Soar into the wild antics of “Pigeon Simulator Survival!” Embrace your inner avian adventurer, stir up mischief, outsmart the ‘police,’ and unleash super pigeon powers in this hilarious and whimsical feathered caper. Get ready for a riotous adventure in the heart of the park’s playground!
Date and Venue of Release: Iasi, Romania. January 5th, 2024
Avian Anarchy Unleashed! Take control of a mischievous pigeon in Pigeon Simulator Survival and wreak feathery havoc across a vibrant park! Outsmart the ‘police,’ earn wanted stars, and become the ultimate avian troublemaker.
Feathered Powers: Unleash Chaos! Elevate your gameplay with super pigeon powers! Dive into electrifying moves, combine triggers for powerful attacks, and leave both humans and pigeons in awe as you turn the tables in your favor.
Parkside Playground Extravaganza! Explore a bustling park teeming with life and secrets! From picnics to playgrounds, every corner is a new opportunity for fun and mischief. Brace yourself for a hilarious adventure in the heart of the park’s playground.
Survive and Soar: The Pigeon Challenge! Manage your pigeon’s health and stamina, devour scattered food items to replenish energy, and engage in aerial acrobatics. Can you survive the challenges of Pigeon Simulator Survival and become the master of feathered escapades?
Availability: Prepare to witness the long-awaited arrival of the thrilling gaming masterpiece, “Pigeon Simulator Survival”! Stay vigilant for the eagerly awaited game launch on January 5th on PlayStation.
Uncover The Truth About The Destiny Of Your Family!
San Francisco, CA, January 2nd 2024: Indie game developer and publisher Holcomb Entertainment is inviting you to experience the terror of your life by downloading and trying out their debut game Blood Hunting, a thrilling first-person survival horror adventure promising to shock and surprise you while you solve difficult puzzles and seek the sweet taste of revenge. Blood Hunting is available today on PC via STEAM™ and via the Epic® Game Store, if you are brave and daring enough to try it out.
Blood Hunting features you as the protagonist player Chase Jones, a common man who lost his family when he was young. It has been 15 years since your parents were gruesomely murdered and their blood taken from their bodies. No one knows what happened, leaving more questions than answers. Your task and challenge are to put the pieces together to understand what happened to your relatives. As you uncover the truth you become aware of what you must do. Unfortunately, those responsible have begun to hunt you so they can put an end to this investigation. An unknown stranger helps by sending text messages to your phone. You must survive long enough to discover the truth and finally make right what was wrong from the start. Do you have the skills and courage to uncover the truth?
Blood Hunting is a true survival horror experience that sets the stage on how dangerous revenge can be… if you can survive it.
A version of the game for Microsoft® XBOX® and Sony® PlayStation™ will be announced soon!
The prolific roleplaying game series introduces protagonists from FINAL FANTASY XVI and more in these collabs, starting today
REDONDO BEACH, Calif. – December 29, 2023 – FINAL FANTASY, Square Enix’s world-famous roleplaying game series, brings more of its iconic cast of characters to GungHo Online Entertainment’s hit mobile puzzle game Puzzle & Dragons in a limited-time collaboration. Characters from CRYSTAL DEFENDERS join in as another collab as well! Today at 18:00 through January 15, 2024, 17:59 (PST) summon mythical heroes and otherworldly beasts to overcome fourteen exclusive dungeons.
Harness the power of Eikons by recruiting newly-added FINAL FANTASY characters, including Clive, Joshua, Jill, and Dion from the critically acclaimed FINAL FANTASY XVI, and more. Gather these mighty warriors with pulls from the FINAL FANTASY Egg Machine and FINAL FANTASY Memorial Egg Machine. The latter will grant a free pull to all players who log in during the collaboration. Additionally, players who do 5 pulls at once at the FINAL FANTASY Egg Machine will receive 5 pulls from the CRYSTAL DEFENDERS Egg Machine, which features CRYSTAL DEFENDERS Collab characters exclusively!
Pick Up the Gauntlet Take on deities and become a legend by participating in fourteen exclusive dungeons:
FINAL FANTASY Collab is a dungeon that lets players battle for a chance to earn rewards, including FF Crystal Medal – Gold. Players can also receive one pull from the FINAL FANTASY Memorial Egg Machine as a first-time clear reward for the Netherworld-Expert floor.
FINAL FANTASY Collab 2 is a dungeon that lets players battle for a chance to earn rewards, including FF Crystal Medal – Gold. Players can also receive one pull from the FINAL FANTASY Memorial Egg Machine as a first-time clear reward for Void Beyond-Expert floor.
