Dead Rising 4 Review

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December 6, 2016

Dead Rising 4

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Microsoft
Platforms: PC, Xbox One (reviewed)
Release Date: December 6, 2016
Price: $59.99 USD – Available Here $99.95 AUD – Available Here

Overview

The Dead Rising series has constantly been evolving since the first game was released back in 2006. Each release over the past decade has added, modified, or removed certain elements of the original game with Dead Rising 3 being the biggest step away from the familiar formula the first two games established. Now in Dead Rising 4 Capcom has brought the old fan favorite reporter Frank West back to where it all began, Willamette, Colorado. Is Frank’s return one worth celebrating or is he getting too old for this?

Story

Frank West has been spending his days post-zombie outbreak being fairly successful, even teaching a journalism course at a college, but it looks like those days are over. After his rebellious student Vick Chu gets a tip about a strange occurrence near Willamette, she manages to trick him into investigating with her. After seeing that zombie experimentation is happening in a strange militaristic facility Frank ends up being seen and labeled a murderer by those who wish to keep his mouth sealed.

After going dark for a few months, Frank is tracked down by the ZDC and informed that Willamette has suffered another zombie outbreak and that his protégé Vick Chu has already been there for weeks trying to uncover the truth. While zombies are nothing new in the world of Dead Rising, the story mentions that thanks to the events of the previous game that the original form of zombieism had been cured making this new outbreak all the stranger. Not one to let a scoop slide away from him, Frank agrees to help the ZDC find out the truth behind the outbreak even if it means traveling into the zombie infested city one more time while also dealing with an unknown military presence at the same time.

The Dead Rising series has always been one with plenty of comedy and that is certainly true in this fourth entry but one thing I wasn’t expecting was an actual relatable relationship and believable interactions between Frank and Vick as they try to survive and learn about what happened. Although it can be a bit predictable at times, their interactions and statements about one another are handled well and the main mystery that runs the course throughout the story is also adeptly executed.

Frank West has definitely let himself get a bit more grumpy and goofier in his older age. While not always the most likable fellow thanks to his tendency to prefer a successful story over the lives of others, he is highly entertaining and ready to make plenty of smart-aleck remarks about various events that happen. Ranging from making quips about various shops he travels through to the things he sees or actions he takes, Frank’s personality helps bind everything together in a game that manages to be incredibly ridiculous in nature and filled with plenty of dark humor all while set in a bloody winter wonderland with holiday music playing often and Christmas decorations everywhere.

Gameplay

One thing that the series has been known for is having a timer that would keep players limited and while many liked this rush, it was significantly decreased in importance in Dead Rising 3 and now in Dead Rising 4 it has been taken away altogether except in a rare case. While this does make the title lose a bit of its unique side once you step foot inside the Willamette Memorial Megaplex Mall you’ll see just why this loss of a timer ends up being a good thing.

For the most part the basic combat still feels very much the same as players will use a mix of melee, ranged, and throwable weapons to deal with the copious amounts of undead that they come across. These weapons are divided in a new and interesting fashion however as the inventory system is a bit different this time around and while it might take a bit to get used to for veterans, it helps keep combat far more fluid. You see, each weapon type is divided into a separate D-Pad direction to swap with the player being able to hold the button to open up their inventory and see what is available while actually swapping between weapon types is just done through combat presses, with X dealing melee damage, aiming down the sights or simply pressing RT fires a ranged weapon, and a LB press can aim or immediately toss a throwable item.

Thanks to this splitting up of the inventory, players are also able to easily heal on the go with a simple down on the D-Pad. While players are initially limited to carrying only two healing items with them at a time, the fact that you can almost always instantly eat an item means that players will rarely feel like they are in danger, especially when they level up and unlock various perks that allow for additional health, more carrying capacity, and even the ability to temporarily overheal. This lack of a challenge does diminish the threat in this game a bit since my entire time throughout the course of the campaign and gathering nearly every collectible never saw Frank die to the zombies or other foes that he comes across.

While standard zombies are still an ever present threat, this strain delivers a few other types of zombies with fresh zombies being able to sprint and tackle Frank to the ground and deal damage while also absorbing more attacks with special “Evo” type zombies eventually appearing as well. These Evo zombies move quickly and use the environment to their advantage and are capable of stunning Frank making them something of a challenge but not one that can still be dismissed with capable combo weapons. These zombie types join the likes of a militaristic organization that has their own motives for being in Wilamette and use firearms as well as standard melee weapons as well as crazed survivors that will attack on sight using whatever they have available to them.

