Nuclear disaster is never a good thing. In real life, that is. In video games, it can lead to some fantastic things. It can give us the Fallout series and Metro games, and we can always relax by climbing the towers or hunting the collectibles in Far Cry New Dawn. The rush of shooting at enemies with only 4-5 bullets left in the clip, scavenging for food and water, finding shelter before the night comes – life in the post-apocalyptic games can be pretty amazing. And that’s exactly what Rebellion is trying to make us feel with Atomfall. These devs have honed their craft with the great Sniper Elite series, but will this expedition in the uncharted waters with a new genre (at least for them) pay off in the end? Let’s find out.
Story
The game is set in the aftermath of the disaster at the Windscale nuclear power station, and it is up to you to find out what exactly happened. Fun fact: This is based on the actual nuclear disaster that happened in 1957 in the UK, which you can read more about here. Anyway, to solve this mystery, you will need to navigate through military camps, ruined houses, and abandoned bunkers and deal with paramilitary, scavengers, and cultists. Solving the mystery is anything but straightforward – you will meet a lot of eccentric characters and a strange advisor that only helps by randomly placed red telephone booths all over the country. The story will sometimes go from weird to intriguing with a bit of abstract sprinkled from the pages of Monty Python.
Gameplay
The beginning is as standard as you might expect. You wake up with no recollection of who you are, where you are supposed to go, and you’re slowly picking up the pieces of the story (and our goals) as you search for food and supplies. Pretty soon, crafting in the game is introduced, along with some melee weapons and firearms. You’ll be mostly fighting enemies with cricket bats, hatchets, sicles, and so on since the ammo in the game is limited unless you decide to explore every nook and cranny. Also, every shot counts, and going for anything except for headshots is a waste of ammo. If you survive long enough in these barely inhabited lands, you’ll be able to upgrade the firearms, learn more crafting recipes, and unlock plenty of skills.
The enemies are not rich in variety, you’ll be going against humans, robots, blue glowing mutants, and occasional swarms of bees and birds. What I do have to praise is a simple and smart enemy AI, too often we see in games enemies with weapons that will switch to melee when you get close to them (thus that can be exploited every time) but in this game if they have firearms enemies will always keep their distance, go behind the cover and flank you. But that can also be countered as soon as you unlock the skill to throw melee weapons at them. Oh, my gun is empty? No worries, here is that empty revolver right into your face! There is also some big exploration factor once you find the metal detector and go nuts on finding the caches. Another thing that I liked is the flexibility in finishing the quests. There is an overarching task in the game of finding a couple of atomic batteries, and you can get your hands on them by exploring abandoned sites or trading, but what happens when you don’t have enough resources to barter with someone? It’s easy: just shoot them in their face and take everything (that is, if you can live with what you just did). With that said, I do like the trading mechanic and the lack of actual currency in the game. If anything, it makes everything far more authentic.
Visuals
This is the part of the game that didn’t impress me, and honestly, it dragged down the overall experience. While the game can look fairly decent when played on the highest graphical settings, the moment you lower them—even slightly—the visuals take a serious hit. The environments become muddy, textures look flat, and the entire aesthetic starts to feel outdated. I’ll give credit where it’s due: the level designs in the early stages, especially the bunkers and half-ruined cityscapes, are well-crafted and atmospheric. But beyond that, the environments begin to feel repetitive, almost as if they were built using a limited set of assets that were just copy-pasted across different areas. The character animations and facial models are also underwhelming, particularly for enemies. To make matters worse, the game features respawning enemies who all come back with those same bland, lifeless expressions—which kills immersion in a game that’s supposed to reward exploration.
Audio
Well……the voice actors really tried. I’ll give them that much credit. You can tell there was some genuine effort and emotion put into their performances. There’s a certain energy and commitment in how their lines are delivered, and you can tell they were doing their best with the material they were given. Unfortunately, none of the characters in the game stand out or feel compelling. They’re all bland archetypes, and their stories are either predictable or just not interesting. The dialogue often feels cliche and exhausting to sit through. As for the music, it behaves most weirdly—randomly popping in and out with no rhyme or reason. Sometimes, I’ll wander around for hours in complete silence, and then suddenly, a dramatic theme kicks in like it’s signaling a major boss fight, but nothing happens. The weapons are equally uninspired, sounding generic and recycled like they used stock sound effects for everything.
Overall
One thing I can say about this game with great praise is its stability. No crashing, no game-breaking bugs. Actually, there are no bugs at all in my playthroughs. It is fairly well optimized. No microtransactions either – what you see is what you get. Unfortunately, what we got is nothing exactly impressive. The game is too short for its price, and after one playthrough, every next one feels like a slog. I liked Atomfall to some extent because it tried to bring something new to the table, but at the end of the day, it is a game with an uninspiring gameplay loop, and I don’t see how they could make a sequel and improve on its shortcomings.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
The highly addictive and well-reviewed Drug Dealer Simulator is coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles on April 16. On PC, this criminal simulator has found about one million buyers. In 2025, Drug Dealer Simulator will also be released on PlayStation 5, but the exact release date has not yet been set.
The game by Polish studio Byterunners debuted on PC in 2020, and was published by Movie Games S.A. Ultimate Games S.A. is responsible for the development and release of Drug Dealer Simulator on Xbox consoles.
On the PC, Drug Dealer Simulator has so far found about one million buyers. The title also boasts very good player ratings. Currently on the Steam platform, the percentage of positive reviews is 87 percent out of nearly 18,000 reviews.
Shady business finally on consoles
Drug Dealer Simulator will launch on April 16 this year on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles. These versions will include all key updates from the PC, including graphical fixes.
According to Ultimate Games S.A., on Xbox Series X consoles Drug Dealer Simulator will offer 60 frames per second at 1440p resolution. On the other consoles (Xbox Series S and Xbox One), the title runs at 30 frames per second at 1080p resolution.
