After numerous delays it seems that Mighty No. 9 may finally have its last release date. Today Comcept and Deep Silver have announcedthat development for Mighty No. 9 has been completed and that they are planning on releasing the game for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U, and PC in North America on June 21 and worldwide on June 24 with the planned 3DS and Vita versions coming out sometime in the future.
Despite the fact that this is around the third or fourth time that Mighty No. 9 has been given a release window, the statement from the company is saying that not only has the game “gone gold” but that the release date is “set in stone” and will no longer be delayed.
After a leak yesterday took the wind out of their sails Activision has decided to officially announce Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare with a fancy new trailer showing off what fans can expect of the futuristic shooter that will be taking the action to space this time around. The company also revealed that there will be a special version of the game that comes with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered which has the full campaign as well as ten multiplayer maps from the original release.
The standard version that only features Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is priced at $59.99 US / $99.95 AUS while the Legacy Edition containing both titles costs $79.99 US / 129.95 AUS. For those who want to drop a bit of extra money, a Digital Deluxe Edition costing $99.99 US / $149.95 AUS will contain both games as well as the season pass and a $119.99 US / $169.95 AUS Legacy Pro Edition comes with the games, season pass, collectible steelbook case, game soundtrack, and yet unrevealed digital items.
In some unfortunate news for fans of cross-over RPGs, Project X Zone appears to have been completely removed from the Nintendo 3DS eShop in North America as well as Europe. Bandai Namco has yet to release a statement regarding the removal of the digital version of the game but those who have already purchased the title digitally will still be able to download the game through their 3DS’ history.
That being said, Project X Zone‘s physical release is still available through numerous retailers both new and used though anyone hoping to get the title digitally appears to be out of luck. This news is a bit surprising considering Project X Zone 2 was only just released in the West a few months ago though all signs are pointing towards licensing issues.
Earlier this year NIS America announced that they would be localizing Touhou Genso Rondo: Bullet Ballet for release in the West, marking the first official English release for a Touhou Project game since the franchise began. Now the company has announced that they are going to not only be giving the game a physical and digital release that has now been slated for September 6th in North America and September 9th in Europe for the PlayStation 4 priced at $29.99 but that they are also going to be offering a special $49.99 limited edition.
Over the last couple of months we have seen The Walking Dead: Michonne tell us a rather underwhelming tale following one of the most popular characters of the franchise. Now with everything coming to an end with this final episode, how will Michonne’s short side-story come to a conclusion in What We Deserve?
Story
Like past reviews for episodic titles, those who have yet to play the first two episodes in the series will likely want to steer clear of the review or risk spoiling themselves on certain events that have occurred over the course of the first two games. It is also worth noting that those who haven’t been keeping up with the original comics still do not have to worry about any spoilers for the main storyline.
With that out of the way, The Walking Dead: Michonne – What We Deserve starts out with a little deviation from the formula by taking players on a few minute flashback to “two weeks earlier” in the story where we see Michonne shortly after she joins Pete and the rest of the crew on their boat. After that brief respite from the current danger, the story resumes with Michonne having to make some difficult decisions as Norma and her gang are closing in and with the lives of everyone in the new group hanging in the balance, there are some decisions and negotiations to be made.
Regardless of how you chose to end things with Randall at the end of the second episode, players will proceed down a path where they will need to negotiate with Norma in order to put an end to the conflict between her group and Michonne’s as well as save some fresh hostages. Most of the time in this episode is spent leading up to the negotiations as players talk with the children of Sam’s household who are struggling now with not only the loss of their older brother but also their father. This leads to a few emotional moments that for once actually do manage to have some impact though this is primarily due to the fact that Michonne’s haunted mind is at its worst in this episode.
Throughout the series so far we have watched Michonne suddenly flash back to her old life and chase after the shadowy phantoms of her young daughters and this episode brings that to the forefront. Walking around the house only for the daughters to suddenly shift into existence and run from room to room had me on edge and thanks to the fact that almost everyone Michonne has left to work with are children as young as her daughters were, the parallels presented are fairly clear.
This means that Michonne continues to shine as the star character here and thanks to the way her haunted past continues to rise up and is finally confronted at the end of the episode (albeit through an obvious one-sided choice) players will have some conclusion here. Outside of Michonne’s own personal struggles What We Deserve has to also wrap up the rest of the storyline and unfortunately other than a few emotional moments with the children, players can’t expect too much in this regard thanks to the fact that the game forces players into conflict.
