LOS ANGELES – February 16, 2024 – MapleStory,Nexon’s popular, side-scrolling 2D MMORPG and light novel KONOSUBA: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! are bringing Maplers an exclusive crossover experience with MapleStory x KONOSUBA. The month-long event, taking place from February 20 to March 19 features Kazuma, Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness, who arrive in Maple World looking to train and get stronger before going back to their own world.
Maplers level 101 and above can gain a variety of rewards by joining each KONOSUBA character’s quest:
KONOSUBA Nothing But Luck – Kazuma’s small fortune is a daily login quest resulting in a variety of Great Gift Box items and buffs given out five times a day.
KONOSUBA The Hopeless Priest – Aqua gives support with her powers once per hour, 24 times a day, in major towns. There are two different buffs depending on an odd or even hour and the buff effect will last 30 minutes.
KONOSUBA The One-Track Wizard – Megumin’s explosion magic helps players attack once a day when hunting monsters.
KONOSUBA Strange-Eyed Crusader – Darkness’s joyful sacrifice lets players survive a boss attack once a day.
The MapleStory x KONOASUBA event also features extensive shop items where players can purchase KONOSUBA themed clothing, accessories, faces, equipment and more.
Make sure to join Kazuma, Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness in Maple World before this limited-time event is over!
AboutMapleStory
MapleStory is a popular side-scrolling MMORPG serviced globally including Korea. The Global service was released in May 2005, and with over 13 million registered players to date, this is the 18th year the game has been loved by players.
About Nexon America Inc.
Founded in 2005, Nexon America Inc. delivers outstanding free-to-play online game expertise and live game support, taking the strengths of NEXON Co., Ltd. (“Nexon”) and applying them to uniquely Western audiences. Nexon America has consistently sustained iconic franchises such as MapleStory and Mabinogi for more than a decade, which have gone on to break records and captivate players. With new projects on the horizon, Nexon America maintains the pioneering and innovative spirit of its parent company, employing its player-first approach, while designing the best possible gameplay experiences for the Western market.
When it comes to light novel series out of Japan, the isekai genre has been a flooded market for well over a decade to the point that a number of extremely strange adaptations have been made, especially in recent years. However there was one such series that managed to be one of the first to take a more humorous and parody styled approach to the isekai genre in the form of KonoSuba. This series flourished both in Japan and the West with an incredibly popular anime series with a third season currently in production and a fully translated and released in English set of light novels. Longtime fans of the franchise have likely been eager to see the various misadventures of Kazuma, Megumin, Darkness, and Aqua in new forms of media, especially since the novels finished their English release in 2022 and now PQube is here to deliver a new story that relishes in the series’ unique brand of humor and some solid fan service. KonoSuba – God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! Love For These Clothes Of Desire! approach to a visual novel is one that fans will love but may find a tad bit frustrating and certainly one that only fans will appreciate.
Story
One day while out on a quest to eliminate a number of monsters Kazuma and the rest of the group find themselves struggling as usual. Megumin has already used her Explosion magic, Aqua is panicking, and Darkness is flailing around as little more than a tank while Kazuma does his best to dispatch the targets. After managing to survive the situation, Megumin reveals that she has found a strange black tablet and red gemstone on the side of the path and, with the help of Wiz, learns that the strange black tablet can be used to create clothing with the help of magical items and other supplies. This seemingly innocuous clothes creating slab is nearly abandoned until the next day when the real issue with the slab appears in two forms.
Aqua, Megumin, and Kazuma find that Darkness is no longer acting like a massive masochist and has instead started taking a stern tone with the rest of the group, acting more like a sadist commanding them around and to make matters worse, Sena from the city’s government appears and accuses Kazuma and the rest of the gang of being thieves as the magical tablet belongs to a noble that has reported it stolen the day before. The unknown noble is willing to forgive their “apparent” theft if they create clothing that he desires within a certain timeframe but therein lies the other issue. Upon reading the fine print hidden on the mysterious slab the group learns that every time it is used to create a set of clothes it will randomly curse one member of the party that used it, twisting their personality to often the complete opposite of their usual selves, revealing the truth as to why Darkness is now ready to drive the group into corporal punishment compared to gushing over being verbally abused or used as bait. With their party’s personalities and their personal freedoms on the line, Kazuma and the rest must work as hard as they can to reach these deadlines all while managing their ever-changing personalities by fulfilling both the physical and mental desires the affected person has.
KonoSuba: Love For These Clothes Of Desire! is written as something of a side-story to the original novel and takes place after the second season of the anime, meaning that characters such as Wiz, Vanir, and others will appear so anyone who hasn’t watched at least the anime will feel like they are lost throughout most of the game as it does not make any effort to really build or explain the story for newcomers other than having the premise be ridiculously humorous and showing how helpless most of the cast is right from the get go. That being said, any fan of KonoSuba should almost immediately know that they are going to be in for a good time as the writers for the game have managed to nail the humor and characters perfectly here. A lot of this enjoyment comes of course from being able to see these characters in a brand new scenario separate from the novels/anime but also because it allows for a perfectly explainable collection of “what-if” style interactions. Thanks to the curse of the stone, all of the characters including Kazuma will suffer from personality shifts that will have them act completely different from how fans are used to often leading to some truly hilarious laugh out loud sequences and some wonderful consequences afterwards.
