Paw Print Games’ light-hearted simulation-puzzle VR game is out now on PlayStation®VR2, SteamVR, and Meta Quest 2.
Thursday, 8th February 2024 – Team17 Digital and Paw Print Games in association with vTime Games have today launched Border Bots VR, the light-hearted single-player VR simulation-puzzle game, on PlayStation®VR2, SteamVR, and Meta Quest 2. Transporting players to a robot-led future and placing them into the boots of a human border agent stationed within a futuristic megacity, Border Bots VR will task players with managing the flow of robots into the city after an incident sees them mysteriously malfunctioning. Players will need to examine documents and employ the use of a variety of quirky gadgets, including a 3D printer, barcode scanner, and contraband detector, to interact with a host of friendly assistant AI and mechanical denizens, ensuring they have the necessary clearance to enter the city, and aren’t concealing any unauthorised items.
Border Bots Key Features
Analyse: Check documents for discrepancies and robots for unauthorised modifications while confiscating forbidden items
Utilise: Ensure a hard day’s work with an array of handy gadgets such as a 3D Printer, Barcode Scanner, and Contraband Detector
Corporatise: Rise up the corporate ladder by purchasing upgrades, gadgets, and booth enhancements, and keep an eye on the competition with performance review leaderboards.
About Paw Print Games
Paw Print Games is a video games development studio formed in the UK in 2011 by passionate veterans of the games industry, Steven Craft and Antony White. Coming from a background of selling hundreds of millions of AAA video games, including the iconic LEGO games, the studio kick-started its journey with the multi-award winning and App Store Game of the Week, Kami Retro. After several years developing mobile games, it switched its focus back to PC and console titles whilst also dipping its toes into VR with the side-scrolling beat-em-up, Bloody Zombies. It is now focused on fully immersive, tactile, funny, story driven experiences, such as the upcoming Border Bots VR.
About vTime Games
Fusing a decade of experience in alternate realities with a rich AAA gaming heritage, vTime Games is a UK-based studio focused on delivering immersive cross-platform titles. With an extensive back catalogue of success in concepting and delivering hit titles, the team is led and staffed by industry veterans who have created some of the world’s most successful studios and critically acclaimed games, from platform launch titles to BAFTA and AIAS award winners. A division of vTime – the studio behind the first cross-reality social network, vTime XR – vTime Games merges world-beating industry talent with cutting-edge proprietary technologies and AI to develop groundbreaking gaming experiences, both through original IP and co-development with its partners.
About Team17 Digital
Founded in 1990, Team17 Digital is a leading developer, video games label, and creative partner for developers around the world. Part of Team17 Group plc, which floated on AIM in 2018, Team17 Digital has an extensive portfolio of over 120 titles, and fully encapsulates the spirit of independent games. Winner of the ‘Publishing Star’ award at the 2023 Develop: Star Awards, Team17 Digital has assembled a portfolio of multi-award-winning and award-nominated in-house brands include Hell Let Loose, Golf With Your Friends, The Escapists, and the iconic Worms franchise, alongside its games label partner titles, including the award-winning games Blasphemous, Greak: Memories of Azur, DREDGE, and the Overcooked! franchise.
Watch the Steam Next Fest gameplay broadcast and learn more about the exciting new roguelite.
Guangzhou, China – February 8th 2024. With Steam Next Fest in full swing, the exciting new roguelite Realm of Ink has stormed up the Trending Upwards and Daily Active Demo Players charts on Steam with the exciting first-level playable demo.
As part of the Steam Next Fest, developers Leap Studio, Maple Leaf Studio and publisher 663 Games hosted a live broadcast walkthrough of the demo showcasing the gameplay mechanics and beautiful ink-style art direction as well as introducing the time-limited ‘Endless Challenge’ mode. With so many games being showcased, the team wanted to make the broadcast available to watch at any time on the Realm of InkYouTube channel. So join Dai, CEO of Leap Studio and Justin, community manager at 663 Games, as they take you on a journey through this highly anticipated roguelite coming to PC and consoles this year.
Watch the Realm of Ink developer Steam Broadcast below
Fans can still download the Realm of Ink Steam demo which reveals the full first level of the frigid Ape Kingdom and includes a thrilling boss battle at the finale. Additionally, the three major schools of combat—Scarlet Sword, Shadow Twin Blades and Azure Aura Blade—enable you to experience diverse fighting styles, ensuring each battle is a refreshing and engaging encounter.
The demo also introduces Ink Pets and adds an extra layer of excitement to your adventure, as these adorable companions become your loyal allies throughout the journey. Depending on various Ink Gem combinations, they have the ability to undergo a transformation, evolving into various distinct forms with unique moves to assist you in combat.
