A new announcement was made from Square Enix at the Tokyo Game Show regarding World of Final Fantasy Maxima. This version enhances the original release World of Final Fantasy from 2016 with new champions and mirages from the Final Fantasy universe. There’ll also be a completely new Avatar Change System added. You’ll have the opportunity to take part in legendary battles with characters like Noctis (Final Fantasy XV), Yuna (Final Fantasy X) or Lightning (Final Fantasy XIII).
The release date for World of Final Fantasy Maxima is November 6th. The game will be available for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC via Steam. Check out the trailer below for a first look.
Awesome Adventuring on the Go: Broken Sword 5 – the Serpent’s Curse launches today on Nintendo Switch
York, 21st September 2018 – Revolution Software and Ravenscourt are delighted to confirm that Broken Sword 5 – the Serpent’s Cursehas launched on Nintendo Switch. Priced at £24.99 (€29.99), the game is available both as a physical boxed version and as a digital download, and features never-seen-before Behind the Scenes movies and an innovativenew user interface.
Paris in the spring. Shots ring out from a gallery. A robbery – a murder – and the beginning of another epic original Broken Sword adventure. An adventure that will hurl intrepid lawyer George Stobbart and sassy journalist Nico Collard onto the trail of a murderous conspiracy whose roots lie in mysteries older than the written word. Armed only with logic, integrity and a wry sense of humour – can George and Nico outwit evil forces both ancient and modern and save mankind from disaster?
The game includes full HD 1080p graphics so it looks great either on the device or when scaled up to be viewed on a television. There are also Behind the Scenes movies created especially for the Nintendo Switch version: unlocked as play progresses, these videos reveal the story and the development process behind the game, through previously unreleased interviews with the Broken Sword team.
This enhanced edition also features a reimagined user interface designed to take full advantage of Nintendo Switch’s functionality, allowing players to seamlessly switch between Joy-Con and touch screen play.
Mixing cerebral puzzling, sharp wit, with historical authenticity and intrigue, Broken Sword 5 – the Serpent’s Curse has secured its place as a favourite with fans of the series, whilst also winning over a new generation of players.
“The Nintendo Switch is an ideal console for both portable and home gaming, and we are hugely excited to be bringing Broken Sword 5 – the Serpent’s Curse to the platform,” said Charles Cecil, Founder and CEO of Revolution Software. “When we decided to work on a Nintendo Switch version, key to our plans was making the absolute most out of the innovative hardware, and that means exclusive content and controls. This is the ultimate version.”
For the latest news on Revolution and Broken Sword, please visit:
Find Revolution on Facebook: @revolutionsoftware and @brokenswordofficial
About Revolution Software: Founded in 1990, Revolution is a world-leading developer / publisher of narrative-driven adventure computer games, with titles such as the Broken Sword series, which has earned over $100 million at retail, Beneath a Steel Sky and numerous major licenses.
The company is a pioneer of digital self-publishing, and in 2011 ‘Broken Sword’ went to #1 on the Apple App store in every major European territory, achieved 5 million downloads, and was one of the world’s top 10 most Tweeted keywords.
Broken Sword is one of the world’s best loved adventure series, having been played by over 10 million players and earned exceptional reviews (including a Metacritic score of 91 percent for Broken Sword – Director’s Cut – iPhone). Broken Sword 5 – the Serpent’s Curse builds on this rich heritage.
About Koch Media: Koch Media is a leading producer and distributor of digital entertainment products (software, games and films). The company’s own publishing activities, marketing and distribution extend throughout Europe and the USA. The Koch Media group has more than 20 years of experience in the digital media business, and has risen to become the number one distributor in Europe. It has also formed strategic alliances with numerous games and software publishers: Bethesda, Capcom, Kaspersky Labs, NC SOFT, Sega, Square Enix and Tecmo-Koei, etc. in various European countries. With Headquarters in Planegg near Munich/Germany, Koch Media owns branches in Germany, England, France, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the Nordic regions, Benelux and the United States. www.kochmedia.com
Like every good sports series, NBA 2K19 is out like clockwork. This year brings updates to fan favourite modes like MyCAREER and MyTEAM, the next chapter in the MyGM saga, and more.
