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FANS TO DECIDE WHO FEATURES ON THE COVER OF EA SPORTS FIFA 17

FANS TO DECIDE WHO FEATURES ON THE COVER OF EA SPORTS FIFA 17

Four FIFA 17 Ambassadors Compete For the Cover in a Fan Vote Voting Closes July 19


Four FIFA 17 Ambassadors Compete For the Cover in a Fan Vote Voting Closes July 19

Sydney, Australia. – July 6, 2016 Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) today revealed that fans will have the power to select the cover star of EA SPORTS™ FIFA 17. Four previously-announced ambassadors (James Rodriguez of Real Madrid C.F., Anthony Martial of Manchester United, Eden Hazard of Chelsea FC, or Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund) will go head-to-head in the official FIFA 17 Global Cover Vote.

All voting will take place on the official FIFA Cover Vote Website beginning today and running through July 19 at 11:59pm PT. Fans can vote online once per day for their favorite player and earn extra votes by utilizing the auto-share feature with the hashtag #FIFA17CoverReward. Fans can also show their support by Tweeting with the athlete’s hashtag (#FIFA17Hazard, #FIFA17James, #FIFA17Martial or #FIFA17Reus). The winner will be revealed on the officialFIFA Cover Vote website  later in July.

Watch the Cover Vote trailer here

FIFA 17’s four cover contenders – all individually known for their attacking style of play – are also global ambassadors for FIFA 17 and worked with EA SPORTS to influence gameplay and bring innovation to the way players think and move, physically interact with opponents, take set pieces, and use new techniques in attack.

“James, Martial, Hazard, and Reus represent exciting, attacking football and epitomize the innovative play that fans can expect in FIFA 17,” said Nick Channon, Senior Producer for EA SPORTS FIFA. “We’re excited to see fans rally around their favorite players and see who they select as the cover star for the franchise, and the footballer who will represent FIFA 17globally.”

With innovative gameplay features that let fans own every moment on the pitch, FIFA 17brings an overhaul to Physical Play, a Set Piece Rewrite, New Attacking Techniques and a brand new Active Intelligence System. Fans can learn more about new features to FIFA 17 by visiting FIFA 17’s website, and also by becoming an EA SPORTS FIFA Insider (http://easports.com/fifa). Fans can also join the EA SPORTS FIFA communityhttp://www.facebook.com/easportsfifa and follow us on Twitter @easportsfifa and, Instagram.

EA SPORTS FIFA 17 is developed by EA Vancouver and will be available in Australia on September 29 on  Origin™ for PC, Xbox One the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® games and entertainment system and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. The game is not yet rated.

Fans who pre-order FIFA 17 Super Deluxe Edition can get up to 40 FIFA Ultimate Team™ Jumbo Premium Gold Packs, Team of the Week loan players, and other FUT content. Clickhere to read about all our available pre-order offers. EA Access* members on Xbox One andOrigin Access* members on PC can play the game early with Play First Trials. Stay tuned for more information on access timing and availability.

FIFA 17 is powered by Frostbite™**. One of the industry’s leading game engines, Frostbite delivers authentic, true-to-life action, takes players to new football worlds, and introduces fans to characters full of depth and emotion.

*CONDITIONS, LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY. SEE EA.COM/EAACCESS/TERMSAND http://www.origin.com/store/origin-access FOR DETAILS.

**Frostbite game engine technology is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC platform versions only.

Join the EA SPORTS FIFA community at  Facebook and on Instagram. Follow us on Twitter @easportsfifa and use the hashtag #FIFA17.

EA SPORTS™ is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through videogames, including Madden NFL football, EA SPORTS™ FIFA,NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR® golf, and EA SPORTS UFC®.


About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets. EA has more than 300 million registered players around the world.

In fiscal year 2016, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.4 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster brands such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, Battlefield™, Dragon Age™ and Plants vs. Zombies™. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news .

EA, EA SPORTS, Origin, Ultimate Team, Frostbite, The Sims, Dragon Age, Plants vs. Zombies and Battlefield are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. and its subsidiaries. John Madden, NFL, NHL, NBA, PGA TOUR, UFC and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission.  “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Pokemon GO! Available to Download Now!

