to such hype, or does the latest installment overshoot its mark entirely? Let’s find out.

Story

I’ll start off by stating that like all Rockstar entries, Red Dead Redemption 2 does not fully need to have a story to fully enjoy it. Now more than ever, there are so many characters in this world that are so rich in lore that they simply come alive as you chase small bits of dialogue and explore each town from inch to inch. There is something very special about the heavy amount of detail Rockstar has presented this time around, as unlike GTA, Rockstar is able to keep a more serious undertone, never relying on comedy or other shenanigans to sell the incentive to simply discover.

Sure, its a western and the genre may not appeal to everyone, but this game takes place in a western setting where the times were beginning to wear on the era, as order and democracy was beginning to beam over the land. Gangs are beginning to become smaller, but loyalties remain stronger than ever. Players take the role of Arthur Morgan, who is a member of the infamous Van der Linde gang. This gang also has enlisted a younger John Marston, the protagonist of the first title. As you would expect, the main story follows Morgan as he faces issues with change and his own way of life in general. It is quite a compelling plot that has a hefty run time that never seems overstay its welcome due to the way the interactive setting pulls it all together and makes it feel like one, large epic.

Gameplay

To explain the general gist of gameplay here, you would do best to think Red Dead Redemption (the first one), and modernize it by adding a lot of the elements from Grand Theft Auto V‘s upgraded features – such as first person and swimming. Yes, its a different way to play the game, but for the most part – the game feels a lot like its predecessor in all of the right ways. Combat is also as efficient as ever, from quick draw gun play to utilizing other weapons in order to kill enemies and interact with the world within. Everything just feels so refined and seamless when it comes to performing actions. Sure, there is absolutely a lot of that Rockstar feel, but the general armory and minor touches make it feel like its own special experience.

Players can ride horses, take on missions, rob trains, drink at saloons, play games, hunt, mingle with townsfolk with interactions that actually mean something, and so on. There is so much to do within this game due to how large the scope is that one can lose hours just combing over small spaces within the map itself. With a world this large comes one of the most interesting elements, which is realism and detail. The options for customization are great with barbers and tailors found in many towns, and players can hunt to obtain materials for selling or crafting items. It sounds simple, but Red Dead has a purpose for everything. For instance, there are over 200 animals within the game that can be hunted, and each one you kill has a different grade with its own ranking system, meaning it may take several kills just to get the proper grade to craft the item you need. This type of detail makes replay value endless.

With that said, this type of detail can also lead to more time spent in specific places. You need to bathe? There is a mini-game for that. You need to craft? Another mini-game. This title is flooded with mini-games that have heavily animated sequences that can definitely take some time to get through. Sure, horse-riding can be streamlined for a quick trot where the player can just watch the ride, but having to go through so many little nuances can be tedious at times. That really is my only gripe for the whole experience. Convenience isn’t as relevant here as realism. If you go into this title wanting more of a simulation, it is in fact the perfect product of entertainment for that alone. Even with the hesitation and pausing, Redemption 2 has a way of remaining captivating with well paced activities as at the end of the day, Rockstar made it where you can do what you want, when you want. If spending ten hours skinning hides is your thing or trekking across town with a large item in your hands because there is no bag to carry it in, well – that is your prerogative here as there is so much to do it is easy to find lighter activities anywhere within the game.

I cannot even imagine how big online will be, as if it is able to carry this world on its back at time of launch, players are in for one of the most fully realized online experiences ever made (barring how the micro-transactions pan out, that is).

Visuals and Audio

I truly don’t believe there is a better looking game overall than Red Dead Redemption 2. No, I am not talking about one or two models looking better than others on current platforms, I am meaning as an in-game world, this follow-up features more tiny details that most developers would simply ignore, which all paint one beautiful landscape where interactivity and discovery never end. There is just so much awe and visual atmosphere to take in. All NPCs have little quirks and motions that create personalities and set backdrops for torn towns, while the rambunctiousness of an animal can definitely lead you to more successful hunts. You can even view detail in fine parts of the world, such as detailed fauna and mud that cakes into the fur of animals as they trudge through water. There is no doubt that this title was a massive undertaking for Rockstar that took a lot of resources and time, and it all pays off as players are treated to an unlimited amount of visual atmosphere throughout.

The soundtrack is very western and thematic. I wish I could be more detailed, but to be honest – I am not a true fan of this era, even though the game itself I find to be lovely. Yes, there is a certain tone that the tunes paint here, but the true winner in audio are the voice acted performances. Morgan and company are all lead by an amazing group of voice actors who bring alive each part and make cutscenes and standard dialogue sequences while traveling memorable and compelling. That isn’t to say the last title didn’t also have its fair share of attention with this, but this particular installment hits even more high notes by making most of the dialogue feel meaningful.

