Warsaw, Poland – January 14th, 2024 – Techno Banter, the highly anticipated techno-infused, bouncer simulator, will launch on Nintendo Switch on January 30th 2025.
To amplify this announcement, a trailer was published, offering a fresh look at the game’s unique blend of humor, weirdness, and music. See the trailer below:
About the game
Set in a dystopian city teeming with underground rave culture, Techno Banter combines razor-sharp dialogue with pulsating techno beats, immersing players in a neon-soaked world where they decide who gets past the velvet rope.
Players take on the role of a bouncer at the notorious Green Door club, navigating a colorful array of characters. With wit as their weapon, they’ll choose from a variety of clever comebacks to keep the club’s vibe intact, making each night a unique experience.
Techno Banter’s developers Dexai Arts are true Berliners, which can clearly be felt in the inspiration the game takes from the wonderful and weird underbelly of the techno capital of the world. Having spread long roots in the Berlin DJ scene, they’ve brought many local DJs on board to spin tracks inside the game’s main club Green Door.
The game has already gathered some attention, winning the GameStar.de “Find Your Next Game” Indie award, the Reboot Develop Blue Special Selection award, and being featured in this year’s Guerilla Collective’s Official Selection.
About Dexai Arts
Their interdisciplinary team consists of a group of close family members with many years of professional experience in their respective areas of expertise. They decided to unite their art in a medium that connects us since childhood: video games. Dexai Arts consciously plays on all artistic levels and interweaves them in a braid of sound, image and content which shows in their hand-drawn characters and self composed/produced game music.
About Crunching Koalas
Crunching Koalas is a Warsaw-based boutique publisher and porting studio that focuses on bringing exceptional games to players across all platforms. They have worked on many recognisable and critically acclaimed games (Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, Darkwood and This War of Mine are just a few). Their ever-expanding portfolio is full of great, indie titles and with new projects coming in every year, it is only expected to grow.
Over the last few years the Dynasty Warriors series has struggled to find where it would actually go next. Sure, Omega Force’s other efforts such as Warriors Orochi and Fate/Samurai Remnant, and their other licensed Warriors style games have shown innovation and some unique stylings, their signature franchise has languished. After an incredibly solid Dynasty Warriors 8 back in 2013 that saw fans eager for what to expect in the next mainline entry, Dynasty Warriors 9 shifted completely in the other direction in 2018, taking on an open-world feel and robbing almost every character of their charm and style in an attempt to force more characters into the bloated and nonsensical story.
In an attempt to go completely back to the drawing board, Omega Force and Koei Tecmo have came back with a far more in-depth telling of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms with a central character looking to both introduce newcomers to the franchise and return to the roots of what fans loved, the battle of one vs thousands in Dynasty Warriors: Origins.
DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS – Gameplay
Story
The Dynasty Warriors series usually requires at least some type of knowledge about the Romance of the Three Kingdoms to get the most out of it, but Origins is unlike any other game in the franchise in numerous ways. First of all, rather than sprint through the historical novel’s key battles, this entry takes things slow, secondly instead of dropping players into the story as one of the historic warriors or even a created character that serves as a background character to history, they take on a character bereft of their memory but not of their skills. A powerful warrior found venturing the edges of a simmering rebellion that is soon to ignite the lands in turmoil. Alongside famed warrior Guan Yu and the assistance of a charismatic yellow-clad leader, this unnamed warrior makes a name for themselves (literally as players choose their name here) in their first conflict against corrupt officials.
Yes, as per usual in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the first major conflict is the Yellow Turban Rebellion but unlike any game in the past, rather than blitz past the minutia and smaller conflicts, Dynasty Warriors: Origins takes a far closer look at how events played out, focusing on battles that were merely mentioned in passing before as players are given an in-depth look into some never before focused on elements of the rebellion and further events throughout the storyline. This includes a major focus on showing the fallout from the rebellion and the upheaval that ensued throughout the realm afterwards, culminating in eventually players needing to select one of the three kingdoms that they must align themselves with, Wu, Shu, or Wei. Aligning with one kingdom will inevitably pit the player against former allies and friends as well as showcase only story elements that are told from that kingdom’s perspective. For example, fighting as a Wu companion will mean seeing the events that unfold with the Sun family firsthand while Cao Cao’s actions and Liu Bei’s are told only through brief summaries.