Thankfully, as mentioned before, the players are almost always going to find themselves capable of dealing out plenty of damage thanks to the amount of combo weapons available. While players need to find a blueprint before being able to craft a weapon once you have acquired said blueprint and have one piece in your inventory, finding the other component on the ground can allow for quick on the fly crafting without slowing Frank down too much. These combo weapons range from being simply functional such as an electrified axe or flame sword to completely zany such as a Nutcracker machine-gun head, a crossbow that shoots swordfish, or even a magic wand that turns zombies into Christmas decorations.

Outside of those weapons players will occasionally stumble across Exo Suits that have been brought in by the unknown military force. While these suits turn Frank into a beast, they are far from overpowered primarily thanks to the fact that outside of certain story segments they run out of power rather quickly. This means that while Frank can rip signposts out of the ground, hurl car doors like giant Frisbees, and use heavy machine guns without a car in the world in a suit, that suit usually only lasts for a few minutes. Players can even find various power upgrades to a suit that allow things to get even crazier by strapping parts of an ice machine or vacuum to the suit to unleash icy death or small tornadoes against anything in your path.

This means that while this isn’t a really challenging game, it is one that is incredibly enjoyable and highly varied with almost everything being a suitable weapon. As mentioned before players will find that there are so many collectibles to gather and areas to explore that the time limit being removed can be seen as a good thing. These collectibles help provide extra insight to the outbreak as text messages, emails, newspapers, and more can reveal various happenings that occurred before Frank arrived and even shine a bit of extra light on some past events that are mentioned here and there.

If hunting these down isn’t quite your style then you’ll be happy to hear that the safe houses in this game actually do have an extra purpose. The more survivors that Frank rescues while traveling around the city of Wilamette the higher the level of a safe house in that area will grow and the more rewards will be available. You see, players can gather Scrap from defeated zombies, breaking objects, and searching things such as bags, lockers, and refrigerators. Scrap serves as something of a money system in the game and can be traded with the survivors in each safe house to unlock special blue prints, obtain already created combo weapons or the ever fun combo vehicles, and even maps that point out the location of every collectible in the zone so players won’t have to hunt blind.

One unfortunate aspect that has been downgraded in Dead Rising 4 is the fact that the previously highly memorable psychopaths have been downgraded to maniacs. These people are still themed villains but they are introduced in an extremely simplistic way and often can be defeated in the same way as any other human enemy. The reward for defeating these maniacs, which range from a pirate crew to Santa’s elves, is also mediocre as it generally only gives the player some PP and the weapon they were using which is likely a combo weapon the player can already craft at that point.

Speaking of PP, players will be able to make use of Frank’s camera to take various photographs throughout the game that once again fall into the various categories of horror, violence, etc. though this time players will also make use of Frank’s camera for some actual investigation. Equipped with night vision filters to see in the dark as well as a scanner to pick up residue that allows the opening of safes and special “zombie-proof” panic rooms players often have to take photos of story scenes in order to advance in a way that makes nice use of the camera rather than having it simply be an extra feature.

Unfortunately unlike the past two Dead Rising games, Dead Rising 4 does not support campaign co-op which is a disappointment and instead the multiplayer is kept into a separate mode. This mode allows players to select from one of four characters that all share the same level progression that allows players to level up a character to match Frank West if they are persistent enough and while this multiplayer mode allows for four players to play through episodes that are relatively short in nature and are set in slices of the city, they tend to be rather unimaginative in nature.

Your average mission boils down to clearing out an area or retrieving an item, killing zombies until a certain time frame and then retreating to a safe room only to repeat it the next day until the episode is over with players being able to unlock special boss encounters if they complete enough side-mission during an episode. While fun, this isn’t really a suitable replacement for the main co-op mode that would have been even better since players can still carry over their level ups, blueprints, and other collectibles into New Game+.

Visuals & Audio

Something that is exceptionally rare in games is being set during a holiday season. Sure there are a few occasions here and there but generally this is kept to a minimum but Dead Rising 4 really relishes in the fact that it is set during the Christmas season. The game isn’t entirely flooded with it so players shouldn’t worry about being too overwhelmed since many areas just happen to be covered in snow, but many areas of the mall and the town are designed with Christmas decorations that can be destroyed or used as weapons and while there is normal music to be heard, including some callback music to the original mall, most of the tunes you will hear in the game happen to be in the form of Christmas songs.

