Meridiem is pleased to announce that between August 21 and August 25, the neo-noir cyberpunk RPG / Graphic Adventure Neon Blood will be available for hands-on gameplay in the Indie Arena Games for Spain (Hall 10.2) at gamescom.
Neon Blood is a neo-noir cyberpunk RPG / Graphic Adventure, with a 2.5D aesthetic, based on the use of 2D sprites in PixelArt with 3D modeled environments. Variety of puzzles, classic turn-based combat with precise Quick Time Events. The game is developed by ChaoticBrain Studios and published by Meridiem.
Watch the recently released gameplay trailer for Neon Blood below
Meridiem recently announced the release of a physical edition of Neon Blood, which will be available in specialist stores in Q4 2024. The physical Limited Edition physical edition of Neon Blood will launch for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch and includes a metallic textured sleeve, art book, city guide and downloadable soundtrack. In addition to the physical edition, the game can be added to your wish list at.Nintendo eShop, Xbox Store, Steam and PlayStation Store.
ABOUT NEON BLOOD
Year 2053, after the Third World War, humanity has been reduced to a single macropolis, Viridis, which is formed by two cities, the luxurious Bright City and the dystopian Blind City.
Axel McCoin, a detective from Blind City, will be motivated by his ideals to rebel against the injustices caused by the social separation between the two cities and the social inequalities that exist in society in general, becoming a symbol of a revolution.
In his adventure, Axel will meet powerful allies who will help him in his purpose as well as enemies who will stand in his way, such as Ruby Emerald who will do everything possible to make Axel’s plans fail.
We are Meridiem, a video game publisher and distributor in love with its culture, which we protect and pass on in order to preserve it. We do this by fostering talent through investment in independent projects with potential, bringing back classic titles, promising indies and AAA games while continuing to support the physical format.
About ChaoticBrain Studios
We are ChaoticBrain Studios, an indie videogame studio from Madrid that has just started this adventure, which is to develop our own videogame. We are a small studio formed by 2 people, that after finishing our studies, we had the brilliant idea (Spoiler, no) to develop a JRPG as our first videogame.
And with this premise in mind, and thanks to our love for the Cyberpunk theme and great videogames like FFVII, Octopath traveler and Cyberpunk 2077, the idea of Neon Blood was born. And that’s how I met your mother… sorry, that’s how I met ChaoticBrain Studios.
Re-awaken a silent planet’s soul when this sci-fi musical adventure launches for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam!
Paris, France – 19th August, 2024 – Microids, publisher of acclaimed graphic adventure series Syberia and groundbreaking investigative narrative game Blacksad: Under the Skin, is today excited to announce its partnership with indie team Anomalie Studio to publish their first game, Melobot – A Last Song, launching for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam on September 12th.
In this genre-busting rhythm/action-adventure, you are Melobot, a musical robot on a mission to heal a post-apocalyptic world. Master a diverse mix of instruments, discover alien flora and fauna, and reawaken a silent planet’s soul, all while fending off mysterious mechanical beings. But you’re only a little fella, and you certainly weren’t programmed for fisticuffs…
Instead, listen to the Meloplants, the vegetation of this world, and learn their quirky music; play back what you hear using intuitive controls created for both controllers and keyboards, and save them from the mysterious disease poisoning their planet. Take flight on the Melobase and explore visually stunning sci-fi environments, each with their own unique style and challenges – and prepare for combat as powerful Guardians test your skills in musical duels!
Designed for both rhythm game veterans and newcomers alike, Melobot – A Last Song is a toe-tapping musical adventure that blends the best of the rhythm genre with emotional storytelling and artistry inspired by Pixar and Studio Ghibli. So listen up – whether you’re a musical maestro or a Mozart in the making, it’s time to feel the beat and save the universe!
Melobot – A Last Song will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam on September 12th 2024 for €/$24.99.For more info, check out the Steam page.
Features
Embark on an Adventure: Dive into vibrant landscapes filled with lush wildlife, unlock every corner of each region, and seek out the last remnants of humanity to uncover your story.
Unleash Your Inner Virtuoso: Master the art of music and combat in a race against time to recreate the melodies of the Meloplants and save their planet from the fearsome Guardians.
Be the Maestro of the Story: Immerse yourself in a rich narrative where the fate of humanity and an entire planetary ecosystem rests on your heroic deeds.
Marvel at Breathtaking Dreamscapes: Discover unique biomes in a sci-fi universe, inspired by the vibrant and enchanting visual styles of Pixar and Ghibli.
Engage in Pulse-Pounding Battles: Upgrade Melobot’s abilities and take on Guardians in intense duels that will push your skills to the limit!
