Page 3245 – Capsule Computers

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November 4, 2015

CAST, CATCH, COMPETE DOVETAIL GAMES EURO FISHING OUT NOW

Enjoy the ultimate European fishing experience

Chatham, Kent – Nov. 3, 2015 – Dovetail Games, the multi award-winning developer and publisher of hit simulation titles, has announced that Dovetail Games Euro Fishing has launched on Steam today.

One of the first games developed using Unreal Engine 4®, Dovetail Games Euro Fishing offers the ultimate European fishing experience, featuring a variety of locations, fish types, fishing techniques and equipment synonymous with European fishing. True to the real sport, social competition is central to the experience, with players being able to share their prized catches with their friends and go head to head online.

The game also features fully licensed content and equipment from world-leading manufacturers including Korda, Delkim, Mainline and Sonik Sports. In addition, Simon Scott, the UK’s leading fish behavior expert, has provided advice and guidance to help ensure the game delivers a completely authentic fishing experience.

The response to the game from the fishing press has been overwhelmingly positive, with Total Carp Magazine calling it “Outstanding; a new generation of game bringing realistic carp fishing to anglers of all ages.” Angling Times described it as “…the most realistic fishing game ever. Amazing!” Crafty Carper Magazine said, “You can see the game is well thought out, not just on the gameplay front, but it’s the added touches that really make it; the fish movement, choice of tackle, available lakes and background sounds. It’s just so right.”

The game was originally published on Steam Early Access in November 2014, going through seven distinct development phases and benefiting from ongoing feedback from players throughout.

“We’re delighted to be bringing Dovetail Games Euro Fishing to the fans that have followed its progress from the outset, as well as to many more new players,” said Darren Potter, Development Director for the game, who formerly worked on the eagerly anticipated Just Cause 3 and the Harry Potter videogame series. “Our physics-based Total Cast Control system has allowed us to create authentic casting and reeling, and we feel certain we’ve captured the fun, excitement and competitiveness of fishing with our multiplayer tournaments. We will be operating a ‘live’ service while we continue to develop additional experiences, new content and licenses to broaden Euro Fishing’s features. This will start with the addition of float fishing and more ‘boss fish’ shortly after launch. We’re very confident everyone will enjoy Dovetail Games Euro Fishing.”

Dovetail Games Euro Fishing is initially available on Steam, with Mac and Linux versions following later in 2015. Additional versions for Windows 10 and Xbox One will launch early 2016.

For the latest news and developments, please visit dtgfishing.com or follow along on Dovetail Games Euro Fishing’s Twitter and Dovetail Games Euro Fishing’s Facebook.

ANNO 2205™ RACES FOR SPACE TODAY ON WINDOWS PC

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 3, 2015

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ANNO 2205™ RACES FOR SPACE TODAY ON WINDOWS PC

LAUNCH TRAILER YOUTUBE Click here

LONDON, UK– November 3rd, 2015 – Today, Ubisoft^® announced that Anno 2205™, the sixth installment in the strategy city-building series, is now available in the UK as a digital download for Windows PC and as a boxed Collectors Edition. Developed by Blue Byte, a Ubisoft studio, Anno 2205 marks the first time the franchise is extending its reach to the moon and venturing into outer space.

In Anno 2205, players will develop futuristic cities on Earth that are capable of launching missions to the moon as they race to establish production colonies on the lunar surface. By colonizing the moon and Arctic regions and mining the resources to send back down to Earth, the cities will flourish from the technological advancements and transform into thriving metropolises. The game also uses a revolutionary session mode that lets players control several sessions on Earth’s temperate and Arctic regions, and on the moon simultaneously, connecting multiple regions across different gameplay sessions.

The new Anno 2205 Engine advances city-building so players can build cities reaching one million inhabitants on islands five times the size of those in previous Anno games. A high level of graphical details immerse players in the thriving cities with flying cars, churning factories, bustling stadiums, transit stations, and grinding mines.

“We are very proud to finally let Anno fans and newcomers enjoy the next evolution in the Anno series”, says Burkhard Ratheiser, Executive Producer on Anno 2205, “After more than three years in development, Anno 2205 not only reaches for the stars but is also the biggest Anno ever created.”