Story
NBA 2K19 offers a full-blown story in the MyCAREER mode. Players take on the role of A.I., an undrafted basketball player trying to work his way to the NBA through Chinese basketball teams and the NBA G League. The writers clearly have lofty goals with the story, embarking on a hero like adventure of self discovery. While the writers put up a serious attempt, NBA 2K19’s story falls short. A.I. is an obnoxious character, embodying the worst stereotype of the entitled millennial. A.I. does find his way, but the whole transition feels a little unnatural and rushed. While the caricature like supporting character seem to be attempts at comic relief, they generally are way too over the top. The lone bright spot is Coach Keller, who balances out his ridiculous outbursts with some genuine good leader moments.
MyGM mode continues the story from last year’s title. It’s obvious this mode plays second fiddle to MyCAREER as the writing tends to be pretty corny and dry. It is nice to see the game trying to bring in new players, offering them a chance to establish the events of NBA 2K18 before they swing into things.
Most of the writing is taken up by play by play commentary. For the most part, there is a good variety of play by play banter that keeps things fresh. The commentary in MyCAREER’s story games are a bit on the limited side though as cutscenes get brought up repeatedly during the play by play. I would have preferred to hear more of the regular play by play make it into these MCAREER games.
Gameplay
NBA 2K19 is a thorough simulation of the full basketball experience. As a person who has only followed the NBA casually off and on over the years, I was pretty overwhelmed by the game. Besides the usual quick matches and league play, NBA 2K19 offers four My modes. MyCAREER and MyLEAGUE are probably the most accurate modes. MyCAREER offers players the chance to create their very own character and experience the game’s story mode. MyLEAGUE is a fancy name for the classic GM mode and is expanded further in MyGM. MyTEAM mixes collectible card game with basketball action.
As a newbie to the series, I found NBA 2K19 to be extremely daunting. The tutorials are terrible. 2KU is dedicated to learning the game. There are options for practice matches, scrimmages, shoot arounds, but no actual tutorial to teach players from scratch. The closest thing is the tutorial match that randomly reveals tooltips. In the end, learning how to play requires a mix of wading through the instruction manual and figuring things out on your own.
While the game’s tutorials are terrible, there are a lot of options in game to help lower the difficulty level a little, such as letting the AI handle play making and handy overlays that guides players to the correct position according to the playbook. While the game’s learning curve is still pretty high, not having to worry about calling or memorizing plays helps new players worry more about the fundamentals. Even with these handicaps, the game is still incredibly challenging.
NBA 2K19 plays well. Shooting requires a decent amount of skill, and the game feels very responsive. Once I got over the initial learning curve, I did enjoy shooting the ball around, even though I am still downright awful at the game.
The controls feel natural and scale well for a variety of difficulty levels. The basic controls are simple enough, but serious players will have the opportunity to pull off advance maneuvers using the Pro Stick control system. On the flip side, this means PC gamers will really need to use a controller.
MyLEAGUE mode is the full GM experience. Gamers will get a chance to manage all the minutiae of running a team. This mode is probably the closest to a hard-core simulation of the complete NBA experience, from managing coaching staff, negotiating trades, scouting for prospects, and a little bit of actual basketball thrown in. The MyGM mode takes things a bit further by adding a story mode that brings the Seattle SuperSonics back with the player as the GM. It’s not the most newbie friendly of modes, but it’s a very thorough mode that will put basketball geeks to the test.
One of the two headline modes, MyCAREER lets gamers create and improve their own player that will work their way into the NBA. Once into the pros, players will be able to negotiate their own contracts, rake in that sweet endorsement money, join their team for the NBA season, and hop online to play against other gamers from around the world. It’s a whole lot of fun as it gives time for gamers to get really attached to their character and focus on a position or play style they really like. NBA 2K19’s push for in-game currency purchases really puts a damper on the fun. The game requires a lot of grinding to get stats up to a reasonable level as everything must be purchased with in game currency.
