Those of you that were worried that the PS3 exclusive Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX would not be released outside of Japan can now rest easy. Square Enix has confirmed the game will be coming to North America and all PAL territories sometime this Fall season.
The game will be localized in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. While the Japanese release features both English and Japanese voices, other versions of the game will have the Japanese dub removed.
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX is a remastered compilation featuring the original Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, and the entire collection of the story cutscenes from Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days with remade graphics and new musical content to upgrade it from the original Nintendo DS version. The original Kingdom Hearts will be the previously Japan only Final Mix version, which contained exclusive content such as additional enemies, abilities, weapons, missions, cutscenes and a secret movie. As is mandatory with all PS3 releases, the game will also feature full trophy support.
This remastered compilation is shaping up to be quite a package and if priced like most other collections would be a must have for any Kingdom Hearts fan or for those wanting to get in to the series. Let us know what new features you’re most looking forward to in the comments below.
Icon Home Entertainment will be releasing a few new movies to retailers this March. These are some pretty decent films, and there’s at least one I’m particularly looking forward to. These films are as follows: “DREDD, HAMILTON, THE DINOSAUR PROJECT and ROMANZO CRIMINALE S1”.
Included in a press release are some short blurbs on each of the films. These have been reproduced below.
DREDD
Available on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital
Mega City One is a vast, violent metropolis where the street cops called “Judges” have the power to act as judge, jury and executioner. Known and feared throughout the city, Dredd (Karl Urban) is the ultimate Judge. Assigned to train and evaluate Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), a rookie with powerful psychic abilities, Dredd is called to investigate a triple homicide in a 200-storey vertical slum controlled by the ruthless Ma-Ma clan.
After arresting one of the clan’s inner circle, Ma-Ma (Lena Headey) shuts down the entire building and wages a vicious war against the Judges. With the body count climbing and no way out, Dredd and Anderson must engage in a relentless battle for their survival.
HAMILTON: IN THE INTERESTS OF THE NATION
Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital
Hi-tech missiles fall into terrorists’ hands, a senior weapons technician is kidnapped and special agent Carl Hamilton (Mikael Persbrandt, The Hobbit ) quickly becomes the target of a police investigation. In a perilous attempt to rescue the technician and recapture the weapons, Hamilton discovers a deadly truth — an international arms conspiracy within top levels of the government. Unsure who to trust and with the police closing in, Hamilton must risk everything to prevent a lethal terrorist attack.
THE DINOSAUR PROJECT
Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital
Brace yourself for a chilling ride into the heart of the Congo jungle, as an expedition accompanied by a film crew sets off to track down the mysterious Mokele Mbembe, a mythical creature akin to the Loch Ness Monster. They soon find themselves in a terrifying fight for survival as creatures thought to have been extinct for 65 million years are found to be very much alive.
The Dinosaur Project is a stunning live action adventure thriller with breathtaking visual effects that will leave you fearing extinction.
ROMANZO CRIMINALE: SEASON ONE
Available on DVD and Digital
Small-time criminal known as The Lebanese has a dream: to conquer the underworld of Rome. Political murders, spectacular bombings and high profile kidnappings, this blood soaked saga set in the violent underworld of 1970’s Rome, chronicles one man’s rise from hoodlum to kingpin during one of the darkest period’s in Italy’s modern history. Relentlessly pursued by the idealistic police inspector Scialoja, The Lebanese rapidly accumulates money, men and weapons… enough to become Rome’s King of Crime.
Personally speaking, I’m looking forward to Dredd the most. The original Judge Dredd movie featured Sylvester Stalone and was a pretty decent adaptation of the comic book. However, this latest adaptation is much more closer to the source and is a movie that I quite enjoyed.
Also of interest is that Romanzo Criminale Season 2 is slated for an April release. Fans of that show have much to look forward to.
Today Namco Bandai released a number of screenshots for Project X Zone, the title that takes fighters from so many games from the Capcom, Namco Bandai and Sega library that it would be almost ridiculous to list them all here.
Anyways these screenshots feature a little bit of English translation, though not much, and focus on Xenosaga’s KOS-MOS and Black Rose and Kite from the original .hack// titles including Kite using the Data Drain special on a set of enemies. Check out the screenshots below and keep an eye out for the 3DS exclusive sometime over the Summer season.
Namco Bandai are bringing over the latest game in their greatest mecha franchise, Armored Core, over to Australia and New Zealand this year. The game is called Armored Core: Verdict Day and it is a multiplayer based game that sees players in mechs battling across a persistent battlefield.