Overall

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a journey. Rockstar truly put together a polished epic with this title that will live on for generations to come, setting yet another bar for the open world genre. Even mild flaws are subjective here, as a change of perspective of how one views them can simply make the game feel more sophisticated and deep overall. While I don’t think Morgan will be the same type of mascot as other past protagonists for Rockstar, I do think he will be remembered as being a part of one of the most detailed and fully realized worlds the industry has seen to date. Red Dead Redemption 2 was able to live up to its hype due to infinite delivery and paints the peak of an entire generation of gaming.

Nickelodeon Kart Racers Review

Markus Janßen
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Nickelodeon Kart Racers Review

Nickelodeon Kart Racers

Developer: Bamtang
Publisher: GameMill Entertainment
Platforms:  PlayStation 4 (Reviewed), Switch, Xbox One
Release Date: 23/10/2018
Price: $39.99 – Available Here

Overview

When we talk about kart racing games, we’ll always end up hearing Mario Kart – but what can we play if we don’t own a console from Nintendo? There are definitely some options out there and the newest addition in this genre is Nickelodeon Kart Racers. After my gameplay experiences with Trailblazers and All-Star Fruit Racing I liked this one the most, and no… not only because of the licence involved.

Story

As we’re not really following a story in Nickelodeon Kart Racers, there is a nice take on the so called Slime Grand Prix. During our races with the 12 familiar characters from series like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Rugrats, Hey Arnold or SpongeBob SquarePants we find ourselves on 24 different tracks, which are all slime-themed. As this feature has some impact for the overall gameplay, the developers  got even more creative during the choice of your character. They don’t differ in terms of speed or handling, but every driver has it’s own special power-up.

Gameplay

The team behind Nickelodeon Kart Racers really captured the essence of a great kart game experience, but after my playthrough I still wish there was more. As a fan of the Turtles I started to get on the first tracks with Donatello and had a great time getting to know the tracks, find some shortcuts and use the different power-ups for my advantage or against my rivals. While this is the known basic concept I really got surprised when suddenly things started to change. First of all you have to make use of the slime on the tracks to charge a boost. You can simply drive over it and  it fills up, but the key is to use your boost in the right moments on the tracks. There are also coins to collect, that give you access to a shop, where you can spend them for new kart parts or cosmetics. This allows some customization although there are not a lot of options given and you can unlock everything pretty fast.

As soon as I found myself prepared to start a cup, I switched from the Free Race mode to a real challenge. A cup consists of four tracks and you’ll receive points based on your placement after each round. If you end up winning the different cups, you can unlock different ones. The gameplay is a lot of fun and I think the reason is the similarity to Mario Kart. The tracks show variety and suddenly you end up with a transformation of your car into a boat as you land on a small water area. Appearing messages indicate that the last one after a timer will be kicked out of the race, which gives you additional motivation to reach one of the first positions. On another track I had to follow arrows telling me to take the left instead of the right. If I would just ignore the arrows I’d also get kicked out after a few times for not following the rules.  These small but effective features make the gameplay experience a lot of fun.

The power-ups are another highlight of Nickelodeon Kart Racers. They are not necessarily new ideas, but received personality with the licence involved. Good examples for this is the pizza inspired by TMNT, which will occupy half the screen blinding you   or the  milk bottle from  Tommy  chasing your opponents representing a green  shell. Using all this different power-ups feels refreshing and is again, a lot of fun especially in the multiplayer. It’s possible to play with up to four players via local split screen, but there is no online support. If you are looking for another challenge, there is also an Time Attack mode available.

Visuals & Audio

Here’s where we notice, that this game might have had a tight budget.  The presentation starting in the main menu is not very promising and also the music got really on my nerves after a while. The good part is, that this is not the case during actual gameplay. The tracks have some nice details as they are inspired from the series involved in this game. Unfortunately this is at the same time another problem, because there are only four series involved. Nickelodeon has so much content to offer and with just 12 characters from four shows, it seems like a missed opportunity. If we take a look at what Nintendo will be doing with upcoming Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, this seems like the way to go.

Overall

I had high hopes for this game and in the end I’m really happy that it’s fun. At the same time I’m not satisfied, because just imagining it with more content, it could’ve turned out to be an amazing game.  Anyway I still enjoyed Nickelodeon Kart Racers and is one of the better kart games available on consoles. Let’s see if we’ll get a second game in the future.