A Game for Everyone: Embark on an adventure tailored to different skill levels, whether you’re a seasoned rhythm game veteran or a budding musical robot eager for contemplation and soothing melodies.
About Anomalie Studio
A French video game studio based in Paris, founded by Mathias Jacquin-Ravot and Paul Samuelson. They explore new horizons to create anomalies that push aside video game genres.
About Microids
Microids is a French video game publisher. Founded in 1985, Microids’ editorial strategy now focuses on 4 major areas: adventure games, racing games, retro gaming and games inspired by iconic titles. By collaborating with renowned studios and authors (Revolution Software, Sloclap, Oddworld Inhabitants, Pendulo Studios, Eden Studios, Go Nagai, Charles Cecil, Benoît Sokal, Paul Cuisset…), Microids has become a major player in international video games. Taking inspiration from legendary titles, Microids reaches a wide audience and creates original adventures which give gamers the chance to play as some of their most beloved characters.
Discover New Titles and Exclusive Previews, from High-Octane Action to Iconic Management Sims, at Gamescom 2024
Oberhaching, Germany, August 19th, 2024 – The German-Austrian publisher Toplitz Productions is excited to reveal its gamescom showreel trailer highlighting one of its most diversified portfolios of games during the week long event in Cologne.
Toplitz Productions will be presenting an exciting range of games when it meets with games media, streamers and influencers at their booth in the business area.
From the all-out fast paced visual tour de force of its action melee game Unawake which shows the battle between heaven and hell in all its brutal glory, to the return of a true icon with its engrossing business management sim Industry Giant 4.0. Toplitz Productions will also be presenting the frozen open world of Permafrost from SpacerocketGames, where players will explore, scavenge and hunt in order to survive and build a better future after a catastrophic global event plunges the world into a sub zero nightmare.
Watch the Showreel Trailer on YouTube
Elsewhere in the line up is Farmer’s Dynasty 2 from Umeo Studios which builds on the foundation of its successful predecessor and delivers an open world farming simulation set across two timelines in the past and present. The publisher is working in collaboration with the renowned power equipment manufacturer, STIHL, implementing their high-quality products in the game, thus enhancing the realism of the farming and craftsmanship experience in Farmer’s Dynasty 2.
Vampire Dynasty, brings the myth and mystery of Vampires to life, developed by Mehuman Games, Vampire Dynasty will give players a taste of what it means to be a vampire caught between destiny and the everlasting thirst for blood. Vampire Dynasty continues the publishers drive for diversifying its product range within its iconic Dynasty brand.
Sengoku Dynasty which has gone from strength to strength with a stream of meaningful updates during early access will be giving games media a fresh look at the journey so far. Games Media will get a keen insight into the exciting mixture of survival game and city builder set in an open-world feudal Japan, as well as finding out more details of its exciting new combat update.
Last but not least, open world survival action game Survive the Fall is Toplitz productions latest addition and adds to an already exciting lineup of games. Players will need to collect loot and fight to rebuild their community, and uncover the secrets of the fallen world after a meteorite strike!
Press Media / Influencers: Attending Gamescom are invited to Stop By Hall 4.1 – Stand# D38 – C29 and check out Toplitz Productions games.
About Toplitz Productions
The German-Austrian publisher, whose name originates from the mysterious Toplitz Lake in the heart of Austria, develops and publishes games with heart & soul for all platforms. The company consists of a healthy mix of experienced industry veterans and young talents, all of whom are passionate gamers. They enjoy working with creative developers on many exciting titles, such as those from the “Dynasty” and “Giant” series.
Stay up to date and learn everything worth knowing about Toplitz Productions by following the company on X (Twitter), Facebook, the official website and Instagram.
There are horror games that have evolved with the times, others that have become cult classics that have stayed true to their roots, and even more that many may never have heard of. White Day: A Labyrinth Named School happens to be the latter of these three since, despite being something of a cult-classic for Korean horror fans, many in the West have likely never heard of it until a remake was made in 2017. After some shifts in development, the unique brand of Korean horror returns with White Day 2: The Flower That Tells Lies. With PQube bringing the three episodes together in this Complete Edition with some extra content, is this a spooky good time or one ghost story too many?
Story
White Day 2 tells its story through three pseudo-connected chapters that players can choose to play through at any time, but should go through in order. The first chapter follows the story of a pair of students that return to the school of Yeondu High to uncover the truth behind a fire that took the life of a girl, the second involves a former teacher in training going to investigate the strange circumstances around her father’s death at the school and the strange occult elements that it involves, and finally the third chapter tries to bring everything together by following another young student searching for a way to bring peace to the spirit of a dead friend.