Players of the game will be encouraged to join squads of up to 20 other players to battle it out and seize control of territory controlled by other player squadrons. Even further, the Operator Mode from Armored Core V returns with players being able to control teams of AI mecha which adds a real-time strategy depth to the title. On top of this, players are also able to import their saves from Armored Core V to continue their progress.
Be sure to visit the official site for more info. The title comes out later this year on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 consoles.
On the 26th of March the first phase of the Closed Beta test for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is set to begin. This means that many players will be receiving an invite to the incredibly limited Closed Beta test in order to test the game and ensure that it runs optimally at launch.
This is the second version of the game with the first closing down due to a lack of interest and players. After a temporary lift on subscriptions, a small number of players returned but the title was unable to keep them on.
To ensure that players’ PC’s are able to run Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, the team have released an official Benchmarking tool to test your PC’s performance for the title. Even if you have the old Benchmark, I’d still suggest giving this one a look as it showcases the new world and has new optimisations made to the game. It’d also be cool to compare your scores and performances on both Benchmarking tools.
Be sure to check out the developers’ commentary titled “gamepads” below. In this video the games director takes us through using the controller in this new and improved version of the game.
Take a look at the Official Site for more info. You can also check out the forums as well.
Tiger & Bunny Set 1 Studio:Sunrise Publisher:Viz Media Format: Blu-ray, DVD (Reviewed) Release Date: February 19, 2013 Price:$44.82 – Available Here
Overview: Advertisements and game shows are everywhere nowadays. Even television channels which used to provide quality entertainment have begun showing reality TV instead of proper programming. Things have gone so far that reality television is commonplace and advertisements and product placement is everywhere. If our world happened to have heroes, would they end up becoming a marketing scheme as well? Possibly, but in the world of Tiger & Bunny that has already happened but is it simply a small sacrifice for the greater good? Now that Viz Media has brought the first half of Tiger & Bunny overseas to North America, is it worth picking up?
Story: Tiger & Bunny is set in a world where certain humans have undergone a genetic mutation that has given them various superpowers. Those who have been given such powers have been called NEXT and while some try to hide their abilities, others use their powers for evil. Though for every evil there is a good and because of this, many NEXT users have become heroes to try and keep the citizens of Sternbild City safe from danger.
However heroes simply can’t just run around on their own without funding or regulation and because of this, a special television network has made superheroes a part of everyday life. Hero TV has been created to showcase the seven main heroes that put a stop to crimes and save citizens from dangers. Heroes are given “hero points” for defeating bad guys, rescuing civilians, capturing criminals and more and at the end of every season the hero with the most points is crowned the “King of the Heroes.”
Because of the popularity of heroes, each superhero’s costume is emblazoned with corporate logos of real corporations (Pepsi to name one) and each one is sponsored by a wealthy fictional company hoping to get their name on television. Because of this, a hero’s ranking and popularity directly affect the amount of money a company makes from their sponsorship and after a horrible season, the aging hero Wild Tiger, real name Kotetsu Kaburagi, has found his company shutting down right after a new hero debuts and steals his last chance at the spotlight.
However Kotetsu’s time as a hero is not at an end. Instead he is transferred to a brand new company where he learns that he will become part of the first ever superhero team. Unfortunately for him, the hero that he will be teaming up with just happens to be Barnaby Brooks, the same man who debuted the day before and embarrassed Kotetsu. To make matters worse, Barnaby shares the same super power that made Kotetsu a wrecking machine in the hero industry.
With Kotetsu’s habit of jumping in at the slightest hint of danger, often resulting in the destruction of property and him making a fool of himself simply to save lives and Barnaby’s tendency to wait for the best time to appear in the spotlight and habit of analyzing the situation first, the two immediately find themselves at odds. Will this odd-couple of a fresh-faced hero concerned about popularity and a hero that is said to be “past his prime” but set in his ways of saving lives over anything else work?
Tiger & Bunny Set 1 covers the first thirteen episodes of the series and because of this the series falls heavily into the whole “buddy cop” genre. Considering it is the start of the series, roughly half of the first set is devoted to showing off the cast and placing Kotetsu and Barnaby, or Bunny as Kotetsu has nicknamed him due to the design of his suit, in various situations where the two have to reluctantly work together. This works well for the most part because while the focus of Tiger & Bunny is obviously focused on the two characters in the title, it expands the personality of the other heroes beyond simply being in the background and providing them extra personality and a bit of growth.
