Recently, independent developer Nowhere Studios announced that their puzzle platformer title Monochromawill be launching this April through Steam for the PC, Mac, and Linux.
Monochroma follows a boy and his brother after they witness a crime committed by an evil corporation. The game utilizes the the brothers working together to save the world from this evil corporation. The game is set in the 1950’s during a heavy period of upheavals and protest. The game was inspired by past classics such as Heart of Darkness, Abe’s Oddysee, and other titles. The game acquired a lot of its funding from Kickstarter, finishing its campaign in July 2013.
Make sure to keep an eye out for this exciting title. To find more information, check out their site here.
Today, game publishing giant Activision announced a pre-order bonus for their upcoming title, The Amazing Spider-Man 2available exclusively at GameStop.
Players who pre-order the upcoming Spider-Man game from GameStop will get the “Web Threads Suit Pack.” This is a DLC bundle that includes four sharp-looking super-powered suits for Peter Parker’s alter ego on the game’s launch day. The four suits include:
The cutting-edge designed, red and gold Iron Spider Suit
The stellar, blue and white Cosmic Spider-Man Suit
The all-consuming Venom-like Black Suit
The pulp-style Spider-Man Noir Suit
Click on the image for full-size.
The game will be available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, 3DS, and PC on April 29, 2014. For more information, you can check out their official page here.
Communication seems to be a pretty common problem in families and such is definitely the case in this make-shift family of Yato, Hiyori and Yukine. It can verge on frustration at times even. Why can’t Yato just be frank with Yukine? Why can’t they just sit down and talk things through? Perhaps they are both too proud to put their feelings out there, but I think it runs deeper than that.
I think that Yato understands Yukine’s situation quite well, as evidenced by him saying “He is at a difficult dangerous age and he is stuck there forever.” This speaks leaps and bounds about Yukine and the dynamic between the characters. Yato is the father who understands his son but not enough to be able to get on the some page as him. That is the problem these two are currently faced with.
This episode is center stage for the Yato and Yukine situation. Yato and Yukine travel to Hiyori’s school to help a victim of bullying. Yato’s solution to the problem is somewhat questionable, but when has any of his decisions not been? He gives the victim two box cutters and tells him to do whatever he thinks is right with them. The kid threatens the bully but gives him one of the cutters so that he could atleast defend himself. Interestingly the kid doesn’t cross the line and instead simply walks away from it, not before causing the bully the piss his pants of course.
While all of this is going on, Yukine is lamenting over his lost life and lack of any real friends. He ventures around the school grounds and grows increasingly envious of all the happy kids going about their lives. We see that his recent bout of theft may not be purely just that, but it is underscored by Yukine’s core desire. That desire being to have something or someone in his life (or death if you’re talking particulars). But no matter what he does he can’t, he is detached from the world, permanently so. This is tragic and even though Yukine is somewhat painted in a negative light here. But I can’t help but sympathize with his plight.
Much faster than anticipated, the foretold ‘death’ of Yato looks to be quickly approaching. After Yukine flips out and smashes a bunch of windows at the school, Yato is overcome with blight. Hiyori turns into her spirit form and is accidentally blighted herself. Yukine turns up in time to witness it, shocked by what he sees. When Hiyori tells him it is his fault, it clearly cuts deep. Yukine falls even further into the darkness now and it is hard to know how much farther he has to fall.
Hiyori takes Yato to Kofuku as instructed but it confronted with a somewhat difficult situation. Daikoku uses a borderline to keep them out, rejecting them entrance and assistance. Yato is on the brink of death and the only two people in the world gods that even seemed to give a rat’s ass about him have turned their backs on the stray god. Where does this leave Yato? What happens when a God dies? It is intriguing territory and I’m interested to see Noragami approach it. I don’t follow the manga so I’m not sure what is anime original and what is source material at this point, but colour me curious as to where things go from here.
A moment I have neglected to mention thus far, but one that is quite important as we move forward is the confrontation between Kofuku and Bishamon. Bishamon inquires as to where Kofuku’s allegiances lie, she then threatens Bishamon that a storm will come her way if anything where to happen to Yato. So why is it that she and Daikoku reject Yato in the episode’s final moments? He is on the brink of death and things are looking dire. With nowhere left to turn, the stray god has reached his tether, will he live through this or will he wander off to the other side?
