There comes a point in a game’s storyline where the player is hoping to see some real stakes being raised and threat to either their own character or those that they have grown to care about and although that threat became a reality in the previous episode of Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2, an oddly set pace hampered this feeling. So now that Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2 – Jailhouse Block has arrived, does the story begin to raise the stakes even further?
Story
As the story of Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2 – Jailhouse Block continues immediately after the events of Giant Consequences it is highly recommended that readers play the previous episodes in the season before continuing on as various events and twists will be discussed below.
When we last left our heroes Jesse and the rest of the gang were in an incredibly bad way. Not only was it revealed that the Admin had infiltrated their ranks, meaning that Jack’s friend had indeed died, but thanks to Jesse’s actions the group has fallen out of favor with the Admin. Choosing a new “champion” depending on who the player chose to act on their own in the previous episode, Jesse and the rest of the group are sent to a prison where all those who disappoint the admin are sent to suffer.
Designated as the “Sunshine Institute” Jesse soon learns that no matter how skilled you might be in combat, there is only so much you can do when an entire system has been built to keep you in line. Locked away with the rest of his friends, it is up to Jesse’s puzzle solving skills and habit of getting on the nerves of others to find a way out of this predicament, even if it means teaming up with someone known only as “Prisoner X” to do so.
For the most part Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2 wants to try and tell an intriguing storyline and give players insight into what makes the Admin the way he is, but it ends up falling flat in this regard. This is primarily due to the fact that, while varied in the different steps that players have to advance to make their way through the prison and try to escape, the majority of this episode feels like nothing more than padding. The majority of the prisoners that are introduced seem interesting on the surface but are little more than one-off appearances as players quickly are moved from one layer of the prison to another.
In fact one location is kept to such a minimum level of interaction that even if you try to interact with others, you gain absolutely nothing out of it other than a couple of odd bits of dialogue that help add a bit of detail to how cruel this prison can be, but nothing else. Even the choices that players can make throughout the episode are kept almost entirely inconsequential in nature until the end of course, then players are once again given perhaps one of the most difficult decisions they have had to make so far, since it actually has real consequences for the first time this season.
A few things make up for the lackluster nature of this episode, one being aforementioned choice, and another happens to be just how interesting Jesse can be when dealing with authority. Players can choose to try and stay in line while talking with the various authority figures in the prison and dealing with the Admin or you can completely buck authority if you so choose. It also helps that players do end up learning some of the history of the Admin and continue to see him devolve from being an all-powerful being to something more comparable to a petulant child.
Gameplay
A large majority of this episode takes place through dialogue trees where Jesse will talk through problems with other prisoners and his allies but there are also a couple of other little bits added in as well, such as the usual free building segment, and plenty of quick time based combat sequences.
These combat sequences really take things up a notch as not only are these fights quite interesting to watch unfold, they are varied enough to keep things fun. There is even an auto-running combat sequence against a giant boss that really raise the tension of Jesse’s escape efforts.
Visuals & Audio
Unfortunately thanks to the nature of this episode taking part inside of a prison, there is a large lack of interesting structures to witness. There is some variety to see here as players are ushered through the prison layers but for the most part the aesthetics here remain various shades of gray and orange as lava is used quite frequently here. While a fitting design choice for the episode, the lack of color and unique designs are disappointing.
Accompanying this episode are a number of new pieces of background music that sound great for the theme of this episode and work really well for the combat sequences while the voice cast continues to be as impressive as ever when it comes to handling their roles.
Overall
Although there is a huge choice to be made and some of the combat sequences are quite thrilling, Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2 – Jailhouse Block feels like the most padded episode of the entire season. Perhaps thanks to the nature of being the mid-point of the season the developers chose to take things slow and give us only a bit of information to keep things exciting for the last two episodes but in the end this leaves this episode as being one of the worst this season.
Unknown Worlds brought Subnautica out of Steam Early Access today. The full release addressed more bugs and adds content to cap off the game’s story.
Xbox One players received the same 1.0 update as Steam users, but Unknown Worlds announced they will be keeping Subnautica in Xbox Game Preview for a little longer. Currently, the developers are unhappy with the game’s performance on Xbox One and will be spending the coming weeks optimizing the Xbox One version.