Despite focusing on character development and much of Set 1 being a “criminal of the week” type affair, a deeper plot begins to reveal itself over time as more of Barnaby’s past is revealed. By expanding more upon why Barnaby has chosen to reveal his true identity right from the start and is so devoted to his hero duties, he comes off less as a man simply aiming to please the sponsors and more like a man out for revenge.
All in all, the first half of Tiger & Bunny contained in this release actually ends with little to no cliffhanger. However because of this, throughout this first half of the series most of the criminals encountered by Kotetsu and the rest of the heroes are rather run-of-the-mill and the few main criminals that aren’t cookie-cutter are barely explained or expanded upon in any way. While this may leave a rather bland taste in the viewer’s mouth, this does mean that since the first major story arc is wrapped up in Tiger & Bunny Set 1 that the second set will focus not only on new enemies but also expand upon previously introduced ones, including a NEXT believing himself to be above the law.
In the end, Tiger & Bunny Set 1 offers plenty of comedy as Kotetsu and Barnaby’s personalities clash and the heroes are placed in humorous situations usually just because their sponsors want them to do certain things. Of the group, Kotetsu’s personality shines the brightest as the veteran hero who is seen as a “has-been” and must try to remain relevant amongst the new heroes and try to work with his unwilling partner. With things leaving off as they did with Set 1 and the time devoted to expanding most of the heroes’ personalities, viewers should find themselves looking forward to Set 2 and more odd-pairing/buddy-cop antics.
Visuals: Tiger & Bunny is an visually interesting series in a number of ways. First of all, the animators at Sunrise chose to use standard animation techniques paired with CGI that actually works very well. Whenever the heroes are in costume nearly every single one of them has had their suit created in CGI. Fire Emblem, Sky High, Rock Bison and Origami Cyclone’s entire outfits and body structure are created with CGI and inserted amazingly well with the rest of the standard animation.
Tiger and Barnaby’s suits are also created via CGI and whenever the two open up their face masks or take off their helmets, their faces are animated using standard animation which actually creates an impressive contrast between the two styles that works well for the series. Interestingly enough, only the two female heroes, Dragon Kid and Blue Rose, have had their suits designed strictly with normal animation techniques. It is worth noting that there are a few hiccups with the CGI animation looking off or improperly inserted though these instances are not only rare but they are difficult to notice as well.
Throughout Set 1 viewers are presented with a thriving city that is finely detailed and provides a great backdrop to all of the events that take place, especially the impressive action sequences that take place every episode. Along those same lines, the characters themselves are well designed and it is certainly interesting to see the real life sponsor logos emblazoned on the hero suits. It is also worth noting that the animators took special care to make certain sequences feel like they are being seen through an older television model to demonstrate the Hero TV aspect and this certainly helps sell the whole idea of a televised hero competition.
Audio: As one should expect, Tiger & Bunny Set 1 features both the original Japanese voice track as well as the brand new English dub recorded by Viz Media. One thing that viewers will immediately notice is that, despite Kotetsu being roughly in his late thirties or so, the voice provided by Wally Wingert sounds a little too young. However while the voice work is a little young sounding, it does match Kotetsu’s playful attitude. As for the rest of the cast, they are all handled very well with Yuri Lowenthal’s Barnaby sounding spot-on and the rest of the cast similarly well performed.
As far as the series’ sound effects go, they are handled quite well with plenty of explosions and gunfire while the background music is mostly standard fair that can be forgotten rather quickly. The opening for Tiger & Bunny Set 1 is “Orion wo Nazoru” by Unison Square Garden works well for the theme of the series while the ending theme “Hoshi no Sumika” by Aobozu is a bit slow-paced and dramatic for a series which often results in a comedic or satisfying ending to each episode with only a few cliffhangers throughout Set 1.
Extras: As far as bonus features go, this DVD release of Tiger & Bunny is rather lacking. Unlike the Blu-ray version which comes with a twenty-four minute long “Making of Tiger & Bunny” feature, the DVD release only comes with a clean opening and ending sequence, a Japanese trailer, an advertisement for other Viz products and finally twenty pieces of Production Art which feature various character sketches of the heroes and the notable villains.
Outside of that, the release comes with no other special features, and it is worth noting that the packaging for Tiger & Bunny Set 1 is rather bland, lacking a slip-case of any kind and the inside of the case features only a small Neon Alley pamphlet and since the case itself is solid black, there is no extra information or artwork inside of the case itself, though the back does feature various information and a brief summary of the show.