About Realm of Ink
During the hunt for a cunning Fox demon, the heroine and expert swordswoman Red, discovers that she is a fictional character within the short story collection called Realm of Ink. Only by unlocking the dark secrets of the Book Spirit will Red discover the truth of her existence and defy her fate.
The story unfolds in a virtual realm called “Realm of Ink”, where inhabitants unknowingly exist as mere fabrications within a fictional world. Controlled by the mysterious Book Spirit, they obediently follow predetermined fates, oblivious to their cyclical lives.
Realm of Ink will be released in 2024 for PC and consoles. Fans can download the PC demo and Wishlist the game on Steam now.
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About 663 Games
663 Games is a newly established publishing label committed to premium and indie game publishing on PC, consoles, and mobile platforms. The company, headquartered in China, was founded by a team of passionate gamers and industry veterans. The team had a proven track record of achieving global success with several titles previously, offering extensive experience and resources for worldwide publishing, along with unique advantages for a strong presence in the Chinese market. The team empathises with the financial challenges that independent developers and small teams often encounter, and 663 Games is dedicated to providing them with funding support to help bring their creative visions to life. As a new, ambitious and trustworthy global publisher, 663 Games collaborates closely with developers to ensure commercial success.
First instalment of the best-selling PC 3D puzzle adventure is out now for PlayStation and Xbox
Bratislava, Slovakia – February 8th, 2024. Global indie developer and publisher Blue Brain Games is excited to announce that the first instalment of the best-selling 3D puzzle adventure trilogy, The House of Da Vinci is now available for PlayStation and Xbox consoles via the digital stores. The second and third instalments will be released later in 2024.
As Da Vinci’s most promising apprentice, you must strive to solve the mystery of your master’s disappearance by solving mechanical puzzles, discovering hidden objects and escaping from rooms filled with Leonardo’s inventions. Dive into an authentic and beautifully recreated Renaissance world and use all your wits to uncover what’s behind your master’s disappearance.
Since its launch, The House of Da Vinci trilogy has sold over 400k copies for PC via Steam and over 3 million units for mobile devices, securing almost 5k ‘Very Positive’ ratings on Steam.
Watch the announcement trailer for The House of Da VInci below:
You are Da Vinci’s most promising apprentice. Your master, Leonardo, has disappeared and you have no idea where he’s gone or what has happened. So you begin your quest and your search for the truth. However, Leonardo’s workshop is full of puzzles, inventions, escape mechanisms and objects hidden in all corners of beautifully decorated rooms. You’ll need to use all of your brain cells to find out what’s really going on!
We’ve applied our own imagination to the story of the world’s greatest inventor, Leonardo da Vinci, providing players with unique special abilities throughout the gameplay. We allow you to warp back into your early days as a young apprentice, exploring the 16th century world around you, peeking into Leonardo’s mechanisms, puzzles and devices, as you eventually become powerful enough to control time itself and learn the secrets hidden in the past.
Many challenging puzzles are inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci’s real inventions and ideas. Mysterious locations were created based on original artworks and the wonderful city of Florence, Italy of 1506.
Solve mechanical puzzles – Brain twisters and baffling riddles are all based on Leonardo’s inventions.
Enjoy intuitive controls – Navigate Leonardo’s workshop intuitively. Playing the game couldn’t be more fun.
Experience the Renaissance – War machines, complex lockboxes, mechanical puzzles, room escapes will all test your skills.
Master unique mechanics – Detect hidden objects by seeing through the surfaces around you.
Peek into the past – An unusual gauntlet allows you to witness events that happened earlier and learn more of the story.
The House of Da Vinci is now available for PlayStation and Xbox consoles via the official digital stores. The second and third instalments will be released later in 2024.
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About Blue Brain Games
Blue Brain Games is an indie puzzle game studio from the heart of Europe. Our games focus on powerful storytelling and unique features to keep you, the player, having fun and coming back for more.
We strive to deliver incredible authenticity into every detail. With every new game, we aim for amazingly detailed and historically accurate storyline enhanced with our own layer of imagination. Our stories are built around real historical figures, who, even after several centuries, still have a strong aura of mystery around them: just like the great Nikola Tesla or Leonardo Da Vinci.
We’re masters of puzzles, brain twisters, baffling riddles and complex lockboxes hidden far beyond where any eye can see.
We’re a really small team of dedicated people, determined to approach multi-platform games in a different way: we want to provide our players a game environment rich in details, we want to submerge them into an amazingly realistic atmosphere, we want to set your brain ablaze trying to solve complex puzzles and mechanisms.
