“Jagged Alliance: Flashback” Launches Closed Alpha for Kickstarter Backers and Unveils Q2 Release for Steam Early Access
Selected Kickstarter Backers Can Now Access the Closed Alpha, with Steam Early Access Rolling Out in Q2
Copenhagen, Denmark — April 3, 2014 — Danish developer Full Control announced today that Jagged Alliance: Flashback is now in Closed Alpha and can be accessed by eligible Kickstarter backers. Receiving over $350,000 in funding through crowd-sourcing platform Kickstarter, Jagged Alliance: Flashback has been in development since June 2013 and is due to launch in late 2014.
Additionally, Jagged Alliance: Flashback will launch in Q2 on Steam Early Access for everyone, making the game available to all who like cheesy one-liners and tactical turn-based combat. Developer Full Control seeks to collect early feedback from the community through Steam Early Access to enable all fans of the series to have an active part in the development process. Through the additional funding new features and content can be added to make the game that fans of the franchise have always imagined. In order to get access to the closed alpha, or more information, visit: http://www.jaggedallianceflashback.com/
“We are happy to announce that Jagged Alliance: Flashback is finally in Alpha, with Steam Early Access close on its heels”, said Thomas Lund, CEO of Full Control. “Fans of the franchise will be excited about the return of the beloved turn-based action of the original game, and we can’t wait to get feedback from our Kickstarter backers and the rest of the community when Early Access on Steam begins. So go ahead, talk to us! We want to make this game as great possible for the fans of the franchise, which is also why we have chosen to focus heavily on the modability of the game.”
Based in the late-1980’s on the fictional Caribbean Island of San Hermanos, “The Prince”, the elected president, uses his powerful military forces to stop a rebellious group who are attempting to overthrow him. “The Prince” does not play by the rules and the revolutionaries are powerless against his military forces. The rebel leader gets arrested, and the insurgent army dissolves. Once players arrive on San Hermanos to get the rebel leader out of prison, things take a turn for the worse.
Gameplay features a unique mix of deep turn-based tactics, role-playing and sector management. The Kickstarter campaign, and now the Steam Early Access release, gives fans the opportunity to determine the scope and scale of Jagged Alliance: Flashback by directly influencing the shape of the game and participating during its development.
History of the Jagged Alliance Franchise:
Jagged Alliance was first released in 1994 and is still counted as one the best turn-based strategy games of its time. After the release of the refined Jagged Alliance 2 in 1999 over time the series became a classic never forgotten by its fans. The franchise received a reboot in 2010 with Jagged Alliance – Back in Action, which received mixed reactions from the community and press after its departure from turn-based action gameplay. Full Control plan to reset the franchise with the launch of Jagged Alliance: Flashback through Kickstarter.
About Full Control
Full Control is a small independent studio based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Over the years they have specialized in the genre of turn-based strategy games and have several productions in their portfolio, including the upcoming project, “Jagged Alliance: Flashback” and the recently released, “Space Hulk”, a turn-based videogame adaptation of the hugely popular Warhammer 40k boardgame.
Overview Since the advent of science and the evolution of theoretical conceptualism, people have dreamed of performing the greatest, most confusing feat known to man: travelling through time itself. Of course, this would require an inherent understanding of the universe and true knowledge of how time flows, if it flows at all. Despite the seeming impossibility of piercing the veil of time, some stalwart dreamers insist that it is more than a possibility, rather it is an inevitability that has by all reasoning already been achieved. Such is the nature of time travel. Though amidst the infinity of theories that surround this concept, I doubt any foresaw that the machine that would help shatter the bonds of time would be the humble microwave.
He who dreams of impossibility
Story We begin our journey through time on an average day in the not so average life of Rintaro Okabe, though he prefers to go by his self appointed nom de guerre: Kyoma Hooin. Whilst at a lecture being given by his number one competitor in the race to build a working time machine, Kyoma’s life begins to slide deeper into the realms of insanity when a satellite crash lands on the roof of the building he is in. A scream from the distance leads him to stumble upon the scene of a murder, a traumatic event that rocks the mad scientist to his core. Perhaps more than even he realises, as it would seem that he is the only one who remembers the day that transpired. To top things off, the very person he saw lying dead not hours ago is alive and well. Refusing to believe that he is indeed a “mad” scientist, Kyoma leans dives head first into his research, defying all logic by coming to the only logical conclusion: time travel.
