Koei Tecmo’s Berserk Delayed Over a Month in Japan

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July 27, 2016

Koei Tecmo’s Berserk Delayed Over a Month in Japan

Koei Tecmo has announced that the Japanese release of their upcoming Berserk game has been delayed over a month. Originally slated for release on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PS Vita on September 21st, the company is now listing the title for release on October 27th in an effort to improve the quality of the game.

【広報】さらなるクオリティアップを図るため、発売予定日を9/21(水)⇒【10/27(木)】に変更いたしました。より一層満足いただけるゲームにできるよう全力で開発を進めてまいりますので、どうぞ今しばらくお待ち下さいますようお願いいたします。 #ベルセルク無双
— 『ベルセルク無双』公式 (@berserk_musou) July 26, 2016

It is worth noting that when the Omega Force developed Berserk game was announced for Western release it was given a Fall 2016 release window so it is currently unknown if this month long delay will affect the Western version or if it will simply narrow the time between the Japanese release and the localized version.

Nanana’s Buried Treasure Review

K. Roberts

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July 27, 2016

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Nanana’s Buried Treasure

Studio: A-1 Pictures
Publisher: Madman Entertainment
Platform: DVD (reviewed)
Release Date: July 6, 2016
Price: $59.95 AUD – Available Here

Overview

High school student Yama Jugo is disowned by his father. As a result, he is forced to move to an artificial island and transfer to one of the its high schools. He pays a large amount of non-refundable money to Maboro Shiki, the owner of an apartment block, in order to be able to move in its Room 202. As soon as he steps into the living room of that apartment, he discovers that someone is already occupying it. Shiki claims that no-one was living in the apartment just before Yama moved in, and this claim is true. The mysterious person is a ghost of a person who was murdered ten years ago and cannot pass on knowing that her killer is still on the loose. The ghost, Ryuugajou Nanana, collected a variety of magical artefacts from around the world while she was alive. These artefacts comprise ‘Nanana’s Collection’. Yama decides to work with Nanana to find her buried treasures and use their powers to track down her murderer.

Story

Yama Jugo initially seems like every other male audience-insert character found in an annoyingly large number of Japanese series. The first hint that this is not the case is his exposition about his ideals and the fact that his father kicked him out of his home. It is gradually revealed that he indeed is not an ordinary teenager but the son of the leader of an organisation of bad guys known as Matsuri. First impressions are not always what they seem in this series, giving its introduction a welcome level of unpredictability. Isshin Yuiga, the president of the Adventure Club, also betrays the initial impressions he gives. The Adventure Club is an extracurricular group at Third High School that was created with the intention of collecting Nanana’s Collection. Yama joins this group, along with his ‘rival’, the master detective Ikkyuu Tensai, and her assistant Hoshino Daruku. Tensai demonstrates an extraordinary ability to observe things that others overlook. She uses this skill to get through the first ‘ruins’ that we see the club visit. Unbeknownst to Tensai and Yama, who are alone in the ruins with Isshin, the club president has his own goal in mind. When they open the chest containing a powerful item from Nanana’s Collection, he uses it to trap them in the ruins and then leaves with his obsessive and possessive vice-president Yuu. What follows is a series of increasingly intriguing mysteries and solutions that maintain a constant level of surprise and fun.

Betrayal is a common theme from this point, but the story mostly avoids taking things too far and being too ridiculous. This adaptation does not adapt the entirety of Kazuma Outorino’s original manga series, which is currently ongoing, but these 11 episodes end with a powerful message after exploring the themes of power and corruption. Whether the goal of the story is to find Nanana’s killer or not does not matter; these 11 episodes present one of Japan’s best detective stories since Death Note. Solving mysteries in Nanana’s Buried Treasure is a whole lot of fun, but it should be mentioned that multiple questions go unanswered in this adaptation.

One of the many fantastic elements of this series is its setting. Given that it is set on an artificial island, it is most likely set in the near future. The ‘ruins’ in which the items from Nanana’s Collection are hidden are not the kind of ruins that the word suggests. The ruins are mechanical rooms filled with deadly traps, complete with a massive treasure chest in the middle. The artefacts inside are intricately designed, and their powers add a supernatural touch to the series. The blending of contemporary settings, such as a high school, a club room, a shopping mall and an online gamer’s apartment, with ancient and mechanical locations creates a surreal but almost believable world. There is no need to travel to an alternate dimension in this series; the out-of-this-world events and locations all exist right here in this version of Earth. The characterisation is not as strong as the setting, however. There are some particularly annoying characters, such as the vice president of the Adventure Club. Some interactions between characters do not make any sense at all, so this is an adaptation best watched for its setting and its plot, even though it concludes while trying to be a character-driven series.