Throughout the game players will make various choices and interact with the various female characters and either raise or lower their affection depending on the choices made or whether or not they are given an outfit to try on. These dialogue choices are generally obvious in nature and there is even a readily available “affection meter” on the pause screen as well as the ability to quick save and quick load should players make a mistake. The title features a rather surprising amount of endings, two each for the main girls Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness, and a single ending for Wiz, Chris, Yunyun, and even Sena. These endings are rather meaty in size and offer some rather enjoyable scenes in their own right, feeling natural within the setting of the series while also offering plenty of replay value. In fact, the amount of optional content throughout KonoSuba: Love for These Clothes of Desire is shockingly high as players will stumble across unique scenes that can only appear when certain tasks or jobs are done a number of times or assigned to certain party members, including ones that might be terrible at them. These scenes usually don’t affect the affection gauge but are enjoyable nonetheless and stumbling across them is always a pleasant surprise even if actually finding them can be a pain.
Gameplay
KonoSuba: Love for These Clothes of Desire is a split between a visual novel and time management game, giving players a bit of extra intractability with the title beyond a usual visual novel where usually only choices matter. Every time players are given a set of clothing they must make, they are given a time limit where they must then schedule out a three day set of jobs followed by a day of rest/character interaction and a fifth day for possibly creating clothing. This means that every phase is five days long, so players will need to plan accordingly as the deadline can approach quite quickly if they aren’t careful. Assigning individual party members to small jobs will provide rewards if they are successful with certain characters preferring specific jobs while quests involve the entire party and can involve hunting monsters or gathering materials with better success rates depending on how long they are on the quest for.
This means that players may want to play a bit fast and loose with the save and load system to make sure they manage to actually get all the materials they need within a time limit. This is because while every chapter has a plot-focused piece of clothing to create, there is often one or more optional pieces of clothing that players can also craft that are only available in certain chapters and can be used to unlock brand new scenes when given to a character and raise their favorability as well. There are even special items players can purchase using the in-game money “Eris” to unlock additional CG variations of some of these optional outfits. While creating extra costumes isn’t necessary, the new scenes and temporary personality shifts that accompany them are well worth it for any fan of the franchise and trying to play optimally can be a bit frustrating, especially since success and failure for some jobs/quests is seemingly random.
Of course, players don’t need to try and focus so hard on trying to obtain everything at once as the game does offer the usual visual novel elements of being able to skip previously read text to zip through the game faster on replay and focus on obtaining new endings or new costumes they weren’t able to previously. It is worth noting that alongside the randomness of some failures and the hidden nature of some scenes, the game does get a bit grindy when it comes to gathering materials. This isn’t too much of an issue as there are usually small scenes with Kazuma talking to different members of the cast every week but it can be a bit repetitive. There are also a rather surprising amount of spelling errors throughout the game as well, something that isn’t too obnoxious but is noticeable when they appear.
Audio & Visuals
The visual novel makes use of the anime’s take on the characters and features a wide variety of portraits for each character including a few when they are wearing special outfits. These portraits are expressive and are bright and colorful, fitting the aesthetic of the anime. The numerous CG scenes are wonderfully designed and often filled with various types of fan-service, be it Darkness wearing Dominatrix gear, Megumin in a school outfit, or even Yunyun wearing a cat maid costume, there is tons of fan service here and it is all presented gorgeously.
It is worth noting that PQube has not provided an English dub for the game but all of the Japanese voice actors have returned to reprise their roles here, meaning any fan of the franchise will be able to feel right at home with these characters as they talk to one another throughout the visual novel. This is an extra special touch especially given how the personality shifts give us a new unseen side of some characters, with the aforementioned sadistic Darkness being the best early example. The entire voice cast has handled their characters expertly here which makes sense given how long they’ve performed as them. The background music is fairly standard fair for a visual novel but the opening theme is certainly quite catchy even if it is only heard once outside of viewing it through the gallery.
Overall
KonoSuba – God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! Love For These Clothes Of Desire! feels like a natural side-story within the grander tale of the franchise and gives fans a chance to see their favorite characters act in new and unusual ways all while providing the series’ signature humor and wonderful visuals to match. There is fanservice galore but the title also doesn’t really explore much beyond this element and the humor involved. The gameplay mechanics are straightforward and a bit on the repetitive side which is unfortunate and anyone unfamiliar with the series will be left in the dark, but those looking to experience more of their favorite KonoSuba characters will find this a great way to do so.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Game development is not easy, we all know that by now. Especially if we compare it to how things were 10-15 years ago. The stakes are now higher, the budget is way bigger, you need a publisher most of the time, a good PR campaign, and so on. You have to be brave to release something, to put your trust in some product you wholeheartedly believe in, and even then you’re not 100% sure it will leave a mark or turn a profit.