Eikon Odin Descended! is a dungeon that rewards players who defeat the boss with a guaranteed Odin, Eikon of Darkness drop. Players will also receive one pull from the ★5+ FINAL FANTASY Egg Machine and 4 PvP Icons of Clive and Jill as first-time clear rewards.
Multiplayer! Eikon Odin Descended! is a 3-player mode of Eikon Odin Descended!
FINAL FANTASY Colosseum! challenges users with the Assists Invalid rule and rewards teams led by a specified leader character with a drop rate of 100%. Players will also receive Airship Highwind as a first-time clear reward for using Cid Highwind as their team leader.
Multiplayer! FINAL FANTASY Colosseum! is a 3-player mode of FINAL FANTASY Colosseum!
[Chocobo] Title Challenge! is a special dungeon that requires players to use a fixed Helper and clear within a certain time limit. Players will receive the [Chocobo] title as a first-time clear reward.
FINAL FANTASY Challenge! challenge users with the Assists Invalid rule and rewards players who defeat the boss with a guaranteed Yiazmat drop. Players will also receive one pull from the FINAL FANTASY Egg Machine as a first-time clear reward.
Fat Chocobo’s Gift is an exclusive one-shot dungeon that rewards players with Fat Chocobo as a first-time clear reward.
Moogle’s Gift is an exclusive one-shot dungeon that rewards players with Moogle as a first-time clear reward.
Skill Leveling Dungeon FINAL FANTASY is a dungeon that lets players increase the skills of their FINAL FANTASY Collab characters in teams used for this dungeon.
CRYSTAL DEFENDERS is a dungeon that lets players battle for a chance to earn rewards such as Red Crystal. Players can also receive one pull from the Clear Reward! CRYSTAL DEFENDERS Egg Machine as a first-time clear reward for the Cursed Shroud-Expert floor.
Gift from the Chocobos is an exclusive one-shot dungeon that rewards players with Chocobo as a first-time clear reward.
Gift from the Moogles is an exclusive one-shot dungeon that rewards players with Moogle & Carbuncle as a first-time clear reward.
Monster Exchange Trade FF Crystal Medals and Crystals at the Monster Exchange. The Monster Exchange lineup features event-exclusive collab characters, Locke and Chocobo. FF Crystal Medals can be collected from the FINAL FANTASY Collab and FINAL FANTASY Collab 2 dungeons, and Crystals can be collected from the CRYSTAL DEFENDERS dungeon.
Additionally, Glauca has been added to the Monster Purchase lineup.
Limited-time Bundles With these special bundles, players can recruit beloved FINAL FANTASY warriors:
20 Magic Stones & New FINAL FANTASY Collab Characters Egg Machine: Grants players 20 Magic Stones and one pull from the New FINAL FANTASY Collab Characters Egg Machine for $19.99 USD, guaranteeing a new FINAL FANTASY Collab character.
20 Magic Stones & Clive Egg Machine: Grants players 20 Magic Stones and one pull from the Clive Egg Machine for $19.99 USD, guaranteeing Clive. Players will also get the FINAL FANTASY Orbs 2 Skin when they get Clive for the first time.
20 Magic Stones & ★6 FINAL FANTASY Egg Machine: Grants player 20 Magic Stones and one pull from the ★6 FINAL FANTASY Egg Machine for $19.99 USD, guaranteeing a ★6 rarity character.
10 Magic Stones & Thancred Egg Machine: Grants players 10 Magic Stones and one pull from the Thancred Egg Machine for $9.99 USD, guaranteeing Thancred. Players will also get the FINAL FANTASY Orbs Skin when they get Thancred for the first time.
1 Magic Stone & FINAL FANTASY Egg Machine: Grants 1 Magic Stone and one pull from FINAL FANTASY Egg Machine for $0.99 USD.
ABOUT FINAL FANTASY
For over 35 years, the FINAL FANTASY series has delighted generations of gamers and millions of players worldwide through beloved role-playing adventures that are built upon the benchmarks of spectacular visuals, highly imaginative worlds, rich stories, memorable characters, and technical and gameplay innovation leading the industry and earning the highest accolades from around the world. Each mainline game in the series is a completely new experience, and an ideal entry-point to the series. Titles of the series have sold over 185 million units worldwide.
ABOUT SQUARE ENIX, INC.
Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix group of companies. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 185 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 88 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
Puzzle & Dragons is a mobile puzzle adventure game developed and published by GungHo Online Entertainment, Inc. with over 90 million downloads worldwide. Puzzle & Dragons combines match-three-style puzzles, monster collecting, and dungeon crawling mechanics for a definitive free-to-play experience that’s kept players hooked since 2012. Regarded as a landmark release in mobile gaming, the game continues to evolve with each new update and collaboration.
GungHo Online Entertainment America, Inc. (GOEA) is a multi-platform developer and publisher dedicated to delivering fun & unique titles like Puzzle & Dragons, Ninjala, and LET IT DIE. GOEA is the US division of GungHo Online Entertainment (GOE), whose studios include leading developers SUPERTRICK GAMES, GAME ARTS, Acquire, and Gravity. GOEA distributes games for consoles, handhelds, mobile devices, and PC. GOEA is located in Redondo Beach, CA.
Selecta Play releases unique time-travelling RPG across European retail stores.
Barcelona, Spain – 29th December 2023. Leading indie publisher and distributor Selecta Play is excited to announce the release of the special boxed retail version of Evoland 10th Anniversary Edition for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4.
Developed by Shiro Games, the special boxed 10th Anniversary Edition has been created to commemorate 10 years since the original launch of the Evoland games. Available for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, the Evoland 10th Anniversary Edition will contain the Evoland and Evoland II games, a set of four deluxe commemorative coins of the two male and female protagonists, a game logo sticker sheet and a postcard containing a code to download the digital soundtrack of the games, all housed in a beautifully crafted chest-shaped box decorated with landscapes and images from the game.
The Evoland titles are a journey through the history of action/adventure gaming, allowing you to unlock new technologies, gameplay systems and graphic upgrades as you progress through the game. Inspired by many cult series that have left their mark on the RPG video gaming culture. Evoland takes you from monochrome to full 3D graphics and from active time battles to real-time boss fights, all with plenty of humour and references to many classic games.
Watch the Evoland 10th Anniversary Edition trailer below:
Evoland 10th Anniversary Edition is available today as a special boxed retail version for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 across European specialist retailers.
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About Shiro Games
Shiro Games is an independent Bordeaux-based studio founded by video game veterans, with the objective of offering rich and innovative game experiences. After the commercial and critical success of Evoland and Northgard, the studio has enriched its offer with two new games, Wartales and Dune: Spice Wars, and is already working on other unannounced projects.
About SelectaPlay
SelectaPlay is SelectaVisión’s video games publishing branch. The company works with talented studios on unique video games and helps them publish their titles in both physical and digital formats in Europe and worldwide.
About SelectaVisión
SelectaVisión is a video publishing company founded in 1984. Based in Spain, SelectaVisión’s catalog includes anime and live-action feature films, TV shows, and movies.
Enjoy the festivities with an all-new hero and a limited-time seasonal event
XD Games, Shanghai — December 28, 2023 | Hunters can now dive into the dream-filled Twinightmare as Torchlight: Infinite debuts its latest content-packed season. Players can master the new chariot-riding hero Rosa, collect four new Skills, and get into the festive spirit with two upcoming limited-time events. As we march into 2024, there’s plenty to keep Hunters busy!
Here’s what fans can expect with today’s launch of Torchlight: Infinite SS3: Twinightmare
New Gameplay Content
New Gameplay in Twinightmare: Dream Lotuses have appeared across each map; interact with them and defeat Dream Monsters to unlock rewards, but watch out for Nightmare ambushes!
New Hero Rosa: Torchlight: Infinite’s tenth playable hero arrives with her own unique Skills and playstyle. Rosa can hold her own amidst hordes of enemies, mowing them down with her powerful chariot.
New Season Pass: Earn bonus rewards as you play including the new hero Rosa who can be unlocked by purchasing the Ultimate Season Pass.
New Season Talent Panel: To help players combat Nightmare attacks, a new Season Talent Panel has been introduced with progress-enhancing upgrades.
New Skills: Whirlwind Blade, Lightning Beam, Star Stalker, and Harmonious Field are now available, allowing more hero build opportunities than ever.
New Pactspirits: Three legendary Pactspirits will be added to help Hunters, offering a variety of effects including stat boosts, enemy debuffs, and improved rewards.
New Outfit – Gacha: Transform Rosa into an invincible Holographic Rakshasa from the Cyber World. What will she use to defend justice, pity or power?
Quality of Life Changes
Help Manual overhaul: Now more complete and convenient to use. Divided into sections, the Help Manual will aid new Hunters understanding game mechanics and systems better.