MyTEAM mode mixes trading card games with basketball. Players open packs of cards with either the same gold currency from MyCAREER or silver MyTEAM currency. Cards can vary from current and past players, cosmetic items, playbooks, and consumable buffs. The game modes offer a mix of single player and multiplayer content in classic 5v5 or street style 3v3 basketball. While the trade card game aspect and the flexibility are a neat twist to the classic basketball game, NBA 2K19 really pushes currency sales hard on this mode too. Every pack purchase defaults to purchasable currency, and it feels overly pushy. If gamers are desperate for a specific card and are sick of opening packs, there’s always the auction house, but of course that will cost you too.
Visuals
NBA 2K19 is a gorgeous game that replicates the TV sports experience perfectly. The animations are smooth, with only the rare blocky transition when the camera zooms on players near the bench for commercial breaks and time outs. Players are looking closer and closer to photorealistic every year, and NBA 2K19 is no different.
Audio
NBA 2K19 nails the audio experience. The voice acting is excellent, and the play by plays are great. It’s a shame the MyGM mode seems to be an afterthought as there is no voice acting, just old school text boxes. The sound effects are spot on, and NBA 2K19 offers plenty of volume options to make the game sound like the gamer is watching TV or sitting court side. The game also has an excellent soundtrack with some big-name artists providing music.
Overall
NBA 2K19 is a decent and challenging basketball game hidden behind a high learning curve and a terrible tutorial system. It seems like the developers aren’t really interested in converting gamers into basketball fans, and I’m not entirely sure the developers are interested in converting casual basketball fans into gamers either. While the game offers some excellent controls and challenging gameplay, the story feels rushed and the characters are annoying. For those already into the NBA 2K franchise, this year’s iteration offers lots of content, solid gameplay, and a ton of frustrating microtransaction strategies. The game is way too pushy, forcing players to grind a lot of games or pony up money to be competitive in marquee MyCAREER mode. Things aren’t much better in the MyTEAM mode either. Short of some serious post-launch balancing of microtransactions, NBA 2K19 is probably firmly in the court of existing NBA 2K fans.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
UBISOFT ANNOUNCES THE X GAMES ARE COMING TO STEEP® ON OCTOBER 30
Become a Freestyle Icon with the Steep X Games Pass and Steep X Games Gold Edition
Sydney, Australia — September 21, 2018 — Today, Ubisoft announced that the X Games are coming to Steep®, the action-packed open world sports game. The X Games Pass will be available on PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, including enhanced features on PlayStation®4 Pro system, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X and Windows PC on October 30.
The X Games Pass will place players in the Alaska X Games Village, where they can compete to win gold in the game’s most epic snow park. There, aspiring snowsports legends can learn and master real-life X Games disciplines, such as Big Air, SuperPipe and Slopestyle. Once players have completed the special X Games events, they will unlock a series of additional Freestyle challenges where they can compete against other players to make it to the top of the leaderboard.
Players can also experience the massive mountain playground in two new ways: with a throwback ‘90s filter and all-new Rocket Wings challenges. The ‘90s DLC will be available December 4, while the Rocket Wings DLC will be available January 10. X Games Pass owners will have one-week early access to both DLCs.
The X Games Pass includes:
X Games DLC
‘90s DLC: Add an old-school vibe to your game with a special filter that makes Steep look like a ‘90s-themed winter sports game
Rocket Wings DLC: Soar through the snowy skies at breakneck speed and complete new challenges with Rocket Wings
Additionally, the Steep X Games Gold Edition includes:
Steep (base game)
X Games Pass
Season Pass Year One, which includes:
Extreme Pack: Three additional sports (Rocket Wings, Speed Riding and Base Jump) and new challenges and customization items
Winterfest: One additional sport (Sled), new challenges, winter-themed costumes and customization items
Adrenaline Pack: New costumes, snowboards and wingsuits, and the Moonlight Pack which offers glowing costumes and nocturnal challenges
Bonus helicopter tickets
10,000 Steep credits to customize gear at the in-game store
With development led by Ubisoft Annecy,* Steep – the open world sports game featuring ski, snowboard, paraglide, wingsuit, rocket wingsuit, sled, base jump and speed riding – is designed for a culture that’s all about sharing experiences with the world. Steep features a seamless multiplayer mode, populating the world with players as they explore the Alps and Alaska. Players and friends across the globe can take on challenges together, or compete with each other to snag the top spot on the leaderboards. Players can also participate in several competitive live programs, such as the monthly Steep World Tour, where players take on specific challenges to qualify in tournaments and have a chance to win exclusive rewards.