So how should we call developers that change the genre of their IP halfway through releases? Crazy, insane, inexplicably brave? I don’t know, you be the judge. To be fair, it is an infrequent occurrence but it happens now and then. For example, Yakuza: Like A Dragon turned out to be a big genre departure by making itself a turn-based brawler and somehow it worked! So how does all of that relate to HELLDIVERS 2? Read on, because you’re in for quite a ride.
Story
It is evident how the sequel draws a lot from the iconic Starship Troopers movie. Patriotically imbued PR videos will make you enlist and become one of the helldivers in the blink of an eye, but what is it that you do? You’re one of the elite Earth soldiers (in a team of 4) taking on assignments across the galaxy and decimating alien life or as they say in the game – bringing them some “managed democracy”. As of right now, we have two main fronts in our galaxy, the one with automatons, bots/robots (however you decide to call them) on one end and the oversized alien bogs on the other.
Gameplay
So what’s different about the sequel? Uhh, a whole lot. First, it’s not a co-op twin-stick shooter anymore but a co-op third-person shooter. And you know what, it works! I like the new point of view, our new spaceship hub for operation planning, new weapons, and new stratagems. Ooh, let’s talk about stratagems! To give you some upper hand, aside from the usual weapons arsenal (primary, secondary, and a grenade) you also can call for support from your mothership. Now that support can be a strong orbital strike that will obliterate everything where you throw the support beacon, a jet carpet bomb attack, an automated turret support, supplies support, and so on. Every single one of those stratagems has a cooldown and the stronger it is, the cooldown is usually longer.
Now, the factions. Each of them has weak points and gimmicks to make your life harder. The robot faction is susceptible to standard auto weapons (rifles, machineguns, grenades) while they are durable to fire and melee. On the other hand, the bug faction is weak to fire but it will take a lot more bullets to take them down, especially on higher difficulties. So what’s the incentive to play anything on higher difficulty then? Well, after every completed mission you’re rewarded with some medals and higher difficulty means more medals. You use them to unlock various weapons, armor sets, and cosmetics for your helldiver. You can also upgrade ship modules that will give you things such as faster stratagem deployments, more support ammo, and so on. What’s great is that most of those resources you can find by exploring the planets you’ve just been dropped on doing the side objectives. Every planet/mission has a couple of hidden objectives that you need to engage in by exploring the area thoroughly.
The last burning question is how do you progress in this game? This being a live service game means the progress is a bit tricky. Doing various missions over and over again will earn you enough medals to unlock new armor sets and weapons but the progress is global. A joint, collaborative effort. By playing together with all you increase the liberation percentage of the planet until it is eventually fully liberated (and that is usually followed by some big reward for you in the form of credits and such). Again, this being a live service game means that sometimes you’ll have to experience surprise attacks by factions and defend the assigned planet with others.
Visuals
A new genre switch also means a new visual switch. In this case, it was a good change since the new perspective makes the game far more immersive and engaging. And even since this is a third-person shooter every weapon has a first-person switch so if you want you can play it completely in the first-person as soon as you land on a planet. What makes this game stand out in terms of visuals is the creativity poured into different planets or should I say – different biomes. You’ll have deep forest planets (where the running is a bit harder since the foliage will slow you down), planets with hard weather conditions, and barren and desolated planets filled only with alien life and almost nothing else.
Things get even more fun once you realize you can use some stratagems (like orbital strikes) to decimate the buildings and fortifications and only then you can see just how much of the environment is destructible. I mean, why even go up close when you can decimate enemies with orbital lasers and carpet bombing before they even realize you’re watching them from afar.
Audio
Let me tell you about the music here. It elevates everything to a new level, especially if we compare it to a previous game. The hyped-up orchestra as we descend onto a planet is sure to give you a short adrenaline nudge no matter how many times you replay the missions. The weapon arsenal has some distinct sounds that are so detailed that eventually, you’ll be able to distinguish the machine guns by sound alone when you hear your teammates using them far far away.
Team communication and listening around is something you’ll have to incorporate later on, especially on higher difficulties. You don’t want to be around once your teammate calls an orbital strike or shooting at the enemies when they’re in the line of fire. Remember, friendly fire is nothing to joke about in this game and if you’re not paying attention you can do more damage to your buddies than any other enemy.
Overall
In the end, HELLDIVERS 2 is an experiment that gave some pretty good results. A gamble that paid off. It feels fun playing the sequel in a whole different way and this being a sole co-op game where you have to work together with your team members means that toxicity is down to an absolute minimum and pretty much nonexistent. And we’re just getting started, who knows what kind of invasions, events, and new content awaits us down the line. In any case, I’m all here for it and I’ll see you all on the battlefield.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
The Persona series is something of a strange one as, despite being a spin-off of the Shin Megami series, its eventual popularity ended up eclipsing what it was derived from. While most of this popularity bloomed when Persona 4 was released and especially with the arrival of Persona 5, Persona 3 and its numerous re-releases with various improvements and added content saw some of the first additions that would make the franchise as popular as it is today. That being said, it also features some of the oldest holdovers from the first few entries in the series that leave it feeling quite archaic in nature to the point that the first two Persona games are barely even acknowledged, as such ATLUS ha seen fit to give Persona 3 a full blown remake with Persona 3 Reload, looking to bring this game a bit closer to modern day while still retaining many elements of the original release. This effort proves to be quite successful in some ways while leaving some things still to be desired.
