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June 28, 2016

‘7 Days to Die’ Crafts Its Undead Survival Phenomenon on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

Telltale Publishing and The Fun Pimps Release the Hit Survival Horde Crafting Game on Consoles in North America and Europe for the First Time

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., and Dallas, TX, June 28th, 2016 — Telltale Publishing today announced the release of hit survival horde crafting game 7 Days to Die on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for the first time, as a digital, and a retail product in collaboration with the Dallas-based independent developer, The Fun Pimps.

7 Days to Die is now available in stores at retail and digitally in North America on the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation 4, the Xbox Games Store for Xbox One®. The game will also be available starting July 1st both digitally and at retail for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in Europe.

Launch Trailer YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/EDHvyz7Clco
‘Surviving Your First Day’ Tutorial Video: https://youtu.be/JJnTIdRLdjc

Set in a brutally unforgiving post-apocalyptic world overrun by the undead, 7 Days to Die is an open-world survival game that is a unique combination of first person shooter, survival horror, tower defense, and role-playing games. It presents combat, crafting, looting, mining, exploration, and character growth, in a way that has seen a rapturous response from fans worldwide, generating hundreds of thousands of hours of community content on YouTube and other streaming video platforms.

“7 Days to Die has already proven to be wildly popular with over 1.5 million PC users worldwide, and we’re thrilled to be expanding this unique take on the survival genre to console players everywhere,” said Steve Allison, SVP Publishing at Telltale, Inc. “The Fun Pimps have created something special with this title. The way the game seamlessly combines elements from disparate yet complementary genres, it all comes together in a challenging, terrifying, and above all, enormously fun experience – one that we’re incredibly excited to bring to a whole new audience on consoles.”

“We’re still astounded and humbled by the amazingly positive reaction 7 Days to Die has received from Steam Early Access users on PC,” said Rick Huenink, Co-Founder of The Fun Pimps. “Working with Telltale Publishing to bring the game to even more players on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 has been fantastic. We’ve added some special features just for this console release, and beyond launch, we have some exciting DLC already in the works that we hope console players are going to love.”

The console version of 7 Days to Die adds a new multiplayer mode supporting local split-screen for couch play. The game will also be supported by exciting DLC content, beginning with a Walking Dead skin pack featuring characters from the Telltale series, set to release in the coming weeks.

7 Days to Die is rated is rated ‘M’ (Mature) for Blood and Gore, Strong Language, and Violence by the ESRB. The game is published by Telltale Publishing in partnership with The Fun Pimps.

7 Days to Die is also currently available for Windows, Mac OS X, and SteamOS and Linux in Early Access on the Steam platform.

For more information on The Fun Pimps, visit the official website, follow @7DaystoDie on Twitter, and like 7 Days to Die on Facebook .

For more information on Telltale Publishing, visit the official website, Facebook, and follow @TelltalePublish on Twitter.

About The Fun Pimps

The Fun Pimps are a small, dedicated group of highly experienced Game and Software developers, with a passion to make games that both our team and gamers really want to play. Our goal is to create a lasting gaming experience you can’t get anywhere else that we’ll all be playing, upgrading and supporting for years to come. It’s more than a game, it’s a labor of love! For more information on The Fun Pimps, visit www.7daystodie.com

About Telltale, Inc.

Telltale is a leading and award-winning independent developer and publisher of games for every major interactive platform from home consoles and PC to mobile and tablet devices, and is the pioneer of the episodic delivery of digital gaming content. By successfully developing games as an episodic series and frequently releasing in the format of a game season, they create longer consumer engagement than traditional games for each release. Founded in 2004 by games industry veterans with decades of experience, Telltale has quickly become an industry leader with numerous honors and awards from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, BAFTA, SXSW, the IMGA, and more, as well as being named Studio of the Year across multiple years. Telltale’s reputation for quality has been established across more than two dozen different product releases over the years with recognition and acclaim from publications like IGN, The New York Times, and Variety, including over 100 “Game of the Year” awards from publications like USA Today, Yahoo! Games, Wired, Spike TV VGAs, E!, Official Xbox Magazine, The Telegraph, Metacritic, and more. Telltale is a fully licensed third party publisher on consoles from Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, and also publishes games on the PC, Mac, iOS, and Android-based platforms. For more information visit www.telltalegames.com .

ADVENTURES OF MANA now available for PlayStation Vita

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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June 28, 2016

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ADVENTURES OF MANA now available for PlayStation Vita

LONDON (28^th June 2016) – Square Enix Ltd., today kicks off the 25th anniversary celebration of the beloved MANA series with the digital release of the PlayStation®Vita version of the timeless action-RPG, ADVENTURES OF MANA.

Originally released as FINAL FANTASY® Adventure for the Nintendo Game Boy in 1991,ADVENTURES OF MANA is the epic story of trusted companions who journey to protect the sacred life-giving Mana Tree from the powerful Dark Lord of Glaive. This remastered version offers fans the enhanced visuals, revamped menus and a rearranged soundtrack from the game’s original composer. The background music for the original Game Boy version will be available on all platforms.

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the series, the mobile versions of ADVENTURES OF MANA and SECRET OF MANA® will be available at a discounted rate until 27^th July.

