Curve Digital Celebrates Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure PC Launch with a Trip to the Inaugural 2016 Dodgeball World Cup
Anticipated Indie Game – Available Today on PC, PlayStation®4 on April 5, and Xbox One on April 8 – Inks Deal to Become Exclusive Court Sponsor of the Inaugural 2016 Dodgeball World Cup, Held in Association with The World Dodgeball Association
LONDON—April 1, 2016—Indie publisher Curve Digital and developer Game Swing today proudly announced the PC launch of Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure, a quirky and perilous reimagining of the classic ball game and local multiplayer darling. To celebrate the game’s launch today on PC and next week’s April 5 and April 8 launches on PlayStation®4 and Xbox One respectively, Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure will be going where no indie game has gone before: to the World Cup.
Using simple twin-stick controls and featuring a vibrant, ’70s-inspired art style, Stikbold! is a fast-paced approximation of the game of dodgeball, complete with off-court hazards, random events and boss battles. Players will embark on an epic single or multiplayer journey across a host of wild and wacky dodgeball arenas, using their dodgeball skills to defeat opponents, teams and bosses. Up to four players can partake in brutal yet outlandish rounds of dodgeball, where fast reactions, tactics and teamwork combine to create a sports game unlike any other. Always enjoyable but truly shining as a local multiplayer game, Stikbold! is slated to become the next couch multiplayer game of choice.
Curve Digital and Game Swing have signed a deal with The World Dodgeball Association to become the exclusive court sponsor of the inaugural 2016 Dodgeball World Cup, which will take place on April 16 and 17 at the National Basketball Arena in Manchester, UK. The event – the first of its kind – is organized by The World Dodgeball Association and will pit eight nations against each other across two days, as teams from the United States, England, Malaysia, and Egypt compete for both the men and women’s trophies.
Not only will Stikbold! be featured prominently on court at the event , but as the game is officially presented in association with The World Dodgeball Association, everyone who attends the finals will receive a copy of the game at the event. In addition, Stikbold! will be featured throughout the venue, giving dodgeball fans the opportunity to see for themselves how the game brings their sport so vividly to life.
“We’re absolutely thrilled about this partnership,” says Simon Byron, publishing director, Curve Digital. “When we discovered that the Dodgeball World Cup was happening not just on our doorstep, but almost at the same time as release, we just had to get involved. Whilst Stikbold! isn’t necessarily a simulation of dodgeball, it is firmly based in the sporting arena, and we’re determined to have fun in Manchester during the World Cup.”
“The eyes of the world’s dodgeball players will focus on Manchester in April, offering the sport its greatest ever stage,” adds Tom Hickson, President of The World Dodgeball Association. “We’re delighted to welcome Stikbold! to join the celebrations – it may operate outside of the strict rules of the professional game, but it’s dodgeball through and through. We hope that through this partnership more people will seek out local associations and take an interest in the sport that inspired such a brilliant videogame.”
To celebrate the game’s launch on PC, Curve Digital and Game Swing have released a brand new trailer, which can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/lZrpRN-EZSg
Developed by Copenhagen-based Game Swing and published by Curve Digital, Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure is now available on PC and is headed to PlayStation®4 on April 5 and to Xbox One on April 8 for $9.99/€9.99/£7.99 with a 20 percent discount for two weeks post-launch. This title has been rated “E for Everyone” by the ESRB.
Key Features:
Single or co-op adventure mode
Up to four player multiplayer matches
18 weird and wonderful characters
12 single or multiplayer levels spread across five incredibly varied dodgeball arenas
Intuitive controls offer deeply tactical gameplay
Inventive story mode takes around three hours to play through each time, with additional content available to unlock via multiple playthroughs
Highly customizable multiplayer modes that allow for up to six players on screen (four humans, two bots), providing endless challenge
Players always involved in the action – even if they’re knocked out of the game
The Dodgeball World Cup will be held at the National Basketball Arena in Manchester, UK on April 16 and 17, with warm-up events on April 14 and 15. More information and tickets can be found at www.planetdodgeball.com.
About Curve Digital
Curve Digital is the largest publisher of independent video games on console formats in the world. Working with high profile developers such as Mike Bithell (Thomas Was Alone), Dan Marshall (The Swindle) and Olli Harjola (The Swapper), Curve helps individuals and small teams bring their games to a larger audience. Curve actively publishes on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U and 3DS.
Reminder: The Wish Pokémon Jirachi appears for the Pokémon 20th Celebration today!
