Hunt: Showdown is now available on Xbox Game Preview, and brings the Louisana swamps to life in a terrifying new way. Players control a bounty hunter trying to rid a ghastly supernatural presence from the swamps. Survival nets generous rewards but failure? You don’t want to know.
Moonlighter was born on May 29th, 2018, and proved itself to be a fun, competitive game that has had continued growth. From the More Stock Update, the Adventure Update, Friends & Foes and more beyond, it has continued to grow on both PC and console. Moonlighter is ready to show off some new DLC, the Between Dimensions DLC, which will add new monsters, a new dungeon and more to the game.
by Jason Parker (Ragachak)
The first time I saw this scene, it gave me chills. Still does, really.
God. Bless. America this was difficult to write. I’ll probably do some more of these based on era/consoles, to make it a little easier. Today’s list is a bit more narrow than normal. I want to focus on RPGs that made an impact on my personal life/ that I sincerely enjoyed over the last say… five years or so. There are far too many honorable mentions for this list though. I wanted to keep remakes and HD remasters off this list, with one notable exception (sort of). So Final Fantasy X, Yakuza Kiwami/Kiwami 2, games like that, that I absolutely love, I left off the list. I also wanted to only put one Final Fantasy game on there, because I could have easily made it dominated by that one franchise. So Final Fantasy XV also receives an honorable mention, because that story really got me worked into a shoot. One final honorable mention is Ni no Kuni II. It’s a beautiful, interesting game and while I enjoyed it immensely, it does not beat out the games on this list for me.
This is a vintage-run of Final Fantasy IV. It’s also my fastest time to date, with 2 hours 9 minutes.
5. Randomizers: Now, I know I said no remakes/remasters, but these, in general, have really made my downtime when I’m not working truly enjoyable. There are many games that I’ve spent most of my life playing, so they become formulaic, and lose a lot of meaning/challenge. So with a randomizer, I can tackle these games that I own and love, and do so in an all-new way every single time I play. It’s always something new and different, whether it’s Final Fantasy IV, VI, EarthBound, or the new one I was clued in to, Crystallis. Everything from Doom to Super Metroid seems to have one, and there is a Final Fantasy VII randomizer in the works that I’m excited for.
4. Chroma Squad: I really need to go back and beat Chroma Squad, but as a concept I absolutely damn loved it. The gameplay was challenging, and the story is just the best. I mean, I get to play a turn-based strategy RPG where I’m running a run-down Super Sentai production? I get to make a squad of Sentai/Power Rangers, fight bad guys, and have giant robot fights? Come on, you don’t have to tell me a damn thing more about this game. It’s hokey, it’s made by people that truly understand the franchise, and it’s just a joy to play. I should really go back and stream that because it was so much fun. I don’t know why I stopped, but I regret doing so.
3. Final Fantasy XIV: How did Final Fantasy XIV beat out Final Fantasy XV? Well that’s easy – I still actively play FFXIV. XV had an unforgettable story and made me truly enjoy an open-world RPG, which is no easy feat. But Final Fantasy XIV unseated all of my favorite MMORPGs of all, I can play it with my friends, and it has so much damn fanservice to the other games in it. Themes I’m fond of, characters, areas, bosses, it’s got it all. Final Fantasy XIV is an MMO that I’ve been suggesting to people for years now, and I’m glad to see a few folks I know who never play MMOs try it, and fall in love with it. There’s a new expansion coming, with some really great classes (Gunbreaker, Dancer), and though there are things I’m not as crazy about (Eureka), there is so much more that is 100% worth playing. Go play the free trial of Final Fantasy XIV, then come back and tell me you loved it.
2. Dragon Quest XI: Dragon Quest is the series of RPGs I’ve been playing the longest. Dragon Quest XI is so good my first playthrough was over 80 hours, and I wasn’t at the end yet – nor was I upset about how much time had been spent. However, I was crushed that the last hurricane we had killed my Playstation 4, and subsequently my savefile was destroyed with it (It wasn’t backed up on the cloud for some reason). That was when I was an hour from the True Ending. I have not been able to bring myself to do it all again, but when Dragon Quest XI hits the Switch, I will play the 16-bit mode and do it all again with a smile. Dragon Quest XI’s second act was amazing and had a swerve I did not see coming. Things went from bright and cheery to ultra grimdark in about fifteen seconds. The characters had depth, the story was long, but not a slog, and it still had all of the charm the previous games had without feeling tired. This is another “go play this right damn now” game for me. Just like this next title.