For more information about Steep, please visit steepgame.com and follow us at facebook.com/SteepGame and twitter.com/Steep_Game.
To learn more about other Ubisoft games, please visit news.ubisoft.com.
*Associate studios are Ubisoft Kiev, Ubisoft Pune and Ubisoft Belgrade.
ABOUT UBISOFT Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2017–18 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,732 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoft.com.
Experience Nostalgic Reflections with The Gardens Between Today on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Steam, Mac App Store
MELBOURNE, Australia – 21 Sept. 2018 – The Gardens Between, the adventure puzzle game from The Voxel Agents in which players manipulate time to guide two best friends through a surreal world of mysterious garden islands, is out today on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Steam and Mac App Store.
Light the way through a dreamlike world to guide best friends Arina and Frendt through a world of time-bending puzzles. Manipulate time backwards and forwards to uncover clues and find solutions that ignite constellations of memories written in the stars.
The duo embarks upon an emotional journey exploring precious moments from their past, understanding how the flow of time changes what they’ve built and cherishing what remains. The friends revisit a period in life when friendship meant the world, by trekking across isles peppered with nostalgic relics of their childhood.
“We all had an Arina or Frendt growing up, some childhood friendship that meant the world to us,” says Simon Joslin, co-founder of The Voxel Agents. “Even if we maintain those bonds into adulthood, they change. The Gardens Between explores how friendships evolve over time through its environments and puzzles.”
The Gardens Between will be at Tokyo Game Show in Indie Area booth 9-A85 with demos on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. The Voxel Agents are available at the show from today until Sunday, Sept. 23. A demo of The Gardens Between is also playable at Nintendo’s booth at EGX London, taking place during the same timeframe.
For more information, please visit The Garden Between’sofficial website.
About The Voxel Agents Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, The Voxel Agents was founded in 2009 by Simon Joslin, Matthew Clark, and Tom Killen to create games that kindle curiosity with a passion for highly focused gameplay.
Previous achievements include their hit release Train Conductor World, with more than 14 million global players for the Train Conductor franchise, and Puzzle Retreat.
Stellar Tactics Expands This Friday With Open World Universe Update
New release expands universe from one star system to 160,000, adds Exploration feature and unlimited missions
September 20th, 2018 — Maverick Games is proud to announce the imminent release of the open world universe content update for Stellar Tactics, a Sci-Fi RPG by industry veteran Don Wilkins now available in Early Access on Steam! Gather your team and embrace your destiny as you explore the far reaches of deep space. Combining party-based exploration, turn based tactical combat and space exploration, Stellar Tactics gives players the freedom to live in a massive procedural universe on a mission of discovery, exploration and unfettered progression.
A fusion of deep storytelling infused with thousands of years of lore, Stellar Tactics brings back the nostalgia, excitement and wonder of classic RPG’s and merges it with space exploration on a massive scale. With such a vast canvas to fill, Stellar Tactics will thrill players with 100’s of hours of sandbox, party-based exploration and a riveting story that will keep them glued to their screens for hours on end.
Inspired by such classics as Fallout 1&2, the early XCom series and Baldur’s Gate 1&2, Stellar Tactics is a hybrid, open world sandbox! Set in the future where hope has turned to tyranny and oppression, you will travel to the ends of the known universe in an effort to save humanity from the greatest threat it’s ever faced. Armed with epic weapons of power and forces that would tear normal beings apart, you will face many challenges, work for many factions and make hard decisions that affect more than you and your team of mercenaries. Will you be the hero you were forged to be or will use it for ill gain? The choice is yours, the consequences real.
