A new trailer for Gun Gun Pixies has been released by Compile Heart and while it doesn’t feature any new gamepaly footage for the third-person shooter, it does feature the prologue for the game. Developed by Shade, players take on the role of miniature alien girls that invade a girl’s dormitory on Earth to learn how to interact with one another better in an effort to save their planet from an extreme lack of communication that has prevented people from marrying.
You can check out the trailer for this PS Vita game below and expect to see the Japanese release March 23rd.
Previously it was thought that Ace Combat 7 was going to be a PlayStation 4 exclusive but now Bandai Namco has not only confirmed that the game will also be released on the Xbox One and PC this year but that the full title for the game is Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. Alongside this news the company released a brand new trailer and set of screenshots that you can check out below.
The company describes the game as being able to deliver the fiercest air combat experience ever created through photo-realistic visuals, intense dog-fighting action, a multitude of authentic and futuristic aircraft to fly, an immersive storyline, and even virtual reality though this last feature will be delivered through exclusive missions developed specifically for the Sony PlayStation VR.
Bandai Namco has announced that not only will Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom be released on the previously announced PlayStation 4 but it will also be released on PC worldwide sometime in 2017. In Ni no Kuni II, players enter the kingdom of Ding Dong Dell, where cats, mice, and humans once lived in harmony. After a treacherous coup, Evan, the young boy king of Ding Dong Dell is banished from his kingdom.
Supporting Evan on his adventure are friends Roland, Tani, and beings known as Higgledies who come from the power of the hearts found within people, animals, and elements such as fire and wind. Only individuals with pure hearts can see the Higgledies. The Higgledies will aid Evan throughout his journey, helping him in battles, and letting him reach places he wouldn’t otherwise be able to access. This announcement includes a handful of new screenshots as well as a little over a minute of new gameplay footage that you can check out below.
Award-winning adventure game The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 out now on the App Store and Google Play
Deep Silver FISHLABS, KING Art Games, and THQ Nordic release the critically acclaimed PC and console hit The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 on smartphones and tablets.
Hamburg, Germany – February 1, 2017 – On PC and consoles The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 has drawn accolades from fans and media alike, and is now celebrating its debut on mobile platforms. It launched on the App Store and Google Play as a joint venture between Hamburg-based publisher Deep Silver FISHLABS, Bremen-based developer KING Art Games, and Vienna-based THQ Nordic.
The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 is available as a full premium title for the fixed price of USD 4.99/GBP 4.99/EUR 4.99 on iOS and Android. The one-time purchase unlocks all chapters and content. There are no in-app purchases or micro-transactions in any shape or form.
Set in the wacky fantasy world of Aventásia, The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 tells the incredible story of four friends, whose fates intertwine in the most peculiar way: The gnome mage Wilbur, the elven princess Ivo, the pirate adventurer Nate and the pet creature Critter. Throughout the game’s beyond-belief narrative, the players not only experience fun dialogues and solve crazy puzzles, but also stumble upon tons of references to popular fantasy franchises and iconic pop culture items.
The highlights of the game:
• Over 20 hours of play time
• Multi-faceted adventure gameplay with 4 different playable characters
• Hundreds of weird, yet oddly logical puzzles
• Beautiful 3D graphics (even on older devices)
• Numerous side quests and unlockable extra outfits
• Full voice-overs in English and German plus subtitles in Spanish, Italian and French
The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 runs on a wide range of iOS and Android devices. It requires at least 1GB RAM plus iOS 8.0 (or later) or Android 4.4 “KitKat” (or later).
About Deep Silver FISHLABS:
Deep Silver FISHLABS is Koch Media’s mobile unit operating under the premium publishing label of Deep Silver. Having spearheaded 3D mobile gaming for more than a decade, the Hamburg-based studio has assembled an award-winning portfolio of international top titles such as the acclaimed Galaxy on Fire saga. In addition to developing their own IPs in-house, the 92-strong team of Deep Silver FISHLABS also provides comprehensive publishing services for co-operant independent developers from all over the world. To date, the games of Deep Silver FISHLABS have generated a total of 120+ million downloads. www.dsfishlabs.com
About KING Art Games:
KING Art is an award-winning independent game developer specializing in producing high quality games. They are among the leading experts on story-driven games in Germany and have produced several successful adventure games that received rave reviews by the gaming press. Since 2002 they have also been pioneers in the area of extensive browser games, and have accumulated expert knowledge during the production of more than 30 successfully completed browser game projects. www.kingart-games.de
About THQ Nordic:
Founded in 2008, THQ Nordic is a global video game publisher and developer. Based in Vienna, Austria and Karlstad, Sweden with subsidiaries in Germany and the USA, THQ Nordic brands include Darksiders, MX vs. ATV, Red Faction and Titan Quest. THQ Nordic is meant to represent a core approach of doing much more than “owning” a highly competitive portfolio of IPs. It revolves around cherishing them, and aligning them with the very best development resources to expand upon them with the level of experience that communities and established fan bases expect and deserve. The company’s internal development studios are Grimlore Games based in Munich, Germany and Rainbow Studios based in Phoenix, Arizona. www.thqnordic.com
Introducing Mirage: Arcane Warfare’s Staunch Defender Class, The Vigilist
“A girl must grab life by the collar, and make it submit”
Torn Banner Studios, the creators of Chivalry: Medieval Warfare, today released a brand new trailer exploring one of the iconic classes of their upcoming multiplayer action-combat game Mirage: Arcane Warfare, the Vigilist.
