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RPG “Anima: Gate of Memories” Out on June 3 — PC, PS4, Xbox One
Retro-Futuristic RPG InSomnia Funds!
Samara, Russia – May 26, 2016 – Studio MONO’s Retro-Futuristic RPG InSomnia has funded on Kickstarter. In addition, the campaign has also achieved four further stretch goals already thanks to the Unreal Developer Grant,
“From the moment we revealed our intention of revisiting Kickstarter, our incredible community came out in force. We’re humbled that so many of them have come back and help fund the last stages of development for InSomnia,” said Anatoliy Guyduk, lead developer at Studio MONO. “We are now in the twilight hours of our campaign and really excited to see what additional goals we can achieve together! If you’ve not already pledged, there’s still time and there’s some incredible rewards.”
InSomnia is dystopian vision, set in a murky, retro-futuristic style. The game takes place on a colossal, semi-deserted interplanetary space station. Having left their dying planet behind, this space metropolis, along with its inhabitants, has been moving towards the distant, ghost-like Evacuation Point for the past 400 years, where the descendants of the once great people hope to start over the history of mankind.
About Studio Mono
Studio MONO was founded in Samara, Russia in 2011 by Anatoliy Guyduk. With a core development team, they’re joined by freelance individuals from all over the world – including Malaysia, the U.S., Russia, the Netherlands and Ukraine – Studio MONO is a talented group of professionals who have been active in the world of game design for many years.
Table Top Racing: World Tour for PC, launches on Steam today!
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FENIX FURIA TO BRING ADDICTIVE SPEED AND COOKIES TO PLAYSTATION®4 AND XBOX ONE ON JUNE 8
FENIX FURIA TO BRING ADDICTIVE SPEED AND COOKIES TO PLAYSTATION®4 AND XBOX ONE ON JUNE 8
Featuring Exclusive Split Screen, Two Player Mode To Deliver New Level of Competitive Play To Consoles
TWAIN HARTE, CA – May 26, 2016 – Gamers feeling the need for adrenaline-laced speed with a side of delicious cookies, get ready! Green Lava Studios and Reverb Triple XP are happy to announce today that Fenix Furia will be coming out on both the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One, the all-in-one games system from Microsoft on June 8. Formerly known as Fenix Rage, players will find new challenges with the retuned game levels, new playable character, and the highly requested split-screen Two Player Mode in Fenix Furia.
Watch the new Fenix Furia trailer HERE: youtube.com/watch?v=XSQQXKcHczw
Who is Undead Fenix? Who hit Fenix in the eye? Questions… that need answers!
Step into the shoes of Fenix, a really sweet creature of speed and (blocky) cuteness… then feel his boundless rage. He is pissed! You would be too if your village was decimated by a huge explosion (and your game name was legally blocked!), leaving only two survivors: Fenix and the mysterious enemy Oktarus. Fenix will track down this shadowy villain through nine worlds, defeating righteously brutal bosses and hundreds of minions bent on his destruction, on a mission to return harmony back to his world. And to get cookies.
Winner of the Gamemaker Game of The Year award, Fenix Furia will be available on June 8 for PlayStation®4 and the Xbox One via the ID@Xbox self-publishing program. For the latest buzz and upcoming features, follow Fenix Furia on Twitter, “Like” the game on Facebook, and visit the official Website at www.FenixFuria.com.
Pre-release game codes for Fenix Furia on Xbox One and PlayStation®4 are available for preview features.
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ABOUT GREEN LAVA STUDIOS
Green Lava Studios prides itself on combining technology, new gameplay experiences, inventive storytelling, and meaningful messages into completely unique and compelling interactive entertainment. Hailing from lovely Costa Rica, Green Lava Studios consists of an experienced four-year team whose mission is to create fun, memorable, and captivating games for the whole world to enjoy. With several successful titles already under its belt, including “Bonfire Trail”, winner of the “Square Enix Latin America Game Contest Finalist Award (3rd Place)” in 2012 and the Winner of the Gamemaker Showcase Game Of The Year in 2014, Green Lava is one of the brightest young independent developers in Latin America.
