EA and Respawn Entertainment announced their new free to play battle royale Apex Legends has launched on PC via Origin, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The game is set in the Titanfall universe. Unfortunately, this one does not involve calling down massive titans from the sky.
Respawn is looking to put a new twist to the battle royale genre. Players will group up as a squad and choose one of eight legends, each with their own unique abilities like shields. Instead of the traditional parachute mechanic, each team will be able to choose their spawn point when they enter the map. Additionally, players will be able to put down respawn beacons to revive dead teammates. Each beacon can be used once, so they will be a valuable commodity.
Apex Legends will be monetized using the genre standard season system. Thos who purchase a Battle Pass will get cosmetics exclusive to that season. New seasons will also bring free content for everyone. The first season is set to start in March.
WATCH THE
INCREDIBLE METRO EXODUS ANIMATED SHORT, ARTYOM’S NIGHTMARE
Artyom always
dreamed of a world beyond the Moscow Metro.
But in post-apocalyptic Russia, dreams can turn into nightmares …
Moscow – Feb. 5, 2019 – Deep Silver and
4A Games are proud to unveil the spectacular CGI animated short, Artyom’s
Nightmare. In this dream-like prologue to the events of Metro Exodus, we
explore Artyom’s hopes and fears of a life beyond the ruins of the Moscow
Metro.
A quarter century after nuclear war devastated the Earth,
a few thousand survivors took refuge in the Moscow Metro. They believed they
were the last remnants of humanity – but they were wrong. Only Artyom dared to
dream of a life on the surface.
It’s time to leave the ruins of Moscow and journey
beyond. But dreams can quickly turn to nightmares …
Created by the master animators of Platige Image in collaboration with 4A Games, Artyom’s Nightmare brings the haunting world of Metro to life as fans have never seen it before. “Watching 4A Games take my characters off the page and onto the screen has been a privilege,” said Dmitry Glukhovsky, author of the original Metro novels. “I hope fans will enjoy this new glimpse into Artyom’s world.”
Metro Exodus releases on Feb. 15 for Xbox One, the
all-in one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation® 4
computer entertainment system, and PC.
Be the first to hear about the latest Metro Exodus
news by registering at MetroTheGame.com, following us on Twitter and Instagram
@MetroVideoGame or on Facebook at Facebook.com/MetroVideoGame.
# # #
MORE ABOUT METRO EXODUS
The year is 2036.
A quarter-century after nuclear war devastated the
earth, a few thousand survivors still cling to existence beneath the ruins of
Moscow, in the tunnels of the Metro.
They have struggled against the poisoned elements,
fought mutated beasts and paranormal horrors, and suffered the flames of civil
war.
But now, as Artyom, you must flee the Metro and lead a
band of Spartan Rangers on an incredible, continent-spanning journey across
post-apocalyptic Russia in search of a new life in the East.
Metro Exodus is an epic, story-driven first person
shooter from 4A Games that blends deadly combat and stealth with exploration
and survival horror in one of the most immersive game worlds ever created.
Explore the Russian wilderness across vast, non-linear
levels and follow a thrilling story-line that spans an entire year through
spring, summer and autumn to the depths of nuclear winter.
Inspired by the novels of Dmitry Glukhovsky, Metro
Exodus continues Artyom’s story in the greatest Metro adventure yet.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Embark on
an incredible journey – board the Aurora, a heavily modified steam
locomotive, and join a handful of survivors as they search for a new life
in the East
Experience
Sandbox Survival – a gripping story links together classic Metro
gameplay with new huge, non-linear levels
A
beautiful, hostile world – discover the
post-apocalyptic Russian wilderness, brought to life with stunning day /
night cycles and dynamic weather
Deadly
combat and stealth – scavenge and craft in the field to customize
your arsenal of hand-made weaponry, and engage human and mutant foes in
thrilling tactical combat
Your
choices determine your comrades’ fate – not all
your companions will survive the journey; your decisions have consequence
in a gripping storyline that offers massive re-playability
The ultimate in atmosphere and immersion
– a flickering candle in the darkness; a ragged gasp as your gasmask
frosts over; the howl of a mutant on the night wind – Metro will immerse
and terrify you like no other game …
ABOUT DEEP SILVER
Deep Silver develops and distributes interactive games for all platforms. The
Deep Silver label means to captivate all gamers who have a passion for
thrilling gameplay in exciting game worlds. Deep Silver works with its partners
to achieve a maximum of success while maintaining the highest possible quality,
always focusing on what the customer desires.