A number of the combo weapons that can be created are also holiday themed as with the aforementioned nutcracker gun there are also electric wreaths, ornament explosives, and more. As far as the voice acting goes most of the cast is handled well but of course there was a big deal made that the original voice actor for Frank West wouldn’t be returning and while I will say that the new voice of Frank doesn’t manage to match his predecessor, he also doesn’t fall short. Instead he manages to give us a bit of a new sounding Frank West with a great sense of humor and voice skills that help make even some of the lamest lines still give you a chuckle.

Overall

Dead Rising 4 may not have the signature timer that many fans are familiar with but in its place players will find an enjoyable zombie killing game that manages to both deliver a solid storyline with believable character interactions while also not taking itself seriously in most regards. Though the lack of campaign co-op, any discernible difficulty, and the diminished presence of the “maniacs” are disappointing, the more more refined combat system and a ton of new combo weapons and new abilities to make use of, those looking for a jam packed open world with some great action will be pleased with what the undead streets of Wilamette will offer.

Go Behind the Scenes with the Latest Transformers: The Last Knight Trailer

Jamie Laike Tsui

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December 6, 2016

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Go Behind the Scenes with the Latest Transformers: The Last Knight Trailer

The first official trailer for Transformers: The Last Knight is coming out in a matter of hours. In celebration of the trailer’s release, Paramount Pictures has launched a brand new video that takes fans behind the scenes. The video has a variety of photographs and clips taken during the movie’s filming. Viewers will definitely get an appreciation for the amount of sheer effort in materials and effort put into explosive scenes in the film, with several shows of cars being blown up and talk about driving cars at high speed past Buckingham Palace. There are also some heart warming moments including a photo of Isabela Moner’s 15th birthday cake brought on set.

Transformers: The Last Knight is the direct sequel to Transformers: Age of Extinction. The movie is set to hit theatres in Australia on June 22, 2017.

https://youtu.be/zSvg54_gwFc

Indie Gala Monday Motivation #10 Now Available

Jamie Laike Tsui

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December 6, 2016

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Indie Gala Monday Motivation #10 Now Available

Mondays don’t suck anymore thanks to Capsule Computers and Indie Gala’s Monday Motivation bundles! #10 packs 11 great indie games to brighten up your work week.

For a minimum purchase price of $1.00 USD, buyers will receive:

Autumn – A game designed to help you relax and and unwind after a stressful day.

Spingun – A fast paced arcade shooter that is controlled with only two buttons.

Rage Wars – A side scrolling shooter based on the rage comic memes.

For a minimum purchase price of $2.99 USD during the first 24 hours of the sale, buyers will also receive:

Mr. Shadow – A point and click adventure game set in the world of shadows.

WinKings – A 2D multiplayer platformer starring a merry band of Vikings wielding a wide variety of weapons.

RED Fuse: Rolling Explosive Device – Solve puzzles by guiding bombs to create a massive chain reaction in this physics driven strategy game.

Intralism – A fast paced arcade game that melds music and gorgeous, yet simple graphics together.

Oblivion’s Edge – A bullet hell twin stick shooter where players take on the role of Earth’s last pilot making a final stand to buy survivors enough time to escape.

Veer – A puzzle game where gravity revolves around changing the direction of gravity.

Malavision: The Origin – A horror game based on the Guarani legend of South America.

Explosionade – A retro styled platformer featuring two player local co-op, multiple difficulty levels, and art inspired by SNK.

Be sure to pick up your bundle early, as the special price only lasts for the first 24 hours of the sale. Head on over to Indie Gala today.

Watch Dogs 2 Review

Jamie Laike Tsui

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December 6, 2016

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Watch Dogs 2

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows
Release Date: 15 November 2016 (Consoles), 29 November 2016 (PC)
Price: $59.99 USD – Available Here /$89.95 AUD (PC), $99.95 AUD (Consoles) – Available Here

Video Review

Overview

Watch Dogs 2 moves the series to San Francisco where a young Marcus Holloway has been wrongly accused of being a criminal by the ctOS 2.0 system. Marcus joins DedSec, a collective of hackers, with the goal of taking down ctOS 2.0 and the company behind it, Blume. This third person shooter introduces a completely revamped driving system developed by Ubisoft Reflections, who worked with Ivory Tower on The Crew, along with a variety of other improvements over the original title.

Story

Watch Dogs 2 is set after the events of the first game. For those who have not played the first game, the story works very well as a self-contained title for the most part. There are a few side quests where characters from the previous game are referenced without much background, which can be a little bewildering for the first-time player.

