Experience the ultimate off-road automotive challenge, now featuring full VR locomotion on both Steam & Meta Quest
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Oct. 23, 2024 –Saber Interactive has announced that MudRunner VR is now available on SteamVR for $19.99|14.99 GBP|19.99 EUR. A special Steam bundle featuring both the original MudRunner game and the new MudRunner VR is also available on Steam with a 10% discount. Today’s launch introduces a tremendous milestone update for MudRunner VR, adding full locomotion to both the SteamVR and Meta Quest versions of the game. Jump into the driver’s seat and take on the ultimate off-road expedition with truly immersive visuals and controls. Watch out, adventure is up ahead!
MudRunner VR evolves the beloved classic MudRunner experience into an all-new, VR-exclusive adventure. With redesigned 3D vehicle and environment models, players can use a variety of tools and equipment to tackle wild, muck-filled challenges, even stepping outside the vehicle’s cabin to handle extra tasks.
A free update available today for all players on both SteamVR and Meta Quest adds full locomotion to MudRunner VR for an even deeper level of immersion, allowing drivers to experience continual movement outside of the vehicle cabin. With nothing but the untamed wilderness ahead, are you ready to explore the expansive VR world of MudRunner VR?
Key Features
The Ultimate Off-Road Experience Comes to VR: Enjoy the classic MudRunner experience with the unmatched feel and immersion of VR, including full locomotion.
Master Eight Powerful All-Terrain Vehicles: Get behind the wheel of eight unique vehicles, each with their own distinct attributes and equipment as well as cosmetic variations.
Explore Vast, Untamed Environments: Adventure across immense sandbox landscapes while battling the harshest terrain and forces of nature.
Overcome Extreme Conditions & Get the Job Done: Complete a variety of perilous objectives and deliveries while fighting off the wild’s most hazardous dangers.
MudRunner VR is available now for $19.99|14.99 GBP|19.99 EUR on Steam, as well as on Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 2, and Meta Quest Pro via the Meta Store. Steam users can grab a bundle featuring both the original MudRunner and MudRunner VR with a 10% discount.
Additionally, a MudRunner VR Meta Quest bundle featuring PowerWash Simulator VR will be on sale with a 20% discount from October 24 until November 3 via the Meta Store.
About Saber Interactive
Saber Interactive is a worldwide publisher and developer consisting of 13 studios in the Americas and Europe. Creating games for all major platforms based on original and licensed IPs, Saber’s titles include Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, Jurassic Park: Survival, World War Z, RoadCraft, SnowRunner, and Expeditions: A MudRunner Game. Founded in 2001, Saber is known for two decades of development partnerships with AAA publishers, producing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for Nintendo Switch, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Crysis Remastered, and many others. Learn more at https://saber.games.
Scheduled to release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X on November 6th, SlavicPunk: Oldtimer is a fast paced, isometric, twin-stick shooter set in a gritty world of SibirPunk – a darker and grimmer look at a cyberpunk world, as imagined from a Slavic perspective.
Cyberpunk as a literary genre has always been about the struggle of ordinary people versus the all-powerful corporations, gripping whole societies by their throats. But it was also about style, colorful neons and chrome. What if we would take that flashiness away, what would be left?
This city is your home, your shelter, your prison. Some whisper it even had a name once… though now it hardly matters. Witness the harsh reality of filthy streets, where blood, booze, and cash hold more value than a human life. Embrace the contrast of cutting-edge technology and widespread poverty, where those in power thrive on opportunities while despair grips those beneath them. This is SlavicPunk – a world where everyone lives and dies by a gun… and you are no exception.
Game features:
Action-packed combat, where having an itchy trigger finger and fast feet is the key to survival
Transparent isometric view and intuitive twin-stick controls
Harsh yet absolutely addictive Eastern-European cyberpunk setting based on Michał Gołkowski books series
Fight your foes in melee, upgrade your guns, hack your enemies and unravel the compelling story of Yanus, a private investigator with a troubled past
SlavicPunk: Oldtimer invites players to step into the shoes of Yanus, a private investigator with a troubled past, whose task is to uncover the truth behind a stolen data carrier while facing urban gangs, corrupt corporations, and his inner demons.