New BD sharing system: Allows hunters to share their build details, which other hunters can then apply to their heroes with ease.
New game modes: With more challenging rules, the SSF and Hardcore modes will bring more excitement for hardcore players.
UX optimization: User experience has been improved, offering a much smoother looting experience.
In addition, Hunters can look forward to not one, but two limited-time events starting with the all-new Winter Festival. Here players can earn Snowflakes and exchange them for exclusive gear. Kicking off 2024, the Spring Festival will be in full bloom, complete with time-limited tasks which can be completed to earn Jagged Primocryst, Appearance Crystals, and Lunar New Year cosmetics.
XD Games
Founded in 2003, XD Games. is a global video games developer and publisher with extensive experience across development, publishing and operations. As of 2022, XD has 38 free-to-play and paid games with over 50 million monthly active users worldwide. In addition, TapTap — a mobile games community and app store — was launched by XD in 2016 and is estimated to currently have 44 million monthly active users. XD’s mission is to assemble like-minded talented games industry craftspeople with a common goal of touching the hearts of players around the world. XD produces games of the finest quality with passion, offering a pure gaming experience, and encouraging players of all ages to embrace the unique joy of video gaming.
The Nightmare Continues! Download Today To Recruit Mysterious New 6-Star Forest Dweller Jessica and Retro Horror Movie Buff Horropedia and Experience The New UTTU Flash Gathering “A Night Visit to the Lake”
HONG KONG – DECEMBER 28, 2023 – Bluepoch Games has announced that 20th century time-travel strategic RPG Reverse: 1999 has launched Phase Two of its free retro horror movie-themed Version 1.2 update titled “A Nightmare At Green Lake” across the App Store, Google Play, and PC. This second phase, which runs now until January 17, introduces the 6-star character Jessica, a meek but mighty nature lover with mysterious origins.
Spoiler alert! Jessica is a changeling living on the Green Lake Campsite with her critter companions. For those wondering, she’s the offspring of a purebred changeling and a local Deer Lady.
Though Jessica is highly intelligent, she chooses to spend most of her time in the deserted woods. She seldom encounters humans. As a result, lack of social interaction may have forever instilled a primitive and cruel instinct within the changeling.
Jessica is both smart and sinister, which makes her a nightmare to contend with when on her bad side. Her long record of school violations are strong proof of that.
To the changeling, there are always new games to uncover. Can you find the time to play with her?
Join Jessica on Graduation Day from the SPDM (School of Primary Defense of Mankind) in Reverse: 1999’s newest character trailer:
Download Reverse: 1999 for free today to summon Jessica with the new rate-up banner, “The Changeling Awaits.” The banner, which runs now for a limited time, also features the new 5-star character Horropedia, a field investigator for St. Pavlov’s Foundation that craves all things spooky, and Necrologist, each with a boosted drop rate.
Version 1.2: Phase Two introduces a new sign-in event, “Winter Warmth II.” Beginning today and running until January 18, players that sign in for seven days total are able to claim seven Unilog. Note that players must complete the game’s main story to be eligible for the rewards.
During Phase 2 of Version 1.2, players can also join Winter Special Events to claim abundant rewards, including Clear Drops, [Lord of Snowy Season] for players’ wildernesses, and more.
A new time-limited summoning event will be available from December 30th, allowing players to summon [The Golden Thread I/II/III]. Players may unravel [The Golden Thread] to select one 6-star character from the list below:
The Golden Thread Ⅰ: Druvis Ⅲ, An-an Lee, Sotheby
The Golden Thread Ⅱ: Centurion, Medicine Pocket, Ms. NewBabel, Eternity
The Golden Thread Ⅲ: A Knight, Lilya, Voyager, Regulus
Additionally, a new UTTU Flash Gathering, “A Night Visit to the Lake,” has arrived. Collect FAME Cards in the reading spectacle and claim Eagle’s new Garment for free.
Several other new events make their appearance during Reverse: 1999’s Version 1.2: Phase Two update, both of which are unlocked once players complete the game’s main story, “In Our Time.” Complete Jessica’s character story event, “One Flews Over the Old House,” to claim growth materials, Clear Drops, and other rewards. A synopsis may be found below –
The mist and water. Jessica’s four limbs remember the cold and gentle sensation, just as easily as her mind remembers the games she played, the brilliance of the moon, and the nest she came from. But change is necessary. Within eleven days, the changeling must complete a leap supported by six pairs of hands.