Subnautica is a survival game set underwater on an alien planet covered in oceans. Starting with only a small Life Pod designed for emergencies, players will need scavenge the oceans depths for resources as they contend with standard survival game challenges, like hostile wildlife, and challenges specific to the ocean setting, like depth related pressure and a constant battle for oxygen. Along the way, players will discover the planet’s history and uncover the mystery locked within its ocean.
Subnautica is available now on Steam for $24.99 USD; however, the game is on sale as part of the launch promotion for $22.49 USD until January 30.
My first trip to Warframe wasn’t exactly one of those love-at-first-sight moments. I downloaded it back in 2013 once I heard game would be updated on Steam with achievements (yes, I’m that cheap). It was an informational mess. The game had something called Void keys, the UI was chaotic and I had no idea what was I supposed to do in missions. So I got a bunch of achievements and called it quits. Then in July last year I found out that Warframe would soon receive free a roam map in Plains of Eidolon update, ability to craft your melee weapons and a bunch of other things. I figured, let’s see what else is new since the last time I played it. Short answer: a whole lot. Long answer: a whoooooooooole lot. But on a serious note, I found a different and vastly improved game. The void keys are gone, the game looks prettier and runs better, the UI is not so confusing anymore and it was easier to get a grasp of what to do now. Everything was more user-friendly. No need to look for answers on Warframe wiki. Overall the game felt less linear since the last time I played it. I had a big choice of story quests to pick from, along with locations and weapons to unlock. First Warframe encounter in 2013 lasted no more than a couple of hours and ever since my redownload of the game in July, I’m well over 800 hours of playtime. I’m also close to owning (read: hoarding) 6000 games on Steam so lack of new games to play is something I’m unfamiliar with. The fact that one f2p game managed to draw me into spending so many hours in a such a short time should give you a hint of how enjoyable, immersive and fun it is. Yet, underneath all that, there is a bigger story here. Something I felt it was deserving of a lengthy article. Despite being a free-to-play game, at no point in my journey was I met with offers of buying an exp booster, a money booster or a loot box that would give me give me a small chance for a legendary, stat-boosting, rainbow-colored mount. In the wake of the recent controversy with loot boxes, microtransactions and devs/publishers trying to milk every nickel and dime from us here is something uplifting to read for a change. This is the story about the good people from Digital Extremes and how they got the free-to-play model right.
Let me Tenno you a story
I’d like to say I hit my pun quota with the line above, but that would be a lie. Either way, a story is needed. I can’t just say that “the game is good” (even though it really is) and leave it at that. We need some background on who, where and how you kill. In Warframe, we play as one of the Tenno, an ancient race of warriors awaken from cryosleep to find themselves in the battle with Grineer, Corpus, and Infested. Grineer is a faction made of the worn-out human clones, great in numbers and controlled by a matriarchal entity known as Twin Queens. On the other hand, Corpus is an advanced mega-corporation driven entirely by profit and greed. Lastly, we have Infested, disfigured and monstrous victims of the Technocyte virus ready to feel the sharpness of our blades. You will encounter some new enemies down the line, either through story quests, doing planet nodes (aka missions) or through the Plains of Eidolon area. Mentioning the rest of the enemies would count as huge story spoilers so I’ll just leave it for you to discover. One thing I have to recommend is to play the Second Dream quest once you get the hang of the game since it has one of the best plot twists I’ve experienced in games lately and turns the whole lore of Warframe upside down.
What’s cooler than being a ninja? A space ninja, of course!
Warframe‘s slogan is “ninjas play free” and it’s not just there to sound cool. One of the best things about mowing down small armies of Grineer, Corpus or Infested enemies is the freedom of movement. Your battle suit, also known as “Warframe“, possesses a good number of offensive and defensive abilities, along with enhanced strength and speed. On top of that, you also have a huge arsenal of primary, secondary and melee weapons to choose from. The end result is you being an unstoppable force of destruction and creating some remarkable moments that would put Michael Bay to shame. There is nothing cooler than launching myself high up, landing a couple of headshots with my Lex Prime before dive bombing into a group of Grineer soldiers. My choice of Warframe is usually Zephyr for her improved mobility but there are dozens of others, spicing up the gameplay in their own way. In other words, it is pretty hard to reach the endgame here considering the available combinations of weapons and Warframes. Also, with this being a free-to-play game, new content is constantly added. After all, it is the lifeline of every MMO and keeps the player base alive.
Shut up and……don’t take my money?