Anno 2205 is available in three editions – the standard edition (Digital only in UK), the Gold Edition (Digital only in UK) and the physical Collector’s Edition. The standard edition will include the full Anno 2205 game experience. The Gold Edition will include the full Anno 2205 game experience, as well as access to two expansion packs that will be released after the launch of the game. The Collector’s Edition offers additional memorabilia such as a high-quality Moon Poster and a 60-page exclusive art book. The new pieces of downloadable content will allow players to explore two regions, Tundra and Orbit, to gather new technologies to further develop their corporation. The expansions will also be available to download separately, or as part of the Season Pass for players who already own the standard edition.

For players who want to extend their experience even further, Anno 2205™: Asteroid Miner is a galactic Match 3 puzzle game developed specifically for mobile devices to give both fans and newcomers a challenging new approach to the Anno universe. Players can also transfer rare materials acquired from the app into the PC version of Anno 2205 to help grow their empires and master their city-building skills.

For the latest information on Anno 2205, please visit: http://anno-game.ubi.com/anno-2205/en-GB/home/index.aspx

About Ubisoft

Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2014-15 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,464 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

About Blue Byte, a Ubisoft Studio

Having opened their doors in 1988, Blue Byte’s first hit came in 1991 with Battle Isle, followed by the ever-popular development strategy game The Settlers® – which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2013. Following their acquisition by Ubisoft in 2001, the studio continued work on The Settlers® series, and began overseeing the production of ANNO® in 2007. Winner of 2012 “Best European Studio” award (European Games Awards), Blue Byte expanded in 2014 with the acquisition of a new branch in Mainz. The teams are developing and operating HD, browser-based and mobile games, including Might and Magic® Heroes® Online, ANNO® Online and The Settlers® Online, captivating millions of players worldwide. In 2014 the studio successfully launched ANNO®: Build an Empire on mobile devices. Currently The Settlers®: Kingdoms of Anteria for PC and Assassin’s Creed® Identity for smartphones and tablets are in development at Blue Byte’s Düsseldorf studio while the Mainz studio works on Anno 2205 which will bring the acclaimed city-builder series into space. More information can be found at www.bluebyte.com.

© 2015 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Anno 2205, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries. Anno, Blue Byte and the Blue Byte logo are trademarks of Ubisoft GmbH in the US and/or other countries.

KOEI TECMO REVEALS NEW INFORMATION ON UPCOMING TACTICAL ACTION EPIC, ARSLAN: THE WARRIORS OF LEGEND

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 3, 2015

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KOEI TECMO REVEALS NEW INFORMATION ON UPCOMING TACTICAL ACTION EPIC, ARSLAN: THE WARRIORS OF LEGEND

New ‘Weapon Arts’ System Allows Players to Create Unique Attack Styles; Additional Stages Revealed

BURLINGAME, Calif. – November 3^rd, 2015 – KOEI TECMO America released today a brand new trailer and new information on upcoming tactical action epic, Arslan: The Warriors of Legend, which will become available across North America on February 9^th, 2016 for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, and Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft. It will also be simultaneously available digitally on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.

Since success in battle heavily relies on the prowess of individual characters, Arslan: The Warriors of Legend features a new gameplay element that helps boost the skills and abilities of playable characters in a unique and exciting way! Specifically, players will be able to use Weapon Arts to upgrade and customize their weapons of choice to a high degree.

Weapon Arts are effectively an attribute type (i.e. Power, Fire, Water etc.) that can be attached to a specific weapon. The more a character uses that weapon and gains mastery over it, the more special abilities and powers are unlocked. Since every Weapon Art has a different attack effect, players can combine various weapons with different abilities in a Chain Strike and create impressive and devastating effects in a variety of combos!

In addition, KOEI TECMO America has announced the locations of two more stages: the rocky slopes of Mount Bashur and the beautiful yet troubled kingdom of Shindhura.

For more news and information on Arslan: The Warriors of Legend, please visit the official site at www.koeitecmoamerica.com/Arslan, Like the KOEI TECMO Facebook page at www.facebook.com/koeitecmous, and become part of the KOEI TECMO Family by following KOEI TECMO on Twitter at @KoeiTecmoUS.

About Arslan: The Warriors Of Legend

Originally written as a novel series in the late 1980’s, The Heroic Legend of Arslan has been adapted to manga and anime numerous times, with the most prominent being the 2013 release of a manga series by famed illustrator Hiromu Arakawa (the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist). It tells the story of the young crown prince of Pars, Arslan, as he is forced out of his kingdom when his father, the king, is betrayed and defeated and his domain conquered. Arslan and his few companions must reassemble an army and fight against overwhelming odds to regain his throne and liberate his kingdom. Through his exploits he reaches emotional maturity, while the series also tackles underlying issues of slavery, religious fanaticism, betrayal, and humanity.

