ODDWORLD RETURNS TO NINTENDO AS NEW ‘N’ TASTY LAUNCHES ON WII U
San Francisco, February 11th 2016 – Today’s the day that hapless hero Abe returns to Nintendo, as Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty launches on the Wii U, available exclusively from the eShop as a digital download.
Marking the first outing for everyone’s favourite Mudokon on a Nintendo platform since the Game Boy Advance, Oddworld Inhabitants is delighted to have Abe’s latest adventure on Wii U.
“We’ve always thought Abe has a great home on Nintendo,” said series creator Lorne Lanning, “and while it took us forever we promised we’d have him and all his buddies from New ‘n’ Tasty on the console. We’ve always believed Abe would resonate with the Nintendo audience and we hope to see that proven true.”
Starting development back in 2012, Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty is a comprehensive complete ground-up remake of the original 1997 PlayStation classic “Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee”, with all new gameplay, graphics, movies and audio, along with a whole host of secrets, new areas, tweaks and improvements.
Ranked as the #10th best game on PC in 2015 on Metacritic*, Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty tells the story of a race of Mudokons held captive and about to be turned into a novelty meat snack. As Abe, you must free your friends and escape, before finding out your mysterious, true fate as saviour of an entire species.
On Wii U New ‘n’ Tasty offers off-screen GamePad play to complement the big screen action, and launches at a special discount of 25% off the regular price of $19.99, €19.99 and £14.99.
The game is also available digitally on PS4, PS3, PS Vita, Xbox One, PC, Mac and Linux.
EPIC OPEN-WORLD FANTASY RPG CORNERSTONE: THE SONG OF TYRIM™ SHIPS APRIL 26TH – PRE-ORDER + DEMO AVAILABLE NOW
Phoenix Online Publishing and Overflow Bring Crafting, Combat, Sailing, Physics-Based Puzzles and More to PC, Mac, and Linux
Boston, MA – February 11th, 2016 – Phoenix Online Publishing and Overflow Games today announced the upcoming April 26th release of epic action RPG Cornerstone: The Song of Tyrim for PC, Mac, and Linux – a sweeping fantasy tale in which combat, crafting, and physics-based puzzle-solving collide. In the game, players will join young Viking Tyrim as he takes on a range of wondrous quests, battles unforgettable adversaries, and experiences the adventure of a lifetime in Nygard, a legendary world of wonder bursting with colorful characters, playable vehicles, and open-world adventures waiting to be explored.
Featuring a complete crafting system that lets you build your own weapons and gear, playable vehicles ranging from ships to windsurfers, and dozens of quirky characters to interact with as you explore eight exotic islands filled with tricks, traps, and treasures, Cornerstone is now avialable for pre-order from the Phoenix Online Store (store.postudios.com), GOG.com, the Humble Store, and other major online retailers.
The Viking men of the village of Borja haven’t been seen in years, and Tyrim is determined to set forth and find them: An objective that will send him sneaking deep into the heart of enemy fortresses, combing dank dungeons on a hunt for lost artifacts, and actively taking the fight to the forces of evil as he pursues an increasingly inventive range of quests at the behest of numerous characters. Wielding the young warrior’s crafting and combat skills, you’ll set sail on trusty galleon the Mad Goat across the seas to uncover the world of Nygard’s mysteries, collecting fabulous relics, uncovering forbidden secrets and magic, and ultimately challenging a powerful ancient evil as you quest to bring the Vikings home along the way.
“This is a game that started as a mere dream and expanded to so much more than we could have ever imagined,” says Jonathan Prytz, Lead Game Designer and Artist. “Now that we’re here, the game is done and we couldn’t be prouder of the title! We can’t wait to see and hear what people think about it.”
“A refreshingly original and unique take on epic, open-world action role-playing, Cornerstone: The Song of Tyrim aims to transport RPG fans to a world of unforgettable fantasy adventures,” says Scott Steinberg, General Manager of Phoenix Online Publishing. “The game’s one-of-a-kind blend of combat, crafting, and physics-based puzzle solving mechanics, and broad range of playable vehicles and quests, invites players to come along on an incredible journey, the likes of which they’ve never seen before.”