Heavy Fire: Red Shadow Review

Travis Bruno
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Heavy Fire: Red Shadow Review

Heavy Fire: Red Shadow

Developer: Anshar
Publisher: Mastiff
Platforms: Xbox One (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, PC
Release Date: Available Now
Price: 19.99 – Available Here

Overview

Many years ago on a PC that ironically still works today despite sitting in an attic for well over a decade, there was a certain game that could easily eat up hours of my time. That happened to be Beach Head 2000, a rather simple game that saw players defending a beach from an ever growing invasion of enemy soldiers, vehicles, and much more. Now Mastiff Games has brought out a game that at least appears to bring back that same feeling in the form of Heavy Fire: Red Shadow, but will this game manage to hold out?

Gameplay

Heavy Fire: Red Shadow provides players with a cursory bit of storyline that is so schlocky that it is almost campy in nature as we see a conflict between the United States and North Korea reach the point of no return. Each of these little story snippets are told between stage transitions of which there are eight in total, though only four are actually unique as each stage has a day and night version.

Heavy Fire sets itself apart from other entries in this series’ history by, as mentioned before, places players in a single turret that has a complete 360 degree view of its surroundings. With an infinite amount of ammunition for your machine gun placement, a rocket launcher that gains ammo at a rather quick pace, and a radio to call in various bits of backup and perks it is up to you to survive wave after wave of enemy forces that are willing to take down the gun placement even if it means blowing themselves up along with it.

As such the basic gameplay is very simple in nature as players mow down all of the enemies approaching them while trying your best to survive. As you take down enemy soldiers, trucks, ships, and even explosive mini-vans you’ll earn bits of XP that can allow players to eventually apply various perks to improve the capabilities of your weaponry or reinforce your health. For the most part Heavy Fire: Red Shadow is a rather easy title once you get the hang of things and with some of the perks offering things such as no longer needing to reload or making your basic ammo deal explosive damage you’ll likely only feel the challenge near the end of waves or during the final pair of stages.

The other aspect that makes things a bit easier is the ability to call in support elements after killing enough enemy forces. Players have the option to simply use the basic elements of support such as bringing in a supply drop or choosing to build up to higher levels of support and bring in attack helicopters, mortar support, and even some ally soldiers to reinforce your position. While going through stages various side-objectives such as killing certain enemy types or killing enough enemies fast enough will give players additional xp or support gauges.

As a whole, Heavy Fire: Red Shadow does its best to make sure that players feel like they can take on these forces as standard enemies quickly fall to machine gun fire and rockets can tear apart all different types of armored vehicles, especially when you take on the Endless Mode that allows you to keep playing until you end up being eventually overwhelmed but one thing that does strip players of their power happens to be the amount of glitches that appear and surprisingly floaty aiming mechanics.

Players primarily aim by using the left analog stick to turn and aim their machine gun and rocket launcher while the right analog stick allows for fire aiming. The problem with this is that while turning and trying to aim at the same time the game will often send the targeting reticle either into a corner of the screen or in an entirely different direction from where you wanted to aim. As far as glitches go players will see enemy vehicles acting incredibly odd as they speed around the map and randomly crash at times and this type of enemy pathing is also an issue as there have been more than a few times that I’ve had to restart a stage simply due to the fact that a single enemy would never actually materialize. Thanks to the reticle featuring a warning system of how close enemies are players always know at least what direction enemies are coming but thanks to this it is obvious when a soldier or vehicle ends up stuck behind a mountain or piece of building and never enters a place you can destroy it, forcing a restart to actually progress and hope the enemies don’t glitch out.

Visuals & Audio

With only four real stages on offer players shouldn’t expect too much real variation here and even the enemy vehicles and soldiers are fairly simple looking in nature. One thing that is a nice touch is the fact that most objects in the environment are destructible, outside of some very strange exceptions.

The standard voice work is fitting at best with a standard fair of background music for a budget title such as this one but one must mention just how ridiculous this game happens to go with its R Lee Ermey impression for the commander that players will spend most of their time listening too.

Overall

Heavy Fire: Red Shadow is the type of game that does its best to emulate a power-trip that, at least in short bursts, happens to work quite well. Unfortunately a lack of stages and a multitude of bugs that often puts a stop to the wave based combat puts a damper on the fun, especially since this type of game really does only have so much to offer and even at a cheaper price point this game ends up offering too little to really last beyond some minor fun that quickly ends up being quashed.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Wargaming and Mad Head Games Bring Legend, Loot, and Lore to the Action RPG Genre with Pagan Online

Philip Federico
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Wargaming and Mad Head Games Bring Legend, Loot, and Lore to the Action RPG Genre with Pagan Online

Expect endless action coated in dark pre-Christian mythology in PC hack-and-slash from World of Tanks publisher and talented Serbian developers

November 9, 2018 — Wargaming has announced Pagan Online, an intense aRPG of pre-biblical proportions that pits players against hordes of savage enemies and ancient vengeful gods, from the developers at Mad Head Games. In Pagan Online, players will battle through a demonic dystopia based on pre-Christian mythology in a game that is equal parts brutal, manic, and mystical. The game will launch on PC in 2019, and registration for pre-launch tests known as Trials is now open at pagan-online.com.