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Update: A new trailer has been released by Niantic showing off the games main features such as catching, battling and evolving Pokemon. You can check out the trailer at the bottom of this article. The game should now be available to download all over the world.

With very little announcement Pokemon GO! has been fully released on the App Store and Google Play Store! Pokemon trainers all around the world can now discover Pokemon in real life locations. Pokemon-Go-screenshot-01

Players begin their adventure with instructions from Professor Willow, who will allow you to slightly customise your avatar then give you some Pokeballs so you can capture one of three main starter Pokemon, Bulbasaur, Squirtle or Charmander. I guess some things never change. From there you have to set a unique name (hurry, all the good names are taken already) and then you are off on your adventure. I was able to find some Pidgeys in my bedroom.Pokemon-Go-screenshot-03

You can download it for Android devices and iDevices from their respective stores by using the links below. This sudden release will come as a shock to nearly everyone after interviews at E3 revealed the game was due for a late July release but nothing was certain. People have surely found out though as the game had 50,000 downloads already on the Google Play Store alone.

Download Pokemon GO! from the Google Play Store. (Android users)

Download Pokemon GO! from the App Store. (iPhone users)

VooFoo Studios brings Mantis Burn Racing to PC and Consoles

VooFoo Studios brings Mantis Burn Racing to PC and Consoles

Launching on Steam Early Access today with 20% discount


Birmingham, United Kingdom – 5th July 2016 – Established UK based indie developer VooFoo Studios is delighted to announce its entry into publishing, with its first title Mantis Burn Racing launching on Steam Early Access today.

Mantis Burn Racing, which combines fast-paced, bumper-to-bumper racing with intuitive, tactile gameplay, is now in development for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. The immersive title brings raw top-down racing, stunning visuals and fully-upgradable vehicles playable either in single player, 4 player local split screen or with 8 players online.

View the Early Access Announcement trailer here: https://youtu.be/dHdawEAIQlY

“We’re delighted to be bringing Mantis Burn Racing to PC and consoles,” said Mark Williams, Technology Director at VooFoo Studios. “The pedigree of our studio and our success has allowed us to create a game we believe will be one of the best looking and most immersive in its genre. We’re really excited to welcome fans into Early Access to gain the feedback which will help us shape the game’s development.”

Mantis Burn Racing features a comprehensive career mode where every aspect of the players’ driving ability will be tested to the full, and with upgradable car elements and four player local split screen and eight player online multiplayer, there’s plenty of content to dive into.

Mantis Burn Racing Features include:

·        Comprehensive Career Mode – Test every aspect of your driving ability in a compelling career structure where you choose your progression path on the road to being crowned Mantis Burn Racing Champion.

·        Bumper-to-Bumper Racing – Jump the sand dunes of sun-scorched Sand Town or burn rubber on the asphalt city streets of New Shangri-la in high-risk, high-speed but most of all, highly competitive racing.

·        Incredible Vehicles – Choose from a roster of fully customisable built-for-racing vehicles in 3 distinct categories, each with their own unique handling and performance traits with speedy dune-buggies, versatile road-racers and super-strong 6-wheeler trucks competing side-by-side in the same race.

·        Stunning Visuals – Race across stunning reversible tracks located in 2 distinct environments with incredible photo-realistic visuals for crystal clear high-octane racing.

·        Utterly Believable – Enter a world of realistic, but fun, vehicle handling and dynamic destructible environments where tyres screech and barriers fly.

·        Deep Upgrade System – Fine tune your vehicle’s appearance, handling and performance to your exact preference and playing style via a deep, tactical upgrade system that offers an almost infinite amount of vehicle variations, creating a unique race experience for every player.

·        Challenging Game Modes – Master demanding game modes that keep the extensive solo career fresh and exciting.

·        Intense Multiplayer – 4 player local split-screen racing with extensive online modes for up to 8 players allowing players worldwide to race together seamlessly.

·        Original Soundtrack – Race to an original ambient-electro soundtrack written especially for the game.

·        Regular Updates – Regular content updates during Early Access with add-ons planned post full launch, including free and paid content packs.

