Deponia – The Puzzle and Edna & Harvey – The Puzzle now available for iPad
Hamburg, Germany; May 28, 2014. The Hamburg-based studio Daedalic Entertainment and the developer Chromatrix have released Deponia – The Puzzle and Edna & Harvey – The Puzzle for iPads and Android tablets. Both puzzle games are now available for iPad on the App Store for € 1.79/$ 1.99/GBP 1.49/RUR 66 at http://bit.ly/RAzHzX (Deponia – The Puzzle) and http://bit.ly/1nTxxX1 (Edna & Harvey – The Puzzle). The Android versions will appear in two weeks on Google Play and on the Amazon app store on June 12th.
With Deponia – The Puzzle and Edna & Harvey – The Puzzle, the cult adventures return as mobile puzzle fun and provide the real Daedalic feeling. With each game offering 96 puzzles of favorite background themes from the Deponia trilogy and the Edna & Harvey series, long-term puzzle fun is guaranteed. Three different modes are available in the single-player version. In the classic Search & Find mode, players have to find the right puzzle pieces for a given field as quickly as possible in order to earn maximum points. Additional drag & drop modes, rotating puzzles, and a variety of difficulty levels ensure that even puzzle pros will have tons of fun.
The highlight of the mobile version is the two-player mode. Once a puzzle has been unlocked, it can be played with someone else from then on. Two friends can compete at puzzling on the same tablet in a speedy picture duel.
The Daedalic puzzle fun is now available on the App Store for € 1.79/$ 1.99/GBP 1.49/ RUR 66 at http://bit.ly/RAzHzX (Deponia – The Puzzle) and http://bit.ly/1nTxxX1 (Edna & Harvey – The Puzzle).
About Daedalic Entertainment
Daedalic Entertainment is a Hamburg-based indie-studio that develops and publishes high-quality games worldwide, focusing on the projects with strong narratives. Over the last few years, Daedalic has collected 21 German Game Developer Awards (incl. “Studio of the Year 2009, 2013”), five German Computer Game Awards (incl. “Best Game 2011”), and more.
Chromatrix GmbH develops and publishes computer games for mobile platforms, browser and PC. Chromatrix received numerous awards for their “The Dark Eye”/”Das Schwarze Auge” series on mobile phones particularly the German Developer Award as Best Mobile Game 2004 and 2005, and Best Browsergame 2008.
Chromatrix also licenses Europe’s largest Fantasy RPG “The Dark Eye” to third parties, i.e. “Blackguards”, “Demonicon”, “Memoria”, “Realms of Arkania”, “Herokon Online”, “Chains of Satinav”, “Drakensang”.
Kill the Bad Guy Now Available on Steam and Other Digital Platforms
Use the environment to create diabolical traps and rid the world of vile criminals in this blood-soaked puzzler from Exkee
Marseille, France – May 28, 2014 – Let the gore hit the floor …and splatter just about everywhere else. Independent game developer, Exkee today announced that their gory puzzler, Kill The Bad Guy, is now available on Steam and other digital platforms including Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Kill The Bad Guy is a puzzle-based game with a seemingly calm, utopian atmosphere, but in actuality, it is a veritable playground for which to serve vile evil doers their just desserts! Players will act as a shadowy justice, manipulating the tangible world from afar as the unsuspecting Bad Guy goes about his day.
Players will use intelligence, cunning, and trickery to find the best way to lure the Bad Guy into a deadly trap. Once the Bad Guy is zeroed in on, players can choose accessible tools best suited for the job: a runaway car, a razor-sharp propeller from a defective air-conditioner unit, or perhaps a wrecking ball which happened to “accidentally” detach itself from an excavator. What will it be? Every level provides players with the possibility to splatter and destroy the Bad Guy using various weapons and traps. Simply put, it is up to the player to put the Bad Guy in the wrong place at the right time!
To celebrate the release of Kill The Bad Guy, Exkee has created an all-new launch trailer showing off some of the unique ways to dispense justice. To view the launch trailer, please visit the official Exkee YouTube channel: http://youtu.be/QGDas5xaCIg.