A PlayStation 5 version is also currently in development, and a release date has not yet been revealed.
Addictive simulator of the criminal underworld
Drug Dealer Simulator is a unique game with a first-person perspective. The player’s goal is to build a shady business, which requires, among other things, establishing relationships with suppliers and customers, as well as fulfilling orders for larger and larger batches of increasingly powerful goods.
In a criminal career it is also important to avoid service and gain new contacts. In Drug Dealer Simulator you have to take care of organizational and economic matters. The scope of “duties” here includes not only dealing with supplies, hideouts and relations with the underworld, but also preparing unique recipes and recruiting new associates.
Drug Dealer Simulator – main features:
a career in the criminal underworld;
the struggle for influence and territories;
unique mechanics;
taking care of supplies and hiding places;
preparing your own recipes.
Drug Dealer Simulator will be released on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles on April 16, 2025. The game is also expected to hit PlayStation 5 later this year.
Rewrite fate itself in new story expansion almost doubling the size of the original game
(April 4, 2025) — Developer Redboon has officially released the massive Nightmares of Millenis DLC for Knock on the Coffin Lid, a fantasy-mystery whodunnit RPG wrapped in a deckbuilder originally launched last summer after its time in Early Access. The new Nightmares of Millenis DLC introduces the enigmatic power of Tarot cards and weaves together lingering storylines, offering a scope nearly double the size of the original game, for $10.99 (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2891150/Knock_on_the_coffin_lid__Nightmares_of_Millenis/). Until April 12, players can enjoy a 10% discount on the Nightmares of Millenis DLC, while newcomers can grab the same discount on Knock on the Coffin Lid.
Knock on the Coffin Lid beckons players down a path shrouded in mystery, where the empty throne of the Northern Gate awaits its rightful ruler. As players investigate their own untimely demise, the fate of the land of Midian trembles in their hands. Each decision made will weave the threads of destiny, shaping the fates of goblins, orcs, and elves in both wondrous and perilous ways.
In Nightmares of Millenis, the past is not as immutable as it seems. Shadows of your past choices stir, giving rise to new storylines that will mend loose ends or perhaps unravel them further. History is a malleable force in this story expansion, one nearly as vast as the original journey that came before. Overcome Millenis’ trials and find the way to bring an end to the war in Midian.
Nightmares of Millenis Content:
New enemies and allies each with unique abilities and tactical options.
Story Variants will add new endings and outcomes to the main story, adding replay value and branching narrative paths.
21 new Tarot cards will introduce gameplay modifiers and challenges, letting players customize the level of difficulty and strategy.
Two new dungeons with distinct visual styles, enemies, puzzles and unique rewards.
Daily runs and leaderboards for players to track their rank against friends and other players.
Stay up to date with Knock on the Coffin Lid and future updates by following the official X account and joining the Discord server.
LIMASSOL, Cyprus – April 4th, 2025 –My Little Universe, the charming worldbuilding sandbox adventure with more than 50 million downloads across all platforms from developer Estoty and publisher SayGames, travels to new frontiers on PlayStation 5|4 and Xbox Series X|S today.
Brave the mysteries of nine planets with only three trusty tools: a pickaxe, axe, and sword. Gather resources to summon hexes of land and venture deeper into plains, mountains, grottos, and other biomes in search of glowing emblems to unlock hidden areas. Fill the blank canvases of the galaxy solo or with a crew of up to four brave explorers and build a new little universe!
Chop down reappearing trees, stone stalagmites, glittering crystals, and other resources. Deliver them to the continent’s edges to build new hexes of land. Use resources to craft wooden planks and metal bars, and to upgrade tools, weapons, and armor as the journey continues.
Overcome skeleton pirates, floating rock golems, giant spiders, and other threats with skillful sword swings and swift dodges. Challenge monstrous bosses like towering trolls, giant gingermen, and colossal cyclops octopi to earn momentous rewards. Level up to earn new power-ups and cut through enemies with ease!
“After becoming a best-seller on mobile platforms, we knew My Little Universe had the potential to make it on traditional platforms,” said Davis Toliasvili, CEO of Estoty Riga. “Like our ambitious little Stickman, we took our game on an adventure as we celebrated launching on each platform, including a well received release on Nintendo Switch. Now we can’t wait for Xbox and PlayStation explorers to join this cozy journey!”
In addition to the PlayStation 5|4 and Xbox Series X|S releases, My Little Universe has opened the portal to the Microsoft Store alongside its Play Anywhere feature; with cloud saves to seamlessly transition from Xbox to PC and supported handhelds without losing progress. It is also available on PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch for $14.99 USD. All platforms support English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese languages.
My Little Universe will also be discounted by 60% during Steam’s Daily Deal on April 5th, 2025. The Xbox and PlayStation (Plus members) versions will be discounted by 20% until two weeks after launch.
Estoty is a mobile games studio creating entertainment solutions for iOS and Android across all game genres. Their success reflects this with over 2.5 billion downloads across platforms and more than 30 hits in app stores. They strive to create a fun and intuitive gameplay experience with signature striking visuals and engaging gameplay mechanics!
About SayGames
SayGames is a leading cross-platform games publisher with 150+ launched games and over 6 billion game downloads globally. They work with developer partners to create delightful experiences enjoyed by everyone. SayGames has offices in Limassol, Paphos and Warsaw.
Collaborate, Compete, Craft, and Conquer Enemies in a Uniquely Designed Contest That Resets Every 14 Days
Wolfpack Games, a passionate team of indie developers, are excited to announce Havenhold, a unique combat focused social sandbox game centered around a contest to ascend the mystic Kunlun Mountain that resets every 14 days. Train as a Taichu warrior monk, wield primordial powers, craft, trade, battle dark monsters and compete with other players in intense battles for access to the sacred peak.