Another new event, “A Tooth for a Tooth,” continues. Participate in the event to claim growth materials and Clear Drops. A synopsis may be found below –
The practice of straightforward and honest business deserves commendation. Ignore those front teeth, typos, strange orders, and other distractions. This is a good deal, even if the merchant in front of you turns out to be unexpectedly shrewd. Display your goods, state your price, don’t compromise on profits, and have no regrets.
Time to get spooked all over again. Download Reverse: 1999 today on the App Store, Google Play, and PC to experience all new content in store with Version 1.2, “A Nightmare At Green Lake.” Clomp toward a whole new set of frights and delights with a community of retro horror movie lovers via Discord and follow on X / Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and the game’s official website.
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ABOUT BLUEPOCH GAMES CO. LTD
Established in 2020, Bluepoch is an ambitious, passionate and globally-focused company. Our team has committed itself to exploring the vast potential of anime through the creation of dreamlike, immersive, and heartfelt games. Our imagination is as infinite as the starry universe.
New RABBIT Squad members are introduced, including Miyu (Swimsuit), Miyako (Swimsuit) and Saki (Swimsuit)
Event story follows the RABBIT Squad as they investigate a mysterious disappearance
Players can snag a 10-Recruitment Ticket from the “Summer Secret Mission! Capture a RABBIT!” event to recruit new students and optimize their teams for tactical, strategic combat
SEOUL – Dec. 27, 2023 – Armed with a knack for pixelated mayhem, new students Miyu (Swimsuit), Miyako (Swimsuit) and Saki (Swimsuit) have arrived on the crime scene of popular mobile RPG Blue Archive for the event story “Special Summer Mission! RABBIT Squad and the Mystery of the Missing Shrimp.” With the fresh update available today until Tuesday, Jan. 9, the RABBIT Squad’s story continues as they investigate a sudden shrimp shortage. The search takes them to Yatoura Village, where strange legends chill them to the bone.
From NEXON Korea Corp., Blue Archive has players step into the shoes of Sensei, an outsider and teacher called by the President of the General Student Council to save the futuristic academy city of Kivotos from a criminal uprising. A new version of Blue Archive arrives every few weeks, complete with new characters, missions, and events. During event and main story updates, players will meet unique students from numerous academies, help guide them towards success, and even recruit them for combat. Strategic combat is at the heart of this anime-style RPG, as players will face off against challenging enemy forces, and team up with the captivating ensemble of characters met along the way.
RABBIT Squad member Miyu (Swimsuit) is a deadly force on the battlefield and can be recruited to players’ teams by playing the event story. An Explosive-type Special Student, her distinctive feature lies in her personalized, powerful move, or EX-skill, which inflicts a fixed amount of Crit DMG proportional to her ATK to enemies in a straight line. In Blue Archive, Crit DMG represents the amount of extra damage characters deal when landing a critical hit. The more ATK a student has, the more damage they will deal.
Continuing the summery swimsuit trend, fellow RABBIT Squad members Miyako (Swimsuit) and Saki (Swuimsuit) are the perfect companions to Miyu (Swimsuit). A Piercing-type Striker, Miyako wields a submachine gun and a strong sense of initiative as the leader of the RABBIT Squad. Her EX Skill reduces the Crit DMG RES, or critical damage, of one enemy for 50 seconds and deals damage proportional to her ATK.
By her side is Saki (Swimsuit), an Explosive Type Striker and student at SRT Special Academy. She deals damage proportional to her ATK to 1 enemy and has an EX Skill that decreases the enemy’s DEF, ATK, and Crit RES, their critical hit rate, for 50 seconds.
The three powerful new students also bring a wealth of rewards and celebratory events, including:
“Summer Secret Mission! Capture a RABBIT!” Event – During this event, one story about the RABBIT Squad will be released every day through Sunday, Dec. 30. Available until Tuesday, Jan. 9 at 1:59 a.m. (UTC), players can tap the Snap button on the event page to earn rewards such as Frozen Shrimp and a 10-Recruitment Ticket that can be used in the Dice Race.
“Climbing High! SRT-Style Bouldering” Minigame – Users can earn various items by climbing to the high ground with RABBIT Squad students in this precarious minigame until Monday, Feb 19 at 4:59 a.m. (UTC).