The game adaptation of this magnificent story seamlessly blends the fast paced tactical action gameplay indicative of the Warriors franchise with a stunningly engaging narrative. Using cel-shaded graphics and basing all character design on the anime series, Arslan: The Warriors of Legend delivers a gaming experience designed to fully immerse the player into Arslan’s universe!

ABOUT KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP.

KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Burlingame, California. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI is best known for its Dynasty Warriors® and Samurai Warriors® franchises. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive®, Ninja Gaiden®, Tecmo Bowl®, and Fatal Frame® series.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

©2015 Hiromu Arakawa, Yoshiki Tanaka・KODANSHA/ “LEGEND OF ARSLAN” Project Committee,MBS. All Rights Reserved. Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

Anomalisa – First Look Trailer

Andrew Day

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November 3, 2015

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Stop-motion films have really gone out of fashion lately haven’t that? No doubt due to the insane production costs that such a film requires, but it is none the less a bit of a shame. With the style of animation that, outside of the occasional TV commercial is fading into nothing more than the pages of history books I was surprised to hear about Anomalisa – a mature, comedy-drama film that makes extensive use of the technique.

Directed by Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson, Anomalisa originally premiering at the Venice Film Festival. Paramount Pictures have since picked up the film, which is set to debut early next year. It seems to be about people, real, raw human interaction with one another and if the reviews coming out of Venice are anything to go by, will end up being a bloody masterpiece.

You can check out the film’s trailer below and after you do so, let us know in the comments whether or not you will be checking it out.

New Details For the New Xbox One Experience

Andrew Day

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November 3, 2015

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New Details For the New Xbox One Experience

During last week’s Xbox Newsbeat, we got to talk a little bit about this month’s huge update for the Xbox One console the New Xbox One Experience (NXOE). Well now just 10 days out from the massive update, Microsoft have spilled some more details about just what will change and why. Now, I find that oftentimes these things come best from the mouths of those responsible, so here is Microsoft’s description of what to expect;

When the update is released, the first thing you will see is a redesigned Home screen. The new design will look very familiar but we’ve made some important updates inspired by fan feedback. Your most recently used items will still be front and centre but we’ve added the ability to scroll vertically. You can scroll down to see the list of your most recently played games and apps, and each tile has contextual items that allow you to easily see message straight from the developer, see which friends are playing games, and lets you share your latest game clips and screenshots.
Pins are a fan favourite to save the games and apps you care about most for quick access. In the New Xbox One Experience, your Pins are also included in your new Home at the bottom of the screen. You can scroll down or press the right trigger on your controller to quickly go straight to your Pins. You can also go straight to your Collection from your Pins to see all your games and apps, just pull the right trigger then press A.

In addition, Microsoft have also announced that they will be taking the popular guide menu from the Xbox 360 and giving it a massive new lease on life on the Xbox One. We have attached a video below that details all of its new features and functionality so be sure to check that out and make sure you stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the hot new Xbox One news as we move towards the roll out of the NXOE.

Minecraft: Story Mode – Assembly Required Review

Travis Bruno

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November 3, 2015

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Minecraft: Story Mode – Assembly Required Review

Minecraft: Story Mode – Assembly Required
Developer: Telltale Games
Publisher: Telltale Games
Platforms: PC, iOS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One (Reviewed)
Release Date: October 28, 2015
Price: $4.99 – Available Here

Overview
Even when Telltale Games was just getting started with their episodic game releases they always had a knack of either taking months to release a new episode or suddenly announcing that a new episode was going to be released within the next day or two. As such it came as a major surprise when Minecraft: Story Mode’s second episode, Assembly Required, was stealth released two weeks after the first episode was released. While this quick turnaround is something fans will be happy about, perhaps Assembly Required needed some more material on the proverbial crafting table.

Story
Despite the story for Minecraft: Story Mode not really kicking into high gear in the first episode it is worth noting that a decent amount of events that take place during said episode will be discussed here, meaning if you have not yet finished The Order of the Stone you should do so before continuing.

Anyways, Minecraft: Story Mode – Assembly Required marks a very clear line in the sand depending on your choice during the end of the first episode. With the Witherstorm destroying everything it touches and Jesse’s group being the only ones who may have a chance to save the world, players were given the option of pursuing either the Order’s genius redstone engineer Ellegaard or the Order’s master of demolition, the griefer Magnus.