ABOUT REVERB TRIPLE XP
An extension of interactive entertainment agency Reverb Communications, Inc., Reverb Triple XP provides a spectrum of services customized to focus on the needs of indie game developers. Reverb Triple XP powers up titles that stand out with excellent gameplay, creative design, and that elusive fun factor. Once chosen, our team of game industry veterans works with the game developers to fully understand and play the title, then execute on world class marketing, PR, social, production and distribution services that are fitting for games of the highest quality.
The Mechanical Apartheid
The Mechanical Apartheid
“How did we get here?” – Find out in the Live Action Trailer
MONTRÉAL, CANADA – 26 May 2016 – Today, Square-Enix® and Eidos®-Montréal unveiled their Live Action Trailer for the much anticipated Deus Ex: Mankind Divided™. This short immerses you in the world of Deus Ex®, providing you with insight as to how things have changed since the events of Deus Ex: Human Revolution®, outlining the shift from the golden era of augmentation to the Mechanical Apartheid.
WATCH IT NOW: https://youtu.be/D7XCAgj0TtI
In 2027, mechanically-augmented people all over the world suffered from extreme psychotic delusions, lost control of themselves, and started attacking people. Millions died. Hundreds of thousands more were injured and maimed. In the wake of this global catastrophe, society has become divided by hatred, prejudice, and fear, with many countries now enacting harsh laws. The most notable of these laws is the highly controversial “Human Restoration Act”, aimed at isolating “Augs” and keeping them away from “Naturals”.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided will launch on August 23rd for PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and Windows PC.
Related Links
Official Portal: deusex.com
Official Facebook Page: facebook.com/DeusEx
Follow @DeusEx on Twitter: twitter.com/DeusEx
Twitter Support: #CantKillProgress
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/DeusEx
Reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/deusex
Tumblr: http://deusex.tumblr.com
ABOUT DEUS EX: MANKIND DIVIDED
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided™, the sequel to the critically acclaimed Deus Ex: Human Revolution®, builds on the franchises trademark choice and consequence, action-RPG based gameplay, to create both a memorable and highly immersive experience. Players will once again take on the role of Adam Jensen, now an experienced covert agent, and will gain access to his new arsenal of customizable state-of-the-art weapons and augmentations. With time working against him, Adam must choose the right approach, along with who to trust, in order to unravel a vast worldwide conspiracy.
DEUS EX: MANKIND DIVIDED © 2016 Square Enix Ltd. All Rights Reserved. DEUS EX, DEUS EX: MANKIND DIVIDED, the DEUS EX: MANKIND DIVIDED logo, DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION, EIDOS, SQUARE ENIX and the SQUARE ENIX logo, are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Square Enix group of companies. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark and “PS4” is a trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
Square Enix Limited is a company registered in England & Wales under the number 01804186 whose registered office is situated at 240 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NW, United Kingdom.
Sailor Moon R Part One Limited Edition Review
Sailor Moon R Part One Limited Edition
Studio: Toei Animation
Publisher: Madman Entertainment
Format: Standard Edition DVD / Limited Edition DVD (reviewed)
Release Date: April 13, 2016
Price: $69.95 AUD – Available Here / Standard Edition $59.95 AUD – Available Here
Overview
After their final battle against Queen Beryl and the Dark Kingdom, the Sailor Guardians have lost their memories and returned to being normal 14-year-olds. Usagi and Mamoru go back to their insignificant name calling, neither of them remembering that they are long-lost lovers. Due to the appearance of new enemies, Luna must restore Usagi’s memories so that she can transform into Sailor Moon and save the day once again. Despite still having no recollection of being Sailor Guardians, Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako meet each other thanks to a remarkable coincidence.