The stalwart Vigilist is a key element of any well-balanced team in Mirage: Arcane Warfare. Designed to protect vulnerable allies and aid in the destruction of others, she is the first line of defense against the fury of the enemy team’s attacks with her shield, spear and complement of defense-minded magic abilities. Those include:
Ward Strike: Fire a magical shield that staggers enemies on contact
Disperse: Rise above the battlefield before slamming back into the ground, pushing back any nearby enemies
Surge: Summon a massive wave that knocks down any target in its path
Iron Dome: Spawn a protective shield bubble around yourself
Impaler: Stab forward with a magically lengthened spear, pulling enemies back towards you
This brand new trailer featuring the Vigilist is the latest in a series of videos called “Instruments of Death” exploring Mirage’s unique band of warriors that will be released in the lead up to the upcoming 2017 PC launch of Mirage: Arcane Warfare through Steam. For more information, or to sign up for the closed alpha that is currently running, please visit MirageArcaneWarfare.com. Like their game’s Facebook page and follow it on Twitter @MirageGame for future news and updates.
Torn Banner Studios is a small indie games studio that makes BIG games. Based in Toronto Canada, Torn Banner Studios was founded in 2012 by a group of passionate game developers who are dedicated to creating powerful and unique games for a dedicated audience of fans. The nucleus of the team first came together from a group of modders who created a well-known Half-Life 2 mod called Age of Chivalry. Their first full game, Chivalry: Medieval Warfare, was a critical and commercial success and has driven the dedicated team at Torn Banner to continue to develop great games and ongoing content for their passionate community of fans. For more information visit TornBanner.com or follow @TornBanner.
Space may be the final frontier, but we humans know more about space than the depths of our own oceans. Arachnid Games seeks to take gamers into those unknown depths in their submarine exploration game Diluvion. Players will explore a world inspired by Jules Verne in one of nine subs as they discover the remains of human civilization.
Story
Humans existed in a perfect world, but ruined a perfectly good thing by going to war with each other. The Gods punished the humans with the Great Flood, wiping out most of humanity. The survivors were driven underwater where they now scrape together a precarious existence. Rumours has it that if someone reaches the end of the Endless Corridor, a new golden age will begin. Diluvion’s story provides a nice backdrop to the exploration. It gives the game some context and and a goal, which is something usually unseen in exploration titles. The writing is decent, though the game could use more lines for random NPCs. Considering how many potential sailors there are to recruit, it seems like the same two or three lines keep appearing.
Gameplay
Diluvion is an open world exploration game with submarine combat. In practice, the gameplay reminds me of space sims on the more casual end of the spectrum. The submarine controls in Diluvion are simple. The sub’s propulsion system mimics a sailing ship with different increments of throttle in forward and reverse. The sub will attempt to orient itself towards the direction the crosshair is pointing, but fast turns and quick changes in depth can be executed with hot keys. Weapons shoot wherever the crosshair is pointing. Torpedoes need an extra step to lock onto the enemy, but generally handle much like the main weapons. The game provides controller support for those who rather avoid the mouse and keyboard. The control schemes are simple enough that most people should be able to be able to pick up and play.
Exploration inspired by the early days of sailing is one of Diluvion’s major selling points, but it falls a bit flat. The game’s resource management system does work well with the exploration mechanics. The crew needs to breathe air and eat food. Extra air tanks can be purchased to extend capacity and tanks can be completely refilled an unlimited number of times by docking at a station. Docking to smaller vessels like crippled submarines or small research stations will transfer over a tank or two of air only once, severely limiting a players range. On top of managing air, players will need to either scavenge or purchase food to keep the crew fed. The larger the crew, the faster they will consume resources. The expense of running the submarine discourages freely exploring the open sea. The risk and cost of randomly exploring the sea to hunt for loot is simply too great, especially compared following the storyline. The areas where story missions will take the player are often littered with many wrecks to loot, making the story mission feel like a less risky endeavour.
