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XSEED GAMES PACKS TWO PC LAUNCHES INTO NOVEMBER — RELEASE DATES CONFIRMED FOR XANADU NEXT AND SENRAN KAGURA: BON APPÉTIT! – FULL COURSE

XSEED GAMES PACKS TWO PC LAUNCHES INTO NOVEMBER RELEASE DATES CONFIRMED FOR XANADU NEXT AND SENRAN KAGURA: BON APPÉTIT! – FULL COURSE

Nihon Falcom Follow-up to ‘Dragon Slayer’ Series Prepares for Worldwide Launch; Rhythm Spin-off of Famed Busty Brawler Series to Make PC Debut

Torrance, Calif. — October 21, 2016 — XSEED Games, the independent-minded console publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., today announced that the Nihon Falcom RPG Xanadu Next will release worldwide on November 3, with a Windows PC version of the rhythm spin-off to the shapely shinobi series, SENRAN KAGURA Bon Appétit! – Full Course, to follow on November 10. Xanadu Next will be available on Windows PC for $19.99 via Steam, GOG.com, and the Humble Store by Humble Bundle, with a launch week discount of 10%. SENRAN KAGURA Bon Appétit! – Full Course will be available on Windows PC for $29.99 on Steam, with other digital distributors to potentially be announced at a later time. The title will also have a 10% discount on offer for its first week of availability on Steam.

Xanadu Next is an exploration-centric action RPG from Nihon Falcom, the acclaimed creators of the Ys and The Legend of Heroes RPG franchises. Originally released in Japan in 2005, this is the first time global audiences will be able to experience this distinguished entry in the long-running franchise. Representing their immensely popular Dragon Slayer series and serving as a spiritual follow-up to the late ‘80s cult classic Faxanadu, Xanadu Next puts the player in the shoes of a gravely injured knight given a new lease on life through ancient magic, who must now seek a legendary sword called “Dragon Slayer” to ensure his survival.

Set on the medieval Europe-inspired Harlech Island, players will explore the many different and interconnected environments of the world around them while battling vicious enemies in real-time, utilizing various unique skills attached to the many weapons they find along the way. Through a variety of ability-enhancing items that allow access to new areas, “Guardians” that grant passive effects, stat customization with the ability to level-down for point redistribution, and more, a multitude of mysteries surrounding the ancient land of Xanadu lay waiting to be unraveled.

In SENRAN KAGURA Bon Appétit! – Full Course, the grand rivalry between girls’ academies continues as the shapely shinobi take a break from their usual hand-to-hand, beat-’em-up style combat to face off in an entirely different kind of battle — with delicious results. The shinobi master Hanzō has promised the winner of his first annual “Super Dish Gourmet Cook-Off” a magical scroll that can grant any one wish. Driven by their own desires – or perhaps just idle curiosity – 22 playable buxom babes from Japan’s secret ninja schools have signed up for the tournament, ready to put their reflexes, memory and speed to the test in a cooking competition unlike any other.

Culinary warfare is carried out through an array of rhythm battles in which players tap the correct buttons in time with the beat to rack up combos and determine the size and quality of the resulting dish. After selecting a competitor, players are challenged to create the ultimate Super Dish and unlock a special feast for the eyes. The emphasis is on outrageous humor, tasty food, and plenty of eye candy, so get ready to slice and dice… up some delicious treats while rocking out to some funky beats!

The Windows PC version of the quirky rhythm game, Full Course, includes the base game, the Gessen x Hebijo Expansion, and all previously released downloadable content available in the PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system version.

Xanadu Next, developed by Nihon Falcom and published by XSEED Games, will release for Windows PC via Steam, GOG.com, and the Humble Store by Humble Bundle on November 3rd for $19.99 with a 10% launch week discount. The Windows PC version of Xanadu Next is not rated by the ESRB. More information on Xanadu Next can be found at the newly launched website at www.xanadunext.com.

SENRAN KAGURA Bon Appétit! – Full Course, originally developed by Meteorise together with Marvelous Inc. of Japan for the “PSVita” system and published by XSEED Games in North America, will release for Windows PC on Steam on November 10 for $29.99 with a 10% launch week discount and includes all of the previously released DLC from the “PSVita” system version. The Windows PC version of SENRAN KAGURA Bon Appétit! –  Full Course is not rated by the ESRB. The “PSVita” edition has been rated “M for Mature”. More information about SENRAN KAGURA Bon Appétit! can be found at: http://www.hanzonationalacademy.com/skba/.

