Ah Free Comic Book Day, the biggest annual comic book event is just around the corner. It is time to line up for hours on end at your local comic book store just to get a few free books and a taste of what’s to come. Whether you are have been reading graphic novels for twenty years, or the new Amazing Spider-Man 2 film has you interested in the wall crawler for the first time, Free Comic Book Day has you covered.
So what do you do after you have waited in line and gotten your free books? Well head over to the exclusive after party at Luna Park of course! For $25, customers will get an all-access entry to the park which will have been completely transformed with displays and interactions from the worlds leading film studios and comic book publishers. In addition to all of the rides that Luna Park has to offer, fans can also enjoy:
an exclusive dance party in the famous Big Top Venue with Djs entertaining until 1pm
licensed bar areas throughout the park
access to signings and photo ops with special guests
an amazing CosPlay show featuring 45 of the world’s best players
The Maze will have a comic transformation
a live comic book chess game where visitors are invited to move them during the evening
Free Comic Book Day, and its subsequent after party will be held on May 3rd. Check out freecomicbookday.com to find out your local participating comic book stores (if you are in Sydney, it is probably Kings Comics) and grab your after party tickets from lunaparksydney.com. As always, stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the comic book and graphic novel news as it becomes available.
Overview This is really a series without precedent. In my previous Monster review for Part 2 of the series I noted that it is was an impressive feat that the series has remained consistently brilliant over the course of 30 episodes, here we stand now with Part 3 leaving us hanging on the edge of our seats with the shocking events of episode 45 of the series and Monster proves to be getting better and better the longer it runs. It is like a fine wine, better with age.
If you are following the series, you’ll find that Monster Part 3 takes things to the next level. It becomes darker, more twisted, more complex and more deranged. This is no-holds barred anime at its most compelling. The cast, the stories that unfold, the atmosphere, the ominous tone, all of it comes together to make Monster something truly special and it just keeps on getting bigger and better. Naoki Urasawa’s magnum opus is truly a sight to behold and this may very well be the best part yet.
Story
It is a game of a cat and mouse in this part of Monster, a game of life and death. But more importantly this specific part of this epic series deals with the idea of identity and the ways in which it can change perceptions. Throughout the course of these episodes we see the ways in which people can impersonate others, take on their lives and even become them in a way.
Urasawa has always toyed with the concept of human nature and it begs the question: do we ever wish we could change who we are? It is a question that is difficult to answer and one that is even more so difficult to answer in the context of Monster. Is Johan (the titular ‘monster’ of the series) revel in who he is or does he struggle with it? Having watched the series from the very beginning, you get the sense that his mental state is always hanging in the balance, on a teetering see-saw of emotion, it just so happens that the monster sitting on one end of that see-saw is heavier than the human on the other side.
While Johan is definitely one of the most fascinating characters in the this series and his motivations and thought-patterns are well worth some serious analysis, the character of Kenzo Tenma is just as much of an intriguing character. He is a man with a true moral core, but like Johan he is also sitting on that very same see-saw, struggling against the weight of his very own personal monster.
It seems as though Tenma could easily lose sight of who he is and the values he stands by, but that goodness is him and sense of right and wrong overpowers that. Tenma’s soul may be in the balance here and his desire to kill Johan and put an end to the monster that he proverbially created does raise the question of whether he may be slipping into the darkness himself, is there a way for him to come back from this? Say this ordeal does come to an end, bloody or not, how does a man like Tenma live on? How can he go back to a normal life? The simple answer is he can’t and Monster looks to take this good man to a very bad place, whether he lives through it or not is another question all together.
This part builds upon the series in some major ways in progresses the story to arguably its most interesting point yet. With the introduction of Grimmer, things heat up as he proves to be a major player in episodes to come. Monster leaves us clinging to the edge of our seats with Part 3 desperate for Part 4.
Visuals and Audio
Consistent as ever, Monster continues to be a visual powerhouse. With aesthetics that are richly detailed, the locales and characters are given life among all the death that occurs within the series. The character designs are unique and memorable, very distinct to say the least. The animation is smooth as silk and peaks at all the right moments. The imagery is overall iconic and ensures it leaves a lasting afterimage in the minds of viewers.