When it comes to gacha games, few IPs ever manage to branch out beyond their initial launch. Sure, many titles happen to be incredibly popular and have stood the test of time but an extremely small number of them have ever expanded into full blown games unless they were already based around an established property. That is part of what makes Granblue Fantasy such an interesting franchise. Despite releasing in 2014 and given an English translation, the franchise has never properly been released in Western mobile stores but has still seen immense popularity in the West and incredible popularity in Japan, so much so that it has been given a two season anime and a fighting game four years ago as well as an enhanced version of said fighting game that launched just a few months ago to far better acclaim. Now, after some time in development hell, Granblue Fantasy is finally getting its very own console RPG in the form of Granblue Fantasy: Relink. With so much lore to pull from and a fanbase eager to see a full experience featuring some of their favorite characters, does Cygames have another hit on their hands?
Story
Granblue Fantasy: Relink picks up near the beginning of Granblue Fantasy‘s main storyline, where either Gran or Djeeta (players can pick the gender of their captain and we chose Djeeta) have already started traveling on the airship the Grandcypher in their travels through the Sky Kingdoms. Those familiar with the larger story will find it a bit easier to place the beginning of this tale as it takes place shortly after Rosetta joins the crew permanently. The crew’s adventures are going smoothly as they approach a new set of sky islands only to be attacked by a group of flying monsters that, while not much of a threat on their own, begin to overwhelm the small crew. To ward off the foes, Lyria and Djeeta summon the Primal Bahamut to eliminate all of these foes with ease. Things quickly go wrong however when Lyria suddenly loses control over Bahamut and the Primal Beast starts running wild, attacking the ship and its summoners with abandon and forcing the ship to crash land, sending Lyria and Djeeta overboard and forcing them to regroup with the rest of the crew and search for a way to repair their airship.
After finding a suitable town to serve as a temporary base, Djeeta and the rest of the group learn that another Primal Beast has gone out of control. In an attempt to quell the beast, as the team has already proven they can in their previous exploits, they learn that a strange cult known as the Church of Avia is appearing everywhere that these Primal Beasts lose control. After a failed attempt to stop the church and being crushed by their overwhelming power, Djeeta and the crew must learn the truth about what is happening and try to put a stop to it in a completely original storyline set within the Granblue Fantasy universe.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink hits the ground running and already expects players to be at least somewhat familiar with the backstory of the game but newcomers should be able to quickly find their footing nonetheless. Part of this is thanks to how well-written the overarching narrative is as it moves at a brisk pace with intriguing plot points arriving alongside fittingly heightening tensions culminating in wonderful clashes before the next issue arises. It also helps that the cast of characters is absolutely wonderful and, especially for longtime fans of the series, seeing these characters interacting with one another in different ways, even commenting on each other and the environment when out on missions, is an absolute blast. This even includes brand new characters that have been created solely for this game as they fit perfectly in with the grander franchise even if this story is entirely self-contained.
Another reason that Granblue Fantasy: Relink feels rather welcoming to newcomers are the Fate Episodes. These episodes, which are usually simple text vignettes set against in-game artwork or featuring a small fight, help provide various bits of backstory for the chosen character including why they joined Djeeta’s crew or what events led to them meeting the members of the Grandcypher. Every character, including Djeeta herself, are given these episodes that unlock as players progress through the story and even characters that players unlock have episodes of their own. Each of these is a fun bit of supplemental backstory and also provides bonuses as well in the form of extra stats or bonus skills for a character. This works as both an incentive for newcomers to learn about the crew and longtime fans to get a refresher and a bit of a sampling of how Granblue Fantasy: Relink wants to classify certain character relationships including some of the more complicated characters like Cagliostro, Zeta, or even the knights such as Lancelot and Siegfried. All of this culminates in a more than welcoming storyline for newcomers all while letting longtime fans of the franchise see their favorite characters in a nicely paced story that may not be the most original as it pits the crew against a threat of a strange cult and rampaging Primals but is still highly entertaining thanks to strong writing and its lovely cast of characters.
Gameplay
Granblue Fantasy: Relink is an action RPG where players will spend some time in their current town and use it as a hub for their further adventures. In town they can take on various side-quests from villagers, purchase items from merchants, upgrade equipment at the blacksmith, and of course mingle with their allies and townsfolk for simple conversation. The bulk of the player’s time however will be spent on missions that come in the form of both plot based stages and guild missions. The former will, as it sounds, advance the storyline while placing the player’s selected party through a lengthy series of fights as they explore a larger stage and often face off against a powerful boss at the end while guild missions are simpler bite-sized missions meant for grinding purposes. These guild missions generally involve either challenging a mini-boss or even a boss again, surviving waves of monsters, and more while also giving players a chance to challenge them either solo with their team of three AI party members or online with a total of four actual players battling against the enemy.