Starting today and running until April 24, players of the Pokémon Omega Ruby,Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, Pokémon X, or Pokémon Y video games can receive Jirachi and add this Steel- and Psychic-type Mythical Pokémon to their party. To obtain Jirachi, players must have access to both a Wifi connection and the Nintendo Network on their Nintendo 3DS or 2DS console.
Pokémon TCG fans can also celebrate with the brand-new Pokémon TCG: Mythical Pokémon Collection—Jirachi which will be available from 1 April. The collection includes a special Jirachi promo card. It also contains two Pokémon TCG:Generations booster packs and a Pokémon TCG Online code card.
ESCAPE FROM TARKOV SHOWS WHAT “WEAPON MODDING” REALLY MEANS
Also, Don’t Miss Exciting New Gameplay Footage, And This Weekend’s First-Ever Twitch Stream
Escape from Tarkov, the upcoming FPS/MMO that has all of the Internet buzzing, is going to show just how flexible the game’s weaponry is in a new video released today. It’s not simply about adding a bigger magazine, or a flashlight, or even a laser sight…no, in Escape from Tarkov, from developer Battlestate Games, it’s about thousands, possibly millions of combinations of tactical weapon add-ons that will take a basic pistol, and make it a handheld war machine of epic proportions.
To show just how incredibly deep Escape from Tarkov’s weapon modding system is, today we’re releasing a new video showcasing various weapons and the available mods. Stocks, magazines, muzzles, barrels, they’re all there for the modding. Along with the video, we have an overview dossier that explains the options available in the modding system.
Stream the video HERE: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBq7Bdexp-M
Download or stream the new video, and see why PC Gamer calls Escape from Tarkov, “The FPS that’s taking weapon customization to absurd heights,” and why the game is on every FPS fans’ wish list.
Battlestate has also released an Escape from Tarkov clip showcasing two minutes of gameplay from the game, if you can’t get enough Escape from Tarkov, this Saturday. Battlestate will be hosting the first ever Twitch stream for the game. Tune in to www.twitch.tv/escapefromtarkov this Saturday April 2nd at 11AM Pacific Time (2PM Eastern) to experience even more of this exciting FPS/MMO.
reverbinc.com/project/escape-from-tarkov Escape from Tarkov is a hardcore story-driven MMO featuring elements of FPS and RPG. The events take place in the Russian city of Tarkov, which has been sealed of by roadblocks and sunk into the chaos of local warfare between private military companies. Escape from Tarkov’s Hazardous Environment Combat Simulator employs a number of custom system modules to create incredibly immersive gameplay and make players feel the reality of what is happening in the game.
More info on Escape from Tarkov can be found at the game’s official page: http://www.escapefromtarkov.com/ ‘Like’ it on Facebook, and follow its development on Twitter @bstategames for all the latest developer updates and news.
KOEI TECMO ANNOUNCES THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN OF RENOWNED STRATEGY SERIES, ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS
Developed in Celebration of the Series’ 30th Anniversary, ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII’ Unites Deep, Strategic Gameplay with Nearly Endless Customization
Hertfordshire, 31st March 2016- This summer Koei Tecmo Europe invites gamers to rediscover a turbulent era of political instability, large-scale conflict, and human drama with the western return of historical simulation/ strategy epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms after a 9 year hiatus. Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII will launch across Europe on 8th July 2016 for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and PC via Steam®.
Based on the beloved novel of the same name, Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII has been developed in celebration of the franchise’s 30th anniversary. The game uses the tale of a collapsing dynasty and the power-hungry emerging factions to set a complex chessboard on which players can follow and influence the fateful events leading to the unification of 2nd century China.
Fans of strategy games will find this exceptionally detailed title to be a challenging and rewarding blend of deep strategy and historically accurate warfare, regardless of their familiarity with the rich story of the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. Cities can be built and developed; alliances can be fostered or broken; armies can be mustered and deployed. Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII prides itself on offering a wide selection of options for conflict resolution, the most impressive of which are the armies. A wide variety of army units can be recruited and trained, including foot soldiers, cavalry, artillery, and navy, while special care has been taken to incorporate diplomacy and personal relationships, giving the player an extra incentive to build a stable and loyal network of friends and allies.