As for the audio, once again we are treated to a deeply atmospheric soundtrack that gives each and every scene the right tone and feel. On top of that the English language dub featured on this release continues its great run with Liam O’Brien once again proving to be a true standout as Kenzo Tenma.
Extras
Siren Visual’s releases of Monster have to date featured no special features or extras and Part 3 continues that trend. While it may be something fans desire from these releases, it isn’t something that is necessary especially when considering the overall quality of the series itself makes this and all of the other releases a worthwhile purchase.
Overall
What more can really be said about a series like Monster? Naoki Urasawa is really an incredible creator and this is undoubtedly his magnum opus. The tale of Kenzo Tenma and the monster Johan Liebert continues is compelling fashion in Monster Part 3. We are truly lucky to be able to receive such a phenomenal anime release down here in Australia and for that Siren Visual should be applauded. Monster is a unique series in every sense and it is impossible to not get swept up in its dark journey into very brinks of despair. As we progress onward to the penultimate release of the series, things are at a fever pitch. If you aren’t strapped in for the ride, you are missing out. Monster is truly brilliant, the series is utterly without comparison. At the mid-way point, what proves most true is that Monster redefines the medium, it breaks all the rules and blazes a path that no one has yet to be able to walk again. That is why this series is its own kind of monster.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Ankama Games have revealed the full scoop on the new features that are coming to the wildly popular strategy MMORPG game Dofus. The new update is number 2.19 and will introduce a plethora of new features that will not only improve the Dofus experience but add to it in a big way.
The theme of the year for Dofus is ‘Divine Dimensions’. For those wondering what exactly this crazy thing called ‘Divine Dimensions’ is well it is once a dimension reserved only for the Gods of the realm, now it is openly available to all of the world’s explorers should they be able to find entry to these dimensions.
The location of the portal into the other dimensions regularly change, meaning that any given time the portal can close and open somewhere entirely different. It is one big chase to find the portal to the ‘Divine Dimensions’. In the other dimensions lie challenges, dungeons and all sorts of other discoveries that await you.
As for which dimension has opened first, Ankama Games have revealed that the first ‘Divine Dimension’ is none of than Enurado, the dimension of the Enutrof Gods. Enurado contains 3 dungeons, new quests, new combat modifications as well as the new monster waves mode.
There is a push towards treasure hunting with this new update, which will bring treasure hunting to the forefront as players traverse into the ‘Divine Dimensions’. Also of note is the monster waves mode which is a new type of combat system awaiting players in Enurado.
So what are you waiting for? Jump into the ‘Divine Dimensions’ with the Dofus update 2.19 which is now available. Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Overview
After a much shorter wait than the last break between episodes, The Wolf Among Us has released the third episode in their noir style adventure game. While the last episode may not have matched the length of the first, it was still able to keep up the quality of the narrative. The with this in mind, it would makes sense for the third episode, A Crooked Mile, to have no problem keeping up the same quality of story telling, but how will it fair else where?
Story
After finally discovering the scene of the crime and finally getting a solid lead to the murderer, the main focus of “A Crooked Mile” is trying to track them down and keep everyone else safe. Which is one of the very strongest aspects of this episode, as the player is still the main driving force for how Bigby interacts with the other Fables and the world around him. Letting players handle situations differently depending on if they want to try to keep all the other Fables safe, or utilize some to protect themselves.
After the necessary amount of hell gets raised, the main driving point is capturing the suspect meaning that Bigby has to make choices as to where and who Bigby will follow up on. Interestingly, while in the past this has been a binary choice, this time around there are three possible leads on which to to follow up. All of which seem to lead up to different events depending on where Bigby goes first. This approach is certainly fresh and gives a great look at the amount of parallels that exist from the choices of which the player is already in control.
Just when Bigby finally has his suspect in custody, everything gets turned onto its head and players can get to experience what Bigby is capable of in the werewolf like form teased on the cover of this episode. Needless to say, a great job has been done making the raw power of this form feel not only great, but scary as players can firsthand deal the damage that it can cause. Though as a third episode out of five, it wouldn’t be surprising to find that this isn’t even the peak of the Big Bad Wolf’s power. Putting an even more powerful form would be just as satisfying as knowing this form was coming the entire episode and finally getting it at the end.