“Havenhold is about pushing the boundaries of a social sandbox experience with a unique cyclical structure,” said Stephan Wang, Co-Founder of Wolfpack Games. “We’re excited to welcome players into our closed beta test in April, and see how they forge their own legends in Kunlun.”
Havenhold will launch a special Closed Beta Test starting on Thursday, April 17. Players interested in participating in the Havenhold Closed Beta Test can sign-up on the Steam page today.
Players are descendants of the Taichu Order, warrior monks with the gifted ability to Spirit Bind and use the transformative avatar powers of Primordial Spirits. Journey through Kunlun, search through dungeons, ruins, and sacred temples to uncover ability scrolls and master new combat skills, as well as acquiring blueprints to craft and upgraded gear and weapons. As players journey higher toward the peak of Kunlun Mountain, challenging bosses and competitive PvP environments will encourage warriors to party together in the more difficult areas. In the final days of the Cycle, warriors compete in all-out war to see who is deserving of glory, as the Mountain favors the strong… and the contest begins again with player items carried over to the new cycle.
Havenhold Key Features
Cyclical Warfare: Compete in a dynamic contest that resets every 14 days. Your hard-earned items carry over into new cycles.
Primordial Powers: Spirit Bind with ancient powers to transform into avatars, and master devastating combat abilities.
Craft and Trade: Acquire blueprints to craft superior gear and weapons. Crafted items can also be freely traded between players.
Exploration and Combat: Explore dungeons, ruins, and temples, uncovering ability scrolls and loot.
Cooperative Challenges: Team up with fellow warriors to overcome formidable bosses and contest for valuable loot in the mountain’s treacherous higher reaches.
All-Out War: In the final days of each cycle, engage in intense PvP battles to gain additional glory.
Havenhold is currently in development for Early Access on Steam. For more information on the game, visit the official website, subscribe to us on YouTube, and join our community on Discord.
About Wolfpack Games
Wolfpack Games is an independent game studio based in Beijing, led by a veteran core with extensive experience in online games. The studio is dedicated to delivering innovative takes on the traditional MMO experiences, blending fresh ideas with the multiplayer social experience. Wolfpack Games is currently developing Havenhold, a combat-focused social sandbox inspired by Ancient Eastern Mythology.
ROCKFISH Games reveals a May release date for their upcoming expansion, Wrath of the Ancients, plus a new artbook, digital soundtrack, and console bundle.
Hamburg, Germany – April 4, 2025 — ROCKFISH Games has revealed the release date for their upcoming new expansion for EVERSPACE 2, their award-winning space looter-shooter RPG. EVERSPACE 2: Wrath of the Ancients continues the EVERSPACE 2 story, taking space pilots to new explorable star systems filled with fresh challenges and never-seen-before enemies to overcome. The expansion will launch on Steam, GOG, Xbox, and PlayStation May 12, 2025 and will be priced at $29.99 / €29.99 / £24.99 / ¥3900, fully voiced in English and German.
Watch the EVERSPACE 2: Wrath of the Ancient Release Date Trailer HERE
EVERSPACE 2: Wrath of the Ancients adds new post-game and side quest storylines to Cluster 34. Players will discover four new explorable star systems each with multiple locations packed with new enemies, secrets, and puzzles, as well as a new spaceship, introducing a new playstyle through powerful ability combos.
“Space pilots only have a short while longer to wait until they can experience this exciting chapter of the EVERSPACE saga. This massive expansion packages together much of what our community has been asking for: new places to explore, more enemies to fight, an additional spacecraft to master, and gear to discover,” said ROCKFISH Games CEO and Co-Founder, Michael Schade. “The team has pulled out all the stops for Wrath of the Ancients. They’ve excelled themselves over the course of development, crafting stunning content for players all around the globe. I can’t wait to see what fans think of it.”
EVERSPACE 2: Wrath of the Ancients and EVERSPACE 2: Titans were made possible through partial funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action of Germany.
“The German video game industry remains strong, supported by generous grants from the German government to create a level playing field to countries that have had tax break programs for decades.” said Schade. “These grants help create jobs and fund creative projects that showcase German technical and expertise across many game genres. I hope to see programs like this continue as they do an excellent job supporting especially small and mid-sized studios all over the country to stay fully independent. A program that has become even more important with the ongoing lack of industry funding for new projects.”
The release of EVERSPACE 2: Wrath of the Ancients will be accompanied by new digital Official Soundtrack and artbook DLCs on PC, collecting music and art developed since the release of the base game, as well as a Galactic Edition collecting EVERSPACE 2 and all its expansions into one package on Xbox and PlayStation.
EVERSPACE 2 is available on PlayStation, Xbox, Steam, GOG, and the Microsoft Store for $49.99 / €49.99 / £44.99 / ¥6930. EVERSPACE 2 is fully voiced in English and German and currently localized in thirteen languages, including English, Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and Spanish.
Join the community Discord for the latest development news. Every second Friday, the ROCKFISH Games team shows off content from their latest EVERSPACE 2 dev build on the ROCKFISH Games Twitch and YouTube channel from 8 pm to 10 pm CEST / 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm EST / 11:00 am to 1:00 pm PST. Viewers are encouraged to bring their EVERSPACE questions to ask the dev team.
About ROCKFISH Games GmbH
ROCKFISH Games is an independent game studio specializing in cutting-edge space action RPGs for PC and consoles. Industry veterans Michael Schade and Christian Lohr founded ROCKFISH Games to create a new breed of adrenalin-filled adventures for space shooter fans through their acclaimed EVERSPACE IP. After spending over two decades as joint entrepreneurs in the 3D graphics and mobile gaming space, Schade and Lohr built ROCKFISH Games from the ground up alongside their former team of veteran talents to the current studio of 30 game developers and community experts from across the industry over the past ten years.
