FUN COMES IN MANY SHAPES, AS SNIPPERCLIPS ARRIVES ON NINTENDO eSHOP FOR NINTENDO SWITCH ON 3RD MARCH
Play by yourself or with a friend in World Mode, then bring in a bigger group to solve up to four-player dynamic puzzles in Party mode or the fast-paced Blitz mode*
28th February, 2017 – When it comes to solving puzzles, it’s often said that two heads are better than one, and families and friends of all ages can put that to the test by giving Snipperclips – Cut it out, together! a go when it launches on Nintendo eShop for the brand new Nintendo Switch console on 3rd March 2017.
Snipperclips arrives as a launch title for Nintendo Switch, the brand new console by Nintendo that transforms to suit players’ situation, allowing them to enjoy their games anytime, anywhere, with anyone.
A breakout hit at Nintendo Switch hands-on events around the world, Snipperclips is a charming puzzle game that encourages players to communicate, cooperate and think creatively in order to overcome the various brain-teasing challenges on offer. When playing together, each player will hold their Joy-Con horizontally and cut each other’s paper characters, Snip and Clip, into new shapes to solve all sorts of puzzling situations. Developed by London-based indie developer SFB Games in partnership with Nintendo, it requires up to four players to work together – or compete against each other – across three main game modes: think creatively to puzzle your way through a WORLD of fun (1-2 players, cooperative), invite more players to join and get a PARTY started (2-4 players, cooperative), or go up against each other in a frenetic, fast-paced BLITZ match (2-4 players, competitive)*.
Additionally, Nintendo Switch owners will be able to try out the game free of charge, as a downloadable demo version will be available on Nintendo eShop from 3rd March.
How will your powers of cooperation and puzzle-solving shape up? Find out on 3rd March, when Snipperclips – Cut it out, together! launches on Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch for AU$30.00 / NZ$33.00.
SENRAN KAGURA ESTIVAL VERSUS BRINGS BOUNTEOUS BUXOM BRAWLING TO WINDOWS PC ON MARCH 17
SENRAN KAGURA Series Continues to Grow its Multi-Platform Audience, Releasing on Steam while Long-Awaited ‘Ikki Tousen’ DLC Launches Across All Platforms Simultaneously
Torrance, Calif. — February 27, 2017 — XSEED Games, the independent-minded console publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., today announced that SENRAN KAGURA ESTIVAL VERSUS, the latest iteration and first home console release in its beloved busty brawler series, will launch on Windows PC via Steam® on March 17. To celebrate the occasion, the game will be offered at 10% off its regular list price of $39.99, €39.99, and £29.99 for the first week after launch (other international pricing may vary). Similar to its earlier console release there will be DLC alongside the Windows PC launch of ESTIVAL VERSUS, including the debut of the long-awaited Battle Vixens crossover DLC pack featuring characters and outfits from Ikki Tousen, which will be releasing on all platforms.
Ikki Tousen characters Sun Ce, Lu Bu, and Guan Yu will finally become playable characters as premium DLC across all of the game’s platforms, which include the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system, and Windows PC versions. Each character will be priced at $3.99, €3.99, and £2.99, while a bundle containing all three will be offered for $8.99, €8.99, and £6.99. The addition of the three battle vixens is sure to spice things up near the one-year anniversary of the game’s home console debut.
In SENRAN KAGURA ESTIVAL VERSUS, a mystical phenomenon transports the nubile ninjas of the titular series to a parallel dimension to face off against their rivals in a new kind of battle. In this strange world – which resembles a sunny, sandy island paradise – the girls are thrown for another loop as they encounter departed loved ones and ultimately have to decide if they can bear to part from them a second time. The Windows PC version of ESTIVAL VERSUS follows successful Steam® releases of previous entries in the SENRAN KAGURA series, including SENRAN KAGURA SHINOVI VERSUS and SENRAN KAGURABon Appétit! – Full Course.
With over twenty-five playable characters, making this the biggest roster in the series’ history, SENRAN KAGURA ESTIVAL VERSUS boasts more moves, more story, more attitude, and more destruction online with matches that can support up to 10 players (Windows PC and PS4™ system versions only; “PSVita” system supports up to 4 players). All of the series’ previous Shinobi girls return with a host of upgraded moves to master, and new playable characters offer more challenges to conquer, along with a story that’s equal parts sexy and shocking, serious and scandalous, busty and bouncy.
