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Empyre: Lords of the Sea Gates Will Rise From The Oceans This Fall

Philip Federico
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Empyre: Lords of the Sea Gates Will Rise From The Oceans This Fall 

Coin Operated Games to Bring Classic, Neo-Victorian RPG Action to PC via Steam 

Auburn, New Hampshire – July 12, 2017 – Coin Operated Games announces today that its upcoming Neo-Victorian RPG Empyre: Lords of the Sea Gates, will be coming to Steam players this fall.  Currently in development by a team of industry veterans from such influential companies as Crytek, Codemasters, Gameloft and Creative Assembly, Empyre: Lords of the Sea Gates is a top-down isometric RPG that takes place in a Neo-Victorian New York circa 1911. The game’s first trailer can be viewed at https://youtu.be/n3324z7aMGs.

… water is everywhere but none of it to drink…

Featuring a top-down isometric presentation, Empyre: Lords of the Sea Gates will rekindle old-school PC RPG fans with feelings of some of the classic story driven RPGs of the 90s. While the combat should feel familiar to veteran players, there’s a new twist in that the game uses a hybrid Real Time/Turn-based System. Players can enter a “Planning Mode” where they choose actions for each character in their party while combat is paused, and when entering into the “Action Mode” all characters will perform simultaneously, giving players complete control over their party while presenting a streamlined combat system that eliminates waiting for each character to act in sequence.

Empyre: Lords of the Sea Gates is the story of an alternate New York in which the entire city is flooded by rising oceans and the citizens must learn to live in a new reality where there is water everywhere, but none of it possible to drink. The player must make their way in search of a fresh water supply source, picking up companions along the journey. But the trip won’t be easy, as there are many threats both human and inhuman that players will encounter.

“One of the things we strove for when designing Empyre is authenticity during an ‘Age of Technical Wonder’ in the United States, the Gilded Age,” said John Randall, Creative Director of Empyre. “For example, the New York City we all know is the city in this game, and history buffs will recognize many iconic locations that existed in the city during the 1910s, but with a unique, waterlogged twist. People and society exist and act as they did in the early 20th Century. We feel this level of detail will give players a one-of-a-kind experience that they haven’t seen anywhere before.”

Empyre:  Lords of the Sea Gates pays homage to historic accounts by adding authentic items such as patent medicines including poisons or tonics made from dangerous ingredients. Many of the games’ objectives and side quests will tie directly into the experiences that someone in the 19th century would have. The game’s authenticity reflects scenes from New York during the 1900s, while tying the storyline to current day themes such as global warming and the rising of the oceans.

Currently in development by Coin Operated Games, Empyre: Lords of the Sea Gates will be available via Steam this fall. More information will be shared in the coming weeks once the waters die down…

For more product information, visit www.empyrethegame.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Empyrethegame-272522026282358/, Twitter at https://twitter.com/EmpyreTheGame #nowatertodrink and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/EmpyreTheGame

About Coin Operated Games

Headquartered in New Hampshire with development partners located internationally, Coin Operated Games is an independent developer whose mission is to create a unique series of games set in different eras and locations. The core team is made up of industry veterans with a combined 60 years of experience from iconic organizations like Crytek, Codemasters, Creative Assembly, Stormregion, and Digital Reality. Empyre: Lords of the Sea Gates will be the inaugural project for Coin Operated Games, and is scheduled for release in 2017.

MONSTER HUNTER INVADES PUZZLE & DRAGONS WITH ALL-NEW CHARACTERS, CAMPAIGN, AND DUNGEONS

Philip Federico
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MONSTER HUNTER INVADES PUZZLE & DRAGONS WITH ALL-NEW CHARACTERS, CAMPAIGN, AND DUNGEONS

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — July 10, 2017 — GungHo Online Entertainment America has announced today a brand new event that brings Capcom’s Monster Hunter, the hit action RPG, to the mobile game phenomenon Puzzle & Dragons beginning July 10 and ending July 23.