Thankfully, once players complete the game in a… very strange stopping point for the storyline, they gain the ability to revisit not only any battle that they wish, but even the pinnacle choice of selecting which kingdom to fight for. This means that players do not need to play through the entire game three times simply to enjoy every element of the story, instead being able to take their trained fighter into each extra storyline and bonding with units from said faction as they wish once completing the game fully.
Now, not only is Dynasty Warriors: Origins’ storyline far more in-depth when it comes to the exact events that happened, it also features some wonderful bond storylines and interactions with the player character and the many famous generals and warriors from the era, be they villains, heroes, or something in-between. As for the original storyline featuring the main character, it is handled well enough and explains not only the reason for their unique abilities and skills on the battlefield but also why they are driven to enter the fray. It does take a bit too long to unfold unfortunately, with some of the most meaningful and actually worthwhile revelations happening in the final two chapters, but it is satisfying enough. What will be a bit confusing for many fans of the franchise is the game’s stopping point. Then again, given that the title is called Dynasty Warriors: Origins, it is a fitting one as it serves as the true formation of the three kingdoms at the culmination of this specific battle and, if Koei Tecmo is looking to develop sequels from this point on and continue this method of in-depth storytelling, it is off to a stellar start.
Gameplay
Dynasty Warriors: Origins takes a step away from the much derided open world aspect of the last entry in the franchise and instead opts for an overworld instead. In the overworld players will travel through the various provinces and visit towns that all have a weapon shop and item shop that sell various things as well as their own inn to rest at. They will also be able to interact and talk with the various famous fighters and characters, triggering “bond” moments or activating training missions with them, collect upgrade material, and take on various small scale conflicts that randomly generate. These small conflicts generally see players range from running in and taking down a few hundred soldiers, eliminating specific enemy officers, claiming bases, or even escorting a merchant or civilian unit. Completing these rewards players with money and increased “peace” for that province that will reward players with some bonuses when it reaches up to three different tiers for each province. It is also where players will find “missions” that are larger scale battles with useful rewards and of course the main objectives as well, that range from just talking with certain characters to entering a large-scale battle.
Once in battle players will find that Dynasty Warriors: Origins still plays and feels very much like a classic Dynasty Warriors game and none have captured the real feeling of the 1 vs 1,000 design philosophy quite like this entry. This is especially true due to a certain feature we’ll talk about in a moment. For now, the combat’s basic structure remains the same, players will use one of nine weapon fighting styles that they’ll slowly unlock through the campaign to deal out damage through a series of light combos and heavy combos, mixing together certain move-sets to take down hundreds of generic enemy soldiers. As players eliminate enemies they’ll gain “bravery” that can be used to trigger weapon skills that vary depending on the weapon type equipped and players can change these at any time. In fact, players can even change the weapon they are using if they so choose in the middle of battle, a very useful little feature and one that makes completing certain training missions much easier. For example, while twin axes are great at eliminating swarms of troops and clearing bases, taking down a pesky general’s endurance meter might see the player favoring the fast striking sword or hoops.
While the battles against general enemies and claiming bases mostly remain the same it is the fights against other named warriors and “Wise”, “Brave,” and “Mighty” generic generals that brings the most change. For the most part players will still battle it out using the same type of attacks, but enemy officers no longer sit there and take any punishment dealt to them. Instead every enemy officer will have a certain level of endurance indicated by shields above their head and can dish out combos and special attacks just like the player. This means players will need to either dodge, block, or preferably parry most incoming blows and take advantage of the opening to deplete the enemy’s gauge and leave them stunned. Officer’s in a stunned state can then be either taken down with one powerful move or sent into a flurry of blows depending on how much health they have left. This leads to some rather lengthy and occasionally quite challenging fights with opponents as enemy officer’s, especially with high morale, can deal out a lot of punishment. This includes late-game battles where foes can not only enter their own rage states and trigger “musou” attacks but even perform special maneuvers that can leave players reeling if caught unprepared. From time to time players can even be given the choice to accept a “duel” with an enemy officer, pitting the two in a one on one match with a timer that, should the player fully fill the duel gauge with their own meter, will instantly eliminate the officer.