ADVENTURES OF MANA (iOS / Android): £7.99 / €9.99 (Regular price: £10.49 / €13.99)
SECRET OF MANA (iOS/ Android): £2.99 / €3.99 (Regular price: £5.99 / €7.99)

ADVENTURES OF MANA is available now through the PlayStation®Store priced at £10.49 / €13.99.

For more information, visit: http://www.jp.square-enix.com/seiken/uk/psvita/

About Square Enix Ltd.
Square Enix Ltd. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content in Europe and other PAL territories as part of the Square Enix group of companies. Square Enix Ltd. also has a global network of leading development studios such as IO Interactive™, Crystal Dynamics®, and Eidos Montréal. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 115 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 68 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 45 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix Ltd. is a London-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
More information on Square Enix Ltd. can be found at http://eu.square-enix.com/en
ADVENTURES OF MANA ©1991, 2016 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.

ADVENTURES OF MANA, the ADVENTURES OF MANA logo, CRYSTAL DYNAMICS,, DRAGON QUEST, EIDOS, FINAL FANTASY, IO INTERACTIVE, SECRET OF MANA, SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo, SPACE INVADERS,TAITO and TOMB RAIDER are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Square Enix Group. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

New artwork showcases the beautiful characters and environments of I AM SETSUNA

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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June 28, 2016

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New artwork showcases the beautiful characters and environments of I AM SETSUNA

LONDON (28^th June 2016) – In a selection of new artwork released today Square Enix Ltd.,showcased the characters and beautiful watercolour environments from the upcoming I AM SETSUNA, the debut title from the all-new studio Tokyo RPG Factory. The new artwork introduces some of the additional characters players can expect to encounter in the game, including the energetic Aeterna and the reliable Nidr who join Setsuna on her sacrificial pilgrimage.

Releasing in Europe and PAL territories next month, I AM SETSUNA introduces the authentic JRPG style of yesteryear to the PlayStation 4 and STEAM – with various features inspired by legendary titles from the golden era of JRPGs, including CHRONO TRIGGER®’s memorable battle system.

To watch I AM SETSUNA’s gameplay in action, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1LTYr7hlds

I AM SETSUNA will be available digitally in Europe and PAL territories on 19^th July 2016 on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Steam®, priced at £29.99 / €39.99. Those who pre-order from the PlayStation Network will receive two dynamic themes – “Kuro” (meaning black, for a night-time theme) and “Shiro” (meaning white, for a daytime theme), as well as an exclusive digital track ‘Eternal Winter’, by composer Tomoki Miyoshi.

Pre-orders via STEAM will also include and exclusive digital track – ‘The Warmth of Hope’’. For more information, visit: http://store.steampowered.com/app/441830/
*Includes EN text only.

About I AM SETSUNA
I AM SETSUNA tells the sorrowful story of Setsuna; a young woman of incredible inner strength and the sacrifice she must undertake to the save the people of her land. As Setsuna leaves with her two safeguards for the farthest land, players will be immersed in an emotional and unforgettable story of true bravery.

Related Links
STEAM Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/441830/
PlayStation Network: https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-gb/games/i-am-setsuna-digital-pre-order/cid=EP0082-CUSA04740_00-IAMSETSUNAPREORD
Official Website: www.iamsetsuna.com
Tokyo RPG Factory Homepage: http://www.tokyorpgfactory.com

About Tokyo RPG Factory
Established in August 2014, Tokyo RPG Factory is a new studio within Square Enix specializing in Japanese RPGs. The studio revisits the ethos and practices used to develop for the 16-bit era and aims to re-introduce the classic JRPG style to current hardware, mixing the spirit of the past with technologies of today.
Taking inspiration from the golden era of JRPGs and their story telling, innovation and depth – the first title from the studio, I AM SETSUNA, will arrive in Europe and North America in 2016.

About Square Enix Ltd.
Square Enix Ltd. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content in Europe and other PAL territories as part of the Square Enix group of companies. Square Enix Ltd. also has a global network of leading development studios such as IO Interactive™, Crystal Dynamics®, and Eidos Montréal. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 115 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 68 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 45 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix Ltd. is a London-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
More information on Square Enix Ltd. can be found at http://eu.square-enix.com/en

I AM SETSUNA, DRAGON QUEST, EIDOS, FINAL FANTASY, SPACE INVADERS, SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo, TAITO, TOKYO RPG FACTORY, the TOKYO RPG FACTORY logo, and TOMB RAIDER are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Square Enix group of companies. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

Queen Victoria leads England in Civilization VI

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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June 28, 2016

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Queen Victoria leads England in Civilization VI

2K and Firaxis Games today revealed that Queen Victoria will lead England in Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, launching on Oct 21^st for Windows PC.

Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India and Defender of the Faith, Queen Victoria was heiress presumptive at a tender young age. Less than a month after her 18^th birthday, her uncle, King William IV passed away, and Victoria became Queen.

She would go on to reign over the British Empire for 63 eventful years, a span of time that saw the Monarch greatly expand its international holdings through military conquest. Her reign is more commonly known as the Victorian era, a period of great cultural, industrial, political, scientific and military change within the United Kingdom, where national conviction and refined sensibilities of morality became the chief ideals of its citizens.

