Bloody fights, unique aesthetics mixing different art styles and an unpredictable story full of craziness and twists
It’s time to get your zebra masks and fists ready because The Zebra-Man! is now available for PC via Steam! With its bloody fights, unique aesthetics mixing different art styles and an unpredictable story full of craziness and twists, this top-down action game promises to offer an experience full of adrenaline and excitement. Revenge wears stripes and will make one hell of a bloodbath!
The game is also planned to release on consoles, and will be coming at a later date to Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
Fans can still grab the PC release of The Zebra-Man! On Steamwith a fantastic 25% limited-time discount! Hurry, this won’t last for long!
Check out the launch trailer for The Zebra Man!
About The Zebra-Man!
The Zebra-Man! is a hyper-charged pixel art top-down action game with brutal fist fights and blood spilling in your wake. Get out of impossible situations while unravelling time paradoxes and blasting the enemies you encounter along the way.
It’s the 70s and a group of crazy scientists have been conducting atrocious experiments on you deep in a secret facility. When an unexpected ally in a raccoon mask rescues you in exchange for revenge, shedding your humanity and embracing your animal side might be your only way out.
Who is Alexander Cooper, and why does the mysterious Raccoon man want you to kill him? What secrets are contained in this secret facility, and what atrocities will you have to do to escape? Soon, you’ll be caught up in impossible situations, dimension swapping, time paradoxes, interdimensional portals and enemies who want to see you torn into a million bloody pieces.
With an unmistakable visual style, a groundbreaking soundtrack, live-action cutscenes and your savage need for blood, The Zebra-Man! will test your wits and your tenacity through puzzles, fist fights and endless violence. The game is out now on Steam with a 25% launch discount, and it will be coming later to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5 and Xbox One and Series X|S. All the information about the game can be found on its website as well.
Key features:
Retro gaming homage: An intriguing story tribute to classic top-down pixel art action games and Grindhouse movies with an Intriguing story, time travel
A crazy cast of playable characters: Good guys, bad guys, scientists and security guards, there are many characters to control, each with their own utilities and quests.
Live-Action Scenes: The first rule of live-action scenes is you do not talk about live-action scenes!
Puzzles me this?: It’s not all rampage and gore, sometimes you will need to stop and take a look around for clues and solve the puzzles.
Karma sucks!: Actions have consequences, right? The game’s Karma System will make sure you get what’s coming to you.
Check out the ADS: The Zebra-Man’s (optional) Adaptive Difficulty System means you will never get stuck in a level. The more times you die, the easier the difficulty becomes. Enemies get slower, guns have less ammo and more helpful items will spawn.
Groundbreaking soundtrack: A vibrant soundtrack to get you in the Grindhouse film mood featuring tracks from Zay Bass, Doom in Hell, Da Flex and many more.
Exciting new publisher announces deal to release breathtaking sequel for PC and consoles
Macclesfield, UK – February 10th 2024. Indie publisher Silver Lining Interactive announces a new partnership with exciting developer Infuse Studio to digitally publish the third-person adventure title Spirit of the North 2 for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X in 2025. This new publishing deal will also include the release of a stunning physical retail edition for PlayStation 5 and PC alongside the digital launch.
Spirit of the North 2 sees players take on the role of an isolated fox and its raven companion on a quest to restore the lost guardians and return home. As they bravely explore the Northern Isles, players will unveil the mysteries of a beautiful ancient world–in this breathtaking 3rd-Person Adventure–a sequel to the acclaimed Spirit of the North title, first launched in 2019.
Watch the original announcement trailer for Spirit of the North 2
About Spirit of the North 2
In an ancient world left in ruin, embark on the journey of an isolated fox far from home. With the help of a wise raven companion, seek out the lost legendary guardians and release them from the grasp of the dark shaman, Grimnir.
Roam freely through a vast and ancient open world, rich with long-forgotten history. Explore unique and visually captivating biomes, each with different challenges and secrets to uncover.
Discover potent runes that grant new abilities as your quest takes you from dense forests, through snow-capped peaks and to dark & ancient crypts to save the lost guardians.