It is also worth noting that Dynasty Warriors: Origins isn’t afraid to make sure that players are actively keeping an eye on the movement of battle either. Neglecting to pay attention to certain allies or the movement of enemy officers may lead to a failure in battle. Players can rush to a wounded officer’s side and their health will recover and for the most part allies can take care of themselves, but if the flow of battle is going downhill, then extra attention is needed. It is nice to note that should players either fall in combat or be forced to retreat due to the defeat of their commander, most battles feature checkpoints that can be reverted to instead of having to start the entire battle over again. This can mean that playing defensively as a soldier in the grander battle is just as effective as the more defensive nature of officer combat. A useful tool at the player’s hands is the main character’s unique “Eyes of the Sacred Bird” that not only displays the health status of ally and enemy officers and the placements of enemy soldiers but also through the fairly rare illusions or secrets that appear during specific fights.
Eventually, players will also gain access to their own personal “guard” that can open up strategies. These strategies run on cooldown and depend on if the player’s guards are still actually alive to perform them however. They vary from raining a volley of arrows onto a target, performing a cavalry charge, to straight up ordering them to defend an ally officer. Offensive strategies often have special effects if used in the right circumstances and can cripple an enemy officer’s morale, making them an easy target. It is also worth noting that alongside player triggered strategies the title will occasionally indicate enemy strategies as well, tasking players with either eliminating a certain number or type of foes to put a stop to it or assisting an ally to help theirs succeed, though these generally only happen during “large” battles.
These large encounters happen to be some of the most over-the-top and troop overload fights that the series has ever had and it is truly impressive to see happen, especially when leading the charge. Players will find that some battles will feature their allies setting up for a charge, be it either a head on charge into combat or ambush, and joining them will trigger the movement. This means that players can charge down on horseback or foot if they so choose alongside the massive force of their allies right into enemy infantry that looks right out of a Total War style game. Blocks of enemy infantry, shieldwalls, volleys of arrows fired from behind, catapults, the works. Charging headlong into this chaos and cutting a swathe through enemy forces feels and looks amazing. The 1 vs 1000 dynamic might not be true, as allies will be right there fighting too, but it has never felt more real and “knockout” counts of over three thousand in a single fight are far from absurd.
Now, it is a bit unfortunate to say that the game does start to feel a bit too repetitive over time, especially once players have unlocked every type of weapon and reached the highest available rank, with total weapon mastery ranks dictating the player’s current level. This is also because unlike other entries, players only occasionally have a chance to play as other historical officers and this is only when they accompany them into battle and fill a meter that lets players temporarily take control of that warrior instead of the main character and this isn’t offered in every battle. Alongside this, some may be disappointed that their favorite weapon type or fighting style hasn’t made the cut either as the fighting styles are far smaller compared to before as well even if they have been more refined as a result. It is also worth noting that a large portion of side characters have also not been included in the game in any form, meaning some fan favorites may also be missing even if they would only play a background role or at most a bond opportunity here.
Audio & Visuals
The Dynasty Warriors games have never been the best looking games, prioritizing troop size over detail, but it is clear that Omega Force has spent a lot of time revamping and detailing the officers in Dynasty Warriors: Origins. Many characters will look just like fans remember but with far more detail while others have been given complete revamps, especially characters that were previously more caricature than anything else. These details look their best during cutscenes and in-game bonding moments while the battlefield sees them take a backseat to the chaotic action. Even when charging headlong into a large force with an allied large force the game runs completely smooth on the Xbox Series X, slamming into foes with a powerful Musou attack capable of taking down well over a hundred soldiers at once. The battlefields themselves are also nicely varied and change depending on where players are in the overworld, though it is worth noting that there is re-use in battlefields when it comes to side missions and skirmishes.