Using Kickstarter to build a new community in 2015, ROCKFISH Games reached a runaway success with EVERSPACE, which has sold over three million copies on PC and consoles. Building on this success and propelled by yet another wildly successful Kickstarter campaign in 2019, ROCKFISH Games is dedicated to crafting a compelling next-gen single-player open-world space shooter experience that is driven by quality storytelling while being highly accessible at the beginning and yet deep in its gameplay mechanics to appeal to casual as well as hardcore space action aficionados from around the globe with EVERSPACE 2.
When it comes to myths, legends, and different types of magic players are likely familiar with many of the common tropes and those that come from ancient European culture, but they are likely quite unfamiliar with those from America, especially from the American Deep South. Sure, there are occasionally tales of voodoo and whispers of dark magics in the bayou, but these are barely explored in most media, let alone in video games. That is something that makes South of Midnight so special. Compulsion Games has crafted something of a love letter to this untapped lore by providing an emotionally impactful narrative presented with a unique visual style and a glorious soundtrack even if it does have some issues along the way.
Story
With a powerful hurricane ready to rip through her hometown of Prospero, Hazel is quickly gathering up her valuables and waiting for her mother to come home from her work at children’s services. This isn’t their first hurricane so Hazel knows what to do, but when she goes to check on her neighbors only to find that their house is being swept away in the powerful hurricane waves with her mother still inside it is up to the former track star to run with everything she has. Despite this, she loses sight of the house and, upon seeking the help of her incredibly well-off but estranged grandmother, finds that there are secrets literally hidden in the attic. Following the whispers of threads in the air, Hazel discovers a pair of Weaver hooks that immediately acclimate themselves to her, giving her the abilities of a Weaver and the ability to search for her mother deep in the murky waters of the back bayou.
Along the way she sees visions of another Weaver from before who helped escort runaway slaves through back pathways, learning as she goes from the ghostly visions and doing what she can until she stumbles upon the wise, and wisecracking, Catfish dangling from a magical tree. Not only does the massive Catfish (also his name) coach her through solving her first major encounter with a mythical creature and the way she can accumulate the pains that have turned into twisted hauntings over the years into a glass bottle, but even re-weave the wounds that plague the very souls of the swamp and the creatures within it. With her newfound abilities, Catfish as her guide, and her mother her true goal, Hazel sets off as a Weaver learning on the go only to find that the deep south holds many dark secrets and pains within its shadows and some might be far more dangerous, or overblown, than she has heard folktales of.
South of Midnight weaves a tale that is not only steeped in the type of lore that we rarely see explored, but also one that feels both extremely heartfelt at the same time. Throughout Hazel’s journey to find her mother not only does she discover various objects from her home, each showing off a side of her mother’s feelings she knew little about, but learns the dark more about the darkness that has pervaded her town’s history throughout the years, even some that still roam freely to this day. These range from mythical creatures brought about by the pain and suffering of the townsfolk, transforming them into twisted urban myths and beings of legend, to massive beings of folklore from all over the south. Florida’s gator Two-Toed Tom, a Rougarou from Cajun mythology, Huggin’ Molly from Alabama, The Devil’s Crossroads, all these and more are some of the mythical or legendary creatures that most have likely never heard of before but South of Midnight not only puts them right in the forefront but builds their own story along the way, serving as an origin point for the pain and suffering that may have triggered their transformations along The Grand Tapestry of life.
South of Midnight‘s core storyline is a bit straightforward, though it isn’t afraid to throw a few twists the player’s way even if they are more than hinted at a few times. If it wasn’t clear before, it is also worth noting that this is far from a cheerful adventure as this is a dark gothic tale filled with tragic tales. After all, a Weaver’s job is meant to heal and soothe the knots in the tapestry caused by such brutal pain and there has to tragedy at the root of it all. While we won’t spoil what the exact events are here, it must be noted that some can be quite dark and the writing handles them expertly here. There are also plenty of notes and bits of lore scattered throughout the environment as well to help expand the lore, even if they can be a bit too subtle sometimes. It is also worth noting that the story can feel a bit disjointed at times, with Hazel just magically knowing where she needs to go next, though this is mostly thanks to a lot of inter-chapter transitions being done thanks to Catfish ferrying her along.
Gameplay
At its core, South of Midnight is a rather simple but effective action adventure game with players playing through mostly linear levels that mix in some combat sections, platforming, and a few puzzles here and there to change things up. Coming in at a respectably paced eleven to twelve hours depending on how much players want to explore, these levels all feature different themes and obstacles, some that remain exclusive only to that level. This can range from feces-spewing sprinklers to giant man-eating plants alongside the ever-present thorns that sprout from the miasma that rises from the tangles spread throughout the land. As mentioned, players will find themselves clambering around ledges and other platforms to move around obstacles, make use of her double-jump and short glide ability to cross dangerous waters or, later on, even fly, and of course wall-run along tangled threads.
This type of navigation is light, fluid, and quite effective. There are a few hitches here and there when Hazel might slip off a ledge she otherwise should have grabbed but these are few and far between. Puzzles range from simply destroying or moving objects around the environment using Hazel’s abilities or “re-threading” (summoning) an object from the past to temporarily serve as a foothold and while some of these tend to involve general progression, others revolve around tracking down the game’s limited but useful collectables. These collectables include health strands, which when three are gathered increase Hazel’s total health, various pieces of lore left behind as notes, etchings, and more scattered through each stage though these can be quite hard to locate at times, and of course Floofs. Floofs serve as the upgrade material for all of Hazel’s abilities, whether they enhance her standard combo attacks or special cooldown abilities, Floofs are required and while players obtain some by defeating enemy encounters, almost all of the rest are found scattered off the beaten path, meaning players might want to use the “Guiding Thread” that points to where they should go as a way to track down the opposite instead, looking for collectables. It is worth noting that while players will not need to collect every Floof to max out Hazel’s abilities, they will need to gather nearly all of them to do so though this is far from necessary.