Key Features
Epic, open-world blend of action RPG, physics-based puzzle-solving, and combat
Complete crafting system – build your own weapons, armor, and gear
Explore 8 exotic islands filled with unique enemies, treasures, and adventures
Playable vehicles include ships, windsurfers, and more
Dozens of quirky characters to interact and engage with
Sweeping score includes live musicians and sound effects
Fluid and realistic physics bring the action to life
INTENSE JAPANESE ACTION-RPG SADAME SET TO CONQUER AMERICA ON NINTENDO 3DS
Developer Mebius’ Action-Packed Adventure Explodes Westward with Rising Star Japan, Hitting Nintendo Eshop on February 25, 2016
TOKYO – February 11, 2016 – Rising Star Japan, a worldwide publisher and distributor of video game content, today announced that it will bring the exciting action-RPG Sadame to the U.S. February 25, exclusively on Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS family systems.
“Sadame” translates simply as “fate”, and four warriors are destined to battle with a whirl of swords, spells, and mysterious arcane abilities in this fast-paced hack-‘n-slash adventure. Cut a swath through waves of demons as you battle against the vivid backdrop of a reimagined Warring States (Sengoku) period of Japan. Players guide their chosen hero through dozens of stages, face an onslaught of over twenty enormous bosses, collect loot, enhance their equipment, and level up with new abilities to punish and slay the evil Nobunaga’s hordes.
Choose from the sword-wielding Samurai; the ranged and stealthy Ninja; the spell-slinging Monk; or the enchanting witchery of the Rogue. Each of the four playable heroes has a distinct story and gameplay style with their own abilities and skills to explore and enhance. However, as loot is shared between multiple save files and previously created heroes can be set to assist new ones in battle – not to mention the branching paths offered by the story – Sadame offers a huge amount of replay value.
Game Features:
Four distinct types of hero – Samurai, Ninja, Monk or Rogue – allow players to experiment with a variety of gameplay styles.
Action mixes with deep RPG elements: new abilities, levelling up, equipment upgrades via enemy loot drops, and a massive skill tree to unlock.
Dozens of levels and over twenty bosses to test your heroes’ capabilities.
Customize your experience via weapons, upgrades and levelling, with certain events and encounters available only to certain heroes.
New difficulty levels unlock with successive playthroughs, while weapons and armor can be shared across multiple character files.
Collect heroes via StreetPass and then utilize them as a support NPC. Locally saved heroes can also be selected to support!
Rising Star Japan is involved in the planning and development of game related contents in Japan and Asia. The company publishes, distributes and markets products across multiple platforms worldwide in co-operation with strategic business partners. For more information, please visit: www.risingstarjapan.co.jp
Rockstar would like to know, will you be their Valentine? Maybe some new clothing items, a new car model, a new Adversary Mode, and last year’s Valentine’s Day update will make you say yes?
The new update for Grand Theft Auto Online is now available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Players will be able to cruise around in the new Albany Roosevelt and Albany Roosevelt Valor from Legendary Motorsport. Be sure to take the car to Los Santos Customs for some sweet mods for your ride.
Of course, a Grand Theft Auto Onlineupdate wouldn’t be complete with a new Adversary Mode, more clothes, and a new gun. The Gusenberg Sweeper Machine Gun is available at Ammu-Nation and is perfect for spraying your enemies with a hail of .45 caliber bullets. Additionally, players can partner up in the new Till Death Do Us Part Adversary mode. The mode is the only part of the update that isn’t out yet, as it will launch this Friday.
Let’s be real, military sims aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. The amount of buttons can be pretty overwhelming for the average gamer and sometimes accurate realism doesn’t equal fun. Things changed when the Project Reality mod landed for Battlefield 2. The mod was lauded for striking the right balance between accessibility and realism. Then in May 2015, a Kickstarter appeared to bring to life a spiritual successor to Project Reality. Developed by many former Project Reality team members, Squad serves to bring back that perfect balance back to the realistic modern shooters on the Unreal 4 engine.