Visuals

Original character designs are hard to come by these days. In modern anime, it generally involves different hair colours, different hairstyles or unusual clothes. The cover art of this release alone is enough to show that some thought has been put into the designs of the main characters, and this impression holds up in the series proper. Yama Jugo stands out as having a somewhat different appearance from the ever-growing group of male audience-insert characters. Ryuugajou Nanana has a carefree appearance, wearing a simple dress and an unusual necklace that may in fact hold a mysterious power. Master detective Ikkyuu Tensai is about right for a young Sherlock Holmes-esque character, but perhaps the most uncommon character design is that of Tensai’s assistant Hoshino. He is not a female, as his appearance initially suggests, but actually a ‘trap’, as the subtitles put it. ‘Trap’ characters are not all that common in anime, and unfortunately are not a realistic representation of transgender people. Additionally, he has an obsession with Tensai’s saliva that is more perverted than in Mysterious Girlfriend X.

Audio

The background music is every bit as excellent as expected from composer Keigo Hoashi. He is hardly a prolific composer, especially in comparison to the more famous Japanese composers, but his music is mysterious, fun and everything else that background music should be. His skill at creating music for any scene is strongly evidenced throughout. In particular, he composes music that enhances the sense of mystery and adventure, both of which are fundamental themes in this series. The voice acting is consistent with the voice acting in most other Japanese series, i.e. it does not stand out, but does not disappoint either. The subtitles are fairly well-translated, but they unfortunately cannot be turned off.

Extras

The extras consist of the textless opening animation sequence and the textless ending animation sequence. They are both completely average, but are nonetheless enjoyable to watch and listen to.

Overall

Nanana’s Buried Treasure has an intriguing premise. Murder mysteries are not new, and neither are detective stories, but even the synopsis of this series shows hints of originality. Just like in a Sherlock Holmes story, we receive an explanation once the action is over as opposed to while the mystery is being solved. This technique is highly effective at making viewers second guess their own solutions to the mystery. Ulterior motives, stories from the past and interactions between characters are frequently different from what they seem to be. Whether or not the bad guys are really the bad guys and whether or not the good guys are really the good guys both come into question, but the plot rarely feels clichéd. The presence of overused tropes is as unfortunate as ever, although they are occasionally used in entertaining ways here. This is no doubt one of those series that will provide a vastly different experience upon the second viewing. It can be silly at times, but only a few things ever detract from the viewing experience. The fusion of a slightly futuristic setting and classic genres and the clever use of setting and the concept of magic result in a brilliant anime series.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

NBA® 2K17 to Feature 2016 USA Basketball Men’s National Team and Legendary 1992 USA Basketball “Dream Team”

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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July 27, 2016

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NBA® 2K17 to Feature 2016 USA Basketball Men’s National Team and Legendary 1992 USA Basketball “Dream Team”

USA National Team Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski part of NBA 2K franchise for the first time

New York, NY – July 27, 2016 –
2K today announced a partnership with USA Basketball that will bring the full roster of the 2016 USA Basketball Men’s National Team, including coach Mike Krzyzewski, to NBA 2K17, the next iteration of the top-rated and top-selling NBA video game simulation series*. Fans who pre-order NBA 2K17 will receive the legendary 1992 USA Basketball “Dream Team”, along with a special USA Basketball MyPLAYER jersey to fully customize their USA Basketball experience.

2K has also revealed that renowned Duke University and USA Basketball coach, Mike Krzyzewski, will be making his debut in the NBA 2K series. Krzyzewski – or “Coach K,” as he’s widely known – will appear on the sidelines coaching the 2016 USA Basketball Men’s National Team in NBA 2K17. His likeness will also be found in a revamped tutorial mode focusing on teaching fundamental basketball strategies including pick and roll execution, proper defensive positioning, ball movement, boxing out, court awareness and more.