Unfortunately, perhaps thanks to the way that the game’s are broken up episodically or how there are so many different endings and variations to certain chapters, the actual way the story develops is incredibly vague and often barely touched upon. In fact, even obtaining the best ending for the first chapter will leave players scratching their heads with even more questions raised than not. In fact, there are fourteen different endings spread across the three chapters and some of them are incredibly vague to the point of laughable. In fact, while they are bad endings, two of the endings in the first chapter literally just involve a character being called stupid and the screen fading to black with the only elaboration coming through browsing the “unlocked endings” option in the menu.
The true ending for the first chapter is at least somewhat satisfying and the second and third chapters do help stay on task at least a bit better than before, but unfortunately the plot just never sticks the landing here and barely hangs together even when things try to tie together. Sure, White Day 2 manages to build up some wonderful world-building and scares through the various notes players can find detailing the hauntings of the school and the other ghost stories that players can encounter throughout their time in the game, though it is worth noting that players will need to play on at least Normal to experience some of these extra ghosts and hauntings and seemingly on Hard for others. Even with these bonuses outside of the core story it just never clicks. Instead, White Day 2: The Flower That Tells Lies often feels like a jumbled mess of spooky stories rather than a coherent one and even then it often doesn’t make the most of the scares it can deliver.
Gameplay
White Day 2: The Flower That Tells Lies is a first person horror game where, generally, most of the time players will simply be traveling through the sprawling school. There’s a reason that the first game had labyrinth in the name and it feels all the truer exploring here as players will find themselves needing to solve various puzzles that range from easy to understand via context clues, those that take some extra thinking with the help of notes, and some downright stumpers at times to complete. That being said, while some of these puzzles did require some extra thought, especially in regards to completing and obtaining certain endings, none of them felt impossible to solve. In fact, most of them can be downright simple once players get the hang of things, unfortunately though the in-game map could be a bit better as it doesn’t display locked doors and players will need to be doing quite a bit of backtracking at times to solve puzzles or obtain certain items. This can give players a real sense of completion at times, especially when solving particularly difficult puzzles that have multiple steps to complete and, at least in a few cases, actually change from playthrough to playthrough so the answer for some puzzles won’t always be the same.
Of course, nothing is ever truly simple in a horror game, especially one like this. Depending on what chapter players are playing on, they will eventually trigger a security guard that will then begin to roam the halls. The security guard serves as perhaps the most primary enemy that players will need to deal with throughout White Day 2 as they will be largely patrolling the school with seemingly random pathing and spawning. While other threats such as ghosts and other things that we won’t spoil here can chase players, threaten them with riddles, or even trigger one-hit kill moves, the security guard will continuously chase the player until they manage to get far enough away from them or end up dying. Any health that is lost (shown via blood appearing on the screen) will regenerate over time as long as players aren’t being chased.
Unfortunately, the AI on the security guards, ghosts, and other threats is both incredibly poorly handled and frustrating at the same time. This is because while their pathing is random and players can often sneak past them, once they are in a chase it is almost impossible to actually avoid being caught and killed. Players can make use of a disposable camera (of which multiple can be carried) to stun the guard and some other threats but the only way to actually escape is to simply put distance between players and the guard. Hiding behind furniture, going into a classroom, or even ducking into a bathroom stall will just have the guard instantly spot players and kill them. The AI hunts players down no matter what as long as they are within a certain distance seemingly. It also doesn’t help that, even if players stun a hostile foe, there is no way to duck or move around them. Meaning that if players happen to get stuck in a dead-end, tight corridor, or even in a locked room, they will die.
Thankfully, it does appear that either due to the random nature of the guard’s pathing or a bug, reloading a save often spawns the guard in a different location. Ironically, this bug is fairly prominent throughout a few “boss” style encounters that ended up being disappointing as a result. One of which saw a twisted game of “Red Light/Green Light” instantly end when, upon reloading from failure, saw the objective autocomplete itself. Even with these random bugs, the unique nature of some of the boss encounters as well as how players must solve the puzzles involved with them makes them quite memorable when they work right.
Audio & Visuals
The design of the school as well as the ghosts is handled incredibly well though the general character models of most of the actual characters are a bit simple even if most of the cast has two or three costumes players can swap between. Some of these costumes need to be unlocked by obtaining specific endings while others are part of the “Complete Edition” bonus. Thankfully, as mentioned, the real star is the layout and design of the school rooms. Players will find themselves traveling through each chapter and uncovering more interesting hints and encountering dangerous ghost stories all the while, with the ghost designs being the spookiest parts as well as some of the best jump scares. It is worth noting that it is unfortunate that some of the best designed scares require actually failing a task sometimes and while players can save anywhere with multiple slots, it is disappointing.