Koei Tecmo has offered both an original English dub as well as their own Japanese voice track for the game, giving players the choice to choose between them at any point. That being said, the subtitles are quite small so players may prefer English voices here, especially since the characters are portrayed quite well here. The soundtrack consists of many remixed tracks that fans of the franchise are familiar with as well as some original tracks that fit well during the game’s action and more poignant moments that happen throughout the story.
Overall
Dynasty Warriors: Origins proves that Dynasty Warriors is back and in a big way. While it may deviate from the standard formula in many different ways by focusing on an original non-customizable character with only a limited number of weapon types compared to the many on offer usually and wide cast of playable characters, it does manage to tell its familiar story in a brand new and incredibly interesting way, giving even veterans new looks at their favorite characters, if they made the cut that is. Dynasty Warriors: Origins brings the 1 vs 1,000 design philosophy to reality and those who love action games will find that this one has plenty to offer and then some, even if things might get a bit repetitive near the end.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Will you command entire cities, or strategise from the shadows?
Bristol, United Kingdom — January 13, 2025| Following a livestream announcement by Yogscast last Friday, Gamersky and Yogscast Games are excited to announce not one, but two new strategy games set to launch on Steam — February 6, 2025. From Yahzj Games, Border Pioneer challenges players to build a pixel metropolis and defend it from outside forces. Meanwhile, chx games’ Stray Path offers a feline FreeCell take on the roguelike deckbuilder. Both games will be available on Steam next month.
Border Pioneer
As the saying goes, if you build it, they will come… and try to knock it down. The perfect blend of city-builder and tower defense, Border Pioneer gives players the opportunity to forge the fortresses of their dreams, and watch it all crash and burn before their eyes.
In deliciously nostalgic pixel style, this upcoming strategy game offers an array of treacherous terrains, diverse foes and unforeseen dangers to discover as players expand their borders. As unchartered territories are claimed and enemies are vanquished, players are rewarded with new elements to help grow and fortify their settlements.
Stray Path
Not all cities are ruled from the top – sometimes the strings are being pulled from the seedy back alleys of the towns themselves. Stray Path takes players on a journey through dark roads and twisted forests, where every choice is crucial as they attempt to find a way out amidst countless dangers and secrets.
From curious cats to buff beast tamers, players must select an adventurer and embark on their adventure. One by one, cards are flipped and the mysteries of the path ahead are revealed. Will there be treasure? Vicious adversaries? Or perhaps even a chance to run? Every decision has a consequence.
Gamersky and Yogscast Games will be bringing both exciting new titles to Steam on February 6, 2025. Both games will be available as part of a bundle at launch, offering players a 10% discount.
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 ‘Trolley Problem, Inc.’ and the wildly successful restaurant management roguelike ‘PlateUp!’ which recently passed 1.5m Steam units sold.
About Gamersky
Gamersky was established in 2003. Founded and run by a bunch of hardcore video game lovers, Gamersky is now the leading video game press, a passionate indie game publisher and a cozy community for fellow video game veterans.
Pre-registration Now Open for the Ultimate MMO Idle RPG Experience!
SuperPlanet has announced that it is currently conducting a global pre-registration for its new mobile game “Hardcore Leveling Warrior“. Based on the popular Naver Webtoon series Hardcore Leveling Warrior with a global cumulative view count of 1 billion, the game reinterprets the world of the original webtoon. It tells the story of the protagonist, who has fallen from the strongest to the weakest, and his quest to challenge for the number one rank again. Players will experience a unique idle RPG experience.