Known for its unique mix of fast-paced combat, modular weapon customization, and immersive storytelling, the game blends elements of a good old shoot-’em-up with battle-hacking and puzzle-solving, into a gritty, dark future with a distinctly Slavic twist. With its console debut, Xbox and PlayStation players will experience the game’s deep narrative, post-soviet architecture, and biting humor, offering a fresh perspective on the cyberpunk genre.
SlavicPunk: Oldtimer is scheduled to launch on the Xbox Store and PlayStation Store on November 6th, 2024. Don’t miss out on your chance to uncover the dark secrets hidden beneath the neon glow and concrete streets of this one-of-a-kind cyberpunk adventure.
Red Square Games is responsible for developing SlavicPunk: Oldtimer. Gaming Factory S.A. and Red Square Games areresponsible for the release of the game on consoles. More information about the game can be found on the Xbox Store and PlayStation Store.
Red Square Games
Polish company founded in 2020 by developers and investors. The main pillar of the company is the creation of indie games set in interesting universes, with the assumption of creating more and more ambitious titles. In addition, the studio’s ambitions go beyond video games, creating board games and role-playing games as well.
Gaming Factory
The company was founded in 2017. Its main goal is to find unique game ideas, support creative indie developers, and help them at every production stage. Gaming Factory is a game publisher for gamers. https://gamingfactory.pl
Piece together a cursed family album in this chilling, tactile narrative-puzzler
Auckland, New Zealand – 23 October 2024 – Cold Out Interactive is today thrilled to officially announce its debut title CORPOREAL – a narratively-driven, paranormal-mystery puzzle game – is now in development for PC and available to wishlist now via Steam.
Set in New Zealand during the late 1990s, CORPOREAL is a haunting, photographic puzzle game which sees players piece together a cursed photo-album as they unravel the mystery of the unexplained events that left them as the sole surviving member of their family tree.
Players will search for answers in an archive of photographs rescued from the ruins of their childhood home; only by using the album to manipulate the past will they be able to chart their ill-fated family history – encountering a number of tragic, doomed spectres in the process.
CORPOREAL will envelop players in a dark and enigmatic narrative with its tactile analog-inspired puzzles and interactions, while naturalistic live-action photography brings a stunning degree of documentarian verisimilitude to the chillingly atmospheric presentation.
CORPOREAL Features
Unravel a mystery set in late-90s New Zealand captured with live-action photography.
Navigate a series of immersive retro analog interfaces.
Manipulate photographs in tactile, minimalist puzzles, where you combine images of the past to create new scenes.
Solve nonlinear puzzles, alter the narrative and discover hidden secrets and spectres.
Cold Out is an indie developer based in Auckland, New Zealand led by designer/artist Max Quy and a small team of collaborators from around NZ. It is currently developing its debut title CORPOREAL, a paranormal-mystery narrative game, with funding support from the NZ Film Commission and NZ Centre of Digital Excellence.
Gaijin Entertainment announces the release of the “Steel Troopers” major content update and the beginning of Halloween celebrations in the post-apocalyptic online action game Crossout. The update brings a set of special modes where players can earn “tricky treats” and spend them on cosmetic items and parts for armored vehicles.
During the festive season players will be treated to a new team “Steel Troopers” PvE brawl, where walking robots will face a horde of mechanical Ravager spiders. While small maneuverable drones crawl underfoot, larger ones try to harpoon combat vehicles and make them easy prey. For success in destroying arachnids, players receive unique cosmetic items. “Steel Troopers” will be available from October 24th to October 30th.
In addition, other festive brawls will take place in Crossout in the coming month: for example, in the “Feathered Mayhem” players fight in pre-installed armored vehicles in the form of pigeons, and in “Big Races” they try to reach the finish line alive and preferably first. The exact schedule of events is available on the official website.