Puzzle & Dragons invites players to stalk their way through the treacherous lands of Monster Hunter in an all-new dungeon featuring the world’s most daunting creatures. With the inclusion of a new multiplayer dungeon, the Monster Hunter tie-in delivers a refreshing take on the classic Puzzle & Dragons experience that allows up to three players to cooperatively battle through the Multiplayer Monster Hunter Collab! Dungeon where Massacre Demon Diablos awaits them. Ranging in difficulties from Intermediate to Ultra G Rank, the new dungeon is home to a variety of monsters, including Amatsu, Valphalk, Kirin, Rathalos, and more.

As part of the new campaign, players will receive the Male Hunter upon logging into Puzzle & Dragons. The Female Hunter can also be obtained after clearing the Hunt-a-thon-Teams of 4 or less floor in the Monster Hunter Collab dungeon as a first time clear bonus. Hunters can evolve into more powerful forms after performing an Ultimate Evolution using the material items from the Monster Hunter Collab dungeons. Male and Female Hunters can also be purchased in the MP shop for 200,000 MP each.

For a limited time, players Rank 50 or higher will receive one free pull at the Rank 50 Monster Hunter Egg Machine. During the event, an in-game mail will be sent to those that have reached a Rank of 50. By pressing the “Start” button in this mail, one random featured collab monster will be received.

[10 Magic Stone Monster Hunter Egg Machine]:
★7
Amatsu
Massacre Demon Diablos
★6
Valphalk
Kirin
Rathalos
Mizutsune
Glavenus
★5
Gammoth
Astalos
Rathian
Tigrex
Nargacuga

Puzzle & Dragons is a mobile gaming phenomenon that continues to see tremendous growth. The game features an addictive combination of puzzle, dungeon-crawling, and monster-collecting gameplay. In the game, players capture, collect, and evolve hundreds of elemental monsters while using quick thinking to chain combos and maximize the abilities and skills of their monsters. Puzzle & Dragons has surpassed 60 million downloads worldwide and can be download from the App Store, Google Play, and Amazon Appstore.

For information on GungHo Online Entertainment America, visit
www.gunghoonline.com. Fans can also follow the latest Puzzle & Dragons news on Facebook and Twitter.                                                     

# # #

ABOUT GUNGHO ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA

GungHo Online Entertainment America is a multiplatform publisher dedicated to delivering the best titles, content and support for the online gaming community. Established in 2012 and led by former Square Enix U.S.A. and XSEED Games executive Jun Iwasaki, GungHo Online Entertainment America is the US division of GungHo Online Entertainment (GOE), an established Japanese publisher. GungHo Online Entertainment America’s content partners include leading developers Grasshopper Manufacture, Game Arts, Acquire, and Gravity, all of which are subsidiaries of GOE. GungHo Online Entertainment America publishes and distributes network-oriented games for console, handheld, mobile, tablet, and MMO-style games for PC. GungHo Online Entertainment America is located in El Segundo, CA. For more information, visit www.gunghoonline.com.

EXCLUSIVE PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS LIVESTREAMS COMING TO FACEBOOK JULY 10

Philip Federico
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EXCLUSIVE PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS LIVESTREAMS COMING TO FACEBOOK JULY 10

Bluehole Inc. to Feature PUBG ‘Streamers’ on Facebook Live Each Week

Seoul, South Korea – July 10, 2017 – Bluehole Inc. announced today that it will livestream exclusive content for PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS (PUBG) on Facebook Live. Beginning on July 10 at 7:00 – 10:00 PM  PDT and occurring four times a month, Bluehole will livestream PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS gameplay on their Facebook Page. Each live video will showcase different elements, starting with games hosted by one of Bluehole’s community managers. The weekly livestreams will then alternate hosts between content creators from the PUBG community and Bluehole’s community managers.

“This new initiative with Facebook will bring our passionate fan base closer to our development team,” states Chang Han Kim, VP and Executive Producer, Bluehole Inc. “Livestreaming has been very important to the growth of PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS. We believe that featuring PUBG livestreamers on Facebook further strengthens our commitment to the community while extending the reach of our game to a global audience.”

Starting July 10 and following every Monday at 7:00 PM PDT, gamers can tune in to PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS Facebook Page to catch the latest stream: www.facebook.com/playbattlegrounds/. To be notified when a video goes live, make sure to click the ‘like’ button on the Page.

