Indie Gala and Capsule Computers released the 28th Every Monday Bundle today. The indie bundle contains six games, five Steam titles and one Desura title.
Toxic Bunny HD – A retro styled action-platformer inspired by Looney Toons and Monty Python.
Obludia– Mix classic games like Smash TV with RPG mechanics and you get Obludia. The game features 50 levels, 5 bosses, and 8 weapons to conquer it all.
Exodus of Sol – An action packed flight sim that will put players in the cockpit of a fighter in the middle of epic space battles filled with capital ships.
Crystals of Time – Ashley Ford is a professional thief. After her father disappears while attempting to break into Three Oak Mansion, Ashley now must break into the mansion to discover her father’s fate.
SanctuaryRPG– A rogue-like RPG done completely in ASCII art of early video games with more than 160 race/class combos. The game is currently on Steam Greenlight.
For the first 48 hors of the sale, the bundle is only $1.89 for all six titles. Be sure to snag your copy at Indie Gala before the price rises.
Dear readers, you may have noticed from some (/all) of my previous articles covering the EB Expo that I am not really a console gamer by any stretch of the imagination. I am noticing that this is turning out to be quite a problem when providing coverage at this expo as most of the games being showcased are only playable on gaming consoles. For my ignorance, I apologise as I do my best to provide analysis which is both informative and entertaining. To that end, I tried my hand at playing NBA 2K15 which, unfortunately for me, was only playable on the Playstation 4. Regardless, I powered through and below are some of my thoughts…
The first thing I noticed playing the game is that there is certainly a lot of polish which has been given to nearly every aspect of its design. The menus are slick and easy to use, the graphics are pretty darn good (even with the camera zoomed out), and the loading screen is a pre-game sports show with analysis provided by digital commentators. I particularly liked the last one as I enjoy it when games provide some manner of interactivity during lulls in the gameplay to keep the player engaged and I found this particular idea to be entertaining as well as thematically appropriate (as well as featuring in the game’s trailer).
The demo had a number of teams that you could select to play as, predominantly the teams from the United States of America but also some from the European leagues as well. Unfortunately I can’t remember which team I ended up playing as I had no understanding of the reputations of any of the teams so I just chose whichever came up first… once again, my ignorance of all things sports is showing.
There was no tutorial available in the demo, as far as I could tell, and the only explanation of the controls I could find was a two sided print-out with controls for attacking and defending. After learning as much as of the controls as I could for the ‘defending’ side, I saddled myself for some good old-fashioned ‘b-ball’.
As you can imagine, I had quite some difficulty in grasping the controls to begin with and had my team fouled quite a few times over the course of the match as I either held buttons down too long or not enough. I was playing a dirty game, largely out of ineptitude, but by the end of the match I had largely figured out the controls which turned out to be surprisingly intuitive. I scored a dozen points, but they were not enough to overcome the other team’s significant advantage which they had rightly gained in the first three quarters.
The gameplay was tense and largely comes down to movement across the court and correctly timing your shots in accordance with said movement. This is perfectly expressed with one of the mini-games you play during the match. During penalty a penalty shot, the player has to time the shot with a heartbeat vibration coming through their controller. If you press it too soon or too late, you will miss the shot. This seemed to be an interesting use of the PS4 controller’s capabilities, although I was never quite able to time the shot correctly.
Ultimately I had more fun with the twenty minutes or so I had with this game than I did with some other titles as I felt that I actually had some measure of control in the game as I fumbled my way through. The demo would have done well to have included at least a tutorial of some manner beyond a map of the controls, but I have a feeling that the aim of the demo was not to draw new fans in to the series.
Overall, there was a tremendous amount of polish that was given to this title which shows in nearly every aspect. Although I did have fun, I don’t feel particularly compelled to go out and acquire this game for myself. For fans of the series, I have no doubt it will have more of what they know and love but as for the rest of us; I can’t recommend this as a sports game to get you into the genre…
This game is perhaps the hardest I have ever had to play. It might not be because the gameplay is particularly difficult, although I have read that Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) 2015 does pride itself on being a very technical game which players can gain mastery over slowly. My main problem was simply that I am not a console gamer and playing this on a Playstation 4 in a limited space of time within which to learn the controls meant that my analysis of the gameplay will be limited. From what I’ve read, the difficulty curve in the series is quite steep and is considered a feature amongst the fanbase for its level of detail in control and gameplay. Rest assured that I believe all this complexity is still present in droves in the newest iteration.