Tailor your fox’s appearance and skills to suit your playstyle, making each playthrough unique.
Face off against formidable foes as you save the legendary guardian beasts in thrilling, puzzle-based encounters.
Features
Create your own unique fox with extensive customisation options.
Explore a stunning open world across many diverse regions.
Cleanse corrupted guardians in legendary encounters.
Acquire new abilities to overcome challenges.
Seek out powerful runes that grant you new abilities.
Explore the Northern Isles to a layered dynamic soundtrack that evolves and transitions as your adventure unfolds.
Expand on the beauty and lore of Spirit of the North in an inspiring new adventure.
Spirit of the North 2 will be available digitally for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox S/X and as a physical release for PlayStation 5 and PC in 2025. Check out the Silver Lining Interactive website for pre-order information. Fans can Wishlist on Steam now!
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.
Medieval Brewery Tycoon Ale Abbey Serves Up Generous Pints on Feb. 18, 2025
Craft bountiful brews, build a mighty medieval monastery in this historical tycoon sim BORDEAUX, France – Feb. 10, 2025 –Ale Abbey, the medieval brewery tycoon sim from developer Hammer & Ravens and publisher Shiro Unlimited, raises a celebratory glass for its Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025 release date on PC via Steam early access.
Hop into the role of a medieval brewmaster and take on the responsibility of running a quaint abbey with big ambitions. Immerse in a charming pixel art-style world while balancing daily operations,managing resources, and mastering the perfect ratio of mash and fermentation.
Build a library and laboratorium to gain new knowledge and create brew-tiful new creations including stouts, lagers, porters, and more perfect pints to keep the locals coming back for more. Expand operations by hiring more monks and constructing dormitories to safely house the staff and keep them hoappy and productive.
Achieve even better profit by selling irresistible ales to humble peasants and powerful lords alike. Gain fame and fortune by catering to the wishes of the ruling class or conduct lucrative business arrangements under the table by paying off bandits and roadside rogues to ensure trade deals run smoothly.
“We’re eager to finally hang the ‘open’ sign for Ale Abbey’s official launch,” said Emiliano Pastorelli, Game Director at Hammer & Ravens. “We’re hoping gamers, brewmasters, and historians can all come together, craft delicious recipes, and create the best abbey possible because after all, beer makes everything better!”
Ale Abbey will launch on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025 for PC via Steam for $14.99/€14.99EUR/£12.79 with a 10% launch discount for 7 days and English, Spanish, French, Chinese, German, and Russian language support.
Shiro Unlimited, the publishing arm of independent game development studio Shiro Games, was created by video game veterans Sebastien Vidal and Nicolas Cannasse to bring new innovative games to life. Based in Bordeaux, France, the studio released its first project Evoland in 2013 and its acclaimed sequel Evoland 2 in 2015. Shiro Games then launched its popular Viking strategy game Northgard on Steam in 2018, which has gone on to sell nearly 3 Millions units across various platforms, followed by the medieval tactical RPG Wartales in 2021 and the critically acclaimed 4X RTS game from a renowned franchise Dune: Spice Wars in 2022.
For more information on Shiro Unlimited, please visit the official website.
About Hammer & Ravens
Hammer & Ravens is a small independent game development studio based out of Tallinn, Estonia. Its worldwide team has been crafting games infused with tongue-in-cheek humor and satisfying gameplay since the mid-2010s. Founded by Emiliano Pastorelli, Hammer & Ravens has developed and published games for PC and consoles, as well as museum apps and educational mobile games.
The demo for the pixel-perfect cyberpunk shooter Neon Inferno is available now on Steam
Philadelphia, PA – Feb. 10, 2025 – Retroware and Zenovia Interactive have released the Steam demo for Neon Inferno–the cyberpunk-flair-ridden gallery-shooter recently announced as a joint partnership between the two studios.
Neon Inferno will also be participating in Steam’s Couch Co-Op Fest running from February 10 – 17. The game is scheduled for a release on all platforms in Q3 2025. Players can expect a full level, along with both local co-op and Steam Remote Play being available for the demo. The challenging 1-credit Arcade Mode can also be attempted, with other difficulties to try and settings available.