“Facebook and the Bluehole team have a shared belief in the power of gaming communities, and PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS is a stunning example of a hit game guided directly by its fans,” said Leo Olebe, Director of Global Games Partnerships at Facebook. “BATTLEGROUNDS is just as much fun to watch as it is to play, and we’re excited to see some of the best PUBG creators bring exclusive content to Facebook to help fuel its growing community on the platform.”

For more information about PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS, please visit playbattlegrounds.com and follow its announcements on Facebook – www.facebook.com/playbattlegrounds/.

PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS – Not Just a Game. This is Battle Royale.

# # #

ABOUT BLUEHOLE
Founded in 2007 and based in Korea, Bluehole, Inc. is the developer of the popular action MMORPG, TERA, which has attracted over 25 million registered users worldwide. TERA is live in seven different territories including North America, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Europe and Russia and has reached the #1 spot on Steam’s MMORPG charts. Having achieved high standards and worldwide recognition for its online roleplaying games, the studio has also expanded into the mobile gaming market. Bluehole’s first non-MMO title, PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS, has sold more than four million units since its Early Access launch on March 23, 2017. PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTELGROUNDS is fully developed and published by Bluehole worldwide. For more information, visit www.bluehole.net/en.

Valkyria Revolution Review

Travis Bruno
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Valkyria Revolution Review

Valkyria Revolution

Developer: Media Vision
Publisher: Sega
Platforms: PS Vita, PlayStation 4, Xbox One (Reviewed)
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $39.99 USD – Available Here $59.95 AUD – Available Here

Overview

Combining strategy gameplay with fantasy elements is hardly a new concept but when Sega put together Valkyria Chronicles back in 2008 many people saw it as a great success. After various ups and downs throughout the years the company has returned with something quite a bit different. Set in the same universe as the original series but best taken as a completely separate entity, does the action RPG that is Valkyria Revolution offer a worthwhile experience?

Story

As previously mentioned, it is worth noting that Valkyria Revolution features a number of similarities to the Valkyria Chronicles games so various shared terms will pop-up but do not expect any connection between the series outside of these phrases. Set in the year of 1853 CE the continent of Europa is a powder keg waiting to plunge itself into war and the tiny kingdom of Jutland has been pushed to the brink. With the Ruzi Empire forcing an economic blockade on the small land, the Ruzi Empires’ sights are set on the massive Ragnite that the country possesses.

With Ragnite being a precious azure mineral capable of generating large amounts of power as well as giving users potential magical properties, the land of Jutland is at their wits end as hunger spreads and the sick die from illnesses that would easily have been treated if medicine was allowed through the blockade. As such the anti-Valkyria unit known as the Vanargand, led by Amleth, begins an assault on a Ruzi base just as the kingdom of Jutland announces their plans for war. The only problem with this is the fact that the princess of Jutland, Ophelia, is with the unit and witnesses an event that points to the true motives of Amleth.

It is interesting to note that the story is told through the frame of a history lesson. Years in the future a student pursues his teacher to learn about the true nature of the events that took place during the war, the events that have since been painted over for unknown reasons and left Amleth and his friends labeled as traitors. This means that although players are given some clues as to what happened down the line; they are able to gain some extra perspective for these events thanks to the way it is being told.

Unfortunately while Valkyria Revolution’s storyline is rather gripping at times, it is also one that can be tiresome to deal with at times and it is primarily thanks to the way that the story is told. Between battles every major story point involves cutscenes that features the main characters talking to one another. This wouldn’t usually be a problem but many of these cutscenes are incredibly bland to watch as the characters are given very little in the way of animation, occasionally to the point that players will need to keep an ear out for who is actually talking as scenes often show characters from behind.

It also doesn’t help that these cutscenes are incredibly long in nature and feature some rather lengthy load times between scenes. There are even moments that can be described as “bathroom breaks” where a cutscene will end and place players back with the teacher and student where they can save the game and look at old scenes if they wish. Also it is worth noting that thanks to the fact that these scenes are cutscene only, there is no way to fast-forward the dialogue or advance it in any way other than simply watching it as any attempt to move things along will simply skip the entire cutscene, a few of which can run up to fifteen minutes long, leaving us with an interesting storyline with some intriguing characters that do get explored quite a bit if you choose to delve into them, that get dragged down through the tedium of the story’s presentation.