This comprehensive and exceptionally detailed strategy title features two compelling gameplay experiences: the Campaign mode, which stays true to the most profound of strategy games by allowing players the freedom to choose a starting year and customize the board to their liking before attempting to beat the game, and the Hero mode, which acts an in-depth tutorial, closely following historical events while teaching players all of the game’s mechanics. In Hero mode, players familiar with characters from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series can also enjoy an alternative way to relive the exciting lives and adventures of those heroes before proceeding to leave their own mark on history!
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII players have near endless customisation choices, as they can take on the mantle of one of 700 historical characters (including such fan- favourites as Zhao Yun, Liu Bei, Cao Cao and more), or create their own unique character and try to climb the proverbial leadership ladder.
To better illustrate the style and feel of the upcoming game, Koei Tecmo has released a teaser trailer and a batch of in-game assets showcasing battle scenes and characters. More news and information on Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII will become available in the coming weeks.
KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, UK. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive® and Ninja Gaiden®series. KOEI is best known for its Dynasty Warriors® and Samurai Warriors® franchises. On April 1, 2009, KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD was established as a result of the TECMO, LTD. and KOEI Co., Ltd. merger. More information about KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD and its products can be found at www.koeitecmoeurope.com
“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
RED BULL AIR RACE – THE GAME TAKES OFF FOR FREE IN 2016
Wing Racers Sports Games and Slightly Mad Studios charge no landing fee for the official PC game of the Red Bull Air World Championship
LONDON – April 1, 2016 – It’s the news that all aficianados of adrenaline-drenched, hyper-accurate racing have been waiting for: Wing Racers Sports Games are partnering with Slightly Mad Studios to deliver the world’s fastest motorsport direct to PCs this year with Red Bull Air Race – The Game. Hot on the heels of the million-selling and critically acclaimed Project CARS, they’re delivering a best-in-class and incredibly realistic take on Red Bull’s thrilling Air Race Championship. Initially launching as a limited beta on PC in the first half of 2016, the game’s doing something a little different in the free-to-play space. Instead of asking players to be whales, it’s partnering with some of the world’s biggest and best-known brands to deliver a new take on free-to-play gaming. The downloadable title will explicitly distance itself from finance models that suck all the fun out of gaming and, instead of annoying gamers with a pay-to-win scheme, will present spectacular challenges without any gameplay limitations whatsoever.
Compared to many other free-to-play games, Red Bull Air Race – The Game will not gate its content in a way that allows only the highest paying customers to have all the fun. “Right from the start, we developed this project as a cooperative effort with interesting sponsors. As such, it will benefit from the immense draw of the official license and from our versatility to integrate marketing partners,” said Jens Ott, Managing Director at Wing Racers Sports Games. “We’re incredibly excited to be working with Red Bull on this amazing opportunity. We’ve identified a unique business model that’s a win for all involved: fantastic exposure for some of the world’s greatest brands, authentic and ever-changing track dressing just like in real-life motorsports, and a move away from free-to-play’s traditional nickel-and-diming for the players.”
Erich Wolf, Red Bull Air Race General Manager, said, “We are absolutely sure that Esport fans will enjoy the features of our game. It is a fantastic way to bring our sport closer to everybody who doesn’t sit in a race plane every day.”
Red Bull Air Race – The Game will undergo a staged roll-out later this year. Underpinned by Slightly Mad’s in-house Madness engine, the game benefits from support for scalability, bleeding-edge virtual reality and more. Strapping an Oculus Rift to one’s head and soaring across the skies of Chiba, Ascot or Spielberg is as close as it gets to the real thing and a truly unprecedented experience in gaming. To achieve maximum authenticity, all race tracks and pilots of the 2016 Red Bull Air World Championship will be included, as well.
Watch Hannes Arch (World champion, 2008 Red Bull Air Race World Championship, Vice World Champion 2009, 2010 and 2014) talking about his career and the new game: https://youtu.be/Akgfj6Y_6Dw.
ABOUT THE RED BULL AIR RACE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Created in 2003, officially the World Championship of air racing since 2005, the Red Bull Air Race is followed by millions of fans worldwide. The ultimate motorsport series in the skies features 14 of the best race pilots in a pure motor-sport competition that combines speed, precision and skill. Using the fastest, most agile and lightweight racing planes, pilots navigate a low-level aerial track made up of air-filled pylons 25 meters high. New since 2014 is the Challenger Cup, a competition which enables talented pilots to work towards acquiring entry into the Master Class of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.
ABOUT SLIGHTLY MAD STUDIOS
Founded in 2009, Slightly Mad Studios is a multi-award-winning studio with a heritage and pedigree in the creation of some of the world’s most memorable and successful racing franchises, including GTR, GT Legends, BMW M3 Challenge, Need For Speed, Test Drive and Project Cars.
