PAC-MAN 256 NOW AVAILABLE ON THE PLAYSTATION®NETWORK, XBOX GAMES STORE AND STEAM
The yellow retro icon and the Glitch invades our living rooms with multiplayer support!
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment’s most famous character that has transcended generation after generation of gamers is back on console and PC systems! BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe today announced that the highly acclaimed PAC-MAN 256 mobile game is now available digitally on PlayStation®4 via the PlayStation®Network, Xbox One via the Xbox Games Store and PC through Steam.
Developed by Hipster Whale and 3 Sprockets, PAC-MAN 256 allows fans to play the award winning mobile game on console with new features exclusive to the console and PC versions. In addition to the social sharing option and 10 themes unlocked, you will be able to play solo or with up to 4 friends via the local co-op multiplayer mode. Players will have to work together to eat all PAC-DOTS & Power Pellets, and stay ahead of the super villain from the mobile version: the 256 Glitch. All the notorious ghosts and a new gang of revived retro-ghosts including Sue, Funky and Spunky will pursue our beloved yellow 80’s icon. Fans can outsmart them with over 20 crazy power ups: Lasers, Tornadoes, Giant PAC-MAN and much more.
PAC-MAN 256 is now available on PlayStation®4 via the PlayStation®Network, Xbox One via the Xbox Games Store and PC through Steam and for a suggested one time price of €4,99*. Don’t hesitate to check out the launch trailer.
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe S.A.S., part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive content for platforms including all major video game consoles PC and mobile, with marketing and sales operations in 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises, including PAC-MAN™, TEKKEN™, SOULCALIBUR™, NARUTO™, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, Dragon Ball®, GALAGA™, RIDGE RACER™ and ACE COMBAT™.
About Hipster Whale
Hipster Whale is an indie studio in Melbourne, Australia and the talent behind the smash hit Crossy Road. With more than 80 million downloads since its release in November 2014, Crossy Road has been hailed as ‘free-to-play done right’. Hipster Whale are re-inventing the mobile free-to-play model and prides in putting their players first and pushing the boundaries whilst taking inspiration from traditional and retro video games.
Based in Melbourne Australia, 3 Sprockets is a multi-award winning, self-funded independent studio that specialises in making games for Console, Desktop & Mobile devices that have a strong focus on community features like user generated content, online multiplayer and competitive & co-operative gameplay.
Activision announced today that they will be bundling copies of the new Ghostbustersvideo game with a digital copy of the new Ghostbustersfilm. Dubbed the Ghostbusters Ultimate Bundle, it will launch on July 12 for $64.99 USD and will contain the game, a code for the movie, DLC for in-game items, and two dashboard themes inspired by the movie and the game. The DLC will also be available all those who pre-order the game.
Ghostbusters is an upcoming third person action RPG set after the events of the new Ghostbusters film. After the girls decide to take a cross country tour, four new rookies step up to the plate to battle ghosts across Manhattan. The game will cost $49.99 USD and will launch on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows on July 12.
JACKBOX GAMES LAUNCHES DRAWFUL 2 ON PLAYSTATION®4, XBOX ONE, WINDOWS PC AND MAC
CHICAGO – June 21, 2016 – Jackbox Games, the independent developer of hilarious party games like Fibbage, Quiplash and YOU DON’T KNOW JACK®, is back to save boring parties with the new multiplayer* party game Drawful 2, which challenges players to draw weird, funny and often ridiculous prompts on their smartphones and tablets. Building on the original hit Drawful, Drawful 2 takes it to the next level by allowing players to make their own episodes of unique nonsensical prompts, in-jokes about their messed up friends and references to whatever they want, which can be shared using special codes.
Drawful 2 increases the overall number of totally new prompts by 50%, adds bonus score streaks for consecutive correct answers, and introduces the ability to draw with two colors instead of one, making it easy to fit even greater creativity and detail into every sketch. There’s even a new option for players to tweet out GIFs of their favorite drawings, so everyone on Twitter can share the fun (and shame) of the last game.