Story
Having gone through what she has, it is no wonder that Usagi would rather be a normal person instead of a Sailor Guardian. Her group of friends once more consists of just Naru Osaka and Gurio Umino, as well as a non-talking Luna. When a new type of monster known as a Cardian attacks Naru, Luna realises that she has no choice but to restore Usagi’s memories and ask her to transform into Sailor Moon to save Naru. With her memories back, Usagi finds herself longing for Mamoru again. She also wants to be with her other friends again, but it is not until the other Guardians’ lives are at risk that Luna finally decides to restore their memories as well. Usagi’s wish to just be a normal 14-year-old was explored poignantly in the second half of the last season and it is obvious that it hurts her to know that she and her friends are risking their lives instead of always having fun like everyone else. It is this theme that really separates this series from other magical girl series, which often engage viewers through imitation of other series or attract viewers with gimmicks such as sheer cuteness instead of depicting genuine emotions.
The intriguing enemies have always been one of the many excellent features of Sailor Moon. An enemy that is only evil and completely lacks any human qualities can only ever be annoying, but the new enemies Ail and An never end up being like that. In their human forms, Ail develops a sort of romantic interest in Usagi and An develops a sort of romantic interest in Mamoru. Although they masquerade as siblings when they transfer to Usagi’s middle school, they are in fact deeply in love with each other. Unsurprisingly, Usagi and An frequently get into conflict over their love interests, and while it is slightly repetitive, the plot is always interesting enough to make it easy to look past this. In the Black Moon arc, Chibi-Usa starts out as a rather annoying character and the Four Spectre Sisters tend to fight a lot. Their fighting is immature and not helpful to their ultimate cause, but their arguments accurately reflect human issues of body issue and identity. Sailor Moon is at its most profound when it is making a point about friendship or love, but each and every episode is interesting and engaging no matter what. Fan opinion seems to be divided about Chibi-Usa, but it is worth giving her a chance in this adaptation.
Visuals
The only noticeable difference between the animation in this season and the first one is that there is a somewhat decreased reliance on lighting effects to enhance the atmosphere. Character designs remain consistent and the designs for the new characters are all distinct. Ail and An’s normal and human forms are distinguished, and the design of the new hero Moonlight Knight makes for a positive albeit temporary change from Tuxedo Mask. One of many things that Toei Animation’s animation team has always been extremely talented at is conveying emotions through expressions; the emotions actually seem real in this adaptation. The opening animation sequence used in these episodes does not have the same feel that the first opening sequence did, but it shows off the characters in a beautiful way. The ending sequence for these episodes is a fun piece of animation featuring Usagi, but as with the previous ending sequence, there is little happening on most of the screen.
Madman’s remastering process continues to be very effective, resulting in a high quality DVD release. The quality may not be 100% perfect, but that is understandable seeing as this is not a Blu-ray release. The quality of this release is undoubtedly up to the standard that fans demand from a DVD release, especially one of this series.
Audio
The new background music is not quite as memorable as the music composed for the first season, but it still helps give the series that magical feel that has been present since the beginning. Perhaps what stands out the most is Ail’s flute. He frequently plays a short melody, one that sounds both mysterious and pleasant at the same time. It is a shame that it will most likely never be heard again in the series, but it is enjoyable while it lasts. The new ending theme song is decent for a pop song and does succeed in being memorable.
The voice acting in the original Japanese version is fantastic, but it is still impossible to say the same about the voice acting in the English dub. The voice actors do put a lot of effort and energy into the English dub, but they just do not suit the characters they are voicing. Chiba-Usa’s voice actor Sandy Fox does a surprisingly decent job, as does Gurio Umino’s voice actor Ben Diskin, but none of the voice actors in the English dub are a match for the Japanese voice actors. Viz Media’s translation of the dialogue is excellent for the most part, although a few Americanisms and other problems make their way into the subtitles again. The issue of romaji being used in the subtitles for “Moonlight Densetsu” is still present as well.
Extras
The on-disc extras include the textless opening and ending animation. The box art is fantastic, as is the booklet included in the limited edition set. The booklet lacks the majority of the pages included in Viz Media’s booklet, but it does include the most important parts: the character biographies and the fantastic artwork. The artwork alone makes this booklet worth getting.