For more information on XSEED Games products, please visit www.xseedgames.com. Fans can also follow XSEED Games on Facebook at www.facebook.com/XSEEDGames and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/XSEEDGames.

IMPORTANT NEW UPDATE LAUNCHED FOR ORIENTAL EMPIRES ON PC

IMPORTANT NEW UPDATE LAUNCHED FOR ORIENTAL EMPIRES ON PC

Developers Adding Chinese Language in Beta Branch

Haarlem, The Netherlands – October 21 2016 – Publisher Iceberg Interactive unveils a major update today to the highly regarded 4x turn-based strategy title Oriental Empires, available on the Steam Early Access program, including the simplified Chinese language to the game. After a highly positive reception, the game continues to receive regular updates, greatly improving all aspects of the game, including siege mechanics, battles, economy and play balancing.

For details on today’s big update for Oriental Empires, please refer to the changelog in the Steam Hub.

Furthermore, an important feature on the roadmap has been accelerated, due to community pressure, and players are now able to opt into a simplified Chinese version of the game. In order to access the Chinese version of the game, players must click their right mouse button on the game in their Steam list, select properties and click BETAS. From the drop down menu, select Chinese beta and the Chinese version will be downloaded automatically.

Developers R.T. Smith and John Carline, renowned for their work on the original Total War titles, have more in store for their growing community in the upcoming weeks for Oriental Empires, including the hotly anticipated multiplayer mode.

 

The game is now available in Steam’s Early Access Program at $29.99 http://store.steampowered.com/app/357310. For more information regarding Oriental Empires, please visit the official website at: www.orientalempires.com.

ABOUT ORIENTAL EMPIRES

Step into the world of the ancient Orient. Control a city or tribe from the dawn of Chinese history, and turn it into a great empire. Develop your land, create great cities, raise huge armies and fight epic wars. Advance your technology, culture and religion to create one of mankind’s great civilizations. All the action takes place on one spectacular game map that brings to life the mountains, forests, plains and deserts of China. Zoom in close to review your troops and see your peasants toiling, or zoom out for a strategic overview. Plan your battles, end your turn, and then watch as your armies obey your orders, with hundreds of soldiers battling right on the game map.

About Iceberg Interactive 
Iceberg Interactive is an independent video game publisher founded in 2009 by an international group of games industry veterans and is located in Haarlem, The Netherlands. Staffed with avid gamers, Iceberg works closely with an international assembly of game developers, both midsize and indie. Garnering attention with acclaimed releases over recent years, including Endless Space, Endless Legend, StarDrive 2 and Starpoint Gemini 2, the company has an exceptional line-up, including Oriental Empires, Killing Floor 2, Starpoint Gemini Warlords, Dawn of Andromeda, Lord of Rigel and Stars in Shadow – with further promising games in the pipeline.

‘The History of TranStar’ Prey Trailer Released

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As you may have heard, Bethesda and Arkham Studios’ Prey takes place in an alternate timeline and this leads to a number of technological advancement that lead to a highly developed space program. As such, the company has released a trailer talking about the history of TranStar, the company that was founded after President Kennedy managed to survive his assassination attempt and throw full support into the space race by taking control of a U.S./Russian joint program and transforming a Russian satellite into a fully functional R&D facility meant to study non-terrestrials.

This facility later became Talos I, a highly advanced space station owned by the TranStar Corporation. Players begin their story after waking on Talos I and finding it has been overrun by a strange entity called Typhon.

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Full Roster Revealed and New Trailers

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Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is only 4 days away in the States and Bandai Namco have gone into full PR mode releasing lots of new trailers and gameplay featuring the latest revealed character Hit as well as one featuring Future Gohan vs Time Breaker Bardock and Majin Vegeta was Goku. They don’t really show anything new but they do show how great the new fighting engine can look and I believe this is our first look at Time Breaker Bardock in action (who is hiding a very big secret that I won’t spoil in this article). You can check out all the new trailers at the bottom of this article.

Thanks to numerous early gameplay videos being leaked we also have the full roster of characters and stages that will be available in the game at launch. Of course if you want to be surprised then look away now. Stars denote significant new characters.