No matter how well players handle their negotiation with Norma and even if they successfully complete an exchange where everyone could walk away peacefully, the characters decide to plunge themselves into a battle that makes up the second half of the episode and runs all the way to the end of the episode. It is obvious that players simply cannot avoid the fight thanks to the way that so many of the later story developments and the end of the episode play out as none of them would even have appeared if everything went smoothly.
This lack of an actual decision is disappointing but unfortunately not that unexpected and even player choices earlier in the series only have minimal impact in this episode as certain characters that may have been spared or brought with you will be appearing where they otherwise wouldn’t. As for the decisions in this episode, players cannot expect much in the way of any meaningful choices outside of whether or not they are feeling merciful an the final choice.
Gameplay
The Walking Dead: Michonne – What We Deserve is clearly divided down the middle as far as gameplay is concerned. For the first half of the episode players will be taking part in various conversations like usual and exploring more of the house that they have taken refuge in while preparing for the meeting with Norma. After this sequence the game then focuses almost entirely on quick time event based action sequences as Michonne kills various enemies, dodges bullets, and navigates a dangerous environment.
It is worth noting that outside of one specific combat sequence, even the violence that Michonne is so skilled at dishing out has been dulled in this episode as most kills this time are done through simple gunshots than anything else.
Visuals & Audio
Outside of a few small rooms that can now be explored in this episode, players won’t be visiting any new areas in the third episode and while the comic art style continues to work well with the series, especially when one gory death is handled expertly, the game suffers from numerous moments of slowdown even during the simplest looking scenes.
The voice actors for the series continue to handle their roles well with Samira Wily serving as a convincing Michonne while the soundtrack features the same standard tunes we have heard so far while including a very creepy sounding song that players can choose to activate on a record player. In a rather strange choice, the song that plays over the final credit sequences concludes a solid minute before the credits finish rolling, leaving players in silence.
Overall
What We Deserve does wrap up the story in an action-packed, albeit forced, manner that will likely leave many feeling alright, but far from satisfied. Considering the fact that Telltale Games had to work with a character that is established in the core story of a franchise and is still alive it was obvious that they only had so much they could do with The Walking Dead: Michonne. This means that while players can learn about the history of her family, she ends up almost literally right back where she started as Michonne stares off into the distance and chooses to return while the uninspiring side characters that have been introduced go off on their own.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Kiss goodbye to April showers by kicking off May with a brand new Every Monday Bundle. Indie Gala and Capsule Computers have packed seven indie games in this week’s bundle for only $1.49.
Bipolar Game – A puzzle game based on magnets pushing and pulling the player.
Infinite Shooter – A top down arcade shoot ’em up full of weapons, ships, power ups, and epic boss fights.
BitRay – A simple physics-based puzzle game that challenges players to knock the red block off the platform without knocking off the white block.
Tales Across Time – A story driven RPG from the creator of 8-Bit Adventures: The Forgotten Journey.
Militia – A turn based strategy game that is designed to be short, easy to learn, and challenging to master.
Spectrubes – A retro styled puzzle game that puts players in control of multiple cubes at once, each responding differently to the player’s controls.
Gravity Den – A platformer featuring a control mechanism that lets players reverse gravity at will.
For the first 24 hours of the sale, the entire bundle is only $1.49, so grab your copy at Indie Gala before the price goes up.
Be a Mayor Player – Political savvy takes centre stage in the new simulation title from Fragment Productions
May 2016– Kalypso Media today announces the new IP Urban Empire – Ever looked out at your town or city and thought about what you’d do if you were in charge? Of course you have, but running a city involves far more than building a few roads and buildings, right? Well forget about city builders, because Kalypso Media is thrilled to announce its brand-new city ruler – Urban Empire, developed by Fragment Productions.
Urban Empire is the pioneer of a new breed of strategy games that combines city builder features with political scheming and adds 200 years of historical progress into the mix, creating a whole new gameplay experience where players must employ strategic planning and political savvy to successfully grow their cities in their role as Mayor.
Take control of a mayoral dynasty at the start of the Industrial Age. Establish infrastructures, plan city districts, debate political decisions at the town council, bribe or blackmail your opponents, empower the democratic rights of your people or ignore them and reign supremely by yourself – the decision is yours! Master the challenges of 200 years of societal changes: face political struggles, experience world-changing events and pioneering inventions, and eventually, Be a Mayor Player and create your very own Urban Empire!
Watch the Urban Empire teaser trailer on YouTube here:
City Ruler, not City Builder:Urban Empire offers a unique combination of classic city building and political management gameplay. Take on the role of a mayor, be a political mastermind and prove your skills by prevailing against opposing parties and guiding your city through technological evolutions and ideological revolutions.