Kill The Bad Guy Features:
OVER 60 LEVELS – Track Bad Guys across 60 original levels, plus 6 unlockable bonus levels
USE YOUR ENVIRONMENT – Make full use of all the different traps available. Sabotage vehicles, transform daily objects into weapons, and combine different elements in order to create deadly new ones.
INSTANT REPLAYS – Become the perfect assassin by using the game’s replay feature. Get the top score, fulfill secondary objectives, find new ways to kill each Bad Guy, and perfect your justice skills.
SOCIAL SHARING – Show off your killing prowess by sharing your achievements and screenshots of your trophy kills with your friends. Prove that you are the world’s top justice seeker!
Kill The Bad Guy is now available on Steam for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. To download Kill The Bad Guy, please visit the Steam store page:
For additional information, please visit the official Kill The Bad Guy site at www.ktbg-thegame.com.
Stay in touch with Exkee:
About Exkee:
Exkee is an independent video game company located in Marseille, France. Founded in 2003, Exkee has created a number of original products including:
I-Fluid, ColorZ, and Voodoo Dice. Exkee’s rich expertise and their young studio’s dynamism has also allowed them to develop various internationally renowned games such as: Ghost Recon Network, Raving Rabbids Mobile, and most recently Foosbal / Metegol, a game based on the animated full-length movie of the same name.
Exkee’s France-based office consists of passionate employees who strive to create games which are always innovative and original. Additional information can be found at www.exkee.com.
MapleStory celebrates its 7th anniversary in style with special patch and events
Luxembourg, 28th May 2014: Nexon Europe has the pleasure to announce today the 7thanniversary celebrations of MapleStory, the enormously popular fantasy MMO that has thrilled millions of players worldwide since its inception.
The anniversary patch to the game involves a host of new content that will have Maplers enthralled, taking them on a brand new set of adventures through the timeless Maple World. Old adventurers and new are sure to be delighted by the gifts and characters on offer, each available for a different time frame to take celebrations to the max.
“Time flies when you’re having fun – and we’ve had a lot,” said Anna Kwon, Operation Manager at Nexon Europe. “We’re thrilled to be rewarding our loving community with new content and so many special events to commemorate the occasion. Here’s to another seven happy years!”
Until 11th June, players can help Little Richie prepare his water park and defeat the evil Black Bean. When destroyed, Black Bean will drop a range of treats including special items, Chair of Black Bean, power up scrolls and 7th anniversary coins.
The Red Monster Invasion has already begun and the residents of Maple World need all the help they can get to clear it. Cassandra, who will be handing out daily quests to players over Level 13, will give players a sealed 7th anniversary box, which can only be opened by keys found after defeating one of the Red Monsters. These strange creatures spawn once every three hours in the game world, but will give way to unique 7th anniversary themed gifts. As well as Red Monsters, Maple World has also been subjected to the Cake and Pie Monster invasion! These bosses will spawn in various towns throughout the world.
Also available until 11th June is a special event for MapleStory players that have reached level 200 – the best of the best. The Masters Road will see high level players create their own statues and battle tough enemies to unlock big rewards.
The Five Maple Marble (dice) Event sees players take each other on in an epic Maple Story board game to unlock special 7th anniversary coins. These coins can be traded in at the NPC Inkwell for more 7th anniversary items and players can get coins in the game.
A new button has also been added to the game, for an easier character selection process. This can be found in the game menu and lets players change characters without having to log out from the game.
About MapleStory
MapleStory is a free2play 2D Fantasy MMORPG first launched in South Korea in April 2003, allowing players to delve deep into an exciting online adventure to fight monsters, solve quests and join fellow gamers. Since then, MapleStory was able to delight nearly 100 million players worldwide by now; establishing Nexon’s fantastic journey through Maple World as one of the most successful online games. More than 2 million European players are contributing to this huge community since May 2007, when the European service started in English, German, Spanish, French and Dutch.