KickStarter have proven themselves to be quite a sucessful crowdfunding platform and now they have the bank to prove it as the site has drawn in over $1,000,000,000 dollars in pledges that go towards funding the large variety of projects people have started. KickStarter began operations on April 28, 2009 and has since exploded in popularity, helping to fund all types of projects from movies, public murals and games to new inventions such as the Oculus Rift. Even big time developers have jumped onto the KickStarter train with people such as Keiji Inafune (creator of MegaMan) relying on fan support to create his new MegaMan based project Mighty No. 9.
Over half of the billion dollars was donated in the last year alone with two thirds of the funding coming from the States. To celebrate the milestone the team at Kickstarter have created some cool infographics detailing exactly how they made it to the big billion, follow this link if you want to see it for yourself.
As with most popular franchise it’s of no surprise when a spin off is made, with one of the most popular choices being a pinball game. With the immense popularity of PopcapsPlants vs. Zombies series it was of no surprise to see this happen once again and now Mac and PC users will be able to join in the fun as Plants vs. Zombies Pinball will finally be coming to those platforms after being made available on consoles some time ago. Created by the masters of virtual pinball, Zen Studios, Plants vs. Zombies Pinball challenges players to repel the Zombie invasion by growing your plants and collecting sunlight.
This table can be purchased as DLC for Pinball FX 2 or Zen Pinball 2 on a wide range of platforms already including PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PS Vita, Xbox LIVE Arcade, Wii U. The table will be available as DLC for Pinball FX 2 on Steam and for Zen Pinball 2 on Mac from March 6th. Pricing for the Mac App Store comes in at $2.99 so we expect the game to cost a similar price on Steam when those versions release. You can check out the trailer for the table below. Watch it, there’s a zombie trying to play pinball.
Things just keep plunging deeper and deeper into that abyss in Noragami.
With this episode it is pretty much a lock at this point that we are heading towards a head-on collision of an ending. All the pieces are moving and it is only a matter of time before someone gets checkmate. Judging by the way this episode ends, this game of chess may have just gotten a third participant, coming in to twist the rules of the game as we know it and potentially be the catalyst that causes all the elements to collide.
The story just keeps taking sharp turns, never knowing what it is around the corner but some how what’s around the corner isn’t too shocking, but never disappointing on the same page. Hiyori has been caught out by Bishamon’s right hand man Kazuma and he seems to be a bit more switched on to things than first thought. While he is completely loyal to Bishamon, he knows that Yato isn’t such a bad guy, even going so far to say that he “owes Yato a great deal”. These conflicted feelings undoubtedly will bring Kazuma and Bishamon into conflict eventually. It is just a matter of which way the coin will drop.
Perhaps most interesting is the insight Kazuma gives regarding the blight Yato has accrued thanks to Yukine’s mounting misdeeds. We learn that if Yukine is not kept in check, eventually the blight will overcome Yato and ultimately kill him. This is bad news for Yato, but it only makes things more interesting in regards to his relationship with Yukine. He comes off as a stern father figure rather than a merciless god that we have seen in previous weeks.
It goes without saying that Yukine doesn’t like being used the way he has been and it does make me wonder if that has to do with that suppressed past life as a human being. I’m betting it does. Regardless of all that Yato and Yukine need to get on the same page again. So what will be the spark to ignite that? Well I have a feeling it will be Hiyori. She seems to be the only one who can really crack Yato and that much was true in this episode. This girl has some kind of power over this god, what exactly that is however is up to debate at this point.
One of the quieter moments of the episode, but one that holds great importance to filling in the blanks with this story, is Hiyori’s meeting with the God of Learning. She is there on a simple inquiry regarding Yukine’s whereabouts, but what she uncovers is deeply insightful to the world between the near and far shore. He tells her that Yukine was there looking for a job, but he rejected the young boy on the grounds that if he accepted him he would become a ‘Nora’, a dirty kind of regalia that has many users, or put more plainly, a deadset whore of a regalia. We have already met one ‘Nora’ and it has been hinted at that Yato once used her. These types of regalia are generally detested in this world and considered to be tainted.