Previously, it seemed like the Episode 2 was somewhat short, and while the same is also true of this episode, it is much more apparent just how things are different just based on the knowledge that Bigby ends up finding out from given choices. The biggest choice before was simply who was caught at the end of Episode 1, which lead to learning specific facts in Episode 2, that not only clue in Bigby to what was going on with that character, but more importantly locks out information from the other. “A Crooked Mile” offers an interesting insight into how the choices are already affecting everything as what Bigby does and doesn’t know is vital in terms of investigating. Just knowing where a character was previously proves useful in this episode when dealing with them. Coupled with the choices offered this time, it will be interesting to see how this knowledge, or lack of, will impact the remaining episodes.
Gameplay
As stated above “A Crooked Mile” has a more apparent feel to the depth of parallel information of which only a few choices grant a few parts of. Where The Walking Dead had a somewhat smaller cast of characters for the player to fully interact with briefly before many of them died, here Bigby is interacting with characters that pop up again and again in the different episodes in addition to adding in more. In the vast multiverse of The Wolf Among Us choices no Bigby will ever know all there is, so what limited amounts the player can access in a playthrough impacts who and how they are interacting with as the episodes go on.
While exploration is a big part of adventure games like these, unfortunately this aspect is very limited this time around. With the semi-timed nature of trying to catch the suspect in this episode, there are some things that can be left unexplored as Bigby finds the information he requires from one area and needs to move onto a new one. This can be a bit frustrating at times, especially for those that like to look at everything as the push for finding the suspect hurts the desire to fully explore. This in turn, both hurts and helps “A Crooked Mile” as players will feel frustrated they missed some of the things and then gets them to try another play through.
Visuals & Audio
This episode continues the quality look of the the Fables universe, there are a few new faces for players to get acquainted with in the episode, but the vast majority are returning characters. The returning characters though don’t offer as much new to look at, outside of Bigby who shows off a lot more this time around than ever before. There are however more new locations this time around than new characters, which allows Bigby some more to look at as he goes about his investigations.
The music and voice acting of The Wolf Among Us continues to impress as not only are the new characters very well portrayed, but the writing still works perfectly from the players choices. Outside of the new additions however, the quality just keeps up with that of past episodes, so there isn’t all that much more to say in terms of audio. Those that have played the previous episodes should know what to expect and “A Crooked Mile” delivers.
Overall
While from beginning to end The Wolf Among Us – Episode 3: A Crooked Mile is about as short as Episode 2, the differences that can make an impact to the way Bigby goes about his investigation are far more apparent. Those that think that the story is winding down now that Bigby has a solid lead are in for a very big surprise as the story is only getting going to find out what is going on in the world of Fables. Those that have enjoyed the series so far should find this just as good as the last episode, while those still hesitant about how long each episode plays, should know that this is closer to Episode 2, but the choices seem to be paying off more than in The Walking Dead.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Overview High School can be a difficult time for anybody. With all the classes and tests and books, it can be a tad overwhelming at times. Now add the complications of a relationship into the mix…well, more like four relationships if you want to be specific. With the chaos brought about by four high school girls in love with love, our hapless protagonist will have to try his damndest not to lose himself in their countless ploys to earn his affection. After all, love is an unnecessary distraction when planning for your future. Isn’t it?
Ah, fake young love
Story Meet Eita Kido, a studious high schooler with grand ambitions. See, he wishes to become the top student in his school, therefore cementing himself on the path to becoming a doctor. Naturally he must work hard for such a lofty goal and therefore has no time for distractions. But it wouldn’t be much of a comedy anime if Eita just studied now would it? Enter Masuzu Natsukawa, one of the most beautiful and popular girls at school. Naturally this means that she is the object of desire for damn near every guy she meets. All but one in fact. Longing to escape the onslaught of date requests she receives daily, the devious schoolgirl hatches a plan: Get a boyfriend…or at least pretend to get a boyfriend. Thus Eita is dragged into a world he desperately wishes to avoid: love…kinda.