Overall
The Makai Tree arc is relatively short, lasting just 13 episodes. Despite all of the fighting between Ail and An and between Usagi and An, it is an excellent story that is used to explore many themes delicately and effectively. The twist that stealing energy is not actually the main goal of the enemy is particularly refreshing after nearly 46 episodes featuring members of the Dark Kingdom stealing energy from the citizens of the Juuban district in Japan. The monster-of-the-day formula may still be used in most episodes, but it never gets old in this series, due in part to the unique and comical design of each of the Cardians.
There is a difference of opinion about Chibi-Usa, who appears in the Black Moon arc. She is portrayed as both good and bad, and she can be rather annoying. It is much easier to feel sympathetic towards Usagi, who has to deal with Chibi-Usa and her monopolising of Mamoru, but the gradual revelation of her past does make it somewhat easier to understand how she feels and why she is doing the things she does. The series was more fun without a nine-year-old character in every episode, but by no means does she ruin the series. Whether you like Chibi-Usa or not, it will be worth seeing how this arc concludes.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
CHRONICLE: RUNESCAPE LEGENDS IS A WHOLE NEW ADVENTURE FOR STRATEGY CARD GAMES AND LAUNCHES TODAY ON STEAM FOR PC
CHRONICLE: RUNESCAPE LEGENDS IS A WHOLE NEW ADVENTURE FOR STRATEGY CARD GAMES AND LAUNCHES TODAY ON STEAM FOR PC
Fight your own cards in a new chapter for online strategy card games as Chronicle arrives on Steam for PC
Thursday 26th May 2016, Cambridge, UK – Chronicle: RuneScape Legends, a new generation of action-packed online strategy card game, has launched today and is now available from Steam for PC (http://store.steampowered.com/app/205890/), Jagex Games Studio has announced.
A unique twist on the card game genre, which combines tactical PvE with strategic PvP gameplay, Chronicle sees players fighting against their own cards as well as their opponents, and crafting adventures in a quest for supremacy over their rival.
Having spent the last six months in beta, Chronicle’s full launch on Steam brings with it new ranked sessions (the first of which is now live until 31st June) more than 400 cards, support for seven languages1-, over 40 Steam Achievements, Steam Trading Cards, and dozens of additional enhancements and improvements for the game’s full launch.
Additionally, current players can continue to enjoy their Chronicle adventure directly through the game’s client. Crucially, there is no progress wipe for players who have been enjoying the game during the open beta period.
CHRONICLE: RUNESCAPE LEGENDS features at Steam launch:
Unique new generation card game – The cards are both a player’s greatest weapon and weakness, as they battle their own decks and trying to defeat their rival standing the other side of the Chronicle
Master five Legends – Learn the unique tactics and strategies of each Legend and strive for victory. A sixth Legend, the slayer master Morvran, will join existing characters during this summer
Multiple modes – Draft to victory in Dungeoneering mode and quest for coins, gem shards and platinum; learn the ropes in Solo Play and Casual modes; play against friends; or fight to the top in the competitive Ranked mode
Skilling & Customisation – Players can customise their account by unlocking new titles and badges through levelling up in-game skills, or purchase new card backs
Said James Sweatman, lead designer, Chronicle: RuneScape Legends:
“From prototyping Chronicle as a paper-based card game two years ago, through to iterating its digital form, today’s launch of Chronicle: RuneScape Legends on Steam for PC marks the biggest milestone for the game to date. Chronicle delivers a step-change in traditional CCG gameplay, where almost every predictable card game mechanic has been thrown out the window in favour of our unique twist on the genre and we are eager to see players develop and master new tactics and strategies for supremacy.”
“The open beta proved to be supremely useful, with players providing invaluable feedback and insight as to how we could make Chronicle the best it could possibly be for launch. We’re looking forward to watching the race to the top of the ranked leagues unfold, as well as continue our development plans to bring the game to iOS and Android platforms next!”