So where does this leave us as we head into the final straight of episodes? Well it is hard to say, with the introduction of the mystery man at the end of the episode, one has got to figure that the anime is going for an original ending. Hopefully it would at least leave things open for a second season. If I was a betting man, I’d have to say that we are building towards a battle between the Gods and Noras of the world. For now that is all just thoughts based on the 5 second appearance of a mysterious character at the very end of the episode. But it seems like a substantial enough collision point for this final stretch. The question now is, who will survive to coming crash?
Strategy Games Get Invaded with X-Mercs: Invasion from Game Insight
Alien invasions and turn-based tactics come to iPad strategy games with X-Mercs: Invasion
Moscow and San Francisco – March 3, 2014 – Game Insight, a leading global developer and publisher of free-to-play games for all major mobile and social platforms is proud to present an explosive new addition to iPad strategy games: X-Mercs: Invasion. This epic turn-based strategy game puts players in control of a military scientific corporation that has only one goal – to fight off an invasion of vicious aliens bent on conquering Earth and destroying humankind!
X-Mercs: Invasion takes place in 2040, at a time when scientists discover a new natural resource: the energy-rich crystals known as “Advinite.” A massive conflict erupts over this valuable new treasure between the warring Red Dragon Union and North Atlantic Defense Alliance, leading to global devastation, both from the war, and from the environmental hazards caused by Advinite radiation—which creates mutant monsters that force humans to seek shelter in cities shielded by impenetrable force fields. Yet in the midst of the battle, humanity faces a new threat—an all-out alien invasion! This new threat forces humanity to create the Earth Council, an organization that decrees that the war against the alien invaders will be fought by private military companies. Players begin the game as the head of one such company.
In X-Mercs: Invasion, players will spearhead their very own military campaign by assembling an army of the finest mercenary soldiers in the world, constructing a military base, and researching and converting alien tech into deadly weapons to use against their extraterrestrial creators. In X-Mercs, players will find that the fate of mankind rests on their shoulders. Save the earth from a full-scale alien invasion and become a legend!
Strategy games will get upgraded, locked, and loaded in X-Mercs: Invasion–coming soon for iPad.
Founded in 2010, Game Insight is a global-facing developer and publisher of varied, user-focused, and free-to-play games for all major mobile and social platforms, including iOS, Android, Facebook, and Web. We are a team of more than 800 passionate game developers who actually play games ourselves. Our internal network consists of 15 different studios that constantly create and update high-quality games, many of which have already become #1 top-grossing hits in mobile application stores and on social networks around the world, which has led Game Insight to build a global audience of more than 150 million users. Visit http://www.game-insight.com for more info.
VLAMBEER’S LUFTRAUSERS CLEARED FOR TAKE OFF ON MARCH 18
– Pre-Orders Open for $10 Game and $750 Air Raid Pack –
Utrecht, The Netherlands – Independent game studio Vlambeer (Ridiculous Fishing, Nuclear Throne) and patriotic publisher Devolver Digital have announced that the much-anticipated realistic aerial dogfighting simulator LUFTRAUSERS will launch on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam and Humble on the 18th of March.
“OH DEAR GOD FINALLY YES,” said Rami Ismail, 50% of developer Vlambeer.
Potential recruits and amateur rauser pilots can visit LUFTRAUSERS.com to learn more about the war effort, train on the original LUFTRAUSER web game, and pre-order LUFTRAUSERS on Steam and Humble for 10% off the $9.99 price.
The most patriotic of citizens and tycoons of industry that wish to help with the recruitment effort on a more grandiose level can invest in the $749.99 LUFTRAUSERS Air Raid Pack that yields 1 DRM-free download of the game and 100 giftable Steam keys. Purchasers of this special bundle of aerial firepower are encouraged to recruit new rauser pilots from their ranks of friends and aid in the war effort by any means necessary.