Another disappointing and often dangerous element at times is how long the title can take to load in the actual environmental objects. Despite playing on the Xbox Series X and setting conditions to favor performance, every reload saw pop-in that would require a few seconds to load in. Sometimes an entire room wouldn’t even load until we had left and returned to it. While this wouldn’t usually be too problematic, this happens during the game’s chase sequences as well, including ones that feature instant kills should the player get caught. This results in either getting caught on unloaded pieces of school equipment or killed simply due to lag and hoping that the game would load faster the next time through.
As for the voice work, the English dub is… there. That being said it is a nice option for those who don’t want to use subtitles in any way but players should swap the voice track to the original Korean to get the best possible experience as the voice actors handle their roles much better there. The atmospheric sounds of navigating through the haunted school at night are wonderfully spooky and the game does an amazing job of making players feel unsettled even when they are exploring a place they’ve been before, whether it be the distant cries of a ghost, unnatural flushing of toilets, or even the radio chatter of a pesky possessed officer, the atmosphere does wonders in White Day 2.
Overall
Although the original may have been seen as a cult-classic and saw new interest in the West with its remake, White Day 2: The Flower That Tells Lies – Complete Edition fails to maintain most of the magic that the first entry had. The lore surrounding the school that players can encounter as well as the ghosts that haunt the halls make for a wonderfully spooky atmosphere and the puzzles can be some real brain-scratchers that take actual work to solve but nearly everything else falls apart. From poor character models and animations, terrible stealth mechanics, a storyline that is barely strung together, and some awful technical issues this horror game is one that only the most die-hard will likely find themselves powering through.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Legendary fighters join cross-platform JRPG with more than 15 million players
TOKYO – Aug. 17, 2024 – Another Eden: The Cat Beyond Time and Space, the multi-platform single-player adventure JRPG with more than 15 million players from Wright Flyer Studios, reveals its latest crossover Symphony event, The King of Fighters: Another Bout, an official collaboration with SNK’s legendary fighting game series. Join fighting game royalty on Steam for PC, iOS, and Android starting Thursday, Aug. 22.
Aldo, the main character of Another Eden, receives a mysterious invitation: “Win the tournament, and save the world.” Transported alongside his party into the world of The King of Fighters, they fight battles with beloved familiar faces Terry Bogard, Kyo Kusanagi, Mai Shiranui, and Kula Diamond. Clash across a branching story featuring all four characters, and unlock them for use across all of Another Eden.
Another Bout introduces new combat mechanics to Another Eden. In true KOF style, pick a team of three characters to engage in a series of 1v1 battles to defeat the other team. Command inputs replace Skills; learn to chain these together to unleash Special Moves. Fill up the blue gauge to unlock MAX MODE, and strike with devastating Super Special Moves! Master these mechanics, because the dreaded boss Rugal awaits at the end…
Wright Flyer Studios lovingly recreated the detailed, fluid animations of the KOF characters in the Another Eden style. Two game planners at Wright Flyer Studios have a long-standing relationship with the fighting game community and King of Fighters in particular. Laggia, winner of SNK World Championship 2023, and BON, who has casted for EVO, EVO Japan, and SNK official tournaments, both serve as game designers at Wright Flyer Studios and lent their expertise to this Symphony.
Unlocked characters are available for use across the entire game, and the story available to play at any time. Unlock the Symphony’s prologue by clearing chapter 3 of the Main Story, and chapter 13 to unlock the entire event. From now until Monday, Sept. 30, earn 1000 Chronos Stones by starting The King of Fighters: Another Bout. New players can earn an additional 1000 Chronos Stones from now until Thursday, Sept. 30.
Another Eden: The Cat Beyond Time and Space is now available on Steam for PC, iOS via the App Store, and Android via Google Play. The King of Fighters: Another Bout collaboration Symphony begins Thursday, Aug. 22.
The Brazilian developer Qubytes recently released the action-adventure game Mars 2120. It’s a metroidvania that delivers much of what is expected of a game in this niche, like cool power-ups, numerous weapon and mobility upgrades, a lot of backtracking, and surprisingly, even beat ’em up mechanics.
In a simplistic attempt to classify metroidvania enthusiasts, I’d say there are players who consume anything and everything related to the niche, and those who seek a title that is cohesive in its production, even if it doesn’t bring anything new. In my particular case, I’m open to almost any game that doesn’t include the souls-like tag. Jokes aside, I believe Mars 2120 has the potential to please a good portion of fans and might even attract a casual audience.
Story
In the 22nd century, mankind finally makes its mark on Mars, establishing the first ever human colony on the planet. It doesn’t take long for things to go south, though. To address the situation, Sergeant Anna Charlotte is sent to investigate. Armed to the teeth, Charlotte must explore the colony and its various biomes to find the answers she seeks.