Watch the Chronicle: RuneScape Legends launch trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCCKjO3QbhY
About Jagex
Established in 2001, Jagex Games Studio today stands as the UK’s largest independent game developer and publisher and is the home of the flagship online adventure game, RuneScape. Celebrating its 15th Year anniversary in 2016, RuneScape has welcomed over 245 million players to its world and more than two million of them play every month, while millions more watch avidly through social channels. In addition to RuneScape, Jagex is developing new RuneScape-branded games as it enters additional genres, including Chronicle: RuneScape Legends, an adventure strategy card game, and RuneScape: Idle Adventures created in partnership with Hyper Hippo, the developers of cult hit Adventure Capitalist. Jagex employs over 320 people at its Cambridge headquarters. Career information can be found atwww.jagex.com .
About Chronicle: RuneScape Legends
Chronicle: RuneScape Legends is an online strategy card game from Jagex, the studio behind the award-winning fantasy MMORPG, RuneScape. Set within the pages of a magical book where the world of Gielinor unfolds before your eyes, Chronicle: RuneScape Legends offers a unique strategic twist on card games. Craft your quest with a deck of cards, battle enemies for gold and bonuses, and then face the final challenge of player vs. player combat. Chronicle: RuneScape Legends is now available for PC and is scheduled for release in 2016 on Mac, tablet and mobile. For more information visit: www.rschronicle.com .
DOOM Review
DOOM
Developer: id Software
Publisher: Bethesda
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One (Reviewed), PC
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $59.99 US – Available Here $99.95 AUS – Available Here
Overview
DOOM is the type of title where people still talk about how great the very first iteration was and how it helped open up the world of gaming to brand new avenues. As such it was questionable whether or not that same type of brutal magic could be found once again in a modern day DOOM. Even with id Software managing to create an extremely satisfying Wolfenstein, many were skeptical if DOOM 2016 could meet expectations. Well thankfully I can say that after tearing my way through the single player campaign and seeing what else the game had to offer that it actually exceeds these expectations.
Story
The story for DOOM begins with the main character, simply called the Doom Marine, waking up chained to a table where he apparently has been imprisoned for an unknown length of time, though a quick hologram shows that he was being kept in a stone sarcophagus of some kind and was being worshiped before hell broke loose. I say that because almost instantly a deformed creature begins to attack and is quickly and brutally taken care of.
It becomes apparent that the UAC research facility on Mars has fallen to demonic invasion and that its time for the Doom Marine to do what he does best. After obtaining the Praetor Suit, the story kicks into gear by literally having the main character throw the plot to the side. It is quite evident that id Software knew that they should embrace the ultra-violence aspect of the series and while there are moments where the game’s narrative does slow things down a bit and lock the player into a cut-scene, most of the time the Doom Marine simply rips and tears his way through everything in his path.
There is indeed a story here and some elements of lore to be explored through collectibles that unlock bonus text but for the most part the game provides just enough of a storyline to set up the situation where the demonic forces of hell coming up against the Doom Marine and that it is up to players to put them down by any means necessary and thankfully this comes in the form of extremely fast paced visceral combat.
Gameplay
After spending plenty of years with your standard first person shooters, it may come as a bit of a surprise at how fast everything is in DOOM. Players are given an initial pistol with an unlimited ammo capacity and the ability to charge a single fire shot and then thrown into the gory flames of arena combat. Demons often fill the rooms and the only way for players to progress past them is to slay everything in sight and with the enemies being just as quick as the player is, meaning that movement and constant action is key to survival.
Nearly every weapon in DOOM that players come across will have two weapon mods that can be swapped between allowing for various types of alternate fire modes and players will find that they will have more than enough variety when it comes to firepower. In fact, as players progress through the game they will discover various points and tokens that can be used to upgrade your weaponry, provide your Praetor Suit with new abilities, and even upgrade your health, armor, or ammo capacity. All of these mechanics are introduced fairly quickly and are then left to the side for players to pick and choose at will. This means that these mechanics have been designed in such a manner that they do not draw attention away too much from the actual action.
There are even little elements such as runes that players can equip to provide various boosts to the player and challenges for certain levels that you can undertake but these types of mechanics are all optional and serve as a fun little way to see just how brutal you can be, especially since many of these challenges are designed to give players an incentive to approach fights a certain way rather than simply running and gunning.