Watch Dog 2’s plot is probably the weakest thing about the writing. The story is rather straight forward and the characters are not particularly deep. However, the world the writers have created is likely one of Ubisoft’s strongest. It is incredible how well Watch Dogs 2’s writers have blended fact and fiction to create a scarily plausible world. It is obvious that the writers consulted actual hackers while writing the script instead of hurling a variety of buzz words at the wall and seeing what sticks, like most TV shows and movies these days. Even the less technically savvy among us will have a lot to enjoy as Watch Dogs 2 is steeped with references to pop culture and current events.

I was surprised how well Watch Dogs 2 handles diversity beyond the obvious fact that the main character is African-American. The people in Watch Dogs 2 are from diverse backgrounds and the writers don’t seem to be waving flags in the script screaming “here is a diversity box ticked off!” Instead, the world is diverse because San Francisco is diverse. While it is not perfect, it is probably one of the better examples I have seen in the past few years.

Gameplay

Watch Dogs 2 mixes an open world third person shooter with stealth elements. Marcus is a skilled hacker, fighter, and free runner all bundled up into one neat package. Marcus has three styles of play: trickster, ghost, and aggressive. While the skill tree does not restrict players to a specific style, each skill lists while playstyle it is best suited for. Although the game does provide plenty of options for aggressive players, it feels like the game was designed for stealth in mind as Marcus is rather squishy. Once enemies are engaged in an outright fight with Marcus, reinforcements can easily outflank and overwhelm his position. Players will need to augment head to head combat with trickster distractions or thin the herd down with stealth kills. Unfortunately, stealth is not nearly as fleshed out as Ubisoft’s other big free running, open world title Assassin’s Creed. Players have very few options for luring guards into position or disposing of bodies to prevent alarm, which are two must have options for good stealth gameplay. The gunplay itself is solid, though a bit plain. Marcus can carry two guns plus a stun gun, two types of explosives, and his two drones. The basic types of firearms are covered in Watch Dogs 2, with 3D printed options for those looking for specific types.

The hacking system in Watch Dogs 2 is the main attraction. The bulk of the hacking is automatic, with players targeting something or someone and choosing one of four possible actions to execute. Marcus can also execute a quick hack by double tapping the hack button, which will immediately trigger a distraction. The range is quite generous as Marcus can hack almost anything if it is within line of sight, including through cameras. To augment his abilities, Marcus has a NetHack vision that allows the player to see through walls and clearly marks important objects like hackable traps or points of interest. The system is unobtrusive and easy enough to be use in the thick of combat or quickly as Marcus darts to a new hiding spot. Drones help extend Marcus’ reach, allowing him to hack his way into places he physically cannot enter. The jumper is a two-wheeled drone that can pick up items and hack objects that need a physical connection, but is riskier since enemies can spot the jumper easier than the quadcopter. On the other hand, the quadcopter is strictly a reconnaissance tool as the bird eye’s view can help players plan or wreak havoc through hacking at a safe distance.

There are a lot of puzzles throughout the game. Most are environmental puzzles that players will need to solve to get into hard to reach places to snatch up collectibles. The other is a connect the wire type mini-game that serves as the stand-in for hacking. The puzzles are well done, but do get a little boring from lack of variety.

The missions are a bit of a mixed bag. The main missions are well thought out and provide a variety of objectives for Marcus. On the other hand, the side missions tend to be quite repetitive. They mostly involve going from point A to B and hacking into a terminal. The usual spread of activities round out Watch Dogs 2, such as ferrying around NPCs for taxi fares, taking pictures of points of interests, and racing.

The controls feel very tight in Watch Dogs 2. Marcus handles very well and his free running abilities automatically kick in when necessary. The driving controls feel just as responsive and is forgiving, making it very easy to weave in and out of traffic at high speeds. With a little practice, players will be able to pull off more advanced driving maneuvers in no time.

The AI is generally solid. NPC behaviour is believable and small events like an angry ex destroying a car on the street breathe life into the world. Of course, it isn’t perfect. Police sometimes have really weird pathing, especially when summoned with Marcus’ abilities, and NPCs can be a little too paranoid when it comes to danger.

Watch Dogs 2 supports seamless multiplayer that allows players to participate in both PVP and PVE. The system entirely optional and specific types of multiplayer can be disabled. PVP involves conflicts with Prime_Eight, the rival hacking group to DedSec. Players can invade or be invaded, with the invading hacker attempting to steal data from the host while they do their best to blend in. If the invader is caught, the game turns from cat and mouse to a flat out wild goose chase as the invader attempts to escape alive. I find the invasions are really fun in the right area where there is a lot of traffic for the invader to blend in; however, there are times where players are put together in a small, lightly populated area where it becomes very obvious who is controlled by an actual player. The second mode kicks in if a player attracts too much attention from the police, other players will be added to the game as bounty hunters, offering a big reward for taking out the target. PVP rewards players for participation, with extra bonuses for completing objectives. The co-op portion of the game consists of free-roaming through San Francisco or completing a series of randomly generated challenges. It is definitely fun to invite a friend to tackle a few missions, but it becomes repetitive very quickly. However, Watch Dogs 2 has left me with the hope that the next game will implement full blown co-op.