Pagan Online is a new take on hack-and-slash aRPGs, featuring challenging and fast-paced combat, powerful combatants, endless gear, and tons of gory glory. Following in the footsteps of classic dungeon crawlers while tearing down and reinventing gameplay into a MOBA-style combat experience, this game will have MOBA players begging for one more run and RPG disciples wondering what just hit them.

“Mad Head Games are passionate, talented, and have a ‘go broke’ mentality to do whatever it takes to make their game as awesome as it can be,” said Jacob Beucler, Product Director, Wargaming. “We’ve taken Mad Head under our wing because this mentality reminds us of the early days at Wargaming when we put everything we had on the line to launch World of Tanks. Pagan Online is one of Wargaming’s most exciting opportunities yet—we’re helping bring these devs’ passion and skill to PC gamers everywhere.”

“With Pagan Online we’ve modernized how combat in a top-down action RPG works, taking cues from MOBAs to create something that’s fast-paced, overwhelming with enemies, and super challenging,” said Uros Banjesevic, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Mad Head Games. “It’s a thrill to finally be able to share this game, the product of our blood, sweat, and tears, with the world!”

In Pagan Online, players will engage in intense and strategic sessions of carnage across a variety of environments. Missions are highly replayable, with numerous game modes and difficulty levels on top of a lengthy single player mode that will be continuously updated with episodic content expansions called “Battle Chapters”. Whether players are interested in mowing down enemies with ease, testing their mettle with brutally maleficent mayhem, or competing with friends for bragging rights, Pagan Online offers a sadistic spectrum of challenges to overcome.

Follow Pagan Online on social media to be the first to get the latest updates:

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About Wargaming

Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus. Founded in 1998, Wargaming has grown to become one of the leaders in the gaming industry with 4500+ employees and more than 20 offices globally. Over 200 million players enjoy Wargaming’s titles across all major gaming platforms. Their flagship products include the massively popular free-to-play hit World of Tanks and the strategic naval action game World of Warships.

About Mad Head Games

Mad Head Games is one of the pioneers of game development in Serbia. Founded in 2011, it quickly grew to become an industry leader, blazing the trail for all up-and-coming domestic game developers. The company is known for its innovative approach to casual adventure games, and after years of consecutive successes, it is expanding into new genres.

POWER RANGERS: ALL-STARS RPG AVAILABLE NOW

Philip Federico
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POWER RANGERS: ALL-STARS RPG AVAILABLE NOW

Protect life on Earth from generations of evil adversaries in the nostalgia-fueled Power Rangers: All-Stars for iPhone and Android

Seoul – Nov. 7, 2018 – Players around the world can now join the fight against evil and play as fan-favorite heroes in Power Rangers: All-Stars, the first Power Rangers franchise mobile RPG from NEXON Korea Corporation, subsidiary of NEXON Co., Ltd. (“Nexon”) (3659.TO), a worldwide leader in free-to-play online and mobile games, in partnership with Hasbro. The highly-anticipated mobile game is available now for iPhone and Android.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viltF688c8I&feature=youtu.be

Power Rangers: All-Stars is a roundhouse kick of action as players collect, build and control Ranger teams from across time, space and dimension! The game bundles ten world-renowned Power Rangers eras, from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers to Power Rangers RPM, into a premier role-playing game (RPG) experience.

Players will experiment with diverse Rangers and abilities to create the ultimate team of champions to thwart extraterrestrial scum and villainy. The Power Rangers: All-Stars gameplay features include:

