Yearly Archives: 2017

Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition announced for PC/PS4

SFVAE_Akuma_vs_Menat

A major update is coming to Capcom’s Street Fighter V in early 2018! On January 16th, Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition releases. It will include everything from the original game, along with new gameplay content, such as Arcade Mode, Extra Battle Mode, new V-Triggers, a Gallery, a new User Interface and much more. Owners of the current game will receive this for free via an in-game update when Arcade Edition releases. For newcomers, it will be available for purchase on both platforms for 39.99 (US Price).

In addition to the Street Fighter V main game, the following content will be included in Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition:

  • Arcade Mode
  • Extra Battle Mode
  • New V-trigger moves
  • Gallery
  • New User Interface
  • Season 1 DLC characters*
  • Season 2 DLC characters*

For purchasers of Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, this content will be redeemable via a download code token. Owners of the current title will not receive them but are still available via Fight Money/Real Money purchase. The Arcade Mode is a centerpiece and will allow players to celebrate 30 years of fighting action. Six paths await and players will do battle against CPU opponents to reveal endings depending on player performance. In Extra Battle Mode, a new series of time exclusive challenges will be available for players to use their Fight Money for the chance to receive an exclusive premium outfit each month. Complete all four challenges each month and receive a special premium costume exclusive to this mode.

Champions and Challengers – Adventure Time

Champions and Challengers – Adventure Time is a F2P real-time tactics action game taking place in the ever popular Adventure Time universe. Go on an epic quest exploring the various kingdoms and discovering powerful new allies to assist you in your battle to take down the evil Dice Lord and save the day once again, available for iOS and Android.

Features:

Little Help From My Friends: Recruit over 70+ characters each with their own upgrade path and unique ability.

Swipe to the Left, Now Swipe to the Right: Effortlessly conquer your enemies in combat with easy to use gestures and intuitive strategies.

I’m Da Best: Prove your might on the world’s stage in the PVP arena.

Dragon Ring

Dragon Ring is a browser-based MMORPG featuring 3D graphics, real-time combat, and a flexible isometric camera view. Players must defend the Middle Kingdom of Andimore, uniting the forces of light through the power of a ring to push back the evil force of the Dark Lord.

It features character customization, regular events (including cross-server events), hundreds of bosses and dungeons, and multiple PvE and PvP modes with a MOBA-style control system.

Features:

Rings of Power: The story is centered around powerful rings, each of which can be obtained and equipped to give unique bonuses.

Cross-Server Battles: Join with your allies to battle in large-scale cross-server wars for land and resources.

Multiple Modes: Goes beyond a standard MMORPG, offering Tower Defense, Caravan, Capture the Flag, and more.

Empyre: Lords of the Sea Gates Surges onto Steam

Coin Operated Games plans on rekindling old-school RPG nostaglgia with their Neo-Victorian Story-Driven experience, now available on PC: Empyre: Lords of the Sea Gates! The quote that comes to mind is, “Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink” and it couldn’t be more appropriate. Empyre depicts a New York where the city is slowly flooding by rising oceans, and the fresh water pipes have stopped flowing. Anarchy has overcome the government and localized groups are taking control where they rule with complete autonomy. This top-down isometric RPG will have players experiencing an early 20th century versino of New York, and uses a time/turn-based combat system.

“We are beyond thrilled to be sharing Empyre: Lords of the Sea Gates with gamers from around the world,” said John Randall, Creative Director of Empyre. “We strove to keep our games setting and themes recognizable but unique so that we could really let the story from our fantastic writer, Paul Noth, shine. We can’t wait for both old-school gamers looking to relive their 90’s RPG experiences and the next generation of gamers to get their hands on the game. We have so many more stories to tell in this alternate reality, this is just our first chapter!”

 

Tangledeep Coming to Nintendo Switch in 2018

Impact Gameworks have announced that their roguelike dungeoncrawler, Tangledeep will be heading ot the Nintendo Switch in early 2018! Additional news about the 16-bit inspired dungeoncrawler will be on the way in the coming months. But there’s content for the Steam version of the game as well! The latest update to Tangledeep introduces players to the Monster Corral, wherein players are now able to capture any monster and add them to their very own in-game corral located in Riverstone Grove. Each monste rhas its own stats and traits, and will respond to the various monsters in the corral differently. But take proper care of them and they will become affectionate, willingly entering the labynth of Tangledeep with you. Monster Breeding will come with this update, sharing traits/characteristics/stats of their parents. Want to breed your ideal monster? Now’s the time!

Undertale: Strings of Determination Music Review

by Jason Parker (Ragachak)

Album Cover 2

Full Disclosure: I have not beat Undertale. It’s on my to-do list, I swear! I’ve started it a few times, but get distracted by stream-stuff, or work-stuff. Maybe I’ll just stream it Wednesday nights to actually get through it. But I enjoy the concept and I love the music for it. Megalovania is probably one of my favorite game tracks to date. Materia Collective is cranking out the tunes right now, and recently they released “Undertale: Strings of Determination”, which is a collection by “String Player Gamer” which is absolutely amazing, and you owe it to yourself to listen to wherever fine music is acquired. Again, it’s a huge soundtrack (46 tracks) and I don’t think I could do all 46 tracks justice, and I wouldn’t get some of them because I have not beat the game yet, I’m going to highlight some of my favorites for sure. The presser sold me on it with a single quote:

“In just two years, the music of Toby Fox’s whimsical UNDERTALE has become an instant modern classic in the VGM community,” reflects arranger String Player Gamer. “My daughter and I became obsessed with the game’s world, characters, memes, and music, so much so that she drew all the illustrations in the booklet. So this is really a father-daughter project.”