Navigating in Diluvion is probably one of the game’s stronger suits. The developers were inspired by sailors in the past that relied on simple of tools. So instead of having a magical GPS arrow, players must navigate using landmarks and a compass. The resource system adds a nice twist to navigation, as getting lost can mean death. Arachnid Games give players a little help when it comes to navigating to quest areas. Schools of goldfish are found near landmarks that will help point players in the right direction. The assistance only lasts for a few hundred meters, so players will need to take note of the compass bearings to ensure they stay on the right track. Diluvion’s hands off approach to navigation is quite refreshing as it suits the game’s low-tech nautical theme very well.
Combat in Diluvion is simple. Since the rate of fire is generally quite low in the game, good positioning is just as important as accurate shooting. Diluvion is quite generous in providing some guidance to players during combat. Crosshairs will adjust to show the rough spread of the current weapon, allowing players to hold their fire until their submarine is properly oriented for the most accurate shot. Additionally, enemies have a small circle that shows players how far to lead their shots to hit the enemies. The ship’s crew can be shuffled around in real time between different departments to repair damage or provide buffs. I found the combat to be a bit of a mixed bag. The combat itself is fulfilling, but the game struggles with an inconsistent level of difficulty. The regular enemies encountered often seem too easy, creating a bland combat experience. Boss fights on the other hand end up in the other extreme, creating an intense atmosphere that often borders on frustration.
Diluvion is not without its bugs. I encountered a few occasions where menus became unusable and I could not proceed. There were also a couple of instances where story conversations with the crew would not trigger.
Visuals
Diluvion is presenting in an interesting mix of 2D and 3D graphics. While controlling the submarine, the game is played in 3D. Docking the submarine will switch to a 2D view of the docked vessel, much like the 2D view of the submarine’s interior. Diluvion’s art style is gorgeous. The world is colourful, even at the deepest levels of the ocean. It is refreshing change to the standard drab brown hues that are found in so many modern video games. The 2D art serves as a gritty counterpart that emphasizes the game’s low-tech theme. On the technical side, the graphic settings for Diluvion are a bit on the sparse side.
Audio
Diluvion’s audio experience is excellent. The sound effects are enjoyable. The soundtrack is one of Diluvion’s strong suits. It is filled with songs I can imagine sailors dancing to and would fit right in with a naval film.
Overall
Diluvion shows that there is potential in a submarine game, but misses the mark. The exploration mechanics feel hobbled by how resource management is handled by the game. Combat would be very enjoyable if the inconsistent difficulty levels could be ironed out a bit. While Diluvion delivers an excellent audio/visual experience, it is hard to recommend the game to anyone but those who have been dying for a submarine game.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
JAGEX COLLABORATES WITH AMAZON TO BRING THE FIRST PRESTIGE PC GAME BRAND TO ALEXA
RuneScape Quests: One Piercing Note – an exclusive audio adventure game based on a classic quest from the award-winning PC MMORPG – can now be enabled by saying “Alexa, enable RuneScape” or via the skills section in the Alexa app.
“ALEXA, PLAY RUNESCAPE”
Wednesday 1st February – RuneScape, Jagex’s flagship massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), has become the first prestige PC game to introduce an exclusive audio-based adaption of its award-winning content as a skill for Amazon Alexa.
RuneScape Quests: One Piercing Note is a captivating interactive murder mystery audio adventure game, produced in collaboration with Amazon and the RuneScape game team at Jagex Games Studio, and can be enabled by asking Alexa, or via the Alexa app for Amazon Echo, Echo Dot and other Alexa devices in the USA and UK.
Showcasing dramatic voice acting and atmospheric music wrapped in compelling audio gameplay, RuneScape Quests: One Piercing Note is based on a classic quest adapted from the PC MMORPG. Players become the voice of a courageous adventurer, tasked with solving a murder at the Abbey of St Elspeth. The crime scene investigation soon takes a turn for the unusual as demonic dark secrets are uncovered in the seemingly serene abbey.
“RuneScape Quests: One Piercing Note is RuneScape doing what it does best – telling stories, immersing players in an adventurous narrative and, with Amazon Alexa, we’re delivering that experience in a very specific way for a great voice experience,” said Mark Ogilvie, Design Director at Jagex Games Studio.