Players can download Blue Archive for free on Android and iOS. For more information about Blue Archive, players can visit the official Blue Archive communities and the links below:
Founded in 1994, NEXON Co., Ltd. (Nexon) (3659.TO) is a company engaged in the production, development and operation of online games and Virtual Worlds. First listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December 2011, Nexon was placed on JPX400 in 2015 and added to the Nikkei Stock Index 300 in 2017. In 2020, Nexon was added to the Nikkei 225. Nexon currently has more than 50 live games in more than 190 countries on PC, console, and mobile. Major game franchises include MapleStory, KartRider and Dungeon&Fighter. In 2021, Nexon completed the acquisition of Embark Studios AB, a company based in Stockholm, Sweden, developing multiple projects for global release.
When it comes to the metroidvania style of games, there are those that strive to try and reinvent the concept by introducing their own elements, those that offer an amazing aesthetic to build their game around, and some of the best that manage to do both. The concept of being able to explore a massive area, obtaining new abilities, and using these new abilities to return to reach previously unavailable areas has become something of a staple in many games and now Cookie Cutter is looking to put a bit of an extreme twist on things. Featuring a hand-drawn art style and a focus on bloody violent combat, is Cookie Cutter‘s latest spin on metroidvanias worth picking up?
Story
The mysterious and powerful energy source known as VOID appeared to offer endless possibilities. So much in fact, that a massive megastructure rivaling a planet was built around the energy source and, the corporation that managed to harness the energy proclaimed that those who followed them would find themselves in a utopian paradise. Instead, hundreds of years have seen this future turn into a dystopian nightmare where the promised immortality of a robotic body saw loyal followers turned into cogs in a never ending machine. Players take on the role of Cherry, a “Denzel” built outside of the corporation’s influence by a female scientist turned rebel known as Shinji. Shinji saw the horrors of the megastructure and, for her part in rebelling, she was taken and Cherry was left on the brink of destruction. With her only goal being rescuing her creator and her love, Cherry has been rebuilt by a helpful hacker and with the help of a few unlikely allies she must delve into the depths of the megastructure, take on numerous enemies, and rescue Shinji no matter the cost.
Cookie Cutter establishes a fairly interesting world to serve as the backdrop to Cherry’s quest for her beloved but unfortunately doesn’t really do much with it. There are various logs, some hidden and others out in the open, that help provide extra background information to the world and where players are exploring but the actual game does very little with the concept. In fact, the shock value of the game’s more “graphic” violence and raunchy aesthetic is mostly played for a quick laugh cheap gag and surprisingly is dropped quickly outside of a few extra references and obvious jokes with certain character names and hidden easter eggs. Cherry’s talking robotic “Regina” between her legs may seem like the tip of the iceberg but doesn’t really go much more extreme than that. Even the characters that players interact with, as outlandish and unique looking as some of them can be, aren’t really able to shine outside of a few of the, ironically, more normal characters. The plot itself is poorly developed, with many of the biggest questions being left unanswered and Cookie Cutter surprisingly leaves a lot of plot threads hanging, even closing out with a cliffhanger that leaves fans with hopes that the story will continue either through DLC or a sequel.
Gameplay
As a metroidvania style game, players will find themselves exploring the megastructure’s labyrinth design and taking on numerous enemies ranging from generic robots to penis-like monstrosities across numerous different locations. As they progress through each location players will often obtain various upgrades for Cherry that will help augment her movement capabilities and combat repertoire with new attacks and weaponry. These various upgrades can then also be used to explore previously unreachable locations players explored in old locations or reach new areas entirely, with certain areas gated off until players obtain certain abilities. In many ways, Cookie Cutter follows the standard formula to the letter, rarely trying to reinvent it or offer new elements but it does manage to offer some fast-paced chaotic combat to make up for the rather straightforward exploration.
Combat throughout Cookie Cutter is one of the game’s highlights as players will have a wide range of different special attacks to unleash on enemies with tight controls that make the fast paced combat feel wonderful most of the time. Cherry has a standard combo string that can be chained into heavy attacks utilizing her powerful weaponry that ranges from simply a giant gauntlet, to an electric guitar, a motorbike (if the game doesn’t bug out and refuse to advance the quest for it), and even some rather unique transformation attacks. The thing with these heavy attacks is that they require VOID to use and players can only recharge their VOID meter by damaging enemies with standard attacks or performing finishers. These finishers can be executed on any enemy displaying the prompt when at low health and are brutal looking affairs that often reward players with not only VOID but also some extra health as well. While Cherry can simply beat foes into submission she has a few defensive capabilities as well, though the game’s explanation of one is a bit off the mark.