Taking inspiration from classic titles like Contra and Wild Guns, Neon Inferno splits the action into the foreground and background with a variety of enemies and bosses in levels set in a dystopian New York City of 2055.
Developed by Zenovia Interactive and published by Retroware, Neon Inferno lets players take on the role of either Angelo or Mariana as they fight for a fledgling crime family striving for power against a corrupt NYPD and other crime syndicates in the war-torn metropolis.
With “Bullet Time,” players can deflect certain projectiles back at enemies they choose–regardless of whether they’re in the foreground or background! With multiple upgrades available to equip between missions, multiple difficulties, including an Arcade Mode, and two-player co-op available, players will be able to tackle their missions however they choose.
Key Features:
Shoot close, aim far: a dynamic blend of side-scroller and gallery-shooter, where the action takes place in both foreground and background (like playing Contra and Wild Guns at the same time).
Glorious 32-bit Style: A sci-fi cityscape rendered in beautiful pixel art and backed by an evocative soundtrack
Two-Player Co-op: With danger lurking around every street corner, wouldn’t you be better off with a friend?
Satisfying Arcade Challenge: Enjoy a playthrough on an easier mode…or put your skills and resilience to the test with 1-credit-clear arcade mode.
About Zenovia Interactive
Neon Inferno is the second title from Zenovia Interactive, a fully remote and international game studio based in New York City and founded by Sri Kankanahalli in 2019. The company’s previous title was Steel Assault, released in late 2021.
About Retroware
“We’re all about modern retro games. We develop, publish, make merch, and run arcades. Bringing you retro experiences with modern conveniences.”
LONDON (Feb. 10, 2025) – Ahoy, catventurers. Cat Quest III, recently nominated for Family Game of the Year at the 28th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, is getting a free major update on all platforms today. The fan-favorite ‘Mew Game’ returns, giving players a purr-fect excuse to embark on another thrilling journey across the Purribean.
Mew Game brings a variety of gameplay modifiers to keep Cat Quest III fresh and test the skills of even the toughest purrivateers. Players can also earn new equipment as a reward when taking on the challenge of Mew Game mode. Here is the complete list of modifiers:
Nine Lives – You only get nine chances before your save file deletes itself and is lost fur-ever.
Ruffer Enemies – Tougher, more dangerous foes prowl the Purribean.
Naked Paws – No weapons or armor are allowed. Only trinkets can be equipped.
Purre Magic – Spells only. But don’t worry, mana regens quickly.
No Leveling – You stay the same level throughout the entire game.
Fast Furwards – Everything moves at double speed, even you. Test those cat-like reflexes.
No Upgrades – No upgrading anything, not even spells.
Furriendly Ship – Your ship does just one damage. Good luck.
Cat Quest III is available now across Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC (via Steam), with Mew Game mode as a free update for all players. For more information visit: https://thegentlebros.com/catquest3/
About The Gentlebros:
The Gentlebros is an award-winning Singapore-based studio and creators of the million-selling Cat Quest series across PC, consoles and mobile. Made up of game industry veterans, The Gentlebros aim to create worlds for people to have fun in. The newest installment in the Cat Quest series, Cat Quest III, launched on PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S and PC (via STEAM) in August, 2024.
About Kepler Interactive:
Kepler Interactive is a video game company and creative studio headquartered in London. With games like Pacific Drive, Sifu, Rematch and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Kepler curates its partnerships with developers worldwide to showcase some of the newest and most brilliant ideas in gaming that combine experimental game design with unique art direction. Alongside its game portfolio, Kepler’s creative studio seeks to bring games to life in areas such as art, fashion, music, architecture and design through development of lifestyle products and collaborations with artists like fashion designer Robyn Lynch. Kepler explores the creative spaces that inspire games and the people who make them – challenging perspectives and elevating the medium to a new level.
Five new 5-Star Memories, festival events, and more ways than ever to connect with every love interest
February 10th, 2025 – Love and Deepspace’s most sought-after event is back—bigger, bolder, and more captivating than ever. Tomorrow’s Catch-22 brings the all-character 5-Star Memory Wish Pool, where Caleb, Zayne, Rafayel, Xavier, and Sylus star in brand-new 5-Star Memories, each rocking a sleek new wolf cut. The update also brings new voiced interactions and exclusive story content, giving players even more opportunities to connect with their favorite love interest.