Story
Players take on the role of a fresh transfer student on his way to the dorms of Gekkoukan High School who happens to be so entranced in his music as he heads to his destination that he doesn’t quite seem to care that the world around him has taken on an eerie green hue and mostly everyone has transformed into coffins. Even upon arriving at the dorms he finds that his new dorm mates are shocked to see him as the group finds themselves quickly being attacked by a Shadow. After proving themselves capable of wielding the power of a Persona which is needed to survive, the player is recruited into the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (S.E.E.S) in an attempt to use their unique power to discover the truth behind what they call the Dark Hour.
The Dark Hour happens every night past midnight and transforms the region of Tatsumi Port Island into a sinister one where the local high school transforms into the towering dungeon called Tartarus and dangerous Shadows spill out, slaying anyone unlucky enough to not transform into a “safe” coffin. Those that can remain mobile during the Dark Hour are few but even fewer still are Persona users capable of defeating the Shadows and with the player now joining the S.E.E.S. and leading the team, it is up to them to find out the source of the Shadows and face down the dark groups maneuvering within the shadows themselves in an attempt to save the world all while still living the life of a mostly normal teenage high schooler during the day. Just one that happens to talk to a dog and robot quite often.
While Persona 3 Reload may have plenty of bright colors and feature a very eclectic cast of characters that make up the main party, perhaps some of the most interesting ones even compared to more recent entries, it is worth noting that the overall tone for this story is far more sinister and grim than one might expect. While this is true for all of the Persona games, including both 4 and 5, this is true throughout nearly every aspect of Persona 3 Reload. This of course includes the Persona summoning tool of the Evoker being a gun pointed at the user’s head and nearly every Social Link as well with even the “happier” ending ones usually resulting in accepting one’s fate and either moving forward/giving up or trying to redeem something terrible that has happened in the past. In fact, a few of these Social Links can be downright depressing at times and these darker themes can feel rather uncomfortable despite how impactful they can feel.
Of course, this darker nature doesn’t mean that Persona 3 Reload isn’t afraid to let its lighter side show as there are still plenty of goofy moments and heartfelt ones as well. As mentioned before, the main cast of characters is absolutely wonderful here and some of the best story moments come from interacting with your classmates. Persona 3 Reload adds a number of “hangout” opportunities with your fellow S.E.E.S. members that aren’t Social Links but do eventually provide buffs to a character’s skills as well as new and unique story interactions that give players a new look at their team members, even if they happen to be longtime fans of the franchise. This, plus the various twists and reveals that happen throughout the storyline, make the game’s narrative as gripping as ever even if it mostly follows the same story beats as the original minus some of the brand new side interactions. It is worth noting however that, unless it is coming later as DLC, the epilogue that was eventually released in Persona 3 FES called The Answer is not currently in the base game.
Gameplay
Players familiar with the recent Persona formula will feel mostly at home still with Persona 3 Reload as the game still breaks down into two halves. During the day players will attend school, occasionally answering questions in class for a social stat boost, and after-school they will be able to choose from a wide range of activities around town. This can include those that don’t pass time like shopping at various stores, visiting a certain fox shrine, or even talking to random NPCs that all seem to have a little bit of a story of their own throughout the year. Most activities do take time however as these involve working part-time for some quick cash, visiting a store for a social stat boost of which there are only three to manage this time around in the form of Academics, Courage, and Charm, visiting the shrine to pray to be closer to someone, and of course taking part in character interactions through the Social Link system as mentioned before or even a hangout session with the gang.
During the day players will find that nearly every Social Link will be found available over the course of the game as the title does a fairly poor job of actually balancing the split between Social Links available during the day and at night. Unlike during the day, the areas available for players to travel around the town at night are far smaller though players will immediately be able to venture out at night starting day one. Certain stores only offer specific menu options for various social stat boosts at night and there are also locations that are only available at night as well that can offer unique ways to increase the player’s capabilities. There also happens to be only two Social Links at night, meaning players will likely max these two out quite quickly if they plan accordingly with their Social Stats. It is also worth noting that while more recent entries gave players various extra benefits for raising their Social Links with characters, the only gameplay benefit for doing so here is to increase the amount of bonus EXP given to Persona fusions and unlocking ultimate Personas of various tarots.
To try and balance out the limited nighttime Social Links most of the game’s hangouts with the members of S.E.E.S. occur at night. This can involve going on a walk with Koromaru, cooking or watching a movie with various members of the team, and even tending to vegetables players can plant on the roof to add extra benefits to the produce when it is harvested. Not only are these interactions an extra bit of story for players as mentioned before, they also can unlock extra abilities for team members if pursued properly.