Cherry can dodge enemy attacks with a short but effective window of invulnerability allowing players to mitigate damage but the best way to avoid taking a hit while weakening your opponent is the parry mechanic. If players parry at the proper time, they will not only block the attack but often stun the enemy they are fighting against, or drop an entire bar from its endurance meter, and stunned enemies can be executed at any health level. Unfortunately, while the game states that timing the parry when enemies flash blue as they attack is the best way to do it, this is almost always false. Instead players will need to parry when an attack connects and the window for this is incredibly tight to the point that, especially during frantic combat or against most bosses, simply dodging attacks is far more effective. The combat itself isn’t too hard but the poor parry mechanic and the fact that enemies deal a lot of damage when they strike Cherry makes it often a little cheap feeling.
Besides using her VOID energy for attacks Cherry can also use it to heal herself though the healing mechanic can leave a lot to be desired. This is because rather than instantly heal or use an item, players must press and hold down on the D-Pad to recover health, using VOID to restore health while standing still. This means that, should players need to heal during a fight they must run for it and try their best to heal without taking another blow and likely dying as a result. The ability to heal is nice but, even with later upgrades, is inefficient feeling most of the time. This is especially true with the prevalence of “arena’ style rooms that see Cherry battling against waves or respawning enemies in order to progress, something that becomes heavily used in the latter half of the game. The boss encounters are also treated with far less fanfare than one may expect, often featuring fairly simple extra mechanics or, in most cases, none at all besides standard combat.
As Cherry makes her way through the megastructure she will obtain plenty of money and various upgrades for herself with many of these often hidden away as reward for player exploration. Money can be used to purchase and upgrade certain parts that can be installed into Cherry for extra boosts to things such as her total health, damage output, and more. Players will need to obtain extra energy cells through exploration to equip additional abilities, though these can only be done through the game’s limited teleportation stations that are used for fast travel. These passive upgrades are definitely worth acquiring, as are the energy cells required to use them that are found by searching high and low through the megastructure, including breaking down hidden walls. It is worth noting that, even if players find all of them, there is never enough power to have every ability equipped at once.
Audio & Visuals
The best part of Cookie Cutter is hands down the gorgeous aesthetic provided by the hand-drawn artwork that is everywhere in the game. The character models are all unique looking, with some rather extreme looking designs sometimes, and Cherry’s multiple upgrades and attack animations flow fluidly. The combat can occasionally be a bit too frantic looking at times, with it being easy to lose track of Cherry in the chaos of enemies and executions but this ultra-violence style is quite impressive looking more often than not, especially when characters use executions on new opponents. The design of the various “areas” players explore are all unique from one another but are often a bit on the too simplistic side, where most locations will start to feel repetitive less than halfway through a location.
There is some decent voice work throughout Cookie Cutter though not as much as one would hope. Most dialogue is unvoiced and this surprisingly includes plot related interactions as well, which is disappointing as these are often the interactions players would prefer to be voiced. The soundtrack features a great collection of rock music that fits perfectly well with the action happening on screen, especially during hectic boss battles.
Overall
Cookie Cutter may not reinvent or innovate the metroidvania genre much but it does feature some absolutely wonderful hand-drawn animation and stylization combined with some solid stylistic action. Unfortunately the game’s storyline isn’t given the same type of attention as its artwork as it largely disappoints both in its attempts to be “extreme” and “raunchy” as well as tell a worthwhile narrative. As a result, Cookie Cutter‘s action and style do the heavy lifting in what ends up becoming a fairly standard metroidvania.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
RPG fans shouldn’t sleep on this latest major expansion.
XD Games, Shanghai — December 23, 2023 | Just in time for the holidays, Torchlight: Infinite is bringing you the perfect gift: a brand new season! That’s right, XD Games’ genre-defining dungeon-crawler will launch their new season, Twinightmare, on December 28 for players around the world to enjoy this festive season. Headlined by its tenth playable hero, Rosa, the newest also includes a host of challenges, quality of life improvements, limited-time festive events, and much more!
Leading the charge is Torchlight’s newest hero, Rosa the High Court Chariot. Unlocked by purchasing the Twinightmare Season Pass, she makes for a formidable Hunter with high defensive capabilities, allowing her to survive even the toughest onslaught. When Rosa unleashes her Holy Domain Skill, she will transform into an unstoppable chariot, blazing a path through enemy hordes and afflicting them with a powerful curse.
For our other heroes, four new Skills will also be making their way to Torchlight: Infinite this season including Whirlwind Blade, Lightning Beam, Star Stalker, and Harmonious Field, creating even more ways to customise Hunters as you explore powerful new builds.