About Nexon Europe
Established in March 2007, Nexon Europe is one of the leading publishers of free-to-play MMOs in Europe. The company has brought the worldwide hit casual MMORPG MapleStory to Europe in May 2007, and the successful FPS Combat Arms in January 2009. With the launch of the 3D action MMORPG Vindictus in 2011, Nexon Europe has strengthened its position as a promising publisher in Europe. Next to these in-house franchises, Nexon Europe was also able to acquire and fully operate Atlantica Online, an innovative, tactical MMORPG; Dekaron, an authentic action MMORPG set in a grim fantasy universe; and the action-packed FPS War Rock. The recent additions to its growing portfolio are Navy Field 2 alongside the legendary FPS game Counter-Strike Online in Turkey. For 2014, the company’s first browser-based full-scale MMORPG Arcane Chronicles and fun-packed, action-fighting game Lost Saga will join as new line-ups. Furthermore, with United Eleven, a browser-based, cross-platform football management game, Nexon Europe is seeking to reach diverse players globally. For more information on Nexon Europe and its games, please visit the official website at www.nexoneu.com.
Founder of Revolution Software, Charles Cecil, declared, “We are absolutely delighted by the response of PlayStation Vita gamers to the first episode of The Serpent’s Curse. A large number of people had contacted us to ask, or simply just demand, that we bring the game to Vita. Now they can get stuck into the concluding episode or, for those who preferred to wait, to play the adventure in its entirety.”
Following Broken Sword 5 – the Serpent’s Curse: Episode 1, the highly-anticipated sequel comes to a dramatic finish with George and Nico venturing throughout Spanish Catalonia and the depths of Iraq and coming face to face with the ultimate nemesis – a terrifying goat!
Broken Sword 5 – the Serpent’s Curse: Episode Two for PS Vita can be purchased at the PSN store for $17.69 (€12.99) or $27.23 (€19.99) for both episodes – for a limited period there are special launch discounts. Currently both episodes of Broken Sword 5 – the Serpent’s Curse are available on PC, Linux and Mac from Steam, GOG.com, Humble Store, and Get Games for $24.99.
Madman Entertainment – one of the leading Australian anime and manga distributors – is, once again, changing the way in which they deliver Japanese pop culture to the citizens of this great country. Yes, it is all good and well to purchase anime from Madman, heck, they even gave it to us for free through their “Madman Screening Room”, but now they’re taking their anime distribution to the next level with their brand-new streaming service “AnimeLab“.
Basically this new service will allow residents of Australia and New Zealand to access a variety of new and classic anime series from a number of different devices. “AnimeLab” is mobile/tablet-ready and supports Google Chromecast which means it will be available to pretty much everybody. So far, shows like “Attack On Titan“, “Space Dandy” and “Sword Art Online” are available to be watched through the service alongside current season titles like “Date A Live II” and “Dai-Shogun – Great Revolution”.
As of right now, “AnimeLab” is entirely free but this is strictly for a limited time so jump onto it now before that changes. To sign up for this exciting new service, head over to the “AnimeLab” official website by clicking here. This is definitely a huge step in the right direction for Madman Entertainment. I Suggest you join them.
The secret Indie Gala project previously known as “Gala Project X” is officially open for pre-orders. Blockstorm is a voxel-based FPS developed by Ghostshark Games bundled with the very same editor the developers used to create the game’s content. Players will have access to a wide variety of weapons to build and destroy the terrain in an attempt to gain a tactical advantage over their enemy. Currently, the game boasts Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Assault modes. Modders will have access to powerful editing tools to create new or modify existing maps and characters that can be shared with the world on Steam Workshop.
The game is now available for pre-order for $9.99. Those who pre-order will get instant access to the Steam Early Access and get the opportunity to provide the development team with vital feedback that will mould the future of Blockstorm. Learn more about the game at the official Blockstorm site.
Overview There are a number of two-cour anime series that start out a bit slow in the beginning in an effort to introduce viewers to the world and the characters only to fall apart in the second half. Aquarion Evol’s first half helped establish the battle between Vega and Altair as well as introduce us to the conniving Mykage who seems to be pulling the strings behind everything. Now with the first half down and plenty of innuendo to go, does Aquarion Evol Part 2 manage to bring this story to a successful conclusion?