Since we’re this far into the article there is one lingering question in the mind of every reader. What is the catch? It is a free-to-play game, but nowadays that could mean that only registering an account is free and you have to pay for everything else. So do I pay for Warframes? Instant max level scroll? A potion to instakill all enemies on the map? Weapons are free but they charge me for bullets? The truth is, there is a lot of stuff you can buy in Warframe with real money. Warframes, weapons, crafting materials even. But here is the thing – every one of those can be earned or found just by playing the game. They even let you trade in game stuff for platinum with other players and vice versa, which is something not many f2p games allow you. Strange but a clever move that keeps nothing behind a paywall. A healthy trading economy like this is a key to a large player count. As of writing this, Warframe on PC is always seen on the chart of top ten played games on Steam, being a competition to the majority of the paid ones. There is an improved version of certain weapons and Warframes known as “prime” but here is the plot twist – even those can be earned, crafted and traded from other players in the game. And it doesn’t include investing an insane number of hours, grinding away while living on fast food and hoarding pee bottles next to your PC. Make no mistake, the grind is there but Digital Extremes found a way to make it an exciting part of the game and dare I say it- fun? Here is how it works: every Warframe and a weapon can be raised to level 30, after which is seen as “mastered”. You raise mastery through affinity, which is gained via killing enemies and completing objectives (so yeah, another word for exp). Raising mastery to high enough level will eventually give you a chance to undergo a mastery trial for your space ninja. It puts everything you learned to the test and upon completion, it opens up the access to the new locations, quests and weapons. Despite its large arsenal, none of the weapons seem slightly different than the other. Each has a different look, fire rate, recoil, handling and works best on certain enemies.
At this point, the next question would be “well, who pays for anything?” If nothing is behind a paywall and everything can be obtained just by playing, where is the incentive to spend real money here? Well, I can’t speak for the rest of the player base but in my case, that would be….gratitude. If I buy an AAA game and get a good number of hours from it ranging from 15 to 20 and more, it was money well spent. What to say about a game that costs nothing and the gameplay sucks you in for 800 hours and more. The common decency dictates that something should be given back as a way of supporting the developers and showing gratitude. I’m a member of a Warframe clan called Ascending Dragons and for Christmas, we had a Secret Santa event there where we would gift some bought Warframe cosmetics and weapons to each other. Recently Digital Extremes also ran a Tennobaum event where every in-game gift you give to someone else would be towards increasing a donation to the Children’s Health Foundation. Pretty noble cause. So I stalked a region chat there for a couple of days and randomly selected another player to send them something nice.
In my opinion, these are the foundations necessary for a stable economic system in every MMO:
Make sure that everything can also be earned in game, not only bought.
If the grind is there, try to not make it a chore.
Try not to remind players all the time that they can spend real money (for me, it will have the opposite effect and only push me away from playing).
All of these can vary from an MMO to MMO, but in case of Warframe, there is one element that stands out and makes Digital Extremes unique in their approach: a close relationship with its community. Which brings me to the next point.
Every space ninja needs a Space Mom
Above sentence is something that makes zero sense on its own. Yet, in the context of Warframe, it needs no explanation. Space Mom is the “second name” of Rebecca Ford, Live Ops & Community Director of Warframe. Along with Megan Everett and Steve Sinclair, they’re the faces of Warframe during the frequent Prime Time and Dev streams on Twitch. The involvement doesn’t stop there. They’re often seen lurking (and commenting) on Warframe subreddit and it is not uncommon that many propositions from players there soon enough find their way in the game. They’re quick to iron out any new bugs or glitches. A lot of devs often say that their game is driven and shaped by the community but in the case of DE, their actions and involvement speak more than words. It shows that as much of it is their job, a whole lot of it is driven by their passion and love for the game. Nowadays I tune in for their Twitch streams just for the positive energy that can be felt from the studio, as silly as it sounds. And sometimes merely to laugh, as their Prime Time streams derail into complete randomness and occasional false fire alarms. The community involvement can be something that will make or break the game, regardless if it had a well-received launch. Often I’ve been a witness of many games on Steam digging their own grave by going against the players’ wishes, having zero communication or adding stuff later that no one asked for. It all leads to a dying and eventually – nonexistent player base. Involvement of the folks at DE is something that seems like it latched onto the whole Warframe community. On my return there, I had many questions regarding the new stuff they implemented. Every time I asked something in region chat, it felt like people were racing who would message me first with an explanation how something worked and offering me more help. It’s something I haven’t encountered in any MMO so far. The friendliness of the players seems almost surreal compared to the overall theme of the game where you often need to hack n slash through as many enemies as possible.