Squad entered Steam Early Access program a few months ago and Offworld Industries has been pumping out a steady stream of updates since. With the release of Alpha Version 4, we got a chance to get some hands on time with the game. Currently, Squad is an infantry-only affair while the game is in early alpha stages. The plan is to increase the potential map size and add vehicles as development carries on. Even without the terror of a few tanks rolling past, Squad is an intense experience.
Currently the game features the US Army, Insurgents, the Russian Ground Forces, and the Irregular Militia. Currently there are three game modes available. Advance and Secure (AAS) which will have the two teams capturing flags in a specific order, driving the combat into clear hotspots. Insurgency mode will send a team into the map in hopes of gathering enough intelligence to locate and destroy five weapon caches while Insurgents attempt to deplete their enemies’ tickets. The last mode is Territory Control, with one team attempting to capture all of the defending team’s flags within a time limit. Without a doubt, AAS is the most popular game mode, with almost all the populated servers running AAS games. While Squad supports up to a hundred players, humbler numbers of around 50-72 is currently a common sight.
How do you best sum up the Squad experience? Teamwork, teamwork, teamwork, and more teamwork. Players will join squads of nine and take on roles like squad leader, medic, automatic gunner, and so forth. Each role has a specific task that can turn the tides of battle if used correctly. Because of its realistic nature, single controlled shots are almost always better than letting it rip with automatic fire. On the flip side, taking direct or close gunfire will actually suppress players by causing their screen to go blurry. Considering a well placed bullet is more than enough to knock players to the ground, the crackling of nearby gunfire and the blurred screen is a really effective method of instilling sheer terror and chaos in the ranks, allowing a well placed light machine gun pin down the enemy while the rest of the squad flanks.
Medics have the all important role of keeping their team alive. Once enough non-lethal damage occurs, the player begins to bleed out. Soldiers can use their own field dressing to staunch the bleeding but will need a medic to top up their health. Once enough damage is taken, players are incapacitated and only a medic can revive them. A revive will save an all precious ticket. Communication is absolutely vital in a game with camouflaged soldiers, plenty of cover, and large maps. I was lucky enough to experience an incredibly friendly and helpful community that is very happy to use the game’s voice chat to relay enemy positions, coordinate defenses, and call in help.
Since the heart and soul of Squad is infantry combat, how the guns and soldiers handle is incredibly important. I’m quite pleased to report that Squad has very crisp infantry controls that are simple enough that anybody who has played an FPS in the last decade would recognize. Guns handle well, though recoil is understandably heavy. One minor complaint is the in-game map. Currently, only the squad leader is clearly marked on the map. The eight other members are generic circles that only reveal player names when moused over. People will call out for help and it is a real pain to have to open the map, mouse over a bunch of green dots until you find the right one. This is especially annoying for team medics. It would be really nice if squad members are labelled A, B, C, etc so they can be identified quickly.
The audio/visuals are a work in progress, but they are very solid right now. The map designs are inspired by real life locations. Models and textures look pretty good, though some more realistic models will be coming down the pipeline soon based on Offworld Industries’ constant news updates. The audio experience is fantastic. The sound effects for the guns are punchy and sound absolutely deadly. Hearing bullets wiz by your head is incredibly terrifying, which just sucks you into the moment and doesn’t let go.
Squad is definitely an early alpha game still, with lots of features needing to be implemented. If Offworld Industries is able to keep up their current pace, they may pull off a title worthy of being called Project Reality’s spiritual successor. The currently available infantry-only gameplay is well executed. It is relatively accessible for the genre and is an intense experience. I suspect Squad might become a must have for realistic shooter fans.
Wargaming adds over 40 vehicles and 11 new maps to World of Tanks
February 11, 2016 — Wargaming has announced the first massive content update for World of Tanks on PlayStation®4 has gone live worldwide! The game, which has already surpassed 1 million registered users shortly after its January 19 release, has augmented its in-game tank arsenal with the addition of the British Tech Tree along with new maps. The highly sought after Type-59 is also now available in the PlayStation®Store for a limited time.