In a rather interesting fashion, South of Midnight doesn’t just randomly throw enemies at players, nor does it spring surprise encounters on them. Players will always know when they are about to enter a fight against the “Haints” as each combat area will become enclosed once Hazel approaches it, trapping her inside until she unravels them all and untangles the tangle. The variation of Haint types is slowly introduced, perhaps a bit too slowly at the start, but players will regularly find themselves battling against numerous foes, using Hazel’s speedy dodges to avoid incoming attacks as well as her hooks and abilities to defeat them. Hazel also receives her various abilities at a satisfying place, being able to weave enemies into a tied up and higher-damage receiving knot, pushing or pulling them in a fight, or even siccing Crouton, her beloved childhood toy turned companion that also can be used to explore tight spaces, onto enemies and have them temporarily control them. All of Hazel’s abilities work on a cooldown but have a hefty weight to them alongside her standard combo. There isn’t a whole lot of complexity here, but it does work extremely well and feel great when zipping around and putting down the numerous Haints haunting a location.
The extra challenge here is, not only do most Haints have unblockable attacks that make them invulnerable mid-combo, but every foe has to be properly “untangled” to finish them off or they’ll revive and enter the fight again. Each combat arena will also have a healing tangle that will restore a generous portion of Hazel’s health and unraveling foes will also heal a portion. That being said, most players will find themselves rarely challenged by default difficulty level, especially once Hazel has been upgraded. In many instances, even bumping the difficulty up to Grand Weaver saw things as being a bit on the easier side. For those looking to really test their skills, there is a completely customizable difficulty slider to make things as easy or as hard as players want. This means those who want to put South of Midnight’s combat to the test can crank the difficulty to the highest settings possible while those who want to minimize things can go so far as to skipping combat or even skipping boss encounters if they so wish. This level of accessibility is nice for those who need it, but perhaps takes it a little too far.
Outside of the exploration and combat players will occasionally find themselves on the run as well. Generally most stages follow a specific pattern that, despite being predictable, works quite well, and the larger stages almost always feature Hazel needing to eliminate four sets of enemies to put together a story-themed around one of the mythical creatures mentioned before and having to take part in a chase sequence. Or, in this instance, an escape sequence as Hazel finds herself being chased by an unknown entity nearly every time. Players will need to think on their feet and make use of all of Hazel’s traversal abilities to run through the path provided or risk being caught by the fog or falling to her doom.
Audio & Visuals
Compulsion Games took a bold approach when it came to selecting South of Midnight‘s art style and it has paid off quite well here as the stop-motion animation style combined with the unique stylings of the characters makes for some truly exceptional looking presentations during cutscenes and even standard interactions between characters in the world. The world itself is even designed around having this stop motion style effect, with wildlife often featuring this movement style, especially when players are traveling through burrows as Crouton and seeing things like rabbits playing a card game or a fox being spooked at its bed. It is worth noting that players can disable the stop motion element altogether if they wish, but doing so is something of a disservice to the style. Speaking of style, it must be said again just how outstanding some of the major enemy designs truly are and how outstanding they look. The mythological creatures players will come across are presented remarkably well, especially in many of the grander cases, putting the generic Haint designs to shame.
The game features authentic sounding English voice acting that feels like it fits right in with the type of accents one would expect from the American Deep South and all of the English voice actors do an exceptional job here. This is especially true during the numerous emotional moments that happen throughout the title and revelations as Hazel uncovers the festered wounds plaguing the land. Special mention must go out to the soundtrack as well. While many action adventure games feature standard exploration and combat music, which South of Midnight does, nearly every single level features a unique track of music that begins playing once players have filled Hazel’s bottle and are heading towards, usually, the final objective for a stage. These songs all feature vocal tracks accompanied by bluegrass tunes, jazz, folk songs, choir music, and even the blues sometimes depending on the stage. This makes every major culmination to a story feel special, building players up for the culmination of the chapter in outstanding fashion that really helps put a finishing touch to most chapters.
Overall
South of Midnight is clearly a love-letter to the American deep south and the folklore within it that has often gone untouched in gaming media. Not only does it take numerous myths and legends to work them into Hazel’s adventure but also the land’s history as well as she searches for her mother. The story itself is unfortunately a bit too straightforward for its own good, with the game itself similarly being mostly straightforward unless players go off the beaten-path themselves for collectables. This, along with some relatively basic but smooth flowing combat makes South of Midnight a more than satisfying action adventure title but one that truly shines when it is focused on its setting and themes, letting players experience the lore and world that the developers have worked hard to present as strikingly as possible here.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
PLAION and Atari to release new games for legendary developer’s range of consoles
4th April 2025: PLAION, a leading global publisher and developer of video games, and Atari, one of the world’s most iconic consumer brands and interactive entertainment producers, are proud to announce today that Tiger-Heli — a newly developed version of the arcade classic — will be launching worldwide on 18th July for the first time ever on Atari consoles. Additionally, this exciting new release will be supported with official releases of modern homebrew ports, including Avalanche, Countermeasure II, Dark Chambers, and Super Circus Atari.
Tiger-Heli is a vertically scrolling shoot-’em-up where players control a helicopter through various stages filled with enemies, obstacles, and powerful bosses. The game delivers intense action, tight controls, and the challenge of navigating waves of enemy fire. It was selected for redevelopment thanks primarily to the legacy associated with its name — this was the title that had a huge impact on the shoot-’em-up genre and helped introduce players to ‘bullet hell’ long before ‘bullet time’ became synonymous with action shooters.
Unlike many famous arcade games, Tiger-Heli has yet to appear on any Atari console, a fact that will change come 18th July.
“Over the last couple of years, we’ve really stepped up our investment in retro gaming, focusing primarily on the release of retro consoles such as the Atari 2600+ and 7800+. We now want to release new games for these systems, and Tiger-Heli represents our first foray into internally developed retro software. This new cartridge is for those players who have supported us by buying the new Atari consoles – we want to continue to grow the library for them,” said PLAION’s Commercial Director of Retro, Ben Jones.