Extraction is available, if you need it
So here we are. For certain devs and publishers, simply buying a game doesn’t cut it anymore. Some resorted to charging us some more through loot boxes or downloadable content that felt like it was taken out of the game just to be sold separately. It’s like all the worst from mobile and free-to-play games found its way into AAA releases. Last year, gaming press would call out and condone such behavior whenever it was possible. Rightfully so, I’d say. For the most part, 2017 felt like it was all about that. And who knows, maybe it is if we choose to only focus on the negative. I’ll remember it as the year of being reconnected with a game I played years ago. This time finding it in a far better state, and all the addiction & time sink of an average MMO. With an added bonus of welcoming community and fun gameplay mechanics this already feels like a game where I’ll spend 800 more hours. For everyone else, just give it a go. It’s free, fun and without any of the bad elements that one might expect from a free-to-play title. Warframe is not just an example of making a f2p game right, but also a story of hard work, dedication and lot of passion from the developers behind it.
In any case, you’re all welcome to find me there under the nick of xarabas02 and Warframe is available to download from Steam for free here. See you on the Plains, Tenno!
The much talked about update for Overwatchis finally out on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Players will now be able to check out the ultimate tribute to Blizzard’s other franchises in the new Blizzard World map. Designed like a theme park, there are sections for Diablo, Starcraft, Warcraft, and Heroes of the Storm. Fans will also be able to catch Easter Eggs for some of Blizzard’s other games like The Lost Vikings.
Like every Overwatchupdate, a ton of cosmetic items are being added to the game. Many of the legendary skins added to the game are inspired by other Blizzard titles, like Zarya’s Diablo 3 Barbarian skin and Widowmaker’s Nova skin from the cancelled StarCraft: Ghost shooter. Blizzard has released a preview video showing off some of the best cosmetic unlocks.
As part of the celebration, Muselk, Oasis, Crayator, and BazzaGazza, some of the top Overwatch personalities, livestreamed gameplay at Luna Park Sydney. The video of the stream can be found on Twitch.
CRYSTAL DYNAMICS EXPANDS STUDIO WITH TOP INDUSTRY TALENT
Veterans from Naughty Dog, Visceral Games, Monolith, Sledgehammer Games, and More Assemble for The Avengers Project Development Team
SYDNEY, 25th January 2018– Crystal Dynamics®, the renowned developer of the critically acclaimed and world-famous TOMB RAIDER® franchise, which has sold over 63 million copies globally, today announced they continue to expand their award-winning studio by adding 15 top industry talent to their development team in January alone. Included in the group are former Naughty Dog Creative Director Shaun Escayg who joins The Avengers Project as Creative Director, and as Director of Production Stephen Barry, a 27 year Veteran from EA/Visceral Games.
Escayg served as the Creative Director and writer of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and led the cinematics team as the Director of Photography and Animation Supervisor on The Last of Us. In addition, he worked as an animator at Industrial Light & Magic. “I’m thrilled to join Crystal as Creative Director and be aligned with a team as passionate about telling great character based stories as I am.”
Barry held multiple positions at Electronic Arts and was formerly the Director of Product Development at Visceral Games, working on several games over his long career including the critically acclaimed Dead Space franchise. “Crystal’s been around almost as long as I’ve been in the business. The immediate chemistry and camaraderie has been exactly what I’d hoped for.”
“We’re committed to delivering an incredible, completely original Avengers experience to our gamers, and that means we are always looking to add amazing developers to our existing best in class studio talent,” said Scot Amos, Co-Head of Studio at Crystal Dynamics. “As development progresses, our studio continues to grow. The tremendous progress we’ve made on TheAvengers project further drives us toward our goal of crafting something all Marvel fans will be proud of, and will play for years to come. We can’t wait to show you what we mean in the future.”
“We recently hired fifteen world-renowned industry veterans, spanning production leadership, animation, design, art and engineering, who have previously worked on games such as Batman: Arkham Origins, Dead Space, Star Wars: Battlefront and many more.” said Ron Rosenberg, Co-Head of Studio at Crystal Dynamics. “Their AAA experience adds to an already deep roster, making us well-positioned to deliver on the ambitious goals we’ve set for ourselves with TheAvengers project. It’s a stellar addition of many people who fit incredibly well into our wheelhouse of building game experiences we all love.”