In this content update, World of Tanks brings an impressive force of over 40 powerful British vehicles to the PlayStation®4 battlefield. A large collection of light, medium, and heavy tanks along with tank destroyers and artillery join the fight. Command some of the most legendary vehicles in British history like the Crusader, Cromwell, and Conqueror. Additionally, some of the most notable maps in World of Tanks have been added to PlayStation®4, including “Siegfried Line,” “Fisherman’s Bay”, “Ensk War!” and many others. Players can also get to grips with the well-known “Westfield” map, as well its variant with weather conditions: “Westfield Rain”.
World of Tanks on PlayStation®4 is free to all PlayStation® accounts and does not require a PlayStation®Plus membership to play.
To learn more about World of Tanks on PlayStation®4 and for a full list of added vehicles and maps, please visit:
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 armored 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 PlayStation®4, continuing its console campaign.
TIMELESS FINAL FANTASY IX REMASTERED FOR MOBILE DEVICES
Fan Favourite Available Today on iOS and Android; Steam Version Coming Soon
SYDNEY, 11TH February 2016 – Square Enix Ltd., today announced that FINAL FANTASY® IX, a fan favourite in the FINAL FANTASY series, has been optimised for Apple and Android devices and is available to download from today on the App Store® and Google Play™. Along with its tale of love, magic and self-discovery, FINAL FANTASY IX for mobile devices and Steam also offers a selection of new features, including;
High-definition movies and character models
New cloud save feature allows players to back up save data to play across other compatible devices
Auto save function
Seven all-new optional booster features, including high speed mode and no encounter mode, which will allow players to automatically master equipped weapons and gear, as well as maximize character levels, magic stone counts and gil
First released in 2000, FINAL FANTASY IX tells the story of the bandit Zidane Tribal who plans to kidnap the princess of Alexandria, Garnet Til Alexandros the 17th, with the troupe of thieves known as Tantalus. An unlikely series of events set Zidane, Garnet, the shy yet powerful black mage Vivi Ornitier, the loyal knight Adelbert Steiner, and other memorable characters on an epic journey as they learn about themselves, the secrets of the Crystal, and a malevolent force that threatens to destroy their world.
FINAL FANTASY IX will also be available on Steam at a later date; featuring keyboard and mouse compatibility, as well as full STEAM trading cards and achievements. For more information on FINAL FANTASY IX for PC, please visit: http://store.steampowered.com/app/377840.
Back in December Telltale Games announced that they would be releasing the first episode of a three episode mini-series called The Walking Dead: Michonne in February and now that we are ten days into the month, the company has decided to nail down an exact release date for the episode.
The Walking Dead: Michonne‘s first episode, titled “In Too Deep,” will be released on February 23rd for the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PC with the iOS and Android versions coming at a later date. Telltale Games has actually announced that they plan on releasing the episodic series monthly with the second episode “Give No Shelter” arriving in March and the third “What We Deserve” in April, meaning fans won’t have to wait at the likely cliffhanger endings for too long each time.
Overview Omega Force and Koei Tecmo have taken quite a franchises and have managed to successfully produce a Warriors style game that has almost always been released in the West. That being said, few could have guessed that their next game, based off the anime adaptation of the manga adaptation (created by the artist best known for her work on Fullmetal Alchemist) of a long running series of novels called The Heroic Legend of Arslan, would be released so quickly in the West. Yet here it is, with fans able to experience Arslan: The Warriors of Legend either for the first time or play through scenes they’ve seen in the most recent anime adaptation, how does the title stack up?
Story For the most part the Warriors titles have always either simply been a retelling of an old story, such as Dynasty Warriors following the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, or loosely telling a story throughout a series of battles. Arslan: The Warriors of Legend is something completely different from those games as this is a game where it is clear that a lot of care has been given to present a coherent retelling of the story.