From February 10 to February 26, players can jump into the all-character 5-Star Memory Wish Pool, where every love interest’s latest Memory is up for grabs—no waiting, no rotations, just the freedom to chase the moments that matter most. Players can take control by selecting three Memories for boosted drop rates—and switch them up whenever they want, making this banner more strategic and player-driven than ever. With five brand-new 5-Star Memories in play, this is the ultimate chance to collect exclusive moments and relive unforgettable connections.
Beyond the new Wish Pool, several special events bring fresh new ways to experience the world of Love and Deepspace, from festive celebrations to high-stakes missions and deeper relationship-building moments.
Lanternet Day turns Linkon City into a vibrant celebration, featuring limited-time messages, emails, and daily check-in’s to immerse players in the seasonal spirit. Event activities offer exclusive rewards, including limited-edition outfits, rare collectibles, and interactive gifts that strengthen bonds with love interests.
Savage Overture throws players into a lawless city ravaged by radiation, where uncovering the truth means confronting chaos head-on. This limited-time event unravels an intense story surrounding the Praedators—beings twisted by radiation and driven into madness. Alongside their chosen love interest, players infiltrate a high-security facility, collect Supply Boxes, and decode classified files to expose the truth behind a volatile new Frenzy Enhancer. As they navigate this mission, players will raise their Trust Levels through secret meetings, unlocking special testimony, intimate interactions, and dynamic portrait poses. Event rewards include Deepspace Wishes, Diamonds, dynamic portrait poses, ‘My’ outfits, exclusive title, and Chibi avatars, etc. Completing event challenges grants Mugshot Boards, which can be redeemed for even more limited-time rewards before the Supply Center closes.
Meanwhile, Azure’s Echo Day offers another exciting opportunity to deepen bonds with love interests, with more details coming soon.
Players can also take advantage of the Limited-Time Memory Growth Bonus, completing challenges to earn upgrade materials and unlock exclusive, limited-edition outfits. This special feature makes it easier than ever to power up your Memories while enjoying unique rewards. Players can also get their hands on the adorable Wobbly Eggplant plushie which makes its debut as the newest in-game collectible.
More information about Love and Deepspace is available on the official website here.
About Love and Deepspace
Love and Deepspace by Infold Games transports players to a galaxy-wide adventure as a Wanderer-slaying Deepspace Hunter alongside five striking male heroes, all of whom possess powerful ‘Evol’ abilities and lethal finishing moves. Packed with immersive cutscenes, carefully crafted storylines, and satisfying RPG and roguelike combat, over 50 million players have downloaded the game since it first launched in January 2024.
About Infold Games
Established in 2021 and headquartered in Singapore, with branches in key cities such as Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Seoul. Infold is a company dedicated to content creation. Guided by our company culture, “Creativity that Empowers, Imagination that Inspires.” We continually create and operate long-term Intellectual Properties (IPs). Our “Nikki series” and “Mr. Love series” IPs have already amassed over ten million fans worldwide. Apart from focusing on the development of game titles like “Love and Deepspace,” “Project: The Perceiver,” and “Infinity Nikki,” Infold is also investing and innovating in various entertainment fields such as animation, film, and music to craft a more comprehensive IP ecosystem.
Listen up Astroneer and Slime Rancher fans – the time to morp is nigh
Bristol, United Kingdom — February 10, 2025| After a year of Early Access patches, the cozy game Time to Morp, filled with charming creatures, is preparing to launch into version 1.0 on March 6, 2025. Whether alone or with friends, players can anticipate plenty more food to cook, fish to catch, cities to build and more lore to explore in the upcoming full release!
Following a ‘very positive’ reception to early access on Steam, Time to Morp’s 1.0 release will see players returning to its colourful universe of delightful critters. Morps of all shapes and sizes inhabit the planet, from burrowing Morps digging underground to flying Morps soaring through the sky, and they have far more to offer than just being cute (though they take that role very seriously). These sweet little beasties are keen to help players gather resources for crafting, building, and decorating their growing base.