The faithful adaptation to PC has been handled by the original developers at Marvelous Inc. and Tamsoft, with added Steamworks support including Steam Achievements, leaderboards, cloud saves, and trading cards. XSEED Games will be publishing SENRAN KAGURA ESTIVAL VERSUS on March 17 for Windows PC via Steam® for $39.99, €39.99, and £29.99 with a 10% launch week discount. The title is currently available as a limited “Endless Summer” physical release for the PS4™ and “PSVita” systems, while the digital release of the game is available on both platforms via the PlayStation®Store. The Windows PC version of this title is not rated by the ESRB. The PS4™ and “PSVita” system versions have been rated “M for Mature.”
EXPERIMENTAL TEXT ADVENTURE ‘STORIES UNTOLD’ OUT TODAY
Lights Off, Headphones On
Glasgow, Scotland – Independent developer No Code and text-based indie label Devolver Digital have released the experimental text adventure compilation tape Stories Untold. The game is available on PC via Steam, GOG and Humble for $9.99 / £6.99 / €9.99 with a 15 percent off discount through the first week of launch. [http://www.storiesuntoldgame.com].
“Stories Untold is so unbelievably intense that at one point I legitimately peed my absurdely expensive pants,” noted Devolver Digital CFO Fork Parker. “It’s surprisingly hard to get urine out of leather.”
Follow @_NoCode and @DevolverDigital for more information about Stories Untold and their next game because boy is it a doozy.
DYING: REBORN SET TO LAUNCH FEBRUARY 28 ON PLAYSTATION®VR and PLAYSTATION®4
Oasis Games Adds to Its Diverse PS VR Lineup with Upcoming Room Escape Horror Game Set to Release Next Week
BEIJING – (February 27, 2017) – After an impressive end of 2016 that saw the release of three diverse PlayStation®VR games, Oasis Games Ltd, a leading independent Chinese publisher, today announced that its room escape horror game, DYING: Reborn, will launch on February 28 for the PlayStation®VR, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system. The release date for the PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system will be announced at a later time.
DYING: Reborn is a dark, horror‐themed puzzle game that creates a unique first‐person room escape experience. Players will play as Mathew, a distraught young man on a mission to find his missing sister. After receiving a mysterious note from his sister, Mathew finds himself trapped in a strange and eerie hostel with no recollection of how he landed there. To escape the hostel and solve the mystery, Mathew must solve a variety of creative puzzles while exploring each spooky room in the building for clues. Scattered throughout the environment are items he will collect and use to piece together what happened while trying to find his sister.
Players who solve all of the mysteries in DYING: Reborn will discover a rich, overarching story—and just possibly, a shocking revelation. Can you help Mathew find his sister and escape safely? We’re DYING to find out!
The PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®Vita games consists of six chapters of riveting gameplay, while PlayStation®VR has three immersive chapters for a shorter but even more intense experience. Developed by NEKCOM Entertainment and published by Oasis Games for PlayStation®VR, PS4™ and “PS Vita” system, DYING: Reborn will be available on February 28 for the PS VR and PS4™ on the PlayStation®Store. This game has been rated “12” by PEGI.
About Oasis Games
A leading independent Chinese game company, Oasis Games prides itself on serving as an ambassador for China’s massive gaming community to the West with its strategic business endeavors. Established in 2011, Oasis Games was one of the first publishers in China to deliver online games to overseas markets, currently reaching over 100 million players in 70 countries. The company continues its pioneering presence as the first, and currently sole, strategic publishing partner of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) Shanghai for the overseas publishing market—uniquely positioning Oasis Games to bring high quality Chinese games to PlayStation® players worldwide. Its blockbuster online RPG, Legend Online has attracted over 50 million players in China and Naruto Online, the official RPG browser game of the Naruto franchise has amassed a global following. The award‐winning exploration adventure game, KOI, was Oasis Games’ PlayStation®4 console debut for the western market. DYING: Reborn is one of the four exciting PlayStation®VR games in
the company’s VR lineup, with additional titles on the horizon for 2017. For more information, visit http://company.oasgames.com/en/.
Ubisoft released a new dev diary with writer Don Winslow about his work on Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands. In the video, Winslow shares his research method that he uses to prepare for writing a book. Starting with legal documents, he pours many hours into reading reports and history books before expanding his research to include interviews with anyone related to his topic of interest. Winslow also talks about some of the differences between writing a novel, writing a script for a film, and writing a script for a video game, commenting that video games feels like a mix of writing novels and film scripts.