Regardless of the mission players are on, they will find themselves selecting Djeeta and up to three allies that will battle alongside them with the AI controlling them. Interestingly enough, while the captain is required as a party member throughout the main story players are not stuck playing as them and can instead swap to any of their other party members at will. This means players can simply let the AI control Djeeta while they swap over to Katalina and use her powerful offensive moves and boosted Ares skills to crush a foe or deal increased stun damage to a boss in Overdrive or swap to Ferry and use her summons more effectively than the AI usually can. What makes combat in Relink so interesting is the fact that every single playable character fights differently and has their own unique toolset to compliment the team. Some characters are more supportive while others are better at tanking or dealing damage, but they can also be adjusted through Mastery Points and equipment to be just as unique as other characters as well. Rosetta for example may start as a more supportive character but can eventually be developed into a powerful witch whose mastery of plants makes her devastating in combat.
For the most part the game’s combat is simple to grasp and quite complicated at the same time. Players make use of standard combo attacks with most fighters and can utilize powerful strong attacks to serve as either combo finishers or extenders depending on the character used and every character has a slew of skills at their disposal that varies per fighter. As players battle a meter fills up allowing them to perform their devastating Skybound Art that players can either choose to allow their allies to use as they wish in single player or hold it until they choose, allowing them to perform a Full Burst of Skybound Arts for increased damage. Various other elements such as being able to pull off Link Strikes that, when triggered at 100% temporarily slows time and gives every party member a temporary boost in stats to dish out the damage.
Of course bosses have their own mechanics as well that make them more challenging than a standard foe with every boss having the aforementioned Overdrive gauge that fills up as they are damaged. When in Overdrive a boss will take less damage, gain access to new attacks, and depending on the opponent, even gain a new form. Players must continue to attack a boss in this state to drain it’s Overdrive gauge and force it into Break mode where it will be weakened immensely and take more damage, allowing players to really pile on the punishment and adding an extra layer of complexity to some fights as players will want to often time their specials accordingly, as a misused Skybound Art or Link Strike during an Overdrive can feel like a waste when Break mode is almost triggered.
This level of customization when it comes to characters is not only in-depth but also a bit on the overwhelming side as well, especially once players start to focus on building characters in specific ways. This isn’t helped much by the fact that players will not be able to unlock every single playable character simply by playing through the main storyline, requiring them to take on and often grind guild missions to obtain Character Tickets to unlock the extra characters. Meaning that players must prioritize unlocking their favorite characters first before anyone else as it will take quite a while to obtain the rest. Alongside this players also have weapon management and Sigils, both of which add an extra layer to customization and eventual grinding. Sigils are accessories that provide various buffs and abilities while the weapons themselves all can be upgraded through using materials obtained throughout missions. These weapons can be refined to maximum level and allow players to create even stronger weapons as well, giving players a lot of incentive to grind guild missions, especially in the post-game.
In fact, the post game is likely where players will eventually be spending most of their time as the title opens up a ton of new guild missions once players complete the main storyline. These post game missions are designed to be a time sink with over a hundred different missions available that all provide different drops used for upgrades, challenging missions for aforementioned Character Tickets, rewards that include the Mastery Points required to unlock a character’s skills and various buffs, and more. These missions are also where the aforementioned multiplayer aspect heavily comes into play as players can join three others on a mission should they choose or simply fight as their own character with the standard three AI controlled allies. This grind can be excessive, even for a game such as this and is something that is infamous with the gacha game itself but players can ease it a little by taking advantage of the game’s accessibility options. There are two levels of “assist” that will make combat easier for newcomers to the genre but can also be used to basically let the AI take over entirely and while turning on the most advanced assist option takes away a lot of the fun of the combat system for normal play, especially since the computer will basically control everything, it can be used to complete missions that would need to be grinded out otherwise. This is a decent middle-ground but it is still something a bit odd to see in a full blown game such as Granblue Fantasy: Relink when a mechanic like this would generally be found in its gacha origins.
Audio & Visuals
Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a very colorful and bright game with some gorgeous character designs that match exactly as fans would hope from a character’s original 2D artwork. The characters are wonderful looking in cutscenes and are even better looking in action as players explore the decently varied environments and take down the wide-range of enemies they encounter. Skills are animated nicely with some really impressive looking Skybound Arts and it must be said that some of the boss encounters, especially against larger Primal enemies, are quite epic in scale and feel, making nearly every boss feel like a memorable experience especially since the game’s action flows incredibly smoothly without a hint of slowdown even during Full Bursts.