Deep Silver has published more than 200 games since
2003, including its own brands like the open world extravaganza Saints Row, the
zombie action franchise Dead Island, and the grim post-apocalyptic future of
the Metro series. Deep Silver also owns the development studios Deep Silver
Dambuster Studios in Nottingham, UK; Deep Silver Fishlabs in Hamburg, Germany,
and Deep Silver Volition based in Champaign, IL, USA. For more information
please visit www.deepsilver.com.
All product titles,
publisher names, trademarks, artwork and associated imagery are trademarks,
registered trademarks and/or copyright material of the respective owners. All
rights reserved.
ABOUT 4A GAMES 4A Games is a multicultural, multinational video game development studio
with offices in both Malta and Ukraine – known for its atmospheric first-person
shooters Metro 2033, Metro: Last Light, and Metro Redux.
Established in Kiev, Ukraine in 2005, the studio was
founded by a passionate team of game industry veterans with the goal of
creating AAA-quality games for current gaming PCs and then “next-gen” game
consoles. In 2014, the studio moved its headquarters – along with more than 50
team members and their families — from Ukraine to the island of Malta.
Currently at the heart of the company are over 100
talented designers, programmers, artists, effects specialists, and writers from
all over the world with a diverse and unique set of backgrounds – bringing
countless years of experience in software development and computer games in
particular. To learn more, please visit www.4A-Games.com
NEW JUMP
FORCE TRAILER FEATURING JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE CHARACTERS NOW AVAILABLE
FROM BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA INC.
A new JUMP FORCE trailer featuring the recently announced JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure characters, Jotaro and Dio, is now available and ready for viewing.
Jotaro
and Dio, two highly requested characters from the seminal JoJo’s Bizarre
Adventure manga, are ready to take on the competition in JUMP FORCE.
Jotaro fights alongside his Stand, Star Platinum, while Dio deals damage with
his devastating ability to stop time using The World.
JUMP
FORCE
celebrates the 50-year anniversary of Japan’s influential Weekly Shonen Jump
magazine by pitting its most popular franchises together including DRAGON
BALL Z, ONE PIECE, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN, and many more in this
electrifying area-based brawler. JUMP FORCE will be
available for the PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, and PC
via STEAM on February 15, 2019. Fans who pre-order the JUMP FORCEUltimate Edition will be able to start playing JUMP FORCE
three days early on February 12, 2019!
Wheeled Vehicles Are Ready to Roll Out onto World of
Tanks Battlefield
Take the collection of five French machines for a spin
February
6, 2019 — The first
big addition to World of Tanks in 2019 is here: a sub-branch of wheeled
vehicles that are ready to add a new dimension to light tank gameplay. Starting
at Tier VI, the French can be researched after reaching the tracked Tier V AMX
ELC bis.
The wheeled
vehicles are:
AMD
Panhard 178B, Tier VI
Hotchkiss
EBR, Tier VII
AML
Lynx 6×6, Tier VIII
Panhard
EBR 90 (mle. 64), Tier IX
Panhard
EBR 105, Tier X
The
addition of the French wheeled vehicles creates a new role on the battlefield:
the true active scout. These machines need to get closer to their targets to
light them up for teammates, thanks to their high camouflage values.
The
newcomers will also introduce two new mechanics that are unlocked through the
sub-branch. Both of the mechanics are unique to the French wheeled vehicles,
they are:
The
lock-on feature
Two
driving modes: Drive and Default
Due to
sufficiently higher speeds, enabling auto aim would become a challenge. The lock-on
feature massively simplifies this feature and is unlocked with the AMD Panhard
178B. Drive and Default are available from the AML Lynx 6×6:
Drive will allow extreme speed, but
sacrifices handling
Default allows for better
maneuverability, but less pace
“We’re looking forward to releasing
the French wheeled vehicles onto the live server with Update 1.4,” states Maxim
Chuvalov, Publishing Director, World of Tanks. “By adding them, we hope players
will like the new range of vehicles and enjoy mastering the new gameplay role
on the battlefield.”