Depending on who you chose to pursue will dictate the events that transpire over the first half of the episode as these sequences will take part in completely different parts of the Minecraft world and events will play out entirely different depending on who you selected during this first half. This does create a unique way to unfold the story and make at least one of the player’s decisions in the last game have immediate consequences and also encourage players to play through the title more than once since they are only given a brief explanation of what transpired without them.

You see, although the events that take place may be unique depending on your choice, the end result still sees both Ellegaard and Magnus appearing together in order to keep the story moving despite the initial forked path. As for how it moves… well it does at least make some progress here but how much is rather debatable since Assembly Required is easily the shortest episode I’ve ever seen in an episodic game as it is entirely possible to not only talk to everyone, examine various objects during the limited exploration, even play through the first half again with a different choice, and still complete everything Assembly Required has to offer in a little under an hour and a half, marking a standard playthrough at roughly fifty minutes.

Since there is barely any time for events to actually take place during the story, thanks to the first half focusing on recruiting your chosen member of the Order, progress moves ahead at a snail’s pace as Jesse’s group searches for a way to destroy the Witherstorm and only manages to find themselves at their next location and encountering an old enemy before the episode abruptly ends after a minor battle with such little fanfare and vague preview that I had to double check that a glitch didn’t occur.

The lack of story progress also plays a role in making sure that players spend very little time interacting with the colorful cast of characters in their group. While players will spend some time talking to Jesse’s friends and learning a secret that will likely rise up again as a major point in a later episode, very few jokes are made and although there are some humorous moments that come from the events that transpire during the story and the various creations that players will come across in Assembly Required, the amount of humor is incredibly low here since the cast has barely any time to shine and the two members of the Order are more annoying than anything else since their bickering nature reveals nothing here, only making the unfulfilling feeling of the episode all the worse.

Gameplay
As before, players will be spending most of their time selecting various dialogue choices as well as taking part in quick time events to avoid taking damage from the massive Witherstorm or fighting against monsters using the fun little combat system that features players choosing to use the various weapons they may have on them to defeat their foes, with the weapons handling a bit different.

Exploration also returns and as mentioned there are a number of enjoyable contraptions to look at that really capture the whimsical nature that anything can be built, no matter how ridiculous it may seem, in the world of Minecraft. Then again, this idea is pretty much ignored later on when one of the group falls down a hole and, despite being an adequate builder as shown in the first episode, cannot simply build themselves a way back up.

Visuals & Audio
The use of the Minecraft style buildings and visuals really do help bring some charm to Minecraft: Story Mode and the various places that players will be visiting, especially when it comes to recruiting the Order members, are elaborately designed with a number of fantastic looking buildings that makes me wish that I could actually explore certain elements of these areas since most of them are simply shown for a few moments and that is all.

The character designs remain the same, with just enough expressions to get their emotions across, though this time around I did notice a number of glitches occurring where characters would speak with stone faces showing no emotion or even moving lips. The voice actors once again continue to perform their roles admirably and they really do help make the scant humor found in this episode through the dialogue turn out to be rather funny at times.

Overall
Minecraft: Story Mode – Assembly Required may create a perfect way for players to experience a different perspective throughout the first half of the episode by making a previous choice matter but it barely manages to deliver anything beyond that. By providing the bare minimum level of humor and plot advancement there is almost none of the charm found in the first episode in Assembly Required and thanks to an abrupt ending with barely any developments worth noting, it’ll be interesting to see what Telltale can do with the three episodes they have left to get the ball rolling.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

THE STACHE IS BACK! WARFRAME TEAMS UP WITH THE MOVEMBER FOUNDATION

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 3, 2015

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THE STACHE IS BACK! WARFRAME TEAMS UP WITH THE MOVEMBER FOUNDATION

Join the Movement Committed to Changing the Face of Men’s Health

LONDON, ONTARIO — November, 2015 — Start growing your Mo, Tenno! Digital Extremes, creator of the AAA Free-to-Play hit, Warframe^® is breaking out the virtual staches once again and proudly participating in Movember, the annual month-long celebration of the moustache to help raise awareness of men’s health issues including prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and physical inactivity. With more than $650 million dollars raised globally, the charity aims to help men live happier, healthier and longer lives by addressing both physical and mental health issues.