“Players choose their own path throughout the adventure, engaging in audio puzzles, investigating crime scenes, selecting how to question suspects and, ultimately, how to catch the killer. The game takes full advantage of Alexa AI machine learning; using its state of the art voice recognition and natural language understanding to make interactions more conversational and directions more seamless, putting the player squarely in the role of a proper investigator.”
“The potential for voice-based experiences is endless, and RuneScape for Alexa demonstrates what’s possible in immersive gameplay,” said Rob Pulciani, Director, Amazon Alexa. “We’ve seen a great response to the voice-enabled games available on Alexa so far, and Jagex is taking it to a new level—bringing a flagship title to the Alexa service, and creating a new, fun and immersive way to experience a game that’s already loved by millions of fans across the world.”
RuneScape Quests: One Piercing Note can be enabled by saying “Alexa, enable RuneScape” or in the skills section in the Alexa app for Amazon Echo, Echo Dot and other Alexa devices. Take your first step on the quest’s adventurous path and solve the mystery of the Abbey of St Elspeth at www.runescape.com/alexa .
# ENDS #
About Jagex
Established in 2001, Jagex Games Studio today stands as a key UK game developer and publisher and is the home of the flagship online adventure game, RuneScape. Celebrating its 15th Year anniversary in 2016, RuneScape has welcomed over 250 million players to its world and more than two million of them play every month, while millions more watch avidly through social channels. In addition to RuneScape, Jagex has developed new RuneScape-branded games as it enters additional genres, including hardcore addition, Old School RuneScape; Chronicle: RuneScape Legends, an adventure strategy card game; and RuneScape: Idle Adventures created in partnership with Hyper Hippo, the developers of cult hit Adventure Capitalist. Jagex employs over 320 people at its Cambridge headquarters. Career information can be found at www.jagex.com
About RuneScape
Step into a medieval fantasy world that’s packed with epic adventures, fascinating characters and a passionate community that helps to mould the game itself. Unashamedly British in humour, RuneScape embraces an unconventional world where you’re free to play and explore the way you want to. An MMO unlike any other – become the hero you were born to be at www.runescape.com .
Rebellion (Zombie Army Trilogy) released a brand new gameplay trailer for their upcoming third person shooter Sniper Elite 4. The trailer is designed to introduce players new and old to the game. Sniper Elite 4boasts the largest maps yet in the series, providing players the opportunity to try out the new vertical traversal system. The ability to climb freely through the levels, players will now be able to create their own sniper nests.
The game introduces environmental traps that can be triggered with a well aimed shot to take out multiple enemies at once. New subsonic ammunition for the sniper rifles is among some of the new equipment being added to the game. The new rounds allow players to trigger aforementioned traps or take down enemies without giving away their position.
Sniper Elite 4 takes the series to Italy. OSS Agent Karl Fairburne has been sent in to assist the Italian resistance fighters in their campaign against the Nazi occupiers. The game launches on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows on February 14.
Koei Tecmo has revealed some new information regarding the synthesis mechanics in Atelier Firis: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Journey as well as what type of pre-order bonuses potential buyers an look forward to. In Atelier Firis, players will find that thanks to Firis’ wanderlust, she actually carries a portable Atelier Tent that allows players to synthesize items whenever or wherever they please. The system also allows players to now craft larger items such as bridges to cross rivers or even boats through “Mass Synthesis.”
As for pre-order bonuses, those who pre-order from Amazon, Best Buy, EB Games, or GameStop in North America or at certain retailers in Europe will unlock two bonus costumes for Firis, the “Resort Vacation” costume that increases the chances of finding high quality materials and the “Wonderland” costume that decreases the time it takes to synthesize items and fast travel.
In case you need a little horror to perk you up for hump day, Paramount Pictures has released two new videos for their upcoming film Rings. The first is a clip from the movie set on a plane with Holt and Julia. The famed video tape is taking over the plane’s systems as the plane approaches for landing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp6v3tvtMYE
The second Rings trailer makes use of YouTube’s 360 degree videos to present an immersive experience. Viewers are trapped in a room with television screens playing the infamous cursed video with Samara crawling out of the TV. The video has a few good jump scares that is sure to get the adrenaline running for horror junkies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85e3J0hREJc
Rings stars Matilda Lutz, Alex Roe, Johnny Galecki, and Aimee Teegarden. The film his cinemas in Australia on February 23rd.
Diluvion
Diluvion is not without its bugs. I encountered a few occasions where menus became unusable and I could not proceed. There were also a couple of instances where story conversations with the crew would not trigger.