To say that the story in Mars 2120 is minimalistic would be a huge understatement. The game also doesn’t try to show more and tell less. In fact, there’s almost nothing to work with here in terms of story-telling, save for some brief audio logs mentioning aliens and failed experiments. Charlotte is the token strong woman with a cold expression. As they say, “silence is golden,” and I’ll take this silence if it means avoiding redundant dialogues and cheesy cutscenes.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Mars 2120 leans more on the Metroid side of things. The game combines various elements found in action-adventure titles across different sub-genres. That includes puzzles such as activating power switches, thereby unlocking previously inaccessible paths, or getting the right weapon upgrade to open specific doors. This makes exploration dependent on constant back and forth through areas. In fact, the focus on exploration is the game’s strongest point, encouraging players to want to see what lies ahead. Thankfully, the controls are responsive and varied, with a range of different commands available. Players can move quickly right from the start. It also doesn’t take long to find upgrades that allow Charlotte to zip through the air. Despite that, the platforming isn’t as precise as I’d have liked when in tighter spaces; often, the camera doesn’t keep up with the action, forcing the player to slow down a bit.
Your arsenal includes double jumps, punches, kicks, and an omnidirectional rifle. There are also special moves that, much like in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, need to be discovered by the player through experimentation. Additionally, there are plenty of elemental power-ups for Charlotte’s firearms and new moves that can be found in key locations. Combat can be fun, but it takes a bit of time to get used to the overall jankiness of close-quarter battles.
Enemies have an extremely repetitive and simple design, often being just color swaps with some variation in attacks. The difficulty is generally low. It’s often more advantageous to engage in melee combat and rain down punches and kicks on enemies than to engage from a distance. That said, many other ways to engage enemies are available later; freezing and shocking enemies as you change weapons on the fly feels rewarding. The bosses are large, as expected, but their design isn’t particularly impressive; their attack patterns are predictable at first, and they fall quickly. However, the increasing difficulty in this aspect is somewhat stimulating. Some set pieces can catch unsuspecting players off-guard, resulting in an untimely death. However, that isn’t enough to raise the tension as there’s always a convenient checkpoint nearby. Mars 2120 respects your time, perhaps too much. That said, there’s an extra menu with difficulty modifiers that can be enabled at any time. Having options is always good, but I did miss a predefined difficulty selector available at the beginning of the adventure.
Visuals
Visually, Mars 2120 is technically simple. Despite that, the art direction is solid, with some nice lighting and environmental effects. For the most part, the 2.5D graphics work well in synergy with the two-dimensional gameplay.
Audio
The soundtrack could use a lot of work. The compositions fail to impress and sound too much like low-budget cinematic triteness. Some bosses use chiptune arrangements that sound appropriate, but lack any real impact. Sound effects are good enough, but that’s all.
Overall
Mars 2120 offers a solid metroidvania experience with a focus on exploration, responsive controls and a variety of upgrades and combat options. However, the game falls short in certain areas, including its non-existent storytelling, lackluster and derivative enemy and boss designs, and a soundtrack that fails to keep up with the fast-paced action.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
When it comes to the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise, there have been no shortage of spin-offs and branching multimedia projects ever since it debuted a decade ago in 2014. Few could have expected that the simple on the surface jumpscare based horror game would not only thrive but turn into such a massively popular series that would be continuing to thrive even now. Among the many different projects that Five Nights at Freddy’s branched out into, one of these happened to be a series of short stories called Fazbear Frights and one of these contained a story called Into the Pit, marking the first time that a piece of novel outside of the games has actually been adapted into a game. So now that Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit has arrived to celebrate the franchise’s tenth anniversary, is Mega Cat Studios’ unique take on these familiar animatronics worth diving into?
Story
The young Oswald has been having a fairly miserable summer break. Ever since the town’s mill shut down three years prior most of the life of the town shut down with it as many moved away, businesses were forced to close, and those that stuck around found themselves in need of new work. With Oswald’s father working part-time at a corner store and his mother working as a nurse, he is often left at the dilapidated Jeff’s Pizza to eat and kill time. After hearing a nearby family talk about an abandoned ball pit in Jeff’s, Oswald feels that the best way to get back at his father is to play a prank by hiding within the pit. Only thing is, once Oswald sinks below the balls he finds himself transported back to 1985 where Jeff’s Pizza was actually an incredibly popular Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza with Freddy, Chica, and Bonnie all performing on stage to the delight of children while Foxy is entirely absent.
After playing around a bit with some other kids in the past, Oswald finds himself stuck in the middle of the horrific events that see Spring Bonnie (never directly named) end up killing multiple children in the party room and attacking others, including Oswald. As Oswald flees for his life back into the ball pit he manages to escape back to his current time and find his angry father waiting for him. The only problem is, Spring Bonnie has followed Oswald and drags his father into the pit. With his best effort, Oswald tries to save his father and drags him back out of the pit only to find that he has somehow been possessed by Spring Bonnie and only he can see the difference. With the monstrous rabbit hunting him down every night, Oswald must spend the next five nights trying to uncover what he can about the pizza place all while traveling back and forth in time to complete his main objective, saving his father.
