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!
After waiting for over a decade, it is still somewhat hard to believe that Final Fantasy XV finally has a set release date and while we are still waiting for that September 30th release to come around, Square Enix has decided to give fans a glimpse of the many places that they will be able to explore. The company has decided to release an environmental footage trailer for Final Fantasy XV to show off the diversity of Eos from bustling city streets, to the open roads and endless desert and plains.
Players will journey across oceans, through dense jungle and forests, into dark and mysterious caves and across snow peaked mountains in a land rich with wildlife and wonder.
Gust released the most recent Atelier title back in November 2015 and while Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book is about to make its way over to the West with an early June release planned, we have heard very little about what to expect from the company in the future. Well thanks to Games Talk and a leak from 7net Shopping, it has been revealed that the June 9th issue of Dengeki PlayStation, which will be released on May 26th, will feature the reveal of the next game in the Atelier franchise.
No details about what to expect have been revealed so far though it is possible that Koei Tecmo might announce the title on their own before the magazine is released in Japan.
With the first piece of major Fallout 4DLC arriving today, Bethesda has released a three and a half minute long video highlighting everything that Far Harbor has to offer while also providing viewers with a look behind the scenes. The DLC takes place on an island separated from the Commonwealth and allows players a chance to explore an entirely brand new area and encounter a number of new foes while also acquiring various pieces of new equipment and weaponry.
You can check out the video below and as for the DLC, it has been released today on May 19th for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC and is included in the season pass for the game and will be sold separately.
Champ Man 16 European Championships update available now
New European Championship mode available now on the AppStore and Google Play
LONDON, UK – 19th May 2016: Champ Man 16, the hugely successful mobile football management sim, has been updated today with the all new European Championship mode. The free to play mobile title, available on the Apple & Google app stores, now gives fans the chance to take charge of a national team and lead them to European Championship glory.
With 31 nations to choose from including England, Scotland & Wales, players can now test their skills managing a squad of 23 international superstars. Test your squad with a series of warm-up matches and then battle through the excitement of the group and knockout stages to be crowned champions of Europe.
Champ Man 16 delivers more excitement and in-depth gameplay than ever before, as well as the longest ever playable game in the mobile series to date. Experience the emotion and tension of what it takes to be a real football manager with Champ Man 16, the ultimate football package.
Key Features:
NEW! European Championship Mode – manage one of 31 European national teams and take them to European Championship glory. Warm up with friendly matches and then battle through group and knockout stages to lift the cup.
20 Playable Seasons – The longest ever playable CM game on mobile
Managerial Job Vacancies – You can receive job offers from other clubs in recognition of your management abilities, so browse and apply for available jobs across the footballing world.
More Countries, more leagues, more competitions – There are now 25 playable leagues across 15 countries with tens of thousands of real world players available. Australian and Singapore leagues are also playable, with South American and Asian Champions Cups included alongside the European Champions cup.
Brand New Objectives system – The new objectives system leads you round the features of the game and helps you on the way to glory.
Improved Match Engine – Disallowed goals, improved commentary timing and new match highlight graphics
Now is the time to live the dream and take control of your club or country. Download Champ Man 16 today and experience the emotion, tension and glory of being a real football manager in this exciting Free to Play offering from Square Enix!
For more information visit:
About Square Enix, Inc.
Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix Group. The Square Enix Group operates a global network of leading development studios and boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property, including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 110 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST, which has sold over 66 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 45 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
More information on Square Enix, Inc. can be found at http://www.square-enix.com .
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.
Over 40,000 people in attendance at tank-filled event
19 May, 2016 – Wargaming’s sponsorship of the annual historical and cultural event, Ironfest in Lithgow, New South Wales, went off with a bang, with over 40,000 tickets sold for the two-day event from the 15th – 17th of April.
Wargaming’s sponsorship allowed Ironfest organisers to bring an additional armoured vehicle from Brisbane for the 20th Century re-enactment event. This year’s battle showcased a number of historical tanks including the M3A1 Stuart Light Tank, M5 International Half Track, Ferret Scout Car Mark I, Ferret Scout Car Mark II, Vixen Experimental Scout Car, Saladin Medium Reconnaissance Vehicle (wheeled), Saracen Armoured Personnel Carrier (wheeled), FV 432 Armoured Personnel Carrier (tracked), among others.
Spectators and those involved in the re-enactment were excited by the historical tanks as they were able to witness a war battle first hand, which added to the authenticity of the event.
Todd Vail, President of the Australian Armoured Vehicle Association, said the additional tanks further added realism to the battle. “We couldn’t see out but it was very noisy, very stressful and very smoky. We created real firepower using blank ammunition…it was as loud as real ammunition,” said Mr Vail.
“It’s amazing to see the passion and dedication of the community involved in this year’s Ironfest, who like Wargaming, have a strong fascination with military history. I’m honoured that Wargaming’s sponsorship was able to positively impact the success of the event,” said Jasper Nicholas, General Manager, Wargaming Asia.
“As our community continues to grow and thrive within Australia, we will look to continue to sponsor local events which engage and educate about military history,” concluded Jasper.
Ironfest follows Wargaming’s donation of an AC1 Sentinel, one of only six Australian-made, WWII tanks left in existence, to the Australian Armour and Military Museum in Cairns earlier this year. The tank has since been restored by the museum, and is now available for public viewing.
Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher and one of the leaders in the free-to-play MMO market. Founded as a privately held company in 1998, Wargaming has shipped more than 15 titles. Currently, Wargaming is focused on its team-based MMO war series dedicated to the mid-20th century warfare that include the armoured World of Tanks, the flight combat World of Warplanes, and the naval World of Warships. The three intertwined titles form a common gaming universe integrated within the portal www.wargaming.net.
As part of its multiplatform line-up, the company has introduced World of Tanks on Xbox and World of Tanks Blitz on mobiles, tablets and Windows 10 PCs. Launched in 2014 and 2015, World of Tanks on Xbox introduced epic tank-on-tank battles to console gamers and offers the first cross-platform gaming experience between Xbox 360 and Xbox One. In 2016, Wargaming released World of Tanks for Sony’s PlayStation®4, continuing its console campaign.