“I’m thrilled to announce that the Stellar Tactics Universe will finally open on September 21st,” said Maverick Games founder, Don Wilkins. “Many years of hard work and the dedication and patience of players all over the world made this possible. The game is still in Early Access and there is a lot of work left to do, however, this patch is a major milestone and the first iteration of the Universe sandbox.“
Open World Universe update highlights:
The universe expands from one system to 160,000 + with freeform exploration and endless missions
Level cap raised from level 30 to 60 and skill caps raised to 100 for all active skills
More content including two new armor sets and new mission exploration locations
And much more!
Stellar Tactics is available now on Windows PC for $19.99. FIGHT – Explore mutant infested bunkers on planets, take endless missions, and gather and build your crew EXPLORE – A massive universe that blends ground based tactical combat, deep RPG mechanics and space exploration SURVIVE – It will take all of your will, resources and skill to carve a place for yourself and your crew in a Universe at war
Features Include:
Turn-based tactical ground combat, re-defined
Space combat with a variety of ships which can all be upgraded with thousands of component variants
Rich story and lore that covers over 20,000 years of history and culture
Procedural universe generates a new game every time you play, with 10,000 sectors, 150,000+ systems and millions of planets
AI driven NPC’s, each with an agenda, be that trading, raiding, or all out war against enemy factions
40 starships to buy, pillage, pilot and upgrade – from specialized trade vessels to combat vessels bristling with weapons
A tiered loot system that generates limitless combinations of weapons, armor and upgrades for ships and your crew
Freeform character development with a classless progression system – build any character you like from 20 core skills
A deep and flexible perk system that doesn’t force you down pre-determined hierarchies
Episodic content will continue to fill the sandbox with rich, story driven game play long after the initial release
About Don Wilkins
Based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Don Wilkins has made games as a hobbyist and professional since 1980 when he first developed a text based Sci-Fi adventure game on a college mainframe. Since then, he has had the honor and privilege to work with some of the game industry’s finest at publishers like Sir-Tech Software, Sierra Entertainment and 3DO on games like Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura and the Wizardry, Tribes, and Unreal franchises among others. Don founded Maverick Games in 2016 to promote Stellar Tactics.
Test Your Survival Skills in Open World Adventure Stranded Deep, Launching October 9 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
The successful ‘desert island’ Steam title leaves Early Access first on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, complete with new features and content. Pre-orders and new console trailer available now.
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., September 20th, 2018 — Leading publisher of digital entertainment Telltale Games, alongside developer Beam Team Games, today announced that open world survival game Stranded Deep will be available for download on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One starting October 9, 2018. Pre-orders are now available for $19.99 USD on PlayStation 4 and will also be available on Xbox One soon. You can download the new trailer by following the links above.
Product Description: In the aftermath of a mysterious plane crash, you’re left stranded on a chain of deserted islands somewhere in the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Alone and without any means to call for help, you must test your survival skills in this dynamic open world adventure. Explore underwater and on land as you hunt for materials to craft the tools, weapons, and shelter you’ll need to stay alive. But stay sharp: hunger, thirst, and exposure can be just as deadly as the wildlife. Live long enough, and you might just make it home…
Survive in Paradise – From lush tropical islands to bottomless ocean trenches to coral reefs teeming with life, experience a vast and dynamic world filled with secrets to uncover and threats to overcome. Scour a sunken ship, scale a rocky cliff, or kick back on the beach and watch the sunset (just try not to freeze once night falls).
Battle the Elements – Manage your thirst, hunger, and more in a challenging and immersive fight for survival. Gather materials needed to craft tools, shelter, and, eventually, transport. Face down the ocean’s deadliest predators in terrifying up-close encounters. Whether it’s sharks, storms, or dehydration, any moment could be your last.
Test Your Nerve – With opt-in permadeath, random loot, rare collectibles, and the option to procedurally randomize the world (or manually customize your own), each playthrough can be uniquely treacherous. When hours of progress are on the line, every risk/reward scenario becomes that much more harrowing.