Unique District: Royal Navy Dockyard
The first shipbuilding dockyard, which dates back to 1496 AD, was located in Portsmouth, a town on the southern coast of England. At the height of its power, the British Empire owned the most advanced and intimidating naval force on Earth. The British Navy held a series of facilities around the world where commissioned ships could be docked, refitted, repaired and overhauled for battle.

Unique Unit: Redcoat
The famous (or infamous, depending on which side you stood) Redcoats, British infantrymen dressed in garish red ensembles, were Britain’s stalwart fighting force throughout the majority of its reign as a world superpower. Redcoats were shipped off to do battle for the Monarch in far off lands such as America, Zululand, India, Egypt and more. Even though the loud uniforms made these individuals easy targets for their foes, the rationale was that blood stains were disheartening to the men and so the red clothing would hide this. It did not, as blood does in fact show on red clothing as a black stain.

Unique Unit: Sea Dog
From 1560 to 1605 AD, Queen Elizabeth I gave permission to her “Sea Dogs,” a force of privateers – armored ships owned and officered by private individuals – to attack the ships and colonies of other nations, even if England was not officially at war with them. These “Sea Dogs” were little more than glorified pirates and many spent their lives raiding towns and other ships across the Caribbean.

For more information, please see 2K’s official Civilization blog:http://civilization.com/#news/en-civilization-vi-victoria-leads-england.

A new trailer is available to view or embed on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/cY44PrLpKTQ

For the latest news on Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, visit the official site, follow @CivGame on Twitter, and become a fan of Civilization on Facebook.

Mighty No. 9 Review

Travis Bruno

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June 28, 2016

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Mighty No. 9

Developers: Comcept, Inti Creates
Publisher: Deep Silver
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One (Reviewed), Xbox 360, Wii U
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $29.99 US – Available Here $49.95 AU – Available Here (Digital $19.99 – Available Here)

Overview

When Keiji Inafune announced that he was holding a Kickstarter for a game that many Mega Man fans had been hoping to see the likes of for many years that project managed to set records at the time. Now after plenty of waiting that left many anxious as to whether Mighty No. 9 would ever actually be released, the game has arrived. Now the question remains, is Mighty No. 9 a fitting replacement for a series that many have fond memories of or does it fail to measure up?

Story

Set in “the current year” that takes place in an alternate world where robotic advances have put a stop to most of the world’s problems, the only real violence that takes place happens in an arena where robots battle one another. While issues in the past are mentioned, no one ever thought about what would happen if the robots suddenly started to malfunction.

That happens to be the core storyline of Mighty No. 9 as players take on the role of Beck, one of only two robots that are seemingly unaffected by a strange occurrence that has made everything from standard shipping drones to other “Mighty” style bots begin rampaging through the streets. It is up to Beck to take down these eight Mighty robots as well as help his creator Dr. White find the source for the robotic violence.

If this sounds fairly predictable then you are right in that regard and unfortunately you cannot expect much in the way of actual development here for any of the characters in the cast until near the end of the storyline and even these are simplistic in nature . This standard story style is also damaged by the fact that the characters present throughout the story range from incredibly bland to flat out terrible thanks to subpar writing and acting, but more on that later.

Gameplay

Mighty No. 9 plays almost as predictably as one could imagine as it borrows almost whole-heartedly from the Mega Man concept of traveling to different stages, fighting your way through enemies and platforming through dangerous levels only to face off against a boss that, when defeated, will grant Beck a new power that can be used on other enemies in fairly standard side-scrolling gameplay.

One element that does help set Mighty No. 9 away from the game it so obviously draws from is the fact that Beck has the ability to dash and it is through this dash system that players will be defeating most of their opponents. You see, after dealing damage to a robot they will enter a stunned mode that allows Beck to dash into them and absorb their “Xels” in order to fully defeat them. These dashes are a regularly used concept throughout the game as players will need to make use of it in order to jump larger gaps, slide through narrow passages, and of course permanently drop health from boss enemies that tend to recover otherwise.

As you absorb enemies, players will also slowly fill up a healing item that can be used either through the menu or at the tap of a button in order to try and save yourself from death. Various enemies can also have the chance to drop temporary buffs to damage, speed, etc. and the faster a player absorbs an enemy after stunning it the higher percentage they will receive, resulting in building up a combo that can reward the player with more points.

After making your way through each stage, which are at least decently varied and a few even throw a couple of twists into the standard formula though tend to be littered with incredibly cheap death traps designed in a manner not to challenge the player, but simply to slow them down, players will eventually face off against the boss at the end. Unfortunately these bosses range from dull to incredibly cheap as they demonstrate a number of moves that can flat out instantly kill Beck if the player can’t mash buttons quickly enough. The dull part comes from the fact that most bosses simply follow a standard pattern that is changed up only slightly after dealing a certain level of damage to them.

After defeating a boss Beck will gain their ability and can use it from then on in other stages. The problem here is that these special abilities rarely feel worthwhile to the point that, outside of using certain weapons to target a boss’ weakness, players will rely on the standard blaster more than anything else.

Outside of the standard story mode, players will find challenges that they can tackle as well as a multiplayer mode. Both of these feel incredibly simplistic in nature, with the multiplayer mode feeling like an afterthought as the addition of another player to a stage does very little to actually change up the gameplay other than provide players with something a bit different to spend their time on.