Mantis Burning Racing is available on Steam Early Access from today priced £9.99, $12.99 and €12.99, with a special introductory offer giving an additional 20% off during launch week. The game will launch on PS4 and Xbox One as a digital download later in 2016.

For assets and more information on Mantis Burn Racing, visit www.VooFooStudios.com

Follow VooFoo Studios on: facebook.com/VooFoo and Twitter @VooFoo


About VooFoo Studios Ltd
VooFoo Studios Ltd is an independent UK based video games development studio, founded in 2007 by a small team of experienced industry professionals. Utilising its own proprietary cutting edge technology, VooFoo’s first game, the critically acclaimed Hustle Kings, was released for PlayStation 3 in 2009, reaching the top of the PSN charts and earning VooFoo nominations for two highly coveted Develop Awards. Building on this early success VooFoo have gone on to develop Hustle Kings on PlayStation Vita, Backgammon Blitz and the acclaimed ‘Pure’ series of games – Pure Chess, Pure Pool and Pure Hold’em – all of which have further established our reputation for developing visually stunning, commercially successful games. VooFoo’s first self-published game, Mantis Burn Racing, is now available on Steam Early Access and will release on PS4 and Xbox One later in 2016.

Cricket Captain 2016 Out Today, 5th July 2016

Cricket Captain 2016 Out Today, 5th July 2016
The Number One Cricket management game returns for 2016 with the launch today, 5 July 2016, of Cricket Captain 2016. It’s time for cricket fans around the world to put their tactical expertise to the test in the most in-depth cricket management game ever made.

Developed in association with Chris Rogers, captain of Somerset, Cricket Captain 2016 has more playable teams, new South African and New Zealand leagues, and more great features than ever before.

Cricket Captain has been hailed as the best cricket management simulation ever created and Cricket Captain 2016 takes the game to the next level with day/night matches, an updated interface, improved match engine and all the attention to detail that you expect from the series.

Key features for 2016 include:

  • 79 playable domestic teams: across 5 domestic leagues, including 12 new teams in the New Zealand and South African domestic cricket leagues.
  • Day/Night matches, with night-time 3D highlights and match conditions.
  • In-Game Help System – help text available with guidance and tips.
  • Updated Tournament modes – updated One Day International and 20 Over World Cup tournaments. Play as any international team that played in the last two World Cups including Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Oman, Scotland or the UAE.
  • New 3D lighting system.
  • User controlled cameras in 3D highlights – choose between active and user-controlled cameras.
  • Improved One Day and T20 match engine – combined with revised player form calculation for One Day and T20 games.
  • Updated kits – for International teams, NZ and SA domestic teams.
  • Historical scenarios – Classic series between England, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
  • Improved interface.
  • New database – with improved player ability ratings.
  • New Achievements.

 

Official Website
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Buy the game

Cricket Captain 2016 launches today, 5th July 2016 with an SRP of $24.99 / €22.99 / £19.99.

About Kiss Ltd
Launched in 2012, Kiss Ltd is a full service digital distribution management company, enabling the independent development community to secure listings across multiple digital retail sites.  As a result of their rapid growth over the last 12 months, Kiss have recently add trade and consumer facing marketing & PR support to their offering, further enhancing the sales potential of their portfolio of titles.
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About Childish Things
Childish Things have been creating cricket management titles since 1998 when International Cricket Captain first hit the shelves to wide critical acclaim. The game was an instant success, reaching number one in the UK PC charts with over 50,000 sales. Since then, the game has been refined and re-worked with incredible attention to detail, helping to capture every nuance of modern cricket.

New frontiers have been opened through versions for iPhone, Android and Mac, with the current version set to reach its biggest ever audience.