Crystal Dynamics has developed and published over 30 award-winning titles during its 25-year adventure. Some of the most beloved franchises include Gex®, Legacy of Kain® and most recently, TOMB RAIDER.
About Crystal Dynamics
Crystal Dynamics celebrated its 25th year of development in 2017! This is the studio behind the critically acclaimed and world-famous TOMB RAIDER franchise, which has sold over 63 million copies worldwide. With over 30 video game titles released and hundreds of awards, the heroine Lara Croft has been a cultural icon for 20 years and has made an indelible mark on virtually every facet of entertainment. The most recent release, Rise of the Tomb Raider, has received over 100 awards and nominations and is one of the highest rated games on next generation systems.
About Square Enix, Inc.
Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix group of companies. Square Enix, Inc. is affiliated with a global network of leading development studios such as Crystal Dynamics® and Eidos Montréal. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 135 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 75 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 63 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
CRYSTAL DYNAMICS, DRAGON QUEST, EIDOS, FINAL FANTASY, GEX, LEGACY OF KAIN, RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER, SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo, SPACE INVADERS, TAITO, and TOMB RAIDER are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Square Enix group of companies. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
GOOD SHEPHERD ENTERTAINMENT and ThirtyThree Announce February 8 Release Date for ATOMIK: RunGunJumpGun on Nintendo Switch™
AMSTERDAM – January 24, 2018 – Good Shepherd Entertainment has revealed it will launch indie developer ThirtyThree’s hyperkinetic side-scrolling action platformer ATOMIK: RunGunJumpGun for Nintendo Switch™ on February 8th, 2018. The game will be available to download via the Nintendo eShop for $7.99.
ATOMIK: RunGunJumpGun’s 2D retro automatic runner gameplay revolves around one very big gravity-defying gun with two-button controls: one to fly up and the other to blast forward through obstacles and death traps at breakneck speed. There are over 120 levels of meticulous mayhem to master, with unique challenges that demand quick thinking and reflexes to survive.
Set in a warped space-opera universe, ATOMIK: RunGunJumpGun’s pulp sci-fi storyline is full of bizarre characters and moments. The game bursts off the screen with colorful, neon-infused visuals and a pulse-pounding synth soundtrack. The Switch version will also feature the new Shield Mode which empowers players with an energy shield and decreases the movement speed to help make the intense action more manageable, but no less heart pounding and exciting.
ATOMIK: RunGunJumpGun is rated E (Everyone) by the ESRB. For more information, visit www.RunGunJumpGun.com, or follow Good Shepherd Entertainment and ThirtyThree on Twitter @GoodShepherdEnt and @Team33Games.
About Good Shepherd Entertainment
Good Shepherd Entertainment publishes video games from independent artists worldwide and operates a proprietary investment platform for a growing global network of qualified investors seeking risk-mitigated participation in the $130B video game industry. Originally established in the Netherlands in 2011 as an equity crowdfunding platform under the name Gambitious BV, the Company became a publisher in 2014 with the release of Train Fever, which was the first game ever successfully published with equity crowdfunding. The Company has since funded and released over a dozen original games across eight digital platforms. The founders of Devolver Digital and Croteam, two very successful companies in independent game development and publishing, invested in the Company and joined its management in 2012. The Company rebranded in 2017 as Good Shepherd Entertainment following an investment by Advance/Newhouse, having established a track record of success with both independent developers and investors. www.GoodShepherd.games
About ThirtyThree
ThirtyThree is a tight-knit three-person game studio in Canada. Our first big title, RunGunJumpGun, began as a parting gift to an old workplace we thought would be done in a week. We split art, code and sound three ways.
New Kingdom Come: Deliverance Video Details Adventure’s Key Mechanics
16 Minutes of New Gameplay Revealed
Larkspur, Calif. – Jan. 24th, 2018 – Warhorse Studios and Deep Silver today released a new gameplay video for the upcoming RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance, which will launch on Feb. 13, 2018 for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one entertainment system from Microsoft, and PC.
Following a day in the life of Henry, the game’s protagonist, today’s video gives an extensive look at the key features of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, including the historically-inspired combat system. To survive fights in a country which is torn apart internally and invaded by foreign forces, evening the odds is key when rushing into a battle. Kingdom Come: Deliverance offers plenty of more prudent approaches for keen eyed players who invest time explore the world.