“Hardcore Leveling Warrior” features an idle system that allows players to enjoy deep RPG elements with simple controls. Players can progress through automatic hunting and easy controls while farming and trading various items. Additionally, the PvP content “Nightmare” lets users compete with others in real-time, adding thrilling combat excitement.
The characters from the webtoon have been newly reinterpreted in the latest SD style and vividly brought to life in high-quality artwork. While maintaining the webtoon’s signature cartoonish charm, the game adds an original story, offering fresh appeal to both fans of the original series and new players.
Pre-registration is available on the official website (https://www.superplanet.net/games/page/lucid/) and can be done through major app stores like Google Play and Apple App Store.
A representative from SuperPlanet stated, “The ‘Hardcore Leveling Warrior’ IP, which gained global popularity, is reborn as a game in ‘Hardcore Leveling Warrior,’ providing players with a powerful RPG experience. We have prepared generous rewards and benefits for pre-registration events, and we look forward to your participation and interest.”
Developer TreesPlease Games celebrates a successful end to 2024, doubling player planted trees, A Global Gaming Citizen Award at The Game Awards 2024 and more
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 13th January – TreesPlease Games, a studio founded to make games that protect nature and fight climate change, celebrates a milestone year for the developer, across both player action and industry recognition.
Over two million trees have been planted through player action in their debut mobile title; Longleaf Valley. This achievement represents real impact for the environment, with an estimated CO2 offset potential of 42k tonnes. That’s similar to 46k long haul flights, or the absorbing power of nearly 29 acres of sea ice. This achievement not only doubles the number of real world trees planted in partnership with the Eden Reforestation Project, but includes doubling the games install volume in 2024.
Since its debut in 2023, Longleaf Valley has been designed with a ‘Play It, Plant It’ model, where trees planted in-game result in real trees being planted in areas of the world where deforestation has already occurred. These results are evidence of the significant positive effect that games can have; low player effort, for a high environmental impact.
Adding to this success, CEO and Founder Laura Carter received a Global Gaming Citizen award, revealed during The Game Awards 2024 opening ceremony. Discussing her lifelong purpose to protect nature and fight climate change and champion conservation through the medium of games, Carter noted that games can have a significant impact on our world. This recognition at the games industries leading show cements Treesplease position as a key voice and authority in impactful gaming.
Longleaf Valley also recently won the ‘Best purpose driven game’ at the Playing of the Planet Awards in November 2024. The Playing for the Planet Awards celebrates games industry initiatives towards environmental action, with nominees including Mojang, Ubisoft, Tencent Games and more.
Not letting the success slow them down, TreesPlease has kicked off 2025 with a new Veganuary campaign inviting gamers and non-gamers to drop into Longleaf Valley during January. The Veganuary event will feature in-game content inspired by the official Veganuary Cookbook, and will allow players to collect adorable baby animal rewards. The event aims to shine a light on the impact of animal agriculture on deforestation, and to help encourage the adoption of an animal and climate friendly plant-based diet.
Laura Carter, CEO & Co-Founder of TreesPlease Games, said: “This year has been an incredible whirlwind! We’ve seen Longleaf Valley reach an ever-growing audience, while also strengthening our impact as a studio. Thanks to the tireless efforts of our team, the unwavering passion for the planet shown by our players, and the industry’s recognition of our mission, we’re poised for an even greater 2025. We’re deeply grateful to our players, and partners for supporting us on this journey, and we’re thrilled to continue harnessing the power of play to fight for our planet and all life on it.”
Founded in late 2019, TreesPlease Games makes games that change the world by protecting nature and fighting climate change through both creating awareness and mobilising players to be impactful and plant trees as they play. Leveraging the vast reach of free-to-play games,TreesPlease Games drives meaningful global impact while delivering games that millions of players can enjoy.
The studio was established by industry veterans from renowned companies such as Natural Motion, Zynga, King, Square Enix, and ustwo games. With a proven track record of crafting engaging and successful mobile experiences, the team is united by a shared goal: to use their expertise to drive positive change through play.
It’s debut game, Longleaf Valley, is now available though theApple AppStore andGoogle Play Store, having already planted over 2 million trees since its release.