Starting today, players logging into Warframe on PC, Xbox One or PS4™ will get to sport in-game, The Dastard — the first of up to five free virtual moustaches equipable on their favorite space ninja in missions throughout the Solar System. To gain access to the additional moustache styles players are encouraged to visit the Warframe Movember website — www.warframe.com/Movember — where they can donate to the cause and help reach multiple fundraising goals to unlock the additional free, all-new for Movember 2015 in-game moustaches to class up their Waframes throughout the month of November.

Warframe holds the Guinness World Record for the Largest Gathering of People Wearing False Mustaches in a Videogame set during Movember 2014 with over 10,000 Tenno across PC, PS4™ and Xbox One donning their favorite mouth brow in-game.. Alongside the Guinness World Record, the Warframe Community raised thousands of dollars for the charity throughout the month-long event.

Digital Extremes is continuing to raise awareness this year and encouraging its 19 million+ players to donate and make a difference as they run Movember-related events, Community contests, livestreams and more throughout the month. Be sure to follow the Warframe Community activities on Warframe.com as well as on the Warframe Facebook and Twitter channels with #Moframe.

“Acts of honor are fundamental traits of the Tenno in Warframe and we are honored to contribute to such a meaningful, worthy cause,” said Meridith Braun, VP of Publishing at Digital Extremes. “With all the activities we have planned throughout the month, I know our Tenno will rise to the occasion with donations to help fund Movember’s programs to improve men’s health worldwide.”

The Movember Foundation is the leading global organization committed to changing the face of men’s health. Once signed up on Movember.com, men, also known as Mo Bros, grow a moustache for the 30 days of November, raising awareness and funds for men’s health programs as friends and family donate to their efforts. This year the foundation is introducing MOVE, its 30-day fitness challenge inviting participants to be more active while raising funds and awareness for men’s health.

Warframe is available for free download on PC, PS4™ and Xbox One. To find out more about Warframe, please visit www.warframe.com.

For supporting assets including a special mustachioed trailer highlighting Warframe‘s 2015 lineup for Movember’s cookie duster couture, please visit:
https://digitalextremesltd.box.com/s/10vnuu4sp3ac4puyct6zouexjlt7u46z

About Digital Extremes
Founded in 1993 by James Schmalz, Digital Extremes ranks as one of the world’s top independent development studios in the interactive entertainment industry. The Canadian-based developer has a rich history in developing some of the industry’s top first-person shooter and action games. Originating with the co-creation of Epic Games’ multi-million unit selling Unreal® franchise including Unreal, Unreal Tournament – and all its iterations — and continuing with such hits as Dark Sector®, BioShock® for PS3™, the multi-player campaign of BioShock 2 and The Darkness® II, based on the comic book series of the same name. The studio now uses its proprietary technology, the Evolution Engine™ in the development of its blockbuster Free-To-Play hit, Warframe® available now on PC, PS4™ and Xbox One. For more information about Digital Extremes, visit the company website at www.digitalextremes.com. To sign up for Warframe, visit www.warframe.com.

Former Rovio Team, Epic Owl, Announce ‘Starside Arena’, a Strategic Multiplayer Space Battler Hitting the App Store Worldwide on November 10th

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 3, 2015

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Former Rovio Team, Epic Owl, Announce ‘Starside Arena’, a Strategic Multiplayer Space Battler Hitting the App Store Worldwide on November 10th

Produce A Custom Spaceship and Fight Against Other Players in Strategic Space Battles

Helsinki, Finland – November 3, 2015 – Epic Owl Ltd, a Finnish game studio formed by a team of former Rovio colleagues in December 2014, today announced their debut title, Starside Arena, will be available worldwide on November 10th for iOS devices, with the Android version following later in November. Set in the year “4000-something”, Starside Arena hands players the tools to design and build a spacecraft that will dominate arena battle in a dynamically changing, futuristic game world. With over 50 technologies to research and 37 unique ship models to choose from, Starside Arena offers players extraordinary design possibilities with a limitless range of creative options to make the ultimate ship. For more information about Starside Arena, visit: http://www.starsidearena.com

“We are thrilled to introduce Starside Arena to core fans of the space battle and builder genre. During soft launch the game showed an extraordinary retention with players coming back again and again,” Juha Vainio, CEO of Epic Owl comments. Risto Holmström, CCO, continues: “It has been exciting to witness the players’ creativity in their unique ship designs, and we look forward to seeing how many more thousands of designs emerge when we launch the game worldwide.”