A combination of creature collector and sandbox-style colony sim, Time to Morp employs players as brand-new interns tasked with solving the dangers threatening their new adorable companions. Joined by a trusty crew of colourful characters, players can team up with up to three friends to build up and decorate their base, automate resource gathering, and just one tiny other thing… save the planet!
Whether they’re Morp Masters or completely unfamiliar with this new world, players will find acres of diverse biomes and unique creatures to discover. In addition to bug fixes and general quality-of-life updates, the full release is bursting with fresh content to explore, new recipes to discover, as well as quests, activities, and updated visuals – giving the game a whole new look! There’s never been a better time to morp!
Mark your calendars as adorable adventures await this March 6, only on Steam.
About Yogscast Games
Yogscast Games was established in 2017, with a simple goal: to work with small teams to develop and publish games which are as fun to watch as they are to play. Its most recent releases have included poker-powered deckbuilding game ‘Aces & Adventures’, the wickedly amoral ‘TrolleyProblem, Inc.’ and the wildly successful restaurant management roguelike ‘PlateUp!’.
About Team HalfBeard
Team HalfBeard are young enthusiasts from Latvia who successfully created “Dude, Stop” and decided not to stop! We are growing and developing, and Time to Morp is our new beloved project we are passionate about.
‘Frightfully’ exciting digital and physical releases coming to PC and Nintendo Switch
Barcelona, Spain – 10th February 2025. Get ready to be transported back to the golden age of platformers as publisher SelectaPlay and developer Nakama Game Studio are thrilled to announce that Bubble Ghost Remake will launch for PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch on 27th March!
Bubble Ghost Remake will launch digitally worldwide for PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch and as a physical Standard (NA and EU) and Collector’s Edition (EU only) for Nintendo Switch via European specialist retailers. Fans can Wishlist the game on Steam and Nintendo Switch now.
Inspired by classic Nintendo Gameboy and Commodore 64 platformers, Bubble Ghost Remake will offer fans a reimagined, visually captivating game experience which tells the whimsical story of a ghost and his bubble as he explores an enchanted mansion filled with adventure and challenges!
Watch the Release Date Announcement trailer
For fans looking to add a splash of nostalgia to their physical collections, SelectaPlay’s Collector’s Edition is a must-have title! Included in the special oversized collector’s box with exclusive artwork will be a physical edition of the game for Nintendo Switch, a printed original prequel comic illustrated by the dev team, the joyful soundtrack on CD by Fran Romguer, a selection of stickers and a special Bubble Ghost Remake acrylic standee.
About Bubble Ghost Remake
Guide a little ghost and his bubble through an enchanted mansion filled with dangers and thrilling challenges in this incredible remake of Bubble Ghost. Master levels of skill and clever puzzles as you unveil the story hidden behind the spirit of Heinrich Von Schinker. This remake of the game features a fresh new look and a myriad of new features (like new game modes, fierce bosses, collectibles, and many more surprises) that will captivate you for hours. Get ready to protect your bubble through the rooms of this mysterious castle… Will you uncover all its hidden secrets?
Enjoy an adventure with over 40 skilful levels and clever puzzles that promise hours of entertainment and challenge.
Dive into Story, Arcade, Challenge and Speed Run game modes or prove your worth and compete for a spot in the pantheon of “Bubble Ghost Remake” legends in the Hall of Fame.
Fully revamped graphics and sound bring the magical world of the castle to life.
Unlock in-game achievements and compare your scores with the world’s best players.
Discover new hidden game modes, collectables, and secrets for an even more thrilling gameplay experience.
Bubble Ghost Remake fans can Wishlist the game on Steam and Nintendo Switch and pre-order the Standard and Collector’s physical editions from specialist retailers. Check local retailers for pricing and availability!
About SelectaPlay
SelectaPlay is SelectaVisión’s video games publishing branch. The company works with talented studios on unique video games and helps them publish their titles in both physical and digital formats in Europe and worldwide.