Monday 13 January 2025: NSW digital game creators will be able to reach the next level with applications now open for Screen NSW’s Digital Games Seed Development Program.
Targeted at up-and-coming and small-medium enterprise digital game creators, grants of up to $30,000 are available to advance early concept original game ideas to the next stage of development or to secure investment for full-scale development.
This is the second round of the program, which first launched in March 2024, and will deliver vital support to digital games creators and encourage sustainable growth in the digital games sector in NSW.
Applications are now open and will close Monday 24 February 2025 at 2pm AEDT.
For more information and to apply, visit the Screen NSW website here.
A free information video for prospective applicants will be available online from Thursday 23 January 2025 at 10am AEDT. This online session will cover more information on the program, including the application process, handy tips on preparing your application, and a Q&A with Anna Cho, Screen NSW Manager Strategy, PDV & Digital Games and Ryan Penning Screen NSW Online and Games Investment Manager. If you have a question about the application process that you’d like answered as part of the information video, please submit your questions by Friday 17 January at 9am AEDT to [email protected].
Head of Screen NSW Kyas Hepworth said:
“The first round of the Digital Games Seed Development Program supported a broad range of NSW talent, and we have already seen many of the projects enter the next stage of development. With support from the program, developers have begun showcasing early concepts of their games to audiences in Australia and overseas, attracting further financing and receiving vital feedback so they can continue to create exciting games for audiences to enjoy globally.
“We are thrilled to be opening another round of the Digital Games Seed Development Program, supporting developers and ensuring we have a diverse pipeline of game talent in NSW.”
Digital Games Seed Development Program recipient Ally McLean, Game Director and Writer of Mystiques Haunted Antiques said:
“The Digital Games Seed Development Program was enormously helpful in providing Lemonade Games with the resources we needed to develop our Vertical Slice in NSW. Making great games in Sydney is important to us, and without this funding we would not have been able to continue to invest in our local talent. This support empowers us to bring higher quality materials to the global market to secure funding for our game.”
Image: Mystiques Haunted Antiques, supplied by Lemonade Games.
Fight for the precious remnants of society’s resources, protect and rescue citizens who contribute value to society, and serve the Panopticon dutifully in combat to reduce a million-year prison sentence
Congratulations, Sinner. As a non-productive citizen of the Panopticon, the only way to reduce the million-year prison sentence assigned at birth is through the redeeming fire of combat. FREEDOM WARS REMASTERED, the cult classic action game originally released on PlayStation Vita, is now available worldwide for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam. The cult hit was remastered by the game’s original developer, and brings enhancements including 4K resolution, upgraded textures, improved online multiplayer, a new “Deadly Sinner” higher difficulty mode, and 60fps for current gen platforms. The story remains unchanged, but upgraded player systems help streamline looting, crafting, and other player interactions from the original release.
Choose to provide value to society through combat and helping support the Panopticon and productive citizens or die a Sinner. Watch the FREEDOM WARS REMASTERED announcement trailer below:
FREEDOM WARS REMASTERED — Launch Trailer
In the distant future, humanity is in a struggle to survive. Pollution has devastated the planet, and the remnants of humanity are divided amongst city-sized prisons called Panopticons. So scarce are resources that living itself is a crime and those born are immediately given a million years of prison time. Dubbed “Sinners” the only option other than awaiting death in prison is to fight for freedom with allies for resources, to rescue productive citizens from abduction by rival enemies, or take up arms against other enemy Sinners from competing Panopticons.
FREEDOM WARS REMASTERED brings enhancements such as 4K resolution, upgraded textures, and 60fps performance on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam, an overhauled weapon crafting system and other gameplay upgrades, as well as adding difficulty settings. Staying true to the widely acclaimed original, players must venture forth into combat to survive. Fortunately, the standard-issue Thorn weapons help Sinners traverse the world and subdue enemies. Thorns allow for fluid three-dimensional movement by jumping and grabbing onto terrain. Players can choose weapons with unique abilities to either set traps, provide healing or increase defense. Thorns can also subdue enemies, even severing limbs or arms for additional resources. As players try to reduce their prison sentence, materials scrounged or taken from fallen enemies on the battlefield can be used to upgrade weapons.