Wheeled
vehicles are coming as part of Update 1.4 and will be available in-game from 6th
February.
About World of Tanks
World of
Tanks is the first and only team-based, massively multiplayer online action
game dedicated to armored warfare. Throw yourself into the epic tank battles of
World War II with tankers all over the world. Your arsenal includes over 570
armored vehicles from 11 nations, carefully detailed with historical accuracy.
Wargaming
is an award-winning online game developer and publisher headquartered in
Nicosia, Cyprus. Operating since 1998, Wargaming has grown to become one of the
leaders in the gaming industry with 4500+ employees and offices spread all over
the world. 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.
The company’s dedicated unit, Wargaming Mobile,
is forging collaborations to deliver new mobile experiences alongside their
in-house game development.
TOKYO, 5th February 2019 – Today, SEGA released Revolve8 for global
audiences on both Android and iOS across nearly 100 countries and regions in
five languages: English, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, Spanish and French.
This all new real-time-strategy was created by an all-star team that includes
Masayoshi Kikuchi, Koji Igarashi, Ryota-H, Shunsuke Tsuchiya, and Yasunori Mitsuda.
Check out the trailer here!
In Revolve8, producer Masayoshi
Kikuchi and character designer Koji Igarashi created a new real-time-strategy game
featuring familiar fairy tale characters, but with a quirky twist. Players use
a deck of eight cards to destroy their opponent’s tower within three minutes.
The rules are simple, but with the many different combinations of cards and a
variety of Hero skills, mastering the game requires a delicate balance of
strategy and tactics.
KEY
CREATIVE STAFF OF REVOLVE8
Senior Producer: Masayoshi Kikuchi
Producer of “Yakuza”, Director of “Jet Set Radio”
Character Designer: Koji Igarashi (Creator of the Igavania genre)
Character Artist: Ryota-H
Sound Producer: Shunsuke Tsuchiya & Yasunori Mitsuda
GAME
FEATURES
● Gripping characters created by Koji Igarashi – Characters from well-known
fairy tales are reimagined in a unique way by Koji Igarashi. For example, Red
Riding Hood is a fashion and social media fanatic while Cinderella is a
motorcycle-loving pop star, and many more!
● Strategically deep, real-time
duels – Understand the strengths and weaknesses of your cards, which are classified
into Heroes, Minions, Buildings, and Magic. Strategize wisely to win!
● Guide your strategy with 3 deck
types – When you build a deck, the game will automatically classify it as one
of three deck types to help you guide your strategy.
Assault Decks: Lets you go deep into enemy lines
Siege Decks: Focuses on long-range attacks
Counter Decks: Looks for opportunities to counterattack
● Lead your team to victory with 2
skill types – Each Hero has a Normal Skill and a Special Skill. Special Skills
can only be used once in a match by the deck leader, while Normal Skills can be
used every 30 seconds by any of the Heroes in the deck. When used correctly,
these skills can potentially turn the battle around.
● Emerge victorious and climb to a
higher League – Participate in League Matches, which involve real-time battles
against players from around the world!
● Learn the basics with Quests –
Clear single-player quests to pick up the basics of battle and understand the
strengths and weaknesses of each Hero.
To celebrate the upcoming release of
Revolve8, all players will receive the following in-game rewards:
1. Kintaro
2. 1,000 gold
3. Karen
4. Aladdin *Players will receive this reward upon
reaching League 2
5. Sinbad *Players will receive this reward upon reaching
League 2
6. Ring Genie *Players will receive this reward upon
reaching League 3
7. Urashima Taro *Players will receive this reward upon
reaching League 3
8. Cinderella *Players will receive this reward upon
reaching League 3
9. Little Match Girl *Players will receive this reward
upon reaching League 4
10. Bear *Players will receive this reward upon reaching
League 4
11. Fairy Godmother *Players will receive this reward
upon reaching League 5
12. Otohime *Players will receive this reward upon
reaching League 5
13. Wicked Witch *Players will receive this reward upon
reaching League 6
14. Sleeping Beauty *Players will receive this reward
upon reaching League 7
15. Buildings, Minions and Magic Set *Players will
receive these rewards upon reaching the League required to unlock the
particular card.
1.
Kintaro
2.