Visuals

Watch Dogs 2 is gorgeous on so many different levels. The game captures the spirit of San Francisco, with its different districts and sunny skies. For those of us with enough horse power to run it, the famed San Francisco fog rolling in is just icing on that cake. Walking around Watch Dog 2’s San Francisco is like being able to visit the city without the expensive vacation. In addition, Sitara’s art is a nice hybrid of retro computers and street art and is used liberally in the game.

On the technical side, Watch Dogs 2 ran smoothly on the GTX 1070. Be warned though, certain weather effects like rain is killer on the FPS. Ubisoft has also included a separate high resolution texture pack for more eye candy for video cards with 8GB of VRAM or more.

Audio

Watch Dogs 2 delivers an excellent audio experience. There’s a large variety of high quality sound effects. The voice acting is top notch, as expected of a big AAA title. The soundtrack is vast and draws from a variety of artists, both big and small.

Overall

Ubisoft Montreal’s take on San Francisco is among the best open world environments video gaming has to offer and the gameplay is very well executed for the most part. While I think the hacking mechanics are done well, the stealth mechanic could use a little bit more depth. The audio-visual experience is top notch. The main missions are excellent, but the side missions become repetitive very quickly. I applaud the writers crafting a wonderful setting, but the plot and characters lack depth. Although there is room for improvement, Watch Dogs 2 is a step in the right direction for the franchise.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Devolver Digital at PlayStation Experience: Exclusive Content, Blood, Combat, Magic, and Surprise Launches

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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December 6, 2016

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Devolver Digital at PlayStation Experience: Exclusive Content, Blood, Combat, Magic, and Surprise Launches

E3 Stunner Absolver and retro-gore-fest STRAFE both announced for PlayStation 4; Indie beat-em up Mother Russia Bleeds surprise launches on PlayStation 4, Shadow Warrior 2 debuts first ever PlayStation 4 hands on and Nordic-RPG EITR playable –

Anaheim, Calif. – December 3, 2016 – Independent publisher Devolver Digital revealed that two of the most anticipated indie games for 2017, Absolver from French developer Sloclap and STRAFE from U.S.-based Pixel Titans, are now confirmed to launch on the PlayStation 4, with Absolver set to drop exclusive content on the PlayStation at launch. Additionally, a surprise launch of the ultra-violent brawler on PlayStation 4 for Mother Russia Bleeds was revealed during the Sony keynote and is now available on the PlayStation Store.

Two jaw-dropping trailers for Absolver and STRAFE were also released:

Absolver: https://youtu.be/2SUd9APjIxU
STRAFE: https://youtu.be/HiNULsr-xqk

Rounding out the playable lineup at PSX in the Devolver Digital booth is EITR, the anticipated upcoming action RPG featuring exceptional combat and formidable challenges set within a mythological Norse world, and the recently launched smash hit Shadow Warrior 2 from Flying Wild Hog – playable on the PlayStation 4 for the first time.

All games are playable in Devolver Digital’s booth # B2400B, located just to the middle-right inside the main entrance.

ABSOLVER – 2017

A recipient of several award nominations at this year’s flagship industry event, E3 2016, Absolver is an intense combat RPG featuring real-time flow of attacks, dodges, feints and counters, with all aspects of gameplay customizable, including combat styles, weapons and even individual attack sequences in the player’s Combat Deck.

Absolver puts players behind the mask of a Prospect, who has taken a sacred vow and chosen to join the Absolvers, an elite corps of combatants fighting to maintain stability in the world. Monitored by the Guides, the new rulers of the fallen Adal Empire, players will wander these forsaken lands and encounter other Prospects online in order to learn their place in this world and eventually become Absolvers. Along the way, they will learn new combat styles and attacks, and acquire better weapons, powers and armor.

Build a team of warriors to fight side by side with you in the dungeon mines of Adal (PvE) or put your skill on display in dedicated combat arenas (PvP) scattered across the land.