Visuals & Audio

As players make their way through the game they will explore a variety of different themed stages that often are designed around the type of Mighty robot that Beck is currently chasing down. The variety in these designs is quite nice but unfortunately the style in which they are presented is incredibly lacking. This is primarily due to the surprising re-use of cannon fodder enemy design detracting from the unique feeling for each stage, meaning that players will be less than impressed with what they are presented here, especially thanks to the overall simplistic design of most of the characters, with only a few Mighty robots feeling unique enough to stand out.

This problem is only increased thanks to the fact that every cutscene is presented using the game’s 3D models which are given barely any animation here. Characters will speak with no emotion or even lip movement showing on their model and this lack of enthusiasm is present even in the voice actors. Despite featuring a number of recognizable English voices, almost every character sounds downright terrible, ranging from poorly timed readings featuring large gaps in a sentence to simply sounding completely bored with their recordings. At one point a character even mentions that they should be more enthusiastic about the progress being made in the game but thanks to the lack of emotion in the rest of the cast, it made for the best joke in the title so far.

Overall

Mighty No. 9 is the type of game that feels like it tried to hit every possible check mark in a list but never went beyond simply checking off those boxes. While it does present a serviceable enough title with shooting mechanics and dashing providing a fast style of gameplay and unique feeling stages, everything else feels almost below average. Ranging from simplistic character designs that lack any animation, boring enemy designs and uninspired bosses, Mighty No. 9 fails to be anything more than a mediocre side-scrolling shooter.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book Review

Travis Bruno

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June 28, 2016

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Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book

Developer: Gust
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Platforms: PlayStation 4 (Reviewed), PS Vita
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $59.99 – Available Here

Overview
For many years the Atelier franchise flourished on the PlayStation 3 but now that the latest console generation is in full swing, Gust has delivered the first Atelier title for the PlayStation 4 in the form of Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book. Although this isn’t the first title for the console that the team has worked on, this does mark a new point for the series as it begins a brand new series in the Atelier franchise as well as the first time that the series has appeared on the new console. So now that it has been released in the West, what can fans expect from the title?

Story
The story for the game begins in the town of Kirchen Bell where a young girl named Sophie lives alone and practices alchemy. Once taught by her now deceased grandmother, Sophie is a complete novice in the field but works hard to improve her skills despite feeling lonely when her two friends, Oskar and Monika, aren’t around.

Sophie’s daily life undergoes a massive change when she finds what she believes is one of her grandmother’s old alchemy books and fills in a recently discovered recipe only to for the book to come to life when she finishes. The magical seeming book introduces itself as Plachta and unfortunately for both the book and Sophie, it is suffering from a severe case of amnesia. After quickly figuring out that the best way to restore Plactha’s memories is to continue writing recipes in the pages, Sophie is eager to help.

This becomes especially true once Plachta remembers that it is quite an old book and in fact, not even a book at all to start with as it was once a female alchemist. While Plachta may hold valuable knowledge about the secrets to powerful alchemy, Sophie takes to her as a friend and promises to continue to help no matter what stands in their way while also becoming a better alchemist at the same time.

Atelier Sophie is a game that embraces the peaceful and friendship based aspects of the franchise. I say this because not only does the core story mostly focus around helping a friend in need, but also almost all other developments come in the form of character development and this is done through raising their friendship points to certain levels and witnessing events when you meet up with them in town. This works incredibly well thanks to a cast of likable characters that are slowly developed over the course of their own side stories in a believable manner that likely wouldn’t have been possible through other means.

Interacting with the townsfolk often unlocks new exploration points, the ability to bring them with you to help gather materials and fight against monsters, and even unlock passive skills for those who do venture out with you. There are a number of characters that cannot be recruited to fight with you and while simply talking with them will boost your friendship levels, you can eventually deliver gifts to these characters as well in an effort to get to know their likes and dislikes better.

With friendship being the key focus to Atelier Sophie, there is very little focus on any evil being threatening the world or anything ominous outside of a few small events. While this is generally true for the Atelier franchise, this game delivers a character focused story through and through and thanks to the fact that players no longer have any time limit to deal with, they can spend as much time as they wish to becoming friends with the characters in the game while working towards Sophie’s final goals.

Gameplay
Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book’s storyline focuses on developing bonds with the cast as well as recovering memories for Plactha and the best way to do that is by discovering new alchemical recipes. Thanks to the fact that the game no longer forces players to deal with at time limit, outside of optional requests such as gathering a certain item, crafting an item, or killing an enemy, players will freely be able to explore the world to their hearts content.

This is a good thing considering the way to progress the story this time around comes from the fact that players will need to perform various acts in order to fill a gauge to unlock a special recipe and memory for Plachta. These acts range from simply giving gifts to people, to crafting stronger weaponry, or tracking down a specific creature and defeating it. Outside of these main recipes players will be able to learn recipes on the fly as Sophie can find items, inspect locations, and craft trait specific ingredients that will result in a flash of inspiration, allowing her to craft a new item.

Alchemy in Atelier Sophie has been streamlined even further this time around, making it fairly easy to get the results you want as long as you know what you are doing. As always, players will find ingredients by venturing out into the field and picking them up from gathering points, defeated enemies, or even buying them from a store if necessary, but this time around each item has a unique base color and “shape.” This comes into play with the way that alchemy now revolves around using a grid-based synthesis system.