Siren Visual announced this week that their Blu-ray release of Durarara!!x2 Part 1 is now shipping. They said that copies should be in stores this week.
This set contains the first twelve episodes of Durarara!!x2. Siren Visual confirmed in response to a fan question that the OVA episode is exclusive to the Aniplex USA edition. It is also available in Japan. The set features dual language options and is coded for playback in Region B only. It has a suggested retail price of $44.95 AUD (Australian Dollars).
There is no word of a release of the next season of episodes yet, but Siren Visual said to “stay tuned” for news about it.
It has been announced that Hiromu Arakawa’s popular manga series Fullmetal Alchemist will be receiving a live-action film adaptation. The manga series began in 2001 and ended almost six years ago.
Filming is scheduled to occur in Italy from June to August this year, and will be released in the Winter of 2017 (Southern Hemisphere Winter). Yamada Ryosuki will be playing Edward Elric in the film. Fans may know him as a member of the pop idol group Hey!Say!JUMP! or as Nagisa in the live-action adaptation of Assassination Classroom. The film will be directed by Fumihiko Sori. Sori has also worked on Appleseed and the live-action version of Ping Pong.
Sentai Filmworks once again has a variety of anime titles coming out this month, including new titles, re-releases and another premium edition collection. The following list details all of those releases.
April 5, 2016:
Parasyte -the maxim- Collection 1 – DVD, Blu-ray and Premium Edition DVD and Blu-ray Combo Pack. Episodes 1-12 are featured with dual language options. The textless opening and ending animations are included as on-disc extras. The Premium Edition set comes with a microfiber cloth, a tattoo set, a green-eyed Migi Be@rbrick collectible figure from Medicom Toys and a chipboard box.
Rail Wars Complete Collection – Blu-ray only. Episodes 1-12 are featured with Japanese audio and English subtitles. The textless opening and ending animations are included as extras.
Sakura Wars Complete TV Series Sentai Selects Edition – DVD only. Episodes 1-25 are featured with dual language options. The textless opening and ending animations are included as extras.
April 12, 2016:
Gugure! Kokkuri-san Complete Collection – DVD and Blu-ray. Episodes 1-12 are featured with Japanese audio and English subtitles. 11 short episodes and the textless opening and ending animations are included as extras.
Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere Complete Collection – DVD and Blu-ray. Episodes 1-26 are featured with dual language options. On-disc extras include: Far East Enlightening Lectures, promotional videos, commercials, teasers, Blu-ray commercials and the textless opening and ending animations.
Tonari no Seki-kun Complete Collection – DVD and Blu-ray. Episodes 1-21 are featured with dual language options. The textless opening and ending animations are included as extras.
April 19, 2016:
Yamishibai Complete Collection – DVD and Blu-ray. All 26 episodes from both seasons are featured with Japanese audio and English subtitles. The textless opening and ending animations are included as extras.
April 26, 2016:
Space Brothers Collection 8 – DVD and Blu-ray. Episodes 88-99 are featured with Japanese audio and English subtitles. The textless opening and ending animations are included as extras.
FUNimation Entertainment is releasing quite a few different anime titles in North America this month. The following list details each of those releases.
April 5, 2016:
Ghost in the Shell: Arise – The New Movie – Bare Bones DVD Edition and DVD and Blu-ray Combo Pack. Extras included in the combo pack include: “Inside the World of Ghost in the Shell Part 2”, Special: “Arise Explained in 25 Minutes” (Extended Director’s Cut), Special: “25 Years Reviewed in 25 Minutes” (Extended Director’s Cut), a promotional video, a theatrical trailer, a teaser and the U.S. trailer.
April 12, 2016:
Maken-ki! Season Two – DVD and Blu-ray Combo Pack. This set contains episodes 1-10. Episode commentaries, the OVA episodes, commercials, a promotional video, the textless animation for the opening song “Cherish”, the textless animation for the ending song “Reach for Light” and the U.S. trailer are included as extras.
April 19, 2016:
Black Butler Season Three – Standard and Limited Edition DVD and Blu-ray Combo Packs. The sets contain episodes 1-10. Episode IV commentary, Episode x Video commentary and the U.S. trailer are included as on-disc extras. The limited edition set features premium art digipack disc packaging and comes in a rigid collector’s box.
