Back in December Hideo Kojima revealed how the logo for Kojima Productions will look and now he has decided to unveil the actual character that the logo is from. The artwork, found below, portrays the full body of a character named Ludens who at the moment has not been announced for any project but this logo was revealed alongside an announcement for a PlayStation 4 exclusive.
Kojima has stated “Ludens, the icon of Kojima Productions. We’ll deliver The New Play in The New Future with the cutting-edge equipment, technology, and the frontier spirit. The gear [Ludens] is wearing is the extra-vehicular activity (EVA) creative suit.” Currently little is known about what role Ludens will play, if any at all, though it has been mentioned by Kojima in the past that there is a secret to the logo.
Battleborn’s First Free DLC Hero Launch Dated, Double XP Weekend Announced
2K and Gearbox Software announced this morning that Alani, the first of five new free playable characters for Battleborn will release on May 31st on all platforms and May 24th for both Season Pass holders and PlayStation 4 Open Beta participants. Additionally, this weekend Gearbox and 2K are hosting a Battleborn Double XP event, running from Friday, May 20th at 8am PDT to Wednesday, May 25th at 8am PDT, for players to earn twice the experience points from all Story Mode episodes and Competitive Multiplayer matches.
First discussed in detail at Gearbox Software’s panel during PAX East, Alani is a member of the Eldrid faction who was raised as a healer but forced to be a warrior, and is all that remains of her order after Rendain’s Jennerit Imperium stole the oceans from her world. As a warrior from a planet with vast seas, Alani’s attacks and abilities revolve around her power to control water to dish out pain, or heal her fellow Battleborn. At PAX East, Gearbox also teased what the other free post-launch DLC characters might look like – that image is included in the asset download link below. More details on the next DLC hero (the 27th) will be coming soon.
BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA INC. OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCES THE TEKKEN 7: THE KING OF THE IRON FIST TOURNAMENT 2016 FOR NORTH AMERICA
Get Ready for the Next Battle!
SANTA CLARA, Calif., (May 19, 2016) – Leading video game developer and publisher, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., today announced the TEKKEN 7: The King of the Iron Fist Tournament 2016 – North America, scheduled to hit major North American cities throughout the rest of the year in anticipation of the home console release of TEKKEN 7.
The TEKKEN 7: The King of the Iron Fist Tournament 2016– North America aims to bring together the top TEKKEN players from around the country for the largest ever TEKKEN tournament in North America for a knockdown, drag-out competition through 18 different cities across the United States and Canada for bragging rights and cash prizes. The nationwide tournament series is the only place in North America for fans to get their hands on the arcade version of TEKKEN 7.
“The TEKKEN series is a cornerstone of the fighting game community and continues to evolve and advance the genre forward with each installment,” said Katsuhiro Harada, Director of TEKKEN Project at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. “I’m excited to see what the North American TEKKEN community is made of as they compete over the next seven months in the TEKKEN 7: The King of the Iron Fist Tournament 2016 in North America.”
“The TEKKEN 7: The King of the Iron Fist Tournament 2016– North America series of events expands upon our tournament footprint that was set in motion earlier this year through our partnership with Wizard World Comic Cons and Gaming Tour,” said Eric Hartness, Vice President of Marketing at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. “The added reach of the TEKKEN 7: The King of the Iron Fist Tournament 2016– North America events will ensure that TEKKEN fans across the country will have an opportunity to experience the next chapter of the storied TEKKEN videogame franchise and compete for cash and glory.”
The TEKKEN 7: The King of the Iron Fist Tournament 2016– North America began on February 19, 2016 at Wizard World in Portland, OR and will continue through November 6, 2016 at the Wizard World Comic Con and Gaming Tour in Pittsburg, PA. Tournaments will be held at Wizard World Comic Con and Gaming Tour sites and key fighting game circuit cities. Each tournament event will feature a prize pool of $3,000 with a final prize pool of $20,000 at the TEKKEN 7: The King of the Iron Fist Tournament 2016– North America finals. For full tournament rules and regulations please visit
Nexon and NAT Games Reveal Heroes of Incredible Tales (HIT), the Action RPG Powered by Unreal Engine 4 Landing on Mobile Devices Worldwide this Summer
Watch the New HD Trailer of HIT, the Debut Mobile Game From the Lead Designer Behind TERA and Lineage II
EMERYVILLE, Calif. – May 19, 2016 – Nexon and NAT Games announced that Heroes of Incredible Tales (HIT), the HD hack-and-slash RPG powered by Unreal Engine 4 and topping Korean charts, will be launching worldwide this summer. HIT is the debut mobile title from the new studio NAT Games founded by Yong-Hyun Park, the renowned lead designer behind popular massively multiplayer online role playing games Lineage II and TERA. Downloaded more than 5 million times in Korea, HIT has remained in the top 10 grossing apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play since its November launch. Players can preregister for HIT to receive unique in-game rewards including gems, weapons, and accessories, and be notified when the game launches at: hitmobile.nexon.com
“HIT is a revolutionary gameplay experience that’s as fun to play as it is visually stunning. Built on Unreal 4, we are able to push today’s powerful mobile devices to deliver truly immersive, visceral gameplay,” said Lawrence Koh, General Manager at Nexon M. “Yong-Hyun Park creates incredible RPG experiences that resonate with players globally. We are very excited to bring his epic slasher to mobile devices worldwide later this year.”
