Based on the beloved Magical series of board games about magic-wielding apprentice bakers, including “Magical Bakery,” “Magical Patisserie,” and “Magical Kingdom,” Magical Princess marks the first digital entry in the franchise.
The Panetteria kingdom offers a new start at life for Alice, her cat Ebon, and her dad, but work hours are demanding. Step up as a doting father doing his best to raise his daughter between shifts, and seek work-life balance while nurturing Alice with love and care from early childhood until she graduates from the Royal Magic Academy. As mysterious events unfold, uncover a secret tie between Alice’s hidden fate and the kingdom’s future.
Alice’s path forward depends on how her father fosters her. Cultivate good study habits to mold Alice into a model student, or allow repeated bad behavior to see her grow into a juvenile delinquent. Schedule Alice’s daily activities to build up her Stamina, Intelligence, Charm, and Sense, and watch her future shift day by day. Dress Alice up in prim and proper attire befitting a young lady, or something that better suits a mischievous child.
Nighttime presents “extracurricular” temptations, including a part-time job kneading mysterious bread, a “dangerous” clothing store, and other unsavory experiences. Without proper guidance, Alice may come to prefer nights out partying to studying for the Academy.
Who will Alice befriend? What skills will she learn? Build relationships with more than 30 characters, including Alice’s friends and teachers at the academy, each with distinct personalities. One may even be her soulmate! Weave together an enthralling narrative across hundreds of thousands of words of storytelling, 700 pages of comic-style scenes, 100 illustrations, over 170 date events, and more than 50 possible endings.
“Magical Bakery” was the first game in the Magical Series of board games, first released in 2018, followed by “Magical Patisserie,” “Magical Kingdom,” and more, for a total of 11 games (including expansion packs). The games tell the story of an apprentice at a magical bakery that reaches the top of the kingdom. Magical Princess is the series’ first digital game and aims to spread the enjoyment of the Magical Series to players around the world.
About MAGI Inc.
MAGI Inc. is a board game creator that was established in 2015 and has created over 10 board games, including Magical Series board games “Magical Bakery,” “Magical Patisserie,” and “Magical Kingdom.”
Neotro Inc. is a development company established in 2016, known for NeverAwake and arcade SHMUP game VRITRA HEXA, as well as their experience with various other genres such as shooting, action, and puzzle games.
TOKYO — 14 April, 2025 —Marisa of Liartop Mountain, the Touhou digital tabletop adventure RPG inspired by classic gamebooks developed by Unknown X, writes a new story on PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch Thursday, September 18th, 2025.
Across a page-turning journey reminiscent of classic gamebooks, navigate Shrine Maiden Reimu’s search for Marisa’s whereabouts across the Japan-inspired land of Gensokyo. Decide destiny with every dice roll in Marisa of Liartop Mountain’s branching narrative.
Take heed of input provided from four additional Touhou heroines from the Scarlet Devil Mansion series — Remilia, Flandre, Sakuya, and Patchouli — who voice their opinions on Reimu’s every action through five adventurous chapters. Will Reimu follow their advice, or trust her gut on which path to take?
Explore wondrous locales including eccentric libraries, barren deserts, peculiar circuses, and much more. Which direction will Reimu go? Many forks await on the surreal road ahead. Encounter enemies along the way, and decide between fight or flight as each decision leads down different paths, growing the story arc in a new direction and leading to multiple endings.
Unknown X is the creator solely devoted to the iconic “Touhou Project” and the creation of enchanting stories that capture the vibrant essence of the Touhou universe in a variety of video game genres.
About Alliance Arts Inc.
Alliance Arts is an indie game publisher dedicated to creating a platform where independent creators can collaborate and bring exciting games to the world.
Space Engineers 2 Receives Various Gameplay and Interface Improvements with Vertical Slice 1.2
Prague, April 14th, 2025 —Keen Software House has released Vertical Slice 1.2 for Space Engineers 2 on Steam Early Access. The update adds target-based ship controls, undo/redo for the paint gun, better visuals for copy/paste, and an improved jetpack boost. Besides, it features a new off-center third-person camera for clearer views in both character and ship modes, along with other fixes and improvements.
Vertical Slice 1.2 introduces major improvements to piloting, building, and movement in Space Engineers 2, making gameplay more responsive, intuitive, and immersive. A new off-center third-person camera gives players clearer visibility while on foot or piloting ships. The camera can be cycled between right, center, and left using ALT + V, and a reduced minimum distance improves control in tight spaces.