As the mysteries of time travel slowly unravel around our hapless genius, a gaggle of curious followers congregate around the experiments of the Future Gadget Laboratory. After a brief period of trial and error, it is revealed that it is in fact a humble microwave that serves as the key to the door of untold possibility. Through a combination of happenstance and vaguely grasped science, Kyoma acquires the tremendous ability to send texts into the past. Though originally content with achieving such a feat, science demands progress, and so our band of trailblazers begin to experiment with the most dangerous facet of time travel: changing the past. Though limited to a mere 36 bits of information, their texts (henceforth dubbed D-Mail) do indeed alter the past, though the degree to which they do so is unpredictable. Naturally, our intrepid scientists continue onwards and upwards, pushing the bonds of sensibility and chance…until they push too far.
As the time travel experiments spiral further and further out of control, Kyoma’s very sanity begins to bend under the strain. As the only one who remains aware of their effects on the past, he is forced each time to assess the world and determine just what has changed. After suffering through countless manipulations of time, Kyoma is slowly transformed into a tortured soul, lost within an unstable world. One of his own making. Forced to bear the terrible curse of knowledge, Kyoma’s boisterous personality is slowly chipped away, leaving behind a man who truly understands the power of consequences. With his closest friends unaware of Kyoma’s traumatic ordeal, the series slowly shifts focus until the supporting cast is rendered somewhat inconsequential. Though they indeed remain crucial to Kyoma’s very life, each alteration of time serves to “rewrite” them to a degree. Calling into question the very idea of individuality. After all, how can one truly know themselves when their very memories exist as the result of a text message?
Meows everybody feeling today?
Visuals Consistent with its existence as a more subdued series set in the “real” world, the characters of Steins;Gate a rendered rather realistically. Though the classic anime traits are present, there is a distinct lack of excessive flair. For reference, the most grandiose article of clothing present within the series is a plain white labcoat. Though the visuals represent characters, they are not the sole differentiating feature, allowing their personality to bloom unhindered. The subtlety of the character designs also allows a great deal of focus to be placed on facial expressions. Portrayed in a truly powerful manner, the looks that flash across a character’s face are but one facet of unequivocal importance that imbue a sense of humanity into the moments that shape the series.
As the series delves deeper into the harsh reality of bending time to one’s will, the visuals alter to reflect the darker tone. The first glimpse of corporeal time travel can only be described as horrific. The image that emerges from attempting to cross a singularity may sound ludicrous on paper, but the visualisation is nothing to laugh at. Simply put, gel is volumes more frightening than you’d expect it to be.
If looks could kill…
Audio Without a doubt, Steins;Gate possesses a truly fantastic English dub. One of the most fast paced and manic ones I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing in fact. Rather than simply producing a translation of the Japanese dialogue, the writing staff poured effort into creating script that falls perfectly into the Western lexicon. Not only does this keep each piece of dialogue interesting, it endears the characters to an audience and culture beyond their original conception. Characters speak with such a bizarre combination of lingo that you wouldn’t be hard pressed to hear scientific jargon that inspires dictionary consultation, directly followed by pop culture references and “street” phrases. It’s truly a rich tapestry they weave. Naturally, this hastened manner of speaking is often imbued with copious amounts of sarcasm, used to belittle and embarrass those it is directed at. The discussions of the main cast can most aptly be described as scathing. However, as the plot adopts a decidedly more sombre tone in its later episodes, so too do the characters. Whether it be sadness, apathy, fury, disbelief, shock or any other emotion, the characters a played with an inherent believability that makes these moments truly touching to witness.
Due to the emphasis the series places on dialogue, music does not often factor into the equation of a scene. Instead, haunting silence is the go to choice for amplifying moments. That being said, music will occasionally fill the background, though not for any extended period of time.
Extras Steins;Gate possesses quite a grand bonus side if you enjoy additional information. Episodes 1,12,19 and 24 all receive the audio commentary treatment, performed by various members of the cast and crew. Should you be uncertain regarding the physical set up of the series, a handy map of Akihabara is also includes, providing a brief overview of where each major locale, such as the Future Gadget Laboratory, is in relation to each other. Textless versions of each opening and ending theme, along with a trailer for the second half of the series serve to round off the extra features.