Alongside these nighttime activities players will also find that night is when they will be traveling into Tartarus and venturing up the endless floors while facing off against bosses and countless Shadows along the way. Despite being given a facelift, Tartarus is still randomly generated as players progress through the dungeon with certain set locations where players will face off against bosses and eventually reach a “roadblock” that will prevent them from climbing higher until a certain date has passed. This generally means players can explore Tartarus as much as they want and as often as they want thanks to its randomization but it isn’t necessary for a number of reasons, mostly due to repetition and the general grinding feel of climbing the tower. While not necessary, it often feels like players are meant to crush through an entire stage of Tartarus in a single night and it is certainly possible on Normal or even harder difficulties even at the beginning and there are very few actual rewards for going back through previously completed stages.
Of course, this is partially do the fact that the largest overhaul to Persona 3 Reload over the original release is its combat system. In the original, players could only control their character and while that option is available, it isn’t recommended as players can now control their entire party in combat and dictate exactly what skills and attacks they want them to use. Players can still target various elemental weaknesses to “down” an enemy and any time an enemy weakness is hit or a critical is struck the attacking party can make another attack or “shift” their attack to an ally. This allows players to shift their follow-up attacks to specifically target a number of enemy weaknesses at once to down every foe and give players the chance to trigger the “All Out Attacks” that deal immense damage and almost certainly slay most normal enemies.
Alongside the ability to actually control your team Persona 3 Reload now features “Theurgy” attacks that work as ultimate attacks for the player’s team members and charge up through various means, be it healing in the case of Yukari or buffing the party for Aegis though it will still fill normally as well. These powerful moves are incredibly effective as they ignore resistances and can deal plenty of damage to bosses. To go along with these new attacks players can also find new “Monad” doors where they can challenge new harder Shadows that often hide useful treasures, extra costumes, and most importantly extra tarot cards behind them.
Since players do not directly fight the Personas that they are using on their team, the actual recruitment of Persona is far simpler this time around and a bit more random. Every battle has the chance to trigger “Shuffle Time” at the end of a fight with All-Out-Attack finished fights always triggering it and during this time players can choose one card (initially) that will provide a reward. This can be some healing for the team, some money, a skill card, extra EXP, a Persona that will be added to the player’s roster, and larger Tarots that provide additional bonuses. The usual Persona fusion methods remain the same with players choosing exactly what Persona they want to fuse for and selecting skills to inherit, though there is the chance for some fusion accidents to happen though this appears to happen incredibly rarely to the point that it happened only one time in our entire playthrough.
Audio & Visuals
One of the biggest draws of Persona 3 Reload is of course the fact that it now features updated graphics alongside a brand new voice cast and set of background music. The visuals this time are incredibly striking with all of the character models being lovingly recreated to modern-day standards and every party member even having a large variety of costumes players can unlock for use in Tartarus. As for Tartarus itself, while the floors are still almost all randomly generated they now follow certain themes as players travel up through various floors. Some locations can be dark and difficult to navigate while others are a mix of confusing neon colors, adding some extra spice to an otherwise randomly generated series of stages that, even with this extra touch, can feel repetitive. The Personas that players acquire remain impressive as ever looking and the Shadows players fight are also recreated nicely, and it is worth noting that unlike the most recent game, Personas and Shadows are not the same meaning players won’t be always fighting the same things they are recruiting.
Atlus USA has released Persona 3 Reload with both the brand new English voice track as well as the Japanese voice track and players can choose to swap between them at any time. The new voice actors do a solid job with their characters here, especially in some cases such as Akihiko coming off as far better sounding characters compared to the original release while Aegis’ stylistic approach is also quite wonderful here. It is also worth noting that nearly every element of dialogue involving a named character is entirely voiced, this includes every step of all Social Links, not just the beginning and end. This does an incredible job at making these scenes more impactful, especially with how heavy some of the Social Links in this entry can be. The soundtrack features a redone version of nearly every piece of music from the original game including a number of new tracks as well. The vocal tracks do have different vocalists this time around though and for the most part they fit perfectly fine with some wonderful battle music though some extra variation in battle themes would have been nice.
Overall
Atlus has done a surprisingly impressive job at keeping the Persona 3 still in Persona 3 Reload. The remake features just enough in the way of updates to make it play better than ever and look as impressive as fans would hope while still trying to make sure that its various themes and mechanics remain mostly untouched both to its benefit and detriment. This has led to some unbalanced time constraints for certain interactions that require some tight planning and repetition with the exploration of Tartarus but these issues are minor when compared to the grander package that delivers an emotional tale that fans will be eager to see through to its ending, hopefully one that will be expanded upon properly again in the future.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
After dealing with a massive encounter with the British Navy we hit the ocean with a freshly built ship to try and establish our own legend as a pirate in Skull and Bones, including sinking numerous ships and smuggling contraband.
Enter the perilous world of Skull and Bones, a co-op pirate open-world action RPG experience, to become the most infamous pirate kingpin!