1,000 gold
3.
Karen
4.
Aladdin *Players will receive this reward upon reaching League
2
5.
Sinbad *Players will receive this reward upon reaching League 2
6.
Ring Genie *Players will receive this reward upon reaching
League 3
7.
Urashima Taro *Players will receive this reward upon reaching
League 3
8.
Cinderella *Players will receive this reward upon reaching
League 3
9.
Little Match Girl *Players will receive this reward upon
reaching League 4
10.
Bear *Players will receive this reward upon reaching League 4
11.
Fairy Godmother *Players will receive this reward upon reaching
League 5
12.
Otohime *Players will receive this reward upon reaching League
5
13.
Wicked Witch *Players will receive this reward upon reaching
League 6
14.
Sleeping Beauty *Players will receive this reward upon reaching
League 7
15.
Buildings, Minions and Magic Set *Players will receive these
rewards upon reaching the League required to unlock the particular card.
Download all assets here and stay updated on news and events from Revolve8：
Revolve8 official Facebook Page and the Revolve8 official website
###About SEGA Networks Inc., SEGA Game Co., Ltd.’s mobile division in the
West:
SEGA’s mobile division in the West has its headquarters based in San Francisco
with dedicated studios across North America and the UK. Focused on creating
fun, compelling and engaging games, SEGA’s games feature iconic intellectual
property as well as original innovative content for mobile and tablet devices.
Since 2008, it has been a leader in the smartphone and tablet space and
continues to be at the forefront of mobile gaming. SEGA Networks Inc.’s mobile
studios include Hardlight™ and Demiurge Studios™. For more information, visit
sega.com.
BATTLLOON Bursts Onto Nintendo Switch, Steam on
28 Feb.
TOKYO – 5 Feb. 2019 –BATTLLOON, the balloon-battling party game from Sony
publishing label UNTIES and noname studio will pop on Nintendo Switch and Steam on
Thursday, 28 Feb. 2019.
Gather two to four people, choose from six balloons and engage in the ultimate high-stakes drama. Attack and bump buddies into spiked walls to be crowned king of the balloon battles. Using only the control stick and a single button, BATTLLOON is an easy game for everyone to get hooked on. Avoiding getting popped is harder than it looks, but deflation is not the end. Punctured pals revive as ghosts who can still compete for victory points.
Each bouncy balloon is a
supreme warrior with distinct playstyles. Puffer can grow big and become
unmovable; Birdie Jay is the master of maneuverability but light and easy to
bonk into spikes; and Astro Cat wows onlookers with its fabulous rainbow trail.
Retro-style pixel arenas
and upbeat chiptunes set the stage for colorful battlegrounds. Each environment
carries its own special dangers like balloon-eating fish or spiky volcanic
rocks that can pop anyone caught off guard. BATTLLOON’s transcendental
conflicts and whimsical squabbles burst with vibrant visuals and gales of
giggles to create a party experience that will keep people of all ages glued to
their controllers.
“Take one look at BATTLLOON
and anyone can see the kind of over-the-top fun they’re in for,” said John
Davis, G&R Representative, UNTIES. “It’s the kind of experience that has
drawn attendees at shows like PAX across the showfloor to see what the hell is
going on, with gameplay kept them coming back for more. Now we look forward to
sharing BATTLLOON with the world.”
BATTLLOON will be available via Nintendo Switch eShop and
Steam on 28 Feb. It will support the English and Japanese languages for two to
four players locally.
Based out of Tokyo,
Japan, Sony Music’s publishing label UNTIES is dedicated to expanding the reach
of Japan’s best indie developers. Its name derives from the goal of untying
games from specific platforms and sharing them worldwide. For more information,
visit the UNTIES website or follow @UNTIES_Games on Twitter.
About noname studios
Founded in 2017, noname
studios is an indie game development team of undergraduate students based in
Tokyo, Japan. For more information, visit the noname studio
website or follow @noitems_studio on Twitter.