The Panopticon is its own entity – players will come to understand and navigate through their prison environment and use Entitlement Points earned from volunteering for combat to claim new rights from their wardens, such as the ability to run for five seconds or to recline while seated. The wardens are fully customizable android accessories that can even accompany players into battle under their ever-watchful eyes. The Panopticon’s community of prisoners will be crucial to survival…missions support up to four Sinners either AI-controlled NPCs or with other players in online co-op. Band together to take on more difficult combat missions, and gradually reduce the million years of incarceration in a life-or-death fight for freedom.
Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe S.A.S. is a leading global publisher and developer of entertainment content for platforms including, but not limited to, all major video game consoles and PC.
Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe is producing intellectual property for a global audience and is building its reputation with franchises such as LITTLE NIGHTMARES™, PARK BEYOND™ and UNKNOWN 9™ Awakening – developed by Reflector Entertainment based in Montreal, QC.
Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe serves as the Headquarters of Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. for mainland Europe, which is known for creating and publishing many of the Toy & Entertainment industry’s top franchises, including PAC-MAN™, TAMAGOTCHI™, GUNDAM™, TEKKEN™, DARK SOULS™ and the recently released ELDEN RING™.
We take to the familiar battlefields of the Three Kingdoms with a far different look than before as we set forth as a brand new character with a forgotten past and face down countless enemies and begin battling the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Dynasty Warriors: Origins, a new take on Koei Tecmo’s series.
DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS – Gameplay
Become immersed in exhilarating battles as a nameless hero in the Three Kingdoms. The most exhilarating action in the series’ history
Tension-filled battlefields where you clash against massive armies stretching as far as the eye can see. How will you handle the onslaught of enemies? Your military prowess will serve you well as you fight in tandem with your allies in tactical battles unique to the “DYNASTY WARRIORS” franchise and experience the most exhilarating action in the series’ history.
A new version of the Three Kingdoms from the perspective of an original protagonist
The story of the Three Kingdoms is set in the vast mainland of China where the convictions of different heroes intersect. Experience this magnificent and alluring world through the eyes of the original protagonist, a “nameless hero.”
DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS Developer: KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. Publisher: KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. Platform: Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S Release Date: 17th January, 2025 Price: $69.99 USD
Recommended – “Dynasty Warriors is back in a big way. Dynasty Warriors: Origins revamped officer combat makes dominating the battlefield a thrilling challenge while slaying thousands of fodder as satisfying as ever.”
The annual charity event comes to a close after impressive and zany speedruns, like Elden Ring with a saxophone and a pop punk-fueled live concert for Crazy Taxi
Pittsburgh, PA – January 12, 2025 – Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ) 2025 has officially come to a close, raising over $2.5 million for Prevent Cancer Foundation. The week-long speedrunning charity event, which took place in Pittsburgh, PA, was streamed 24/7 from January 5-12 on Games Done Quick’s Twitch channel. The event attracted over 2,000 in-person attendees, and tens of thousands watched online as the livestream routinely ranked among the most-watched on Twitch.
Speedrunners attended from around the world, racing through a bevy of games new and old, often with zany incentives and challenges to drive donations. Some of the most head-turning speedruns included a full-blown live concert during Crazy Taxi; Dr. Doot playing Elden Ring with a saxophone as a controller; an opera performance by trained singer Xem after completing his Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando run; and FunkopotamusWes’s playthrough of New Super Mario Bros. Wii using his head and feet via motion controls while playing piano. Nearing the end of the run, he amazed the roaring crowd with his ultimate multi-tasking skills by doing all of the above, but now blindfolded.