Skull and Bones Developer: Ubisoft Singapore Publisher: Ubisoft Platform: Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S Release Date: 16th Feb, 2024
Not Recommended – “Skull and Bones nails its ship combat and sailing so wonderfully it becomes a highlight amongst generic gameplay loops, bare bones story, and chore-like endgame tasks.”
Sydney, Australia, February 16, 2024 – Hot Wheels Unleashed™ 2 – Turbocharged today released the new Made in Italy Expansion Pack, featuring an array of new content with hints of nostalgia perfect for both first-time and seasoned players. Developed for Mattel by Milestone, proudly based in Milan, the creative minds behind the game and Expansion Pack are the very folks who know the alleys of Italy like the back of their controllers. The pack includes four of the most iconicItalian vehiclesand a brand-new setting that will take players through the alleys of a small Italian coastal village, available now across all major gaming platforms.
Players with a sporty edge will finally get to experience the thrills of racing behind the wheel of Italian-made speedsters like the Alfa Romeo 155 V6 TI and Lancia 037, whereas players with an eye for the romantic will fall in love with the legendary Fiat 500D Modificado and the historic Vespa 90 SS Super Sprint (1966). Whizzing among roof tiles, bricks and stones, the all-new Italian Village is the perfect setting to enjoy adrenaline-fueled races while discovering the hidden corners of a wonderful township on the Italian coastline with its restaurants, shops, and the church bell tower.
The Made in Italy Expansion Pack is included in the Hot Wheels Unleashed™ 2 – Turbocharged Deluxe Edition and Legendary Edition, as well as in the Season Pass Vol. 1, or can be purchased separately. For more information, visit hotwheelsunleashed.com.
###
Nintendo Switch is a trademark of Nintendo. ” “, “PlayStation” and “” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved Fast & Furious Franchise (c) 2023 Universal City Studios LLC. All Rights Reserved.
About Milestone
Founded in Milan in 1996, Milestone S.r.l. is one of the leading and longest-established racing game developers in the world. The 200+ people team is responsible for hit series like MotoGP™, MXGP, and Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame, as well as RIDE and Gravel, Milestone’s own IPs. For more information, please visit www.milestone.it.
Mattel is a leading global toy company and owner of one of the strongest portfolios of children’s and family entertainment franchises in the world. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain, and develop children through play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic brands, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Fisher-Price®, American Girl®, Thomas & Friends®, UNO®, Masters of the Universe®, Monster High® and MEGA®, as well as other popular intellectual properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include film and television content, gaming, music, and live events. We operate in 35 locations and our products are available in more than 150 countries in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and ecommerce companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in empowering children to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential. Visit us online at mattel.com
Spain – 15th February 2024. Indie publisher and developer Firenut Games is thrilled to announce Shines Over: The Damned, a dark horror adventure game coming exclusively to PlayStation 5 in Spring 2024.
Shines Over: The Damned is a unique adventure experience where your senses will be tested and your reality questioned. Immerse yourself in a mysterious and terrifying world where scares, tension and environmental puzzles surround you, and danger lies in wait.
You have no name, no weapons. There are no friends to protect you. You are alone except for your faithful dog, who will guide you through this dark world and stay by your side.
Beware of the horrors that await you in Shines Over: The Damned. You have been warned. . .
Watch the announcement trailer for Shines Over: The Damnedhere
Features of Shines Over: The Damned.
Beautifully created environments using Megascans Technology enhance the dark game storyline.
High-tension exploration exposing the terrifying secrets of the world around you – Expect jumpscares!
Engaging first-person gameplay with platforming elements to access new areas of the world
Challenging environmental puzzles to solve, each revealing new secrets.
Explore a dark and oppressive world with an atmosphere of terror.
Shines Over: The Damned will be launching exclusively for PlayStation 5 this Spring, published by Firenut Games.
###
About Firenut Games
Firenut Games is a European video game publishing company for PC and Consoles that aims to support great talents and launch video games with a unique essence. Our philosophy is to produce video games focused on gamers.
The New Gallivanter Baller ST-D Raises the Bar for Supersized SUVs – Plus, Get the New Contrast Dragon Mask, Los Santos Drug Wars Bonuses, and More
The new Baller ST-D is the latest addition to Gallivanter’s pedigreed lineup of SUVs: road-ready, supercharged by design, and Imani Tech compatible for that extra edge in situations calling for a Remote Control Unit or a Missile Lock-On Jammer to get out of a predicament.
Pick up an ST-D for yourself on Legendary Motorsport’s website or at the Luxury Autos showroom, and take it to your Agency Workshop to outfit it with Imani Tech upgrades.
Meanwhile, the city’s drag racers waiting with bated breath for the release of the Declasse Impaler SZ sedan can look forward to its arrival next week.
Lunar New Year Gifts
The Lunar New Year celebration in GTA Online concludes this week. Get the new Contrast Dragon Mask to ensure this is a year full of success and prosperity, and also receive all the previous week’s mask and apparel gifts — the Wooden Dragon Mask, Red Lunar New Year Dress, Black Lunar New Year Tee, Regal Dragon Mask, and Midnight Dragon Mask — just by playing.