The title appears to feature the same English voice actors reprise their roles from the fighting game, creating a consistent English dub for Western fans to enjoy should they be following the franchise’s other entries. The voice actors handle their roles excellently here including a few characters that have never been given English voice work before such as Io. It also must be said that the game deserves a lot of credit for giving Djeeta (or Gran) full voice work so the Captain feels right at home with the rest of the characters when talking during cutscenes or even out in the field. Of course, the Japanese voice track is also readily available for those who prefer that option and features the original actors for every character from the gacha game. The soundtrack features a wonderful collection of background music that works both during exploration and during battle. This includes some excellent tracks during most boss battles and the more intense multiplayer missions.
Overall
Granblue Fantasy: Relink traveled a long and difficult road to finally arrive on shelves and despite the developmental issues and shift in studios throughout the years, Cygames has managed to take their most popular gacha franchise and translate it quite successfully into a full game. Featuring a mostly standalone storyline welcoming to newcomers but steeped in lore and featuring some fan favorite characters from the franchise for longtime fans, Granblue Fantasy: Relink has a little something for everyone in its highly enjoyable combat and smooth multiplayer missions. There does come an issue when the end of the game begins to revolve almost solely around grinding for resources simply to boost a character’s stats or unlock a new character for use in combat, but this is a small issue when compared to just how robust and enjoyable the story is, making it one that even newcomers will enjoy while longtime fans will relish the opportunity to join their favorite Skyfarers in a full-blown game.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Acclaimed futuristic VR sports game C-Smash VRS expanding across the galaxy to Meta Quest and PICO VR platforms on 4th April 2024.
Producer and publisher RapidEyeMovers and developer Wolf & Wood have expanded their acclaimed VR hit C-Smash VRS, with new game modes and features and are excited to announce the game’s arrival on Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3 and PICO 4 headsets worldwide on 4th April 2024.
C-Smash VRS, a true love letter to SEGA’s console and arcade icon Cosmic Smash, has been resonating with many fans worldwide, garnering award nominations and GOTY nods across the industry, with live events and partnerships spreading the joy of this uniquely physical and exciting game.
C-Smash VRS combines the very best of racket sports with block breaking, with 140+ stylish levels, iconic graphic design and hypnotic original music. Players move, dash and duck, performing intense shots and power smashes while racing against time, either solo or with a friend. With a variety of modes, players can journey to the edge of space and time in single player or make a cosmic connection with a friend and take part in versus and co-op fun.
C-Smash VRS is also expanding with Cross-Platform Global-Leaderboards, allowing players to challenge one another’s top positions, with cross-platform multiplayer on the future roadmap.
C-Smash VRS includes several modes to enhance solo and multiplayer, including Head-to-Head, Firewall and Quickshot, Zen and Training and an unforgiving AI BOT.
Infinity challenges players to dodge and smash oncoming hazards. A thrilling mode that takes work out of the workout. In Co-Op, Infinity partners you with a friend side-by-side to try and reach the highest score.
An innovative Emote system allows players to communicate online using their rackets as wordless projectors. Leaderboards, player stats, a music player, stage select menus with over 140 levels, multi-ball, portals and more add infinite replay value.
Driven by music, C-Smash VRS features original tracks by DJ Ken Ishii (Rez Infinite), synth master Danalogue (The Comet is Coming) and UK music legends UNKLE, adding a hypnotic pulse to the game’s striking environments.
C-Smash VRS is produced and published by RapidEyeMovers and developed by Wolf & Wood together with a team of top international designers and artists, bringing a uniquely stylised and physical experience to gaming.
RapidEyeMovers is a brand-new entertainment studio and publisher based in London, England, founded by film and game writer, director and producer Jörg Tittel. C-Smash VRS is their first game, with their next projects already in active internal development. Launching in summer 2024, their Humanise Festival of Play will present a new kind of event, putting people at the centre of games culture.
About Wolf & Wood
Wolf & Wood are an independent games studio based in the North-East of England. The small but multi-talented team have written, designed and developed a number of first-person titles including The Exorcist: Legion VR, which expands on the Oscar-winning horror franchise, along with their own award-winning games, A Chair in a Room: Greenwater and the rock’n’roll riot, Hotel R’n’R. 2023 has seen the launch of C-Smash VRS and The Last Worker which is available on VR platforms, PC and consoles.
Some game studios tend to fill you with good expectations once you hear they’re working on a certain game. When it comes to porting former console exclusives to PC, I know that Nixxes rarely misses. You can count on Rockstar Games to give you a highly detailed single-player experience and you can always count on FromSoft to suck you in for a month or two with their games. I remember being surprised at how good I was in Batman: Arkham City at finding all those Riddler trophies without guides, and expertly taking down all the enemies in a room without anyone noticing a thing. I loved how almost gothic the first game in the Arkhamverse felt and it Arkham series managed to make Batman cool in video games again. Gave him a new life, if you will.