About SelectaVisión
SelectaVisión is a video publishing company founded in 1984. Based in Spain, SelectaVisión’s catalog includes anime and live-action feature films, TV shows, and movies. Publishing both anime classics and the latest Japanese productions since 1997, SelectaVisión has built a long relationship with fan-favorite Japanese producers and distributors, becoming the major publisher of anime content for Spanish audiences.
About Nakama Game Studio
Nakama is a game development studio and interactive experiences for companies and publishers. Their team of passionate developers, designers, and artists brings a wealth of industry experience, fueled by a genuine love for video games.
Can you survive the first few hours of being the last man on earth in 10,000 AD?
Buenos Aires, Argentina, February 10th, 2024 – Tlön Industries, developers of the acclaimed terraforming game Per Aspera, have today released a rather generous demo for their upcoming 2D side-scrolling base-building survival game KENTUM on Steam. Revealed in December at the Latin American Games Showcase at The Game Awards, KENTUM is coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series consoles in 2025.
KENTUM places players in the role of a man awakening from a very, very long nap. After 7,000 years in suspended animation, he awakens to find himself seemingly the last man on earth. With no one else to rely on, you must scour for resources and use advanced technology to create your own home base to sustain your survival.
This demo lets players go through the opening hours of KENTUM, exploring its first region. While the demo contains plenty of machines to craft and base decorations, far more awaits in the full game, which includes fauna machines, drones and advanced optimization options.
KENTUM lets players explore post-post-apocalyptic landscapes with dynamically changing climates and seasons full of unknown forms of flora and fauna. From trash mountains to desolate ruins, each area is filled with secrets to discover and challenges to overcome – like extreme weather and low gravity. Gather resources, fight newly evolved predators, harvest life-forms, and adapt to the hazardous, ever-changing world of 10,000 AD!
With no civilization you need to ensure that your house is more than a home; it must also be a factory. You’ll have to craft new automatization machinery and creatively combine your findings to optimize your own self-regulating habitat. Create your own farms, craft coal and ingots, build claws and conveyor belts. And don’t forget to decorate the place, as increasingly complex pipelines could be an eyesore. After all, this is the one environment you have control over, so you might as well make it personal to you!
“KENTUM is a complex, systems-heavy game, so we wanted to ensure that the demo is hefty enough to let players really get a sense of the KENTUM’s scope,” said Roque Rey, game director at Tlön Industries. “Of course, the final game will contain A LOT more content, with new regions to explore, creatures to encounter, modules to expand your base, and gear to wear. KENTUM is a very expressionistic, open-ended game, so we want to ensure players can survive the post apocalypse their own way!”
Tlön Industries is a game development company focused on bringing deep narrative experiences to dynamic system-oriented games. With our main offices in Buenos Aires, Argentina, we aim at creating world class games for players like us. Our debut game, Per Aspera, was nominated for the Best Simulation/Strategy Game in the DICE Awards 2021.
While far from a mainstream JRPG franchise, one that has always been an easy recommendation for those looking to delve into a storied franchise has been The Legend of Heroes games. Spanning across nearly two decades of releases on numerous platforms, there have always been consistent story arcs seeing longtime characters often returning in later entries. What finally made the franchise a bit more approachable was the fact that, while still set in the same world and featuring the same lore, The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak a bit over six months ago placed the franchise in a nearly completely fresh starting point.
This allowed newcomers a chance to enter this storied franchise without too much concern for the lore, and even then an extensive glossary was provided in-game. So now that The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II has arrived to continue the journey of Arkride Solutions’ members as well as implement elements from Reverie, is this a worthwhile continuation to Van an company’s story?
Story
A few months have passed since the events of the first game that saw Van Arkride and his allies take down the terrorist group Almata all while searching for the powerful Oct-Genesis orbments created by Van’s former client now turned secretary/apprentice Agnes Claudel’s great-grandfather, one of which happened to reveal a dangerous power and threat that had laid dormant for ages. Since these events, the various members of Arkride Solutions have gone back to their daily lives, scattering apart and leaving Van to mostly sleep away his days while taking on small jobs to feed the Spriggan’s love for sweets. That is until his friend Elaine enters his office with an alarming request. Not only has there been a series of horrific murders throughout the city, the culprit appears to bear a striking resemblance to Van’s Grendel form.