Thankfully this means that those who know nothing of The Heroic Legend of Arslan won’t miss a single thing as the game successfully manages to adapt the entire twenty five episode anime series and by starting from the very beginning players will quickly grasp the way the world works. After a brief glimpse at what players will be experiencing in the future, we see Arslan, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Pars, being taught as a child how to wield a sword and spear in combat with one of his father’s trusted men.
Later that day an escaped gholam (slave) takes him hostage in an effort to escape from the capital city. Through his short time with the fugitive he learns that other nations are not the same as Pars. A few years later this becomes strikingly clear when Pars falls under attack from a rival nation that they previously thought of simply as barbarians only to fall prey to cunning tricks and dastardly betrayal that leads to a devastating loss that even the famous Pars cavalry fail to recover from.
With Arslan separated from the army, his kingdom occupied by a rival force, and the fate of his parents unknown we follow the story of a young prince gathering trusted friends and allies in an effort to retake the nation and change the issues that have plagued it for far too long. This type of storytelling is fairly standard for a game such as this but it is thanks to the way that it is presented here in Arslan: The Warriors of Legend that makes it so effective.
The storyline is told very well through stills taken directly from the anime that are then weaved into the combat, often featuring players swapping between fighters at certain points after completing certain objectives. It also helps that the friends and allies that join Arslan are a charming little bunch and despite the serious nature of the plot there is quite a bit of humor mixed into the game thanks to the aforementioned anime stills providing plenty of character interaction that helps flesh out the group beyond simply being a ragtag group looking to restore a prince’s kingdom.
Gameplay In many ways fans of the Warriors titles will be able to pick up and play Arslan: The Warriors of Legend like any other title as it offers the same style of hack and slash gameplay that fans have grown accustomed to, with every fighter having light and heavy attacks that can be mixed together, special moves, and of course powerful Musou attacks, though a number of modifications and new mechanics have been implemented to keep things from feeling repetitive too quickly.
Most fighters in the title will have alternate weapons that can be used in combat and while swapping between these weapons is easy, there are also “Charge Shift” attacks that swap weapons in the middle of a combo string to unleash a powerful finisher. Perhaps the biggest shift in actual combat though comes with the way mounted combat works in Arslan. Unlike many other Warriors games where horseback riding simply serves as a way to navigate the map quickly while taking down a few foes in your path, most fighters now have specific mounted attack combinations that are incredibly powerful and capable of eliminating entire units of soldiers within one combo. Attempting to control the horse is still stiff but this is an invaluable addition that would be great to see worked into other Warriors games.
Another new key element in Arslan: The Warriors of Legend is the “Mardān Rush” which is a limited time special attack that are often used to smash through gated areas, light something on fire, or simply appear as a bonus to allow players to devastate your foes. You see, Mardān Rushs gather a large number of allied soldiers by the player’s side and while the effect varies if your unit is on horseback, an infantry unit, or an archer, allows for massive amounts of damage to be dealt out to the opposing side, often raising chain attacks up in the thousands and killing hundreds of soldiers like they were nothing.
In battle players will generally be assigned certain tasks that are graded from S to D ranks and this usually means something like eliminating a certain number of foes while also reaching your destination within the time limit. Performing better here allows players to earn a better grade and obtain Skill Cards, which are also dropped from enemies and can be synthesized by combining various duplicates in the hope of obtaining a new one. Each character can equip up to three Skill Cards and these cards all offer special bonuses in the form of stat boosts or increased effectiveness.
While using a certain type of weapon for a while, a character will learn various special abilities that allow them to imbue the weapon with special attacks that unleash either fire, water, miasma, or wind elements, all of which have special effects. This is highly effective when you consider the way that boss battles have been worked into the title. In Arslan: The Warriors of Legend it is still entirely possible to regularly rack up over two thousand kills against the rank and file soldiers and even basic generals won’t stand much of a chance against your characters but now battles against named opponents are treated as something special.
These foes have shields that need to be beaten down before they can actually be damaged and this leads to fights that actually require some skill and proper dodging to avoid being killed and losing a lot of progress. Unfortunately with the lack of a lock-on feature this does mean that you’ll occasionally be flailing wildly with a Musou attack only to be hit from behind while trying to adjust the camera properly. Of course if you choose to play the campaign or the Free Mode in co-op, this isn’t much of an issue since your friend can be there to back you up.