  • Endless Strategy – A large roster of playable Rangers and unique abilities lead to a massive array of skill combinations to keep the gameplay fresh;
  • Intense 5v5 Battles – Players can recruit and deploy unique Ranger teams to battle against players from around the world;
  • Challenging Missions – Select teams of Rangers to engage in tough Daily Missions and Dimensional Explorations that require meticulous planning and proactive strategic maneuvers;
  • Unique Player Development System – Research mode allows players to find rare items by testing enemies with different kinds of Rangers.
  • Seamless Gameplay – Tight controls and precision tactics keep Power Rangers All-Stars interesting; traditional ‘grinding’ gameplay need not apply;
  • Impressive Visuals – Stunning graphics and visual effects reimagine fan-favorite Rangers and abilities as never seen before;
  • Megazords – Collect 5 Rangers per series to unlock awesome new Megazord abilities;
  • Alliance Raids – Team-up with friends via the clan system to form Alliances and compete in both Alliance Raids and daily dungeons;
  • Gritty Dungeons – Explore limited dimensional rifts and obtain crystal, gold, and character pieces to summon and grow your Rangers;
  • Global Launch Events – All players can participate in multiple launch-day events to earn unique prizes and rewards, such as:
    • Power Event 1 – All players can receive rewards for achieving 1M registrations. The rewards include:
      • Mighty Morphin RED Ranger Piece x 30
      • Gold x 300,000
    • Power Event 2 – All players can receive Crystal x 500 for achieving 1,000 Facebook shares on the Power Rangers: All Stars page.

Power Rangers: All-Stars is free-to-play and rated E for Everyone (ESRB). It is available today worldwide. 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.

About Hasbro

Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global play and entertainment company committed to Creating the World’s Best Play Experiences. From toys and games to television, movies, digital gaming and consumer products, Hasbro offers a variety of ways for audiences to experience its iconic brands, including NERF, MY LITTLE PONY, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH, MONOPOLY, BABY ALIVE and MAGIC: THE GATHERING, as well as premier partner brands. Through its entertainment labels, Allspark Pictures and Allspark Animation, the Company is building its brands globally through great storytelling and content on all screens. Hasbro is committed to making the world a better place for children and their families through corporate social responsibility and philanthropy. Hasbro ranked No. 5 on the 2018 100 Best Corporate Citizens list by CR Magazine, and has been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere Institute for the past seven years. Learn more at www.hasbro.com, and follow us on Twitter (@Hasbro) and Instagram (@Hasbro).

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Disgaea 1 Complete Review

Travis Bruno
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Disgaea 1 Complete Review

Disgaea 1 Complete

Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Publisher: NIS America
Platforms: Switch (Reviewed), PlayStation 4
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $49.99 USD – Available Here $89.95 AUD – Available Here

Overview

Whether you’ve played Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, its eventual direct sequel, numerous follow up games, and various spin-offs you’ve likely seen Etna or a Prinny in some form over the years. That is just how prolific the Disgaea franchise has been since it originally was released in 2002 and although many fans of the SPRG franchise have likely played the later games in the series, there are many who have likely never revisited the game that started it all despite it being re-released on various platforms up to a decade ago. Thankfully with NIS America bringing Disgaea 1 Complete to current consoles it is the perfect time to rectify that if you can stand some of the more archaic elements of the game.

Story

Those who have played the original game or its various re-releases through the years will see that Disgaea 1 Complete doesn’t really add anything new to the story mode other than the Etna Mode that has been offered in other versions but for those who have yet to play the game, the story follows the demon Laharl who has been slumbering for two years in the Netherworld. Over this time his father, King Krichevskoy, has passed away and the Netherworld has gone even crazier with no Overlord running things. As such, Laharl is awoken by Etna, a female demon with ulterior motives, who claims to be his vassal and informs him about the events that have transpired during his time asleep.

With Laharl awoken, the pair begin to venture forth in an attempt to reclaim Laharl’s throne, eventually meeting a young angel in training named Flonne who joins their group in an attempt to see if Laharl can learn to love others. Now anyone familiar with the series should know what to expect but for newcomers this may seem like a dark and bloody sounding tale and while it is true that there are plenty of darker and serious scenes scattered throughout Disgaea 1 Complete the actual storyline takes itself far less seriously.

Instead there is plenty of ridiculous humor and events that take place throughout the game as players encounter various strange enemies that end up becoming allies in various forms. The core cast of characters are incredibly charming and there is a reason why so many have remained mainstays throughout the series and beyond it as well. This ensures that no matter how long it may take you to complete this incredibly lengthy game you’ll find yourself enjoying the story, especially if you happen to enjoy random humor and strange events happening that completely set this series apart from your standard RPG story.

Gameplay

In many ways Disgaea 1 Complete still plays similar to even the most recent titles in the series as players can still eventually spend hours grinding away at the item world and being able to deal massive levels of damage as you make your way to the coveted 9,999 level. Players will find themselves using their base as the main hub of the game where they will be able to interact with other characters, purchase equipment, and even pass bills through the Dark Assembly to modify elements of the game such as increasing the quality of gear in shops and more.