KOEI TECMO EUROPE BRINGS ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS XIII WESTWARD, AVAILABLE ON THE 8TH JULY ON PLAYSTATION 4 AND STEAM

KOEI TECMO EUROPE BRINGS ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS XIII WESTWARD, AVAILABLE ON THE 8TH JULY ON PLAYSTATION 4 AND STEAM 

Deep, Strategic Gameplay Unites with Nearly Endless Customisation in a Compelling, Historically-Accurate Tale of Political Instability, Large-Scale Conflict and Human Drama


Hertfordshire, 5th July 2016 – Developed in celebration of the series’ 30th anniversary and marking its reappearance in the West after an eight-year hiatus, KOEI TECMO Europe are proud to announce the triumphant return of its renowned strategy franchise with the launch of Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII. Offering a masterfully-created medley of strategic gameplay alongside a compelling and historically-accurate narrative, Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII is available on the 8th July 2016 for the PlayStation4 computer entertainment system and digitally for Windows PC via Steam.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII, players will experience a climactic storyline rich with Chinese history, and complete with detailed CG cutscenes that highlight the most heroic deeds of the strongest, wisest, and most powerful individuals of the Three Kingdoms Era. As players learn how to employ strategic gameplay options and harness advanced game mechanics, the tale of a collapsing dynasty and the emergence of power-hungry factions unfolds into a complex chessboard on which players can influence the fateful events leading to the unification of 2nd century China. Players can climb the proverbial leadership ladder as one of 700 historical characters during a turbulent era of political instability, large-scale conflict, and human drama.

Explore the myriad of experiences within the world of Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII, covering Civil Development, Diplomacy, Debates, Duels, open field battles, sieges, naval battles and more with gameplay differing depending on the situation at hand. Cities can be built and developed; alliances can be fostered or broken; armies can be mustered and deployed. Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII prides itself on offering a wide range of options for conflict resolution including a robust army composition selection, while special care has been taken to incorporate diplomacy and personal relationships, giving the player an extra incentive to build a stable and loyal network of friends and allies.

This comprehensive and exceptionally detailed strategy title features two compelling gameplay experiences: A campaign mode provides the freedom to choose a starting year and customise the board to the player’s liking, and Hero Mode closely follows historical events while teaching players all of the game’s mechanics. Players must decide for themselves whether they will follow a favourite historical figure to glory, or rise up and claim their place in history by uniting China under their own banner!

A new launch trailer was released today featuring the detailed CG cutscenes which players will experience throughout the game.

To keep updated on Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII news please visit www.facebook.com/koeigames or www.koeitecmoeurope.co.uk/rtkxiii and follow us on twitter @koeitecmoeurope


About Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII

Celebrating the series’ 30th anniversary and marking its return to the west after an eight-year hiatus, Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII tells the tale of a collapsing dynasty and the emergence of power-hungry factions, setting the scene for a complex chessboard on which players can follow and influence the fateful events leading to the unification of 2nd century China. Blending deeply strategic gameplay with historically-accurate warfare, players can climb the proverbial leadership ladder as one of 700 historical characters during a turbulent era of political instability, large-scale conflict, and human drama.

ABOUT KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD.

KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, UK. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaidenseries. KOEI is best known for its Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors franchises. On April 1, 2009, KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD was established as a result of the TECMO, LTD. and KOEI Co., Ltd. merger. More information about KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD and its products can be found at www.koeitecmoeurope.com

Candle: The unique puzzle-adventure’s Making Of

Candle: The unique puzzle-adventure’s Making Of 


The developers of Teku Studios talk about their experiences with Kickstarter and Unity

What happens after a successful Kickstarter campaign? How is it possible to animate a game completely drawn in watercolor? These and many other questions are answered by the Spanish developers of Teku Studios in the Making Of video of their colorful puzzle-adventure game Candle. Additionally, Teku Studios talk about their experiences with the Unity engine as part of the Developer-Story-Series.

Candle challenges players with sophisticated puzzles and traps. What makes this adventure special is not only its challenge rating, though, but also its distinctive visual style: The game’s backgrounds and characters were not painted digitally, but instead are hand-made and based on watercolor paintings, imbuing the game with a very unique style. Candle will be released in Q3 of 2016 for PC, Mac and Linux.

The making of video of Candle:


About Candle

Candle is a puzzle adventure with demanding puzzles. Players take on the role of Teku, a young man bound to rescue his tribe’s shaman from the vile Wakcha Clan. But the way is spiked with traps and many trials. To master the way ahead, Teku has to pay close attention to his suroundings and make good use of his deductive skills – or his journey will come to an early end.

But Teku has a special gift: His left hand is a candle. He can use it as a torch to fend off enemies or as a bright beacon to ligt dark places.