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit tells an increasingly disturbing tale as Oswald explores the world during the day and tries to uncover what he can at night. There is a certain flow to the game that works quite well both when it comes to solving puzzles and the way things generally increase in tension. Initially Oswald only needs to worry about Spring Bonnie, but eventually Chica, Bonnie, and even occasionally Freddy himself get involved, though the latter is incredibly rare outside of scripted encounters. As players explore they’ll be able to interact and learn more about Oswald’s home life as some of the objects within Fazbear’s Pizza that can expand the lore a little bit. That being said, it is also worth noting that while there are jump scares plenty and the overall atmosphere of the game is quite spooky, there might not be enough meat on this story for those who aren’t already at least somewhat familiar with some of the deeper elements of the Five Nights at Freddy’s lore.
Obviously, considering this is the tenth anniversary, it makes sense that Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit was designed with fans in mind and it takes some real sleuthing and some incredibly random actions at times to find some of the secrets hidden within the walls of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, something that longtime fans of the franchise will likely love. The title is designed to be played through multiple times and there are also at least five different endings with some of the “good” endings requiring players to really go the extra mile or, in the case for a certain ending, take part in numerous amounts of busywork that has quite a bit of extra meaning to it. It is also worth noting that Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit is fairly short, taking around four and a half hours to complete and that is without knowing what to do ahead of time, meaning subsequent replays will be even faster. It is also unfortunate that while the title does offer multiple save slots, there is no manual save which can be quite troublesome as the checkpoints are incredibly random and, should Oswald die, can often lose quite a bit of progress as a result.
Gameplay
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit sees players taking control of Oswald over the course of five days and nights, exploring the town during the day often for things that he will end up needing during the night which usually begins with having to escape from Spring Bonnie who has made itself comfortable in his home. This introduces the players to the primary mechanics that will be used throughout nearly the entirety of Into the Pit. Anytime Oswald is in danger, a noise meter will be displayed on the screen and players will need to keep a careful eye on it while also keeping an ear out for danger lurking nearby as the animatronics will move around on their own. Performing actions such as running, tripping and falling because Oswald ran too much at a time, or even flipping on the flashlight can make noise that will alert Spring Bonny to Oswald’s location.
Sometimes this is a good thing though as players can either use valuable batteries that are limited in supply and are also used to power their flashlight to trigger soundmakers or even activate standard soundmaking machines to draw the attention of the deadly thing in order to get it away from where Oswald might need to go next. Should Oswald be seen, players can run for safety but, as mentioned before, Oswald does trip after running a certain distance and can leave him wide open for death. As such, the best way to survive is to hide. Of course, if Oswald is seen going into a place it’s an instant death, but even if players manage to sneak into a hiding place unseen that isn’t the end of things. Every type of hiding place in Into the Pit has a different mini-game that players will need to complete to make sure Oswald doesn’t expose himself to the threat lurking outside. It is also worth noting that while every animatronic is dangerous, they all pose a danger in their own unique way. Spring Bonnie serves as the primary threat while Chica alerts it to Oswald’s presence and can also attack, Bonnie hides for stealth attacks and Freddy is a shockingly rare encounter that is unique to itself.
These mini-games range from grabbing rolling toys, swatting away spiders, holding their breath, or even a very quick button flash for a chance to run again. These help keep players on their toes even when hiding safely but in a bit of interesting fashion, Mega Cat Studios has included an accessibility option that will automatically complete these hiding mini-games for players who either struggle with them. Of course, this option can be turned on simply because players might find them annoying but it is also worth noting that not every quick time event will “auto-succeed” and there are important ones that still require player input even with this option activated.
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit may have its fair share of hiding mini-games but it also has a ton of other minigames as well. Many of these are optional and only available by repairing the broken down arcade cabinets found in Jeff’s Pizza with items tracked down in the present or past or by using tokens in Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. These mini-games range in quality from being very simplistic to containing characters from the franchise’s lore or even hide secrets of their own. Along these same lines, some mini-games are also incredibly hidden and while we won’t say how to get them here, at least two of them require some really out-there thinking.