Finally, a new “The Flaming One” pack that includes a hellish muscle car is available for purchase in the Crossout store. Surrounded by enemies, this monster literally overheats with rage and begins to move faster and inflict even more damage.
About Crossout
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, Crossout is an MMO vehicle combat game available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S offering players complete customisation in building and upgrading deadly armored vehicles to destroy enemies in open PvP and PvE battles. Crossout gives players thousands of possibilities to design their vehicle, including shape, armor, weapons, support systems and, of course, cosmetic enhancements. Official website: http://crossout.net
About Gaijin Entertainment
Gaijin Entertainment is the developer and publisher of the online games War Thunder, Crossout, Enlisted, CRSED: F.O.A.D. and Star Conflict as well as other PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, iOS and Android titles across several genres. The company’s diverse portfolio has received a range of mass media and game industry awards including such as Gamescom Award and many more. Official website: http://gaijinent.com/
Maru VR took home the prize during the annual MängudeÖÖ event.
Tallinn, Estonia, 22nd October 2024 – During the 26th annual MängudeÖÖ event in Estonia, the video game festival awarded its very first Estonian Game of the Year award to Maru VR’s Bootstrap Island!
Held in the Apollo Cinema Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, MängudeÖÖ was a gaming celebration, featuring the latest titles as well as home-grown achievements. The Game of the Year award featured nine nominations, with Bootstrap Island and Into the Radius 2 by CM Games representing the VR industry. The win netted Maru VR a 2,000 EUR grand prize.
Estonian Game of the Year Nominations
1st Place – Bootstrap Island
2nd Place – Into the Radius 2 & Untraveled Lands: Chantico
3rd Place Rusty’s Retirement
Buckshot Roulette
Speedollama
Redneck Magic
Monster Run: Downfall of the Empire
Adventures of Deliveryman
“The award for Game of the Year came as a complete surprise to me, and it is a tremendous honour for the Maru VR team,” said Rein Zobel, Creative Director at Maru VR. Especially considering that this year, the competition among great Estonian games was incredibly fierce, which is already a piece of very positive news.”
Alongside an assortment of games for attendees to play, there were also a multitude of tournaments taking place. These included competitions on Tekken 8 and EA FC 25. Risto Kappet, an Estonian e-racer, won the Red Bull Gaming Ground-Gran Turismo 7 tournament.
Bootstrap Island launched for PCVR headsets on Steam Early Access in February 2024. The island survival adventure quickly became a VR fan favourite thanks to its immersive gameplay mechanics and top-tier graphics.
Bootstrap Island is preparing for its next major update “Overlord” set for release this October. Players will encounter the mysterious island’s first boss, hidden deep within the jungle. Maru VR will continue to update Bootstrap Island as it prepares for a full release in late 2025.
Bootstrap Island is a Robinson Crusoe-style roguelike survival game set in the 17th century. Once a merchant travelling the treacherous seas, you now find yourself washed ashore a mysterious, sun-soaked island. Shipwrecked, your only choice is to explore this new land and survive the challenges it brings. Explore the pristine beaches and dense jungle in search of food, water, weapons and other resources. Collect materials to make fire and try to survive the long dark nights as hungry beasts prowl.
About Maru VR:
Maru VR is a small indie studio that is leading VR development in Estonia. Since 2016 they have produced more than 40 location-based VR games and experiences.
Bootstrap Island is Maru VR`s first full-featured premium VR game. Their goal is to push the boundaries of VR with new approaches to storytelling, interactive design, and gameplay in order to reach the medium’s full potential.
World of Warcraft is approaching its official 20th Anniversary on 23 November and players can take part in a myriad of in-game activities commemorating two decades of adventure, as the first content update for The War Within (11.0.5) is now live!