As the series progresses, Eita gathers a few more girls who quite openly proclaim their eternal love for him, much to his chagrin. Joining Masuzu is the energetic Chiwa Harusaki, shrinking violet Himeka Akishino and the epitome of tsundere Ai Fuyuumi. As the girls discover that they are not alone in their quest of seduction, they begin to utilise their best assets to “win” his love. Surprisingly for a harem style anime however, this rarely results in them using their bodies, instead relying on their existing relationship with Eita…though that means vastly different things for each girl. The most commonly utilised is Chiwa’s poistion as Eita’s childhood friend. Seriously, that phrase is like kryptonite to the other girls, creating no shortage of jealousy and anger. If anything can be said about this series, it’s that each girl definitely has a unique connection to Eita, which serves to add some diversity to the series. Some.
Stylish. No wonder all the girls are after him.
The sad thing about this series is that it possesses a great deal of potential that goes untapped. Though the series hints at the girl’s backstories, they are never presented with any substantial detail. Pretty early on we learn that Chiwa suffered a debilitating accident that ended her prospects as a kendo practitioner. Though we do see a flashback that expresses the effect this had on both her and Eita, we never really see how it develops in the present day. In fact her injury is all but forgotten, as Chiwa continuously utilises her kendo skills, something that is not entirely wise given her condition. So detail isn’t incredibly high on this series’ checklist. Made quite obvious by the fact that this is one of the more explored backstories. In contrast, poor Himeka is left greatly underdeveloped, presenting arguably the weakest case for belonging with Eita. That being said, her unique perception of what a true relationship is based upon could have made her the most interesting of the four girls. Instead she comes across as outspoken and strange. Though considering those around her, she’s definitely in good company. Even Eita himself is left rather unexplored as the series progresses. Though he initially claims love to be for fools, he succumbs pretty quickly to the opposite sex. Though this could have been due to his stance as anti-love being a cover for his own insecurities (which it most likely was), the lack of detail removes any true sense of emotion from his 180 on affection. His goal of becoming a doctor also immediately takes a back seat to the shenanigans caused by his would be lovers. It’s still there, just kinda ignored for large amount of time.
Delusion is one of the most prevalent themes throughout the series. Beginning with Eita, whose teenage musings led him to create the alter ego of Burning Fighting Fighter, it is slowly revealed that he is not alone in his ideas. Some of his stories may even be considered tame compared to some of the things the girls come up with. Generally played for laughs, there are a few heartfelt moments where these fantasies are used to bring characters closer together. It’s sweet, in a crazy kind of way. It is also during these moments that we see just how much Eita cares for the girls, despite his vehement denial of love.
Unfortunately there’s just so many plot threads left loose by the end of the series. Threads that, if followed, could have led to some truly touching character development. Though the series does show glimpses of this, some spontaneous burst of comedy usual brings things back to its basic formula. In one particularly climactic part of the series, it looks as if the story will deviate from its formulaic approach and finally provide some definitive development…then it doesn’t. After a few minutes of drama and decision, everything is brought right back down to zero and the harem humour continues. The fact that the series almost rises above the norm is almost worse than if it never even tried. It shows that the series is aware that it could be more than it is…it just chooses not to.
This can only end well…
Visuals The series caries an inherently vibrant feeling in almost every scene. In addition the the unique hair colours that each of the four girls possess, they will generally wear outfits to differentiate themselves from their competition. Both the colouration and style of said clothing also generally serves as a visual representation of the girl’s personality. For example, the morose Masuzu often dons simple white clothing, contrasting the bright and bubbly Chiwa. Even if they are predictable personalities to place in such a series, the visual differentiation helps keep things interesting to look at.
Overall, the visuals of the series can best be described as safe. Not excessively bad, nor excessively good. Characters possess good design and their animation is fairly fluid. However, there is rarely any kind of intense movement from any character. In fact, any time there is an explosive burst of energy from a character, it usually occurs off screen. Again, whilst played for humour, it is quite easy to see how scene cuts are used to avoid animation. Whilst it does suit the somewhat subdued nature of romance the series attempts to display, it would’ve been nice to see the characters a little more animated. Though Ai is prone to explosive movement whenever her tsundere urges kick in. I’ll give her that. The lack of fluidity was however used to great effect whenever Eita’s fantasies were brought to life. The moments when his childish illustrations overlapped with the world served as a humorous contrast to the straight lace student he strives to be. The fact that they were brightly coloured also prevented you from ignoring them. No matter how much Eita wished them to stop. Poor guy.