Choose from 4 ruling families with 5 characters each, like the equal rights and social justice advocates the Kilgannons, or the Sant’Elias, who focus on scientific progress and the pursuit of knowledge.
Create and manage city districts on a large scale and fulfil your citizens’ needs – such as happiness, safety, and public services.
Introduce new ideas and technologies, like the electric tram, antibiotics or video games and use your power to convince the city council of your political agenda.
Up to 800 dynamic events represent the twists and turns of urban life: make and influence decisions on issues such as women’s rights, the hippie movement, and child labour.
Urban Empire is slated for release on PC in Q3 2016.
About The Kalypso Media Group The Kalypso Media Group is a global, independent developer, marketer and publisher of interactive entertainment software with over 120 employees worldwide with 8 offices across Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. Kalypso Media also enjoys very strong global digital distribution through its Kalypso Media Digital Ltd. subsidiary, owns three development studios – Realmforge Studios GmbH, Gaming Minds Studios GmbH and Skilltree Studios GmbH – and works with multiple leading independent developers. In 2015, Kalypso Media Mobile was founded in Hamburg, Germany to deliver great games globally for mobile devices.
Kalypso Media‘s titles include the critically acclaimed Tropico 3, Tropico 4, Tropico 5 (PC, Xbox 360, PS4), Sins of a Solar Empire (Europe and Asia), Dungeons and Dungeons 2. Upcoming titles include Tropico 5 (Xbox One), Dungeons 2 (PS4), Blackguards – Definitive Edition (PS4, Xbox One) and Urban Empire (PC). Further information about Kalypso Media is available at http://www.kalypsomedia.com About Fragment Production Ltd Fragment Production Ltd. is a privately owned, strategy and simulation game development studio located in Tampere, the fastest-growing hub of the Finnish game industry. Its key personnel are experienced developers, with track record of more than 30 titles for mobile, console and PC platforms.
About Mindscape Asia Pacific Mindscape Asia Pacific Pty Ltd, is Australia’s leading publisher and distributor of kids, NextGen games and home and business software for Computers, Nintendo, Playstation, XBox and online platforms. The company’s portfolio of award-winning products include Acronis, Alawar Entertainment, Anuman Interactive, Broderbund, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Hoyle Games, Idea Factory, IMSI Design, iolo, Kalypso, Konami, Legacy Games, Nancy Drew, Nuance, PopCap, Punch, Rising Star Games, Roxio, The Learning Company, The Fighter Collection, Universal Music and Zemana. www.mindscape.com.au
Housemarque is well known when it comes to creating enjoyable arcade style shooters such as Super Stardust HD and Resogun and the company is back once more with what they do best. After releasing a twin-stick shooter Dead Nation once more onto the PlayStation 4, the company is back with a more sci-fi apocalyptic game with Alienation. Described as a “spiritual successor” to the zombie shooter, is Alienation worth your time?
Story
For quite some time now aliens have been making their presence known on Earth but humanity was kept in the dark as the governments of the world covered up incidents. The time for secrecy soon came to an end however as the alien invasion grew out of control and the world began to fall apart. As such the United World Governments have banked on creating “mechanized infantry” with exoskeletons providing soldiers with special abilities that allow them to stand up to the Xeno enemies that have infested the world.
For the most part Alienation tells its story through small snippets as players travel across the world to various hotspots of activity in an effort to push back the Xenos and try to save the world but the story tends to fade off into the background most of the time especially since those who choose to focus solely on completing it will end up completing the core storyline within a few hours. Completing Alienation will power up enemies and multiple runs through the game in a freshly strengthened world offer more rewards and opportunities to take advantage of.
Gameplay
Alienation plays like many would expect from a twin-stick shooter with tight controls and easy to use skills to take the fight to the almost constant barrage of enemies that will be appearing before you. Players will encounter plenty of standard cannon fodder enemies in the forms of zombie-like Mutants that can appear in swarming hordes as random events, small bugs that spawn from lava spewing eggs that dissolve into lava upon death, and then there are enemies that are a bit more threatening than the aforementioned which can usually be dropped with one or two bulltes.
These foes can range from snipers that take aim from off the screen with reticles that players will need to avoid, shielded turrets and enemies that can be circumvented for the best damage or simply powered through, and plenty of other foes that range from incredibly deadly to simply tricky to take down. Everything that goes down in Alienation feels incredibly fast paced and players will often find themselves having to quickly avoid enemy fire, dodging melee fighters, all while shooting while also making sure you aren’t caught in the blast radius of anything volatile that may be caught in the crossfire and explode.