Gameplay

Once you step onto the battlefield you’ll immediately notice that Valkyria Revolution is taking full advantage of being a more action based RPG. Rather than taking turns and taking potshots at enemies your character and their squad, as well as other AI compatriots and your opponents, will move around the field in real time. It is a bit odd however that although the wait time is almost negligible, there is something of a turn system in the form of action gauges. Whether it is attacking an enemy with a melee strike, shooting at them with a gun, tossing a grenade, or using a Ragnite spell everything has a small cooldown you’ll need to wait for. This can lead to some strange confrontations where the action will feel like it is stuttering slightly and can pull some of the impact from the fights.

For those who do want to take advantage of some remaining strategy elements it is possible to give specific commands to your allies and have them use skills or simply swap to them yourself to take a more hands approach, leaving your previous character to the AI. Thanks to the fact that your ally AI is sometimes unreliable, occasionally getting stuck and sometimes delaying their skill use, the latter option is the preferred route for tight situations. Even the cover system still exists in small form as players can hide behind sandbags and various other debris to avoid taking damage from incoming fire but it is worth noting that thanks to the same butting being used to vault over walls being the one that crouches against it, there will be more than a few times you’ll end up either blowing over your cover or coming to a complete halt.

It is worth noting that various character advantages and disadvantages remain in Valkyria Revolution. This means that some characters might fight better on their own or deal extra damage with certain skill types though they might end up suffering from stat losses from disadvantageous “potentials.” Along these lines players can also spend their time outside of missions grinding towards upgrading their parties’ equipment, upgrading various skills, and attempting to build the most effective classes possible since some of the boss battles can be quite troublesome in this game.

While taking on standard enemies in a battle field that is usually fairly straightforward may seem like easy pickings at times, the bosses often feature unique weaknesses that must be targeted and if you come into the fight unprepared you may end up coming face to face with death. This means that while the shift towards an action RPG may have bothered fans of the classic series, there is still plenty of challenge to be had here and even a few light-strategy elements mixed in, though occasionally these elements get in the way of the “action” part of the game.

Visuals & Audio

Earlier I mentioned that the majority of the cutscenes in Valkyria Revolution lack anything in the way of major animation and while this remains true, there are a few standout moments that look exceptionally well handled. This is partly due to the fact that the “Gouache” engine gives a unique look to everything in this game with a hand painted design style. This leads to gorgeous looking character models on the majority of the cast as well as some great looking cutscenes though it is worth noting that some of the stages you battle on can be a bit bland at times.

Accompanying the great style of the visuals is some outstanding musical work featuring Tasunori Mitsuda as the composer. There are numerous tracks that fit perfectly with the aesthetic and feeling that the game is going for at any given time and really help bring certain moments to life. The English voice work is also handled well enough though thanks to some satisfying localization work and this is something to be quite pleased about considering how lengthy most of these scenes can be.

Overall

Although Valkyria Revolution may not be what many would expect from a game with Valkyria in the title it does serve as a serviceable action RPG with a decent combat system and a solid storyline with some great characters. Unfortunately each of these elements is weighed down by issues that are impossible to ignore. With the action combat slowed down due to action gauges and story sequences being terribly long with no option to move things along at a quicker pace, be prepared for a game that has a lot to offer but can’t stop getting in the way of itself.

Worlds collide and chaos ensues as BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe releases ACCEL WORLD VS. SWORD ART ONLINE

Philip Federico
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Worlds collide and chaos ensues as BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe releases ACCEL WORLD VS. SWORD ART ONLINE

Build A Dream Team with Your Favorite Characters from ACCEL WORLD and Sword Art Online to Bring Peace to Worlds in Turmoil

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe the premier publisher of anime video games today announced that it has launched ACCEL WORLD VS. SWORD ART ONLINE in Europe, digitally for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and PlayStation® Vita handheld entertainment system.