The demo copy that I was able to play did not have a tutorial (except for a two sided sheet which had a controls map) which meant that I was lost with what exactly to do with most of the session. Nonetheless, I persevered and I did my best to try and stack the odds in my favour in such a way to overcome my severe, non-console gaming handicap.
The game allows you to choose teams from a variety of football (soccer) leagues, including the English Premier League. These teams are all accurate to their predicted line-up in the coming year with the correct players, numbers, and uniforms. Unfortunately, I am largely ignorant of the state of European soccer (or any sport which takes place in meat space, in fact) so I can’t report on the purported accuracy of the players as they have been recreated in the game. The graphics look good close-up with only a minor uncanny valley effect present with the models. Luckily, the camera will spend most of its time zoomed out to give you an overview of the action.
In order to stack things in my favour, I chose to play as Real Madrid (they had a high rating according to the game) and chose to start a match. Before play started, I was able to plan out my team line-up and determine starting players. The screen showed me a lot varying stats for all the players as I cycled through each of their profiles, but since I could not make an informed decision; I simply chose to play with the default starting line-up. At this stage I was also able to determine the team’s formation and play on the field. I opted for a play which favoured ‘possession’. I chose this play because if there’s one thing I’ve learnt about soccer from all those years in little league teams it’s this; as long as you’ve got the ball, the other team (probably) can’t score.
So the match started with my team kicking off after I spent a good minute trying to figure out how to pass the ball. As you may have anticipated; things didn’t go well for me and by the end of the first half I was losing 4 to nil. Needless to say, I did not win that game in way which even the pre-recorded AI commentators could not believe happened.
The AI was largely solid and proved to be far more capable than I, while I ran whichever player I was in control of around the field. My AI team mates were able to defend fairly effectively and blocked a number of the plays that the opposing team did. This effectively meant that the computer was playing against itself, but since I still had not figured out how to sprint/swap players; I was happy to have something come out in my favour. I was at least decent when it came to corner/goal/penalty kicks where the game takes a bit of a slower turn and I actually had time to read the control map. I also tackled someone successfully near the end of the second half… unfortunately it was my own team.
Overall, I have no idea what to think of this game. I could see that this game certainly has a certain appeal to players of very technical sports titles, but without a tutorial you would be completely out of your depth… thereby stopping it from being a party game with pick-up-and-play appeal.
A number of new screenshots for Senran Kagura: Estival Versus have been released courtesy of Famitsuand in these images not only are we given a glimpse at how the combat will look, but also a chance to check out the in-game models for three of the four playable characters.
As revealed last month, the above characters are Renka, Hanabi, and Kafuru though the fourth playable character Sayuri is not shown. You can check out the new screenshots for the game below and die-hard Senran Kagura fans will want to keep an eye out for Senran Kagura: Estival Versus when it is released in Japan on March 26th for the PlayStation 4 and PS Vita.
Although Rune Factory 4 was released in North America back in 2013 and was one of my favorite 3DS titles from that year, the European release for the game just never came to fruition. Although a release was planned, it was eventually cancelled entirely, leaving fans without any chance to play the game outside of importing not only the game but a North American 3DS.
Well, it looks like XSEED is going to try and bring the game over once more. Speaking with Siliconera, XSEED’s executive vice-president, Ken Berry, stated that the company is trying to get the title released in PAL regions. However until they passed certification with Nintendo of Europe, they didn’t want to make any official announcements. When Rune Factory 4 is released, it appears that it will only be available through the eShop as a digital download.
Since they licensed the first season and are currently planning on releasing it the first half of it on November 25th, it should come as no surprise that Sentai Filmworks has licensed the second season of Log Horizon which began airing this past Saturday. They are planning on releasing Log Horizon 2 on home video sometime in the future.