The Champions of Azeroth, past and present, are invited to the Caverns of Time tucked away in the wastelands of Tanaris for a special celebration and opportunities to earn a plethora of rewards. Here’s a glimpse of what players can look forward to in the 20th Anniversary update:
NEW CLASSIC RAID: Blackrock Depths
This classic era dungeon has been refashioned into a 10-15 player, 8-boss raid available in LFR, Normal and Heroic difficulties.
NEW TIMEWALKING: Classic Dungeons
Classic dungeons will be offered in the LFD group finder and will officially enter the Timewalking rotation beyond the anniversary event.
Deadmines (original classic version)
Dire Maul (east and west wings)
Stratholme (living and undead wings)
NEW WORLD BOSSES
Additional raid bosses are making a return with updated rewards in addition to previous anniversary raid bosses:
Sha of Anger (from Mists of Pandaria)
Archavon the Stonewatcher (from Wrath of the Lich King)
LEGENDARY REWARDS
New mounts, pets, and classic transmog sets will be available to earn using a new currency, Bronze Celebration Tokens.
Additionally, updated modern versions of the Tier 2 armor sets will be purchasable with Bronze Celebration Tokens, available for all classes with new ones created for classes that were not available in the classic Tier 2 era!
Content update 11.0.5 will also bring additional changes and features for players to enjoy, including class balance updates, new quests and the expansion of the Dracthyr race into six new combat classes including rogue, mage and priest.
For more information on the anniversary update in The War Within, check out our blog on the World of Warcraft website.
LOS ANGELES – OCTOBER 22, 2024 – Netmarble, a leading developer and publisher of high-quality mobile games, has announced a new update for its idle RPG The Seven Deadly Sins: IDLE Adventure. Players can now experience a new hero and content updates, as well as various events celebrating Halloween.
Starting today, players can add Estarossa of Love to the roster of playable characters. He is a VIT-attribute Tank whose special skill, ‘Full Counter’, taunts enemies and grants a Reflect buff on himself. This skill allows him to mirror a portion of the damage cast back at the attacker upon being hit. Estarossa of Love is obtainable by using Rate Up Summon Tickets or Diamonds through November 5.
A brand-new PvP content, ‘Brawl’, has been introduced in this update. Players will create three separate decks, each with its own strategy, to compete against other players. Those who win two out of three matches will be victororius. Participants will earn Brawl Coins, which can be exchanged for various in-game items at the Brawl Shop.
Several events have launched to celebrate Halloween, offering valuable rewards. In the Spooky Haunted House Event, players will use the event currency, ‘Old Lantern’, to acquire various rewards such as a Legendary Hero Summon Ticket and Diamonds hidden in silhouettes. Players can also challenge the Halloween Event Boss, ‘Little Ghost Tori’, while Ban’s Delicacies, Tavern Plunder and Tavern will be transformed into Halloween-themed designs.
Other updates include an expansion of stages to 4000 with new story content, as well as a Rate Up Summon for Guardian of Istal Zaneri, a DEX-attribute support.
Based on the global hit manga and anime ‘The Seven Deadly Sins’, the game welcomes players to an idle RPG world overflowing with epic adventures and fan-favorite characters from the franchise. Inspired by The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross, the mobile RPG enjoyed by 60 million players around the globe, The Seven Deadly Sins: IDLE Adventure offers an enjoyable gameplay experience featuring a variety of content, an easy-to-play One-Tap Draw system, as well the opportunity to collect and nurture beloved characters.
For more information on The Seven Deadly Sins: IDLE Adventure, please be sure to stay tuned to the official website and official social channels (Facebook, Discord) for future updates.
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 athttp://company.netmarble.com.
I have a weird love of The Smurfs. While I haven’t paid much attention to the cinematic adaptations in the past decade, I have always found it to be an odd comfort to watch the old cartoon, which still holds up today. Microids are bringing that charm and heart to consoles with The Smurfs: Dreams, a 3D platformer that ties in a narrative to appeal to a younger audience. Does it prove to be a welcome in a genre that needs some love, or is this another licensed title worth skipping? Let’s find out.