As mentioned, there are numerous weapons in DOOM and every one of them, perhaps minus the initial starter pistol, is designed in a manner that makes it extremely satisfying to use in combat. Thanks to the fast paced movement speed, the incredibly impressive enemy AI that will take advantage of multi-level terrain and side paths to attempt to flank you or attack from above, and a new “Glory Kill” system, every fight is an adrenaline fueled blood bath.
These Glory Kills are violent executions that are performed by pressing the melee button near an opponent that is near death. When shooting your foes they will begin to glow orange and turn blue when you approach, meaning that they are ready to be finished off in bloody fashion. These Glory Kills result in a burst of healing items and occasionally ammunition which is essential since players will always need to be on the move and running through a wounded force, ripping off arms, stomping skulls, and performing other acts of violence while gaining much needed health is essential.
As you can likely tell, DOOM features a standard health system where players will need to rely on either killing enemies to gain health or finding med packs scattered throughout a stage while also picking up pieces of armor at the same time. The thing is, this is a game that isn’t ready to hand anything over on a silver platter unless you are playing on the easiest difficulty, there will likely be times that you will suffer quite a large amount of damage from an unseen enemy as damage notifications are kept at a minimum and it is possible to be killed outright if you aren’t paying attention on higher difficulty levels.
In true DOOM fashion, the levels that players will be traveling through are filled with little nooks and crannies that can be explored. Players can have their standard objectives pointed out to them but finding secrets is where the true challenge lies. These secrets harken back to the time where players would deliberately have to go out of their way in order to find something special and sometimes these rewards might be a simple upgrade, collectible, rune, or even a fun little easter egg while other times it might even be a special weapon that doesn’t show up until much later in the title.
While DOOM’s single player runs as a thirteen to fifteen hour example of how great a first person shooter’s campaign mode can be by delivering players satisfying gameplay mechanics, the multiplayer mode is a bit of a different story. Players will find that the game features your standard modes such as Team Deathmatch, Warpath, and Domination though a few new options such as Freeze Tag, where players must thaw out team mates that are frozen by the other team and Soul Harvest requires the gathering of souls from defeated enemies to boost your team score, help change things up. That being said, with a loadout system, various “Hack Modules” serving as perks, and fairly basic maps the multiplayer mode might be worth sampling but is something that you will likely be passing up rather quickly.
The other side feature to the game’s single player mode is SnapMap and this is a feature that actually comes out quite well. Creative minds will find quite a lot of options at their fingertips as they can create their very own levels by snapping together rooms, setting up monsters, adjusting their abilities, and even more. There are quite a few creative creations already available such as flat out recreations of levels from the original game to arcade style levels, jumping challenges, and more. This community driven aspect of the game is simple to learn for those who want to try their hands at it and is something that I can imagine will result in some really spectacular creations in the future.
Visuals & Audio
I must say that id Software has managed to really capture the heart of the DOOM aesthetic. The company has paid close attention to detail to creating a truly industrial/hellish looking environment for players to venture through, filled with atmospheric lighting that really helps set the mood for the violence, as they slay their way through highly varied and detailed demons. This type of aesthetic is all the more impressive when you realize that not only does this game look absolutely gorgeous, but that it also never suffers from any type of slowdown no matter how fast or how much action ends up occurring at once on the screen.
This title features an extremely fitting soundtrack that slowly evolves over the course of the game as players travel through the game. This means that players will be experience plenty of variety here that always seems to fit the atmosphere of the current situation and the level of intensity that players will be fighting with. Combine this satisfying choice of soundtrack with the impressive sound effects from the game and you have a winning combination.
Overall
There was some trepidation when DOOM was growing close to release but thankfully almost all of those concerns can be put to rest. Sure the game’s multiplayer mode is fairly standard and feels like a tacked on effort that could have been forgone entirely but the creative SnapMap opens up plenty of possibilities on the side while the single player campaign delivers in every way imaginable by giving players addictive gameplay mechanics that will keep players tearing through the demonic forces of hell in what is one of the best single player first person shooters in years.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Valkyria Chronicles Remastered Review
Valkyria Chronicles Remastered
Developer: SEGA
Publisher: SEGA
Platforms: PlayStation 4
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $29.99 US – Available Here $39.95 AUS – Available Here
Overview
Originally released two years after the launch of the PlayStation 3, the original Valkyria Chronicles was met with some measure of success and was even given a set of sequels for the PSP. Unfortunately the second game did poorly enough in the West that the third title in the series was never even localized. For years after fans of the original Valkyria Chronicles strategy RPG have been hoping for the series to be revitalized and after first bringing the game to the PC, Sega has now delivered Valkyria Chronicles Remastered to the PlayStation 4. The question is, does this that originally debuted back in 2008 still hold up?