The virtual and accelerated worlds have collided! Sword Art Online’s Svart Alfheim and the Accelerated World have begun to merge, and in the midst of the chaos, Yui has gone missing. Join Kirito and over 30 playable characters, as they challenge the Seven Kings of Pure Color from the Accelerated World to gain access to Yui’s location. Players from both groups come together in a war of the worlds where the strongest Burst Linkers and ALO Players are on a mission to save Yui from the hands of Persona Vabel, a mysterious figure who lives a thousand years in the future.

ACCEL WORLD VS. SWORD ART ONLINE is a dream anime crossover bringing together characters from two of Reki Kawahara’s celebrated franchises — ACCEL WORLD and SWORD ART ONLINE. The game features a large roster of characters from the anime and award winning series enabling fans to build out a three-person dream team with their favorite characters and utilize their special abilities in battle from both ACCEL WORLD and SWORD ART ONLINE. By mixing and matching characters from both worlds, players will be able to create an unstoppable team as they embark on an epic action role-playing game adventure. Players will also be able to team-up with three other friends to battle rivals in fierce online multiplayer modes. Additionally, through the use of a new Switch System built in to ACCEL WORLD VS. SWORD ART ONLINE, players can enjoy fast-paced battles while switching to different characters, enabling them to chain together long combos with no stop to the action on screen.

The Day1 of the title as more to share with the fans of the saga. It will arrive with two exclusive contents for those who are part of the Bandai Namco Entertainment Loyalty Program:

  • Discover the beginning of the story with the exclusive Digital manga, and found out on what comes next with the official videogame
  • SAO ORDINAL SCALE PACK that features Kirito and Asuna Ordinal Scale Costumes and a second Playable Character: Yuna available from today to the 7th August in limited quantities for free

To get both these packs, the player has to connect to www.bandainamcoent.eu, subscribe to the loyalty program if it is not already the case and request the code that he will receive by mail.

ACCEL WORLD VS. SWORD ART ONLINE is now available physically and digitally for the PlayStation®4 system and digitally for PlayStation®Vita system. To find out more about Sword Art Online games, please head to http://www.swordartonline-game.com and join us on www.facebook.com/swordartonlinegames. For more information regarding products from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe please visit: https://www.bandainamcoent.eu, https://www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoEU, and join the conversation at https://www.twitter.com/BandaiNamcoEU.

ARMS Review

Nathan Farrugia
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ARMS Review

ARMS
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Switch
Release Date: 16/6/2017
Price: $79.95 (AU) – Available Here / $59.95 (US) – Available Here

Overview

ARMS is Nintendo’s most recent attempt at a brand new IP, featuring 10 unique fighters who all excel in stretching out their arms (or hair) to land a blow on their opponent. When the boxing-based 3D arena fighter was first revealed people were initially pretty quiet on the idea, but the hype surrounding ARMS tended to rise as hands-on impressions of the game started to come out. When I first played ARMS at a hands-on event earlier this year I noted that I had fun with the game but it lacked staying power, so does the full retail game manage to sway my initial opinion?

Story

While ARMS has a 10 round ‘arcade mode’ acting as it’s main single player draw there is little story here. At the beginning of each character’s campaign, you get a couple of lines of text mentioning some facts about them and a stats bio. In addition to that, between matches, a robot commentator will comment on your next opponent and sometimes the relationship between the two.

This has about as much narrative as you used to find in most 90’s fighters but with such a fascinating world that seems obsessed with the ARMS circuit, it’s a shame there wasn’t a proper story mode to give these fascinating characters more depth. On the bright side it gives the world and fighters a nice air of mystery I guess.

Gameplay

At its core, ARMS is typically a 1 on 1 boxing game focusing on movement in a 3D arena while punching, dodging and countering. The big twist here, of course, is your characters have ridiculous punching range thanks to their spring like arms or hair. Each of the 10 fighters has their own movement speed, punching speed, starting arm selections, special ability (e.g. Ninjara disappears when he dashes in the air, Twintelle can float for a bit and Helix… well he’s very unique let’s just say that) and power. For the most part, the characters are well balanced and as each fighter has access to each arm type there are no issues there.

On top of that, each of your two arms can be equipped with one of 30 arm types which range from standard boxing gloves to mallets to dragons that shoot laser beams. This means there are countless combinations of play styles to mess around with and finding one that suits you shouldn’t be too difficult. Each glove category is vastly different from the last and while you may find you easily beat an opponent with one combination, them simply changing their gloves can throw you for a loop giving valuable meaning to the in-between round glove changes both players can make.