Throughout Twinightmare, players will be plunged into the realm of dreams as they explore this season’s new gameplay. Dream Lotuses can be found scattered throughout each map in Torchlight: Infinite and by interacting with them, Hunters have a chance to unleash Good Dreams. These will spawn Dream Monsters that, when defeated, will drop rewards but there’s a perilous twist!
Each time Hunters enter a Good Dream in search of prizes, they risk being ambushed by a Nightmare attack – the more loot players accumulate in a Good Dream, the more challenging the Nightmare will be, creating a daring risk/reward dynamic. Only those who overcome and escape the Nightmare will obtain this season’s ultimate rewards. To help players with this endeavour, a new Season Talent Panel can be upgraded throughout Twinightmare to improve your chances.
Meanwhile, XD Games are continuing to improve the core Torchlight: Infinite experience with a slew of optimisations and quality of life changes. These are aimed at new and experienced players alike, giving the Help Manual a welcome overhaul while also introducing a smoother looting UX and easier ways to quickly share character builds with other players.
Alongside the new season, XD Games is bringing the festive cheer with an all new Winter Festival. During the celebrations players can head to Torchlight Hideout, which will be covered in Ice and snow, creating the perfect festive vibe. During the limited-time Winter Festival Event, Hunters can obtain the exclusive drop – Snowflake – and use it to exchange rewards including Exclusive Legendary Gear and Avatars etc.
The fun doesn’t stop there. 2024’s first event will be an incredible Spring Festival, which coincides with the Lunar New Year. The event will include time-limited tasks, and players can obtain lanterns when they complete challenges such as passing the Netherrealm stage or defeating a designated Boss. After accumulating a certain number of lanterns, they can exchange them for high-value rewards, including Jagged Primocryst, Appearance Crystals, and a New Year Limited avatar. During the New Year, a new outfit Dancing Red Dragon will be added into an exclusive Gacha Event.
Twinightmare will officially go live on December 28 at 18:00 PST. You can find out more about Torchlight: Infinite by checking out the game’s Steam, iOS, and Android pages.
XD Games
Founded in 2003, XD Games. is a global video games developer and publisher with extensive experience across development, publishing and operations. As of 2022, XD has 38 free-to-play and paid games with over 50 million monthly active users worldwide. In addition, TapTap — a mobile games community and app store — was launched by XD in 2016 and is estimated to currently have 44 million monthly active users. XD’s mission is to assemble like-minded talented games industry craftspeople with a common goal of touching the hearts of players around the world. XD produces games of the finest quality with passion, offering a pure gaming experience, and encouraging players of all ages to embrace the unique joy of video gaming.
Northampton, UK –December 22, 2023– Retro-indie games publisher Bitmap Soft and its subsidiary Phoenix War have announced that Cel Story, an epic sci-fi adventure for Nintendo Game Boy, will be available on their store at £45.00 on January 6. Pre-orders are already available.
Cel Story is atransformative odyssey of a stranded hero on a cryptic planet grappling with memory loss and a damaged spacecraft. Explore the surreal landscape, and remnants of an ancient civilization, and encounter peril while piecing together fragments of their past.
While collecting crucial ship components, an obscure guide offers mysterious insights, leading to a self-discovery journey. Repairing the ship becomes a quest to unveil memories and the mission’s purpose.
Amidst hostile creatures and decoding ancient puzzles, the hero races against time to escape the planet, unearthing truths buried in their history, with each repaired system bringing them closer to survival and understanding their enigmatic past.
Cel Story is compatible with the original Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance, as well as for Analogue Pocket. It will contain a cartridge, a case, a box and an instruction outlet.
Features
Crash-landing on an unknown planet.
Navigating a surreal landscape with damaged memory and spaceship.
Exploring remnants of an ancient civilization to repair a ship.
Discovering peril and fragments of the hero’s past.
Collecting vital components amidst encounters with hostile creatures.
Being guided by a mysterious figure offering cryptic insights.
A journey of self-discovery, unveiling memories and the mission’s purpose.
Decoding ancient puzzles while facing challenges.
Racing against time to escape the planet and unveil buried truths in the hero’s history.
About Bitmap Soft
Bitmap Soft was established in 2019, primarily as a software house for publishing new and unreleased games for your loved computers and consoles. Their motto is simple “Putting the NEW into RETRO”, they aim to create a fantastic catalogue of games across a broad spectrum of systems and not just the popular ones. They currently support the C16, CPlus/4, C64, Amstrad CPC 464, ZX Spectrum 48k/128k/NEXT, CD32 and the Atari ST & Commodore Amiga range of computers.