When crafting a recipe, players can select from a list of fitting ingredients and then be taken to a grid-based system where each of the five colors can be represented with tile colors and glowing orbs that provide a boost to any item laid in that field. Every time an item is placed down the surrounding tiles gain a glowing orb that grows larger when additional items are placed alongside it without activating that tile. This does sound far more complicated than it really is as players should be able to quickly grasp the process and how to take advantage of the board to help create boosted items. You see, similar to past Atelier titles, there are usually meters that, when filled to certain points, unlock latent abilities in an item.

This means that when crafting a bomb for example, an exemplary build may allow it to deal even more damage than before while also slowing an enemy or giving a standard accessory the ability to revive its wearer from KO once per battle. After reach a certain Alchemy level players will also be able to select various traits taken from the ingredients and be able to apply them to the final product for additional boosts. This allows for quite a deal of customization and although it may feel limiting at first, the options expand quite a bit further into the game, especially when you manage to craft a fancy new cauldron that allows for tile flipping, a bigger grid to work with, and more.

Another modification comes in the way combat is handled in Atelier Sophie. While the title still features turn based combat, it has been modified in a manner that is a bit stricter than previous games. You see actions are still dependent on a fighter’s speed but rather than selecting each character as their turn comes up, players will now need to select each of their (up to four) character’s actions and then begin the turn. This removes some level of adaptability as players can no longer attempt to change strategy on the fly if they are hit with status effects or struck by powerful blows that require healing.

This lack of ability to adjust is a disappointment but for the most part the other two modified aspects work to alleviate some of these issues. When fighting each character can be put into an Offense or Defensive stance that raises attack or defense depending on what is chosen. This plays into the Chain Link bar that is now triggered automatically during combat after reaching 100%. When two characters are in the same stance near one another, they will either follow up with a support attack or jump in to defend an ally. This automatic use is a bit problematic at first but players eventually unlock additional Chain Link abilities that allow for the repeated use of Chained attacks and flashy finishing moves.

Alongside these new modifications players will also need to keep an eye out on the time of day and weather conditions while exploring. I say this because certain enemies and ingredients can only be found during night or during a rain storm which means players will need to experiment a bit to find exactly what they need. Thankfully thanks to the aforementioned lack of a time limit and the fact that traveling in the map rarely lowers the player’s energy level to a dangerous point this shouldn’t be an issue for many.

Visuals & Audio
Players will find that the jump to the PlayStation 4 that Atelier Sophie has taken allows for Gust to create a number of great looking character designs with a lot of detail being put into their outfits. There are a wide array of areas for players to explore though a few enemy designs are re-used a bit too often with only slight modifications for stronger variants. The combat presentation remains very impressive as the characters have a wide range of flashy moves and even special combo attacks that look great.

Those who pick up the title will find that Koei Tecmo has offered both their freshly recorded English voice track for the game as well as the Japanese voice track for those who prefer the original. The English casting here does a great job with these characters, especially when it comes to interactions between Sophie and Plactha as they play off one another incredibly well and the English dub reflects that.

Overall
Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book marks the first time that the series has arrived on the PlayStation 4 and while it introduces a number of new charming characters and an enjoyable storyline to the franchise, it really doesn’t do too much to help set itself apart from past games. The changes to the synthesis and combat systems do help give the game a fresher feel, but unfortunately those looking for a significant improvement will be a bit disappointed that most of the improvements come in the form of streamlining certain mechanics in order to create a more casual light-hearted JRPG, though considering that this is what fans love the game for, this means that the game still remains true to form and serves as another satisfying entry in the franchise.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

New Core Sonic Game Confirmed for 2017

Nathan Farrugia

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June 28, 2016

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Sega has confirmed a brand new core title in the Sonic the Hedgehog series will debut in 2017. The 25th anniversary of Sonic began on June 23 with the launch of the original title on the Sega Genesis.

A giant Sonic party taking place at San Diego Comic-Con in July will divulge more information on the game. As of now we have no clue what this game could be or what platforms it will be released on.

This leaves 2016 with a couple of Sonic releases, the just released Mario & Sonic at the Rio Olympic Games and Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice, which from what we can tell is looking miles better then the first game in the reboot/offshoot series which was panned critically.

Fire and Ice releases exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS on September 27th and you can watch the latest Japanese promo trailer for it below. Unlike the previous game, the voice cast from the cartoon will reprise their roles here. A Sonic the Hedgehog CG/live-action movie is also planned for 2018, as Sega tries to make Sonic the household name he once was.

New Star Trek Trailer Features Song by Rihanna

Mateja Simovic

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June 28, 2016

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New Star Trek Trailer Features Song by Rihanna

Paramount Pictures have released a new trailer for Star Trek Beyond featuring the music of Rihanna. The film is directed by Justin Lin, is being by J. J. Abrams (The Force Awakens), and stars Chris Pine returning as Kirk alongside Zachary Quinto as Spock. This film is the latest in a reboot of the cult hit Star Trek television series, with a greater focus on action and combat than the original series had. We’ve reviewed previous installments in this reboot and have quite enjoyed them.