He who answered the call
Overall Steins;Gate is truly an experience unto itself. Rather than presenting a slow build up, you are thrown into the deep end right from the outset, forced to piece together the story in tandem with the characters themselves. What begins as an illogical, upbeat foray into the realms of theoretical science, slowly transforms into an unforgiving tale of consequence, trauma and an unrelenting desire to set things right. With a tremendous performance given by each member of the cast, this wonderfully written series will draw you completely into the bizarre, unfortunate, unbelievable circumstances that create a truly incomparable series. El Psy Congroo.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
In some news that is sure to delight WWE fans, Viagogo the worlds largest ticket marketplace has expanded their partnership with the WWE. This new expanded partnership will now make Viagogo the official WWE international ticket marketplace for Asia, Australia, South America and Europe.
Through Viagogo, WWE fans will be able to purchase and sell tickets for WWE live-events within their countries and regions. Viagogo’s aim is to give people secure access to sports and entertainment events that they love and now with WWE in their stable of official sports and entertainment partners, WWE fans are in on the action.
Be sure to let us know what you think of this partnership in the comments section below.
With the release of Mugen Souls Z now less than two months away, NIS America has chosen to release some new English screenshots for the game. This time most of the screenshots focus on dialogue or a few events that take place in the game, though a few images of the game’s combat system are still included.
Mugen Souls Z is still set to be released on the PlayStation 3 in North America on May 20th and in Europe a few days later on May 23rd. In this sequel, Syrma has awoken to put an end to an ancient threat and she will be helped out by the previous game’s protagonist Chou-Chou and the rest of her friends.
Do you remember the game that Kadokawa announced they were working on last year? Well it looks like it will be making its way West when it is released. Today NIS America has come forth with a surprise announcement saying that they will be publishing Natural Doctrine in North America and Europe for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita sometime in the Fall.
This currently marks the first game announced by NIS America that will be released onto the PlayStation 4 and it is a strategy RPG that features cross-play and cross-save. As for the story of Natural Doctrine, players will take control of a fresh faced adventurer seeking a rare and expensive material named Pluton and on their first trip to try and collect some you encounter a new threat unlike anything the kingdom has seen so far.
Well my friends Sakura Trick is over, twelve episodes have gone by and they were very interesting to say the least. Although the series has ended I am 4 impression posts behind so now it’s time to play catch up.
9-A: Year-end Debut S.B.J.K
It’s New Year’s Eve and Haruka is on the phone with Yuu, both of them are watching Yuus’ favourite artist on TV and Haruka is singing the lyrics of the song. The dilemma of this story begins when Yuu is called down so she can eat with her family, however Haruka doesn’t want to hang up as she wants to be the first person to say Happy New Year to her, this selfish and also jealous reason is what earns her the title of S.B.J.K or Shitto-Bukai Joshi Kousei (Jealous high school girl). When Mitsuki walks in and tells Yuu to come down and have dinner Haruka suggests talking to her whilst Yuu goes down to eat, Yuu would rather eat with her family (as it is tradition) however Mitsuki comes up with a lie so that she can have some alone time talking to Haruka.
The conversation starts out awkward as Mitsuki suddenly becomes sceptical about what she can say to Haruka; she starts off with the usual good evening, but then messes up one of her questions (which Haruka interprets as a joke). It’s not long before their talk turns into a regular conversation that contains a brief mention about a senior graduation, this little bit of info is a small teaser to the events that will occur in the next three episodes. At the end of the talk Yuu barges in with anger on her face as she found out her older sister lied to her, we then get a shot of the hungry Sonada parents as they wait for their daughters in order to start eating. The yuri kiss at the end is actually done through the phone this time, as the two girls give their final good byes they hang up on the greeting that they both wanted to say to each other from the start… “Happy New Year.”