Target-based grid control replaces the old torque-based system, letting ships rotate smoothly toward a target point using mouse input. On-screen indicators show orientation and heading, making precision flight easier, regardless of ship size or mass. The paint gun now supports undo and redo, allowing players to quickly revert or reapply recent color changes — a very handy feature for builders and designers.
Partial copy/paste visuals have been improved, making it easier to see which blocks are selected and how they’ll be placed, especially in complex builds and tighter edits. Jetpack 2.0 adds a short boost charge-up, a new charging indicator, and immersive effects like camera shake and updated sounds. Movement now feels more powerful and responsive.
Additionally, Vertical Slice 1.2 includes a variety of fixes and refinements across the game. The full list of changes can be found in the official changelog.
About the game:
Space Engineers 2 is an open-world sandbox game where engineering meets exploration, and survival in the vast expanse of space. Become a pioneer in the distant Almagest system, an uncharted world full of endless possibilities for creativity and discovery. Build everything from starships to space stations as you carve your own path in this highly anticipated next chapter of the Space Engineers series!
Roadmap:
Space Engineers 2 is rapidly expanding with newly introduced weekly updates. Each update brings fresh blocks, expanding engineers’ possibilities. Down the line, players can look forward to advanced modding tools via the VRAGE HUB, along with explorable planets, survival mode, volumetric water, multiplayer, NPCs, and a story campaign.
Space Engineers 2 is available on Steam Early Access, alongside the Pioneer Edition, which includes the game’s soundtrack, exclusive wallpapers and behind-the-scenes materials.
About Keen Software House:
Started by Marek Rosa in 2010, Keen Software House is an independent game development studio based in Prague, known for its best-selling Space Engineers, which has sold over 5 million copies. With the fourth-largest Workshop on Steam, it offers over 500K mods, ships, stations, worlds, and more. The studio recently launched Space Engineers 2 in Early Access, aiming to build on its legacy with even greater creative possibilities. Keen Software House strives to deliver immersive worlds that celebrate science and encourage creativity, all powered by the proprietary VRAGE3 engine. Featuring advanced voxel and volumetric technologies, VRAGE3 enables unparalleled physics-based interactions, expansive sandbox environments, and dynamic gameplay. For more information, visit www.keenswh.com.
LOS ANGELES – APRIL 14, 2025 – Netmarble, a leading developer and publisher of high-quality mobile games, today announced that it has successfully concluded the 2025 Solo Leveling:ARISE CHAMPIONSHIP (SLC 2025), the first official global competition for Solo Leveling: ARISE.
SLC 2025 was held on April 12th at IVEX Studio in Korea, where the finalists battled it out in the popular mode “Battlefield of Time” for the coveted title of “First Global Champion.” Fans were bursting with excitement over the tournament as tickets for the offline event sold out in under a minute and the live broadcast drew thousands of viewers worldwide.
A total of 16 finalists – eight from the International League and eight from the Asia League – flew in from around the world, including players from Asia, Europe, North America, and South America, to compete in the final rounds held in Korea. After several intense bouts, the four top contenders advanced to the final match and OhReung emerged as the ultimate champion, clearing four battlefields in just 2 minutes and 57 seconds.
“I’m deeply honored to share this shining moment of becoming a world champion with everyone. As a gesture of support, I will be donating half of my prize money to aid those affected by the recent wildfires in Korea,” said OhReung, expressing excitement at claiming the global title.
As the grand champion of the SLC 2025, OhReung received a KRW 10 million cash prize and an LG gram Pro 360 Laptop. The runner-up and third-place finalists were awarded KRW 7 million and KRW 3 million respectively, along with an LG UltraGearTM Gaming Monitor.
Beyond the fierce competition itself, the event featured a variety of fan-focused activities including live giveaways and exclusive game redemption codes shared during the livestream. For a full recap of the grand finals, please visit the official Solo Leveling: ARISE forum.
Solo Leveling: ARISE is an action game adaptation of the hit webtoon, Solo Leveling. Taking on the role of Jinwoo, players can experience his journey through the beloved webtoon tale firsthand, leveling up, taking on dynamic battles, and creating their own combat styles by selecting various combinations of skills and weapons. Not only can players team up with hunters from the webtoon, they can summon their own “Army of Shadows” with the iconic phrase: “Arise.”
Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble Corporation is a leading developer and publisher of top-grossing mobile games worldwide. Through powerful franchises and collaborations with acclaimed IP holders, Netmarble strives to elevate the gaming experience and entertain audiences globally. As a parent company of Kabam and SpinX Games, and a major shareholder of Jam City and HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment), Netmarble’s diverse portfolio includes Solo Leveling: ARISE, Seven Knights Idle Adventure, Tower of God: New World, Lineage 2: Revolution, MARVEL Future Fight, Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds and The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross. More information can be found at http://company.netmarble.com.
Developers from Frozen Way and GameFormatic are proud to announce a significant visual update for Campus Life. The update features a refreshed character design with a more realistic art style than previously showcased.
April 14th, Krakow, Poland.
This updated look — accompanied by a wave of new content and gameplay improvements — will be available to the public for the first time during Digital Dragons 2025, held May 18–20 in Krakow. Following the event, Campus Life will launch its first public playtests on Steam in late May or early June, allowing a broader audience to experience the vibrant world of college life firsthand.
To build anticipation, the team has released a short teaser that you can watch above, highlighting the new direction of the game. The video offers a glimpse into the more realistic visuals, the atmosphere of campus life, and what players can expect from the upcoming playtests. All announcements and further details will be shared on the official Frozen Way Discord server.
About Campus Life
Campus Life is a newlife simulator game with an isometric perspective, set in a world inspired by American college life in the early 2000s. In this game, players create their own college freshman whose future will depend solely on them. Whether it is becoming a popular idol, a rising star in academics, or an unmatched athlete, the possibilities depend solely on the player’s imagination. Over the course of four years of education, players will have a lot of time to choose the right path for their in-game character, as well as explore a variety of possible activities, stories, and relationships.
Gameplay in Campus Life focuses primarily on managing the character’s time effectively. As a student, the character has various responsibilities such as attending lectures, raising funds for tuition fees, studying for exams, and earning scholarships. However, there are also numerous tempting options available for spending your free time on campus. Hanging out and partying with friends, team sports, earning some pocket money with part-time jobs, or perhaps calming walks and peaceful evenings spent reading books or at an easel? It is up to the player to find a balance between responsibilities and enjoyment.
Character creator and the most important indicators
Players will start the playthrough by creating their own student character. The developers have created an extensive character creator that provides a wide range of personalization options. Players can adjust not only the appearance and style of their character but also their starting abilities and background.
Players get to choose the Goals that will guide their character through four years of education. These are related to various aspects of student life – from achieving outstanding accomplishments in academics, sports, or arts, to making new acquaintances and attending parties, and even leaving a unique mark in the university’s history in other ways. Essentially, Goals can be divided into two categories: those related to the character’s personality and those related to the activities they undertake.
As the player strives to achieve their Goals, their character gains new Traits. These are associated with passive positive effects that can influence various aspects of student life such as exam results, item prices in stores, or the acquisition of resources like Reputation or Energy. The different activities available on campus can also alter the level of permanent Statistics including Mind, Body, and Creativity. On the other hand, the character created by the player is human and has human limitations, so each activity they engage in directly affects their Energy and Joy levels.
The activities the character devotes their time to on-campus influence their relevant Skill levels, which come in handy when participating in campus life – from giving the performance of your life on stage to winning a sports tournament. During the game, the player will have many opportunities to test their character’s Skills in various events such as chess tournaments, baseball matches, or theater performances.
High replay value
The game developers wanted to ensure that Campus Life had a high replay value. As a result, they designed the game to offer a different experience with each playthrough. They achieved this by creating various combinations of Goals, Traits, Statistics, Skills, and Items for the characters, multiple optional side quests, and a complex relationship system with specific students.
Campus Life comes with an exciting set of features:
Complete control over the student path – it’s entirely up to you how to spend four years on campus. Attend classes, participate in Fraternity and Clubs activities, complete main and side tasks, and more. The options are numerous!
Create your own story – see how your decisions and undertaken activities impact the plot and the shape of the entire gameplay.
Advanced character creator – use the numerous possibilities available in the character creator to design a unique student character. Set their appearance, Traits, Statistics, initial Goals, and much more!
A rich system of interpersonal relationships – establish and deepen relationships with unique non-playable characters.
High replay value – the game offers a different experience with each playthrough.
Experience the vibrant campus life – engage in activities related to student life. Discover the holy grail of work-life balance, dividing time between learning and pleasure.