MASTER OF ETERNITY AMPS FIERCE MECHA
COMBAT WITH TEMPLE BOSS UPDATE
New story chapters, suits, Boss Raid, special
events and more arrive for Nexon’s immersive strategy role-playing game (SPRG)
on iPhone and Android
Seoul –
Feb. 4, 2019 –
Immersion in fan-favorite acclaimed strategy role-playing game (SRPG) Master
of Eternity (M.O.E.) just became deeper as NEXON Korea Corporation,
subsidiary of NEXON Co., Ltd. (“Nexon”) (3659.TO), a worldwide leader in
free-to-play online and mobile games, introduces the game’s massive Boss Raid,
New Suit and Temple Guardian update. Fans of both grid-based galactic combat
and loveable Pixie commanders can now plunge into the massive Temple Guardian
update for Master of Eternity (M.O.E.), the acclaimed strategy
role-playing game (SRPG) from. Today’s update is available for download
worldwide on iOS
and Android.
Master
of Eternity explores
a rugged war-torn universe engaged in a massive interstellar battle. Adorable
yet fierce Pixies command formidable Mecha suits to fight rivals, foes and even
friends on the battlefield. Players develop special in-game tactics and engage
in intense battle for ultimate control of the M.O.E. galaxy. Today’s
update boasts several new action-packed gameplay features, challenges and
events, including:
Unique New Chapter
& Temple – The
highly-anticipated Chapter 13 Part Two delivers an all-new story for
players to face, packed with a never-before-seen Temple Guardian;
New Boss Raid and
Mobility Production Center – Players
can now participate in Boss Raids and earn rewards to build exclusive
Mecha suits;
Powerful Rare
Suits – Enlist in galactic battle with 17 new Mecha
suits for the Assault, Support, Bombardier and Sniper classes, including
the coveted Kali’s Child Suit;
Special In-game
Events – Veteran and new players can
participate in several events until Wednesday, Feb. 6 to earn rewards,
including:
Chapter 7 Part
Clear: 300,000 Credits and S3 Crux
x5
Chapter 9 Part
Clear: 500,000 Credits and S3 Crux
x10
Chapter 10 Part
Clear: 700,000 Credits and S3
Guaranteed Ticket x5
The Master of Eternity Temple Guardian update is available now for iPhone and Android and is rated 12+.
Visit the official Master of Eternity Facebook page
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.
The Moero Chronicle series has had a bit of a rough time as far as English releases go but it looks like Nintendo is going to allow localizers some leeway as Idea Factory International has announced that they will be bringing Moero Chronicle Hyper to the West. The game will be released digitally only for the Switch through the Nintendo eShop in North America and Europe where it will be priced at $39.99 with a 30% launch discount when it is released sometime this spring.
Moero Chronicle Hyper follows the story of Io, a man that is so perverted that he simply cannot talk to a woman though he doesn’t seem to have problems talking to his best friend Lilia who happens to be a monster girl. This becomes the least of his problems when he’s tasked with going to the dangerous region of Monstopia and finding why the monster girls there have started going on a rampage.
Players will be able to recruit up to fifty different monster girls with their own unique traits and skills while also building their relationships with each girl though the most “interesting” feature happens to be the “Bumping Scratch” that purifies them and returns them to their senses by finding their weakpoints and then touching, rubbing, and poking them until they are purified.
Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2is based on the classic tabletop war game from the Warhammer 40,000 franchise. It is the first game to be set in the new “Gathering Storm” setting. The sequel improves on the first video game adaptation with larger fleets, more ship customization options, all 12 factions from the tabletop game, and improved gameplay.
Story
As the first video
game in the new “Gathering Storm” setting, Battlefleet
Gothic: Armada 2 does a lot better job at explaining the intricate Warhammer 40,000 universe than most
video games. The three campaigns for the Imperium, Necrons, and Tyranids introduce
players to each faction’s lore and their current situations. It’s still not a
complete introduction to all twelve factions, but I hope this signals a greater
interest in bringing new players into the world.
The writing is
solid. While the game is not text heavy like an RPG, the rally the troop
speeches are done very well. The cutscenes are well paced, providing just
enough information to sketch out the lore and keep the story going without
dragging into doldrums.
Gameplay
Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 offers three campaigns for singleplayer
and two player co-op. As of the writing of this review, the co-op is still in
beta testing, with a final release expected to come out sometime in February. The
campaigns are formatted in two phases. The overworld is a turn-based board game
style affair where players move fleets around different sectors to control
them. Controlled sectors are used for shipbuilding, resource production, and slowing
down enemy fleets with sector defenses. Battles for sectors can be handled
automatically by the AI or by the players in the RTS section of the game.