The trailer for the upcoming film prominently features Rihanna’s newly released single Sledgehammer which will headline the film’s original soundtrack. You can check out the trailer below and see for yourself how well the works of the popular R&B singer fit with the rebooted Star Trek franchise. The trailer teases a lot of action and destruction for the new film but fails to answer the biggest question: ‘Is Rihanna a trekkie and if so; who is her favourite captain?’.

The film releases next month on the 21st and we’ll keep you posted on any updates.

Umbrella Corps Review

Jamie Laike Tsui

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June 28, 2016

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Umbrella Corps

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Platform: PlayStation 4, Windows (Reviewed)
Release Date: 21 June, 2016
Price: $29.99 USD – Available Here

Video Review

Overview

Umbrella Corps is the latest multiplayer entry to the long running Resident Evil horror franchise. Players are put in the combat boots of a highly trained mercenary in intense three on three matches. Teams will not only have to fight one another, but also fend off masses of Resident Evil’s unforgettable monsters in Umbrella Corps.

Story

Umbrella Corps is set a few years after the events of Resident Evil 6. After the fall of the Umbrella Corporation, mercenaries are now swarming old sites in hopes of scoring valuable data Umbrella left behind. Players take on the role of one of the mercenaries sent in to scavenge the loot. These guys are survivors of extensive testing and are armed to the teeth with the latest weapons and gadgetry. As a multiplayer focused game, there is understandably very little story to the game. What is there is told in short little intro paragraphs in the single player Experiment mode. It is pretty bland and uninspiring stuff are barely passes as window dressing for the game. The writing itself is pretty poor and more in the vein of a B-movie horror with its poor one liners.

Gameplay

Umbrella Corps is a mix of third and first person shooting. Most of the game is played in Resident Evil’s tight, over the shoulder action camera. When the player aims down the sights, the camera switches to the traditional FPS style camera. Besides a short tutorial on basic shooter controls and one controls specific to Umbrella Corps, gamers can play Umbrella Corps’s single player Experiment mode and the game’s main draw, multiplayer. Multiplayer pits two teams of three against each other in a best of five battle, with rules changing each round. For those who need a little time in the wading pool, Experiment mode is essentially an extended tutorial using the multiplayer rule sets.

Each player is armed with the standard modern FPS loadout: primary, secondary, and melee weapons along with grenades. As players gain experience in ranked matches, a small handful of weapons beyond the starting K-12 AX SMG, Doberman Pincer shotgun, Blackjack pistol, and Cronus melee weapon are unlocked. There isn’t much variety in the primary unlocks, as they are all submachine guns and shotguns. In true Resident Evil fashion, ammunition is relatively scarce, so players simply can’t fire magazine after magazine of rounds willy nilly.

Umbrella Corps is an awful shooter. For starters, the controls are an absolute mess on the PC. While the controller layout is passable and familiar to Resident Evil players, the keyboard and mouse bindings feel like the controller input has been directly rebound. The mouse movement is possibly one of the worst experiences I have had in my gaming career. There are only nine sensitivity settings with each setting providing a substantial change in sensitivity, meaning a lot of the fine tuning will have to be handled by the mouse firmware. Even after finding a passable setting, it feels like some serious mouse acceleration and input lag issues are ruining the show. To make matters worse, Umbrella Corps is plagued with an Xbox One controller issue right out of the box, requiring some driver tweaking to get the game to stop registering an infinite press of the right D-pad.

Beyond the poor controls, the game design itself is simply flawed. In theory, Umbrella Corps sounds like it has everything for a great competitive shooter: short, intense match ups with an extra unknown factor in the form of zombies running around. In practice, Umbrella Corps feels like a bloated, overloaded mess. One of the biggest problems is the small levels. Although the game is limited to two teams of three, the number of NPC zombies that spawn in the game make it feel like players are duking it out in a phone booth. While players spawn with a zombie jammer on their back to render them invisible to the undead, firing a weapon or getting shot in the jammer will immediately alert the zombies to the player’s presence. Short of holing oneself on top of a roof, the zombies make it pretty much impossible to have a firefight last any longer than a few seconds.

The available rule sets in Umbrella Corps are the traditional mainstays for the most part. For the most part, they work for the small maps and team sizes for the exception of VIP mode. The small team size just doesn’t work as the chances of becoming the next VIP in an inopportune time skyrockets in comparison to a more traditional six on six match up. There are some truly awful objective locations in the game, with some sitting in a middle of a wide open space, then others plopped in a next to impossible spot to attack.

While weapons are the standard spread of modern special operations firearms, the guns generally feel like the same gun with some variation in firing modes. Shotguns are traditionally a real pain to get right in a competitive shooter, as the zone where shotguns have enough power and range to be effective without being overpowered is an incredibly small spot. Umbrella Corps isn’t the first and definitely won’t be the last to completely miss the mark as shotguns are completely underwhelming at even a spitting distance away. The melee system is probably the only bright spot when it comes to Umbrella Corps, and it’s a pretty dim one. There is a pretty decent counter system for melee attacks, allowing players a fighting chance; however, the game fails to inform players of its very existence. Until a player learns how to counter effectively, they are doomed to deal with an unbeatable rush tactic that involves an axe swinging player charging their target down while soaking an absurd amount of bullets without flinching. It’s not fun, at all.