Candle’s unique charm comes from the beautifully hand-drawn watercolor visuals, as all backgrounds, characters and objects have been individually painted and scanned for the game. Every minute of Candle feels like a living painting.

Features:

  • Pay close attention to all details to solve the challenging puzzles
  • Players will be able to tap into the power of the flame
  • Remarkable visual style: hand-painted watercolor images will make the game a vivid painting
  • Beautiful soundtrack with South American flaire

Candle on Steam


About Daedalic Entertainment

Daedalic Entertainment, based in Hamburg, publishes and develops computer and video games for all platforms. The studio focuses on interactive literature and character and narrative-driven games like adventures and RPGs. Daedalic Entertainment has a staff of more than 160 employees, including the Writer’s Room, a team of writers unique to the German media industry.

Since May 2014, Daedalic Entertainment is part of the Bastei Lübbe group of companies. In July 2014, the publisher opend a new studio, Daedalic Entertainment West, in Düsseldorf. The studio’s first project is the Space Exploration RPG The Long Journey Home.

Daedalic won the German Developer Award 21 times („Studio of the Year“ 2009 and 2013, among others). In 2013, the studio won the prestigious German Games Award for “Best German Game” with “Chaos on Deponia”. Daedalic Entertainment is also the six-time winner of the German Video Game Award and the European Games Award.

With titles like State of Mind, Silence, The Devil’s Men and Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth, Daedalic will raise the bar for the whole adventure genre. With Blackguards they also gained a reputation for creation of high quality RPG games. As a publisher, the studio is also known for releasing unique and outstanding titles like Shadow Tactics, Crazy Machines 3, Valhalla Hills and Bounty Train.

www.daedalic.com
www.facebook.com/daedalic
twitter.com/daedalic

About Teku Studios

Teku Studios, based in Teruel, Spain, has been founded in 2012 by two students with a passion for video games. The indie team focuses on motives created with traditional media: all visuals are painted carefully with watercolors by hand. The goal here is to not only create an engaging game, but also an enthralling visual experience in virtual worlds. Their artistic skills and a knack for creating individual gameplay show very clearly in their first game: Candle.

www.tekustudios.com/eng/
www.facebook.com/TekuStudios/
twitter.com/TekuStudios

Go Directly to Jail and Do Not Pass Go: Prison Architect Begins Its Sentence on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One Today

Go Directly to Jail and Do Not Pass Go: Prison Architect Begins Its Sentence on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One Today


Take Control of a Maximum Security Prison at All Major Retailers as Prison Architect Gets Locked Up For Life on Consoles

Sydney – 5th July, 2016 – Publisher and developer Double Eleven and Introversion Software announced that the best-selling and internationally lauded Prison Architect is now available in major retailers in Australia via physical copies on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 for $49.95.

Today’s availability of the title on consoles follows the resoundingly successful PC launch in 2015 from original creators Introversion Software, selling millions of copies to date and hosting one of the highest Metacritic scores for any video game released in 2015.  Independent developer and publisher Double Eleven have created Prison Architect for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 from the ground up, with unique and seamless community features and DLC content.

In Prison Architect, players build and manage their own maximum security prison built to hold the most hardened of criminals. The console editions include a fully-fledged story mode that explores the gruesome and often convoluted matters of legal gray areas in the prison system, and a wildly in-depth sandbox mode featuring new in-game community features. These new features from developer and publisher Double Eleven allow players to build, maintain and share their maximum security prisons with the touch of a button on either console.

Cope with blazing infernos, prison wide riots, demolition and construction, and if you make it through unscathed the Mayor will be ready to give you the reigns of a brand new prison development where you can build the prison of your dreams.

To purchase Prison Architect for your preferred console, please check out https://prisonarchitect.double11.com/buy/ or visit your local retailer.


About Double Eleven

Double Eleven is a UK-based, full-service publisher and developer of interactive digital entertainment. Double Eleven’s most popular titles include PixelJunk series (PC), Goat Simulator (Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4) and more. The company is currently engaged in recreating the multi-million selling PC title, Prison Architect, for launch this summer on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 platforms in addition to other unannounced projects.  Get in touch at [email protected].