With Van choosing to leave his assistant behind in order to investigate the serial killer with the powerful Elaine, the pair manage to track it down only to find that not only is it true that this Crimson Grendel exists, but has a fairy similar to Mare as well leading its bloodthirsty charge. Despite their best efforts, Elaine is slain by a powerful attack only for Van to fall to a similarly powerful blow, killing both just as Agnes arrived on the scene, her despair triggering a hidden mechanism within the Oct-Genesis that somehow manages to turn back time to a few hours before. Despite having an odd sense of déjà vu, the pair resume their investigation only to find that Agnes and accompanying guard are also there this time and a pair of familiar faces in the form of Nadia and Swin dive into the battle when things start to once again take a turn for the worse, driving the Crimson Grendel and Red Fairy back. With familiar faces from past entries in the franchise popping up left and right and a strange new threat that mimics Van’s own Grendel form and fairy assistant Mare, it will be up to this Spriggan and his group of allies both new and old to try and get down to the truth behind these mysteries.
One thing that The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II does that few games in the franchise have done is make it feel like players are almost instantly being thrown into the primary threat of the title instead of beating around the bush. Not only are the stakes instantly established when the power of the Crimson Grendel is unveiled but the constant twists, turns, and revelations that keep players on their toes means that Daybreak II isn’t afraid to put the pedal to the metal and keep up the pressure all while delivering a satisfying pay-off to the numerous plot points brought up through this lengthy adventure. Sure, things do slow down past the initial rush of events but even then players will still be treated to quite a number of interesting developments thanks to how strongly written even the side-content in the title remains. Though it would have been nice if a certain “morality system” felt like it had more impact but more on this later.
Another element that feels unfortunately wasted is the time-leap mechanic. Rather than having players make drastic choices that could either pay off greatly or see their party suffer from horrific death, almost every time the Genesis device is triggered and the Arkride Team finds themselves sent back before their impending doom, it is completely scripted. In fact, some characters are even portrayed completely out of character in order to have them stumble into a dead end and result in time rewinding. This means that players can’t even make specific choices and see just how bad things can end up going for the team on their own, rather just follow the pre-set paths to properly guide the crew past their otherwise inexplicable demise.
One element that remains one of the best highlights of the game is just how strongly written the characters and their interactions with one another are. Not only does this sequel give almost every returning character some room to shine, including a few that were overshadowed in the first entry, but even returning characters are given a chance to grow and develop, something that was desperately needed considering how overly packed Reverie was with its cast. Thankfully, even with the large cast of characters that make up Daybreak II, it never comes close to Reverie. That being said, the story writers did take inspiration from Reverie’s story telling being split between characters and have refined it a bit, though it still remains a bit annoying as a result.
For those unfamiliar, Tales of Reverie featured multiple storylines happening at once and often players could swap between these storylines and their respective characters at any given time. In fact, there would often be occasions when players would finish a battle or major development in one storyline only to find that they could no longer continue until they caught up with another characters’ story. This was annoying back then and has been revised slightly but still is troublesome. In Daybreak II rather than having to abruptly jump between groups of characters, the storyline will instead simply be split into two groups, basically boiling down to Ark and those that are traveling with him at the time and then the rest of the gang as the investigate something else, both likely culminating in an event that will result in them joining up, meaning that players will complete one act with one set of characters and then have to jump to the next set of characters and play catch-up, something that, while not as bad as it was in Reverie, is still an annoying way to split the storyline.
Gameplay
In many ways Daybreak II plays similar to the first release with its unique take on combat that offers both a blend of real time action and turn-based RPG depending on what players want to use on any specific enemy. Many of the improvements come in the real-time combat system as a number of new elements and moves have been added to the player’s arsenal besides standard attack combos and break attacks. As before, players can still swap between controllable party members while exploring the field and each character will have unique attacks on enemies and while standard enemies can be “broken” and stunned, they can also be slain outright in action combat. Now along with the aforementioned attacks players can cast pre-set “Quick Art” attacks to heavily damage enemy’s weak to Art or elemental attacks an even perform narrow dodges to trigger a powerful cross-combo that automatically swaps characters and deals tons of damage to a target.