There are three class types that players can choose between when starting their battle against the alien menace. These classes are varied well enough with each one offering special bonuses such as being faster and able to heal, absorb more damage and dish out more damage while also protecting others, and even being able to call in massive damage. As you play through the game you will level up and gain the ability to upgrade your class’ skill tree which is made up of active skills that work off a cooldown and passive abilities. None of these skills are locked in stone and can be modified at any time so players can feel free to experiment, but unfortunately these classes are rather simplistic as they don’t really change too much even when you hit max level.
The other aspect of combat is of course all of the shiny loot that players will be acquiring. When taking down foes and opening chests in the field players will find plenty of weapons and grenades/mines/etc. that can be equipped. As one would expect with this style of loot system, everything comes in various color shades such as green, blue, purple, and orange to show how fancy something is. Many higher rarity weapons will even have slots that can be modified with cores that are also dropped from enemies and acquired from chests.
Players can opt to slot in cores of the same color for special bonuses or simply choose what fits their gun the best and once more these can be removed without any major loss and added to other weapons if you find something better. You can even choose to re-roll the stats of most weapons through resources that are usually gained from scrapping gear that you’ve found useless. Even low level cores can be combined together to create a higher level core that will provide a bigger boost to a weapon.
Unfortunately, the entire customization aspect and concept of acquiring fancier weaponry is hampered by the fact that not only does every weapon of the same type look the exact same (minus a few color changes) but they also rarely offer anything special outside of higher stats. Some weapons can unlock the ability to chain lightning between struck foes or even create a boomerang that’ll ricochet around but for the most part you’ll simply be comparing numbers between weapons that all look the same.
Most of the missions players engage in will drop them in an extremely large level with players traveling between revival points as they travel towards their objectives. You can choose to destroy your respawn points for a chance at gaining better gear drops but this also means you’ll respawn much farther back if you happen to die. Death will also serve as a reset to the player’s XP multiplayer which builds up to higher multipliers the more enemies you kill and the longer you survive.
While traveling through these stages players will find that enemies generally spawn randomly around the map and there will even be some special mini-bosses and events that occur from time to time. These are completely optional but provide unique bonuses when defeated. There are even special keys that can be obtained to enter high-level zones where great rewards can be found but not only will players be left with one life in these zones, the enemies will also be incredibly difficult.
As such it is best to tackle these areas with the game’s fun little co-op mode that allows for drop-in and drop-out allies to join you in missions. When selecting a mission to play you’ll be presented with a list of players also undergoing that mission and you can opt to join them in their mission. There is also the option to invade another player’s game and actually attack them, though this system is entirely optional and players can turn it off entirely if they don’t want someone, who can be potentially very high-leveled, coming in and dropping them in one shot. The action that players will witness while playing with allies in co-op is truly something glorious but it is rather unfortunate that Housemarque has chosen to not include local co-op of any kind which is a big disappointment since this seems like the perfect title for to sit down with a friend and play.
Visuals & Audio
Alienation plays with a top-down style of camera and this provides players with a great view of a battlefield that is littered with wreckage that can often be destroyed and numerous glowing enemies that players will need to take down. The company has really embraced the neon aspect of the game with nearly everything that moves glowing fluorescently while fighting. This creates an extremely polished feeling world that, even when tons of action was happening with multiple players on screen, never experienced any element of slowdown.
It is worth noting that although the levels are rather large in Alienation, there are only a handful of different locations to actually explore which means that players will begin to grow rather weary of seeing the same environments considering how this game is meant to be played numerous times in a row. As far as the soundtrack goes, Alienation features a fitting collection of background music that works well with the action and the entire game is presented with fully voiced characters that inform the player of their objective.
Overall
Alienation may have a few faults when it comes to keeping players interested in the weapons they are getting outside of dealing more damage and the fact that local co-op has been ignored is a disappointing loss but this does little to affect the fact that this is an extremely fun and fast paced twin-stick shooter that will keep players coming back thanks to its well-crafted gameplay mechanics to try out the various classes and strengthen their favorite as well as hop online and cause havoc with others around the world. Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
The mental illness continues, in this, the second part of the Total War to control Europe. Tonight we meet our plucky heroes as they deal with the immediate aftermath of declaring war on the entire world all at once. What can possibly go wrong? How many men can the other European powers possibly dress up in a uniform and give a musket? Will my PC manage to render the immense smoke walls that this game creates? All these answers, and more, lie ahead…. Refresh your memory of part onehere.