Multiplayer skips
the turn-based world map all together in favour of the shorter RTS matches. Multiplayer
matches are either 1vs1 or 2vs2 in either Domination or Cruiser Clash, their version
of team deathmatch. Players can opt for either skirmish mode or ranked play. I
would have liked to see random unranked matches for newbies to practice and
experiment in before wading into the deep end. Instead, Skirmishes are invite
only.
The RTS battles
are intense. Matches are like games of chess in motion, where players are attempting
to move into the right position to unleash their main guns on the enemy. Players
manage not only the integrity of their ship, but also the crew. A mutiny will
cause the ship to ignore commands and flee the battle, making morale just as
important as shields. Because the fleet battles only involve a handful of
units, micromanaging ships is a must, as well-timed skill usage can turn the tide
of a battle. The speed of multiplayer matches can’t be adjusted, but players
can slow down, speed up, or even pause the gameplay in singleplayer to give
themselves time to react or skip over dull moments of travel.
Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 is not for those who like a lot of variety
in their mission objectives. The game stays true to its tabletop wargaming roots
and generally sticks to either domination or cruiser clash. There are not many
epic set pieces created by the developers, and it’s a bit of a shame. Some of
the greatest variety is in the different faction’s ships, as they all have very
different playstyles. Since there are only three factions with campaigns so
far, I would have liked to see a versus AI mode for those who prefer to play singleplayer.
The learning curve
in Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 is steep.
The prequel campaign is long and will prepare players with some basic skills;
however, beating a campaign is still a challenge on easy. The campaign offers
three levels of difficulty and the option of disabling the emergency meter. As
players lose fights or fail objectives, the game becomes all the more difficult.
Combined with the 12 possible factions, Battlefleet
Gothic: Armada 2 offers a solid challenge for players willing to put in the
effort of learning the game’s intricacies.
The user
experience is usable, but there are room for improvement. In the overworld, I
would have preferred to move fleets between sectors by clicking either the
sector or the slot I wish the fleet to occupy, instead of just the sector. The
loading time for the build new ships menu also could be improved, as the game
currently locks up for several seconds. The ability bars on the bottom of the
screen works well for one or two types of ships, but commanding a fleet comprising
of several different types can make the ability bars very cramped. While ability
ranges are shown with a light blue overlay and the mouse icon show valid
targets, some abilities may not fire because of some other condition not being
met. It would have been nice for the text error message to show exactly why the
ability would not work, such as Lightning Strikes requiring the target to have
no shields.
Visuals
Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 looks fantastic. The ship design is
eye catching and unique, ranging from the regal Imperium fleets to the floating
rust buckets the Orks call a battleship. There are a few subtle nods to the game’s
tabletop roots like the bases the miniatures would traditionally be mounted on
and the background that is set below the playing grid. When combat strikes,
players are treated to an incredible light show. While the game emphasizes large
ship combat, there’s quite a bit of attention to detail, as small fighters and
bombers can be seen buzzing their way to enemy ships. The cutscenes are
gorgeous. They look hand painted with only a few moving elements. The style
reminds me of the illustrations found in tabletop rule and source books.
Audio
The audio is solid.
The voice actors do a good job of delivering their lines, though I would have
liked to see a little more variation for unit chatter. The sound effects are
enjoyable, doing a great job of immersing players into the massive space
battles. The music is subtle, but is pleasant to listen to.
Overall
Battlefleet
Gothic: Armada 2 does an excellent job of translating the
tabletop wargaming experience to the digital sphere. There are some
improvements that can be added in future patches or the next title in the series.
The user experience could use some polish and Skirmish vs AI mode is needed. Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 is a
challenging game that isn’t the easiest thing to learn, but it offers some of
the best fleet-level combat in the market.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Inspired by developer Leonard Menchiari’s experiences surrounding the Italian NoTAV protests, Riot – Civil Unrest lures players with its real-time riot simulation. But after originally being crowdfunded six years ago, can this game deliver?