“Basketball has become an iconic part of American sports heritage, and I’m thrilled that fans can play with this year’s roster in NBA 2K,” said Krzyzewski who, since 2008, has coached the USA Basketball Men’s National Team to four straight international tournament gold medals. “NBA 2K17 is the best way to connect to legends of the past ‘Dream Team’ while celebrating the success of this year’s roster.”

Comprised of NBA Hall of Famers, including Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone and David Robinson, the 1992 “Dream Team” is universally considered one of, if not the greatest, team ever assembled in basketball history. Fans will be able to pit that roster against this year’s athletes on the USAB Men’s National Team, which includes NBA 2K17 cover athlete Paul George and Team 2Kathletes Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, and Kyrie Irving.

“We’re always looking to bring fans closer to basketball’s signature teams and players, which is why we’re collaborating with USA Basketball and Coach K for NBA 2K17,” said Alfie Brody, Vice President of Marketing for NBA 2K. “We couldn’t think of a better way to send off the 2016 team by celebrating USAB’s legacy in this year’s title, while giving fans an opportunity to play as historical and current teams.”

The NBA 2K17 Standard Edition will be available in both digital and physical formats for £54.99 on PlayStation^®4 and PlayStation^®3 computer entertainment systems, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Windows PC platforms from 16^th September 2016. The NBA 2K17 Kobe Bryant Legend Edition will be available in digital and physical formats for £74.99 on PlayStation^®4 system and Xbox One, the physical edition is exclusive to GAME in the UK. Also available for pre-order is the NBA 2K17 Kobe Bryant Legend Edition Goldoffering fans the ultimate value at £79.99 with all of the regular NBA 2K17 Legend Edition contents plus bonus items.

Developed by Visual Concepts, NBA 2K17 is not yet rated by the PEGI.

Follow @NBA2K on social media and look for the hashtag #ThisIsNotAGame for the latestNBA 2K17 news.

*According to 2008 – 2016 Metacritic.com and The NPD Group estimates of U.S. retail video game sales through June 2016.

2K is a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

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About Take-Two Interactive Software

Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a leading developer, publisher and marketer of interactive entertainment for consumers around the globe. The Company develops and publishes products through its two wholly-owned labels Rockstar Games and 2K. Our products are designed for console systems and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, and are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms and cloud streaming services. The Company’s common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at http://www.take2games.com.

About 2K

Founded in 2005, 2K develops and publishes interactive entertainment globally for console systems, handheld gaming systems and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, which are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms and cloud streaming services. 2K publishes titles in today’s most popular gaming genres, including shooters, action, role-playing, strategy, sports, casual, and family entertainment. The 2K label has some of the most talented development studios in the world today, including Firaxis Games, Visual Concepts, Hangar 13, Cat Daddy Games and 2K China. 2K’s stable of high quality titles includes the critically acclaimed BioShock®, Borderlands™, and XCOM® franchises, the beloved Sid Meier’s Civilization series, the innovative Evolve™, the genre-fusing hero-shooter Battleborn®, the popular WWE 2K franchise and NBA 2K, the #1 rated and #1 selling basketball franchise*. 2K is headquartered in Novato, California and is a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). For more information, please visit www.2k.com .

*According to 2008 – 2016 Metacritic.com and The NPD Group estimates of U.S. retail video game sales through June 2016.

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Injustice 2 Brings Wonder Woman and Blue Beetle to the Fight

Travis Bruno

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July 27, 2016

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Injustice 2 Brings Wonder Woman and Blue Beetle to the Fight

Warner Bros. and NetherRealm Studios have revealed that Injustice 2 will feature, as many would guess, Wonder Woman, and as many would never have guessed, the Blue Beetle as playable characters when the title is released. The announcement came in the form of a trailer showcasing both fighters as well as some details about each character’s history in the franchise.

In the first Injustice game, Wonder Woman’s character power gave her the ability to switch between her Sword & Shield attacks and her Lasso of Truth. In Injustice 2, she is no longer limited to when she can use her Amazonian weaponry. Now, Wonder Woman brings the whole arsenal. Combining her long range Lasso attacks with quick hitting sword combos makes her an even more powerful brawler than before. And while she is at her best dealing damage up close, her Shield Toss and the ability to reflect fireballs with her Bracelets of Submission means she is no slouch from afar.