Ubisoft tapped veteran writer Don Winslow (The Cartel) and famed screenwriter Shane Salerno (Armageddon) for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands’ script. The game is set in Bolivia where the ruthless drug cartel Santa Blanca has assassinated a US government agent. The Ghosts have been sent in to dismantle the Santa Blanca cartel, now deemed a terrorist organization, by any means necessary. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands launches on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on March 7th.
GEARBOX PUBLISHING DROPS ACTION-PACKED STORY TRAILER FOR BULLETSTORM: FULL CLIP EDITION
Complete, Content-Loaded and Eye-Popping Edition of the Cult-Classic Shooter Storms onto PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC via Steam on April 7
Today, People Can Fly and Gearbox Publishing are thrilled to reveal a brand-new story trailer for Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition, the upcoming remastered release and definitive experience of the action-packed, critically-acclaimed FPS. Developed by original developer People Can Fly and published worldwide by Gearbox Publishing, Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition will release on PlayStation®4, Xbox One and Windows PC via Steam on April 7, 2017.
Experience the serious side of the over-the-top shooter through an epic new story trailer, which also provides a closer look at the remastered release’s stunning hi-res overhaul. The story trailer can be viewed via YouTube at: https://youtu.be/nMZ9O90N4U8
About Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition
Updated with hi-res textures, increased polygon counts, sterling audio, smoother framerates, and running in up to 4K resolution on PC and PS4 Pro, this upgraded version of the critically-acclaimed shooter comes with all of the previously-released DLC along with brand-new content. In addition to six new maps for the score-based Echo Mode, players will enjoy the new Overkill Mode, which enables all weapons and Skillshots from the get-go once the initial campaign has been completed. Also for the first time, players who pre-order Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition will get the chance to play as the one-and-only Duke Nukem. Featuring a fully rerecorded script and brand-new lines from the original voice of Duke, this feature will replace main character Grayson Hunt with The King himself and provide players with a whole new butt-kicking perspective on the cult-classic shooter.
In Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition, players step into the boots of Grayson Hunt after a crash landing on an abandoned resort planet forces him to make a hard choice: survival or revenge. An exiled member of the elite assassin group Dead Echo, Grayson’s blind desire for vengeance finds his crew stranded on Stygia where he can finally confront the commander behind his betrayal — or get his team off the planet alive. Decimate throngs of Stygia’s mutated inhabitants, performing masterful kills throughout the single-player campaign — or one of 30 competitive score-challenge and 12 co-operative multiplayer maps — using the game’s unique “Skillshot” system, which rewards players for executing the most creative and deadly kills imaginable.
The news was broken over the weekend; however, more detailed accounts were recently posted by audience members. These accounts state that Rikako made mistakes while playing the piano live for the song “Omoi yo Hitotsu ni Nare,” causing her to stop playing entirely and break down into tears. Other cast members rushed to help her, bringing her bottles of water and towels to wipe away her tears. Inami Anju, voice of Chika Takami, was able to calm Rikako down by holding her while the audience chanted Rikakos name to cheer her on.
After calming down the song restarted and Rikako was able to play through despite still being visibly shaken from the attack.
WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES MIDDLE-EARTH: SHADOW OF WAR, SEQUEL TO CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED MIDDLE-EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR
Monolith Productions Expands on the Award-Winning Nemesis System and Offers Each Player Unique Personal Game Worlds
Sydney, Australia. – February 28, 2017 – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced Middle-earth: Shadow of War™, the sequel to the critically-acclaimed Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor™, winner of more than 50 industry awards, including 2015 Game Developers Choice Awards’ Game of the Year, Outstanding Innovation in Gaming at the 2015 D.I.C.E. Awards and the BAFTA for Game Design. Developed by Monolith Productions, Middle-earth: Shadow of Warfeatures an original story with the return of Talion and Celebrimbor, who must go behind enemy lines to forge an army and turn all of Mordor against the Dark Lord, Sauron.
The official Middle-earth: Shadow of War Announcement Trailer
InMiddle-earth: Shadow of War, players wield a new Ring of Power and confront the deadliest of enemies, including Sauron and his Nazgul, in a monumental battle for Middle-earth. The open-world action-adventure game is brought to life through the expansion of the award-winning Nemesis System. The robust personalization from the first game is now applied to the entire world where the environments and characters are all shaped by player actions and decisions, creating a personal world unique to every gameplay experience.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War will be available for Xbox One, Project Scorpio, Windows 10 PC (Windows Store and Steam), PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®4 Pro beginning August 23, 2017. Middle-earth: Shadow of War will be available as an Xbox Play Anywhere title.