About Frozen Way
Frozen Way is a game development studio and publisher based in Cracow, Poland. You may know them from co-creating House Flipper along with its Pets DLC, Farm DLC, Dine Out DLC, and House Flipper Party Furniture Pack, as well as developing and releasing House Flipper VR. They have also co-released Builder Simulator and Chornobyl Liquidators. Currently, the team is working on Honeycomb: The World Beyond.
Frozen Way is a group of passionate and friendly developers who see game development as both a lifestyle and philosophy. There’s nothing more rewarding for them than seeing their creations bring joy to the community. After all, we’re all nerds at heart, aren’t we? https://frozenwaygames.com/
About GameFormatic
They are a Polish game developer and publisher. With passion, they create innovative and engaging experiences for their gaming community. As a company, they thrive on the dynamic intersection of commitment, expertise, and the relentless pursuit of excellence, making them a driving force in the ever-evolving landscape of interactive entertainment. https://gameformatic.com/
The full launch of Acid Man Games and Fire Plant Games’ sci-fi FPS is available to purchase today
Prague, Czech Republic – April 14, 2025 – The bloodbath is finally complete! Fulqrum Publishing and developers Acid Man Games and Fire Plant Games are thrilled to bring you the news that their sci-fi first-person shooter Viscerafest is leaving Early Access, and its 1.0 launch is available to purchase today via Steam, The Epic Games Store and GOG.
Viscerafest’s 1.0 launch brings a whole host of new content and improvements to the game. For starters, the existing first two chapters have been upgraded – with improvements ranging from better texture work to new secrets and scripted sequences, revised dialogue and extra one-liners, and much, much more. And that’s not to mention all-new features, such as a new shop in the game’s hub, allowing players to turn in the collectable Skullies in exchange for cheats and gameplay modifiers that can be used when replaying maps for a different gameplay experience.
Viscerafest is a sci-fi fantasy single-player arena FPS where you take the role of Caroline, a bloodthirsty, psychopathic mercenary who wants nothing more than to marry her wonderful boyfriend, Athens Fetter. The problem is money’s tight, and rings aren’t exactly cheap. But thankfully, there may yet be hope for her, as a warlock named Cromune has acquired a rather hefty bounty on his head.
Bringing his corpse in to the respective authorities won’t be an easy task however, as Cromune has a small army defending him. Forces from the U.S.C. (United Scientific Conglomerate) led by Dr Mortice stand shoulder to shoulder with the religious zealot. But what’s a few hundred soldiers to death incarnate? Nothing but a slaughter… Nay… A Viscerafest!
About Viscerafest
Navigate hand-crafted levels stuffed to the brim with secrets, using key cards, completing puzzles, and accomplishing a variety of objectives to progress. All this is set in a vast array of locations, from a space station looming high above the Earth to realms shifting beyond our reality.
Wield 9 unique and powerful weapons, from staples of the genre like the “Bunker Buster,” a double-barreled shotgun that fires explosive rounds, to the more unique and offbeat guns, such as the Plague Rifle.
Slaughter over 27 different Enemy Types and up to 7 Bosses, from the minor grunts who make up the U.S.C’s forces to monsters beyond your ability to comprehend, such as the horrifying Maledict. New enemy types are introduced in almost every level, each compounding the challenges you’ll face with a wide variety of attacks and behaviors.
Juggle your resources as you fight to stay alive, constantly balancing your use of ammo, health, and armor.
Move at the speed of light, chaining Bunny Hopping and Dashing together to move at speeds no man would dream of, and with your overbearing Air Control, dance around projectiles like no other.
Collect tons of goodies to unlock Gameplay Modifiers and Cheats to spice up your playthroughs, with such staples as “Viscerahot,” where time slows as you Bunny Hop, or “Oops All Cultists,” where your dreams of being torn apart by the hitscanning occult can be made a reality.
Viscerafest is available to purchase today via Steam, The Epic Games Store and GOG for $19.99/€19.99/£16.99, and is on sale at a 20% discount in celebration of its launch week
About Fulqrum Publishing
Fulqrum Publishing is a global games publisher with a diverse portfolio of titles, including in-house and independent productions. Fulqrum Publishing released over a hundred games, including the critically acclaimed titles like Men of War, King’s Bounty, Space Rangers, Fell Seal, Forgive me Father and many others.
About Acid Man Games
Acid Man Games is an American Independent game developer based in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, acting as the lead dev on the singleplayer arena shooter Viscerafest.