In Starside Arena, smaller ships can fit a handful of modules while the largest can hold hundreds; the number of possible design combinations is astronomical. Each ship’s performance depends on multiple factors, including engine power, defenses, countermeasures, weapon systems, power generation and even mass. Additionally, with two separate combat modes, the player’s success in battle will depend on either the ingenuity of the design or the composition of the fleet.

The world of Starside Arena is populated by player-made ships. This result is a constantly evolving metagame where weak designs fall into obscurity and the best ones rise to dominance until they are overthrown by players discovering their counter designs.

Availability:

Starside Arena is a free-to-download title with in-app purchases that will launch on the iPhone and iPad through the App Store globally on November 10, 2015, with the Android version following later in November.

Teaser trailer link: http://youtu.be/09kUDr4CZgU

PR images: http://www.epic-owl.com/press/

About Epic Owl

Epic Owl focuses on bringing core gamers to mobile gaming by developing innovative games gameplay first. Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, Epic Owl is an independent development studio founded in 2014 by Rovio Entertainment veterans with experience in developing and shipping several hit games for mobile platforms. The company’s first title, Starside Arena, is slated to launch in November 2015.

Epic Owl is financially backed by Helsinki-based Sisu Game Ventures.

www.epic-owl.com

http://www.facebook.com/epicowl

http://twitter.com/epicowlltd

Indie Gala Every Monday Bundle #84 Now Available

Jamie Laike Tsui

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November 3, 2015

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Indie Gala Every Monday Bundle #84 Now Available

Did you know 84 is the atomic number of polonium? It’s a radioactive element discovered by Pierre and Marie Curie. Good thing Indie Gala’s Every Monday Bundle #84 is a little safer and way more entertaining than a chunk of polonium. This week packs six indie games for only $1.89 during the first 24 hours of the sale.

Swords & Crossbones: An Epic Pirate Story – A comical RPG with a zany cast and eye catching pixel art.

Read Only Memories – A cyberpunk adventure inspired by Gabriel Knight and Snatcher.

The Adventures of Fatman – A not so subtle parody of The Dark Knight, this retro adventure stars a food obsessed hero trying to protect the city of Shadowlawn from evil.

OASE – Other Age Second Encounter – A multi-genre game that mixes dating sims, RPGs, puzzles, and adventure games all together in a quirky package.

Caveman Craig – Help Craig fight off dinosaurs and enemy tribes in this survival strategy game.

SWR JST DX: Selective Memory Erase Effect – A retro styled platformer set in a dream that might just be an operating system.

For the first 24 hours of the sale, the bundle is only $1.89. Grab your copy at Indie Gala today.

Corpse Party: Blood Drive Review

Travis Bruno

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November 3, 2015

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Corpse Party: Blood Drive
Developer: Team GrisGris, 5pb.
Publisher: XSEED Games
Platform: PS Vita
Release Date: October 13, 2015
Price: $49.99 – Available Here

Overview
Creating a proper horror game has become something rather divided over the last few years. Many horror titles in the West have either switched into an action style format where players will fight against the horrors in front of them or strip them of any ability to defend themselves, forcing them to only flee. There are very few titles that find a solid middle ground between simply leaving the player feeling helpless and actually providing terror and one series that has always been great in that regard is Corpse Party. So now that the conclusion to the Heavenly Host saga has been released in the West with Corpse Party: Blood Drive, how does the story wrap up?

Story
Although at the end of the last title it seemed that Heavenly Host Elementary School and its curse had finally been destroyed two months ago, the survivors have continued to suffer from the event. Their friends that lost their lives in that horrific place were never able to be saved and only those who survived even remember their names as their faces have been blackened in every picture and their entire existence seems to have been erased from everyone else’s memory, going so far as to completely replace their lost teacher as if nothing had ever happened.

With the weight of the events hanging heavily on Ayumi’s mind, rumors that the deaths due to supernatural means in the world all lead to the curse of Heavenly Host leaking into the normal world, and this once again drives Ayumi and the other survivors to search for a way to return to the last place they ever would want to. Add in a number of new characters that have their own reasons for wanting to track down the school as well as the supernatural elements that it contains and you have a number of characters all trying to reach their own goal while faced with possible gruesome death.

It is worth noting that Corpse Party: Blood Drive isn’t a title that will pull any punches and although it does take a bit to get going, once the story kicks into full gear players will be in for one hell of a ride. There is plenty of backstory given to both past events that players thought were finally finished as well as the new characters.