Drawful 2 also has expanded censoring options for streamers. Drawings can be quickly skipped, and specific answers, drawings and players can be censored, giving players and streamers effective tools to protect their games from trolls.
In addition, Drawful 2 includes standard Jackbox Games features, like a family-friendly mode that omits prompts that are more likely to lead to awkward or uncomfortable conversations between kids and parents. Jackbox’s audience mode returns, allowing streamers to let up to 10,000 viewers play along with each game by guessing correct answers and influencing player scores. Twitch account login integration is supported, as well.
Drawful 2 is available worldwide today for $9.99 on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system via the PlayStation®Store, Xbox One through the Xbox Games Store, Windows PC on Steam, and Mac via Steam and the Mac App Store. It is coming soon to Amazon Fire TV and Android TV. This title is rated (T) Teen by the ESRB and PEGI 12.
Jackbox has previously stated that Drawful 2 will not be included in its next ultimate game bundle, The Jackbox Party Pack 3, which is expected to launch this fall on the PlayStation®4 system, Xbox One, Windows PC and Mac via Steam, the Mac App Store and Amazon Fire TV.
*Drawful 2 requires a minimum of three players and supports up to eight players, not including audience members.
About Jackbox Games
Jackbox Games, formerly Jellyvision Games, is a developer and publisher of games on major gaming platforms and home entertainment devices. The studio is best known for comedic party games like YOU DON’T KNOW JACK, Fibbage and their recent Kickstarter-funded hit Quiplash. The digital release of The Jackbox Party Pack – a massive collection of five of these party games – was named “Best Local Multiplayer Game of the Year” by Giant Bomb. All of Jackbox’s current-generation games feature the innovative “mobile-devices-as-controllers” concept, allowing anyone with an internet-connected phone, tablet or even laptop to join a game without the need for extra game controllers. Players connect to games on their devices by going to http://jackbox.tv and entering the custom game code displayed via the console, PC or home entertainment system that is actually hosting the game. This unique concept also allows for games that involve secret player input, such as typing in words or drawing on devices. The company is located in Chicago, Illinois.
Activision Publishing, Inc. and Sony Pictures Consumer Products have revealed a new compilation for the upcoming Ghostbusters video game and film. The Ghostbusters Ultimate Bundle will launch on July 12 for SRP $64.99 on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system via the PlayStation®Network in North America, as well as in select regions on Xbox One through the Xbox Games Store. It will include:
The new standalone Ghostbusters video game.
DLC featuring four classic character suits and a bonus trap based on art from the original film.
A code for a digital copy of the new Ghostbusters movie to be delivered at a future date.
Two special dashboard themes, one based on the movie and another inspired by the game.
The in-game DLC featured in the Ghostbusters Ultimate Bundle will also be available to those who pre-order the standalone Ghostbusters game from the Xbox Games Store, PlayStation®Store and Steam.
Ghostbusters is a third-person action role-playing game featuring single-player and local couch co-op multiplayer for up to four players. Taking place after the events of the film, it stars a new cast of rookie recruits who must explore Manhattan’s most haunted locations to rid them of the paranormal pests infesting the city. There are four uniquely powered heroes to choose from, and each character can be upgraded with new gear and abilities throughout the adventure.
Ghostbusters is expected to arrive on the PlayStation®4 system, Xbox One and Windows PC via Steam on July 12 for $49.99. A new mobile game – Ghostbusters: Slime City – is also expected to release that week on select iOS, Android and Kindle smartphones and tablets, just in time for the film’s debut in cinemas on July 15.
About Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters makes its long-awaited return, rebooted with a cast of hilarious new characters. Thirty years after the beloved original franchise took the world by storm, director Paul Feig brings his fresh take to the supernatural comedy, joined by some of the funniest actors working today – Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Chris Hemsworth. This summer, they’re here to save the world! The film is produced by Ivan Reitman and Amy Pascal, and written by Katie Dippold & Paul Feig, based on the film Ghostbusters, written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis and directed by Ivan Reitman. The film will be released in theaters nationwide on July 15, 2015.
About Activision Publishing, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading global producer and publisher of interactive entertainment. Activision maintains operations throughout the world. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com, or by following @Activision.
About Sony Pictures Consumer Products
Sony Pictures Consumer Products (SPCP) is the licensing and merchandising division of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about Ghostbusters are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of th e date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
Mighty No. 9 Now Available in Retail and Digital Stores in North America
Larkspur, Calif. – June 21, 2016 – comcept and Keiji Inafune’s highly anticipated Mighty No. 9 is out now in all major retail stores in North America on consoles and PC for $29.99 physically, and $19.99 digitally. Physical versions of game include a 32-page artbook, double-sided poster, as well as Ray and Retro Hero DLC packs.
Mighty No. 9 follows the adventures of a robot named Beck, unit “NO. 9” in a team of ten combat robots named “Mighty Numbers.” When a computer virus strikes, attacking his fellow robots as well as machines around the world, Beck is the only one in his line of robots not to be infected. With the help of his best friend Call, Beck must find the villain responsible for the virus while fighting off his fellow robots who have gone rogue along the way.
Within a mere three years since its founding, comcept’s business focus is the mass production of original content concentrating the creative power of the internationally-respected Keiji Inafune and a group of veteran creators supporting him. This content is developed for a range of entertainment fields― of which video games is but one―and designed for global market demand. comcept also handles design and development of consumer video game titles on behalf of major game publishers, creating such titles as Soul Sacrifice, Soul Sacrifice Delta, and YAIBA: Ninja Gaiden Z. In September of 2013 comcept successfully Kickstarted $4 million for the project MIGHTY NO. 9.
Outside of games, comcept handles such content development as publications and mangas. For more information, please visit http://comcept.co.jp/
About Deep Silver Deep Silver develops and publishes interactive games for all platforms, seeking to deliver top-quality products that provide immersive game experiences driven by the desires of the gaming community. The company has published more than 200 games worldwide since 2003, including the best-selling zombie action Dead Island(TM) franchise, the critically-acclaimed Metro(TM): Last Light and the smash hit action adventure Saints Row IV(TM). Deep Silver is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Koch Media, GmbH, and also owns the development studios Deep Silver Fishlabs in Hamburg, Germany, Deep Silver Volition based in Champaign, IL, USA, and Deep Silver Dambuster Studios in Nottingham, UK. For more information please visit www.deepsilver.com.
TICK’S TALES: UP ALL KNIGHTTM, HILARIOUS 8-BIT SWORD AND SORCERY ADVENTURE, IS AVAILABLE NOW
Retro-Style Homage to Classic Fantasy Adventures is Available on PC, Mac and Linux
Boston, MA – June 9, 2016 – Phoenix Online Publishing and Digital Bounce House have sent forth a decree to all the lands to announce the release of the hilarious 8-bit adventure, Tick’s Tales: Up All Knight! Be on the look-out and ever vigilant against the mischievous Tick, whose ulterior motives have sent him on a good old-fashioned quest! Colorful retro-graphics meet a modern comedic narrative in this send-up and homage to the classic point-and-click quest adventures. Now available for PC, Mac and Linux on the Phoenix Online Store (store.postudios.com), Steam, the Humble Bundle Store, the App Store and other online retailers for 10% off the regular price of $7.99 for one week.
Neighborhood troublemaker Tick wants nothing more than to be a hero and earn the love of the girl of his dreams, Georgia McGorgeous. The only way is to pass the tests of Strength, Courage, and Wisdom to prove his worth and draw the legendary Sword of Blergh from the stone! But before Tick can win her heart, he will also have to save Georgia and his entire town from the clutches of the evil goblin Bloodclot!