Battles still take place on a standard SRPG style isometric grid where players will be able to move their units around and deal damage to the opponent during their turn with each of the different characters having special skills that can be used during combat. Positioning your characters to take advantage of possible flashy combo attacks is always a blast especially with how odd some of these combinations can get. In fact, many of these character and monster classes can eventually learn other abilities through the Mentor system where some characters can learn abilities from their Pupils and make themselves quite powerful in the long run.

Of course players can still make use of the time honored Disgaea tradition of picking up and throwing enemies and allies alike as well as making use of the Geo Panels and Geo Blocks to apply various effects to the stage and the floor that units are standing on. These panels can offer various buffs as well as negative status ailments making managing them just as much of a vital feature to keep an eye on during difficult battles as defeating the enemies.

Taking advantage of these features as well as the ability to reach insane levels has always helped set this series apart and even in Disgaea 1 Complete these features remain the same, especially in post-game dungeons where the real grinding begins to take place as you try to unlock special units only available once the game has been completed or delve deep into the Item World to improve your gear. That being said, this grind can take a lot out of a player especially since Disgaea 1 Complete doesn’t feature any of the various improvements or new systems implemented in its sequels.

Combat features such as losing a turn after a foe has been defeated by another character return alongside other smaller elements that have been improved over the years, all elements of Magichange and Tower Attacks are removed, and even basic streamlining features that helped smooth out certain elements have not been implemented into this release. As such players should expect not too much more than improved visuals as they return to Disgaea 1 Complete, something that will please purists but may frustrate others who have grown familiar with the elements of more recent titles and newcomers.

Visuals & Audio

While nearly every element of Disgaea 1 Complete remains the same as in the various re-releases through the years, the game does feature an incredibly impressive graphical upgrade. Laharl, Etna, Flonne, and all the rest have been given brand new HD sprites that look as great as the most recent entries in the series with touched up character portraits to make sure that everything looks as gorgeous as possible here. The various stages are still randomly generated for the most part and these block textures have also been reworked to look as great as the sprites, giving battles a completely overhauled look.

The soundtrack found in Disgaea 1 Complete is filled with memorable background music and other tracks that will delight longtime fans of the series and NIS America has made it possible to choose between either the English voice track or the Japanese voice track depending on your preference.

Overall

Disgaea 1 Complete feels like a bit of a mixed bag as it offers everything that a fan of the franchise will love such as the original cast of characters that started it all, graphical improvements that put it mostly on par with current releases, and the ability to mostly bring together a team to fit your playstyle but it also lags behind thanks to it feeling like it is pretty much only an HD release with little else done to set it apart from any of the past re-releases. That being said, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue for those familiar with the series, especially with the Switch version allowing for a perfect way to play a stage or two on the go and get some grinding in, but this does mean that this release is likely only for the more hardcore fans of the franchise.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

DRAGON QUEST XI: ECHOES OF AN ELUSIVE AGE SHIPS OVER 4 MILLION COPIES GLOBALLY

Philip Federico
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DRAGON QUEST XI: ECHOES OF AN ELUSIVE AGE SHIPS OVER 4 MILLION COPIES GLOBALLY

SYDNEY, 8th November 2018 – Square Enix Ltd., today announced that following the release of DRAGON QUEST® XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age™ in the West this September, the global shipment and digital sales across all platforms has now exceeded four million.

The beloved game and the perfect entry-point for franchise newcomers has received critical acclaim around the world for its finely tuned and accessible strategic combat system, bright and beautiful graphics, charming characters, and an enchanting story.

DRAGON QUEST series creator and game designer, Yuji Horii, commented:

I was truly delighted when I heard the news that DRAGON QUEST XI had exceeded four million sales worldwide. Back when I created the first DRAGON QUEST game, over thirty years ago, I could not possibly have dreamed that it would become a series that would cross the seas and be played by people all around the world. This is the eleventh numbered DRAGON QUEST title, and in depicting a ‘hero’s tale,’ also represents a new beginning for the series.

When I think that there are now over four million of these heroes all around the world, and each one has gone on their own individual adventure, it reminds me how glad I am we made the game. I would like to express my sincere thanks to all the people who played DRAGON QUEST XI, both the fans of the previous games and the new fans who started with this one. Thank you all.

In DRAGON QUEST XI, long-time fans and new players alike can experience the captivating tale of a hunted hero as he travels on a journey with an endearing cast of loyal companions to unravel the mystery of his fate. From the reliable partner-in-crime Erik to the fearless young mage Veronica, along with the laid-back healer Serena, entertainer extraordinaire Sylvando, noble martial artist Jade, and mysterious old man Rab—together, they join the hero on a grand adventure through the world of Erdrea.