A pleasant day at the movies
Audio As it never received an English dub, the series is naturally presented with its original Japanese voice cast. As you might expect from their appearance, each of the girls possesses an intrinsically cute voice. Though in Ai’s case that statement is true only half of the time. In what might be considered strange for a harem series, the girl’s actually spend more time trying to talk with Eita than they do trying to force themselves on him. As such, dialogue serves as the central source of character and plot development, individualising the girls even further.
One truly standout element of the series soundtrack would have to be the opening theme song. Just as poppy and cute as you’d expect for the series, it is in fact sung by the seiyuu for each of the four girls. Though it may seem like a small touch, the song immediately introduces you to the voices that you will be hearing throughout the show, whilst at the same time focusing the series even more intently on its rather small cast. Seriously, there really isn’t much of a world beyond the presented love pentagon.
Extras This release is pretty light on the extras. Included are your average textless versions of the opening and ending themes, along with a small collections of TV spots advertising the series. Other than that you’ve got trailers set to entice you to watch a few other anime series. Pretty standard really.
The luckiest/unluckiest highschooler ever
Overall All in all, Oreshura is a series that just cannot break the mould and escape its position as a status quo kind of anime. Devised as a harem story, Eita is prevented from focusing his attention to any major degree on a single girl, lest the series end immediately. Despite his best efforts, Eita’s relationships with each girl progress at a similar rate, which, whilst showing some plot progression, effectively keeps everything right where it began. Though certain moments lead you to believe Eita has emotional leanings towards one girl, another situation will immediately arise with another, interrupting the feeling immediately. However, that being said, Eita may perhaps be the most oblivious character to ever exist. Unlike some series where the girls are too embarrassed to even say their feelings out loud, the girls of Oreshura openly profess their love for Eita right from the get go. Though the fact that his harem includes a close friend, a liar, a daydreamer and a tsundere girl may explain his hesitation to take what they say at face value. All things considered, Oreshura is a series that, whilst not disappointing to any major extent, does not truly stand out as a great series. There were plenty of references to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure for some reason though. That was pretty cool.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
If you’re a fan of rap music and love some Call of Duty then you will love hearing that rapper Snoop Dogg will be lending his voice talents as an announcer in Call of Duty: Ghosts. Snoop will be announcing your kill streaks, when you equip new gear and your mission instructions, all with his own unique hood flair. Definitely a cool DLC if you’re a fan. The DLC will be available for $3 (U.S.) on Xbox Live from the the 22nd of April, with other platforms set to follow. A heap of other microtransactions are also incoming on April 22nd, including character and weapon specialization packs and another additional voice pack featuring the drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket, R.Lee Ermey. You can check out the Snoop Dogg DLC trailer below.
Snoop Dogg is a big fan of video games and has started to represent the medium alot more lately. He created the theme song to Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and even appeared in the background of his own stage, in addition to featuring Pokemon like graphics in a recent music video and announcing the release date for Rayman Legends on the next gen consoles for Ubisoft. He even starred in his own rhythm fighting game, Way of the Dogg which you can get on XBLA and PSN and was a playable character in the gangster-filled Def Jam fighting game series.
Kamen Riders, digital battlegrounds, alien invaders, yapping pooches, ancient prophecies, a horny teenager who is really bad at hiding his porn stash and baffling racial stereotypes. This anime has it all!
Just in case episode 1 of Majin Bone wasn’t ridiculous enough for you, episode 2 went and threw in the kitchen sink as well. Things has really stepped up a notch and Majin Bone is already beginning to take shape and forge an identity for itself. That identity just happens to be a ridiculously silly shonen romp that is more fun than it really should be.
This episode largely deals with the aftermath of last week’s alien invasion which destroyed Shougo’s alien-loving childhood friend/love interest’s home. Given that she is now technically homeless, Shougo wakes up to discover that she has moved in with his family and also went to the trouble of cleaning his room and neatly organizing his poorly hidden porn mags. Naturally Shougo freaks out like the goose he is.