There were countless side-splitting goofy moments even during the late hours of the night. The “Awful Block,” which included speedrunners rushing through terrible games, was particularly popular, as BradHarmar played through the notorious Superman 64 and KingJO444 played the ever-strange Golf With Your Grandmother.
The week-long marathon concluded in the early hours of Sunday morning with a strong run of Super Metroid. For anyone who may have missed AGDQ 2025, every run is archived on the official Games Done Quick YouTube channel.
Since 2010, Games Done Quick has raised more than $54 million for charities worldwide, including Doctors Without Borders, Prevent Cancer Foundation, Malala Fund, Organization for Autism Research, and more. GDQ’s next events are already on the horizon: Held online through February 6-9, Back to Black is the first all-Black speedrunning charity event, hosted by GDQ’s Black speedrunning community Black in a Flash and benefiting racial justice nonprofit Race Forward. Shortly after is Frost Fatales, held online from March 9-16, an all-women and femmes speedrunning showcase benefitting the National Women’s Law Center. And finally, from July 6-12, Summer Games Done Quick returns to Minneapolis, Minnesota to raise funds for Doctors Without Borders.
Games Done Quick is an organizer of video game speedrunning marathons. These events feature high-level gameplay by speedrunners raising money for charity. Games Done Quick has teamed up with several charities in its 15-year history, including Prevent Cancer Foundation and Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). To date, Games Done Quick has raised more than $54 million for charity.
About Prevent Cancer Foundation®
The Prevent Cancer Foundation® is the only U.S.-based nonprofit organization solely dedicated to cancer prevention and early detection. Through research, education, outreach and advocacy, we have helped countless people avoid a cancer diagnosis or detect their cancer early enough to be successfully treated. We are driven by a vision of a world where cancer is preventable, detectable and beatable for all.
The Foundation is rising to meet the challenge of reducing cancer deaths by 40% by 2035. To achieve this, we are committed to investing $20 million for innovative technologies to detect cancer early and advance multi-cancer screening, $10 million to expand cancer screening and vaccination access to medically underserved communities, and $10 million to educate the public about screening and vaccination options.
King, a leading interactive entertainment company for the mobile world, today announced that Candy Crush Solitaire® is launching world-wide on mobile devices on February 6, 2025. One of the biggest mobile games of all time meets the most popular card game of all time with Candy Crush Solitaire. The free-to-play game is now available for pre-registration on the Amazon Appstore, Apple App Store, Google Play Store, Samsung Galaxy Store and more.
Candy Crush Solitaire offers players a fresh, exciting way to enjoy solitaire by blending the familiar gameplay of tripeaks solitaire with engaging new features. Players can expect a strategic, dynamic experience enhanced by fan-favorite boosters, challenging blockers, and a rewarding progression system, all wrapped in the vibrant world of Candy Crush®. Pre-register now to unlock exclusive in-game rewards, including a unique card back, 5,000 Coins, four undos, two fish cards, and three color bomb cards. Don’t miss out on these perks, pre-register now.
The announcement trailer for Candy Crush Solitaire is available below:
About King
With a mission of Making the World Playful, King is a leading interactive entertainment company with more than 20 years of history of delivering some of the world’s most iconic games in the mobile gaming industry, including the world-famous Candy Crush franchise, as well as other mobile game hits such as Farm Heroes Saga. King games are played by more than 200 million monthly active users. King, part of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), has Kingsters in Stockholm, Malmö, London, Barcelona, Berlin, Dublin, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Malta. More information can be found at King.com.
About Candy Crush Solitaire
Candy Crush Solitaire® brings a fresh twist to the classic card game, combining the timeless fun of solitaire with the vibrant and colorful world of Candy Crush®. Players can unwind and challenge themselves as they solve puzzles, stack cards, and enjoy innovative gameplay that reimagines solitaire in a delightful new way.
Candy Crush Solitaire is free to download and available on the Apple App Store, Google Play, and Amazon App Store. Whether you’re a fan of card games or looking for a relaxing escape, Candy Crush Solitaire offers a fun and engaging experience for players of all ages.