I did not give Undertale the fair shake it deserved and that’s a shame. It took a good year or so after it came out to try it. Frankly, having so many people badger me, telling me on social media that if I don’t play it, I “don’t like video games”, I “don’t like fun”, and I’m “an awful human being because you’ve never played Undertale, how dare you” put me off of it for sure. It was annoying, obnoxious, and frankly a bit insulting. But I’d pick it up here and there and try it, and it has a concept I genuinely find interesting: The notion of being able to get through combat without a battle. Because most RPGs focus/require combat. Being able to/being encouraged to avoid combat at all points is really quite lovely. Of course, there’s a Genocide path too, but it’s not really a path you’re encouraged to walk.  String Player Gamer really brought this soundtrack to life though. Each track has its own vision, its own flavor but manages to stay true to the initial song he arranged from. There are, of course, tracks I could talk about all day, like Megalovania. It’s a unique track apart from all of the others. The themes used within don’t remind me of anything else in the game. From what I’ve read it was for Homestuck? I didn’t read Homestuck for reasons that aren’t relevant to this piece.

  • Spider Dance (Track 2): Spider Dance may be one of my absolute favorite songs on this entire album. It’s hard for me to place why. The drums are a great choice to add to the song, and really bring the haunting violin sound to life. A terrific combat song while also definitely feeling like a dance. This was supposed to be for Muffet, yes? Pretty certain. It reminded me of The Munsters. That’s what it reminded me of! Like an upbeat version of the Munsters TV theme. It would have been at home on any spooky TV program in that era.
  • Spear of Justice (Track 16): The Spanish Flamenco style reminded me desperately of Final Fantasy IX and “Vamo’ alla Flamenco”. Now I want to go back to playing Final Fantasy IX… The theme of Undyne is unique and this version of it’s no exception. Much like Spider Dance, it has just as much of a place in a dance hall as it does in combat. It genuinely feels like a tribute to a pair of classics at once. It’s an incredibly dramatic song right from the start, and if this weren’t a game concerned with not doing battle, it would still have a home. When I listen to it I picture the hero and the “villain” standing a few feet apart, staring intently at one another before weapons clash. I could also see this being used in an action film.
  • Bonetrousle (Track 4): Bonetrousle is also heard in “Nye Heh Heh” in the regular Undertale soundtrack, I’m pretty sure. Papyrus’ theme comes to life here if you’ll pardon the expression. It sounds like, in the beginning at least, if String Player Gamer is using a technique called “Double Stop”, where a bowed instrument plays on two strings at the same time. It creates a very chilling effect for a song like this. You see, I had six or seven years on the Viola; I still know some of this stuff! The change towards the end of the song, where it gets darker, lower is a nice tonal shift. The battle (if you choose to do battle with spoiler) will feature it as well in some form, I’m fairly certain. It’s a tribute to a great pair of personalities.
  • But The Earth Refused to Die (Track 19): This is the “Undyne the Undying” track. I’ve not played a Genocide run, but I’m certain this is during that. I won’t spoil any story stuff, what little I’ve had already spoiled for me, but this is the definition of a dramatic, tension-filled moment, and the track put together reflects that. Undyne becomes Undyne the Undying and fights on, clinging to Determination to see them through. Undyne is passionate about everything they do, and even their music reflects that in the direst of times. Love this track. Easily one of my favorites on the whole thing.
  • Battle Against a True Hero (Track 20): Man. That “adventure theme” across much of the Undertale score comes back here. This is a song for special boss fights in the Genocidal Run. Why does the Genocidal path get so much amazing music? It hardly seems fair. The music is luring me down a path of violence! This is music so intense you’ll clench your fist in Determination while listening to it, gazing off into the distance as battle (perceived or otherwise) looms. This is definitely another track I could see being used in an anime fight scene, swords clashing and cool flips through the air happen simultaneously. It’s a shame you’re the villain of this piece.
  • ASGORE (Track 9): ASGORE is part regal castle theme, part battle theme. Being that ASGORE is a literal Bergentrückung (Yes, I actually knew the word for “King in the Mountain”), it’s fitting that his song should have a Bergentrückung feel to it. Is it just me or does it also kind of sound like Toriel’s theme? This is another pulse-pounding song, and though it doesn’t remind me of the actual “King in the Mountain Hall” by Grieg, I love it. ASGORE looks so damn sad in his sprite. It makes sense that it would remind me of Toriel though, for story purposes.
  • Once Upon A Time (Track 21): Once upon a time reminds me of something I’d probably hear in EarthBound. The soothing, calming sounds remind me of being in Onett, or being on the phone with my Mother (or Ness’ mother as appropriate) and figuring out that “It gets better”. That’s what I think of when I hear Once Upon A Time: It Gets Better. It’s short but peaceful and the idea that such a peaceful sound exists makes my day better.

What about you? Have you heard Strings of Determination yet? And if not, why not?! Get out there and listen to it on Spotify, Bandcamp, and the iTunes store! (The Bandcamp link wouldn’t work, so here it is again!)