It doesn’t take long for Shougo to come to discover the truth of what really happened, that being that he transformed into ‘Dragon Bone’ which is supposedly some ancient legendary armour that can only be worn by the supposed chosen one, you know the way these things go. One thing leads to another and he meets racial stereotype #1, Antonio the acrobatic Brazillian.
Antonio is a strange strange character. He spouts random lines of Engrish and does random acts of acrobatics almost as if he just rolled out of a Circus big top and into a shonen anime. He continues to harass Shougo into joining their cause, but is quickly distracted from that by Shougo’s attractive older sister who runs a cafe/bar. Antonio tries hilariously to impress her with his acrobatics and terrible attempts at English.”This is Japanese plate spin!” may very well be the best and worst line I have heard in anime all year.
Shougo eventually outruns Antonio but is then confronted by Tyrone the giant African. Tyrone inconspicuously introduces himself all the while reiterating he is not at all suspicious, multiple times. He is then joined by Antonio and the blue-haired Australian Luke, who going by the opening theme video enjoys hanging out at Ayres Rock in his spare time.
These three make up one hell of a ridiculous trio, all of whom are bad yet hilarious stereotypes. It makes you wonder if this is how the Japanese view the rest of the world. But then again, every country has an image of others out there, so it makes a little sense, it doesn’t change how terribly funny it is though.
The episode climaxes with Shougo being transported the digital battleground once again after being shown that he can transform into his ‘Dragon Bone’ form with a trading card which you can of course buy in the real world. Shougo once again does battle with an alien, this time with the help of Antonio. The battle itself was rather uneventful and the CG honestly looked a little bit clunky in these sequences. I hope that the CG will become better as the series progresses because thus far it has just felt very unnecessary.
From here one can only predict that Shougo will come to take on his role as the ‘chosen warrior’ and become part of the Bones Boys Brotherhood (as I have dubbed them). Whether or not thing will start getting more serious and this alien invasion storyline will take more prominence is anyone’s guess. But as long as Majin Bone continues to be a fun watch week in and week out, I’ll gladly follow the hilarious misadventures of the awkward red-haired goose Shougo and the strange characters he finds himself surrounded by. Majin Bone is fun, and that’s enough for me, for now.
Turbine and Warner Bros Entertainment recently revealed their latest hero, Blue Beetle, for their upcoming title, Infinite Crisis.
Infinite Crisis is a MOBA based on the DC universe. Play as Superman, Batman, Wonderwoman, Green Lantern, and more as you battle your opponents in a 5v5 game mode. Blue Beetle, the latest addition to the squad, is a ranged/melee assassin that swaps between the two roles to inflict high amounts of damage to enemies. The Blue Beetle, or Jamie Reyes, was granted powers when he tried to escape a fight. A blue scarab bonded with Jamie and covered his body with armor, and allowed him to access powers beyond his imagination. Swapping between a melee and ranged role, the Blue Beetle can dispatch his opponents in quick succession.
Below is the trailer for the Blue Beetle, in addition to a few screenshots they’ve released of the Blue Beetle. For more information on Infinite Crisis, check out their site here, where you can also sign up for their beta.
Compatibility: Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.
Description
Can’t escape the addiction and fun once you have started! Enjoy to new game where puzzle and RPG is combined!
* Puzzle Breaker is a game that can be enjoyed by anyone free of charge. Items such as skill upgrade and booster can be purchased separately for use.
——————————-
Go on an adventure and become a brave hero saving the kidnapped princess from the monsters.
Match the same colored blocks to defeat the monster. Your wisdom is needed.
——————————-
Puzzle Breaker features :
* Multilanguage supports. ( English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese )
* Easy game rule and thrilling match, deep strategy.
* Outstanding graphic and dynamic 3D special effects.
* Monsters that use enlightening artificial intelligence and skills.
* Diverse tactical battles through combination and skill upgrade.
* Diverse levels of 3 difficulties that never get boring.
* Original Sound Track
——————————-
Thank you to all the people of the world for loving Puzzle Breaker!