About Fire Plant Games
Based in Canada, Fire Plant Games established itself in 2017. While most known for its work on Viscerafest as the programming lead, Fire Plant Games previously existed primarily as a freelance studio helping other game developers achieve various tasks for their own projects.
Guide a new age of magic, whatever the cost, as a master arcanist and leader of a burgeoning wizard academy
Golyron, The Planar Danse (April 14, 2025) – Cooperative creative studio The Planar Danse is delighted to announce the launch ofThe Fool’s Apprentice, available on Windows PC via Steam. In this spellbinding school management sim, you’ll nurture would-be wizards and develop the school into a prestigious institute of arcane sciences! Academies that sacrifice their students can still be prestigious, right?
Watch The Fool’s Apprentice launch trailer:
As a master arcanist, key choices about the setup of your school are all under your wizened purview, even including what your school looks like. Research long-forgotten powers, set a curriculum for apprentices of arcanoscience to follow and cast a few spells on them along the way (including levitation, mind control, polymorph, and disintegration) all in the name of furthering their studies.
As your academy’s reputation grows, so too will your prestige, your power, and the potential weight of your decisions. Opt to bring magic to the people of Golyron and win their love and affection, or keep it all for yourself and risk the population running riot. Don’t worry about them getting too boisterous, however, as you can perform a few abductions and run increasingly risky experiments on these unruly citizens. Again, this is just about developing the sciences!
Among the discoveries and dilemmas, you could find yourself involved in Golyron’s diplomacy, encouraged to placate incompetent noblepeople, manage resources, and side with different factions. Decisions you make about your school will lead to real reactions – being imprisoned for arcane malpractice is the least of your worries!
Key Features of The Fool’s Apprentice:
Spell-Slinging Studies: Educate hapless apprentices by directing their studies, managing their magical skills, and using them, in turn, to research new arcane sciences!
Designs and Dilemmas: Make your academy truly yours through cosmetic and eldritch decorations, workstation upgrades, and by solving narrative Dilemmas. Each will react to your choices and shape the future of magic!
Can You Meet Golryon’s Demands? Your background does not make you immune from the demands of the city’s ruling class or its spell-less paupers, you’ll need to fend off (or fulfill) requests for resources, such as choosing guilds to side with, being forced to take in a nobleman’s inept child, or managing for which side in a war to craft magical weapons!
Magic for All! (Or Just a Privileged Few): Captivate the citizens of Golryon by bringing the arcane sciences to the people. Or, run the risk of riot by keeping it all to yourself.
The Fool’s Apprentice is now available on Windows PC via Steam for $16.99 USD, £13.99 GBP, and €15,99 Euros. A launch discount of 10% is available for one week.
About The Planar Danse
The Planar Danse is a cooperative creative studio built on the premise of developing expansive worlds, providing value to players, and creating job security for developers instead of bottom line profit.
The Planar Danse is the developers’ fantasy universe of the same name and comprises both games and novels, with more than 1.5 million words written within them so far. In addition to the wizard school management sim The Fool’s Apprentice, three previously released games and novels are available, all connected to the setting, with more planned for the future!
Journey deeper into the sketchy madness of this terrifying cartoon nightmare with the retail edition from Silver Lining Interactive
Macclesfield, UK – 14th April, 2025 – Silver Lining Interactive, along with Joey Drew Studios, are looking to make this official Bendy Day one to remember with the announcement of Bendy and the Ink Machine’s upcoming digital release onto Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5! Coming at the end of Q2 2025, players will be able to descend into the inky abyss on both digital platforms with the added option of a physical format for PlayStation 5 players (if you dare to let it into your collection!)
The boxed edition of Bendy and the Ink Machine brings the spine-chilling, retro-cartoon horror experience off the screen and into your hands, perfect for fans of fright, collectors of chaos, and those brave enough to face the Ink Demon in person.
Set within an abandoned 1930s animation studio, Bendy and the Ink Machine draws players into a disturbing tale of forgotten characters, haunted reels, and living ink. It’s a first-person puzzle-action-horror adventure soaked in atmosphere, built to unnerve with every step… and now it’s coming to your favorite console in glorious physical form.
The retail edition includes a download code for the game’s haunting original soundtrack, letting players immerse themselves even further in the eerie ambiance of Joey Drew Studios, where every note hides a dark secret.