April 1805 Friedrich
There has been little time for writing in these cold months. Europe has been a whirling cyclone, centered on Berlin. Enemies advance on all sides: from the north, the Swedes, from the east the Russians, from the south the Austrians and our ex-allies in Dresden and Essen. The west is quiet for now, the Frisians and Bavarians choosing to bide their time. Luckily not all has been ill news. With a new use for the army it has been reformed into main forces – one with the objective of striking north and securing Denmark and the North Sea/Baltic Sea channel. The second is to hold the eastern front against the Russians and Austrians: make them bleed for every foot of Polish ground they claim. The east is a lost cause, it would take a miracle to stop the Russian bear. Hopefully Blucher winds up dead somewhere in the frost.
Blessings be upon God, for I managed to convince the Kaiser to put me in command of the northern army. He perhaps suspects I do not want a part in this insanity, especially not to the degree of that choleric madman Blucher, but he saw fit to put me in command of our attacking force. Perhaps I can avoid leading it to ruin, and securing our northern borders against aggression. I’ve already been forced to fight off a large Swedish army that saw fit to besiege Schwerin shortly after we captured the city, and I now find myself camped less than a day’s march from Copenhagen itself. With Sweden’s army destroyed, a swift campaign north to seize their centers of production and recruitment will keep them off balance and mean I can return home within the year. Hopefully to convince Frederick to put an end to this idea and sue for peace.
So there is a clear account for future generations: German forces pulled out of the Cleves pocket in order to better defend Hannover. Schwerin captured. Large Swedish army destroyed near Schwerin in late February. Copenhagen besieged. Denmark on the run. The nations in the Lowlands keep their heads…low.
Blucher
None are more loyal to Germany than myself, and Kaiser Frederick has seen fit to reward this loyalty with command of the entire eastern front! The Russians and Austrians will come to fear my name, and fear the tread of the soldiers of the fatherland. They have already tasted defeat: a large force attempted to take Warsaw in February, but with my combined forces they were destroyed utterly. Many a Russian was introduced to which end of the musket was the killing end – a fact they seemed to require much help with. Meanwhile Austria sits to the south, too timid to seize any sort of opportunity. They’re no threat. Beyond them lies the Ottoman Empire. They sleep yet, and I know not whether they’re a threat or not. For now they are too far away to concern myself with. Greater honour lies close at hand.
I have split my forces between Konigsberg and Warsaw, while recruiting from both. I know the Kaiser instructed me to only hold the line, but the best defense is a good offense! Come the summer my soldiers will roll over the Neman River and set the Russia bear in chains. At first when I was shown to my posting in the east I thought it was a fool’s errand, that I had been put here to keep me out of the way. But now, when I look over the land, at the troops at my back, and at how the Russians cower before me I know the truth: this is the real focus of the German attack. Give me two years, and Russia will cease to exist. I will write history.
Sentai Filmworks has a variety of anime titles coming out next month. The following list details all of their May 2016 releases.
May 3, 2016:
A Little Snow Fairy Sugar Complete Collection Sentai Selects Edition – DVD only. Episodes 1-26 are featured with dual language options. Extras include: “Snow Flower”, “Snow Flower Version 2”, the Japanese promotional video, Location Hunting, the Japanese television spots, “Interview with the Creators” and the textless opening and ending animations.
Azumanga Daioh Complete Collection Sentai Selects Edition – DVD only. Episodes 1-26 are featured with dual language options. Production sketches, a gallery and the textless opening and ending animations are included as extras.
May 10, 2016:
The Fruit of Grisaia Complete Collection – DVD and Blu-ray. Episodes 1-13 are featured with Japanese audio and English subtitles. The textless opening and ending animations are included as extras.
Strawberry Marshmallow Complete TV Series – DVD and Blu-ray. Episodes 1-12 are featured with dual language options. The textless opening and ending animations are included as extras.
May 17, 2016:
Akame ga Kill! Collection 2 – Standard Edition DVD and Blu-ray and Premium Edition Combo Pack. Episodes 13-24 are featured with dual language options. On-disc extras included with all editions include “AkaKill! Theatre”, Japanese promotional videos and the textless opening and ending animation. The premium edition will also come with a 100-page hard cover booklet and three original soundtrack CDs.
May 24, 2016:
Shirobako Collection 2 – DVD and Blu-ray. Episodes 13-24 are featured with Japanese audio and English subtitles. The textless opening and ending animations are included as extras.
May 31, 2016:
Log Horizon Season 2 Collection 1 – DVD and Blu-ray. Episodes 1-13 are featured with dual language options. The textless opening and ending animations are included as extras.
When They Cry: Kai (Season 2) Complete Collection – DVD and Blu-ray. Episodes 1-24 are featured with Japanese audio and English subtitles. The textless opening and ending animations are included as extras.