“I honestly thought LUFTRAUSERS released back in 2012,” said Devolver Digital CFO Fork Parker when reached for comment. “Ironically, I spent what I thought was LUFTRAUSERS royalties on a private jet.”
News reports and details from the front can be found via Twittergraph via @Vlambeer and @DevolverDigital.
SPACE EXPLORERS REJOICE! EDGE OF SPACE MULTIPLAYER LAUNCHES THIS WEEK
To survive the dangers of space exploration and planet terraforming in Edge of Space, where lethal Jetpack Space Penguins, Space Laser Sharks, and other monstrosities lurk in the dark, it’s better to have allies around. That’s why Handyman Studios is very excited to announce a slew of new features for the upcoming content update this week, including the long-awaited deployment of Multiplayer mode. Gamers will be team up with other players online to explore the menacing landscape, gather resources more efficiently, share materials to create badass gear, build and modify the base operations, and band together to take on a horde of terrifying space creatures.
Along with Multiplayer features, a new Training mode has been incorporated that brand new Edge of Space recruits and long-time veterans will find very useful. The new Training mode acts as an optional tutorial that explains the fundamentals of the game as well as detailing some of the newly added mechanics. Last, dynamic game events will have players experiencing frantic action, as they deal with huge alien swarm invasions on bases and major boss encounter challenges that will require both quick decision-making and precise gameplay skills.
Set in deep space, Edge of Space is an open-world, dynamically generated sandbox survival-adventure game. Gamers start with only a laser pick and the gear from a crashed cryopod, and immediately start exploring and collecting resources as every piece of ore mined is used to fabricate survival equipment. Fight against an array of creative horrors including cybernetically enhanced Space Laser Sharks, vicious genetically evolved polar bears, and deadly quick Jet Pack Space Penguins — and those are not even the strangest monstrosities to encounter! At the absolute edge of space gamers must adapt or die – good luck ArkCo Operative!
Edge of Space is available at the Steam Early Access price of $11.99; for new feature announcements, please visit the game’s official Website, playedgeofspace.com, follow the development team at Twitter, “Like” it on Facebook, and watch development video streams on Twitch.
MAJESCO ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES GARDENING MAMA 2: FOREST FRIENDS COMING THIS SPRING TO NINTENDO 3DS™
Get Your Gardening Gloves on and Help Mama Plant the Seeds of Friendship
Majesco Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: COOL), publisher of the award-winning Cooking Mama video game franchise that has sold more than 13 million copies worldwide, announced today that Gardening Mama 2: Forest Friends blossoms this April on Nintendo 3DS™.
Mama is going green again in a brand new stylus-based experience that challenges players to grow 50 fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables her animal friends can sell in their woodland shops. Additional gameplay features of Gardening Mama 2: Forest Friends include:
Use the stylus as your master gardening tool to plant seeds, bulbs and saplings, then care for them with water and fertilizer.
Grow 50+ different types of plants including beautiful hydrangeas, juicy watermelons and sizzling hot peppers!
Nurture, harvest and deliver garden items to six different animal stores including: Bear’s Restaurant, Rabbit’s Flower Shop, Cat’s Beauty Shop and Squirrel’s Cake Shop. Fulfill their shop requests to earn garden points!
Trade points for items and decorations that let you create a one-of-a-kind, custom garden. Use shop tickets to purchase more flowers, fruits and vegetables to enlarge your garden and make it more productive.
Earn rewards such as new varieties of seeds, flower bulbs, and trees from your animal friends so you can expand your garden and they can grow their shops into bigger businesses that attract more customers.
New activities with multiple variations star Mama’s friends and family featured throughout the Mama games. Sort, pick, clean, organize, mow, arrange, water, harvest and much more!
Keep your garden healthy by protecting your plants from viruses and bugs.
Customize and decorate your garden with 100+ items: fences, fountains, playground equipment, topiary, pergolas, sculptures, benches, pets and more. Even dress up Mama in fun new outfits!
Use Spot Pass to receive new garden backgrounds.
Developed by Cooking Mama Limited, Gardening Mama 2: Forest Friends releases this April on Nintendo 3DS. For additional information on the Cooking Mama franchise please visit: www.CookingMamaUS.com.