Every choice bares a price to pay, and forces players to face the consequences when they forge their own paths through exploring the intricate story of Kingdom Come: Deliverance. In this open-world RPG, navigate your choices carefully as their consequences will dictate and influence the numerous missions, quests and opportunities along their way. Building up your reputation amongst common folks and high-born leaders alike as you follow the son of a blacksmith on his path to revenge. Besides just learning how to fight – reading, bargaining, alchemy and many more skills are at hand to help Henry in a world on the brink of a bloody civil war.
About Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a story-driven open-world RPG which immerses you in an epic adventure in the Holy Roman Empire. Avenge your parents’ death as you battle invading forces, go on game-changing quests, and make influential choices. Explore majestic castles, deep forests, thriving villages and countless other realistic settings in medieval Bohemia.
Massive realistic open world: Majestic castles, vast fields, all rendered in stunning high-end graphics. Non-linear story: Solve quests in multiple ways, then face the consequences of your decisions. Challenging combat: Distance, stealth, or melee. Choose your weapons and execute dozens of unique combos in battles that are as thrilling as they are merciless. Character development: Choose your equipment, improve your skills, and earn new perks. Dynamic world: Your actions influence the reactions of the people around you. Fight, steal, seduce, threaten, persuade, or bribe. It’s all up to you. Historical accuracy: Meet real historical characters and experience the genuine look and feel of medieval Bohemia.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance Key Facts Title: Kingdom Come: Deliverance Platform: PlayStation®4, Xbox One, PC Developer: Warhorse Studios Co-Publishers: Deep Silver, Warhorse Studios Release Date: Tuesday, Feb. 13th, 2018 (worldwide) Age Ratings: M Genre: RPG Price: $59.99 # # # About Warhorse Studios
Warhorse Studios is a young independent game developer studio from the Czech Republic, Prague. It was founded by Daniel Vávra, creator of Mafia and Mafia 2, and Martin Klíma, formerly of ALTAR (Original War, UFO:* trilogy). The studio contains a mix of experienced game industry veterans, with dozens of games published and millions of copies sold, and young guns from all around the world.
In January 2014, Warhorse launched a Kickstarter campaign for a realistic medieval RPG game called Kingdom Come: Deliverance. It ended up being the third most successful project, according to the number of backers, in 2014. With an initial goal of £300,000, we finally gathered over £1.1M. Warhorse Studios was also named among the World‘s TOP10 Most Innovative Companies on Kickstarter of 2015 by Fast Company.
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.
Nintendo Switch Q3 2018, PlayStation 4, Xbox One Q1 2019
HONG KONG – Jan. 24, 2018 – Legrand Legacy, the nostalgic love letter to classic JRPGs from publisher Another Indie and developer SEMISOFT, launches today on PC via Steam at 8 a.m. PT/5 p.m. CET. Legrand Legacy will come to Nintendo Switch in Q3 2018, followed by PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in Q1 2019.
After displaying mysterious powers beyond his control, Finn is freed from violent slavery and vows to save his liberator’s daughter. This leads him to a prophecy, a group called the Fatebounds and their quest to save the land of Legrand from the resurgence of a conflict that previously left it in war-torn shambles.
Saving the world may be a colossal task, but Finn is not alone. While adventuring, he can recruit citizens of Legrand to join the Fatebounds and upgrade their headquarters, Dumville Castle. As their ranks swell, the Fatebounds will acquire the services of shopkeepers, blacksmiths and others in addition to party members who can turn the tide of battle.
The Fatebounds must master both turn-based combat and tactical warfare to counter their enemies’ weaknesses. Victory will grant them stronger attacks, new magical abilities, and the materials needed to craft new weapons and armor.
When the battle for their homeland gets tough, Finn and his companions can take time to enjoy the beautiful environments of Legrand, depicted in a delicate balance of eastern and western oil paintings. Narrative-driven side quests, fencing competitions, heart-racing hack and slash battles, and fishing are among the abundance of activities waiting to be enjoyed in this yet-thriving world.
“Legrand is a land full of life, engaging activities and nostalgic throwbacks to the JRPGs of yore,” says Iain Garner, director of developer relations, Another Indie. “This epic tale pays homage to the greats with its beautiful and riveting world, cast of exotic characters, and twists waiting to be uncovered.”