The Smurfs Dreams – Gameplay
Story
Gargamel is at it again and has found a way to put almost all of Smurf Village to sleep by tampering with the food supply. Luckily, Papa Smurf is left unharmed and puts you in control of this adventure, where you must enter the dreams of the villagers and attempt to wake them up before the evil force comes to wreak havoc. The plot itself here is fine, but the execution is a bit dry. Without voice acting, or even music, there is a void of personality here and that really makes the whole adventure feel bland. Sure, there are little cutscenes, but most don’t really tie together the plot well enough to make it memorable, and while I admire the effort, the story ultimately is flat here.
Gameplay
The gameplay was probably what I was most excited about here. If you grew up in the days when platformers were a dime a dozen, you know it was rare for there to be a “bad” one as most, while generic – still had the same mechanics to give us something playable. That is really what The Smurfs: Dreams is. A playable, yet simplistic take on the genre that plays it a bit too safe for its own good. Your character can jump and has the ability to grab most items (though they don’t physically grab, it’s more of a float above your head kind of thing) in order to progress forward. There are puzzles, but they never feel involved enough for intrigue, instead feeling like a minor roadblock that is cleared without much issue or problem.
Honestly, the controls are fine and the game’s controls feel tight enough. The worlds here are also varied and have a good number of places to explore. The player has items to collect as well as berries, which act as the game’s currency system. On paper, it sounds just like it is, a bare-bones platformer that gets the job done. The issues with Dreams come more from how vacant these worlds are. While some lands are impressive, others feel barren and empty, as if there was a rush to build specific stages. This is a 3D platformer through and through, and while I don’t think many will have issues with exploring, they might have a bit of a boring time due to how easy and lacking the environments are overall.
Stages also go on way too long. Each “constellation” of the dream world acts as a stage which is made up of three chapters. When you beat one, you simply go right into the next. These chapters are long though and mainly repeat the same gimmicks over and over, such as puzzles and ways to defeat enemies. Boss battles act as a brief refresher, but don’t come up with anything inventive to keep the player motivated and entertained either. Dodge this, jump on that, repeat. I think kids will be fine with this and this game does remind me a lot of those PlayStation 2/Gamecube platformers from years ago, but The Smurfs: Dreams needs a gimmick as unlocking costumes occasionally was really the only excitement I had during my time with the experience.
Audio
This may be the biggest issue within the whole product. The soundtrack is there, but it’s boring and doesn’t capture the environment whatsoever. It’s almost like elevator music, never adding to such wonderfully created stages. The Smurfs also groan and grunt, but do not talk, which is another lost opportunity. Even if it was a random cast, it could have added something more to bring the story alive if Microids would have dug in a bit here, but what we are left with is a rather uninspired set of tunes that don’t represent the property in any way. There were moments when little chimes would occur and I thought it was coming around to at least delivering something familiar, but those were over so quickly that it never made up for the lack of spirit.
Visuals
This I can compliment. The character models look fantastic and the worlds are bright and vivid. This may be one of the best-looking licensed platformers from a graphical standpoint I have seen in some time, but without sound to match, it’s just kind of hollow. There were no hiccups or glitches, just my little smurf, roaming around in a muted world. While some themed stages are great, others are literally empty. You’re just trying to get to the end with not a lot of design added to the environments.
Overall
I get it, I am way out of the target audience for this game, but I love platformers. The Smurfs: Dreams is a competent platformer that lacks the soul and heart of the actual property it’s named after. The mechanics are basic, the music is stale, and there is so much to be desired. That said, this is a pretty game and it is well-designed when it comes to the characters themselves. It’s just unfortunate that the adventure feels half-baked and commits the sin of being “boring”. Microids seem like they have a lot of potential to create something special, but this licensed romp is just a little too basic for its own good.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
The Smurfs are back in The Smurfs: Dreams, offering a fresh platforming experience. Papa Smurf enlists a lone Smurf to save the village by diving into the dreams of its sleeping inhabitants to wake them up. Join us as we explore the basics and jump into Smurf dreams with a fun and joyful take on the platforming genre!