Blue Beetle makes his debut in Injustice 2. His alien technology allows him to form various gadgets and weapons for his power suit that make him a well-rounded, Jack of All Trades type character that can be effective up close and from afar. Blue Beetle’s hands can turn into shields, blades, and clubs for punishing close range combos, and he can attack from a distance by turning his hand into an energy cannon that fires quick blasts from the ground or air. He can also use the wings on his back for air mobility, both to advance or escape from the opponent.

Injustice 2 is currently set to be released sometime in 2017 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force Out Now in North America

Travis Bruno

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July 27, 2016

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Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force Out Now in North America

Idea Factory International’s Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force has been released in North America today and will be arriving in Europe later this week as a PlayStation 4 exclusive. To go along with the game’s fresh release, the company has released a handful of new English screenshots showing off the Fairize abilities that the characters have as well as the Godly Revival mechanic that is used to unlock the story routes in the game.

For those who haven’t been following the game, Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force adds a new story path and extra gameplay features to the title such as selecting difficulty levels, having six people in your party at one time, and more.

No Man’s Sky Trailer Highlights Trading

Travis Bruno

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July 27, 2016

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Previously Hello Games released a pair of videos for No Man’s Sky showing off how players will be able to explore the vast universe that awaits them as well as how to battle against any hostile elements they come across but now with their latest video, in a series of four, they cover the concept of trading. In the game players will be able to gather various materials from across different planets and from space itself in order to trade.

You can check out the full video below and as for the game itself No Man’s Sky is set to be released on the PlayStation 4 and PC on August 9th in North America and August 10th in Europe.

LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens First Season Pass DLC Packs Available Now; New Videos Unveiled

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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July 27, 2016

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Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced the release of the first downloadable content (DLC) within the LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens Season Pass—The Prequel Trilogy Character Pack and The Freemaker Adventures Character Pack—along with two new videos showcasing this exciting add-on content.

Available today, The Prequel Trilogy Character Pack allows fans to play as select characters from Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Playable characters and vehicles include: Anakin Skywalker (Damaged), Captain Panaka, Darth Maul, Jango Fett, Jar Jar Binks, Padmé Naberrie, Watto, Zam Wesell, Naboo Starfighter (Full-size Vehicle), Naboo Starfighter (Microfighter Vehicle)

Also released today, The Freemaker Adventures Character Pack showcases the galaxy’s bravest family of scavengers from the LEGO animated series. Playable characters and vehicles include: Baash (Iktotchi), Graballa the Hutt, Kordi Freemaker, Naare, Raam (Iktotchi), Roger (Battle Droid), Rowan Freemaker, Zander Freemaker, Star Scavenger (Full-size Vehicle), Star Scavenger (Microfighter Vehicle)

The Prequel Trilogy Character Pack and The Freemaker Adventures Character Pack are both part of the LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens Season Pass, which is comprised of three new Level Packs that extend the adventure with exciting content not seen in the movie, along with five Character Packs featuring well-known Star Wars heroes and villains. The Season Pass is available for $14.95 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Steam (Windows PC). As an added bonus, Season Pass holders have exclusive access to The Jedi Character Pack, which is available now. For the timing and release of all other DLC content, keep an eye on the LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channels for details.

LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens marks the triumphant return of the No. 1 LEGO videogame franchise, immersing fans in the new Star Wars adventure like never before. Players can relive the epic action from the blockbuster film in a way that only LEGO can offer, featuring storylines from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, retold through the clever and witty LEGO lens. The game also features playable content exploring previously untold adventures set in the time leading up to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as well as original dialogue from key members of the theatrical cast, providing the most authentic Star Wars for experience for players, including Harrison Ford (Han Solo), John Boyega (Finn), Daisy Ridley (Rey), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron) and other top stars from the film. LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens is available now for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, Windows PC, Mac and the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The game will be coming soon to Google Play for Android devices.

KONAMI and FC Barcelona announce three-year agreement as PES 2017 publisher becomes Premium Partner of Catalan giants

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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July 27, 2016

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KONAMI and FC Barcelona announce three-year agreement as PES 2017 publisher becomes Premium Partner of Catalan giants

Sydney, 27^th July – Konami Digital Entertainment B.V., creator of the award-winning PES series of football simulations, has announced a top-level partnership with FC Barcelona, the first of its kind for a video game publisher.

“This is a real statement of intent for us,” explained Tomotada Tashiro, President of Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. “By working closely with a team of Barcelona’s stature we can introduce the PES series to a huge global fan base. This partnership will deliver access to the very best players in the modern game and to one of the world’s most respected and ambitious clubs. The PES series is famed for its realism and control, so the fit between such a skilled team and a game that celebrates such ability is perfect.”