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Characters

  1. Your Time Patroller
  2. Trunks (Super Saiyan)
  3. GT Trunks (Super Saiyan)
  4. Goku (Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan 3)
  5. Super Saiyan God Goku
  6. Kid Trunks (Super Saiyan)
  7. Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Goku
  8. GT Goku (Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 3)
  9. Super Saiyan 4 Goku
  10. Kid Gohan
  11. Super Saiyan Teen Gohan (Super Saiyan 2)
  12. Adult Gohan (Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2. New Green Tracksuit from Resurrection F outfit)
  13. Great Saiyaman
  14. *Future Gohan (Super Saiyan)
  15. Goten (Super Saiyan)
  16. Piccolo
  17. Krillin
  18. Tien (Outfit from Resurrection F outfit)
  19. Yamcha
  20. Time Breaker Yamcha
  21. Saibaman
  22. Raditz
  23. Nappa
  24. Vegeta (Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2)
  25. *Majin Vegeta
  26. Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Vegeta
  27. Super Saiyan 4 Vegeta
  28. *Zarbon
  29. *Dodoria
  30. *Nail
  31. Guldo
  32. Recoome
  33. Burter
  34. Jeice
  35. Captain Ginyu
  36. Appule
  37. *Turles
  38. *Lord Slug
  39. Frieza Soldier
  40. First Form Frieza
  41. Final Form Frieza
  42. 100% Final Form Frieza
  43. Golden Frieza
  44. Time Breaker Golden Frieza
  45. *Cooler
  46. *Final Form Cooler
  47. *Metal Cooler
  48. Time Breaker Metal Cooler
  49. Android 16
  50. Android 17
  51. Super Android 17
  52. Android 18
  53. *Imperfect Cell
  54. Perfect Cell
  55. Super Perfect Cell
  56. Time Breaker Super Perfect Cell
  57. Cell Junior
  58. Mr. Satan/Hercule
  59. Videl
  60. Great Saiyawoman
  61. Majin Buu
  62. Super Buu
  63. Kid Buu
  64. Time Breaker Kid Buu
  65. *Janemba
  66. Time Breaker Janemba
  67. Legendary Super Saiyan Broly
  68. Time Breaker Broly
  69. Gotenks
  70. Vegito
  71. *Super Gogeta
  72. Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta
  73. Beerus
  74. Whis
  75. Jaco
  76. Nova Shenron
  77. Eis Shenron
  78. Omega Shenron
  79. Time Breaker Omega Shenron
  80. Pan
  81. *Hit
  82. Bardock (Super Saiyan)
  83. *Time Breaker Bardock (Super Saiyan)
  84. Towa
  85. Mira
  86. Time Breaker Mira
  87. *Trunks from Dragon Ball Super (Super Saiyan 2)
  88. *Goku Black
  89. ???

The last slot could potentially be reserved for Goku Black but we can’t be certain due to the way locked slots appeared with pre-order bonus characters in the past game. Each character may have more costumes and forms than what is listed here, these are only the ones that are 100% confirmed. There are 16 significantly new characters that weren’t present in the first Xenoverse.

Notable missing characters include Dabura, Dr Gero. Android 19, Frieza’s 2nd and 3rd forms, Cell’s 2nd form and all of Super Buu’s absorption. Considering this game focused heavily on movie villains it’s surprising Android 13 and Bojack were also excluded.

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Stages

1. World Tournament Stage
2. Hyperbolic Time Chamber
3. Wasteland
4. Pod Landing
5. Mountains
6. Mountains (Night)
7. Planet Namek
8. Destroyed Namek
9. Tree of Might
10. Archipelago
11. Cell Games Arena
12. Cell Games Arena (Ring Destroyed)
13. West City
14. West City Suburbs
15. West City Capsule Corp. House
16. Destroyed West City
17. Kami’s Lookout
18. Sky
19. Snow Stage from Movie 10
20. Archipelago (Night)
21. Janemba’sHell
22. Supreme Kai’s Word
23. Space (Earth)
24. Cave
25. Sky Islands
26. Space (Planet Vegeta)
27. Tuffle Planet
28. ???

As you can see the last one is still a mystery. It is most likely to be the time chasm from Xenoverse 1 that you fight the final boss in or an alternative version of a prior stage but we still don’t know for now. Keep in mind more characters and stages are planned for DLC including Kyabe and Final Form Frost. The Universe 6 vs Universe 7 Tournament stage is the most likely candidate for a DLC spot in pack 1.

Hit vs Goku Extended CGI Trailer

Hit vs Goku Gameplay Trailer

Goku vs Majin Vegeta

Future Gohan vs Time Breaker Bardock

Horizon: Zero Dawn ‘Evolution of the Machines’ Developer Diary

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Sony and Guerrilla Games have released a brand new video for Horizon: Zero Dawn and it just so happens to be a new developer diary. In this diary the development team talks about how they thought up and created the various machine creatures that live in the world such as the brand new Snapmaw, a giant water-based machine that appears to look like a crocodile.