STRAFE- 2017

The game industry’s Most Anticipated Title 1995-2017 and also a recipient of several E3 award nominations, STRAFE has uncontainable randomly generated levels, enemies, secrets and monster closets so obscene and horrifying we dare you to play it twice. Pure mayhem awaits in every play through of this upcoming retro-modern masterpiece of butchery and over-the-top carnage. Players simply grab a gun, teleport into a unique level set, and paint the walls red, with ÜBER-GORE® technology that allows for ludicrously persistent gibs.

STRAFE is set to indiscriminately terminate everyone you know and love in early 2017, releasing on the PlayStation 4, PC, Mac, and possibly Linux, if everyone would stop fucking asking about it.

MOTHER RUSSIA BLEEDS – AVAILABLE NOW

Mother Russia Bleeds injected itself into the veins of PlayStation fans around the world today as it surprise-launched onto the PlayStation Store during the Sony keynote. Mother Russia Bleeds is an ultra-violent co-op brawler overflowing with an unmistakable style and unforgettably brutal action for up to four players at once. Set in an alternate U.S.S.R, the story centers on a desperate crew of imprisoned street fighters that must overcome an oppressive criminal authority and forced drug addictions through any means necessary. Awarded 2016’s prestigious “Best game to beat someone to death with a toilet” accolade.

Classic RPG Ys Origin Remake Launching February 21st; Arcade Action Title Windjammers Coming Q1

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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December 6, 2016

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Classic RPG Ys Origin Remake Launching February 21^st; Arcade Action Title Windjammers Coming Q1

PARIS – December 3, 2016 – DotEmu, developer and publisher specializing in modern releases of beloved retro games, is thrilled to announce two brand new games for early 2017: Ys Origin and Windjammers.

Ys Origins will release simultaneously on PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®Vita on February 21^st next year. Originally released in Japan in 2006, Ys Origin is a prequel to the Ys series and takes place 700 years before the events of Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished.

With its captivating story, stirring soundtrack and epic boss battles, it is one of the most distinctive RPGs from its era. Authentically recreated for PS4 and PS Vita, Ys Origin is being developed in-house at DotEmu and has been enhanced with brand-new features while keeping true to the original spirit of the series. Moreover, the game will be available in Japanese, English, and for the first time ever officially in French, Italian, German, and Spanish.

Also coming in early 2017 from the developers of DotEmu is the return of Windjammers on PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®Vita. Windjammers is a fast-paced head-to-head arcade game where two players face off on a court and throw discs at the opponent’s goal zone to score points. Originally released on arcade cabinets around the world and NEOGEO, this game perfectly blends sports and fighting games into one, perfect, habit-forming experience.

With five different game modes, online versus modes for the first time – including trophies and leaderboards – along with several unique characters and environments, Windjammers is poised to be 2017’s breakout arcade action hit.

Stay tuned on Twitter & Facebook, more info to come soon

Ys Origin announcement trailer: https://youtu.be/kRFATYk07N4
Windjammers announcement trailer: https://youtu.be/u0pAuIwMmM4

About DotEmu:

DotEmu is a French video game company specializing in modern releases of beloved retro games. Our mission is simple: give every gamer access to yesteryear’s classic video games on today’s platforms, including PC, mobile, console and more. DotEmu is proud to have worked with some of the gaming industry’s most prestigious companies, including Square Enix (Final Fantasy series), SNK (Metal Slug and Fatal Fury series) and Ubisoft (Heroes of Might and Magic III HD). Our passionate team has worked on dozens of high-profile projects, including Ys Chronicles I & II (mobile), R-Type I & II (mobile), Another World (mobile, PC), Double Dragon Trilogy (mobile, PC), Titan Quest (iOS), Pang Adventures (mobile, PC, console), and more. Founded in 2007, DotEmu leverages its considerable technological know-how to maintain the original spirit of classic games while giving them a second life as rediscovered gems for a new generation of gamers.

MOVE OR DIE TO DELIVER MULTIPLAYER FRIENDSHIP-RUINING MADNESS TO CONSOLES IN 2017

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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December 5, 2016

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MOVE OR DIE TO DELIVER MULTIPLAYER FRIENDSHIP-RUINING MADNESS TO CONSOLES IN 2017

The Wildly Addictive Steam Party Game to Include New Game Content for Console Versions

TWAIN HARTE, CA – December 5, 2016 – Independent game developer Those Awesome Guys and Reverb Triple XP, an initiative of the veteran PR team at Reverb Communications, are very pleased to announce that indie multiplayer sensation Move or Die will be coming to consoles in 2017.