With that said, Rocksteady Studios has built quite a following with their Arkham trilogy and this game seems to be set in the same universe so we’re obviously in for a ride of our lives, right? Right?!
Story
This is where things start to get a bit confusing right off the bat. Sure, it is an Arkhamverse game but a lot of stuff will take you by surprise. Seems like a lot of things happened after Batman: Arkham Knight. Gotham looks way different now, way more colorful and Batman is just gliding around and doing his crime-fighting thing even though his identity was well-known at the end of Batman: Arkham Knight. Oh, and there’s also this thing now of Brainiac enslaving the whole city, turning all of your favorite superheroes bad so you have to step up as a cast of antiheroes to take down the real heroes.
I’ll admit it, it sounds fun to some extent. I just hate how we barely got even the hints of Flash, Superman, and Green Lantern in previous games but here they are now made into boss fights. When it comes to our ragtag group of unlikely heroes we have Harley and Deadshot, joined by Captain Boomerang and King Shark. The goal is simple – take down every member of the Justice League ending with Brainiac who has been controlling them all.
Gameplay
Have you ever come late to the party? That’s how I usually felt when I would install some multiplayer game that everyone dropped ages ago. Or when I played an MMO with dozens of daily players at best. That’s how it feels playing Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League sometimes. At this stage, the game is a neverending cycle of escort, defend, and capture the flag missions. But you know what I “really like” about the game? Tell me, what weapon do you think Captain Boomerang uses the most? That’s right, a shotgun! Remember King Shark and a machine gun? Maybe Harley and her iconic pistol? Joking aside, characters not using any of their abilities and expertise and instead just resorting to giving them guns is such a lazy cop-out and a missed opportunity.
As it comes with almost every live service game, you have gun crafting, stats rerolling, afflictions, statuses, equipment tier, and whatnot. There is also this thing of countering enemy attacks which just means pressing a certain button when they are slowly telegraphing that they’re about to attack. In short, if you play the first hour of the game, you’ve played it all. Notable mention goes to one of the most uninspiring boss fights in gaming history and they pretty much boil down to “move from point A to point B and shoot, wait for the boss to exhaust himself and shoot away”.
But what I consider a crime against humanity is the most dreadful user interface that I have ever seen in video games. Things get almost migraine-inducing when you play any “defend the x” mission and you get overwhelmed with enemies but they’re not really the problem as much as it is the UI clutter that they bring with themselves. Even the ending of the game, actually the whole game is just an intro for the whole live service gimmick where after you take down Brainiac, after the game you have to hunt down the “copies” of him in the other universes. How creative.
Visuals
I’ll give them one thing, the game is insanely well-optimized although you’ll need to play it on the medium recommended specs at least to get the most out of the game. The map is creative and rich with details although that will never be the Gotham I knew. At the same time, seeing the enemies (or lack of their variety) is what made me realize that folks behind this game maybe, just maybe……don’t really give a damn. You have your average everyday monster/ghoul/alien enemy, then there are those brutes that have more health, then enemies that mimic the abilities of the bosses you fought, flying enemies, hard-to-catch-but-give-good-loot-if-you-do enemies…It’s just easier if I pretend that I’m playing a nearly-dying MMO and my other bot squad members are just other players. The only thing where I see some work has been done is the customization of your characters (you mostly get costumes by solving Riddler puzzles and AR training tests) but that’s not so surprising because, you know, we have to market those upcoming battle passes and tier rewards now.
Audio
Not much to say here except that nothing really stands out when it comes to sound design. The weapon sounds like someone googled “assault rifle stock sound” and put it in the game and Amanda Waller giving you waypoints through a headpiece while playing the most generic tough boss lady gets old pretty fast. At least the voice acting of Kevin Conroy here reminds us of the potential of this game had….just before the first gameplay trailer came out.
Overall
You know, maybe it’s time to stop lying to ourselves. Things change, and people move on. Maybe those stupids that I remember from 10 years ago are not the same anymore. Different people, different goals. At this point, I’m not angry just disappointed. I’m disappointed that might turn out to be the final nail in the coffin of the Arkhamverse, maybe they arrived at this live service gimmick a bit late, and maybe the initial pitch of the game is vastly different than what we have now. In any case, I cannot in good conscience recommend the game at this stage and with such a generic gameplay loop. Batman deserved better.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Sydney, Australia – February 8, 2024: To get you back on track, THQ Nordic and Rainbow Studios are excited to release a roadmap for the upcoming 2024 Monster Energy Supercross Championship DLC today! This brand new DLC for MX vs ATV Legends will include 16 official tracks of the 2024 Monster Energy Supercross Championship, which means a ton of content, with the first drop happening on February 20, 2024.