You can check out the dev diary and some new screenshots below. As for the game itself, Horizon: Zero Dawn is set in the distant future where human evolution has been thrown back to a pre-historic timeframe and now machines with organic animal-like features now rule the planet.

Berserk and the Band of the Hawk Opening Video Released

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With Berserk and the Band of the Hawk releasing in Japan next week, Koei Tecmo and Omega Force have released the opening movie for the title. The cinematic video focuses on showing off each of the main characters for the title as well as combat between Guts and generic enemies as well as Apostles.

You can check out the opening movie below and as for the game itself, Berserk and the Band of the Hawk is currently set to be released for the PlayStation 4, PS Vita, and PC in North America on February 21st and in Europe on February 24th.

Indie Gala Friday Special Bundle #40 Now Available

neon-shadow-screenshot-01Leave the work week behind with a brand new indie bundle from Capsule Computers and Indie Gala. This month’s Friday Special Bundle contains ten indie games for $3.49 USD for the first 24 hours of the sale.

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

Neon Shadow – A cyberpunk FPS inspired by old school shooters.

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mr.President Prologue Episode -Who needs the Secret Service when the president is packing heat and isn’t afraid to use it!

One Day: The Sun Disappeared – An action RPG based around limited stamina that forces players to choose their attacks and blocks wisely.

For a minimum purchase price of $3.49 USD during the first 24 hours of the sale, buyers will also receive:

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Pixel Cup Soccer 17 – A dynamic arcade game inspired by retro soccer titles featuring modern day competitions like the World Cup.

Wrath of Anna – A new FPS designed by former competitive gamer Michael “hamtaro” Fiorentino Gutierrez that pitches the people of two planets against each other

Zombo Buster Rising – Infuse your zombie killing with a big dose of nostalgia with this 2d side scrolling shooter.

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Measurement Problem – A narrative driven puzzle platformer with intriguing co-op and competitive modes.

The Odyssey – A point and click adventure based on Homer’s epic poem.

Star Tactics – A turn based strategy game featuring two campaigns, one based on massive fleet battles and the other based on intense dog fights.

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GEARGUNS – Tank Offensive – After the aliens invaded Earth, the world’s armoured regiments mounted their tanks to serve as the world’s last line of defence.

The special $3.49 USD price will only run for the first 24 hours of the sale, so be sure to grab your copy at Indie Gala before the price goes up.

 

 

 

Trillion: God of Destruction Launches on PC on October 25

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Idea Factory International has announced that they are planning on releasing the PC version of Trillion: God of Destruction next week on October 25th on Steam. For one week after the game’s release they will be selling the title at a 40 percent off discount though those who feel like dropping a bit of extra money will find that a $9.99 Deluxe Pack will also be available.

This extra pack will include seven digital novels that give extra insight into each Overlord, a 21 page digital character art book, 18 pages of digital rough sketches in an art book, 6 PC wallpapers, and the original soundtrack for the game.

Spice & Wolf Short Story Collection and Sequel Novels Licensed by Yen Press

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Yen Press has announced that they have acquired the license for the Spice & Wolf short story collection as well as the sequel novels that recently began releasing in Japan. Spice & Wolf Volume 18: Spring Log will be released sometime in 2017 and the sequel novel, which is being called Spice & Wolf New Theory: Parchment and Wolf, will also release sometime next year.

The collection of short stories will revisit the world during various times in Lawrence and Holo’s journey while the new volume will follow the story of Myuri, Lawrence and Holo’s daughter. While all seventeen volumes of the core Spice & Wolf light novel series have already been released in print, Yen Press has also announced plans to release all volumes digitally for those who prefer that option.

Independence Day: Resurgence Review

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Independence Day: Resurgence

Studios: TSG Entertainment, Centropolis Entertainment, Electric Entertainment
Publisher: 20th Century Fox
Platforms: DVD, Blu-Ray (review)
Release Date: 19th of October, 2016
Price: $29.98 AUD- Available Here & $9.99 USD- Available Here

Overview

The original Independence Day by Roland Emmerich was released twenty years ago and fundamentally changed the nature of the Hollywood action blockbuster. This film completely altered the mainstream cinematic landscape of its day and helped launch the career of Will Smith as a credible action movie hero. It revitalised Hollywood’s interest in science fiction and disaster movies almost single-handedly. Does lightning strike a second time for the sequel or have the twenty years of preparation been for nought? Read on to find out!