Visuals & Audio Omega Force has done an excellent job here managing to create a video game that looks incredibly close to its anime counterpart. Taking the designs used in the anime, which may appear familiar to fans of Fullmetal Alchemist for the aforementioned reason, these characters have been replicated with great care to produce impressive 3D anime models that flow throughout the battlefield and take down the foes in their path with flashy moves, though the battlefields themselves remain rather bland looking.
The actual cut-scenes where the story is told is handled by taking still scenes from the anime and simply syncing up the mouth flaps with the dialogue while actually providing very little in the way of animation. This does serve as a nice touch for fans but a bit of extra animation would have paid off well in certain scenes that require actual movement rather than these simple stills.
The voice work in the game is presented in Japanese only and thankfully the team has managed to acquire all of the original voice actors to retain their roles in the game, meaning fans and newcomers will find that the voice work fits these characters perfectly. Unfortunately there is an issue with the game’s subtitle system.
In combat the dialogue boxes that appear fairly often to give context for the battle and also provide instructions vanish without a trace when a special move is used, meaning that there are certain moments that can get lost in translation. As for the soundtrack, we have a number of great themes ranging from high energy rock to delicate sounding tunes that often are used perfectly.
Overall Arslan: The Warriors of Legend continues to show that Omega Force and Koei Tecmo can successfully transfer new franchises into their formula and even tell a highly enjoyable storyline at the same time. The core gameplay elements remain familiar with a number of new additions such as boss battles and Mardān Rushs serving as ways to spice things up. The limited nature of the anime stills and some nagging combat issues do limit this title a bit but those looking for a fun Warriors game that isn’t afraid to experiment a little will find Arslan: The Warriors of Legend a worthy experience. Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Once again this Valentine’s Day love is a battlefield, with Sega announcing the third installment in it’s titillating annual tradition. Kicking off on February 14th, 1800 GMT, and running for six days until February 20th 1800 GMT, Make War Not Love will again pit series heavy-weights Total War (represented this year by Attila) and Company of Heroes (with their back-to-back prize-winning champion Company of Heroes 2), but in a first will also include the venerable dreadnought Dawn of War 2 (even in near-death it still serves). Smashing their prized strategy developers together like M&Ms between thumb and forefinger, Sega knows that no matter who loses, they win.
What does this mean for you, dear consumer? Its simple. Sega makes no promises, no demands: simply take your game of choice (extra cheap for the duration) and win battles. Should the game of your choice win the most battles, you win the warm fuzzy feeling of knowing you contributed to a much greater whole. Should that number one spot be taken by Total War: Attila however, the new “Slavic Nations” DLC will be given out free to everyone who owns the game.
That’s right! Another new DLC for Attila. This time focusing on three peoples of the blasted steppe, the Anteans, the Venedians, and the Sclavenians, “Slavic Nations” will bring updated unit rosters, new legendary building chains, and a new mechanic in the form of poisoned arrows. Built to be counters to the Hunnic hordes, the new Slavic nations are able to swiftly and cheaply colonise new lands, with bonuses to kickstart early economies, fight in rough terrain, and deal with nomadic tribes. The DLC will also bring a minor patch for the Age of Charlemagne DLC.
Not to be outdone by those upstarts at Creative Assembly, Relic is also giving freebies to it’s victorious followers. Should CoH2 take the top spot (again) they stand to receive the British Forces DLC as their grand prize. And open to owners of all three games are regular prize draws every 2 days. Whichever team currently holds the lead stands to win a number of Sega titles, such as Valkyria Chronicles, Renegade Ops, or TEMBO THE BADASS ELEPHANT. It just goes to show it is really war that’s the gift that keeps on giving.
The trailer for “Slavic Nations” is available to view below, and more information on the promotion can be found on the Make War Not Love website. In the grim-darkness of the near future, there is only war.