Complete the Journey – With its arrival on consoles, Stranded Deep now boasts a wealth of additional content: new items, new wildlife, new mysteries, and most importantly, a definitive ending. Your ultimate goal? To escape back to civilization. Just beware the “boss” creatures that lurk in the deep…
Stranded Deep started as a successful Steam Early Access title, and will now launch as a complete, fully-featured single-player experience on consoles. Content created for the console release will also arrive on PC later this year, following the console launch. In addition, Stranded Deep on PS4 and Xbox One will be available in the following languages at launch: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese.
Stranded Deep has been rated ‘Teen’ by the ESRB. For more information on the game, visit the official website and follow Telltale Publishing on Twitter. For more information on developer Beam Team, visit beamteamgames.com.
About Telltale, Inc.
Telltale is an award-winning independent developer and publisher of games for every major interactive platform, and pioneered the episodic delivery of digital gaming content. Founded in 2004, Telltale has become an industry leader with numerous honors from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, BAFTA, the IMGA, and more.
Telltale’s reputation for quality has been established across more than three dozen different product releases, with recognition and acclaim from publications like IGN, The New York Times, and Variety, including over 100 “Game of the Year” awards from publications like USA Today, Yahoo! Games, Wired, The VGAs, E!, Official Xbox Magazine, The Telegraph, Metacritic, and more.
Telltale is a fully licensed third party publisher on consoles from Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, and also publishes games on the PC, Mac, iOS, and Android-based platforms. For more information visit www.telltale.com.
About Beam Team Games
Beam Team Games is a small independent studio established by two Australian developers, Ben Massey and Sam Edwards. They released their debut title Stranded Deep on Early Access in 2013 with great success and are excited to produce more high quality titles in the future.
HIT: HEROES OF INCREDIBLE TALES UPDATE INCREASES MYTHIC LEVEL TO 120 AND MORE
New adventure areas, exhilarating challenges, special events and more are available today for new and veteran HIT players on iPhone and Android
Seoul – Sept. 20, 2018 – Join master archer Lena, brawny swordsman Hugo, elegant fighter Lucas, the beautiful Anika and powerful Kiki today in the highly-anticipated content update for HIT: Heroes of Incredible Tales from NEXON Korea Corporation, subsidiary of NEXON Co., Ltd. (“Nexon”) (3659.TO), a worldwide leader in free-to-play online and mobile games. The update delivers fresh adventure-filled areas for new and experienced players to explore, and several special events for players to earn rare rewards. The HIT update is available today for iPhone and Android players around the world on iTunes and Google Play.
HIT’s content update again pits players against the monstrous forces of Virbar, the dastardly God of Chaos who invaded the peaceful world of Intera, defeating the Goddess Eda and casting the world into darkness. Adventurers must now band together to battle hordes of vicious foes to eliminate the darkness that has enshrouded the land.
The game boasts visceral visuals, infinite customization, colossal story mode, simple controls and a challenging multiplayer PvP arena brawl where the best players from around the globe compete in head-to-head hack ‘n slash gameplay. The content update includes several new additions and features, such as:
Immersive Exploration – New and veteran players can now explore undiscovered areas filed with adventure, challenges and extraordinary rewards;
Special In-game Events – Several log-in events offer players valuable items just for logging in; and players can also participate in a Special Play Mission Event to receive even more powerful rewards.
The HIT: Heroes of Incredible Tales update is available now and free to play in most regions worldwide on iPhone and Android. The game is rated T for Teen (ESRB).
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.
EMBARK ON A NORSE MYTHOLOGY-INSPIRED JOURNEY WITH LAUNCH OF PHANTOMGATE: THE LAST VALKYRIE
Original Theme Song and Music Video Produced by Internet Sensation Kurt Hugo Schneider and Recording Artist Macy Kate
LOS ANGELES – SEPTEMBER 19, 2018 – Netmarble Corp., the fastest-growing mobile game company worldwide has launched Phantomgate: The Last Valkyrie, an all-new original free-to-play mobile adventure role-playing game (RPG) inspired by the rich tradition of Norse mythology, and is now available for download on iOS and Android mobile devices.