Gamers will never find a more delightful method of destroying friendships on their couch and online with Move or Die’s addictive gameplay, fast-paced intuitive control mechanics, and wealth of game options including fifteen Mutators, eight game announcers, and over twenty different characters including Shovel Knight. With new console features planned including team play, Move or Die is the very definition of a perfect friendship-ruining game.

Jetpacks do help avoiding big spiky balls in Move or Die.

“Without fail, the most common question I receive is ‘when Move or Die would be coming to consoles’ – well, it’s finally coming you grateful bastards,” exclaimed Nicolae Berbece, founder and lead developer of Those Awesome Guys. “Not only are we bringing the game with all the updates since the game launched, but we also have new awesome features for the console versions – we definitely plan to test the friendships of console players next year!”

Move or Die is not just the title of the game, but a fundamental gameplay rule: gamers who fail to move will see their health bar diminish rapidly. Players will battle each other in an ever-growing list of mini-game modes that change every 20-30 seconds. Each challenge has its own outrageous level design and rule set to promote hours of laughter and good old friendship-destroying fun. Win battles and unlock insane new character skins, Mutator game modifiers that dramatically change how mini-games are played, and even crazier game modes. When gamers are done beating friends on the couch, jump online and challenge other players to see who will rage-quit first.

Move or Die will launch on consoles in 2017. Move or Die is available now on Steam for $14.99. To learn more about Move or Die, please visit www.moveordiegame.com, ‘Like’ it on Facebook, and follow its development on Twitter @moveordiegame for all the latest developer updates and news.

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ABOUT THOSE AWESOME GUYS
Founded in 2012 by Nicolae Berbece, Those Awesome Guys is a one-man independent video game developer based in Romania that teams up with developers from around the world to create really awesome games. After releasing Concerned Joe, a 2D puzzle platformer Flash game that generated a small, but dedicated following, Nick decided to give the title a proper remake. And so was born Move or Die, an absurdly fast-paced multiplayer party game coming out in January on Steam.

For more information, visit thoseawesomeguys.com

ABOUT REVERB TRIPLE XP
Reverb Triple XP provides a spectrum of services customized to focus on the needs of indie game developers. Triple XP titles stand out with excellent gameplay, creative design, and that elusive fun factor. Once identified, Reverb’s team of game industry veterans partner with the indie dev team, fully understand the game by actually playing it and provide world class marketing, PR, social, production and distribution services that are fitting for games of the highest quality. A cornerstone of the programs is that the developer retains creative control and ownership of its intellectual property as well as receiving a custom solution tailored to their exact needs. Each year, only a handful of titles are chosen to be in Reverb Triple XP, prioritizing quality over quantity.

Adventure Time – The Complete Sixth Season Review

K. Roberts

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December 5, 2016

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Adventure Time – The Complete Sixth Season

Studio: Frederator Studios
Publisher: Madman Entertainment
Platforms: DVD (reviewed) / Blu-ray
Release Date: November 16, 2016
Price: DVD $34.95 – Available Here / Blu-ray $39.95 – Available Here

Overview

The threat of the Lich has been removed, meaning that the inhabitants of Ooo can live in relative safety. Finn is having a hard time getting over the fact that Flame Princess broke up with him, and tries to do some things to take his mind off of it. He learns that his father is still alive, and Princess Bubblegum’s rule over the Candy Kingdom is once again threatened by the scheming, immoral King of Ooo.

Story

Adventure Time has an occasional tendency to venture into emotional territory, replacing the usual absurdity with contemplativeness and reflectiveness. This has been seen before in episodes featuring Marceline and in others featuring Simon, and although neither characters are explored in any depth this season, a new character is introduced to add some emotional depth. It is a side not often seen before in western animated television productions, but it is good that the writers of this series understand the need to engage viewers emotionally. The Lich has been rendered harmless, but Finn has learned that his father is still alive in a maximum security space jail. He soon discovers that his father is not exactly the person he had hoped he would be. While Finn’s issues are not entirely resolved and his questions are not fully answered, he learns to move past his anger that he felt towards his father. Flame Princess still enters his thoughts from time to time, so much of this season is spent seeing Finn a little more distracted by things than usual. Adventure Time feels a little off with the relative lack of the Flame Princess and the lack of any meaningful episodes featuring Marceline and Simon, and the introduction of Finn’s father does not entirely make up for this loss. Jake’s children and appearances from other minor characters do make watching this 43-episode season worth it for long-time fans of the series, however. The wackiness that the series is known for is still very much present, and the third disc in this set includes several hilarious episodes reminiscent of the crazier and funnier episodes seen in previous seasons.