Those expecting plenty of twists will also be pleasantly surprised as there are numerous events that take place that will keep players on their toes. It certainly helps that the writers’ ability to create a tense and horrific atmosphere hasn’t dulled in the slightest between Book of Shadows and Blood Drive as the sense of dread coming from the characters and the ghastly descriptions of the deaths that can occur if the player finds themselves either stumbling into a bad end or dying in the game are as terrifying as ever.

Of course since the most exciting part of Corpse Party: Blood Drive’s storyline is the unknown, I won’t delve into any of the aforementioned twists or spoil any of the events that take place but this is certainly a game meant for fans of the series as there are numerous callbacks to past events that those who have never played the first two titles will be left with only the bare minimum of knowledge going off what the story wants to describe here, but those who have stuck around for the entire series are in for a very satisfying end if they dare venture into the halls of Heavenly Host one more time.

Gameplay
Corpse Party: Blood Drive made a jump to the PlayStation Vita with this release and with a bit more power the developers have tried out a different gameplay style by offering players 3D environments for the first time ever, since the original focused on 2D and the second title was more visual novel with exploration than anything else. Blood Drive harkens back to the original style of exploration as players will be spending the majority of the game split between the visual novel dialogue sequences and exploring the 3D environments.

Unlike past games however, it seems that the darkness is far stronger in Corpse Party: Blood Drive as Heavenly Host now almost always requires players to make use of a flashlight to navigate its dangerous halls. With a limited supply of batteries available, players are encouraged to only use it when needed but thanks to numerous traps and pitfalls scattered throughout the halls and wires similar to the second game that can only be seen and disabled with the use of the flashlight players will find themselves moving gingerly through the halls as they keep a look out around them for traps while trying to keep their battery usage to a minimum.

Traps aren’t the only danger to watch out for however as ghosts and phantoms that roam the halls must also be avoided as being caught by them will whittle away your health and potentially result in an early death. The best way to avoid these ghosts are to either sneak around them or, if seen, run as far as possible and try to hide out of sight in a cabinet. Since every character only has so much stamina to run and ends up coming to a stop when they run out of breath, another option is to use a talisman to dispel the ghost.

Other than these dangers players will of course have to travel through the halls and classrooms of the school as they search for the areas that contain key items and the various puzzles that must be completed before advancing the story but here lies one of the main issues with the title. You see, while the game’s ten chapters and bonus chapters provide a lengthy experience for a horror game, a lot of this time will be spent looking at a loading screen.

While it is certainly understandable to have loading sequences when traveling to another area or changing rooms, Corpse Party: Blood Drive makes the scariest thing the dark loading screen containing a ghost face as almost every aspect of the game requires at least seven seconds to load. This includes everything from opening the menu, navigating the inventory screen, changing options; to just swapping between rooms that should have loaded with the entire building considering scene transitions are the longest screens of all and completely ruin any of the tension the title may have been building up.

Visuals & Audio
Now the change from to 3D character models does give Corpse Party: Blood Drive a refreshing appearance but it causes numerous frame rate issues with the game slowing down when enemies are on screen and it also detracts from the elements that past games were able to make players visualize for themselves. These almost chibi like characters lose some feeling of tension, with an early scene showing a girl stabbing herself in the hand with scissors simply resulting in a few spurts of blood that could have been far more gruesome if represented in any other fashion than the way it was chosen. This doesn’t mean all of the grisly horror and death has vanished from the game as there are still plenty of elements that pay off well through this system as well as numerous CGs and descriptions that are exactly what fans of this type of horror game are looking for.

As before, Corpse Party: Blood Drive features only the original Japanese voice cast but this works for the benefit of the title as fans of the series are more than familiar with the characters at this point and the voice actors know how to portray the horror the characters are feeling very well. As for the background music and atmosphere of the game, I must recommend that players try to play this game with headphones or ear buds as the title is designed to make sounds appear like they are coming from various areas around the player to up the scary factor and it really does deliver here.

Overall
Corpse Party: Blood Drive delivers on where it matters most as it provides the continuation of the enthralling story that has kept fans on the edge of their seats ever since it was released. By expanding upon the lore of Heavenly Host and providing numerous twists to keep things bloody and exciting, fans will not be disappointed with what Corpse Party: Blood Drive has to offer, if only the technical issues didn’t make playing through said title to experience the story feel like such a drag.
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