Perhaps surprisingly so, there is a high layer of strategy in ARMS. While the game employs a rather common paper-scissors-rock premise in that punches beat grabs, grabs beat blocks and blocks beat punches (and each of those cancels each other out). Your success in ARMS will come from mastering that system as well as being better in common fighting game tropes such as reaction times, spacing and game knowledge.

Controls are well handled here with every Switch control scheme supported. The motion controls are incredibly solid and responsive. While I found movement perhaps the hardest thing to do with the controls I think that was down to me being uncoordinated as opposed to poor motion controls. I’ve heard many complaints about people grabbing by mistake but I didn’t suffer that issue.

If you’re learning the game I definitely recommend playing in handheld mode with the Joycons attached. This allows you to pay close attention to the action while learning the controls which are a little unconventional (guard, for example, is activated by pushing the left stick in). For some reason, Nintendo didn’t see it necessary to let us customise button inputs at all which would have been greatly appreciated.

In terms of game modes, you’ve got the aforementioned Grand Prix, versus modes which contains some fairly inconsequential mini games (which can be played locally and online) and a training mode. The training mode throws a variety of situations against you to get better at certain aspects of the game which I found great. Meanwhile, the mini games Volleyball, Hoops and Skillshot (break the target) are nothing but small distractions that are better suited to being scattered in between Grand Prix and online matches as they are.

Nintendo deserves a shout out for this online mode. The no lag, minimum connection errors, quick matchmaking mode makes for what could be the smoothest Nintendo online mode we have seen yet perhaps and one of the best lobby based online modes I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing.

So you’ve got an awesome cast of characters, layers of strategy and one of the best online modes Nintendo has ever crafted, so then why does ARMS lose it’s magic so quickly. I think I can nail it on a few specific things, the crushing offline difficulty souring my initial impressions of the game while I was trying to learn the basics, a lack of engaging content and simply the core punching gameplay becomes repetitive too quickly.

While the concept of the game is easy to grasp earning success is unnecessarily difficult. Even on the 2nd lowest Grand Prix difficulty, I was constantly getting KO’d, taking multiple attempts at each fighter. A game with a fairly fresh concept should have let me ease into the game and then push me in later difficulties, not keep breaking me down until I was just forced to get better. I found player matches against other newbies was actually the fairest way to practice.

While there is a lot of strategy and various weapons, there aren’t really combos in ARMS so your only attack options come down to left punch, right punch and grab and that basically applies to the entire game. There’s almost nothing to unlock outside of new arms for each fighter, but if you’re not already becoming tired of the gameplay than that does little to alleviate the monotony.

The one game mode I didn’t mention above is the 1-on-100 which is perhaps my favourite of the additional modes because it mixes up the gameplay the most, forcing you to constantly be on your toes moving and allowing you to OHKO 100 Helix clones before taking on a challenging hidden boss. Again this relies heavily on the core mechanics but the multiple opponents that go down in a single hit and challenging boss provided enough of a fresh breath of air. Even this mode doesn’t have much meat to it, however.

For what if offers, ARMS being $80 AUD is simply too much. If ARMS had released at maybe $30 AUD with just Grand Prix (without the mini games), 1 on 1 local, 1 on 1 online ranked and player match and a training mode, the game would have been better off for it. Even with more free content planned, I can easily see ARMS getting pushed aside for other fighting games and the upcoming Splatoon 2.

Visual

ARMS is a very solid looking game full of the signature Nintendo style of bright colours, impressive character models, and flashy effects. The 10 fighters with all their small attention to details, their animations and the 10+ stages are all lovingly crafted and ooze character (literally if you’re talking about Helix). This is one of the most memorable and diverse rosters in years, from the punchy Springman to the diva Twintelle and kung-fu fighting Min Min. I’ll struggle to forget any of these characters anytime soon.