Whether you’re a seasoned horror veteran or just starting to unravel the mysteries behind the ink, the physical edition is your key to the workshop’s darkest corners.
Pre-orders are live now, exclusively atSilver Lining Direct, so don’t miss your chance to own a piece of the horror.
Welcome Back to the Workshop
Once the lead animator during Joey Drew Studios’ golden age, Henry thought his days drawing cartoons were long behind him. But decades later, a cryptic invitation pulls him back to the dilapidated studio… and into a twisted world of living ink, broken memories, and something that should’ve stayed forgotten.
Step into Henry’s shoes as he explores the ruined halls of a once-beloved animation empire now overrun with nightmares. Every corner hides a secret. Every hallway echoes with something unnatural. And Bendy… well, Bendy’s waiting.
Key Features
A Haunted Cartoon Hellscape – Ink drips from the ceilings. Walls groan with memories. This isn’t the studio you remember. Discover a richly drawn world oozing with dread and discover the disturbing secrets behind its smiling mascot.
Puzzle, Action… Terror – Balance exploration, clever puzzle-solving, and terrifying chase sequences in a game that constantly shifts under your feet. You’ll need your wits and your courage to survive.
A Soundtrack from the Shadows – This physical release includes a code to download the game’s chilling score, composed to echo through your nightmares long after the game ends.
You’re Never Alone – Friends? Enemies? In this place, they often wear the same face. Watch your back, and the walls!
Ready to relive the nightmare? Pre-order your physical copy of Bendy and the Ink Machine for PlayStation 5 now at Silver Lining Direct and digitally via the PlayStation and Xbox stores.
About Silver Lining Interactive
Silver Lining Interactive is a brand new independent game publisher based in the North of England. Founded by a team of seasoned professionals for two decades, this studio has been a cornerstone of the indie game scene. With a passion for fostering creative talent and great games, Silver Lining Interactive is committed to bringing innovative, high-quality games to players worldwide, physically and digitally.
About Joey Drew Studios Joey Drew Studios Inc. is a video game developer and the studio behind the global phenomenon that is Bendy®. Pairing dark themes with humorous twists, Joey Drew Studios is known for its unique and atmospheric gaming experiences through the use of inventive original characters, passionately crafted worlds, and innovative storytelling.
If someone had said that the Lunar series would be getting a remastered release, many JRPG fans, even those that remember and played even one of them back when they originally released, likely wouldn’t believe it. Originally released on the Sega CD of all things, Lunar: The Silver Star and Lunar: Eternal Blue were impressive RPGs at the time doomed to a struggling platform. It was only until they arrived on the PlayStation 1 as “Complete” versions and made a splash thanks to their animated cutscenes that had accompanying voice work and impressive production at the time, that many remember these classics. Then, outside of a DS prequel many years later and a handful of remakes of the first game, the series vanished. That is until now with the Lunar Remastered Collection bringing the “Complete” version of both titles with various improvements to modern day audiences. With more than a handful of improvements but some lingering elements that even I remember from their PlayStation release, is this a successful remaster of a pair of classic JRPGs?
Story
Lunar: The Silver Star follows the journey of Alex, a young adventurer who has always had a flying cat-like companion at his side by the name of Nall, who dreams of being just like the legendary Dragonmaster Dyne. When a chance to follow in Dyne’s footsteps arrives, Alex sets forth from the village of Burg with his childhood friends Luna, whose singing has the mysterious power to heal, and Ramus. Along the way they gather an eclectic group of allies ranging from ranging from a perverted bandit to one of the best cleric archetypes a player could ask for in the form of Jessica, uncover mysteries that were once thought lost and even reveal a plot to destroy the world that only they can put a stop to.
Onto Lunar: Eternal Blue, the story picks up a thousand years after the events from the original game and follows the story of Hiro, a risk-taking adventurer who also is always accompanied by a possessive and jealous flying cat capable of breathing fire named Ruby who finds himself rescuing Lucia, a blue-haired woman claiming to be from the Blue Star itself with a mission to stop the evil force Zophar wit the help of the goddess Althena. With a missguided army hunting Lucia as a “destroyer” and her supernatural powers drained by a powerful curse, it’ll be up to Hiro to help Lucia uncover the possible truth and save the world once more. They too are joined by a fallen cleric turned drunken gambler, a deadly dancer, and others.