Key features of the new Tiger-Heli include:
Developed from the ground up for the first time on Atari consoles
Single-player helicopter combat
Power-ups that increase firepower and grant special abilities
Multiple stages set in diverse environments
Enemies include ground vehicles, aircraft, and turrets
Iconic Pokey-based score
Compatible with the original Atari 7800, as well as the Atari 2600+ and 7800+
In addition to Tiger-Heli, PLAION and Atari will also release the following games on 18th July 2025:
Avalanche – A fast-paced puzzle-action game where players must catch falling avalanche stones to prevent disastrous impacts. For one or two players, this game will be available on the original Atari 2600 & 7800, as well as the 2600+ and 7800+.
Countermeasure II – This single-player experience focuses on using countermeasures to defeat the enemy’s inbound arsenal. High-speed, intense combat will be available on the original Atari 7800, as well as the company’s new ‘plus’ range of consoles.
Dark Chambers – Originally released in 1988 for the Atari 7800, this game was a standout title for the legendary console. The re-release offers gamers the chance to find the hidden treasure of the Dark Wizard of AaZor in this classic dungeon-crawling adventure.
Super Circus Atari – After traversing the dungeons of Dark Chambers or repelling enemy fire in Countermeasure II, gamers might welcome the lighter and fun experience of Super Circus Atari. Players control the infamous see-saw, launching daredevil clowns on a mission to pop as many balloons as possible for that all-important high score. Available on Atari 7800, 7800+, and 2600+.
Tiger-Heli and the additional four games are available for pre-order at major retailers and on Atari.com, priced at $44.95. The release date for all titles will be 18th July 2025.
PLAION is a dynamic and diversified business in the global entertainment sector, masterfully crafting franchises that captivate audiences worldwide. Founded nearly three decades ago, PLAION has firmly established itself within the entertainment arena. With a diverse range of services and solutions, PLAION stands as the premier publishing partner for console and PC games across both physical and digital channels. Moreover, its strong foothold in the Virtual Reality (VR) domain highlights the company’s commitment to varied gaming experiences.
PLAION is an Embracer Group company.
About Atari
Atari is an interactive entertainment company and an iconic gaming industry brand that transcends generations and audiences. The company is globally recognized for its multi-platform interactive entertainment and licensed products. Atari owns and/or manages a portfolio of more than 200 unique games and franchises, including world-renowned brands like Asteroids®, Centipede®, Missile Command®, Pong®, and RollerCoaster Tycoon®.
Atari has offices in New York and Paris. Visit us online at www.Atari.com.
MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT!CRUNCHYROLL REVEALS NOMINEES AND STAR-STUDDED CELEBRITY PRESENTER LINEUP FOR THE 2025 CRUNCHYROLL ANIME AWARDS
Anime of the Year Nominees Include DAN DA DAN, Delicious in Dungeon, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Kaiju No. 8, Solo Leveling, and The Apothecary Diaries;Anime Award Winners to be Presented by Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard and Gaten Matarazzo as well as Damiano David, Chloe Kim and More on Sunday, May 25 Live from Tokyo, Japan
Sydney, Australia (April 4, 2025) – Crunchyroll, the ultimate brand fueling anime fandom worldwide, has revealed the nominees for the ninth annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards—the largest global celebration of excellence in Japanese animation. Fans around the world can visit the Crunchyroll Anime Awards Official Website to vote each day through April 15 for the series, creators, and performances they love. Global fan voting helps to determine the winners among the list of nominees included below. Voting is easy and more accessible than ever before.
Crunchyroll has also revealed a star-studded first wave of passionate anime-fan presenters for the Anime Awards pre-show and live ceremony. With more to be announced soon, the current list set to present winners on Sunday, May 25 includes:
Finn Wolfhard—Canadian director, musician, and actor from Stranger Things
Gaten Matarazzo—American actor best known from Stranger Things
Chocolate Planet—Comedy duo made up of Shohei Osada and Shun Matsuo
DEAN FUJIOKA—Japanese actor, musician and talent
Kanata Hongo—Japanese actor known for live-action adaptations of anime
Mayu Matsuoka—Japan Academy Award winning actress
Saya Ichikawa—Japanese model and talent
Pabllo Vittar—Award winning Brazilian pop icon (previously announced)
Ben Whittaker—English professional boxer
Damiano David—Italian singer-songwriter
Ironmouse—Demon Queen VTuber
d4vd—American recording artist
Rina Sawayama—Musician and actor
Chloe Kim—American snowboarder
Plastique Tiara—Top global drag star
Paloma Mami—American-Chilean singer
Gigguk—Pioneering YouTube content creator
Additionally, President and CEO of Sony Group Corporation, Hiroki Totoki, will deliver opening remarks at the Anime Awards live ceremony, which will be hosted by voice actress Sally Amaki and popular entertainer Jon Kabira.
“The Crunchyroll Anime Awards are one of the most important times of year for fans because we hear directly from them on what anime they love and get to honour the creative community behind that love,” said Rahul Purini, President of Crunchyroll. “Anime continues to deeply resonate emotionally with fans, and anime’s biggest night of the year is sure to invoke a lot of joy and pride amongst the anime community—fans and creators alike. This year’s nominees represent more than 50 series and films developed by more than 35 talented studios.”
In celebration of the 2025 Anime Awards, Crunchyroll is helping all anime fans catch up and fall deeper in love with the nominees. A selection of nominated titles streaming on Crunchyroll are now available to watch for free! Additionally, the Crunchyroll Store has considerable discounts on manga, collectibles, and more tied to the honourees.