“Monolith Productions continues to innovate by introducing deeper, more personalized gameplay experiences, coupled with authentic storytelling,” said David Haddad, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “Middle-earth: Shadow of War truly drives the genre forward by taking the Nemesis System to new heights and allowing players to create their own personal journey within Middle-earth.”
“Following the amazing reception to Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, we massively expanded every dimension of the game, including the world, the story, the RPG systems, the core gameplay and of course the personal player stories of the Nemesis System,” said Michael de Plater, Vice President, Creative, Monolith Productions. “As lifelong fans of Middle-earth, we are so grateful to have the privilege to bring to life the most incredible fantasy world ever created in a new way, for a new generation. With Middle-earth: Shadow of War, we can’t wait to see the amazing stories players are going to create and share.”
The innovative Nemesis System created unique personal stories through procedurally-generated enemies who remember every encounter and are differentiated by their personality, strengths and weaknesses. Middle-earth: Shadow of War expands this innovation with the introduction of Followers who bring about entirely new stories of loyalty, betrayal and revenge. The Nemesis System is also expanded to create a unique personal world through Nemesis Fortresses, which allows players to utilize different strategies to conquer dynamic strongholds and create personalized worlds with their unique Orc army.
Set between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Middle-earth: Shadow of War continues the original narrative of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Players will be engrossed in a richer, more personal and expansive world full of epic heroes and villains, iconic locations, original enemy types, even more personalities and a new cast of characters with untold stories.
As an Xbox Play Anywhere title, players can purchase a digital version of Middle-earth: Shadow of War once and play it on both Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. Gamers can pick up where they left off on another Xbox One or Windows 10 PC, bringing all the saves, game add-ons and achievements with them at no additional cost.
For more information or to join the Middle-earth: Shadow of War conversation, visit www.shadowofwar.com
Breathe some life into your dreary work with with a brand new indie bundle. Indie Gala’sMonday Motivation #17 is packing 11 indie games together for only $2.49 USD during the first 24 hours of the sale.
For a minimum purchase price of $1.00 USD, buyers will receive:
Alpacapaca Dash – An endless runner starring adorable alpacas capable of firing giant lasers at their enemies.
Mortifero Motus – Speed past vehicles on the highway while collecting money and avoiding the police in this casual arcade racer.
My Pet Rock – A top down planet defence title that will have players defending their planet against waves of miners from the Radallium-hungry Mega Corporation Rock Co.
For a minimum purchase price of $2.49, buyers will also receive:
1979 Invasion Earth – A retro-inspired arcade game that gives the classic space shooter a modern makeover.
Greenwood the Last Ritual – You have been sent by the Vatican to cleanse the valley of an ancient, evil curse.
Sticker Craft – A casual puzzle game that has players combining stickers to create new ones.
One Man Is Not No Man – A top down hack ‘n slash that pits players against waves of attacking enemies.
Jelly Killer – After the zombie outbreak, the military created a bioweapon using the zombie genome. Now, one of the jelly-bodied bioweapons must escape the labs at Colony Number 4.
Panzer Warfare – Battle other tanks in procedurally generated mazes in this casual shooter.
The Last Hope: Trump vs Mafia – After being shot down in an airplane, President John Trump must fight his way through mafioso, terrorists, and robots to save the free world.
Drunken Fight Simulator – All the fun of drunk brawls without the dangers of getting arrested or hurt!
The special price will only run for the first 24 hours of the sale, so head on over to Indie Gala to pick up your bundle before the price goes up.
I am a huge fan of writer/director Andrew Niccol. Although his body of work is not nearly as prolific as some other luminaries who grace the bill at In the House, he does have some fairly strong entries with his 2005 film Lord of War being my all-time favourite film. I’d seen Gattaca a number of times since its release but missed out on watching it in its theatrical run (to be fair, I was a spritely 5 years of age at the time). Thanks to the folks at In the House, I would be able to rectify the shortcomings of my ill-timed birth by being able to watch Niccol’s directorial debut in all its glory on the silver screen as a part of their science fiction double feature alongside The Fly.
Unfortunately, both Jason ‘Jabba’ Davis and David ‘Quinny’ Quinn were not in attendance for this screening and I missed their shenanigans. We were given a short filmed segment starring them where they spoke about some of the film’s trivia such as the fact that as a part of its marketing campaign, the production set up a fake agency which offered gene tailoring (similar to that featured in the film)… and received earnest interest from expecting couples who wished to alter their unborn child. In the House also screened an entry from the Peninsula Short Film Festival called You’re It which was a pleasant example of light film fare before digging into the meatier stuff. It’s good to see local productions being supported by cinema institutions and I’m glad that they have a place at In the House.