April 26, 2016:
GARO THE ANIMATION Season One, Part One – DVD and Blu-ray Combo Pack. The set contains episodes 1-12. Episode commentaries, the special episode “Daybreak” and the preview for that episode, the textless animation for the opening song “-Divine Flame-”, the textless animation for the ending song “Chiastolite” and the U.S. trailer are included as extras.
Kamisama Kiss Season Two – DVD and Blu-ray Combo Pack. The set contains episodes 1-12. Episode commentaries, the textless opening and ending animations and the U.S. trailer are included as extras.
One Piece Season Seven, Voyage Six – DVD. The set contains episodes 446-456. On-disc extras include: episode commentaries, “Usopp: The Sniper King” and the textless animation for the opening song “Kaze wo Sagashite”.
Rage of Bahamut: Genesis Season One – Standard and Limited Edition DVD and Blu-ray Combo Packs. The sets contain episodes 1-12. Both editions will feature episode commentaries, the textless opening and ending animations, the preview for episode 1 and the U.S. trailer as on-disc extras. The limited edition set will come with a 320-page art book inside a chipboard box.
Overview Remedy Entertainment has long been known for creating memorable and somewhat risky series. They hit the market with their first memorable series, Max Payne, back in 2001 and once again with Alan Wake in 2010. Now six years later the company behind such popular titles is back with another interesting project in the form of Quantum Break. The question is, has Remedy Entertainment managed to strike gold once more with this uniquely structured title?
Story Quantum Break begins as Jack Joyce travels to Riverport University to meet up with his old friend Paul Serene. After making his way through the remnants of a protest being held to prevent a dominant company known as Monarch from demolishing the campus’ library, Jack meets with Paul and learns that not only does he need his help with a brand new invention, but also that that invention has to deal with time travel.
As things tend to play out when it comes to time machines, things almost immediately begin to go wrong as Paul and Jack are interrupted by a face from the past followed by an immediate catastrophic failure, one that manages to give Jack Joyce the power to control certain elements of time. Shortly after learning about his abilities, he comes under attack by Monarch who seem to already know everything that is about to happen and have been ordered to capture Jack and his companion.
What follows is an incredibly interesting story told through two mediums that have been combined in a fairly successful fashion. Players will be spending most of their time playing as Jack while traveling through areas, facing down Monarch forces, and attempting to find a solution to the forewarned “End of Time,” but the amount of depth that players can find and enjoy here is something that is rarely pulled off in video games, especially third person shooters such as Quantum Break.
The reason I say this is because, while many people may not bother gathering collectibles, the amount of background information and extra story details that are contained in various e-mails, audio recordings, and even radio broadcasts that are scattered throughout the various stages in the game help provide a fleshed out world. Quantum Break brings back the pacing of Alan Wake in the way that the pace will pick up during shoot outs and then slow things down to expand upon the story by having the player walk through areas and gather info about the world, talk to characters, and help flesh things out and this creates the type of pacing that blends extremely well with the live action episodes.
You see, in-between the major arcs that make up Quantum Break ’s level structure a roughly half hour live action episode will play out. What makes these episodes interesting, besides the fact that they go in-depth regarding side characters in such a manner that players will actually become invested with their storyline outside of the main character, is the fact that the choices players make in the game and certain collectibles they find will play a role in changing certain parts of an episode and even how certain story segments in the core game play out.
Usually the concept of “your choices matter” is simply a tagline where players often won’t find too much of a reason to replay a game but Quantum Break really manages to pull it off here. Occasionally players will find that they are given control of a certain character that, thanks to his place on the timeline, is capable of seeing how large decisions will play out. Depending on the choices you make during these decisions not only will the live action sequences be changed in various ways to match your pivotal choice but the various characters and even the story provided in certain collectibles will change in regards to Jack Joyce’s journey. This creates a story that players will actually wish to play through more than once in order to see just how things would have played out if they chose the other decision instead.
Outside of the core decision making, the actual storyline for Quantum Break is very enjoyable as players will be experiencing an extremely detailed world filled with fleshed out characters and a plot that follows a number of characters as the narrative about time travel, conspiracy, and conflict continues at a steady pace with plenty of twists thrown in to keep players guessing as to what will happen next. There are a few missteps here with a few of the live action storylines feeling like they could have been handled better and a few mildly disappointing moments in the core story, but those looking for a unique game that manages to successfully blend together a game’s storyline with something akin to a television series, will be pleasantly surprised, albeit a bit let down by the way the title handles its inconclusive ending.