HIT’s fluid and action-packed battles star four distinct classes of heroes whose armor, skills and attacks are unique and highly customizable. Players vanquish evil, with loot drops and leveling adding nuance to their hero’s combat style. With simple but lightning-fast attacks,HIT provides instantly gratifying battles. Strategic players will chain together long combos of melee, ranged and evasive maneuvers for greater rewards. HIT’s expansive game modes currently include 200 increasingly challenging levels, a six player free-for-all PvP arena, massive cooperative raids and dungeons with more content planned beyond launch.
“We’ve created HIT because it’s exactly the type of game that my team and I love to play, mixing intense and rewarding action with deep customization and an abundance of loot,” said Yong-Hyun Park, CEO of NAT Games. “It’s been absolutely amazing to see Korea embrace this game and with Nexon’s global reach, the rest of the world will soon be hacking and slashing their way through this dynamic and detailed world.”
Stay up to date on the latest HIT news by liking Nexon on Facebook, or pre-registering for the game at: hitmobile.nexon.com
About NEXON Co., Ltd. http://company.nexon.co.jp/
NEXON Co., Ltd. (“Nexon”) (3659.TO) is a worldwide leader in free-to-play online and mobile games. Founded in Korea in 1994, Nexon developed one of the world’s first graphics-based massively multiplayer online games. Nexon also pioneered the concept of microtransactions and the free-to-play business model, setting a new standard in which play is free, and users have the option to purchase in-game items to enhance their experience. Nexon currently services nearly 100 titles in more than 190 countries. The Company is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and its shares are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
About NAT Games
NAT Games has specialized in quality mobile roleplaying experiences since it was founded in 2013 by experienced RPG developers, including Park Yong-Hyun, famous for his work on the hit massively multiplayer role playing games Lineage II and TERA. NAT Games’ first mobile title HIT is a fully-3D mobile action RPG. HIT was launched in Korea on November 18, 2015. It became the top selling game in both Google Play and App Store the following day.
Fractured Space Introduces Massive Updateand Moves to Free to Play
Two Brand New Maps, Gameplay Improvements, Fly Before You Buy Ship Testing Feature& New Missions Bring Depth and Polish to Team Space Combat Game
Guildford, 19th May 2016 – Edge Case Games, developers of the team-based space combat game, Fractured Space, revealed today that the game has entered a new phase of development, adding new exciting features and moving to free to play in preparation for the full launch later this year.
The new update, which is live today, enriches the gameplay system with highly anticipated additions to the game. In addition to two new sector maps, two new ships and better game balancing, Fractured Space introduces a Drop System that offers rewards to players for a variety of in-game activities while simultaneously making the method of acquiring new crew members more satisfying. Twenty additional crew members are now available, doubling the number in the game, and Drop Pods that can unlock new crew are earned on a daily basis through the completion of games over the course of each day.
“Fractured Space is fundamentally team-based and we believe the new update will add a strong competitive element to our universe and increase accessibility to new players,” said James Brooksby, CEO of Edge Case Games. “We listen to our community and get their feedback, and this continues to help us shape the game as we move closer to full launch.”
New missions will unfold during the game and players will also be awarded with medals for special achievements, giving players new gameplay goals to aim for.
Choosing the right ship is easier than ever, thanks to the new Firing Range, where players can test any ship before purchase, together with a completely revamped new tutorial system to introduce new players to the battlefield. Even the wait before matches is improved, with a new space shooting minigame available as the 5v5 teams are assembled online.
Fractured Space is a team-based space combat game fought in gigantic capital ships with the intensity of a shooter and the big-picture-thinking of a strategy game.