The Smurfs – Dreams – Gameplay
The fate of the Smurf Village rests in your dreams: dive into a fantastic journey to save it in this fully immersive and magical 3D platformer! Gargamel has devised a new evil scheme to catch the Smurfs! He casted a cunning curse on the sarsaparilla bushes, causing a deep slumber across the Smurfs after they eat the delicious leaves.
Embark on a dreamlike quest to awaken all the Smurfs before the evil Gargamel reaches the village! Experience a thrilling yet unpredictable journey: in the dreamworld, anything is possible and excitement can quickly turn into a nightmare…
The Smurfs – Dreams Developer: Ocellus Studio Publisher: Microids Platform: Windows, PlayStaton 5|4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch Release Date: 24 Oct, 2024
Not Recommended – “The Smurfs: Dreams is a functioning platformer, but never quite taps into enough of that magic to bring us an interesting experience to the namesake. They may be pretty, but these lands feel a bit vacant of charm and personality.”
Thinking back, it’s a bit surprising that it has been eight years since the original release of Persona 5. Perhaps this is due to how the Persona series remains incredibly popular to this day or the fact that Persona 5 has been given so many revamps or guest appearances in that timeframe that it feels hard to top it. Well, one man thought the same and it happened to be the game’s director and producer Katsura Hashino who left P-Studio when he finished the game and formed Studio Zero within Atlus instead. Intent on crafting a high fantasy style game and moving away from the direction Persona was likely heading, Studio Zero spent years developing their first grand RPG in the form of Metaphor: ReFantazio and it must be said that not only have they succeeded, they’ve created the type of RPG that you just don’t much of these days, an original IP offering both quality and quantity of content with so much lore players will be delving in for more.
Story
Players are thrown right into the mix of things as they find themselves entering the world of Euchronia, a fantasy realm where eight races live in tenuous peace underneath the rule of an incredibly powerful king that has helped hold the land together despite the simmering tensions, blatant racism, poverty, religious extremism, and inequality and all of that entails. The only problem is, that very king has just been assassinated and the only living heir to the throne has also been laid low by a curse so powerful that he has been whisked away to safety, declaring him dead to the public in an effort to find a cure. It is here where players step in as the protagonist, an Elda boy who is from a race looked down on by every other race. Joined by a fairy named Gallica the player quickly learns the identity of the man that took the king’s life and plan an assassination attempt not just for revenge but to possibly lift the curse on the prince only for it to fail in spectacular fashion.
What unfolds then is the revelation that the former king had left a grand magic spell in case of his passing, one that would determine the next proper ruler for the throne should no heir apparent be available. One where the people choose, making the one person who finds the support of this divided land of people behind them, the next proper king of Euchronia. In a world ruled by bloodlines, race dominance, and nobles squashing commoners or even using others as test subjects, the thought of a popular election ripples through the land and even spurs the main character to take to the race for the throne, seeing it as their best possible chance to not only get a chance to get close enough to claim the life of the kingslayer but also save anyone that they can along the way. Especially when the race for the kingdom is turned into a literal race across the land by the country’s recognized religion seeking to create a theocracy through underhanded means.
For a game with metaphor in its title the writers don’t beat around the bush when it comes to the themes of Metaphor: ReFantazio and over the nearly hundred hour journey throughout the game players will be absolutely steeped in the dynamics of this struggling world and its people. With the pretense of the race serving as a driving force to bring players to different locations throughout the land they’ll discover countless new allies along the way as well as the shocking disparities some areas face compared to others as well as the persecution of certain races compared to others. Whether it is as blatant as a direct story interaction with a plot character or as subtle as a passing bit of dialogue while players explore the city how they are a filthy Elda or that they should ignore the corpse on the corner because it was a lowly Paripus, every element of the game seeks to show that despite being a land where no direct conflicts take place, Euchronia has rotted from within.