Los Santos Drug Wars Bonuses Help the Fooliganz with their psychedelic hijinks and plans for world domination. Assisting these misfits in both First Dose and Last Dose Missions will grant you 2X GTA$ and RP.
TIP: You’ll need to set up an Acid Lab to aid the Fooliganz. Luckily, the MTL Brickade 6×6 (Service) and all its Upgrades and Modifications (including Acid Lab Installation) are 30% off this week. Visit Warstock Cache & Carry’s in-game website to purchase one for yourself.
Once you’ve got your psychedelic operation up and running, you can offload product in Acid Lab Sell Missions to rake in Double Rewards throughout this week. Plus, assist Dax in dosing the world in Fooligan Jobs this week and you’ll earn 2X GTA$ and RP. Completing 3 Fooligan Jobs by February 21 will also fulfill the new Weekly Challenge, and land you an extra GTA$100,000.
5X GTA$ on Taxi Work
Contribute to Los Santos’ gig economy by picking up customers and shuttling them to their destinations in Taxi Work and you’ll earn 5X GTA$ all week long.
If you haven’t already, pick up your own Taxi (Service) this week at a special 30% discount from Warstock Cache & Carry, and you’ll always be able to launch Taxi Work at your own leisure just by requesting the Taxi from Pegasus.
2X GTA$ and RP on Power Play
Run amok taking out foes and utilizing power-ups to tilt the playing field in Power Play and earn Double Rewards through February 21.
Salvage Yard Robbery Targets
Visit your Salvage Yard to learn how you can steal a trio of vaunted vehicles — the Lampadati Komoda (Sports), Överflöd Tyrant (Super), and Vapid Caracara 4×4 (Off-Road) — in a series of elaborate multi-part robberies.
Premium Deluxe Motorsport Showroom
Stop by Simeon Yetarian’s Premium Deluxe Motorsport showroom anytime this week to scope out his latest curated selection of vehicles:
Declasse Lifeguard (Emergency)
Ocelot Locust (Sports)
Western Bagger (Motorcycle)
BF Raptor (Sports, 30% off)
Declasse Vamos (Muscle, 30% off)
Luxury Autos Showroom and Other Vehicle Offerings
The Luxury Autos showroom in Rockford Hills offers a good look at the new Gallivanter Baller ST-D (SUV) glittering behind glass, alongside the Vapid Dominator GT (Muscle) — both obtainable via on-the-spot purchase.
If you’re up for sitting behind the wheel of a rolling experiment, check out Hao’s latest Premium Test Ride: a tweaked-out version of the Weeny Issi Rally (SUV) outfitted with a full suite of cosmetic and performance-enhancing upgrades.
Hit up the Test Track inside the LS Car Meet to try out the Bravado Buffalo (Sports), Cheval Fugitive (Sedan), and Dinka Double-T (Motorcycle) on the painted track. Compete in Scrambles and Time Trials, or freestyle between the columns — at no personal cost. Placing Top 5 in the LS Car Meet Series for two days in a row will win you the Vapid Caracara 4×4 (Off-Road).
Spin the Lucky Wheel at The Diamond Casino & Resort for a shot at this week’s jackpot: the Albany Brigham (Muscle).
GTA+
Sign up for GTA+ and supercharge your GTA Online experience to gain access to the following Member benefits through March 6:
Claim a free Ocelot Jugular (Sports) at the Vinewood Car Club showroom
Soft Pink Pearl Chameleon Paint and Pink Prismatic Pearl Chameleon Wheel Paint
Heartbreakers Jacket, Heartbreakers Cap, Black Lunar New Year Shirt and Pants, and Red Lunar New Year Shirt and Pants
2X GTA$ and RP on Casino Work Missions and Casino Story Missions, plus 40% off the Casino Penthouse
Plus, a GTA$500,000 bonus delivered upon billing each month, access to download and play a rotating assortment of classic Rockstar Games titles, and more. Visit the GTA+ website for full details.
DISCOUNTS
MTL Brickade 6×6 (includes Acid Lab Installation) – 30% off
MTL Brickade 6×6 Upgrades and Modifications – 30% off
Become the most infamous pirate kingpin and build your smuggling empire in the perilous world of Skull and Bones.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 16, 2024 – Today, Ubisoft announced that Skull and Bones is now available on Ubisoft+, PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S as well as PC through the Ubisoft Store, GeForce Now and Epic Games Store. A Free Trial will also be available starting February 16,allowing players to experience up to 8 hours of unrestricted gameplay.
In Skull and Bones, players will immerse themselves in thrilling experiences by sailing through unexplored waters in search of challenges, competition, and crafting. As players start with nothing, they will need to increase their Infamy by taking on contracts, going on treasure hunts, engaging in high stakes naval combat, plundering forts, and much more. As players climb through the ranks and grow in infamy, they will gain access to blueprints that will allow them to craft better ships, weapons, attachments, and furniture with resources gathered from the world.