Originally launched on Steam Early Access in November 2014 to critical and commercial success, Fractured Space has attracted over 500,000 players as the game continuously evolves using an open development model where the community is encouraged to talk directly to the development team, highly influencing the development of the final game.
For updates on Fractured Space please follow us on Twitter at @FracturedSpace or on Facebook.
About Edge Case Games
Formed in 2014 from the team behind the hit space game, Strike Suit Zero, Edge Case Games brings its expertise and passion for space games to its inaugural title, the tactical space MOBA, Fractured Space. Based in the development hotbed of Guildford, UK, the team is dedicated to expanding the scope and scale of space-based gaming through an open development philosophy that leverages the enthusiasm of the gaming community.
About Fractured Space Fractured Space is team-based space combat fought in gigantic capital ships with the intensity of a shooter and the big-picture-thinking of a strategy game. Fractured Space is currently available free-to-play for PC on Steam Early Access and is set for a wider free-to-play release in 2016.
It was announced via Facebook that the dubbing production company MB VoiceWorks is closing down. Company founders Melanie Ehrlich and Brittany Lauda made this decision in order to focus on their solo careers. They announced in early 2015 that they were working with Media Blasters to dub Holy Knight in English. It was the first ever dub produced in-house for Media Blasters.
Melanie will be moving to Los Angeles. She is appearing in the Hollywood film Downsizing, the Netflix series The OA and in one episode of Abso Lutely Productions’ Decker: The Series. Brittany will remain as the head of Media Blasters’ dubbing department. Brittany has worked on Fight Ippatsu! Juuden-chan!!, My Wife Is the Student Council President and some of Rio: Rainbow Gate.
Throughout the years we have seen the Hyperdimension Neptunia series stretch across numerous genres but only once have these games chosen to focus on a different heroine than Neptune herself. While Noire may have had some time to shine in her own strategy game, it is time for Blanc to step up to the plate with an action game similar in many ways to Hyperdimension Neptunia U. So now that MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies has been released in the West, is it worth your time?
Story
In an effort to keep things feeling fresh, this time around MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies is set in Gamicademi. This happens to be a high school like setting that the goddesses and their younger sisters have chosen to attend in an effort to try and learn more about living as a human and understand their followers a bit better. The only problem is, despite the cute girls joining the school the nation (just like Japan) is suffering from population decline and school enrollment is at an all-time low.
Due to the low number of attendees, the school is set to be closed at the end of the year and just like a certain idol anime series, these girls refuse to sit around and let the school they’ve grown attached to be shut down. Initially Blanc only concerns herself with reading every book in the library before the school is shut down, but after hearing the cries of her young sisters, Ram and Rom, she stumbles across zombies.
After dispatching these strange enemies, Blanc learns that they were simply extras in Neptune’s plan to film a zombie flick in order to help make the school popular and raise the attendance rate. In an effort to not only help the school but also fulfill her desire to be a writer, Blanc steps into the heroine role by taking on every role, including main heroine, director, and screenwriter, in order to produce a film that goes completely off the rails thanks to the fact that almost immediately after making this decision, the school is actually invaded by hordes of undead.
As is standard with this series, the humor comes at a rapid fire pace as numerous parodies are made of not only the franchise but also other series that are related to the premise, the industry in general, and of course plenty of references to pop culture. The humor remains a top-notch aspect of the game though it does appear to be a bit less funny this time around, though mostly because of just how ridiculous the characters end up reacting to the way the story progresses. The characters continue to make jabs at one another while they fill in their own roles that are far removed from the standard fair that fans are used to.
There are even bonus bits of dialogue that players can unlock in an effort to encourage players to replay levels more than once. You see, when selecting a “cut” to play through players will select two girls to play as and occasionally there will be specific events that will play out when the right pairs are selected, such as choosing to fight as Ram and Rom or Nepgear and the new character Tamsoft. This new character serves as a fun little addition to the roster that features nearly all of the main characters in the series, including the return of Peashy, Megadimension’s Uzume, as well as Famitsu and Dengekiko, though fans of IF and Compa may be disappointed to hear that they are not playable this time around.
Gameplay
As mentioned before, for every battle players will select two characters to bring into the fight and while some characters are unavailable from the start, they will be available very quickly as MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies is not a very long title. One thing that does add some longevity to this game is how every character has their own unique fighting style and set of special attacks to learn.
Combat is handled in a predictable fashion with light and heavy attacks being mixed together with combos, a small SP gauge used for skill attacks, and an EXE gauge that fills up by dealing and receiving damage. The controls will likely be a bit of a mess at first as the game provides a few cluttered tutorial screens explaining how to perform various EXE attacks which range from transforming into the character’s HDD or advanced form, unleashing a devastating Lily Attack skill that deals more damage the higher the Lily rank is between partners, and more.