While I understand the normal camera angle is the same used in modern Resident Evil games when aiming, it does not lend itself well for a competitive multiplayer game. The character takes up a good portion of the screen, making it difficult to maintain situational awareness. Either sticking to a first person view all the time or allowing players to move normally in the traditional zoomed out third person angle used in Resident Evil 6 would have been a wild improvement instead of this lousy and awkward angle.

Umbrella Corps also suffers some quality of life problems in multiplayer. The game gives players a huge number of weapon preset slots, but no way to rename them. The team balancing is pretty awful. The game is more than happy to dump a bunch of low level players on one team, then stack the other with veterans. Sure levels don’t have a direct correlation to actual skill, but putting together one team of level ones and a second team of players rocking levels above 20 is just asking for a miserable experience for one side. As if PC gamers needed to be reminded that Umbrella Corps is an awful port job, there is also no push to talk button.

Umbrella Corps does have a single player mode, but it feels more like a completed checkbox than an actual mode. The Experiment mode puts players through several rounds of player vs zombie using some of the multiplayer rulesets. In exchange, players get a few unlockables and some really uninspiring story. While Umbrella Corps sounds like the sort of game that would have been great for a co-op mode, I’m rather glad Capcom didn’t even bother considering the lackluster single player mode. Experiment mode is essentially an extended tutorial that has not only overstayed its welcome, it is now sleeping in your bed and eating your breakfast in the morning.

Visuals

Umbrella Corps is a screenshot darling. When everything is standing still, the game looks pretty nice. Too bad the animations range between passable to absolutely garbage. The zombie animations are good enough, though prone zombies have serious clipping issues with walls. The player animations on the other hand are absolutely awful, especially the player’s own character. The walking animation looks terrible and none of the movement animations are matched to the movement speed. The result is the player looking like they are skating through the world.

Player customization is one of the brighter spots in Umbrella Corps. There are a variety of uniform and gear loadouts to choose from as players unlock them in ranked mode. My favourite part is the variety of unit and morale patches that can be attached to the helmet and the upper arm pocket. The art team actually made an effort to create real looking patches, down to the right colour schemes and embroidered look.

Audio

The audio leaves a bit to be desired. Sound effects are ok, though the guns sound a little too subdued. The voice acting on the other hand is pretty poor. For a bunch of highly trained PMCs, they don’t actually communicate with each other. The player character just quips one liners to themselves. The voice acting for the commander on the radio is also pretty iffy. The soundtrack is decent, though the lobby music has the most annoying high pitched whine that drags on until the sound of a plane takeoff is heard.

Overall

Umbrella Corps is a flat out disappointment. On paper, the game sounds like a great idea, but the execution is awful. I have to wonder where did everything go so wrong? It is clear that the game was ported by a team who has no idea what is expected in a good PC release. The gameplay feels clumsy and the zombies just make everything worse. The animations are pretty embarrassing to the Resident Evil franchise and the controls are just awful. There’s a good reason why the game is practically dead on Steam less than a week into release, Umbrella Corps is not fun.

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“Welcome to Suplex City” – 2K Announces Brock Lesnar® as WWE® 2K17 Cover Superstar

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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June 27, 2016

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“Welcome to Suplex City” – 2K Announces Brock Lesnar® as WWE® 2K17 Cover Superstar

Four-time WWE® World Heavyweight Champion, former UFC® Heavyweight Champion and decorated NCAA Division I Heavyweight Wrestling Champion to eat, sleep, conquer and repeat as flagship WWE video game franchise ambassador

Sydney, Australia – June 28, 2016 – 2K today announced Brock Lesnar® as the cover Superstar for WWE® 2K17, the forthcoming release in the flagship WWE video game franchise. Best known for his unparalleled accomplishments in WWE®, UFC®, NCAA Division I wrestling and more, Lesnar’s work ethic, intensity and attitude have made him a prolific sports and entertainment fixture for more than 16 years. In addition, the “Unbeatable, Incumbent Mayor of Suplex City” will usher in WWE 2K17’s worldwide marketing campaign, inviting fans to explore a new side of Lesnar’s inspired world while learning more about the video game. WWE 2K17 is currently scheduled for worldwide release on October 11, 2016 for the PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems, as well as Xbox One and Xbox 360.

“My career has been defined by dominating every opportunity presented to me,” said Brock Lesnar. “I am excited for my newest opportunity representing WWE 2K17 as the franchise’s ambassador and honored to serve as the WWE 2K17 cover Superstar.”

Coming off an impressive collegiate wrestling career for the University of Minnesota, where he became the NCAA Division I Heavyweight Champion his senior year, Lesnar made his WWE debut in 2002 and was quickly nicknamed “The Next Big Thing” by his advocate, Paul Heyman. Later that year, he became the youngest WWE World Heavyweight Champion in company history, at age 25, by defeating Dwayne “The Rock®” Johnson at SummerSlam®. Lesnar later won two additional WWE World Heavyweight Championships and had notable rivalries with WWE Superstars Undertaker®, John Cena® and Big Show®, among others. Lesnar’s first stint with WWE concluded at WrestleMania® 20 in 2004, where he was defeated by Bill Goldberg, the focus of WWE 2K17’s pre-order bonus content.