KONAMI and FC Barcelona has entered a Premium Partner agreement, which will see KONAMI granted extensive access to the club’s stars and have a visible presence within the match day experience. KONAMI will have a prominent advertising presence within and around the club’s Camp Nou stadium, and will also receive exclusive rights to recreate FC Barcelona’s legendary home within its PES titles, starting with PES 2017 and within all related PES-branded releases, including mobile titles.

“We are delighted to have signed this agreement with KONAMI, who is now an official Premium Partner of the Club” added Manel Arroyo, FC Barcelona Vice-President of Marketing and Communications. “KONAMI is a strategic partner that will allow us to bring FC Barcelona to millions of users of its game. We hope to see the club, the players and Camp Nou, perfectly recreated in the next and future versions of the PES series.”

FC Barcelona was founded in 1899 in Barcelona, Catalonia. The team is widely known to fans by their nickname ‘Barca’, and since their formation has won the UEFA Champions League five times, the Spanish League 24 times, and many other honours. FC Barcelona is one of the best-supported clubs in the world, with almost 145,000 Socios, (members) and the top sport club on social media, with nearly 250 million followers. FC Barcelona will also be represented faithfully within the series, with KONAMI’s proprietary Team ID and Player ID systems used to ensure the PES side perfectly reflects the overall and individual playing styles of the Catalan side and its many stars. The club’s famed ’offensive, playing style will be fully implemented, as will the club anthem ’Himno‘. Konami will also be using advanced 3D photo-scanning techniques to implement the faces and expressions of key players, and will also release in-game versions of the club’s historical kits for use in the games. There will also be special promotions within its hugely popular myClub mode that will allow fans to add Barca stars such as Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr and Luis Suarez to their home-grown squads. In addition PES 2017 will include FCB Legends also available in myClub.

The agreement comes as KONAMI builds up to the September 13^th/15^th launch of PES 2017, the already acclaimed latest iteration of the 21-year-old series. PES 2017 is founded around the ‘Control Reality’ ethos, elevating the series’ award-winning gameplay to a new level through incredible new control elements and a new standard of visual realism, without sacrificing what made PES successful in the first place: playing a match with your friends. The industry-leading Fox Engine is again central to elevating the series to new heights, with KONAMI focusing on first touch, the making and receiving of passes, and adaptive AI to elevate the game’s acclaimed realism.

The Idolmaster: Platinum Stars’ Hibiki Ganaha Introduction Trailer Released

Travis Bruno

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July 27, 2016

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The Idolmaster: Platinum Stars’ Hibiki Ganaha Introduction Trailer Released

Bandai Namco is continuing with their series of character introduction videos for the thirteen idols that will be appearing in The Idolmaster: Platinum Stars. So far we have seen introduction trailers for Takane Shijou, Chihaya Kisaragi, Yayoi Takatsuki, Haruka Amami, Iori Minase, one for each of the twins Ami and Mami Futami, Miki Hoshii, one for Azusa Miura, and one for Makoto Kikuchi.

This time around the girl being introduced is my personal favorite, Hibiki Ganaha. You can check out the highlight trailer for Hibiki below where a bit of dialogue and a bit of a performance is shown off and as for the game itself, The Idolmaster: Platinum Stars is currently set to be released in Japan on July 28th as a PlayStation 4 exclusive.

New Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Trailer Released

Nathan Farrugia

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July 27, 2016

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New Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Trailer Released

A new Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 trailer has landed showing us glimpses of the story, transformations for humans and Namekians and more! Android 16, first stage Cell and Time Breaker Bardock were also confirmed as new playable characters. Humans gain the Nimbus Cloud and Power Pole upon transforming while Nameks turn into Giants just like Piccolo did against Goku in the 23rd World Tournament.

Some recently revealed features were also reiterated on, such as the ability to change your characters ki blast style and unique missions and side stories for each race. For now the trailer is only available in Japanese but we will update this when the global version releases. You can check out the trailer for yourself below and let us know what you think of all these new additions. Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 arrives on October 25th for PS4 and Xbox One in North America, with an October 28th release date confirmed for Europe for all platforms including a worldwide PC release.

https://youtu.be/ULUtf4FT-bM