Tick’s Tales is a true homage to the classic adventure games,” said Katie Hallahan, PR Director for Phoenix Online Publishing. “From the art-style to the puzzles and the in-jokes that will get a laugh from everyone who’s ever enjoyed a classic Sierra or LucasArts adventure: This game is made by a fan for the fans and feels like a game straight out that era in all the best ways. And the fact that Bryce made this entire game by himself makes it even more impressive!”
Key Features
Thumb your nose at destiny, become the hero you were meant to be, and win the heart of the girl of your dreams!
Save the town and battle the evil goblin Bloodclot with your magic sword!
Charming retro 8-bit graphics and a classic quest.
Clever and challenging puzzles
Includes a soundtrack of upbeat music to buoy the adventurer’s spirit!
Fourth-wall breaking fun and humor—great for fans of the golden age of adventure games!
Theodore Roosevelt leads America in Civilization VI
2K and Firaxis Games today revealed that Theodore Roosevelt will lead America in Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, launching on Oct 21st for Windows PC.
Roosevelt took office following the assassination of President McKinley in 1901 and, at the age of 42, became the youngest United States President in history – a record he still holds today. Roosevelt championed his “Square Deal” domestic policy, comprised of three basic ideals: the conservation of natural resources, greater control over corporate plutocracy, and consumer protection.
His efforts to regulate corporate “trust” monopolies earned him the nickname “trust buster.” He established the United States Forestry Service in 1905 and fought for the conservation of millions of acres of federal land, which are still protected to this day. Roosevelt also coined the iconic phrase “speak softly, and carry a big stick,” describing his form of foreign policy of negotiating peacefully while simultaneously threatening with the “big stick.” Roosevelt described this policy as “the exercise of intelligent forethought and of decisive action sufficiently far in advance of any likely crisis.”
Unique unit: P-51 Mustang
The P-51 “Mustang,” an aircraft created by America during World War II, was designed as a long-range, high-altitude fighter to serve in dogfights, escort bombers and even enact bombing missions on its own. The P-51 Mustang was able to outmaneuver the best German Luftwaffe fighters above 15,000 feet and even outlast the efficient Japanese fighters, and by 1943 the P-51 Mustang was in service on every American front.
Unique unit: Rough Rider
The 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, better known by its colloquial moniker the “Rough Riders,” was a regiment recruited and raised by Theodore Roosevelt in 1898 AD to fight in the Spanish-American War. This volunteer regiment included 1,060 ranchers, cowboys, college athletes, miners and other rugged outdoorsmen hailing from New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Arizona.
Unique Building: Film Studio
Thomas Edison, the much vaunted American inventor and businessman, created the first film studio in West Orange, New Jersey back in 1893. His film studio was used to capture the amusing larks of vaudeville and theater actors, to display within penny arcades, fairground tents and unused theaters. By 1920, there were a dozen film studios in operation around Hollywood, California, each feeding what would become an American and global obsession with film.
Stories of redemption and revenge are often seen as incredibly popular in various forms of media. The lead character or group is wronged in some way or flat out killed and then viewers watch as the affected party does their best to either restore themselves to their former glory or seek vengeance. Generally, those who are struck down initially are instantly sympathetic to viewers due to what has happened to them, but what happens when a story begins where the main character is far from average and is actually quite despicable. Well you have a show like Cross Ange: Rondo of Angel and Dragon to demonstrate and it does so in a rather sudden and fairly unexplained fashion. So now that the first collection has been released in English, is the series worth picking up?
Story
The world of Cross Ange is almost entirely at peace thanks to advanced technology/magical ability called the Light of Mana. Thanks to this advancement war has come to an end, poverty, and even hunger have almost entirely been eliminated. Unfortunately there are some issues that still remain and these are primarily due to women who have been born without the ability to use Mana, called “Norma.” When these Norma are discovered they are often imprisoned or flat out killed, and the worst offender is Princess Angelise as she declares that she will find the source for the Norma and eliminate them for good to create a more beautiful world.