Although I didn’t like the abbreviation title, it was great seeing Yuu making the most out of it to fully torment Haruka, her reasons being so were pretty justifiable too as it does sum Haruka up in a nut shell. The phone conversation with Mitsuki was the least enjoyable part of the story, however the awkwardness didn’t linger on and there was a genuine connection shown between the two of them (which Mitsuki will get the wrong idea about in the second third of this episode)
9-B A Sour Plan?! Take Two
Whilst walking to school in the chilly weather Mitsuki begins to wonder why Haruka wanted to talk to her the previous night; we then get one of Mistukis’ “oh so enjoyable” fantasies about Haruka which Is followed by a sliver of jealousy shown when she sees Yuu linking arms with her. When Ikeno and Iizuka catch up to Mitsuki she grabs ahold of Iizuka and links arms with her, this brings about no effect to Mitsuki and a lot of confusion and irritation to Iizuka. When Ikeno mentions Yuua and Haruka took a different pathway to school they begin to tail them in order for “Mitsuki to link arms with Yuu.”
The pathway leads to a children’s playground and Ikeno is the first to spot the two girls inside a large dome; yes they took that path so they could kiss each other, but once caught Haruka quickly makes up a story about planning a surprise event for Mitsukis’ graduation.
This cover up story was not only good, but it also didn’t feel like it was pulled out of thin air. Haruka was genuinely planning a surprise party for Mitsuki and you can see her disappointment when she overheard, a nice and quick response yet at the same time a ruined surprise for a friend. When Mituski begins to walk back she trips over a (small) stone, quick to respond Haruka manages to catch her and also receive an accidental kiss on the forehead, as you can imagine Mitsuki is read with embarrassment and runs off at road runner speed. This third ends with Ikeno questioning why Yuu and Haruka had to discuss the surprise party all alone, rather than inside the classroom and thus the suspicion begins…
You may have noticed (and I hope you did) that instead of writing halves, I mentioned this episode being in thirds. That’s right folks, we have special extra that is both longer and more entertaining than the
Yuzu-Chan Becomes One With The Wind!
Iizuka just got her license and finds joy in riding her new scooter and almost runs her instructor over, Ikenos’ maths notebook is destroyed after a rather interesting game of house with her younger siblings and Haruka gets the daylights scared out of her from one of Ikenos’ practical jokes. This has got to be my favourite extra of them all; all three stories are short, sweet and focus around the two funniest characters in the show. The interactions between Ikeno and Iizuka are wonderful and really highlight their personalities; it also offers a nice break from the main storyline and succeeds in delivering good laughs in such a short time period.
With the introduction of Ikenos’ suspicions plus the mention of a graduation ceremony, the last three episodes focus mainly on those topics and no doubt affect Haruka and Yuus’ secret being exposed; the two main stories in this episode set a good enough foundation for things to develop and in episode ten, you can bet that they do.
Sakura Trick is animated by Studio Deen and is currently being streamed, byCrunchyroll. Don’t forget to check out our Anime Impressions page to see what shows the other Capsule Computers anime crew is watching this season.
Last month Atlus USA released the first in what is going to be a series of videos showing off the enemies that players will be able to possess in Abyss Odyssey and today the company has chosen to release the next video in the ‘Know Your Enemy’ series by highlighting the Bauta foe.
The Bauta is a masked swordsman and you can check out how this enemy will control in the video below. In this video a member of Atlus’ testing department is controlling the character while the last video, featuring Judith, was performed by one of the game’s designers.
Compatibility: Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPad and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.
Description
Attention! NOT compatible with iPod Touch 4th generation, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4.
Be the captain of an expedition to a distant planet in a new multi-genre game blockbuster from an eminent developer! Unprecedented Action, RPG and Strategy in one game! A huge world, highest-level graphics and countless possibilities! Feel the new gaming experience right now!
Features:
– Fight your enemies in real time, using a unique combat system! Shoot enemies, seeing their moves in perspective! Although it has the strengths of an Action game, the combat system is simple to master and does not require lightning reactions.
– Build a base and protect it from attacks with a fortification system. Then use the accumulated technological power in battle!
– Terraform the planet! Unique extraterrestrial civilization technology is now in your hands! Turn lifeless land into green oases with its unique flora and fauna!
– Build an installation to run continental ballistic missiles to overwhelm enemies the size of a skyscraper!
– Explore the world of one of the biggest games in the history of IOS! Planet Utopia hides many surprises! Uncover all its secrets during exciting adventures!
– Develop and equip your character to defy the most dangerous inhabitants of the planet!
– Fight in the company of faithful allies, including the robot dog named Fido!
– Break open the storage to find valuable resources! Multiply your wealth by opening electronic locks with a special interface.