If the player doesn’t want to slay an enemy outright in action combat and simply wants to “stun” it or enters a battle against a boss or superior foe then the characters will “deploy shards” which will trigger the game’s turn-based combat that the franchise has long been known for. Surprisingly, players have been limited a bit more on S-Crafts as it is no longer possible to spam these outright should the rest of the party have enough “CP” to trigger them. This prevents players from downright dominating foes by stocking up on “CP” and encourages the use of crafts more in standard combat. Along these same lines it makes using shard boosts feel more powerful. Alongside this things like stun damage has been increased, making it easier to stun enemies and proper positioning of your allies can allow for them to perform follow-up attacks and even Ex Attacks with the use of Shard Boosts.This allows for players to really build their team how they want, especially when it comes to equipping their Orbments with useful elements and spells, making the game as customizable as ever while encouraging a bit more in the way of tactics.
Another element that makes something of a return from Reverie is a mostly optional side-dungeon called Marchen Garten. This is a randomized dungeon similar to that found in Reverie and once again allows players to use any characters that they have obtained at will and without restraint as they fight through the mostly randomized floors of the dungeon. Each floor will offer a small objective that players will need to complete before moving on to the next floor and, depending on how well players do in the dungeon, they can then obtain special equipment and even buff items for their party for use in the rest of the game. This generally makes this dungeon feel like padding but one that works well enough, especially since players can use it to get a feel as to how certain party members might work together without risking things in an actual story dungeon or dangerous side-mission.
In-between taking on primary story missions players will also have the option to once again take on numerous side-quests and, as mentioned before, they are mostly all well-written and worth the effort to explore. These 4SPG quests can vary from simplistic to incredibly complicated and have quite a lot of variety between them, going far above and beyond the usual side-quest affair of delivering an item or slaying a certain number of enemies. Interestingly enough, many of these side-quests can also end in a choice that Van can make which will affect the moral standing of Arkride Solutions. Unfortunately, the actual pay-off to the morality system is very bare-bones with players having a “Law” choice, “Gray” choice, and “Chaos” option. Despite playing mostly lawful throughout our time making choices, it didn’t seem to make any notable difference in how Van and his allies were perceived nor what actions party members would take, seemingly having no point other than to have a morality system to balance player choice against.
Audio & Visuals
Considering The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II is a direct sequel along the same series of console releases it is clear that the development team has grown more comfortable with the world they are crafting as character models are a bit more detailed this time around and special animations for more powerful attacks are as wonderful looking as ever. There are plenty of small details added to make the world feel a bit more lived in as well but nothing too extensive. It also must be said that unfortunately the game heavily recycles content both from itself and the first release, meaning players will be seeing a lot of the same familiar surroundings as they spend their time with the game which is disappointing.
As for the voice work, NIS America has provided their freshly recorded English voice track that appears to have all of the major voice actors reprise their roles for the main cast and the Japanese voice track is also included and readily available for those who prefer that option. It must be noted though that the use of the dub, at least in the English voice track, is incredibly odd as there will sometimes be one or two lines of voice dialogue mixed in with complete silence from the rest of the cast or only one character speaking aloud while everyone else is subtitled only, making for a strange experience. The soundtrack features a great collection of background music that fans will have come to expect from the franchise.
Overall
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II finds itself in a bit of a strange place. While the first release in this story arc could mostly be enjoyed standalone, this entry brings numerous elements from Reverie with it in the form of both characters, plot elements, and odd gameplay padding that feels a bit out of place. Combine this with some pacing issues thanks to the aforementioned story structure and it hinders what still remains an engrossing and enjoyable storyline filled with a cast of characters that continue to evolve and grow even in their second, or many cases third and fourth, games. The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II keeps the revamped combat and refines it enough to feel fresh but also retreads far too much old ground to feel new at times, making this second release feel far less enjoyable than fans of the franchise, especially newer ones, would hope for.
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