About Introversion Software

Introversion Software is one of the UK’s most-respected and successful independent game developers and publishers. Founded in 2001 by three university students, they have gone on to create four critically acclaimed video games including cult classics Uplink, DEFCON, Darwinia and Multiwinia. In Feb 2010 Introversion made its first move into the console space by releasing Darwinia+ (Darwinia & Multiwinia) for Xbox Live Arcade. Introversion have previously been voted one of the top 50 Best Games Companies in the world and their most recent release, Prison Architect, has enjoyed success whilst in early access and currently has over 1.5 million players.

The Technomancer Review

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The Technomancer

Developer: Spiders
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Platform: PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release Date: 28 June, 2016
Price: $49.99 USD – Available Here

Video Review

Overview

The Technomancer is a new story set in the Mars: War Logs universe following a technomancer named Zachariah. Newly minted among the ranks, Zachariah is capable of both potent electrical attacks and bone-crushing martial skills. His journey begins after he is marked a traitor and is chased down by the secret police. The Technomancer is a full featured action RPG, complete with a skill-focused melee combat, a deep crafting system, and a full roster of companions.

Story

Zachariah is a young initiate who was picked up from the slums and trained to become a technomancer as a child. The Technomancer starts off with Zachariah and his master Sean Mancer preparing for Zachariah’s final mission as a student, marking his initiation as a full member of the technomancer order. Players are soon introduced to the secret of the order: the technomancer’s electrical ability is a mutation. As mutants are considered to be sub-humans and are treated accordingly, the technomancers must maintain secrecy to keep their respected position in Martian society. Soon after Zachariah’s initiation, he becomes caught in between the Abundance corporation that he works for and the technomancer order that serve.

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The world The Technomancer is well fleshed out and quite fascinating. It serves as an excellent backdrop to the game’s plot. The game’s story is decent, though a bit predictable at times. The NPCs tend to be a bit one dimensional, but I found myself growing quite fond of many of them over the course of the game. The dialogue is written well for the most part, though there are moments where the dialogue is very B-movie like.

Gameplay

The Technomancer is an action RPG with combat focused on melee brawls. Zachariah has four skill trees, one for his electrical skills and one of each of his three melee styles. The guardian style is designed for defensive play with its sword and shield, warrior focuses on controlling the flow of battle with its area and stumble attacks, and rogue mixes fast, acrobatic attacks with a dagger with a deadly ranged pistol. The electrical skills are designed to augment all three melee styles, making it an incredibly potent tool in Zachariah’s skill set. While Spiders seems to encourage players to be well rounded, I found specializing in one fighting style and the technomancer abilities to be a perfectly valid tactic. While the game may lack true classes, Spiders still has provided players a way to choose a playstyle that fits them while still staying true to technomancer lore.

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Combat is a fast and furious mix of melee brawling, spell casting, and item use. There are three basic attacks: a fast attack, slow attack, and a special ability. Dodging plays a major role in combat, as health is extremely limited and health potions are extremely costly in both money and materials. While there is some bonus for dodging just at the right time, there is little punishment for spamming dodges. To make matters worse, non-human characters do a pretty awful job of telegraphing their upcoming attacks, which makes the melee combat feel a bit clunky. The lack of any real combo system makes combat further encourages action spamming and makes combat quite repetitive.

The game does have a basic stealth system, but I feel it is incredibly underpowered in the early game. Stealth requires all three points to become a viable build. Until then, stealth attacks are simply an extremely expensive opening attack. The rest of the talent tree is a little more interesting, as single points in things like charisma and science can open up a world of options that lets players solve many of the game’s conflicts without resorting to violence.

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The crafting system is something fresh. Instead of the standard loot grind for ever better equipment, The Technomancer opts to focus on upgrading equipment over the constant replacement of gear. Many of the best items have upgrade slots that not only change the appearance of the item, but add important bonuses needed for different builds. While not wildly different from the standard item system found in most RPGs, it is different enough to set it apart from other games.

The AI is pretty simplistic in The Technomancer. Enemies try to mob the closest target for the most part and will immediately run away if the player exits a pre-determined combat area. Companion AI are equally as dumb and simply serve to soak up incoming damage.