– Communicate with your allies and enemies! A trusted team of 4 will follow you from the beginning of the adventure. In your journey you will meet dozens of characters, whom you can talk and fight with
MY.COM’S SCI-FI ACTION RPG EVOLUTION NOW LIVE WORLDWIDE IN THE APPLE APP STORE
Experience a Unique Variety of Gameplay Elements Woven into an Unforgettable RPG that Boasts One of the Largest In-Game Worlds in App Store History
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.–April 3, 2014–Welcome to the planet Utopia! My.com, a subsidiary of Mail.Ru Group, today released Evolution, a best-in-class Science-Fiction Action RPG on the Apple App Store. Boasting one of the most expansive and action-packed words in mobile gaming history, Evolution combines a deep sci-fi storyline, a unique combat system, puzzles and more, amounting to an experience unlike anything else. After soft-launching in Russia two months ago and finding a home at the top of the charts already, Evolution is now making its worldwide debut.
“When we set out to make this game, we wanted to deliver a core RPG, but one built from the ground up for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch,” said My.com’s Publishing Director, Yuriy Maslikov. “That means players will find the same depth that RPGs are known for, but will also be drawn into the intriguing storyline and surprised by the other gameplay elements woven into the game.”
In Evolution, players step into the boots of top human operatives on a mission to explore, chart, and uncover the dark secrets of a mysterious paradise gone silent – the planet Utopia. In the game, players will engage in real-time battles using a unique combat system that allows players to target and respond to enemy movements. In addition, they’ll be able to dive deep into the game’s immersive storyline and encounter dozens of complex and identifiable characters, all while discovering what truly lies beneath the ashes of a ruined planet.
Evolution is now available and free-to-play in the Apple App Store here.
Evolution joins My.com’s stellar, recently-announced lineup that also includes AAA online PC games Skyforge and Armored Warfare, and World of Speed.
To learn more about Evolution, visit Evo.my.com. For instant updates, like us onFacebook and Twitter.
About My.com My.com is a subsidiary of Mail.Ru Group, the largest Internet company in Russian-speaking countries with an audience of more than 100 million users (comScore, September 2013), that is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: MAIL), (listed since November 5, 2010).
My.com is building an integrated communication and entertainment platform, dubbed ‘Communitainment,’ beginning with a family of mobile services and games. My.com’s mobile communications apps – myMail and myChat – provide multiple email account management and messaging, and myGames is a growing collection of mobile and PC game experiences.
STREAMLINE MEDIA GROUP ANNOUNCES ‘STREAMFRAME’, A UNIFIED BUSINESS PLATFORM FOR MAKERS AND CREATORS
Consolidated Collaboration, Task and Project management system with financial and statistical analysis, ‘Streamframe’ launches its Closed Beta today.
Las Vegas, USA – April 03, 2014 — Streamline Media Group, a global powerhouse in integrated digital productions and video game development today announced Streamframe, its unified business platform for modern productions. Streamframe is launching its Closed Beta today and is now available for the price of $/€/£10 per user per month.
Built with total awareness in mind, Streamframe uses intelligent data correlation and flexible workflows to integrate business, production and operations from micro to macro levels. An intuitive interface, inspired by social media, provides fluid and work-centric communication across functions and departments, while on the back end tracked time automatically generates progress, efficiency and risk assessment evaluations in real time.
“Streamframe was born from our experience with bootstrapping and growing start-ups. We developed a core suite of tools to accelerate teams and unified them into a robust all-in-one platform”, said Alexander Fernandez, CEO of Streamline Media Group. “It’s been the perfect tool for our work, allowing us to manage our people, projects and efficiency on an unprecedented scale. Streamframe has accelerated our productivity, improved planning and unlocked deep organizational awareness – now we are thrilled to share its benefits with others.”
Streamframe was designed to allow teams to focus on their talent and simply work. Its goal is to remove all friction, confusion and delays from production and management. This means going beyond tracked work and communication; financial awareness is made possible as actual costs are updated against live data and compared against projections, invoices and payments, exposing the bottom line. Staff availability and activity is revealed through scheduling, vacation and event calendars. A robust reporting system then captures all data – updated to the minute – synthesizing the information you need, when you need it.
It’s about getting things done, about using technology to bear the burden of data management and allowing businesses to focus on the information, what it means, and the work itself.
Stop wasting time. Rise above the noise. Realize your vision.