Now one element that the Lunar franchise has always embraced is simplicity in its storytelling but this was hardly a bad thing back in the day nor is it necessarily bad now. There are still a handful of twists and evil turns throughout both games’ stories, moreso in Eternal Blue as it is the slightly more complex and varied story between the two games, but these games were written back before many of these “tropes” were even seen as a thing and being able to experience them again, or perhaps for a first time for those who never had the ability to enjoy the originals, is something of a breath of fresh air. It is also with noting that alongside the main storyline the romantic aspect laced throughout the Lunar games is one of their signature elements and this once again is held true in both, though similarly it can be said that Eternal Blue’s character developments, especially with Lucia coming to grips with what it means to be human, is incredibly endearing. Combine that with a wonderful collection of characters that make up the players’ ragtag party in both games and this is the type of stuff that defines a classic JRPG, even if they may seem a bit simple overall.
GungHo has worked with the Lunar series before, having handled the PSP port of Lunar: The Silver Star in 2009, so someone on the team must have known just how important, for better or worse, a certain companies’ original localization was to crafting these games’ identities in the West. Working Designs was the original localizer for both Lunar titles back in the ’90s and were notorious for working in their own jokes, pop culture references, and even completely off-the-wall remarks into games. Ironically, this was something that gave the Lunar games their identity in the West and GungHo has used these scripts as a basis, mostly going through both titles with only a few changes here and there. Obviously dated pop culture jokes or references to Presidents have been taken out and probably reverted back to their original meaning but thankfully other elements remain the same. This works wonders for fans of the longtime games and does help preserve the identity of the titles and the colorful character interactions, though newcomers won’t notice these changes.
Gameplay
With Lunar Remastered Collection both games are fairly traditional JRPGs when it comes to gameplay, though since both versions are based off of the “Complete” versions released on the PlayStation and not the Sega CD players don’t have to worry about random encounters. Instead, players will roam around the 2D pixel world, towns, and dungeons with enemies only appearing in dungeons. These enemies can be seen and players can either attempt to avoid them if they wish or simply run right into them to trigger a fight. Combat is a turn-based affair with players selecting all of their parties actions beforehand, be it a basic attack, skill/magic, using an item, or defending and then having the moves play out depending on speed stats.
There are a few interesting elements to both games’ combat that make it a bit unique for an RPG developed at the time. Both games feature combat where characters will move towards each other to attack with a physical blow, meaning a character or enemy might waste a turn entirely if they have to move too far out of reach targeting a foe. This also means that various skills that have “Aoe” effects like hitting enemies in a line or circle can mean targeting proper foes to hit as many as possible. Another aspect is the fact that every boss and even many smaller foes have different battle stance animations that vary depending on what they are about to do. An enemy standing normally will likely just dish out a normal attack but if it changes into a new pose, it is likely about to unleash a powerful skill, giving players a chance to respond by either defending or debuffing the enemy.
One of the added features in the Lunar Remastered Collection is the ability to have the characters automatically fight and, depending on the game, there will be certain parameters players can set, such as only attack, only use certain skills, etc. This can speed up normal fights but perhaps the best way to speed things up is quite literally. As is common now with remasters, Lunar Remastered Collection also allows players to double or triple the battle speed, making all of the action play out much faster and makes grinding through simple fights a breeze. It is worth noting that if a character says something while using a spell or an ability, this won’t be sped up, meaning some skills will still take a bit of time to unleash.
Perhaps one of the biggest changes, and one that wasn’t made in my last review of a pair of remastered games, is the reworked inventory system. Characters no longer have a limited inventory space nor do they need to be holding the item to use it in combat, instead players will have the ability to use any item and hold as much as they want as well, making equipping gear and using items a far easier time compared to the original release. Speaking of which, a number of changes that Working Designs made to the original game’s treasure chest contents, skill values, and other elements that surprisingly made the game harder have been reverted to their original state, making many harder elements easier as well, though it is worth noting that outside of some specific boss fights and secrets in Lunar: EternalBlue, most of these titles aren’t very difficult.
It is interesting to note that players can, if they so choose, either play the remastered versions of these games or the classic version at the start menu, though it appears the only notable differences are the graphical improvements made and the other quality of life features. Those who want to experience the original version as much as possible can do so simply by going back to the main menu since the save file, of which players can save at any time, is compatible for both the original and remastered versions for each game.