Overall: Tiger & Bunny Set 1 successfully introduces viewers to a world where criminals and super powered villains terrorize the populace and only the heroes can put a stop to it. The odd-couple of Kotetsu and Barnaby may feel a bit cliché but thanks to their well-developed personalities the pairing works. To make things even better, by expanding the character development to the other heroes of Hero TV the series opens itself up more than simply focusing on the title characters.
To make this great premise and story even better, Tiger & Bunny Set 1’s amazing visual design is not only fresh but quite memorable. It is unfortunate though that Set 1 is dragged down a bit by basic criminals and barely explained plot-points, plus the voice work for Kotetsu feels off and the DVD release comes with barely any extra features worth noting. That being said, Tiger & Bunny Set 1 offers a great start to a memorable series that will be near-impossible to pass up.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Paramount Pictures have launched a new, browser-based first-person shooter game called ‘G.I. Joe Retaliation 3D – Cobra Strike!’ For any fans of the franchise, the game gives you the opportunity to play as either Joe Colton (Bruce Willis) or Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson). It’s a very simple, basic game, but those high-score hunters out there may appreciate its old-school arcade appeal – all the way down to the music!
You can play the game right here. Recruit your friends and shoot well to upgrade your weapons and obliterate them in the high score chase. Visit and ‘like’ the official AU G.I. Joe Facebook page for all the latest updates on the upcoming film. We’ve included the official Australian G.I. Joe: Retaliation trailer below this article for those who haven’t seen it. And if you’re completely unfamiliar with the film, here is the official synopsis:
In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. The film stars D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, Ray Stevenson, Channing Tatum with Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson. Directed by Jon M. Chu, and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Brian Goldner, from a screenplay by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe characters.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation is in cinemas across Australia from March 28.
Disney Interactive’s Play Set initiative is similar to Skylanders, in that you get physical toys you can play with that second as interactive devices. Cars has been added to the roster alongside other Disney properties The Incredibles, Monsters University and Pirates of the Caribbean. Trailers so far have given nods to the inclusion of other classic Disney films such as Toy Story, The Nightmare Before Christmas and others. Whether this means we’ll be able to see these more popular characters come out as models is purely speculation for now.
The game has two modes: Play Set, where you can only play as the characters from particular film universes for specific missions and Toy Box, a sand box where all the characters can interact with each other. Cars brings characters like Lightning McQueen, Mater, Holley Shiftwell and Francesco Bernoulli back to Radiator Springs for a recreation of the big races the film was known for. Crazy stunts and big air are in order for this game although you can also explore the nearby town. The town is fully customisable mind you. So there’s plenty of stuff to do even if you don’t collect the 30+ figurines that are slated for release.
Generation of Chaos: Pandora’s Reflection Developer: Idea Factory / Sting Publisher: NIS America, Inc. Platforms: PSP (reviewed) Release Date: February 19, 2013 (NA), February 20, 2013 (PAL) Price: $19.99 – Available Here
Overview
Developers Idea Factory and Sting have strong track records for creating strategy role-playing games that have been brought westward. In a day and age where Sony’s Vita has been available to the masses for several months, one still has to wonder – was it really a good tactical move to release yet another strategy role-playing game on the PSP? How does Generation of Chaos: Pandora’s Reflection stand on its own? Is it the spitting image of glory or have we opened Pandora’s box? Let’s find out.
Story
The story to Generations of Chaos: Pandora’s Reflection is one that should probably feel familiar to anyone familiar with anime. The story of Claude and Yuri feels like a mirror of Fullmetal Alchemist‘s Elric brothers. Claude, an alchemist, and his sister, Yuri, are wanderers, making due as they travel along the road. Yuri suffers from a mysterious illness that manifests itself in the form of a butterfly on her neck. She suffers from the occasional fit and, using his book of alchemy, Claude creates potions to help ease her pain.
One fateful day, Claude and Yuri stumble across a shady back alley deal going down that involves the trade of a substance known as “Snowdrops”. A powerful alchemical substance, snowdrops are only obtainable by those wealthy enough to afford them or via the black market. This sets the path of Claude and his sister into a whirlwind that eventually lead them across the world and into the path of several new friends as well as enemies and a much more devious plot.
Gameplay Generations of Chaos: Pandora’s Reflection is a strategy role-playing game. One of the unique aspects of the game compared to previous titles by Sting and Idea Factory is that it’s actually more akin to a real-time strategy game than a typical tactical role-playing game.