Story
The film begins by introducing us to Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke), who is a genetic undesirable living in a technologically advanced but highly discriminatory eugenic society. We are introduced to him in the guise of Eugene Morrow and learn of how he came to the situation where he assumed the identity of this individual in order to fulfil his dreams of joining the space program. A week before he is about to embark on his mission, however, a murder takes place at Gattaca and the police investigation leads them to suspect that Vincent may have been the murderer. As the week and the investigation progresses, we learn more about this society that devalues Vincent as well as the lengths to which he’ll go in order to transcend the limitations placed upon him.
What I loved about this film is the conceptual strength of its premise and the way that it permeates throughout the film. It’s not simply a sci-fi gimmick which is showcased in one or two scenes, which is often the case with conceptual fiction, but rather permeates throughout the story and the world. The reveal of Vincent’s backstory and exposition might be a bit of a clumsy way to showcase this world, but it does the job of establishing the basics of what the audience needs to know before quickly getting us back into the story. There are probably more subtle ways to establish the protagonist and the stakes we’re going for but there’s a charm to the direct symbolism of the film which I can’t help but find endearing.
Hawke does a good turn as the indefatigable Vincent and alongside Uma Thurman’s Irene, we get two strong performances for both leads. Ethan’s performance in particular was tough one whereby he plays a character who is playing another character. He does well to give Vincent this depth as a man who appears supremely confident but is in fact absolutely insecure beneath the veneer. Thurman has a similar depth to her character as her arc has her seeing Vincent as a genetic superior before learning of his true nature and having the power dynamic shift completely. I wish that we were able to learn more of her character and her own experiences of the eugenicist society as she too experiences discrimination based upon her apparent genetic shortcomings but to a lesser degree than Vincent.
Jude Law’s performance as the (real) genetic paragon Jerome is terrific. He plays the character as a tortured perfectionist who, by accordance of his near perfect helix, should be sitting on top of the world but through capricious fate is now sitting in a wheelchair. His frustration is palpable and you can feel his entitled outrage at being predestined to be perfect but still coming up short. He is a joy to behold as a witty, sarcastic, and fatalistic foil to our protagonist. His storyline is the antithesis of Vincent’s and reinforces the film’s thesis that our futures are not predetermined by anything.
The film presents a vision of the future which is a utopian dystopia. The society is technologically advanced but human society remains flawed. We can argue all day about whether advanced genetic technology will lead to a better humanity or whether it will lead to a highly conformed and rigid structure such as the one exhibited in the film. Niccol’s views on the subject are clear, however, as nearly every extra in this film dresses and behaves the same way. It creates a distinct and uncompromising view of what sort of hegemony society will be left with if eugenic technology which on paper reads gives a quite cynical view of the world. The film does leave with a more optimistic note as Vincent is able to transcend the barriers placed against him by institutions and his own genetic code to forge his own path.
Visuals & Audio
Niccol is a master of cinematic style and this comes out in the film’s highly restrained colour palette. Most of the film is shot with a grey or beige colour to it to give us a visual sense of the hegemonic utopia/dystopia which the film depicts. His visual direction and shot composition generally stick to Spartan environments and help to create a vision of a world which feels futuristic but grounded. This restraint pays off in dividends as the film creates a restrained feeling to its own world.
The film’s score features sweeping orchestral pieces to reinforce the emotional impacts of the film. The soundtrack does a good job of punctuating moments of tension and fear but truly shines when it’s audio motif finally crescendos at the climax. As the music swells and we see our protagonist’s journey finally conclude (for us at least), the sweeping strings and melancholic piano combine together to become something far more uplifting.
Overall
I immensely enjoyed this film and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of good sci-fi. The story and the characters are all interesting with a strong concept behind it that permeates throughout. Niccol’s direction creates an interesting visual style with a focus on restraint to reinforce the film’s thematic concerns. The film’s score does superb job of punctuating the film’s emotional beats while also helping to create an uplifting but sombre crescendo at the film’s climax. It was a pleasure to see it again and a great experience to see it up on the big screen. Kudos to In the House for screening Gattaca as part of their science fiction double feature!
For other films which In The House is screening, feel free to check out their schedule here. Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