Legrand Legacy is now available on Steam for $24.99 USD. This JRPG will launch with language support for English and Simplified Chinese, with Japanese, Korean and Russian to follow. Legrand Legacy was successfully Kickstarted by 1,000 backers in January 2017, surpassing its goal of £40,000 (more than $53,000 USD).
Headquartered in Mongkok, Hong Kong, Another Indie believes that language and geography shouldn’t be an obstacle to gamers who want to enjoy the best that the world has to offer and strives to bring to the west the best games coming from China and Southeast Asia.
About SEMISOFT
Based in Jakarta, Indonesia, SEMISOFT’s focus is to create games that engage players to think deeply about art, gameplay and narrative. Legrand Legacy is their first game.
Square Enix and Tokyo RPG Factory released Lost Spheartoday on PlayStation 4, Switch, and Windows via Steam today. The game is available digitally on each platform’s respective digital shop. A physical edition for PlayStation 4 and Switch is also available exclusively through the Square Enix Store. A day one patch is available, adding new items, an extra dungeon, and the Moonlight Battleground arena mode.
The game is set in a world fading fast as a powerful entity is destroying the very fabric of reality. The swordsman Kanata is the world’s last hope as he leads his friends on a grand adventure to use the power of Memory to rebuild the shattered reality.
Lost Sphearis a modern take on the turn-based JRPG. The game features a new take on the classic ATB system that is designed to give players more freedom of movement in combat. The item system is built around the new Vulcosuits, mechanized armour that grants users abilities both in combat and in the field.
The soundtrack is composed by Tomoki Miyoshi, best known for his work on I AM SETSUNA.
Jonny Roses, a lawyer with the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association in Australia is reporting that Valve is continuing to battle it out with the Australian government. Originally, Valve was fined $3 million after the Federal Court found Valve in violation of Australian Consumer Law by not offering refunds, the appropriate warranties under Australian law, and warranties for purchased titles in general through its PC sales platform. Valve’s lawyers filed the appeal last Friday afternoon.
Valve has applied for special leave to the High Court, to appeal the Federal Court decision that it misled and deceived consumers on Steam
Original decision and $3 million fine will continue to remain on hold until the High Court makes its decision or the application is rejected pic.twitter.com/vjlk1QFFd2
Valve’s original appeal failed in late December, leaving the High Court of Australia as the company’s last chance to have the fine tossed. Valve has maintained the position that the American company does not operate in Australia, therefore Australian Consumer Law does not apply to them. The High Court of Australia will need to grant Valve special leave before the case is heard before the High Court. If the High Court opts to reject the application, Valve will be forced to pay the $3 million fine as the company will have no other legal options left.
When we last left our heroes Jesse and the rest of the gang were in an incredibly bad way. Not only was it revealed that the Admin had infiltrated their ranks, meaning that Jack’s friend had indeed died, but thanks to Jesse’s actions the group has fallen out of favor with the Admin. Choosing a new “champion” depending on who the player chose to act on their own in the previous episode, Jesse and the rest of the group are sent to a prison where all those who disappoint the admin are sent to suffer.
For the most part Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2 wants to try and tell an intriguing storyline and give players insight into what makes the Admin the way he is, but it ends up falling flat in this regard. This is primarily due to the fact that, while varied in the different steps that players have to advance to make their way through the prison and try to escape, the majority of this episode feels like nothing more than padding. The majority of the prisoners that are introduced seem interesting on the surface but are little more than one-off appearances as players quickly are moved from one layer of the prison to another.
A few things make up for the lackluster nature of this episode, one being aforementioned choice, and another happens to be just how interesting Jesse can be when dealing with authority. Players can choose to try and stay in line while talking with the various authority figures in the prison and dealing with the Admin or you can completely buck authority if you so choose. It also helps that players do end up learning some of the history of the Admin and continue to see him devolve from being an all-powerful being to something more comparable to a petulant child.
These combat sequences really take things up a notch as not only are these fights quite interesting to watch unfold, they are varied enough to keep things fun. There is even an auto-running combat sequence against a giant boss that really raise the tension of Jesse’s escape efforts.
Accompanying this episode are a number of new pieces of background music that sound great for the theme of this episode and work really well for the combat sequences while the voice cast continues to be as impressive as ever when it comes to handling their roles.