The first content drop will include the following tracks: Anaheim, San Francisco, San Diego, Anaheim 2, Detroit, Glendale, and Arlington. Available already on February 20! All following tracks will receive their in-game unlock 4 days prior to the actual real-life racing event. The full content schedule is available here: https://thqn.net/mxl-media. The official schedule of real-life racing events can be found here: https://www.supercrosslive.com/tickets/.
The complete real-life racing events and content drop schedule:
#
Location
Real world date
In-game unlock
1
Anaheim
06.01.2024
20.02.2024
2
San Francisco
13.01.2024
20.02.2024
3
San Diego
20.01.2024
20.02.2024
4
Anaheim
27.01.2024
20.02.2024
5
Detroit
03.02.2024
20.02.2024
6
Glendale
10.02.2024
20.02.2024
7
Arlington
24.02.2024
20.02.2024
8
Birmingham
09.03.2024
05.03.2024
9
Indianapolis
16.03.2024
12.03.2024
10
Seattle
23.03.2024
19.03.2024
11
St. Louis
30.03.2024
26.03.2024
12
Foxborough
13.04.2024
09.04.2024
13
Nashville
20.04.2024
16.04.2024
14
Philadelphia
27.04.2024
23.04.2024
15
Denver
04.05.2024
30.04.2024
16
Salt Lake City
11.05.2024
07.05.2024
In addition to this massive DLC, players will also be able to purchase a Supercross Special Boxed Edition, which includes the base game MX vs ATV Legends (with all past and future free updates for the base game!) as well as the official 2024 Monster Energy Supercross Championship DLC. More information coming soon; stay tuned!
MX vs ATV Legends is being developed by Rainbow Studios and published by THQ Nordic. The base game is available on PC, PS4, XB1, PS5, XSX. Please note that the base game MX vs ATV: Legends is required to play the DLC.
For more information about MX vs ATV Legends visit https://www.mxvsatv.com/ or follow @mxvsatv on socials.
Compete in the new career mode where your choices lead to different paths, sponsorship opportunities and special, invitational events!
Explore massive open environments including the California coastline!
Experience the brand-new Trails mode for high intensity, point-to-point outdoor racing – prepare to be dropped into a starting gate in the middle of a mountain range alongside your friends and face a course defined by Mother Nature’s relentless challenges!
Race in 2-player split-screen and 16-player online mode with squad-based gameplay.
Customise your rider and vehicles with the latest parts and gear from the leading manufacturers in off-road racing.
Ride berms and ruts with higher precision than ever before with the refined physics system.
For a complete list of OEM vehicles featured in the OEM Vehicles DLC, as well as news and updates on MX vs ATV Legends, visit mxvsatv.com or @mxvsatv on social.
New Tech Trees, the return of player-favorite events, and a full year of rewards drive the game into a new incredible decade
February 8th, 2024 – Wargaming, the award-winning online game developer and publisher, proudly marks the 10th anniversary of the console hit World of Tanks Modern Armor. In 2014, World of Tanks: Xbox 360Edition rolled onto Xbox as of one the first free-to-play games on Xbox 360. The expansion into the console space continued as the game became available on PlayStation in 2016. Over the last decade, the game has continuously evolved, with its latest iteration, World of Tanks Modern Armor, arriving in 2021. Under its current moniker, World of Tanks Modern Armor offers over 1,000 tanks and features the vehicles and technology of the World War II and Cold War eras.
“Ten years ago, World of Tanks made its debut on Xbox, delivering one of the first free-to-play games for consoles,” said Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming. “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to players worldwide who have enjoyed our game and contributed to its development, and a special acknowledgment to our studio in Chicago, whose commitment has made this journey possible over the past decade. As we stand at the brink of the next 10 years, rest assured, we are gearing up for even greater adventures and big plans. “
A trailer for the news can be viewed below:
The celebration of World of Tanks Modern Armor’s 10-year anniversary will last throughout 2024! The festivities kicked off on February 7 (AEDT), when new Celebration War Chests made their debut, and all players were invited to participate in the Anniversary: Big X Community Op that can result in them earning two free tanks: the new Lago M38 and the classic T-34-88. Additional 10-year Celebrations rewards will become available starting on February 14 (AEDT), including Garage Gear, and – just for veteran players – a free or heavily discounted Tier X MBT-B tank.
The game’s celebrations also include the ability to earn monthly 10-year Celebrations rewards tied to special themed events. Accessed via the exclusive Celebrations companion website, the year of challenges culminates in the ultimate prize of two yet-to-be-revealed Premium vehicles: a World War II tank and a Cold War tank.
World of Tanks Modern Armor will introduce new tanks for players to earn and upgrade this year. It includes a new Tech Tree line featuring German light tanks and tank destroyers for Cold War mode starting in February, as well as a new World War II Tech Tree line coming this autumn.