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Like any good RPG, there is a morality and reputation system in The Technomancer. The reputation system is straight forward enough, do things to make a group like you and your standing improves. Of course not everyone will always agree with Zachariah’s actions, so a gain in standings with one group may lead to a loss of standing with the other. The morality system is a little more annoying. Like any RPG, some decisions will affect a player’s karma rating. Additionally, the technomancer order is very strict about the sanctity of life, opting for a Batman-esque solution of just knocking everyone unconscious. When enemies are unconscious, Zachariah is given an option of killing a human enemy and draining them of their serum, the standard currency on Mars. The moral decisions are unfortunately a pretty black and white affair, lacking the moral ambiguities of real life. Both systems tie in with the companion system. As Zachariah moves through the world, his actions can improve or worsen his relationships with his companions, leading to new quests or the exit of his teammates.

the-technomancer-screenshot-013The controls in The Technomancer are solid. The console controls are well laid out. On PC, players are given the choice between controller or mouse and keyboard. The PC controls are equally well thought out and make proper use of the larger number of keys available. I have one minor quibble with the controls when interacting with dead bodies on PC. The button to loot an unconscious enemy with items is the same button used to kill an unconscious enemy with no loot. This can lead to accidental deaths, which is absolutely annoying for those of us attempting to keep karma loss to an absolute minimum.

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Visuals

The Technomancer is a pretty good looking game. While it may not feature bleeding edge graphics, the game’s graphics still hold up really well. The visual design of Mars is a great mix of rich sci-fi zones and poor post-apocalyptic slums. The creature design is particularly impressive, taking inspirations from Earth’s creatures and mutating them in imaginative ways.

Audio

The Technomancer delivers a decent, though forgettable audio experience. The sound effects and soundtrack are good, but they never really go above and beyond to stand out. The voice acting is a bit weaker, with many voice actors sounding like they stepped out of a B movie. Zachariah’s voice actor definitely delivers the best performance of all the actors, but still has his share of weakly delivered lines.

the-technomancer-screenshot-004Overall

The Technomancer is a decent game and an excellent step forward from Mars: War Logs, but the series still has ways to go before it enters AAA territory. The game boasts an interesting world, though the characters are a bit on the shallow side. Spiders’ take on the standard RPG crafting and class systems is neat; however, the game really struggles with repetitive combat. While The Technomancer might be a bit rough around the edges, it is still a solid action RPG.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Dragon Ball Fusions Third Trailer Released

Dragon Ball Fusions for the Nintendo 3DS has received a third full length trailer and while it seems like more of a recap trailer of the last two, there is some new footage and crazy new fusions to check out such as Trunks and Vegeta (Trunketa… Vegunks… I don’t know) and Arale and Mira.

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You can check out the trailer above which gives a look at some gameplay, story mode, the below pictured Maxi Fusion system, local play features and much more.

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Dragon Ball Fusions releases for the Nintendo 3DS on August 4th, 2016, with an international release still yet to be announced.

Indie Gala Every Monday Bundle #118 Now Available

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The Steam Summer Sale is over. If you’re itching from deal withdrawal, Indie Gala and Capsule Computers has the perfect salve with this week’s Every Monday Bundle. #118 packs seven great indie games for one low price.

GemBreak – A physicls based puzzle game that challenges players to destroy red gems in a game inspired by pachinko.

Electric Circuit – Light up all the lights in a level in the least amount of moves possible in this electrifying puzzle game.

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UnderWater Adventure – A puzzle action game set underwater with dangers at every turn. Players will need to guide their submarine to the gold bar and return to the surface in the fastest time to win.

Cheaters Blackjack 21 – A twist on the classic casino game that will put players at the table with other live players or the CPU, whether you play fair or dirty is up to you.

Unforgiving Trials: The Darkest Crusade – An epic adventure featuring 12 unique classes, 200 spells, and 30 bosses.

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Shake Your Money Simulator 2016 – Shake your money in this strange game filled with pixelated opossums.

Yelaxot – A beautiful adventure platformer through a massive non-linear world.

For the first 24 hours of the sale, the entire bundle is only $1.89, so grab your copy at Indie Gala today.