To celebrate the launch of Netmarble’s latest title, the company partnered with famed music producer Kurt Hugo Schneider and solo recording artist Macy Kate to create an all-new music video utilizing Phantomgate’s theme song. In addition, an instrumental rendition of the game’s theme composed by popular violinist Taylor Davis will be added to the game via an update at a later date. Fans can check out both music videos below:
“It was a fun challenge to take the rich visuals of Phantomgate and translate them into a musical experience,” said Schneider. “I hope both players and music fans will enjoy this track!”
Phantomgate is inspired by the rich tradition of Nordic myth as players follow Astrid, a courageous, young Valkyrie who is on a journey to save her mother from the clutches of the mad god Odin after defying the gods to protect Astrid from capture. Astrid must overcome danger and hardship by navigating the land of Midgard, partner with four unique heroes during her journey and purify enemy monsters known as Phantoms to join her party – all in a grand effort to reunite with her mother.
At launch, players can look forward to a mix of side-scrolling adventures with a unique twist of classic turn-based RPG combat with real-time Player-vs-Player (PVP) features, all threaded together with an engaging story that takes Astrid across Midgard with beautiful platforming levels featuring console-quality graphics, challenging puzzles and more. There are also over 300 unique Phantoms that players can discover, fight, collect and evolve to tackle specific missions in Astrid’s journey.
Other key features for Phantomgate include:
Turn-Based Combat Buffs and Debuffs – During battles in Phantomgate, bubbles with upgrade and downgrade effects spawn randomly for players to tap and drag to appropriate characters on the screen. Effects can include attack increases, defense decreases and more.
Real-Time PVP System – Phantomgate utilizes real-time synchronization to deliver intense combat between players thanks to strategic use of the buffs and debuffs which appear during battle and can be used by either player. Bubble Combatsystem.
Phantom Evolution System – As players explore Midgard and evolve their Phantoms, they will have a choice in how they steer their companion’s advanced evolutions. By choosing to evolve with specific items, players will have a number of alternate Phantom evolutions to choose from – all with different looks, elements and abilities to utilize.
“As an all-new IP, the Phantomgate team aimed to provide players an enjoyable story with relatable characters enhanced by some of the best in-game graphics found on mobile devices along with the deep gameplay mechanics fans are used to seeing in Netmarble games. We’re excited to bring Astrid’s journey to life and look forward to supporting her – and the player’s journey – with future updates to the game,” said Jung-ho Lee, Division Director of Netmarble.
Starting today, Phantomgate’s first in-game event – Find the Hidden Easter Eggs! – is available for players to complete until its closure on Oct. 17. Details on the event are below:
To participate, players can find in-game hints by completing missions as they play. After discovering these hints and finding the Easter Egg, players can add to their score and increase their event rank.
Players can also increase their score and rank by inviting their friends to play Phantomgate with a special friend code. Rewards can also be earned by logging into the game every day
Phantomgate is now available as a free download (with in-app purchases). To download the game, please visit the App Store or Google Play.
Netmarble Corp. strives to entertain audiences of all ages around the world by providing great mobile gaming experiences. Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble is the fastest-growing mobile game company and consistently ranks as a top mobile developer and publisher worldwide. With more than 5,000 employees, Netmarble has been producing and servicing some of the most successful mobile games including Lineage 2: Revolution, MARVEL Future Fight, Everybody’s Marble, and Seven Knights. As a parent company to Kabam, a top mobile game developer in massively multiplayer free-to-play games, and the largest shareholder to Jam City, a leading casual social game developer, Netmarble has a strategic partnership with CJ ENM Corporation, Asia’s largest entertainment company, Tencent Holdings, Asia’s largest internet company, and NCsoft, a prominent MMORPG company. More information can be found at www.netmarble.com.
Rockstar announced that Red Dead Redemption 2will get an online mode called Red Dead Online. Like GTA Online, Red Dead Online will be free for all owners of Red Dead Redemption 2. It will offer huge worlds to explore with friends. The activity design will mix elements of Red Dead Redemption’s multiplayer and GTA Online.
Red Dead Online will not launch alongside Red Dead Redemption 2 on October 26. Instead, a public beta will kick off in November 2018. Rockstar has not revealed how long they plan on keeping the new mode in beta, but they do expect the public beta to be a bumpy launch.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is scheduled to launch on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on October 26.