Fans are encouraged to vote each day with a 1-click resubmit feature through April 15 at 4:59 PM AEST on the Anime Awards Official Website and launch their favorite anime into the spot. Additionally, for the first time ever, voting is accessible within the Crunchyroll mobile application. The results will be announced at the 2025 Anime Awards live ceremony on Sunday, May 25 and through a global fan livestream.
2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards Nominees
Anime of the Year
DAN DA DAN
Delicious in Dungeon
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Kaiju No. 8
Solo Leveling
The Apothecary Diaries
Film of the Year
HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle
Look Back
Mononoke The Movie: The Phantom in the Rain
My Hero Academia: You’re Next
SPY x FAMILY CODE: White
The Colors Within
Best Original Anime
BUCCHIGIRI?!
GIRLS BAND CRY
Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night
Metallic Rouge
Ninja Kamui
Train to the End of the World
Best Continuing Series
BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc
My Hero Academia, My Hero Academia Season 7
ONE PIECE
【OSHI NO KO】【OSHI NO KO】Season 2
SPY × FAMILY, SPY × FAMILY Season 2
Best New Series
DAN DA DAN
Delicious in Dungeon
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Kaiju No. 8
Solo Leveling
The Apothecary Diaries
Best Opening Sequence
Abyss – Yungblud – Kaiju No. 8
Bling-Bang-Bang-Born – Creepy Nuts – MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc
Fatal – GEMN – 【OSHI NO KO】Season 2
LEveL – SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]: TOMORROW X TOGETHER – Solo Leveling
Otonoke – Creepy Nuts – DAN DA DAN
UUUUUS! – Hiroshi Kitadani – ONE PIECE
Best Ending Sequence
Antanante – riria. – Ranma1/2
Burning – Hitsujibungaku – 【OSHI NO KO】Season 2
KAMAKURA STYLE – BotchiBoromaru – The Elusive Samurai
Nobody – OneRepublic – Kaiju No. 8
request – krage – Solo Leveling
TAIDADA – ZUTOMAYO – DAN DA DAN
Best Action
BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict
DAN DA DAN
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc
Kaiju No. 8
Solo Leveling
WIND BREAKER
Best Comedy
Delicious in Dungeon
KONOSUBA -God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! 3
MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc
My Deer Friend Nokotan
Ranma1/2
SPY × FAMILY Season 2
Best Drama
A Sign of Affection
DEAD DEAD DEMONS DEDEDEDE DESTRUCTION
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
【OSHI NO KO】Season 2
Pluto
The Apothecary Diaries
Best Isekai Anime
KONOSUBA -God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! 3
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Kaiju No. 8
Solo Leveling
Best Background Art
DAN DA DAN
Delicious in Dungeon
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Pluto
The Apothecary Diaries
Best Character Design
DAN DA DAN
Delicious in Dungeon
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Kaiju No. 8
The Apothecary Diaries
Best Director
Fuga Yamashiro – DAN DA DAN
Haruo Sotozaki – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc
Keiichiro Saito – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Megumi Ishitani – ONE PIECE FAN LETTER
Norihiro Naganuma – The Apothecary Diaries
Yoshihiro Miyajima – Delicious in Dungeon
Best Main Character
Frieren – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Kafka Hibino – Kaiju No. 8
Okarun – DAN DA DAN
Maomao – The Apothecary Diaries
Momo – DAN DA DAN
Sung Jinwoo – Solo Leveling
Best Supporting Character
Fern – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Himmel – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Jinshi – The Apothecary Diaries
Seiko – DAN DA DAN
Senshi – Delicious in Dungeon
Turbo Granny – DAN DA DAN
“Must Protect At All Cost” Character
Anya Forger – SPY × FAMILY Season 2
Frieren – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Okarun- DAN DA DAN
Senshi – Delicious in Dungeon
Tokiyuki Hojo – The Elusive Samurai
Yuki Itose – A Sign of Affection
Best Anime Song
Abyss – Yungblud – Kaiju No. 8
Bling-Bang-Bang-Born – Creepy Nuts – MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc
Fatal – GEMN -【OSHI NO KO】Season 2
LEveL – SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]: TOMORROW X TOGETHER – Solo Leveling
Otonoke – Creepy Nuts – DAN DA DAN
The Brave – YOASOBI – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Best Score
BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict- Shiro Sagisu
DAN DA DAN – kensuke ushio
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc – Yuki Kajiura, Go Shiina
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End – Evan Call
Look Back – Haruka Nakamura
Solo Leveling – Hiroyuki Sawano
Best Japanese Voice Artist Performance
Aoi Yuki (Maomao) – The Apothecary Diaries
Atsumi Tanezaki (Frieren) – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Kenichi Suzumura (Bravern) – Brave Bang Bravern!