“Our players love having new tanks added to the game,” said lead designer Brenden McCormack, “There is no better way to celebrate them and our game than by adding more free content for players to earn.”
Throughout the year, players can also look forward to a series of exciting in-game events, including Dream Machines and the return of popular activities like the Golden Week Challenge, Tankfest, and more.
For information on all the rewards and activities, follow the link here.
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About World of Tanks Modern Armor
World of Tanks Modern Armor is available on PlayStation®4 & 5 and on Xbox One, Xbox Series S & X. It can be downloaded for free by all PlayStation Network and Xbox Live account holders, with stunning 4K resolution and HDR support on PlayStation®4 Pro, PlayStation 5, Xbox One X, Xbox Series S & Xbox Series X.
Take Control of the Playing Field in Tactical Roguelike Dicefolk Coming to Steam Feb. 27. Recruit your team and strategize your way to victory
LOS ANGELES (Feb. 6, 2024) – Publisher Good Shepherd Entertainment (a driving force behind the fan favorite Monster Train) and developers LEAP Game Studios and Tiny Ghoul have announced that Dicefolk, an all-new dice-based, monster-catching tactical roguelike is set to release on Steam on Feb. 27, 2024. Wishlist the game now: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1996430/Dicefolk/
In battle, Dicefolk puts you in the driver’s seat with the ability to control not just your own turns, but the enemy’s as well. This mechanic adds a new level of strategy to each battle where the roll of the dice is not just chance, but your tactical key to success. Place the dice faces wisely as they will influence the abilities and attacks you and the enemy will have at your disposal.
On your adventure as a Chimera Summoner, you’ll meet dozens of unique and powerful creatures that stand ready to join your ranks. Forge bonds and recruit your favorites. Be mindful of your Chimera’s abilities to harness the full potential of your team’s strengths. The battlefield is your canvas, with over 100 creatures and items to collect, the possibilities are endless.
Stay up to date on everything Dicefolk by following Good Shepherd Entertainment on Twitter @GoodShepherdEnt and the official Dicefolk Twitter @dicefolk.
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About Good Shepherd Entertainment
Good Shepherd Entertainment is an award-winning independent game publisher based in the Netherlands. The company has built a robust global footprint, shepherding talented development teams to create impactful games that innovate, challenge, and – most importantly – entertain. We’ve done this by pairing creators with writers, musicians and IP powerhouses and through strategic partnerships with some of the industry’s most notable names, including Devolver Digital, Croteam and Perfect World. In addition to the acclaimed Monster Train and John Wick Hex, GSE’s selection of titles includes Hellboy Web of Wyrd, Showgunners, Phantom Doctrine, the Transport Fever series, and the Hard West series. For more information, visit www.GoodShepherd.games
Immortal Life, the charming farming simulator with RPG elements and a mythological Chinese setting from publisher 2P Games and developer YiFang Studio, expands with two in-game special events, alongside a discounted Pacha Life game bundle.
The remaining clansmen of the fallen Guiyun Sect must band together to rebuild a once flourishing Taoist community.
Rise to the occasion and traverse across a mystical land to rejuvenate the sect by farming crops with powerful spells and handy tools. Recruit new friends to help regrow the community while also unlocking new spells and equipment. Defend yourself and your allies by equipping a mighty sword to battle deadly lizards, treacherous jellyfish, and monstrous flower beasts.
During the Major Cold season, clansmen can now head to the ferry stop to test their eyes and wits in a new in-game event, “Spot-the-difference”, to earn points and unlock rewards like elixirs and food. The “Lantern Riddles” event will take place during the Beginning of Spring. Clansmen can celebrate the year of the dragon by interacting with decorative lanterns and answer questions to receive points and redeem them for decorations, seeds, and food.
As part of the new update, the Immortal Life team has also partnered with Soda Den, the devs behind Roots of Pacha, a co-op farming & life simulation game set in the Stone Age. For a limited time, new sect members can purchase the Pacha Life bundle for $37.78, providing a 10% discount.
Immortal Life is available now on PC via Steam for $16.99 USD, €16.49 EUR, alongside the free new update. The game is currently available in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and English. For more information about Immortal Life and 2P Games, please visit the official website, follow them on Twitter and join the community Discord.
About 2P Games
2P Games was founded in China by a small team of experts from the Asian games industry with a decade of professional experience. They are behind the release of successful indie gems like Nigate Tale, Return from Core, and Time Walker: Dark World.
About YiFang Studio YiFang Studio is a young development studio based in Shanghai, China. The small studio is led by Xiaofeng Zhao, a former rocket scientist turned game developer, with Immortal Life being the team’s first ever indie project and debut into the gaming industry.