We are doing our best to make a better game than ever. Send us a comment or suggestion about the game, and we will do our best to reflect it on the next update.
http://puzzlebreaker.net
PARANORMAL ADVENTURE GAME MOEBIUS: EMPIRE RISING™ NOW AVAILABLE FOR PC/MAC FROM POSTUDIOS.COM AND ONLINE STORES
History Repeats Itself in New Thriller From Legendary Game Designer Jane Jensen — Can You Decipher the Pattern?
SAN JOSE, Calif. – April 15, 2014 – Phoenix Online Publishing™ has today released the critically acclaimed paranormal mystery adventure game Moebius: Empire Rising for PC and Mac. Players can enjoy this all-new tale by Jane Jensen, creator of the Gabriel Knight® video game series (and hailed as “the Agatha Christie of adventure games”), for just $29.99 via Phoenix Online’s website (http://www.POStudios.com), Steam, GOG and other online stores.
A sophisticated, story-driven interactive thriller, Moebius: Empire Rising is the first in an original series of titles from renowned game designer and novelist Jane Jensen. Her award-winning Gabriel Knight adventures have been ranked among the best games of all-time, and her 2003 sci-fi novel Dante’s Equation was nominated for the Philip K. Dick award. After nearly a decade designing casual games based on franchises such as Agatha Christie and James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club, Jensen appealed to her fans on Kickstarter and crowdfunded more than $435k to make Moebius: Empire Rising. These funds were used to develop the game in partnership with indie team Phoenix Online Studios, which is publishing the title under its new publishing label.
Moebius is the story of Malachi Rector, a brilliant antiques dealer and historian whose photographic memory and eye for deduction transforms locations and clues into interactive puzzle pieces and historical patterns. A secretive government agency has tapped Malachi for an unusual assignment: fly to Venice and assess whether a recently murdered woman resembles a particular historical figure. As Malachi soon learns, this seemingly innocuous request is linked to a powerful paranormal theory the U.S. government will protect at any cost — and the more he discovers, the greater danger he faces.
Enter David Walker, a former Special Forces operative Malachi randomly encounters in his travels. David’s exactly the wingman Malachi needs: calm under pressure, an experienced bodyguard, and good with a gun. In fact, the typically distrustful Malachi can’t shake the feeling he’s known David all his life. But as Malachi learns more about the Moebius Theory and his unwitting role in history, even their growing bond might not be enough to protect him..
With its narrative- and puzzle-driven gameplay, Moebius: Empire Rising draws you into Jensen’s signature storytelling as only a video game can. Piece together the links between past and present to discover the secrets the government is hell-bent on hiding. In addition to today’s PC and Mac versions, Moebius will release later this year for iPad, Linux and Android.
To purchase Moebius: Empire Rising directly Phoenix Online or view a list of other stores that carry it, please visit: http://www.POStudios.com
Jane Jensen and Robert Holmes founded Pinkerton Road in 2012 to create narrative games for tablet and desktop computers. A game designer and writer, Jane is best known for her work on the Gabriel Knight® adventure games and hidden object games such as Dying for Daylight. Robert is a composer, producer, musician, and strategic digital marketing executive whose music has appeared in numerous video games. The studio’s first projects are Moebius: Empire Rising, a Kickstarted adventure game released for PC and Mac in April 2014, and the Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers® 20th anniversary edition. The studio has also released a children’s ebook, Lola and Lucy’s Big Adventure™, for iPad. To learn more, visit http://www.pinkertonroad.com. Follow Jane on Twitter @jensen_jane.
About Phoenix Online Publishing — Every Game Has a Story™
Phoenix Online Publishing is a new independent video game publisher dedicated to bringing compelling and cutting-edge story-driven titles to market worldwide in every genre and across the full range of gaming platforms and devices. Providing game makers with business management, marketing, media and digital/retail distribution services, the company is committed to providing a platform for bringing titles with rich storytelling and atmosphere to life. Designed by indie game developers for indie game developers, Phoenix Online Publishing operates in parallel with Phoenix Online Studios, an award-winning game development studio (The Silver Lining, Cognition), and maintains a global network of development, publishing and distribution partners. More information about Phoenix Online Publishing can be found on the company’s website, www.POStudios.com.