Shion Wakayama (Momo) – DAN DA DAN
Sayaka Sembongi (Marcille) – Delicious in Dungeon
Natsuki Hanae (Okarun) – DAN DA DAN
Best English Voice Artist Performance
AJ Beckles (Okarun) – DAN DA DAN
Aleks Le (Sung Jinwoo) – Solo Leveling
Jessie James Grelle (Armin Arlelt) – Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 2
Mallorie Rodak (Frieren) – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Sarah Natochenny (Alya) – Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian
SungWon Cho (Senshi) – Delicious in Dungeon
Best Arabic Voice Artist Performance
Basil Al-Rifai (Loid Forger) – SPY × FAMILY Season 2
Hiba Snobar (Anya Forger) – SPY × FAMILY Season 2
Julien Chaaya (Isagi) – BLUE LOCK 2nd Season
Lama AlSayyagh (Marcille) – Delicious in Dungeon
Mohammed Sami (Rin) – BLUE LOCK 2nd Season
Nawar AlMahairi (Laios) – Delicious in Dungeon
Best Brazilian Portuguese Voice Artist Performance
Bruna Laynes (Marcille) – Delicious in Dungeon
Celso Henrique (Sunraku) – Shangri-La Frontier Season 1
Charles Emmanuel (Sung Jinwoo) – Solo Leveling
Gigi Patta (Maomao) – The Apothecary Diaries
Heitor Assali (Reno Ichikawa) – Kaiju No. 8
Pedro Azevedo (Dot Barrett) – MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc
Best Castilian Spanish Voice Artist Performance
Ainhoa Maiquez (Miyo Saimori) – My Happy Marriage
Clara Schwarze (Akane Tendo) – Ranma1/2
Jorge Peña (Senshi) – Delicious in Dungeon
Mario Ballart (Kafka Hibino) – Kaiju No. 8
Masumi Mutsuda (Sung Jinwoo) – Solo Leveling
Sandra Villa (Frieren) – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Best French Voice Artist Performance
Adrien Antoine (Kafka Hibino) – Kaiju No. 8
Audrey Sablé (Naomi Orthmann) – Metallic Rouge
Jaynelia Coadou (Momo) – DAN DA DAN
Julien Allouf (Jinshi) – The Apothecary Diaries
Marie Nonnenmacher (Frieren) – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Martin Faliu (Ranma Saotome) – Ranma1/2
Best German Voice Artist Performance
Daniel Schlauch (Monkey D. Luffy) – ONE PIECE
Felix Kamin (Kafka Hibino) – Kaiju No. 8
Florian Knorn (Ranma Saotome) – Ranma1/2
Franciska Friede (Momo) – DAN DA DAN
Jörg Hengstler (Kogoro Mori) – Detective Conan: Black Iron Submarine
Magdalena Höfner (Marcille) – Delicious in Dungeon
Best Hindi Voice Artist Performance
Abhishek Sharma (Einar) – VINLAND SAGA SEASON 2
Lohit Sharma (Satoru Gojo) – JUJUTSU KAISEN Season 2
Natasha John (Frieren) – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Rajesh Shukla (Sung Jinwoo) – Solo Leveling
Ranjit R Tiwari (Yoichi Isagi) – BLUE LOCK 2nd Season
Rushikesh Phunse (Kafka Hibino) – Kaiju No. 8
Best Italian Voice Artist Performance
Alessandro Pili (Kenma Kozume) – HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle
Andrea Oldani (Jinshi) – The Apothecary Diaries
Ilaria Pellicone (Kyomoto) – Look Back
Katia Sorrentino (Neia Baraja) – OVERLORD: The Sacred Kingdom
Martina Felli (Frieren) – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Mattia Bressan (Kafka Hibino) – Kaiju No. 8
Best Latin Spanish Voice Artist Performance
Alicia Vélez (Momo) – DAN DA DAN
Desireé González (Maomao) – The Apothecary Diaries
Erika Ugalde (Frieren) – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Luis Leonardo Suárez (Muzan Kibutsuji) – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc
Miguel Ángel Leal (Eren Jaeger) – Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 2
Omar Sánchez (Kafka Hibino) – Kaiju No. 8
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards is the leading yearly awards program honouring the creators, musicians, and performances powering the global love of anime. The ninth annual Anime Awards will take place at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa in Tokyo on May 25, 2025. Sony Music Solutions Inc., part of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and Dempsey Productions will support Crunchyroll in the execution of the event. The event will be livestreamed for global audiences.
Crunchyroll is the global anime brand that fuels fans’ love of anime. With the ambition to make anime an even bigger part of pop culture, Crunchyroll offers fans the ultimate anime experience and destination centred around a premium streaming service. Crunchyroll has the largest dedicated anime library, an immersive world of events, exciting theatrical releases, unique games, must-have merchandise, timely news, and more. Anime is for everyone and is accessible to stream across territories through Crunchyroll—whether on the go on mobile, through gaming consoles and big-screen devices at home, or on desktops anywhere.
Crunchyroll, LLC is an independently operated joint venture between U.S.-based Sony Pictures Entertainment and Japan’s Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., both subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Sony Group.
Players can pre-order the latest installment of the Sid Meier’s Civilization® franchise today
Today, 2K and Firaxis Games announcedSid Meier’s Civilization® VII – VR is available for pre-order now and launching worldwide exclusively on Quest 3 and 3S on April 10. A true Civ experience developed by PlaySide Studios in partnership with Firaxis Games, Sid Meier’s Civilization VII – VR features the same strategic depth players expect from the franchise, now with unique features and gameplay mechanics designed for virtual reality and mixed reality. Explore a new way to experience the legendary strategy franchise as players immerse themselves and build an empire to stand the test of time.
Players can experience a variety of features and modes within Sid Meier’s Civilization VII – VR, including:
A True Civilization Experience in VR/MR. Enjoy Civilization from a unique new perspective, whether peering down from high above the map or leaning all the way in to appreciate the finer details of every building and unit.
Meet Visionary Leaders Face-to-Face. Iconic world leaders surround the War Table, reacting to forged alliances or declarations of war. Negotiate your empire’s best interests one-on-one with other leaders in the new Diplomacy Chamber.
Your Empire Enters Reality. Reach out and take control with the new interface designed for Meta Quest 3 and 3S, letting players change viewpoints at will and bring the War Table into their surroundings with dynamic mixed reality.
Conquer or Cooperate. Play solo or compete in online multiplayer matches with up to three other Meta Quest 3 and 3S players.*
Relive Your Empire’s Glory: Revisit your history and achievements in the Archives, a virtual space where the heights of your empire are captured as dioramas you can see anytime you like in VR.
Playable across Quest 3 and Quest 3S, Sid Meier’s Civilization VII – VR, will be available on the Meta Horizon Store for AUD$89.95.
For more information on the included modes, features, supported languages, and more, visit the Meta Horizon Store.
Sid Meier’s Civilization VII is rated PG. Firaxis Games is a 2K studio. 2K is a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).
*Online multiplayer requires an Internet connection, a 2K Account (minimum age varies), and a Meta Account.