DRAGON QUEST XI: Echoes of An Elusive Age is available now for PlayStation®4 system and STEAM. All those who purchase the game will also receive the Trodain Bandana and Trodain Togs from DRAGON QUEST VIII: Journey of the Cursed King® in their inventories at the start of the game. To view the DRAGON QUEST VIII costume in action, please visit: https://youtu.be/UxpplLuN43E

Related Links:

Official Homepage: www.dq11.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DragonQuest
Twitter: @DragonQuest

GRIS ARRIVES ON NINTENDO SWITCH AND PC DECEMBER 13

Philip Federico
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GRIS ARRIVES ON NINTENDO SWITCH AND PC DECEMBER 13

– Coming to Nintendo Switch and PC in December –

Barcelona – Nomada Studio and Devolver Digital have announced GRIS, a serene and evocative narrative experience, will release on Nintendo Switch and PC on Dec. 13 at $16.99.

Free of danger, frustration or death, players will explore a meticulously designed world brought to life with delicate art, detailed animation, and an elegant original score. Through the game light puzzles, platforming sequences, and optional skill-based challenges will reveal themselves as more of GRIS’ world becomes accessible.

GRIS is a hopeful young girl lost in her own world, dealing with a painful experience in her life. Her journey through sorrow is manifested in her dress, which grants new abilities to better navigate her faded reality. As the story unfolds, GRIS will grow emotionally and see her world in a different way, revealing new paths to explore using her new abilities.

Based in Barcelona, Nomada Studio is composed of experienced developers and artists outside of video games with disciplines in illustration, painting, and graphic design. Featuring art from noted artist Conrad Roset and the music of Berlinist, GRIS is their debut title as a team.

Follow @nomadastudiobcn and visit nomada.studio for more news and information on the game.

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WRECK AND RIDE TO SAVE THE WORLD IN MOTORBIKE COMBAT RACER ‘STEEL RATS™’ LAUNCHING TODAY ON PLAYSTATION®4 AND PC

Philip Federico
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0

WRECK AND RIDE TO SAVE THE WORLD IN MOTORBIKE COMBAT RACER ‘STEEL RATS™’ LAUNCHING TODAY ON PLAYSTATION®4 AND PC

IT’S BIKERS VERSUS DEADLY JUNK ROBOTS IN BRAND-NEW LAUNCH TRAILER

London, November 7, 2018 – The alien junk robot invasion has begun and only you as part of the Steel Rats™ a ride or die, hi-tech biker gang can stop them. Today Tate Multimedia are revved up and ready to ride as Steel Rats, the long-awaited motorbike combat action game, launches on PlayStation®4 and PC. Alongside the game’s release, a brand-new launch trailer has been unleashed, and an Xbox One version of Steel Rats is also coming soon.

A visceral and groundbreaking evolution of the 2.5D action-arcade genre, Steel Rats fuses destructive, octane-fuelled, motorbike combat and death-defying stunt gameplay, all set in a visually stylised, retro-future world. Switch between four unique and upgradeable characters as you wreak havoc and defend your city from an invading armada of junk robots.

There are also only 24 hours left to bid in a very unique charity auction for the one-of-a-kind ‘Steel Rats: Super Turbo Ultimate Wreck & Ride Collector’s Edition’, which contains a full size 9-foot metal junk robot from the game with proceeds going to four charities from across the globe, including Special Effect, Make a Wish, AbleGamers and Gaming Aid: http://bit.ly/SteelRatsEbayAuction

Steel Rats can be purchased from the PlayStation®Store as the base game at $19.99 or the Deluxe Edition at $23.99, which includes the main game, a PlayStation®4 theme, the soundtrack and five PlayStation avatars. The soundtrack can also be purchased separately for $4.99

Steel Rats can be purchased from Steam as the base game at $19.99 and the soundtrack is also available separately for $4.99.

Download now on Steam: http://bit.ly/steelratssteam
And GOG.com: http://bit.ly/SteelRatsGoG

About Steel Rats:
A visceral and groundbreaking evolution of the 2.5D action-arcade genre, Steel Rats fuses destructive, octane-fuelled, motorbike combat and death-defying stunt gameplay, all set in a visually stylised, retro-future world. Switch between four unique and upgradeable characters as you wreak havoc and defend your city from an invading armada of junk robots.

Steel Rats is already lighting up the 2018 awards scene with eight nominations and one win for ‘Best Gameplay’ at the Game Connection Awards, a nomination for ‘Best Indie Game’ at the Digital Dragons Indie Showcase and winner of ‘Best Gameplay’ at Pixel Heaven in Poland earlier this month. The game has been touring the convention circuit over the past year, having been at EGX Rezzed, PAX East, Pixel Heaven, Gamescom, PAX West and most recently Tokyo Game Show, sometimes even playable on a giant 9-foot-tall robot demo station.