Log Horizon 2 continues the story of the original series, which is an adaptation from Mamare Touno’s light novel series. It is worth noting that unlike the first season, which was animated by Satelight, this second season is being handled by Studio DEEN and although many of the character designs have remained the same, the characters’ faces do appear to have taken something of a hit with this transition.
For the past couple of years, the Naruto manga has been reaching a crescendo and in recent months it seemed like the story would finally be coming to an end. Although the latest events in the manga pointed towards an impending conclusion, the drawn out nature of the series led fans to believe that the climactic battle would continue for quite some time and maybe extend past that, but instead it seems it will be ending quite soon.
Today the official website for Weekly Shonen Jump revealed that Naruto would be coming to an end on November 10th, five chapters from now. Naruto started running back in 1999 and if there indeed will be five more chapters released, then the series will conclude on chapter 700.
The Creative Assembly’s, Alien: Isolation is just as frightening as the 1979 sci-fi phenomenon, ‘Alien’ by Ridley Scott. The video presentation by the creative lead, Alistair Hop at the EB Games Expo over the weekend, showed the first gameplay demo of the survival horror title. And let me tell you, it was enough to make me jump in my seat and hold onto the person next to me (as embarrassing as that is to admit). Believe me, Alien: Isolation is the perfect example of its genre, a truly terrifying game that will creep inside the back of your mind and trigger the true meaning of fear.
The demo features Amanda, who is on board a remote space station, Sevastopol, to retrieve the flight recorder, in the hope that it will provide answers about the disappearance of her mother, Ellen Ripley, fifteen years ago. In Alien: Isolation, players are pitted against a sole Alien presence and can only survive each mission by using stealth, improvising solutions (like hiding under a desk) and scavenging as many resources as possible. While players are able to craft together items they collect, such as ethanol and batteries for creating weapons, there is no guarantee that it will take down the ruthless threat. For example, in the gameplay demo we watched Amanda used her flamethrower against the Alien, which didn’t work out so well for her . . . When players come face to face with the Alien, there is literally nothing they can do to avoid death.
Luckily, players are able to use the portable motion tracker as a way of keeping tabs on the Aliens movements. The device captures Alien activity within the directed radius, with a dot that beeps and flashes when the enemy is extremely close. Yet, the motion tracker is imperfect, because it fails to provide information regarding whereabouts the Alien is moving within the space station. Are they crawling in the vents above you or hanging around the corner of the room you’re hiding in?
The impending sense of doom and the gut wrenching sensation that comes with every noise, every flicker of darkness and every haunting hiss of the Alien nearby, is the driving force that defines Alien: Isolation. When players die (and they will again and again), they are sent back to the last saved check point and must go through the same area until they complete the mission. It’s important to note that the game patterns of the Alien’s movement is never the same (highly unpredictable), therefore players have to be extremely cautious and quick to respond in every aspect of the game.
After watching the gameplay demo, I can honestly say that The Creative Assembly and Sega’s reboot of the Alien franchise will surely impress survival horror fans. If you dare face the horrors of Alien: Isolation, the game will be available tomorrow on Playstation 4, Playstation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC. Head to the EB store here to order the game now!
For more coverage from EB Games Expo and hands on previews, please follow the link provided.
Sentai Filmworks has announced that they have acquired the license for the recently debuted anime adaptation of Grisaia no Kajitsu. They have not announced exactly when they are planning on releasing the title but a home video release is planned sometime in the future.
Grisaia no Kajitsu is based off of an adult visual novel that is actually currently being translated for a possible All-Ages only release by Sekai Project. As for the story, it follows Yuji Kazami, a student with a dark past who is sent to the private Mihama Academy where only five female students, all of whom have traumatic pasts that are darker than Yuji’s, live and attend class.
Poor Ashley…or Chris. In Until Dawn, difficult choices are given to the player, ones that will determine the shape of the story moving forward. Sound familiar? It’s a philosophy that started – at least to this extent – with Indigo Prophecy and continued with Heavy Rain, both developed by Quantic Dream. But while the latter had you playing four lead characters, Until Dawngives you eight, and yes, any of them can die thanks to your choices, and the story will continue to unfold accordingly.