Following his WWE departure, Lesnar explored an NFL career following interest from the Minnesota Vikings. He also fought for several mixed martial arts promotions before signing a deal with UFC in 2007. Lesnar quickly became one of the organization’s biggest stars. During his time with UFC, Lesnar became UFC Heavyweight Champion; he tied a UFC record for the most consecutive successful Heavyweight Championship title defenses and headlined one of the highest-selling and most prominent pay-per-view events in UFC history.

Lesnar returned to WWE in 2012 and has made a relentless, unwavering impression since stepping foot back inside the ring. Alongside renewing old rivalries, Lesnar shocked the WWE Universe at WrestleMania 30 by defeating Undertaker and ending his legendary 21-0 WrestleMania win streak. At SummerSlam in 2014, Lesnar won his fourth WWE World Heavyweight Championship by defeating John Cena and delivering 16 of his signature German suplexes throughout the match. Suplex City then became pop-culture lexicon across WWE live events, traditional and social media, merchandise, lyrics, memes and more.

“Ladies and gentlemen, my client has truly conquered everything in his path, and unleashing Suplex City through WWE 2K17 will be no different,” said Paul Heyman. “As the advocate for Brock Lesnar, I can assure you his embodiment of unadulterated excellence, combined with a Beast’s desire to CONQUER all platforms in the gaming world, will make for a video game and supporting campaign that fans will embrace and absolutely cannot ignore this year.”

“Brock Lesnar’s unmistakable talent, no-holds-barred mentality and unequivocal determination perfectly complement 2K’s commitment to authentically represent WWE at the absolute highest level,” said Chris Snyder, Vice President of Marketing at 2K. “With Suplex City as the ultimate backdrop and the ‘Beast Incarnate’ in charge, WWE 2K17 will come to life with an incredible roster and to-be-announced features like never before.”

Developed collaboratively by Yuke’s and Visual Concepts, a 2K studio, WWE 2K17 is not yet rated in Australia and New Zealand. WWE 2K17 is currently scheduled for worldwide release on the PS4™ and PS3™ systems, Xbox One and Xbox 360 on October 11, 2016. Consumers who pre-order WWE 2K17 at any participating retailer will receive two playable characters of legendary WCW® and WWE star Bill Goldberg, as well as playable WCW Monday Nitro and Halloween Havoc arenas, at no extra cost on launch day. For more information on WWE 2K17 and 2K, visit wwe.2k.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow the game on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #WWE2K17 or subscribe on YouTube.

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

All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.

About WWE

WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide in 25 languages. WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 over-the-top premium network that includes all live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library, is currently available in more than 180 countries. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Munich and Tokyo.

Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks relating to: WWE Network; major distribution agreements; our need to continue to develop creative and entertaining programs and events; the possibility of a decline in the popularity of our brand of sports entertainment; the continued importance of key performers and the services of Vincent K. McMahon; possible adverse changes in the regulatory atmosphere and related private sector initiatives; the highly competitive, rapidly changing and increasingly fragmented nature of the markets in which we operate and greater financial resources or marketplace presence of many of our competitors; uncertainties associated with international markets; our difficulty or inability to promote and conduct our live events and/or other businesses if we do not comply with applicable regulations; our dependence on our intellectual property rights, our need to protect those rights, and the risks of our infringement of others’ intellectual property rights; the complexity of our rights agreements across distribution mechanisms and geographical areas; potential substantial liability in the event of accidents or injuries occurring during our physically demanding events including, without limitation, claims relating to CTE; large public events as well as travel to and from such events; our feature film business; our expansion into new or complementary businesses and/or strategic investments; our computer systems and online operations; a possible decline in general economic conditions and disruption in financial markets; our accounts receivable; our revolving credit facility; litigation; our potential failure to meet market expectations for our financial performance, which could adversely affect our stock; Vincent K. McMahon exercises control over our affairs, and his interests may conflict with the holders of our Class A common stock; a substantial number of shares are eligible for sale by the McMahons and the sale, or the perception of possible sales, of those shares could lower our stock price; and the relatively small public “float” of our Class A common stock. In addition, our dividend is dependent on a number of factors, including, among other things, our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends (including under our revolving credit facility), general economic and competitive conditions and such other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant. Forward-looking statements made by the Company speak only as of the date made and are subject to change without any obligation on the part of the Company to update or revise them. Undue reliance should not be placed on these statements. For more information about risks and uncertainties associated with the Company’s business, please refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of the Company’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, our annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.

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 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 May 2016.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The statements contained herein which are not historical facts are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities laws and may be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “projects,” “seeks,” “will,” or words of similar meaning and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the outlook for the Company’s future business and financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to them, which are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Actual outcomes and results may vary materially from these forward-looking statements based on a variety of risks and uncertainties including: our dependence on key management and product development personnel, our dependence on our Grand Theft Auto products and our ability to develop other hit titles, the timely release and significant market acceptance of our games, the ability to maintain acceptable pricing levels on our games, and risks associated with international operations. Other important factors and information are contained in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2016, including the risks summarized in the section entitled “Risk Factors,” and the Company’s other periodic filings with the SEC, which can be accessed at www.take2games.com. All forward-looking statements are qualified by these cautionary statements and apply only as of the date they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.