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Story

It has been twenty years since the events of the first movie and Earth has been changed drastically by the alien invasion. Earth has been almost completely rebuilt with the humans integrating alien technology into their own. The nations of the world have come together as well to build defence measures capable of turning back any more invasions from interstellar travellers. David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum), now director of the force dedicated to defending the Earth, races around the globe to uncover the source of an alien transmission being beamed into space. His search leads him to an intact alien ship which landed in Africa and he ascertains that the distress signal it has been sending out has been received. Earth’s defences are put to the test as the aliens come back to try and finish the job they started two decades ago.

I will immediately state that the film’s narrative action is quite convoluted with a bunch of plot threads and perspectives. Of these, I find the sub-plots of the new generation of fighter pilots to be the most interesting as they go about navigating their relationships with each other. It feels like something out of an anime and maybe it’s for that reason I find it quite charming but I also admit that these relationships may lack a deeper substance… but then again, it isn’t trying to be anything more than an action blockbuster film. Goldblum gives a largely satisfying performance that you’d expect as Levinson with plenty of the Goldblum charm present (largely not in the form of ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’) Judd Hirsch as the father of Levinson in the film does an okay job as the film’s comic relief but the real humour came from Brent Spiner as the crazy scientist Dr Brakish Okun.

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One phrase that was repeatedly being thrown around by the cast and crew upon viewing the extras is that Emmerich was aiming for things to be “big”. Certainly, this film has action spectacle in spades with more fighting, dogfights, and cities being destroyed than was ever present in the original film… but this, I feel, does not make for a better film. The higher status and increased stakes on the central characters meant that using the first film’s narrative style of multiple character perspectives would result in some unnecessary plotlines. By focusing more on a smaller cast of personas, I feel that the narrative arcs would have been much neater and the film would feel less bloated. That being said, some of the narrative action set pieces are absolutely hilarious in how over-the-top ridiculous they are.

Visuals

The CGI is very well used quite regularly throughout the film. The designs of the new tech including the moon bases, satellite weapons, and jet fighters are quite nice to look at with a sleek, recognisable design with incremental changes. The disaster imagery is also noticeably updated with the introduction of CGI allowing a far greater scale than would have been possible through practical effects and models. One of the noticeable examples was a shot which featured the city of Dubai falling onto the city of London. Watching the various landmarks collide in to each other is certainly a sequence I enjoyed to watch as a moment of movie spectacle. Unfortunately, these moments were somewhat few and far between.

The alien designs are also pretty cool as they all go about in biomechanical looking exo-suits which are a cool concept and decidedly interesting in terms of design. Another qualm I have is that I found the design of the Alien Queen to be somewhat disappointing when she’s revealed during the film’s climax. Her design was meant to be evocative of the Alien queen in the finale of Aliens, I guess, but it looks to me to similar to the other alien designs we see and there isn’t enough differentiation. I’m not sure what could have been done to change her design but as it was, she simply looked like a largely version of every other alien we saw in the film thus far.

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Audio

The films soundtrack was not particularly noteworthy with it leaving no impression, neither good nor bad. For what it’s worth, when a film’s score leaves no impression then it’s generally a sign it did the job of matching the cinematic beats. It does its job well, but I’ll be damned if I try to recognise anything from the film’s soundtrack or where it was used during the movie.

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Extras

The extras which revealed various aspects of the behind-the-scenes production process were quite interesting and I’d recommend giving them a watch. There is also an in-universe documentary detailing the events and aftermath of the “war of ‘96” which I very much enjoyed. As a lover of expanded universes and extras detailing bits of lore, I wished that more movies did things like this. I’d recommending skipping the audio commentary by Emmerich however, as you can tell he’s not entirely sure how he’s meant to approach the recording at all. All he ends up giving is a basic description of the narrative action as the movie unfolds which is really uninteresting and disappointing.

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Overall

Ultimately, I feel that I enjoyed this movie despite its’ limitations. The story was trying very hard to spin too many plates at the same time with too many characters and points of perspective. The new cast of characters are very enjoyable to watch, however, and I look forward to future instalments in this series featuring more of these characters. The use of CGI was awesome with Emmerich having a great sense for what makes an interesting action set piece but the design of the alien queen felt a bit muted. The extras were largely a mixed bag with some wonderful hits and some very mediocre misses. I would recommend this film to fans of the original and anyone who is up for a very light action flick to pass the time, but I normally prefer my films (even action films) to be a bit more cerebral.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.