That’s a clear and specific inspiration for the team at Supermassive Games, but hear the premise of eight school friends arriving at a remote mountain resort for a reunion and another, more plot-oriented influence comes to mind: Friday the 13th, specifically the 2009 reboot. The setting here is eerily reminiscent of the (massive!) cabin from that film. And finally, as I discovered at the end of this demo, a little Saw is sprinkled in to up the sense of danger and bolster the immediacy of importance of what are literally life-or-death decisions. But, let’s start from the beginning. The build we played at the EB Games Expo 2014 is the same shown at Gamescom back in August. It puts players in control of Ashley until the very end, where they take command of Chris (for the seconds that it lasts). The two are searching for their kidnapped friend Sam, performance captured by Heroes star Hayden Panettiere, who isn’t the only well-known actor starring in the game, with Rami Malek (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, Need for Speed) and Brett Dalton (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) joining the cast. Unfortunately for them, they’ve found themselves in a delightfully cheesy, interactive slasher film.
Don’t be put off by the afore-mentioned”cheese” by the way; it, along with the numerous jump scares, are done in the best way possible, as pure homages to the prior mentioned schlocky horror influences that we love to watch (admit it!). Before gameplay actually begins, the player is asked a few quick questions as part of a survey. I noticed that I was presented with fewer questions than I’ve seen from previous builds. This time is was only asking your gender, whether you like to play in the dark or with the lights on, or if you are more likely to investigate a noise rather than run away from it. I have no idea what importance this survey has, but I’m assuming it’s just for general feedback/data collection purposes. Being originally designed as a PlayStation Move release, remnants of the old Until Dawn still remain; utilising the gyroscope in the Dualshock 4 moves Ashley’s flashlight, while the right thumbstick moves the somewhat rigid camera. It takes some getting used to, but considering the camera can barely be budged, I don’t see why the movement of the flashlight isn’t assigned to the right thumbstick and wherever you aim it informs the slight movement of the camera. I guess Supermassive (or Sony) insisted on the game making use of all of the PS4’s capabilities.
As you examine objects, turning them over and inspecting using the gyroscope, Ashley and Chris butt heads over the supposed apparition in the basement. Progressing further, there are two points where the player an engage Chris in conversation, choosing between two responses that are emotionally fuelled, i.e, opting for a “Sympathetic” response on the topic of Sam being taken. This is another way in which Until Dawn is similar of Heavy Rain, which Supermassive is referring to as “Butterfly-Effect Interface.” I also collected 2 out of 2 clues strewn throughout the underground area, which apparently influenced what ws said between the duo, although the exhibition was fairly noisy and I couldn’t make out what was expressed. At least we have an idea of the depth in branching dialogue and storylines. That being said, while the game is non-linear in that respect, after I opted to investigate a noise, dividing the two and leading Ashley to hide in the shadows from the peering eyes of the clown-like killer, she ended up slowly and quietly backing up through a door to return to exactly the same outcome if you were to follow Chris and avoid the source of the noise. At least the scissors I picked up earlier came into play and she stabbed the murderer…
Yet, he was unphased, and proceeded to knock Ashley out cold. Captured, Chris and Ashley awaken to find themselves strapped to chairs, sitting at a table with a gun laying upon it and a spinning saw descending above their heads. Here is where the player inhabits Chris, spurred on by intercom (see Saw) to make a decision: Chris’s life or Ashley’s. I shot myself without hesitation…because Chris was more scared than his female counterpart! What a chicken…he deserved it. Okay, Ashley cried way too much, but at least she showed some guts, so there’s my justification. And this is where the demo ended. Before signing off, I must point out how stunning Until Dawn looks, exploiting the reworked Killzone: Shadow Fall engine Umbra3. The emotion in the eyes and expressions of the characters have been extremely well preserved as well. All in all, Until Dawn has great potential to be that sleeper exclusive hit for Sony, much in the same vein that Heavy Rain was. The comparisons are obvious, but Until Dawn may be even more successful in their approach and execution. If you’ve ever wanted to play out an 80’s slasher film, here’s your chance.