Unfortunately for Angelise, during her coming of age baptism ceremony her brother Juilio reveals the truth that has been hidden by the royal family. That Angelise is one of the Norma that she so despises. Due to the fact that Norma are seen as monsters by average society, the people instantly see Angelise as a creature of disgust and the former King and Queen as traitors. While attempting to flee, Angelise’s father is imprisoned and her mother is killed all while her brother Julio assumes control of the country with Angelise being sent off to an all-female prison and forcibly enrolled in the military.
After arriving at the prison island, Angelise is forcibly stripped of anything that would consider her a noble, even her name as she is now called Ange instead, and later informed that the peace that normal humanity thrives on is a falsehood. Powerful dragon-like creatures that have been given the name DRAGONs are a constant threat to the world and thanks to the Norma’s lack of Mana and ability to break through anything related to it, they are used as human weapons in order to fight and die to protect the populace, all while the populace lives in complete ignorance of the threat.
This is the type of series that will likely scare your average viewer away thanks to the way that Ange is treated once she is taken prisoner. She is violated and dehumanized to the point that her constant denial about her existence as a Norma and the way she treats people around her as subhuman leads to everyone treating her terribly. Compound this with the very first battle resulting in a number of deaths and Ange wishing to simply die and you have a character that is completely broken to the point that many may be a bit uncomfortable. That being said, those who manage to stick through the rough opening episodes of Cross Ange will find that they are in for a fairly interesting series so far. After her initial thoughts of suicide we see Ange continue to grow over the course of the first twelve episodes of the series and become her own character. With her previous attitude torn to shreds and then slowly developed over the course of battles and interactions with other pilots and even a certain man named Tusk, watching Ange transition from being a naïve princess to a determined woman on her own path of survival and willing to actually work with others is one of the biggest highlights of this series so far.
The other is a mix of the dramatic interactions between Ange and the rest of the characters in the same unit as her and the way that the storyline continues to throw various twists the viewer’s way. It is quite clear from the get-go that there is far more to the world of Cross Ange than what is initially shown, especially since the early reveal about the existence of DRAGONs but over the course of the first twelve episodes, and especially during the final few episodes in Collection 1, numerous twists and developments are revealed about the world.
These revelations raise numerous questions that we can only hope will be answered going forward into Collection 2 and help revitalize the story going into a second half while also leaving viewers off with a cliffhanger with some quite obvious implications. That being said, there are some issues with the series so far and this primarily comes in the form that a large number of the side characters are given very little focus other than either being bullies or supporters of Ange with the other being the fact that, while fan service does have its place, that the series over exposes the lesbian relationships of a few side characters far more often than it should.
Visuals
It is interesting to note that despite the fact that there are some rather shocking scenes present in the first few episodes that the actual amount of gore and nudity it these series is kept at a rather low level during this first half. Any time that a girl does end up completely naked, they are generally conveniently hidden by water, steam, or kept just out of the camera angle so there is no real nudity in the series, though plenty of it is implied. That being said, thanks to the designs of the girls’ outfits and their positioning while piloting the weaponry, the camera angles do tend to favor views that include a character’s breasts or butt.
Outside of the fan service aspect, the designs of the mech suits piloted by the Norma, which can change between flight mode and assault mode, are fairly standard form for a mecha series. In fact even the weaponry used by the mechs are about as standard as they come. Thankfully the fact that the cast battles against dragon-looking creatures helps keep things a bit more interesting than standard, but don’t expect to be blown away by the battle scenes.
Audio
With Sentai Filmworks’ release of Cross Ange: Rondo of Angel and Dragon Collection 1 the company has chosen to provide the series with an English dub to go along with the standard Japanese voice track. The English voice cast does a great job here with the source material and Emily Neves’ handling of Ange’s character progression is portrayed well, though those who may be a bit squeamish might prefer the Japanese voice track for the first few episodes.