The thing is, even this is all just a framework set to establish the world that players will be traveling through and the interactions that they will have with their “Followers.” In many ways, despite moving away from the similar stylings found in Persona, Metaphor: ReFantazio still utilizes many of the same mechanics at least as far as character interactions go, though they have been made far more streamlined. Along the way players will meet a number of characters that will become Followers and lend their assistance in any way they can. Some of these characters will be party members while a majority of them won’t be, though one of these, we won’t spoil who, certainly feels like she should have been a party member thanks both in part to her early introduction in the story and eventual bonuses, though I digress. Along these same lines players must deal with an ever ticking clock as every action, be it entering a dungeon, hanging out with a Follower, or even doing an activity to boost a “virtue” takes time and each day only has an afternoon and night cycle to work with as well as deadlines they must meet for certain quests or dungeon completions.
Many quality of life elements have been made to these systems however and that is partially thanks to Gallica. At any time players can ask their fairy friend what Follower is currently available to talk to and have their “Bond” increase, if there are any potential quests they haven’t taken on yet, and even hints on activities that might be useful and even teleport the player right to a Follower if they need to. Similar to the past, there are occasionally certain requirements to continue a Follower’s storyline such as having a certain level of imagination or tolerance, but even this is made a bit easier to handle as players can directly see how far each “virtue” increases when they take part in an activity, never having to wonder just how close they might be to reaching the next step in a virtue to continue their interactions. Along these same lines, there are no requirements of having specific dialogue choices or equipped items needed to maximize an interaction. As for the characters themselves, it must be said that the Followers storylines are just as impactful as one would expect from an Atlus game, if not more so thanks to the darker tones set by the themes as well as the grander scale events occur and some of their developments ended up being quite shocking as we progressed through them, especially in late stages.
Going back to the core storyline buried beneath the outstanding character interactions and deep well of lore that Metaphor: ReFantazio manages to dig for itself and players will find a story that is hard to walk away from even at its slowest moments. There are numerous twists and turns as well as massive revelations, one of which is a bit easier to guess than others, and players will be quite eager to see things through to the end, finding this high fantasy RPG perhaps one of the best RPGs that Atlus has produced even if it does lack the romance aspect in it, though there are hints that they were thinking about it here and there.
Gameplay
As mentioned before, a lot of the standard interactions within towns and the day-to-day time passing remains the same from the Persona series. Players can travel through town and talk with random NPCs, accept side-quests or bounties on monsters though these side-quests and bounties usually involve traveling off to a dungeon that will take a day or two to get to, shop at various shops, or even just kill time by interacting with a supporter or boosting one of the five “virtues” which are courage, wisdom, tolerance, eloquence, and imagination. Now, as mentioned before, dungeons actually take time to get to and players will need to account for that when it comes to taking on quests since they’ll spend the in-between time on their massive “Gauntlet Runner” where a variety of other options become available. Similar to town, players can talk with their party members to gain virtues, cook in the kitchen, eventually plant seeds, or even clean up to find items. In fact, some party member “Bond” increases can only happen while traveling via the Gauntlet Runner and Gallica will even mention this when it is necessary.
Once players get to a dungeon, whether it is for a side-quest or a main storyline quest, they’ll find that while some aspects of combat remain the same, others have changed. First and foremost, Metaphor: ReFantazio makes use of a blended combat system that I’ve seen previously used in The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak where players attack an enemy while exploring in the dungeon and either stun them, giving them an opening attack and stunning blow on the target when entering turn-based combat called “Squad Battles” here or, if the player is a few levels higher than their enemy, slay them instantly in the dungeon and forgoing a turn based battle altogether. This allows for players to avoid having to deal with turn-based fights that would slow down exploration against enemies that they would crush anyways while also encouraging thoughtful exploration to properly stun foes equal or greater than their level to get an upper hand before tapping the button to enter into Squad Battle.