Battles all start the same way. Each side of the conflict has a main base. Units can be deployed from this main base. If it’s captured by the enemy or if all of the forces are eliminated, that side loses. Beyond that, there are army-specific unit points that allow a side to dispatch additional troops but they’ll be destroyed if the enemy takes them over. Strategy points are like unit points, but they’re neutral and can change hands mid-battle. Event points allow for some extra exposition on the world or the story, or they allow you to uncover hidden items on the battlefield. There can also be field artillery such as cannons and ballistae which can be taken over and will automatically fire in set intervals across the entire battlefield. These all make up the various battlefields you’ll make history on.
Once you dispatch a unit and tell them where to go, their movement is carried out in real time, just like a real-time strategy game. Movement speed is affected by the terrain they’re traversing (units move across mountain range much slower than they would a paved road, for example). You can queue up waypoints for your units to follow as well. This allows for a pretty considerable on-the-fly shift in strategy which can be immensely helpful in tense encounters.
When a unit gets within range of an enemy unit, a battle will occur. The battle system is primarily your standard paper-rock-scissors combat, but it adds two additional weapon types into the mix as well. Each battle you have will present you with the choice of which weapon for your soldier to use in that skirmish. While it may sound a little daunting at first glance (especially with five weapon types), the game does a great job telling you which of your weapons are at an advantage or disadvantage, letting you have a more informed decision. The advantage also dictates both damage and knock-back distance (which can give you a significant advantage if you’re scrambling to reach a certain point on the map).
Once your weapon type is chosen, the real fun begins. Each specific type of weapon has its own particular real-time mini-event that can earn you extra damage if you time it properly. A sword may give you a few timed presses on a single line where a dagger is several hits across multiple lines, or an axe or scythe attack in a large arc. Timing the attacks lets the player feel like they have a direct impact on the combat at hand instead of just ordering troops around the battlefield.
When a battle ends and units are finished being knocked back, an opportunity circle will pop up around your enemy. Any teammates you have inside that circle will also get a chance to attack (without having to defend a counterattack) and keep the chain going. This is known as a Chaos Attack and it will let you really rack up some damage on particularly tough enemies if you position your troops correctly.
Beyond simply attacking, defending, and taking over structures on the battlefield, you’ll eventually earn the ability to utilize different summons in the game. When you attack enemies, they’ll drop crystals. Pick up enough crystals, and you’ll fill your summon gauge. The gauge can be filled up to three times and will allow Claude to summon different beings to the field that have various effects – everything from stunning opponents to destroying enemy structures to healing your troops and more. This gives you more incentive to utilize Chaos Attacks, as each additional blow will net you more crystals for your summons. Claude will earn more summons as he levels up as well.
When a mission is complete, units are rewarded with alchemy points (AP) they’ve earned and, in the case of a story mission, an MVP will be declared and awarded permanent bonuses. Between battles, though, a whole new layer of strategy is given to the player. Here, you can equip your units with the various armors and other spoils of war they’ve earned. You can also spend your alchemy points to evolve and boost your weapons (such as a pistol to a stun-gun, to a shotgun, to a rifle, and so on). You can also choose to give your AP directly to a character to level them up quicker. If you’re the kind of player that likes to grind and ensure you’ve got an advantage in the upcoming battles, you can choose to replay your most recent battle over and over again to earn more gear, levels, and AP for your party.
Visuals Generation of Chaos: Pandora’s Reflection is visually a beautiful game. Each of the characters are shown by gorgeous hand-drawn anime representations of themselves. The battlefields are bright and colorful. Characters display emotion as they’re affected in both the story and in combat on the field.
Though the on-the-field characters and buildings look somewhat simple, the execution is spot on and everything is conveyed simply and concisely. It’s also a nice touch to watch the icon for each weapon actually change with each upgrade. Combat animations are sharp and the real-time aspect of individual battles feels fluid and responsive.
Audio
The game’s soundtrack is comprised of wonderful orchestral compositions with uptempo beats that help keep you pressing forward in battle. The game’s voice over work is done completely in Japanese, so those of us that can’t understand the language will have to rely on the subtitles to drive the narrative, but the voice actors do an excellent job clearly conveying the emotion, so players can get a real feel for the scene taking place before them. Given that the game is fairly menu-driven, it’s good that menu actions are well represented with sound. Other sound effects help give the shots of combat or the dropped crystals some real audible weight.