Story It is worth noting that this review will contain spoilers for the events that happen in the first half of the series. Anyways, the second half of Aquarion Evol begins on a somber note as Yunoha, Amata, Mikono, and the rest of the class mourn the death of Jin who, despite being an enemy, was their friend. On the other side of things, Mykage uses Jin’s death as a rallying cry to stir the men of Altair into action all while hiding the fact that he is the cause of Jin’s death.
While mourning the death of Jin, Fudo places the Aquarion pilots through a nightmarish training scenario where they are buried under ground alongside their dead friend in an effort to push them past their current limits and trigger Mikono’s abilities. While this is successful, Mykage makes use of the situation to allow Kagura to appear on Vega and not only thwart the pilots’ new abilities but also kidnap Mikono.
Although they manage to put a stop to Kagura’s rampage and rescue Mikono, emotions are running high as not only does Mikono feel an odd connection to Kagura, the worried Amata continues to ignore Zessica even though she seems to have the best grasp of events. Following a love confession from Zessica to Amata and developments between Andy and Mix the series begins to move forward towards the final series of confrontations.
While the first half of the series was spent introducing us to the cast of characters, focused on a number of odd training exercises between couples, and spent plenty of time on humor and lewd jokes, the second half is mostly about trying to wrap everything up that has been hinted at so far in the series. While it may begin with some more training, most of the focus is centered on developing Amata, Mikono, and Zessica’s relationship as well as Andy and Mix.
This becomes a rather interesting task considering the fact that the way that the main characters have been developed is incredibly weak. Mikono consistently appears useless throughout the entire series, Amata’s past and connection with Kagura is revealed but lacks any impact due to the fact that the series spends little time letting the viewer feel like Amata is even a character we should really care about at any point in the series as his blind obsession with the boring Mikono is a terrible aspect of the series.
On the other hand, watching how Andy and Mix develop over the course of the series and the trials that they are put through in the second half shows how the series’ relationships should have been handled in the first place. There is actual development made between the two and although Andy’s forthrightness is mistaken as simply being perverted, he is an extremely likable character. Alongside that, watching Zessica’s slow descent into denial and acceptance of where her emotions lie is another interesting experience, even if it seems she is put through the harshest trial for no pay whatsoever.
Ultimately Part 2 of Aquarion Evol falls back on a large number of references to the original Aquarion series as numerous names are pulled out from the past regarding reincarnation and fate to try and wrap things up but generally losing any sense of meaningful development because of this. By dropping most of the humor that made the first half of the show so fun, the series finds itself a conclusion but one that will leave viewers feeling disappointed despite the amount of action, character development, and twists that occur in the final set of episodes.
Visuals It can be said that Aquarion Evol was probably one of the best looking series when it aired back during 2012 as the animation is handled so well. The mixture of standard animation and CGI with the various Aquarion designs and battles is so impressive looking that it puts many other series’ attempts at such a feat to shame. Thanks to how impressive the animation is, every battle sequence looks amazing without any significant drop in visual quality which is hard to accomplish but looks simple in Aquarion Evol.
As before the character designs feature a number of variations with plenty of bright colors to help keep things looking fresh. Zessica goes through a number of wardrobe changes in the series as she tries to come to terms with herself and the environments, including all of the time spent on Altair, are incredibly detailed and impressive to see.
Audio Unfortunately I must say that the voice work for Aquarion Evol’s second half is still sub-par in a number of areas. The English voice work is passable at best and it seems like a few of the side-characters have come into their own throughout the second half which is nice to hear. Thankfully alongside the English dub the original Japanese voice track is still intact for those who would prefer that option.
As before, one of the best parts of Aquarion Evol is the series’ soundtrack. With numerous orchestral tracks spread throughout the series, many of which are accompanied by great vocals, help make a number of important scenes really stand out. The main opening theme for part two is “Paradoxical ZOO” by AKINO with Bless4 and while it is still a great opening song, it isn’t as good as the first opening theme. As for the ending theme, a few different themes are used in the second half but most of the episodes close out with the somber “Yunoha no Mori” by Yui Ogura, the Japanese voice actress for Yunoha.