It doesn’t take too long to master this after a bit of trial and error but there really isn’t much room for trial here, nor room for error but not in the way you would usually expect. I say that because this is an incredibly easy game to make your way through, with some battles lasting a mere fifteen seconds. This means that the loading time can occasionally be longer than the actual fight you’ll be dropped into. Obviously bringing in under leveled fighters to grind or provide yourself more of a challenge is an option but for the most part players will be clearing levels with no problem. The only real challenge comes in the forms of boss battles with foes that are usually quite large and can actually dish out some dangerous levels of damage if you aren’t careful.
While the core game is unfortunately not very long due to the shorter nature of levels, players are encouraged to replay to uncover aforementioned bonus scenes as well as items that can unlock bonus costumes for their characters. The title is also extended by including a highly enjoyable multiplayer mode that pits up to four players against the undead in a set of brand new missions and enemies that won’t be found in the single player. As such taking on some of the more difficult foes with other players is an absolute blast, though it is possible to do these missions solo if you’ve leveled enough.
Visuals & Audio
Placing everyone’s favorite Neptunia characters and placing them in a school setting has given the developers an excuse to give every character in the game a breezy school girl outfit that provides plenty of fan service, though considering the cloth ripping is out players don’t have to worry about things appearing too fan-service heavy outside of a few bonus CGs. There are various costumes to unlock and the designs of the HDD forms remain the same as before and it is worth noting that while a number of enemies have been redesigned to look zombie themed, a number of them have simply been transitioned over with little reason.
As far as the voice work is concerned, fans will be happy to hear that the English voice cast for the characters continue to handle the characters extremely well and considering how long they’ve been voicing these girls, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. What does come off a bit surprising however are certain bonus scenes that can be unlocked that are presented in Japanese only. The soundtrack for the title is fairly standard fair and doesn’t appear to add much to the experience outside of a catchy opening theme.
Overall
MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies is Blanc’s time to take the spotlight and unfortunately for her it also comes with one of the shortest stories in the entire series. The game features a solid combat system with fluid combo systems and incredibly flashy moves but battles often end all too quickly. That being said, those who are fans of the girls will still find the same charming humor and character interaction taking place in a fresh setting with a title that ends up being a flawed but fun brawler. Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Capcom is continuing with their series of interviews talking with members of the Resident Evil development staff in order to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Resident Evil series and today they have released the fourth video.
While the first video happened to be with Hiroyuki Kobayashi, then the second video focused with Resident Evil 0 director Koji Oda, and the third interview focused on Masacika Kawata, this fourth video interviews both Michiteru Okabe and Yasuhiro Anpo. The pair have worked on producing the games in the Revelations series and discuss how the series was created, what they had in mind when developing the title, and how they chose to focus on beloved characters from the series.
Overfall is rogue-like turn-based RPG starring two heroes seeking their lost king. With death being permanent and new items, classes, and skills being unlocked all the time, players can expect short runs of up to five hours through a world embroiled in conflict. Not only will players need to be able to fight their way out of trouble, they will also need to be able to talk their way out if they are to survive.
Story
The game kicks off with a short introduction to the two heroes’ goal of finding their lost king. They are then popped onto a ship and then the world up for exploration. Those expecting an experience along the lines of the grand open world RPGs with a big overarching plot supporting by a swarm of side quests will come away disappointed. As a rogue-like title, the overall plot is more of an open ended sort of affair that revolves more around the story the player creates as they adventure. Players will bump into a ton of quests throughout their playthroughs of Overfall and discover some really charming and smart writing delivered in short and succinct bites. I am extremely impressed that Pera Games brought veteran video game writer Chris Avallone (Planescape: Torment, Fallout: New Vegas) to create a style guide to help community members to add their own quests to the game using the included story builder. It is thoughtfully written and will have people writing excellent content in no time.
Gameplay
Overfall is broken up into two main parts. To travel around the world, players hop on their trusty ship and sail around the procedurally generated map filled with islands and other boats. Both islands and other boats will have encounters for the players. Some encounters can be solved with a little bit of talking, while others must be solved with violence. The player’s actions will have far reaching consequences. Choosing to support one race over another will build goodwill with one and can create enemies with another. The diplomacy is a pretty straight forward affair, but it does add an interesting wrinkle to each playthrough.