Story
In Riot – Civil Unrest’s story mode, you play as protestors/rioters or police over four campaigns based on real life protests and locations, with the cutscenes in between each level explaining the historical reasonings for the protests. The Egyptian campaign covers the Arab Spring protests which started in 2014 and lead to the overthrow of the Egyptian government, the Spanish Indignados campaign which features the anti-austerity campaigns that took place between 2011 and 2014, the Keratea, Greece protests that took place in 2011 over a planned landfill site, and the NOTAV movement (TAV being Treno Alta Velocita, the high speed train) which protested the construction of a high speed railway between Turin, Italy and Lyon, France.
Despite the story mode being very Mediterranean centric, the global mode features thirty scenarios around the world on top of the campaign levels, but the game doesn’t go very deep into the socio-economic and political reasonings behind the protests and riots, preferring to cover why they happen and not how they happen. Despite this, in an era where ‘edutainment’ games are in short supply, this feels like edutainment done right for the modern era.
Gameplay
The game consists of playing as two separate factions, police and rioters. As the police you’re lower on manpower but have access to more sophisticated riot control weapons. Whereas rioters have much superior manpower, but less weaponry and the player has less control over them. To win each level in this game, you have to complete the goals of the level, which may consist of getting all of your side to a certain point, holding an area, or pushing back the enemy faction and advancing. The player must balance out military and political scores, as even if you win militarily, you can lose the level politically because you were too heavy handed. The AI will base its reactions in each level based on how you’ve played before, so playing violently as the police will lead to more violent protests and vice versa. At the end of each level you get a newspaper front page with the headline describing the result and a picture of the riot. If you use the camera ability it will be a picture you took on the front page, which is a nice touch.
Riot – Civil Unrest features multiple game modes, besides the aforementioned Story Mode, Global Mode has you trying to keep public opinion of your side positive with the levels getting harder if you don’t. On the protest side in this mode you choose special characters who have different abilities and strategies to help your riot defensively or offensively.
Along with these modes, the game has a spectator mode where you can set up the riots and watch them happen, journalist mode, which is basically a spectator mode where you’re on the ground taking pictures and could of really been something unique if it was more fleshed out, and on PC, the Steam Workshop levels, where you can download and create your own levels, with many already in the workshop covering the current Yellow Vest protests taking place in Paris. There is also a versus mode, where two to four players can play against each other.
According to the promotional material for this game, each individual member of the crowd has their own AI which does make the crowds look natural and realistic, but no matter which side you play as, you feel like you have no control over any of the actions of the crowd, as it feels the game frequently disregards what actions the player wants and due to that, the game becomes a clicking frenzy as you try to control the crowds. The game would of benefited from being able to select multiple units at once (Like Warcraft 3 and other RTS games), when playing at the police you have multiple formations to use, which I didn’t find myself using much outside of the line and defensive formations as the arrow and skirmish formations felt useless when I thought I had situations to use them in.
The game, even on higher difficulties, didn’t feel as if they posed any challenge. No matter what difficulty Riot – Civil Unrest was played at, it still felt like I spent the whole time left clicking as I tried to get my troops to listen to me.
Visuals
Visually, Riot – Civil Unrest is a beautiful game. It’s 8-bit graphical style stands out well and is really the defining mark of the game. The pixelated styling reminds me of the low-res footage you frequently saw of riots on websites like Liveleak. One of my favourite graphical features has to be the flames from Molotov cocktails, which have a beautiful glow in this game that really helps set the mood.
Audio
The sound in the game accurately represents what a riot sounds like, chaos. The mixed audio of crowds, screaming, footsteps, police and more all add up to a soundscape that sets the mood of a riot.
Overall
This is a game made with great love, there’s no doubt about it. I would have liked it if the game went deeper into the individual stories of protesters or policemen there, as many films, TV shows, books and games around riots and protests have in the past. I strongly believe that if this game released around 2012-2014, it would be making a much larger splash than it is now, as I feel the world has moved on, as it often has, from any major rioting in the last couple of years (although one could point at Venezuela and Paris at the moment, they aren’t on the scale of the Arab Spring) and because of this, the games relevance is lessened.
Despite this, Riot – Civil Unrest isn’t a game I’d recommend for everyone. If you’re political or you enjoy the idea of controlling riots, then this is the peak example we have so far of a game in this political genre and you’ll have at least six hours of fun. But if the concept doesn’t excite you, then it’s a game I’d skip at full price.
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