There are some issues, such as the fact that two locations in the game serve only a single purpose once throughout the game with the school also barely coming into play more often than not, and that some of the tension about being caught is alleviated once players gain access to the vent system, but that’s not all. As mentioned before, it is worth noting that one of the bad elements of Into the Pit is the lack of a proper save system. Since the title relies entirely on its own auto-saves it may do so at a strange time and not for quite some time after. In fact, one time saw me having to play through an entire night flawlessly or risk having to restart at the school every time because it would not auto save again no matter what I did that night, be it plot related or a hidden secret. It also can be a bit of a problem regarding obtaining different endings, as players will be forced to generally play through the entirety of the game again if they’ve missable items/events which is annoying even if the title is short. Thankfully there is some extra bonus for players who have beat the game once already, The title unlocks not only two extra harder difficulty options but also a customization mode which allows players to adjust how aggressive some of the animatronics might be in the game and their frequency of appearing, giving players free reign to push their limits.
Audio & Visuals
It must be said that Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit is an absolutely gorgeous game with haunting visuals that make these familiar animatronics and environments really come to life in new ways. A lot of it has to do with the retro aesthetic of the game and how much care has gone into presenting these animatronics in this style. It also helps that the close up short cutscenes that accompany the hiding or death jumpscares are some of the best looking the franchise has likely ever seen. There’s some real scares to be had here and for once it’s not just because players got caught slacking but because of how terrifying some of these scenes look when they happen.
It is worth noting that one of the first things that Into the Pit recommends is that players play the game using headphones. There are two reasons that this is useful, one of which is because it’ll help players indicate where and what direction an animatronic’s heavy footsteps might be coming from and two because of how amazingly spooky the atmospheric sounds are. There is no real voice acting in the game, minus some taunting digitized lines and children screaming, but the atmosphere built around exploring this once joyful place turned into a horror scene is delivered perfectly here.
Overall
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit feels like a real love letter to the franchise. It takes everyone’s familiar animatronics, brings some fresh new lore and scares to the table all delivered with absolutely amazing presentation and its own brand of horror. With its retro-aesthetics and fresh take on many elements that have made up Five Nights at Freddy’s this game manages to offer plenty of unique references and lore based tidbits that longtime fans will adore while newcomers may find it a bit lacking in some areas but still find it to be a great, albeit a bit short, horror adventure.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
The Ducks Are Back in Quack-tion in this Latest Taste of the Popular Upcoming Persistent World Survi-fowl Shooter
SEATTLE — Aug. 16, 2024 — After two massively successful betas earlier this year, the waterfowls at tinyBuild are back at it again with a third closed beta test for the persistent-world survival PvPvE shooter DUCKSIDE, coming to Steam on September 12. This beta will be the last one before launch, introducing new bird-powered weaponry, furniture, a fabulous pair of dark vision goggles explicitly designed for ducks and a number of other additions derived from the feedback received during the previous betas.
New in Open Beta 3
Resource Balance Rework – Resources are scarce on the archipelago; this beta will rebalance them for maximum ducking fun.
Traps, Axes & Land Mines – Our crafty ducks have been hard at work, hatching new ways to defend their bases, scare off the featherless, and even chop wood. This beta introduces the shotgun trap, land mine, and fire axe, all finely formed for feathered fingers.
Mixing Table -Speed up your crafting with the ability to leave the Mixing Table “at work” when you take flight with your flock on your next mission.
Super-Cool Glasses -Though ducks have improved low-light vision, it’s not enough for late night missions. Our avian researchers worked with owls to create night vision goggles. These are craftable at a level 2 workbench to give a leg up on the featherless (aka humans) and less-prepared ducks.
DUCKSIDE‘s last open ended with a bang after a meteor crashed into the archipelago, but it was one of the top-played demos during June’s Steam Next Fest. Build a nest, gather supplies, and reach the top of the pecking order in this feathered take on the survival genre popularized by games like DayZ and Rust. You’ll have the featherless quacking in their boots in this battle for survival, but beware: not all ducks can be trusted. For more information, visit tinyBuild’s official website, and follow @PlayDUCKSIDE and @tinyBuild on Twitter/X for the latest news and announcements.
Ladybug and Cat Noir leap into their most daring adventure yet in this solo and co-op action-adventure platformer!
MINNEAPOLIS – Aug. 16, 2024 – Announced today, Miraculous: Paris Under Siege is an all-new third-person action-adventure platformer inspired by the beloved animated television series Miraculous™ – Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, launching later this year on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. Embark on a thrilling adventure where heroism, acrobatic combat, and stunning parkour collide as Shadow Moth unleashes a wave of villains across the city. It’s up to Ladybug and Cat Noir to save the day!
Rescue Paris from the clutches of Shadow Moth, controlling the ruthless Stormy Weather who has harnessed ancient Egyptian powers to take over the city! Battle against akumatized villains from the series as the heroic Ladybug and Cat Noir in an all-new original story. Use unique abilities, master epic combos and traverse the city of Paris with parkour finesse on your own – or with seamless drop-in, drop-out local co-op with a friend.