Story
The story of Valkyria Chronicles Remastered primarily follows Welkin Gunther, the son of a great general, and Alicia Melchiott, a determined girl who first meets Welkin while serving as a member of the town watch and suspecting him of being an enemy. You see, the town of Bruhl exists on the border of the neutral Principality of Gallia and although they may not have aligned themselves with either of the two giant nations that exist in Europa, the Federation and the Empire, it isn’t long before they are dragged into the war that begins between these nations over the precious resource Ragnite.
When Bruhl is invaded by Federation forces, Alicia and members of the militia hold off the invading force while the civilians escape with the help of Welkin, his adopted younger sister Isara, and his father’s prototype tank, the Edelweiss, before evacuating themselves. Left with nowhere to turn, Welkin, Alicia, and Isara join up with the Gallian Militia and thanks to his father’s name and his actions in the previous battle, Welkin is assigned as the Lieutenant commander of a brand new Squad 7.
Valkyria Chronicles Remastered’s storyline holds up incredibly well by today’s standards and is almost entirely told through scenes that are spread out between the various storyline battles that will take place. This means that there are certain times that the game ends up delivering quite a bit of development while leaving the actual fighting off of the table for upwards of a half hour depending on how fast you can read.
Thankfully, as mentioned before, the storyline manages to deliver a satisfying storyline of an alternate World War scenario following a small band of fighters that grow close as they struggle against a dominating force. Outside of the main story development, players can spend a bit of in-game currency to unlock side-story content for their squad and the more the various members of your team take part in battles the more information about their histories are revealed, encouraging players to learn about their squad mates even if they might eventually fall in battle.
Gameplay
At its core Valkyria Chronicles Remastered remains untouched as far as the gameplay is concerned. This is a strategy RPG that features a turn based battle system with some real time elements mixed into the fray. Every battle players will choose which units they wish to bring into a fight, with each unit falling into a certain class type such as scouts, shocktroopers, lancers, engineers, and snipers. A few special units even add an extra “Action Point” to the player’s total. With every move taken by a unit costing one AP, these units, which are usually the characters focused on in the story such as Alicia, are often quite vital to your success.
When choosing a unit to move, players are presented with an overhead view of the battlefield through a map and when a unit is chosen, they are given direct control over that character. This allows them to move a certain distance, taking an action such as attacking, healing, etc., and then potentially moving back into cover if they still have movement points left. The thing is, whenever players move around the field they run the risk of being targeted by enemies who will begin shooting when the unit is too close to them. Generally only tanks, scouts, and shocktroopers can deal out this bonus damage but this means players will need to be extremely careful not to overextend their forces or risk losing valuable fighters.
Players can choose to select the same character multiple times though the character will have a smaller movement meter and will not have any additional ammo for their weapons. This means that while it is entirely possible to select your favorite sniper (Marina) for multiple actions, she is only given three bullets at any given time, meaning at best you’ll only have three shots in a round and any extra selections will just be used to either move her into cover or into a base.
Speaking of cover, players will need to keep a real close eye on how their characters are managed. Both allies and enemies can take cover behind sandbags and even hide in tallgrass which eliminates the option for critical headshot damage. This means that although an enemy might have been killed with two shots to the head, if they are in cover even ten headshots might not drop them. Of course using your tank or even grenades to destroy or flush them out of cover is always an option.