The soundtrack for this series is actually made up of quite a few songs that really stand out thanks to their placement in action sequences. These orchestral tracks help add some tension to the otherwise fairly standard battles that are portrayed in the series and it is worth noting that all of Ange’s singing is still kept in Japanese. As for the opening and ending theme, we have “Forbidden Resistance” by Nana Mizuki as the opening while “Cold Beauty” by Nana Mizuki serves as a fitting closer that often begins playing over the last few seconds of an episode to great effect.
Extras
With the release of Collection 1 Sentai Filmworks has included a handful of special features with the release. The first of these happens to be a half hour “Special Interview by Momoka” done by the Japanese voice actress for Momoka as she talks with three of the creators of the series about various aspects of Cross Ange and its creation. The rest of the bonus features are fairly standard as they include the original Japanese commercials, clean versions of the opening and ending theme, and finally trailers for other Sentai Filmworks releases.
Overall
Cross Ange is a series that many may have heard about back when it aired thanks to some very controversial events that took place in the first episode and while the world established by the storyline and Angeline’s location at the time do establish reasons for why such things took place, the various events that occur over the course of the first few episodes do serve as a way to tear down everything that Angeline once believed and allow her to develop into Ange.
This leads to an interesting story of a woman learning to survive in a world completely different from her own and a storyline that is filled with little twists and turns and big revelations to keep viewers interested in the world. That being said, there is a heavy reliance on shock value here and the fact that one of the biggest revelations so far ends up leaving viewers with a cliffhanger is disappointing but it will be up to the second half of the series to go more in-depth regarding these reveals. Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Overview Shortly before releasing what many thought would be the final episode in Minecraft: Story Mode Telltale Games announced that they would be expanding the series a bit further with three extra episodes that are meant to tell self-contained stories. Minecraft: Story Mode – A Portal to Mystery marks the first in this series of three episodes and now that it has been released, does this extended time with the series get off to a good start?
Story Although Minecraft: Story Mode – A Portal to Mystery may be a fairly self-contained storyline, it still takes place after the events of the major storyline in the series as well as the fifth episode that explains just how Jesse and the group ended up in their current situation. As such it is recommended to avoid reading further if you have yet to complete Order Up!.
After stumbling upon an enchanted flint and steel that managed to open up a portal to an entirely different world, Jesse, Ivor, Petra, and Lukas managed to survive the issues that arose in Sky City but while trying to find their way back home, they only managed to find an even bigger mystery. This mystery came in the form of a hallway full of portals and this episode follows the group after their first attempt at using these portals.
The four person group finds themselves teleported into a dark world surrounded by gravestones and a mysterious book floating on a pedestal. Missing a gigantic opportunity to work in an Evil Dead reference it turns out to be an invitation to mansion. Unfortunately for the group, as soon as they find the invitation they find themselves overrun with an endless wave of zombies that leads into an action packed opening sequence before placing our heroes within the confines of the mansion.
Jesse and the group quickly learn that there are a number of other people who have been invited into the mansion for an unknown reason but when two of these people die due to cleverly planned traps and the masked host/murderer the White Pumpkin makes an appearance, things begin to slow down into a murder mystery. While the others in attendance may have certain skills due to their personalities, Jesse and the group step to the forefront and appoint themselves investigators in order to figure out who is behind these murders and put a stop to the White Pumpkin before it strikes again.
As you may have heard, one of the advertised draws for this episode of Minecraft: Story Mode is that it would pull in a number of popular Minecraft YouTube personalities to offer a bit of fan service. This includes people called LD ShadowLady and CaptainSparklez who are played completely straight despite the strange names, to the point that they feel incredibly forced and dialed in in an effort to entice a younger crowd, but thankfully their presence does very little to actually harm the storytelling in this episode or even the continuation of the series due to the feeling that A Portal to Mystery takes place entirely in a vacuum.