Overall Generation of Chaos: Pandora’s Reflection is a mouthful of a name for a game, but each of the thirteen syllables is backed by a fantastic strategy roleplaying game. Though the combat has a lot of elements to it, in real-time it’s quick and fun, allowing tacticians to stretch their brain a bit and have a great time in the process. On top of the great combat systems, GoC:PR has gorgeous anime-styled graphics with vibrant, fluid animations, a catchy, enjoyable soundtrack, and emotionally charged voice work. Wrap all of that up in a well told story, and you’ve got a great game to sit down and enjoy for many hours.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Overview
Most of you have probably never heard of Penumbear unless you’re familiar with the indie iOS scene. When developer Taco Graveyard set out to develop a puzzle platformer involving a cute bear with a scarf that deals with the separation of light and dark as though it were a hard surface, they had an ambitious project on their hands. Does Penumbear shine as brightly as the sun or should it be left in the darkest recesses of the castle? Let’s find out.
Story Penumbear is the story about a small bear who wakes up in the deepest, darkest part of the castle by a brightly glowing firefly. He quickly decides he has to work to escape from the castle, but it won’t be nearly as easy as he had hoped. He’ll have to run, jump, collect, and walk on the very border of light and dark to escape. If that weren’t difficult enough, he’ll have to avoid a whole slew of dangerous obstacles and monsters too!
Gameplay
At first glance, Penumbear feels like just another old iOS platformer game. The on-screen controls will let you walk left and right and jump. These are cleverly deceptive, though. Double tapping a direction will let you run and you’re able to double-jump for some added distance and maneuverability as well. One of the most surprising things about the control scheme, though, was how fluid it felt after a few stages. The controls are immediately responsive, allowing for some pretty slick platforming in situations that require a fair bit of accuracy. This is a great strength for Penumbear.
One of Penumbear‘s most notable strengths, and the primary reason you’ll probably want to give it a try, is the incredibly well-designed levels. Yes, you’ll be running and jumping as you would with any platformer, but each of the 100+ stages is set up with some clever puzzles. The solution to some may take no more than 20 or 30 seconds, but others may take 15-20 minutes or more to work out. It’s never so difficult that you feel like throwing in the towel, and you feel like you’ve really accomplished something when you complete one of those more difficult stages.
Each level will require you to get to a door. Most doors will require “keys” to get through – blue, glowing fireflies that you find throughout the level. The number each door requires varies by stage, and finding each of them is part of the fun.
As you work to get the firefly keys and reach the exit, there will be a variety of obstacles you’ll have to overcome. Each separation of light and dark is treated as a hard surface for Penumbear, whether that means a wall, a floor, or an incline for you to run up. When you get within sight range of a light switch, you can send your companion firefly to trigger the switch, thus flipping light bulbs that are placed in the environment. These are generally placed near structures that cast a shadow, meaning you’ll have to perform some clever run-and-jump as you trigger switches. It makes for some really rewarding moments that give Penumbear a great share of its staying power. Also in the world are various obstacles and enemies, including spined creatures, sharp spikes, fireballs, and more.
Penumbear is broken up into various sections within the castle. At the end of each section (usually around 20 stages), there will be a boss level. While these can be a serious cause of frustration, they’re well designed and supremely rewarding, ultimately granting you access to the next series of stages in the castle.
Visuals & Audio Penumbear‘s visuals are sharp, concise, and eye-drawing without ever getting over-complicated. The simplicity with which the aesthetics are executed are one of its strongest traits. The bulk of the game is black and white, but the various lights and fireflies you’ll encounter really pop and the colors look marvelous together. The animations look great, too.
Penumbear‘s audio is certainly weaker than the visuals, but it’s still nothing to scoff at. The limited soundtrack may begin to grind on you after a while, but it matches the ambiance of the castle and may even start to get stuck in your head. The sound Penumbear makes as he runs and jumps sound perfectly in-line with his cute character, and listening to him cheer for joy when you reach the door at the end of the stage is one of the highlights of each level.
Overall
Overall, Penumbear is a fantastic package. The platforming is responsive and the puzzles are well-designed. There is plenty of content here – over 100 levels, hidden stages, 138 collectible teddy bears hidden throughout the stages, and more will give you hours and hours of game to explore. The game’s visuals are pleasantly striking and, though the soundtrack is a bit limited, you’ll enjoy the few tracks in there if they don’t begin to grate on you. Penumbear is one of the best puzzle platformers on the iOS and easily worth the price of admission.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