Audio & Visuals
The visual upgrade for Lunar Remastered Collection is a lighter touch than some might expect but it works well in this regard as both games have seen some notable cleaning up of their sprites and artwork, especially in the case of the anime cutscenes that play from time to time as these look as crisp as possible. Enemy sprites and backgrounds have been handled well all while making sure to keep the game nice and colorful looking without making anything too blurry. It also is worth noting that the Remastered version of the game allows players to play in wide-screen compared to the Classic mode, and as mentioned before there really isn’t a need to select this mode other than having it as an option.
One thing that has been completely reworked is the English voice acting as none of the original voice work has been retained. This is unfortunately something of a mixed bag as some of the new English voice actors aren’t the best fit for some of the characters and sound quite stilted during the limited voice time they do have. Thankfully, most of the important characters including Luna handle their roles well enough, including Luna’s singing. Those who want to avoid this English dub issue can choose to have the Japanese voice work instead. The soundtrack remains the same as it was in the original release, only slightly cleaned up sounding which is excellent as the background music and songs from the original versions still sound great today.
Overall
The Lunar Remastered Collection may not be quite as expansive of a remaster as one would hope for games originating from the early ’90s but by respecting the original translation work that longtime fans are nostalgic for all while making sure to add just enough quality of life improvements and speed things up does wonders for these classics. Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue embody the fun and colorful fantasy JRPGs from the 90s and there is a reason that even now they are remembered fondly and that is thanks to just how charming the cast of characters are and how endearing the storyline is despite its simplicity.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Fresh gameplay, new rewards, and REAL GOLD up for grabs!
Shanghai, China — April 14, 2025| Torchlight: Infinite has officially revealed its upcoming season, Sandlord, which will launch April 17 at 7:00 PM PDT. In a season preview streamed by the devs, season eight is themed around building wealth and managing floating empires in the desert skies. Sandlord brings players a bold new way to play—with a fusion of economic strategy and high-octane combat.
This season, players will step into the role of a skybound magnate, developing their own Cloud Oasis—a floating stronghold of commerce and conquest. The Sandlord seasonal mechanic introduces economic gameplay, with resource trading, production optimisation, and the recruitment of workers across five professions. Construct, manage and upgrade buildings in a city in the skies.
The season also sees Torchlight’s hero Thea return with a dark new trait. Forsaking her divine gifts, she embraces Desecration—a powerful, scaling curse that intensifies Erosion Damage the weaker her blessings become. Eventually, Desecration can be evolved into a devastating force through trait point choices—scaling off missing HP and capable of chain explosions or AoE effects based on your build. For players who love damage-over-time builds and explosive synergy, Blasphemer delivers something truly unique.
A complete overhaul of Deep Space adds five new high-challenge stages with larger maps, higher density, and tougher survival conditions. Plus a new modifier system, Probes, allows players to boost drop rates while raising enemy toughness—offering high-risk, high-reward loot opportunities. Different Probe types exist, some with chances for Easter egg events, like the Compass Deep Space Probe, potentially spawning Plane Watcher Treasure Chests full of Compasses.
Players will also gain access to the new Blending System, which allows powerful Hero Traits, Talent nodes, and unique affixes to be crafted onto belts—unlocking deeper build possibilities than ever before. As well as this, players will face a deadly new endgame threat: Night Slayer – The Wilting Plume. This fearsome new boss enters both the Plane Watcher rotation and Supreme Showdown’s 20th floor.
The sky is the limit with new content for SS8, and players can expect to discover even more with Torchlight: Infinite’s second anniversary event – Sands of Fortune. Running from April 17 at 7:00 PM (PDT) until May 1 at 7:00 PM (PDT), the event will challenge players to complete in-game tasks, earn Gold Rush Attempts, and use them for a chance to win from a prize pool valued at $250,000 USD!
To participate in the event, visit the Torchlight website and locate the event page, where each account can make up to 30 attempts to win (terms and conditions apply). Sandlord launches April 17 at 7:00 PM PDT.
XD Games
Founded in 2003, XD Games. is a global video games developer and publisher with extensive experience across development, publishing and operations. As of 2022, XD has 38 free-to-play and paid games with over 50 million monthly active users worldwide. In addition, TapTap — a mobile games community and app store — was launched by XD in 2016 and is estimated to currently have 44 million monthly active users.
XD’s mission is to assemble like-minded talented games industry craftspeople with a common goal of touching the hearts of players around the world. XD produces games of the finest quality with passion, offering a pure gaming experience, and encouraging players of all ages to embrace the unique joy of video gaming.