In fact, the versatility of Valkyria Chronicles Remastered’s battle mechanics remain as wonderful and punishing as ever. This is a game that players will need to play smart in order to succeed and it is entirely possible to have a series of bad luck ruin an entire battle for you. This is especially true since this is a game that features possible permanent death. Any time a unit is downed in the field, if an enemy touches them or they are not touched by an ally within three turns, they will die and no longer be accessible. The game does alleviate this issue slightly by allowing players to, by reaching a fallen ally, call in a medic to evacuate them, multiple times in a fight and by allowing every unit to be trained by class rather than individually trained.
Outside of combat, players can spend their earned experience points to level up the aforementioned character classes, recruit more units (who come in at the same level of your current units) to replenish a weakened squad, research better weaponry, and even partake in skirmishes to grind if you find yourself butting up against a wall. You can even challenge yourself with the various bonus content that is now included in the game, though these are extremely challenging. This is a game filled with various complex elements that will come into play and learning how to tackle them is an extremely rewarding experience and is that combat system that helped make Valkyria Chronicles so memorable.
Visuals & Audio
It is rather doubtful that back in 2008 when the original title was created that the developers believed that the art style would be still benefitting the game eight years later. By choosing to go with a watercolor anime styled presentation this title continues to look amazing by today’s standards. There are very few instances where players will notice any kind of issue with the graphics, though a few stages are a bit standard looking. The main upgrade for this release comes in the form of a constant sixty frames per second as well as the 1080p graphical upgrade and thankfully both of these help make this great looking title all the better.
As far as the soundtrack is concerned this title features quite a memorable one and as for the voice work, Valkyria Chronicles Remastered features a satisfying voice cast with plenty of voiced dialogue throughout the many cut-scenes that play throughout the game and the ruckus that is raised on the battlefield sounds great.
Overall
Valkyria Chronicles Remastered may not have much in the way of new content outside of some challenging Trophies to aim for, in reality the only new content for most will be the included DLC missions, but that doesn’t diminish the fact that this is a strategy RPG that stands the test of time and thanks to its art style and smooth gameplay mechanics, it is also one that any fans of the genre must try out. The original release may have slipped under the radar for some but now that it has arrived on the PlayStation 4, there is little reason to pass up on this title.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Trapped in another Dimension: Beautiful puzzle game Warp Shift out now on the App Store
Trapped in another Dimension: Beautiful puzzle game Warp Shift out now on the App Store
As of today, Deep Silver FISHLABS’ and ISBIT Games’ relaxing yet challenging puzzle game Warp Shift, which centers on the young girl Pi’s adventures in a parallel universe, is available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch as a premium app. An Android version follows soon.
Hamburg, Germany – May 26, 2016 – Hamburg-based publisher Deep Silver FISHLABS and Stockholm-based developer ISBIT Games celebrate the release of Warp Shift on the Apple App Store. With beautiful visuals and unique gameplay, the app adds a refreshing twist to puzzle gaming on mobile. Due to the absence of timers and countdowns, playing Warp Shift is both relaxing and absorbing. For the fixed price of USD 2.99 / EUR 2.99 / GBP 2.29, the game allows its players to embark on an audio-visual journey that stimulates the senses and challenges the mind.
Warp Shift on the App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/app/warp-shift/id1087286731
Official Story Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC6DFf6WDVM
The premise of Warp Shift follows a little girl called Pi, who is drawn into the interior of a magical construct, in which time and space no longer exist. She needs to be brave, determined and forward-thinking to break out of her prison and return back home. The players support Pi in this undertaking by reshaping the world around her on their fingertips – opening passages, creating shortcuts and removing obstacles that block the heroine’s way.
Warp Shift’s fabulous features:
- A work of art: Enjoy a mesmerizing game that stimulates your eyes, ears and brains
• Help Pi to get out: Traverse maze-like environments that change at your fingertip
• A unique kind of puzzler: Alter your surroundings to open new paths and opportunities
• From one realm to another: Explore 5 unique worlds with 15 levels each
• Ease of access: Reach your destination via taps and swipes
• No stress or hurry: Play to relax, escape and clear your mind
Warp Shift is available for download on the Apple App Store for USD 2.99 / EUR 2.99 / GBP 2.29. The game will be released on the Google Play Store in the near future.