With so many new characters being introduced, they are also incredibly disposable to the point that who lives to the end of the episode will vary wildly depending on choices you make while trying to figure out who the murderer is. This does mean that very few choices really feel like they have any weight to them but it plays into the murder mystery factor to a great degree since players will be constantly guessing just who is behind the mask. With new pieces of evidence introduced frequently and twists timed perfectly, players will be guessing for quite a bit before the game slows things down and spells out the villain in the end.
This means that although the new characters are blatantly placed into the series for attention and poorly developed, the actual mystery surrounding them and their motives for being in the mansion come together in an interesting story that features a nice mixture of action and mystery to keep things from ever feeling boring. It is worth noting however that the spotlight is almost entirely removed from Jesse and the group here and even when everything is wrapped up very little is actually explained about their current situation, but for a self-contained story, A Portal to Mystery is handled well.
Gameplay For the most part, Minecraft: Story Mode – A Portal to Mystery features a bit more gameplay than your average episode of the series but that isn’t really saying too much. The game begins with an action packed interactive credit sequence to kick things off at a nice pace and then slows down until right near the end when the action picks back up in a well-choreographed fight making use of the Minecraft mechanics.
Between these action packed moments players will be mostly questioning characters and exploring rooms in the mansion as they try to uncover clues to who is behind the White Pumpkin mask. There is even a bit of extremely easy puzzle solving here, though this was likely made so a younger audience can still progress without any issue.
Visuals & Audio By focusing the events of the episode in only one location there aren’t really many extravagant looking landscapes to witness outside of a few specially designed rooms inside the mansion. The character designs for the various YouTube personalities appear to match their real life counterparts to a decent degree and even have a little callout to the fact that one of them changes their hair color very often.
Unfortunately, putting these amateurs into a game that, despite the younger audience features professional voice work, results in most of the new characters sounding either stunted or forced compared to the familiar cast with only one of them managing to convincingly fit their role.
Overall
Telltale Games told a different kind of story with Minecraft: Story Mode – A Portal to Mystery and thanks to that the episode actually managed to hold up rather well as a fun murder mystery story. Without this theme the lack of character development for any of the new characters would have been a major disappointment but with this episode telling a story that, at least so far, plays barely any role in Jesse and the group’s adventure going forward, it manages to be fairly inoffensive, though whether or not Telltale will be able to keep the story interesting at this rate is yet to be seen. Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Winning Putt: Update Increases Level Cap For The Golf-MMO
Higher level cap, challenging quest, new clubs, and game optimizations
SANTA CLARA, Calif., – June 21, 2016 – BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. (BNEA) has released an update for Winning Putt, the online golf experience now available in Open Beta. Besides pushing the level cap from 30 to 35, demanding quests, new club sets, and game optimizations are waiting for the players.
Golfers who already have mastered their challenges can now look forward to fulfilling new missions and gathering new club sets to improve their game. Level 30+ players will have to be at their best to achieve success, as the latest quests take place on the most serious courses. New missions on Seven Angels, Wildstone, and Plumeria at Night focus on arduous golfing feats: scoring points is always a challenge, but getting a birdie out of the bunker is something else entirely!
In addition to these newly added achievements, a set of quests now appear on players’ loading screens as well. The individual quests focus on different golf maxims and engage golfers with specific challenges related to those maxims.
BNEA and Webzen Onnet further optimized the game: several features and game mechanics have been tweaked for an enjoyable and more stable experience.
Winning Putt is a free-to-play virtual golf experience where players can choose to play solo or with friends as they improve their skills and level-up their golfing career. A variety of customizations are available to personalize the looks, clothing, and playstyles of the golfer; clubs can be outfitted with special enchantments for longer drives and accurate shots.
For more information on Winning Putt and to join the Open Beta, please visit www.winningputtgame.com.