Extras The bonus features included in Aquarion Evol Part 2 are fairly standard for a FUNimation release, though that is more than can be said for some company’s releases. There are a number of promotional videos from Japan, the US trailer for the series, a clean version of the original opening theme and second opening theme as well as a clean version of the main ending theme in the second half, and finally trailers for other FUNimation anime.
Closing out the special features are two episode commentary tracks, one for episode 15 featuring Cristopher Bevans who voices Amata and Jaffe Taliesin who handles the voice of Kagura. The second commentary is for episode 26 and sees the return of Bevans who is accompanied by J. Michael Tatum, the voice of Mykage, and Caitlin Glass, voice of Zessica.
Overall Aquarion Evol is a series that started out with promise but ends up being a disappointment when everything is said and done. With such an outstanding soundtrack, superb animation, and great action sequences it is hard to say that the series ends up being generic in many regards due to the way the show tries to tie everything together and how terrible Amata and Mikono are as main characters. Numerous issues surrounding Amata will feel superfluous and have no resolution, but at least the side characters actually have a story of their own to help make Aquarion Evol’s second half somewhat worthwhile.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Hope you’re ready to give your Vita a rubdown as Monster Monpiece is now available for purchase in North America. The $29.99 title is only available through the PlayStation Network and as we learned last week, the European release of the game was delayed slightly and is set for release on June 4th.
Now although Monster Monpiece is best known for the fact that you can rub down the cards of monster girls to level them up and also make them reveal more skin, the main game is actually a strategic card battling game where players will fight against enemies in the game via card battles and even fight against other players online for special rewards.
Nexon Europe pays homage to the strong Polish community and makes available its favourite FPS in its mother tongue
Luxembourg, 28th May 2014: Nexon Europe is pleased to announce that the enormously popular online multiplayer shooter Combat Arms ( http://pl.combatarms.nexoneu.com) is available to play in Polish. With four languages already in operation, the latest addition marks the next step in a process of bringing more localized content and a fully Polish-focussed service. Nexon Europe continues its uncompromising push through Europe, bringing a wide variety of the highest quality games to a larger market than ever.
Combat Arms will be the third game fully localized into Polish and more titles are yet to come. With the launch of the Polish portal in November 2013 Nexon Europe signalized strong support and loyal attitudes present among Polish players. Now, the company is looking forward to bringing its full service to Poland to appreciate the competitive and lively community there.
“We are constantly expanding our resources and working on adding more languages to our services. We’ve seen a huge increase in Polish users of late and Combat Arms is among their favorite titles – no wonder that the Polish team won the latest Combat Arms ESL tournament of 2013”, said Jason Han, Product Manager at Nexon Europe. “The new Polish server for Combat Arms is the next in a number of steps we’re taking to ensure all European users feel right at home when playing our titles.”
For more information on Nexon Europe and its games, please visit the official website atnexoneu.com.
About Nexon Europe
Established in March 2007, Nexon Europe is one of the leading publishers of free-to-play MMOs in Europe. The company has brought the worldwide hit casual MMORPG MapleStory to Europe in May 2007, and the successful FPS Combat Arms in January 2009. With the launch of the 3D action MMORPG Vindictus in 2011, Nexon Europe has strengthened its position as a promising publisher in Europe. Next to these in-house franchises, Nexon Europe was also able to acquire and fully operate Atlantica Online, an innovative, tactical MMORPG; Dekaron, an authentic action MMORPG set in a grim fantasy universe; and the action-packed FPS War Rock. The recent additions to its growing portfolio are Navy Field 2 alongside the legendary FPS game Counter-Strike Online in Turkey. For 2014, the company’s first browser-based full-scale MMORPG Arcane Chronicles and fun-packed, action-fighting game Lost Saga will join as new line-ups. Furthermore, with United Eleven, a browser-based, cross-platform football management game, Nexon Europe is seeking to reach diverse players globally. For more information on Nexon Europe and its games, please visit the official website at www.nexoneu.com.