During encounters, players will meet with a variety of NPCs with potential quests, some sort of event, or a service like a shop. Conversations are brief and players are almost always provided an exit plan in case they need to avoid combat, which is a life saver for a rogue-like title. Combat will be immediately familiar to anyone who has played a tactical RPG. Characters maneuver on a field of hexes. Each turn consists of three actions: movement, utility, and combat. It is easy enough to learn the basics of the system, though mastering it is a little tougher due to how many conditions fly around during combat. The controls are solid as they are simple and intuitive.
Players start the game with two heroes. As more playthroughs are completed, players are rewarded with new items, skills, and classes they can start new games with. Two extra companions can be brought along on the adventure, but these party members will need to be found in the world.
Death is permanent for companions. Players are given a little extra leeway with the two main heroes as they can be revived at the alter with a rune. Combined with three difficulty levels, players of all skill level can pick up Overfall and start enjoying themselves quickly. Being a rogue-like, losing all your characters means it is game over. Much like the plot, there is very little direction given in the game. Instead, players are plopped on the map and left to their own devices with the exception of a few tutorials here or there. Those who need some direction in games or not particularly fond of experimentation will need to get a little help from wikis and guides to get their footing.
Overfall left Steam Early Access with a story builder. It is an easy to use tool that helps players write, design, and share their own quests. Aspiring modders will be able to create quests within minutes of cracking open the story builder. The UI is simple enough that wading through the style guide will probably be the biggest challenge in creating new content for Overfall. Considering the rogue-like nature of the game, giving the community a chance to add content to the game is probably the smartest thing Pera Games could have done to keep the game fresh.
Visuals
Overfall’s animations are quite simple, with parts pivoting on a small number of joins in an almost South Park-like style. Normally, the animations would look quite awful, but it is really charming and unique when paired with the game’s storybook-like two dimensional art style. On the technical side, the game is not particularly demanding and should run well even on laptops and low end computers.
Audio
Overfall has a good audio experience. The sound effects are solid. The soundtrack is the standard epic fantasy fare. It is a good soundtrack, though nothing Earth shattering or unforgettable.
Overall
Overfall is a solid rogue-like RPG. The game’s story is designed well for the rogue-like mechanics and the addition of the community story builder tools is brilliant way to ensure fresh content across multiple playthroughs. The audio/visual presentation is excellent. The gameplay mechanics are extremely tight and easily picked up. I wish the game gave a little more guidance to new players, as I personally felt that I was just dropped into the middle of the sea of Overfall right out of the gate. Good thing Overfall is worth that extra effort to push past that initial drift.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Sega has detailed their plans for 7th Dragon III: Code VFD‘s post release DLC. The title is currently set to be released on July 12th in North America and the first piece of downloadable content won’t cost a dime as it will be a free in-game item that will be available at launch. This item is called the “Nagamimi Doll” and will provide players with “unique voice interactions” between the doll and their chosen voice actor. Other DLC will be released at launch and this includes various ways to help players gain XP or money, or tackle new challenges.
The full list of DLC for 7th Dragon III: Code VFDcan be found below, though it is worth noting that the “To My Beloved Unit 13” mission will only be available once players finish the game.
Bonus Item: Nagamimi Doll
Price: Free
Availability: July 12, 2016
Description: Obtain a talking Nagamimi bunny doll in your apartment!
Quest: Seed Outbreak!
Price: $1.49 / CA$1.99
Availability: July 12, 2016
Description: Encounter Dragonsbane Seeds for extra XP and money.
Quest: Gold Rabi Outbreak!
Price: $1.49 / CA$1.99
Availability: July 12, 2016
Description: Encounter Gold Rabis for extra XP and money.
Quest: Code: Student!
Price: $1.99 / CA$2.49
Availability: July 19, 2016
Description: Recruit the Samurai character from 7th Dragon 2020
Quest: Code: Otaku!
Price: $1.99 / CA$2.49
Availability: July 19, 2016
Description: Recruit the Hacker character from 7th Dragon 2020
Quest: Code: Lucier!
Price: $1.99 / CA$2.49
Availability: July 26, 2016
Description: Recruit the Lucier character from 7th Dragon 2020-II
Quest: To My Beloved Unit 13 (Post-Game Only)
Price: $1.49 / CA$1.99
Availability: July 26, 2016
Description: Prepare for post-game. Unlock ultimate weapons for all classes and a “Blaster Raven” character
Quest: Allie’s Death March
Price: $1.49 / CA$1.99
Availability: July 26, 2016
Description: A test for the bravest dragon hunters, beware. Unlock a boss rush of nearly every encounter in the game pumped up to max level. EXTREME!