Skull and Bonesis inspired by the Indian Ocean during the tumultuous second Golden Age of Piracy. Players enter a chaotic and ruthless era as warring factions vie for power on the lawless seas. Anyone can head into the treacherous waters on their own, or form groups of up to 3 players as they battle powerful Mega-corporations, pirate hunters, local factions, rival pirates and more.
Players can get a taste of what the game has to offer with the Free Trial, which is available now. During the trial period, players will have unrestricted access to the game on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S as well as PC through the Ubisoft Store and Epic Games Store, allowing them to embark on epic voyages, engage in intense naval battles, and explore the vast expanse of the open seas for a total of 8 hours of gameplay. If they wish to continue their adventure, progression and all unlocked items will be carried over after purchasing the game.
While exploring these dangerous seas, players will be fully immersed in the pirate fantasy thanks to the original soundtrack created by Tom Holkenborg and sea shanties by the Busking Barnacles. Both their creative work conveys the epic scale of this extraordinary adventure. The full soundtrack is available now on all streaming platforms and is also available here: https://ubisoftmusic.ffm.to/skullandbones.
Skull and Bones, the first new IP and major game title led by Ubisoft Singapore and developed by gaming talent in Southeast Asia and India, is available now on Ubisoft+, PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X | S as well as Windows PC through the Ubisoft Store, GeForce Now and Epic Games Store.
Skull and Bones is a co-op open world pirate action RPG where you play by your own rules to become the most infamous pirate kingpin and build your smuggling empire in a perilous world. Craft a variety of unique ships, forge unlikely alliances, and take part in thrilling naval battles as you overcome the odds and bring mayhem on the seas. Be part of an immersive world that introduces new challenges and features every season. Skull and BonesTM is developed by Ubisoft Singapore in collaboration with Ubisoft Belgrade, Berlin, Chengdu, Kyiv, Montreal, Mumbai, Paris, Philippines, Pune, and Shanghai
About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a creator of worlds, committed to enriching players’ lives with original and memorable entertainment experiences. Ubisoft’s global teams create and develop a deep and diverse portfolio of games, featuring brands such as Assassin’s Creed®, Brawlhalla®, For Honor®, Far Cry®, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon®, Just Dance®, Rabbids®, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six®, The Crew® and Tom Clancy’s The Division®. Through Ubisoft Connect, players can enjoy an ecosystem of services to enhance their gaming experience, get rewards and connect with friends across platforms. With Ubisoft+, the subscription service, they can access a growing catalog of more than 100 Ubisoft games and DLC. For the 2022–23 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated net bookings of €1,739 million. To learn more, please visit: www.ubisoftgroup.com.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 16 FEBRUARY 2024 – On 28 March, 2024 the Definitive Edition of Outward, the open-world fantasy role-playing game developed by Nine Dots Studio, is launching on the Nintendo Switch.
Set in the world of Aurai, players step into the boots of an ordinary adventurer defending themselves against threatening creatures, braving hazardous environmental conditions, and keeping healthy and hydrated.
So, check your backpack to ensure you’re well-prepared for you journey through cities, dangerous hidden dungeons (teeming with formidable enemies), and as you traverse the untamed wilderness.
The Nintendo Switch release is the culmination of months of hard work between NineDots Studio and Sneaky Box, the developer brought on board to lead the efforts of porting the game to the hybrid console.
The Definitive Edition includes the base game, along with the DLCs “The Three Brothers” and “The Soroboreans” – along with a plethora of new and updated content, including new weapons, dungeons and quality of life improvements.
Key Features:
Survive in the wilds as you explore the land
Play solo or cooperatively online
Dynamic defeat scenarios that react to your context
Constant auto-saving means there’s no turning back
Ritualistic, step-by-step approach to spellcasting
Unique experience with every play through
# # #
Title: Outward – Definitive Edition Platform: Nintendo Switch
Genre: Survival Action RPG Developer: Nine Dots Studio Publisher: PLAION Release Date: March 28th, 2024
PLAION is a dynamic and diversified business in the global entertainment sector, masterfully crafting franchises that captivate audiences worldwide. Boasting a vast network of eight game development studios, sixteen regional publishing offices, and PLAION PICTURES as an independent film publisher and distributor, the company extends its influence with merchandise production and expansive distribution capabilities across the globe.
Founded nearly three decades ago, PLAION has firmly established itself within the entertainment arena. With a diverse range of services and solutions, PLAION stands as the premier publishing partner for console and PC games across both physical and digital channels. Moreover, its strong foothold in the Virtual Reality (VR) domain highlights the company’s commitment to varied gaming experiences.
PLAION is an Embracer Group company.
About Nine Dots Studio
At Nine Dots Studio we create games aimed at hardcore gamers with sophisticated tastes. We specialize in making games that would normally be out of scope for a studio of our size by refining our management practices and by focusing on creating the best work environment for our team. Our team currently counts 29 employees, all based in Quebec City, Canada.