Steam page: http://bit.ly/steelratssteam
Official Steel Rats website: http://steelratsgame.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SteelRatsGame/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MsVeronicaVance
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPZzXCAYz3-CfiO635GGPCQ
Discord: https://discord.gg/4tVMJxv

About Tate Multimedia:
Tate Multimedia S.A. is an independent games developer and publisher based in Poland (Warsaw-HQ), with successful operations that have spanned across Europe, North America, Japan and China since the year 2000.

The studio operates according to the “house of ideas” model on an everyday basis, which means no idea is off the table allowing developers to have the creative freedom to continually seek new, daring, and even risky projects, with a team of almost 40 creative professionals.

Beside the already announced ‘Urban Trial Playground’, Tate Multimedia also announced another game for 2018: Steel Rats – a 2,5D platform combat racing game set in a retro futuristic environment, to be released on PC, PlayStation® 4, and Xbox One®.

http://www.tatemultimedia.com/en/home/
http://www.facebook.com/TateMultimedia
http://www.youtube.com/user/TateMultimedia

About Special Effect:
SpecialEffect is an award-winning charity that helps people with disabilities to benefit from the fun, rehabilitation and therapy of video games. They support people of all ages through assessments, equipment loans and equipment modifications.

https://www.specialeffect.org.uk/

About AbleGamers:
The AbleGamers Foundation, also known as AbleGamers Charity, is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit public charity that aims to improve the overall quality of life for those with disabilities through the power of video games.

Video games allow individuals with disabilities to experience situations that may be difficult or limited in the real world, provide social networking opportunities to maintain mental and emotional health, and participate in one of the world’s largest pastimes.

https://ablegamers.org/

About Gaming Aid:
Gaming Aid is a non-profit charity organisation within the Gaming-Industry who wants to do something good. Together with players and developers Gaming-Aid wants to support persons and their families in need.

Gaming-Aid is calling the millions of players all over the world, producers, publishers, developers and salespersons: “Let’s do something good together!”

https://gaming-aid.de/en/

About Make a Wish:
Make-A-Wish® France – Transforming lives, one wish at a time.

Founded in 2005, Make-A-Wish® France is a non-profit association that is affiliated to the Make-A-Wish® International foundation, an NGO that is recognised by the United Nations.

For more than 10 years, Make-A-Wish France has been granting the wishes of 3-17 years old children who suffer from critical illnesses. Wishes are tailored to every child’s personality and bring hope, joy, courage to all family members.

Wishes are carried out by our volunteers, all of whom embody the values of Make-A-Wish France, with a focus on supporting and respecting families and their privacy.

About The Ride Again Workshop:
Ride Again Workshop is a group of multi-skilled enthusiasts who focus on prop making, concept art, graphic design and product creation. We engage in projects from the earliest stages of technical analysis and creative design through to manufacturing. We prototype models and build full scale projects from concept through to delivery. From our team you will get prop model, 2D/3D graphic design, press packs and more.

We hope to help you realize project of any scale, single or multiple item. Feel free to contact us at www.ride-again.com

DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 TRIAL HEADING TO CONSOLE NEXT WEEK

Philip Federico
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0

DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 TRIAL HEADING TO CONSOLE NEXT WEEK

Explore China and Battle Enemies in an Open-World Adventure

Hertfordshire, 7th November 2018 – KOEI TECMO Europe is excited that DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 Trial, a new version of the popular franchise, is set for a European release on the 14th November 2018 for the PlayStation®4 Computer Entertainment System, 21st November 2018 for the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and available now digitally on PC via Steam®.

DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 Trial enables fans to choose up to three characters from the roster of 90 total playable characters in a small sampling of DYNASTY WARRIORS 9’s story mode as they set off to explore the open-world of China; with the fate of the Han Dynasty hanging in the balance. Online co-op will also be available for gamers to test out alongside other Trial members, or players who already own the full game; allowing them to experience the exhilarating the exhilarating action of this historic adventure.

In addition, a new DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 Season Pass was recently announced, granting players a variety of additional weapons, costumes, scenarios, and a plethora of useful materials – including various types of coins; a book of Musou; and exploding arrows.

For more information about the DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 Trial please visit the official site at www.koeitecmoeurope.com/dw9, Like www.facebook.com/koeitecmogames, and Follow us on Twitter @koeitecmoeurope

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

DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 ©2018 KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 is a registered trademark of KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. The KT logo is a registered trademark of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD.

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