About Combat Arms
Combat Arms is a fast-paced, multiplayer shooter, designed for non-stop action on various battlefields, recruiting players to get engaged with their opponents in multiple game modes. Whilst integrating the traditional attributes of the FPS genre, Combat Arms advances it further by evolving a whole new set of striking features allowing character customisation as well as weapon modification, enabling the player to adjust their weapons with attachments such as scopes, silencers, and extended magazines. An additional eye-catching feature is the unique backpack system, which allows players to combine a set of multiple weapons from the extensive armoury for a more sophisticated combat experience on the battlefield. Moreover, the extensive community features within the game actively support the clan system, where players can easily recruit, manage, and communicate with their other clan members.
Broken Sword 5 – the Serpent’s Curse: Episode Two now available in Europe on PlayStation Vita
Concluding episode hits the Sony handheld
Revolution Software has announced the PlayStation Vita version of Broken Sword 5 – the Serpent’s Curse: Episode Two is out today in Europe, the concluding episode to the two-part adventure.
“We are absolutely delighted by the response of PlayStation Vita gamers to the first episode of The Serpent’s Curse” says Charles Cecil, founder, Revolution Software. “A large number of people had contacted us to ask, or simply just demand, that we bring the game to Vita. Now they can get stuck into the concluding episode or, for those who preferred to wait, to play the adventure in its entirety.”
Episode Two ramps up the level of drama, as well as the difficulty level, as the game progresses: the second part starting with George and Nico having to dodge shotgun fire, with George then meeting his ultimate nemesis – a terrifying goat!
The adventure bursts out from Paris and London, taking the player on to stunning locations throughout Spanish Catalonia and to deepest Iraq, the birthplace of civilisation.
Broken Sword 5 – the Serpent’s Curse: Episode Two is available now for PlayStation Vita, priced £9.99 (€12.99) or £15.99 (€19.99) for both episodes – although, for a limited period, there is a special launch discount on the PSN Store.
Both episodes of the game are also available for PC, Linux and Mac from Steam, GOG.com, Humble Store, and Get Games, priced £18.99. Episode Two on iOS and Android will be available shortly.
Broken Sword 5: the Serpent´s Curse – The Adventure Continues
About Broken Sword 5: the Serpent´s Curse
Paris in the spring. Shots ring out from a gallery…
A robbery… a murder… and the beginning of another epic, original Broken Sword adventure.
From multi-award winning Revolution Software comes the latest explosive episode in this classic series. Playing as intrepid American George Stobbart and sassy French journalist Nico Collard, you find yourself on the trail of a stolen painting – and a murderous conspiracy. A conspiracy whose roots lie in mysteries older than the written word…
Armed only with logic, integrity and a wry sense of humour – can George and Nico save mankind from disaster?
Can you solve the secret of the Serpent’s Curse? A curse forged by the Devil himself…
Broken Sword 5 – The Serpent’s Curse has re-united key members from the original Broken Sword team, with layout artists from studios such as Disney, Aardman, and Universal who have created sumptuous, classically drawn backgrounds. The rich, lavish HD art, evolves the art-style so loved in the previous Broken Sword games.
Broken Sword is one of the world´s best loved adventure series, having been played by over 10 million players and earned exceptional reviews (including a Metacritic score of 91% for Broken Sword – Director’s Cut – iPhone). Broken Sword 5 – the Serpent’s Cursebuilds on this rich heritage.
About Revolution
Founded in 1990, Revolution is a world-leading developer / publisher of narrative-driven adventure computer games, with titles such as the Broken Sword series, which has earned over $100 million at retail, Beneath a Steel Sky and numerous major licenses. The company is a pioneer of digital publishing, and in 2011 ‘Broken Sword’ went to #1 on the Apple App store in every major European territory, achieved 5 million downloads, and was one of the world’s top 10 most Tweeted keywords.