Absurd humour is hard to get right, yet the production team of Adventure Time manages to get it right more often than not. It never comes across as overly immature or stupid, and even the educational and more out-there episodes are a whole lot of fun to watch. It is clear that it is intelligently written even if some of its jokes may be a little immature. Whole episodes can go by without anything of significance occurring, and that is a positive thing for a series like this to be able to do effectively. Some episodes manage to be entertaining even without Finn and Jake being present. Although some episodes are slightly less engaging than usual, the return of the Earl of Lemon Grab seems to be the point at which this season starts feeling like the Adventure Time so many people have come to love. Anyone paying attention to the credits will pick up on this, but this season has a noticeable decrease in the number of guest voice actors. An episode featuring Fionna and Cake is more about Lumpy Space Princess than any other characters, and there do not seem to be many new guest roles at all. This may be a part of the reason why some of the episodes on the first two discs are not quite as funny as usual, because they rely on extremely minor and unimportant characters to keep up the humour. The problem with this is that absurdity and humour are not one and the same, but the final episodes of this set do combine those two elements quite successfully.

One thing that is done very well in this season is the exploration of the universe in which Adventure Time is set. There is much more than the Candy Kingdom and Ooo, which seems to exist on a future version of Earth. The planet Mars and its inhabitants turn out to be important to the religion of Ooo, and comets travelling through outer space are significant as well. Space is not a quiet place in this universe. In fact, it is rather crazy and random, albeit not quite as bizarre as Ooo. This is an interesting universe, and one can hope that its history is explored more in future episodes.

Visuals

The style of artwork and the animation quality largely remain the same from previous seasons. We do get one episode with an unusual art style, however, which is “Water Park Prank”. It is hard to define the style used in it exactly, as the shapes and characters are not necessarily deformed but not quite normal either. It is an interesting style nonetheless, albeit one that would not work if sustained for multiple episodes in a row. It is refreshing when the producers try out something new, because it often works well. More random princesses are introduced, with the character designs featuring varying levels of weirdness, but they are mostly unremarkable and likely not intended to be reused.

Audio

If you have seen Adventure Time before, you will likely know what to expect with the audio. The voice acting is as fantastic as always, although the aforementioned decrease in guest roles may disappoint some, especially those hoping that Neil Patrick Harris would have a part to play in the latest Fionna and Cake episode. The lack of guest roles is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mark a shift towards episodes that only feature established minor characters. The music is also the same as always. That is to say, it suits the series but rarely stands out as anything more than background music. There are plenty of vocal songs throughout this season.

Extras

Several song demos are included. These are only accompanied by still frames from the episodes they are used in, but they may be of interest to those who enjoy the vocal songs in this series. There are dozens of images of concept art, a large portion of which is from Masaaki Yuasa’s episode “Food Chain”. Background images and character models are also included, showing settings and characters before and after they are coloured and fully detailed. Animatics for seven episodes are included. Finally, a featurette about “Food Chain” is included, although it is unfortunately made up almost entirely of shots from the final version of the episode.

Overall

There are less emotionally meaningful episodes than before, and the absurdity in some cases is a little too much to be hilarious. However, there are plenty of funny and engaging episodes in this season. Quite simply, if you like Adventure Time for its randomness and its frequent craziness, this collection of episodes is worth watching.
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Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite Adds Morrigan and Captain America

Travis Bruno

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December 5, 2016

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Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite Adds Morrigan and Captain America

Capcom released an extended version of the gameplay trailer for Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite on the rebroadcast of the 2016 Capcom Cup on ESPN2 and this extended version happened to reveal another pair of characters that will be available in the game.

The new footage has revealed that Captain America from Marvel and Morrigan from Darkstalkers will be in the game, joining the previously confirmed fighters of Ryu, Mega Man X, Iron Man, and Captain Marvel. You can check out the new footage below while Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is set to be released in late 2017 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Final Fantasy XV and Nissin Cup Noodle Mashup is a Must See

Travis Bruno

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December 5, 2016

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Final Fantasy XV and Nissin Cup Noodle Mashup is a Must See

Final Fantasy XV is a massive game that has had massive success around the globe and while it is packed with plenty of content, it also has something of a partnership with one of Japan’s most famous cheap foods, Nissin cup noodles.

In fact not only is this mentioned in the game rarely by the actual characters, with there even being a Nissin cup noodle stand, Nissin decided to take things a step further by creating an oddball TV commercial mashing Square Enix‘s Final Fantasy XV together with their product in a way that you have to see to believe and luckily for you you can check it out below.

https://youtu.be/bvaTAgkWy6c