My only problem with the graphics is that there seems to be some sort of white filter over the top of all gameplay that stops this game being as vibrant as it wants to be but it’s a very small issue. The menus and the fighting user interface are all well designed and communicated, even if the training menu was buried in the versus menu for some reason. Performance wise this game maintains an impressive 60 FPS outside of 4 player local battles and almost always runs at 1080p to boot, dropping to 900p whenever split screen is introduced.

Audio

While I probably won’t find myself seeking out any of the music in ARMS on YouTube, no one could deny the soundtrack fits this game perfectly. From the chanting theme song that gets your pumped to fight to the character specific themes that all take cues from that characters design inspiration or suit the stage (e.g. Min Min’s ramen bowl stage that has a taste of those classic Asian instrumentals and is perhaps my favourite track in the game), all the music here serves a purpose. Likewise, each character voice matches their design and are performed well, even if the characters don’t have much to say. Lastly, all the in game sound effects perfectly match up to the action and make each punch or block even more satisfying to land in addition to the visual cues used.

Overall

ARMS is a real tough one to score. The game has excellent presentation, an awesome roster of unique fighters, a great amount of strategy and all the gameplay elements to capitalise on those strategic systems in place. The problem is I became bored too quickly with fighting that makes up 95% of the gameplay. Toss in a strangely high difficulty that doesn’t let you ease into learning how ARMS plays in the beginning few hours and a lack of any engaging single-player content and it becomes hard to justify the full game price tag.

I encourage everyone to give ARMS a shot if you can as it no doubt earns at least that much,  but I can only truly recommend it if you fall in love with the core fighting mechanics and have aims to play heavily online.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Next Up Hero Announced for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One

Jamie Laike Tsui
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Next Up Hero Announced for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One

Digital Continue revealed it’s first game, Next Hero Up. The company is headed by Joe Tringali, the co-founder of 5TH Cell (Lock’s Quest), and it is working with Aspyr Media to bring Next Hero Up to early access in Fall 2017 (Spring 2017 for the Southern Hemisphere). A closed beta is now live through RTX Austin, and the game will be launched in full for Linux, Mac, PlayStation 4, Switch, Xbox One, and Windows in early 2018.

The game is an arcade style shoot ’em up featuring nine unique heroes wielding weapons ranging from the conventional sword to the ridiculous bongo drum. Players control all nine heroes, though not all at once. As each hero falls in battle, they leave an echo in the level that will serve as an AI companion for a future playthrough. Players simply need to find the fallen echo to add to their army until they have enough firepower to win or die trying. This twist on asynchronous multiplayer is called Community Continue.

https://youtu.be/EN3ZKyWDAz4

Life is Feudal MMO Kicks off Fourth Closed Beta

Jamie Laike Tsui
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Life is Feudal MMO Kicks off Fourth Closed Beta

Bitbox threw open the doors to Life is Feudal: MMO for its fourth beta test. The latest round of testing will run for two weeks, ending on July 21. New to this closed beta is the Trading Post, which allows players to trade resources and crafted items among themselves in a controlled and safe manner. Of course, there is little to stop someone from swinging their weapon afterwards, but that’s the risk in a survival game!

Life is Feudal: MMO is a large scale expansion to Bitbox’s medieval survival game. Life is Feudal: MMO features massive, persistent servers that are 49 times larger than Life is Feudal’s private servers. Up to 10,000 players can group together as guilds to build cities and towns then go to battle in instanced battlegrounds, complete with siege equipment.

To accompany the announcement, Bitbox has released a tutorial video to teach new players how to build their very first house in game.

Editor’s Note: The mini-games has been removed from the game’s features list. The article has been updated accordingly.

https://youtu.be/15NlI_GFbbM

Victorian Themed Digital Board Game Antihero Launches Monday

Jamie Laike Tsui
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Victorian Themed Digital Board Game Antihero Launches Monday

Tim Conkling is launching his digital board game Antihero on Monday. Set in the gas-lit Victorian era of Oliver Twist, Antihero challenges players to build the biggest, baddest Thieves Guild in the city from the ground up. Players will recruit their would be thieves from the wily street urchins to steal anything that isn’t nailed down and hire thugs to batter and assassinate rivals to clear a path to the top. Successful heists will bring in gold, which can be invested into upgrades and better weapons. The pacing is designed to be fast and furious.