Gameplay The storyline for Quantum Break thankfully turned out to be quite exceptional and it is thanks to the time travel abilities that Jack Joyce obtains that the actual gameplay mechanics end up being enjoyable in their own right. As mentioned earlier, this game likes to slow things down and throw a few environmental puzzles at players, usually making them rewind time on certain objects to reach a new area or simply jumping through an area, but the bulk of the gameplay will be spent using Jack’s abilities to take down whatever forces stand in his way.
Jack comes with your standard set of weaponry as he can carry one type of pistol, a unique weapon such as a shotgun, sniper rifle, heavy machine gun etc., and an automatic rifle/SMG at one time and will fluidly duck behind cover or slip against a wall automatically when the player moves him into position. The actual gunplay is as standard as it gets here and does take a few hints from earlier Max Payne titles with players being able to unload extra rounds into a final opponent in slow motion.
What makes this combat enjoyable is the fact that Jack is given a variety of powers that make combat much more enjoyable. All of Jack’s abilities have their own individual cooldown timers and with a simple tap or hold of a button Jack can produce a “Time Shield” dome to deflect bullets and, if upgraded, recover health, stop time in a small space in the world and stack bullets into an area only to unleash a hellstorm when it returns to normal, “Time Dodge” to quickly teleport/zip around the area and temporarily slow time to take down an opponent from behind and more.
Rather than simply hide and be a standard duck and cover shooter, players are encouraged to stay on the move (especially since some cover can be destroyed) and take advantage of Jack’s abilities to take down foes. Creating a dome shield, zipping behind an enemy in one motion and popping him in the head only to then slow down time and run to the next enemy and nail them with a takedown move creates a number of tactical opportunities that make what may have been standard combat feel highly enjoyable whenever a fight breaks out.
Of course, that doesn’t make the game a walk in the park either as certain enemies are prepared for what Jack is capable of and countermeasures to reduce the abilities of those capable of controlling time are something that players will run into over the course of the game, leaving Jack to either make it out of the fight simply using his guns or destroying the countermeasures to regain access to his abilities.
As mentioned, players will be able to provide some minor upgrades to their powers by gathering, amongst the many other collectible times, Chronon Sources that are scattered throughout the level. Unlike the other collectibles that expand on the world and provide background insight to certain decisions, these serve only as a way to upgrade your abilities, though these upgrades are unfortunately fairly limited.
Visuals & Audio One thing that Remedy Entertainment managed to pull off quite successfully here are the character models. While some developers usually create a character from scratch, this team had to make sure that the models for the game appeared as close as possible to their live action counterparts and they have pulled that off quite well. The models in the game are very nicely detailed and even the basic enemies that you encounter are varied enough in their outfits to keep from being boring.
The environments run the gambit of being sterile looking labs to rundown factory buildings and although players shouldn’t expect too much vibrant color here, the details on the world are nicely handled, especially in regards to the way that the time stutters appear. It is worth noting that I never noticed any slow down with the game while playing, but there were a number of moments where certain details on a character’s jacket or part of the environment would end up popping in late.
As for the live action sequences, as mentioned the casting here is handled extremely well with Microsoft and Remedy putting quite a lot of effort into making sure these episodes appeared like an actual television series. The action sequences and the actors are all presented in a perfect fashion and you’ll want to keep an ear and an eye out for various things that will be different if you ended up finding certain collectibles during the gameplay segments.
Quantum Break features a stellar cast of well-known actors that have quite a bit of experience under their belts since the majority of the characters you’ll be interacting with and seeing are then represented in the live action segments. This means that the voice work for the majority of the game is extremely well done, though a couple of lesser side characters that have minimal roles or only appear through collectibles bring the quality down a bit. As far as the soundtrack is concerned, there is a decent set of music accompanying Quantum Break but don’t expect too many memorable tunes this time around.
Overall Quantum Break may have seemed like a risky endeavor back when it was first announced but it seems that, like many of their past titles, that that risk has paid off. Though the game’s core combat may be basic, Joyce’s time manipulating abilities help make it enjoyable and the fact that the game isn’t afraid to slow things down and flesh out the world while also throwing a bit of different gameplay at the player from time to time keeps things feeling fresh. The idea of blending in-game and television storytelling together may have seemed like a strange one, and it is one that does require a bit of collecting to really get the best out of, but it is one that works quite well in this regard and helps make Quantum Break a memorable and very enjoyable title. Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