As players enter the turn-based Squad Battle they will find themselves taking part in the press-turn system that the Shin Megami Tensei series used where targeting an enemy weakness or landing a critical blow can provide an additional attack while a missed attack will cost an extra attack or, should it be blocked or drained entirely, completely end your side’s turn and the same with the enemy. This means players will need to always make sure to target weaknesses while avoiding having theirs targeted and can even slide to the front row or back row to deal extra damage or take less damage depending on the class a character is. Or, in the case of Metaphor: ReFantazio, what Archetype a character is currently wielding.
Rather than having a set “persona” or even a devil that will work alongside a specific character, the entire party now can make use of “Archetypes” in combat. These Archetypes all come with their own strengths and weaknesses, passive skills, attack skills, and more and depending on what Archetype the character has equipped it will also determine what equipment they can wear. This is similar to a class-based Job system as any character can take on any Archetype that they want as long as it has been unlocked and they have the “MAG” (a secondary currency for Archetype use) to spend. This means they can take their powerful knight character and transform her into a mage temporarily or swap out a summoner to become a gunner should the need arise.
Various Archetypes are unlocked by obtaining certain Bond levels with Supporters and also by progressing through the game and it is even possible to inherit some skills from already leveled up Archetypes into another one. Meaning players can highly customize their class loadout and change things up should the need arise. That being said, while it won’t take long for players to be able to change Archetypes from the menu even during dungeon exploration it is not possible to swap Archetypes in a fight so be wary of that. It is also interesting to note that various Archetypes can, when certain skills are obtained, are capable of teaming up with an ally of a complimentary type to perform extremely powerful Synthesis Attacks that take up two turns but often deal immense damage or have incredibly powerful buffs as a result.
Metaphor: ReFantazio‘s combat feels wonderful to master, especially when players are really in the groove or have unlocked a number of special Bond abilities as some late stage game unlocks can really power players up. In fact, the game even respects players for sticking true to their favorite character classes by rewarding players with Archetype EXP items should a character’s Archetype level up again past its mastery point. Combine this with its excellent exploration elements and day-to-day life and bonding moments and you have a game that truly strives to put its best foot forward in every regard even if it is in a world at its tipping point..
Audio & Visuals
Metaphor: ReFantazio has a lovely sense of gothic style that works perfectly with its high fantasy setting. The character designs for the eight races that players will encounter play it a bit on the safe side outside of a couple more unique races but they work more than well enough especially combined with the wonderful character portraits that accompany them. It is also nice to note that there are a plethora of fully animated anime cutscenes scattered throughout the game’s most important moments, really making these moments shine. It is interesting to note that the Archetype designs are also incredibly over-the-top even if most of the spells are fairly standard and haven’t been given too much of a revamp compared to what most fans would expect. Along these same lines it would be nice to see a bit more enemy variety as the game does start to reuse enemy designs with only slight variations in later stages and more than a few side-quest dungeons have the same feeling layout and designs which can make them feel a bit on the repetitive side.
The game also supports a very solid English dub with a great number of voiced lines handled by an excellent English voice cast though it must be said that I wish that most of the Bond scenes with Followers would have had voice work as only the introduction and final scenes do at the moment which is disappointing. As for the soundtrack the game makes wonderful use of its score to offer a wide range of excellent tracks with a heavy orchestral theme used during combat combined with some impressive vocals and a number of other great tracks as well.
Overall
It may have seemed like an impossible challenge but Atlus and Studio Zero have managed to pull it off. They’ve created a high fantasy RPG that not only has an impressively in-depth storyline with serious themes spread throughout its day-to-day living style but it delivers an RPG that feels masterfully crafted from the experience the team has had before to create a game that outdoes even their best offerings before it. Metaphor: ReFantazio captures the magic that so many RPGs feel like they sometimes have lost touch of and delivers an experience unlike any other, making it a must play for any fan of the genre.
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