Key Features:
Legendary Heroes Unite: Play as Ladybug and Cat Noir, each with their own stylish combat moves, and switch seamlessly between them. Call upon your fellow heroes like Rena Rouge, Carapace, and others during battle to turn the tide with coordinated attacks!
Master the Martial Arts: Execute agile combos on the ground and in mid-air, harnessing the full spectrum of Ladybug and Cat Noir’s abilities to defeat your enemies in high-flying style.
Fight Fearsome Foes: Face off against classic villains from the series, each posing unique challenges. From The Bubbler and Lady WiFi to Truth and Sole Crusher, you’ll need to adapt your tactics to counter their powers and save Paris.
Stylish Acrobatics: Use amazing parkour moves such as swinging, rail slides, and wall jumps to navigate the Parisian landscape, uncover secrets and outmaneuver enemies!
Customize Your Playstyle: Enhance your heroes’ abilities by earning experience to upgrade your traits: Life, Speed, Damage, Assist Energy, and Evade. Tailor your abilities to your preferred style and maximize your impact in battles.
Save the Day: Liberate Paris one district at a time, choosing your path through non-linear gameplay that encourages exploration and strategy. Restore light and hope to each corner of the city besieged by Shadow Moth’s dark influence.
Couch Co-op Adventures: Battle alongside a friend with seamless drop-in, drop-out local co-op and experience the thrill of saving Paris together.
Miraculous: Paris Under Siege is available to pre-order at retailers today. This game is licensed by Miraculous Corp, developed by Petit Fabrik and published by GameMill Entertainment.
About Miraculous Corp
Miraculous Corp is the groundbreaking joint-venture between Mediawan, Europe’s premier independent production powerhouse led by Pierre-Antoine Capton, and ZAG, the innovative independent animation studio renowned for crafting original tales and IPs led by Jeremy Zag, that reunites all facets of the globally acclaimed ™ franchise. The mission of Miraculous Corp is to elevate the brand’s global footprint, overseeing both creative endeavors and commercial ventures to magnify its influence on a worldwide scale. Miraculous Corp aims to deploy creations around the franchise and opening the door to a new era of iconic characters and captivating narratives. Ladybug’s adventures will soon unfold new content around the world.
About GameMill Entertainment
GameMill Entertainment, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a third-party publisher of console and mobile games for passionate fans around the world. Development platforms include PC, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft consoles including the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, Sony consoles including the PlayStation®5 and PlayStation®4, and mobile devices. With development across the globe, GameMill is a source of entertaining and fun games for all ages. For more information, visit https://gamemill.com, as well as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.
The First Third-Party Game to be Published by Owlcat Games
Nicosia, Cyprus (August 16, 2024) — Renowned RPG developer and publisher Owlcat Games, alongside developer Emotion Spark Studio, have revealed the first trailer for Rue Valley, a new isometric narrative RPG about a man trapped in a time loop who is dealing with mental challenges. Rue Valley will be one of the first games published by Owlcat Games, following the announcement of its new publishing arm earlier this week.
Watch the Rue Valley Announcement Trailer here:
As the players navigate the world and deal with the tough emotions of the main character, they’ll need to understand the true nature of what’s happening in Rue Valley. Each character players encounter has their own complex emotional story, including the main character who must rise from the depths of his own struggles to uncover the secrets behind the anomaly causing the time loop.
More info about Rue Valley will be shared during gamescom 2024.
Key features of Rue Valley:
Craft Your Personality: Be a cold-hearted loner in one loop and a melodramatic loudmouth in the next. Rue Valley’s time loop resets everything, giving players the chance to experiment with their personalities, actions, and answers.
Store Your Memories: Important memories can be stored in a graph, unlocking unique interactions around the Rue Valley Motel and new mindsets to help build out the main character.
Uncover the Secrets of Rue Valley: An anomaly has trapped the area around the Rue Valley Motel in a time loop. Experiment with the main character’s actions each day until you have enough evidence to solve the mystery.
2D Parallax Artstyle: Rue Valley has an instantly recognizable, visually appealing comic book aesthetic inspired by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Disco Elysium.
About Owlcat Games
Owlcat Games is a developer and publisher with a passion for RPGs and narrative-driven games. From our beginnings as a small group of games industry veterans obsessed with the idea of making our dream games a reality, we have grown into a truly international company, with our headquarters in Cyprus and more than 450 employees spread across offices in various countries. We are continuing to expand and take on new hires from around the world, and we also get together every week to play tabletop games in the office and on Roll20 online.
About Emotion Spark Studio
A studio was founded in January 2020 in Belgrade, Serbia. It comprises people with years of experience in the gaming industry, including project design, development, management, and delivery.