Antihero features a story driven campaign and an AI skirmish mode. Players can challenge their friends (or enemies) with online and offline PVP in both casual and ranked matches. Multiplayer mode supports both asynchronous and live play.

Published by Versus Evil (Armikrog), Antihero will launch on Monday July 10 via Steam for $14.99 USD, with 20% discount for all pre-orders. The game will support both Mac and Windows PCs.

https://youtu.be/-pP3MtZtQQs

HIDDEN DRAGON LEGEND Coming to PlayStation®4 This August

Philip Federico
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HIDDEN DRAGON LEGEND Coming to PlayStation®4 This August

Oasis Games Adds Robust 2.5D Action Platformer Game with RPG Elements and Plenty of Challenge to Its Growing Library of Console Titles

July 7, 2017 – Oasis Games Ltd, a leading independent Chinese publisher, today announced that its new 2.5D Action Platforming game, HIDDEN DRAGON LEGEND, will launch this August for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system. Set in ancient China, the game challenges players to battle an array of fierce foes, jump and grapple to avoid obstacles and enemies, build their character through a deep, RPG-style skill tree, and solve puzzles in the heat of battle.

HIDDEN DRAGON LEGEND, which is powered by Unreal Engine 4, is a Chinese-developed indie title that transports players to Imperial China. In the game, players will utilize all their skills in combat, acrobatics, and puzzle-solving to navigate their way through tough enemies, powerful bosses and Metroidvania-style puzzles while building their fighter through an extensive skill tree that allows players to customize their fighting style. In the game world, competing factions vie to obtain a powerful object called the Dragon Cauldron, which grants inhuman powers at the cost of sanity and reason. When the player character finds he has been put under the spell of the Dragon Cauldronby a dark faction, making him a mere puppet forced to kill, he ventures forth to settle the score.

“HIDDEN DRAGON LEGEND transports players to ancient China for thrilling combat, deadly enemies, challenging puzzles and a surprising amount of depth,” said Alen Wu, Business Director at Oasis Games. “With a player-friendly price and intensely fun gameplay, the title offers action fans a great combination of entertainment and value.”

FEATURES

  • Action packed gameplay— 2.5D hack and slash platform gameplay set in ancient China
  • Slice and dice with combos— Dispel foes with a variety of attacks, devastating them with stunning combos and abilities
  • Fight with skill and style— Battle through waves of enemies using lightning-fast, deadly attacks, or perfectly time a dash to counter-attack adding even more combos  
  • Get acrobatic— Jump, swim, and grapple to avoid obstacles, escape enemies and clear missions through vibrant, detailed levels inspired by ancient China and the paranormal universe
  • Plenty of challenge— Solve puzzles and unleash all your skills on tough bosses that stand in your way
  • Surprising depth— Explore an expansive skill tree that offers seemingly limitless combos to  unlock with “Soul Stones”, stronger weapons, stats and special moves
  • Pure fun— Enjoy a deep yet intuitive pickup and play experience with an estimated 10 hours of gameplay

Developed by MegaFun Games and published by Oasis Games for PS4™, HIDDEN DRAGON LEGEND will be available on the PlayStation®Store for $19.99 this August. This game has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

Stay up to date on all of the console titles from Oasis Games by liking us on Facebook at fb.me/OasisGamesConsole and following on Twitter at OAS_Games and Instagram at @OasisGamesOfficial. Get more information on all Oasis Games titles here: www.oasgames.com.

About Oasis Games

Oasis Games Limited was established in 2011 and has become a top global interactive entertainment publisher. The company’s games have been translated into 16 different languages and published in more than 70 countries, reaching more than 100 million players. The company continues its pioneering presence as the first, and currently sole, strategic publishing partner of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) Shanghai for the global publishing market—uniquely positioning Oasis Games to bring high quality games to PC and console players worldwide. Its blockbuster online RPG, Legend Online, has attracted over 50 million players and Naruto Online, the award-winning RPG browser-based game of the Naruto franchise, has amassed a global following. The company launched a lineup of exciting Steam and PlayStation®VR games during the PS VR launch window and continues to launch strong new games for PC and console. For more information, please visit www.oasgames.com.

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