1. Yakuza 0: Before I had played Yakuza 0, I had played Yakuza 4 and 5 – while I did enjoy and review them, being able to play on a more modern console, with modern console looks/feel, that is what did it for me. Yakuza 0 starts before Yakuza 1, and since I didn’t play 1-3, it gave me a lot of perspective on characters that I frankly didn’t have before. As I’ve said before, I’m not a fan of sandbox games, but Yakuza 0 does absolutely so much with every square inch of the towns within it, that you never feel like there is wasted or empty space. Amazing side quests, a gripping, dark story, warm moments, hilarious spots, great mini-games. Yakuza 0 has awesome combat, delicious-looking food, and is a terrific starting point for anyone who has never tried Yakuza before. Plus it’s on PC now! Kiryu Kazuma is such a fascinating character, and being able to play as him and fan-favorite Goro Majima is just a treat. Go play Yakuza 0. Seriously. Stop reading this, and go get it.
Journey is an anonymous adventure, where you travel on a life’s passage, connecting with companions on the way. It will arrive on the Epic Games Store on June 6th, 2019 for 14.99. It is presently available for preorder and was created by thatgamecompany and published by Annapurna Interactive. It has been optimized with 4k graphics and has a haunting soundtrack to go along with the visuals.
Journey also approaches online gameplay in an all-new way on PC, was already available on PS4 and PS3 through the Playstation Store. Following its initial launch on PlayStation, the title has received a slew of awards including the D.I.C.E. Awards, Game Developers Choice Awards, and the BAFTA Awards, among many others.
Press Release
Leading interactive entertainment media publisher and developer BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., today announced ASTRO Gaming as an official tour and audio partner joining the TEKKEN™ World Tour for 2019. Entering its third tournament season, the TEKKEN World Tour promises more action, new locations, returning favorites, and innovative tournament categories enabling more players to participate in the tour. With ASTRO Gaming joining its partnership ranks, the stakes just became even higher as players compete for an ever-growing prize purse, ASTRO Gaming products, and more.
ASTRO Gaming’s support for TEKKEN World Tour for 2019 will comprise of four main avenues of participation including the following; increasing TEKKEN World Tour’s prize purse, providing product prizing for all Master event champions, designation as the official audio partner to provide headset & mixamp hardware at events, and sponsors of the “ASTRO Path To TEKKEN Masters, powered by Beyond” online tournament series where players compete online to win a myriad of prizes, including $500 USD cash, ASTRO hardware prize packs, as well as travel accommodations and tournament entry support to compete at official TEKKEN World Tour live events. ASTRO Gaming’s partnership support of TEKKEN World Tour increases the total tournament prize purse to $285,000 USD.
“Every year, our goal at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment is to deliver the most exciting and hardest-hitting fighting game tournament series in all of esports.” said Mark Religioso, Brand Manager at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. “Working in conjunction with our partners at ASTRO Gaming to offer bigger cash purses, hardware prizes, and new ways for players to participate and compete from home; we’re strengthening all aspects of TEKKEN World Tour for 2019 and will surely achieve our vision of producing the best fighting game tournament series in the business.”
“Everything we do at ASTRO is focused on improving the sport of gaming,” stated Aron Drayer, Vice President of Marketing for ASTRO Gaming. “We are excited to partner with BANDAI NAMCO and the TEKKEN World Tour to bring to athletes and fans the best gaming audio experience possible. This also gives us an amazing opportunity to give-back to a community that values technology and innovation.”
The Mercury Map that is on the way to Battlefield V is based on the events of the real-life “Operation Mercury” in World War II. It’s set on the Cretan coast, and it’s coming on May 30th.
Outlaws of the Old West is releasing its first major content update today, and with it, players can now customize various objects around town and utilize new farming/building techniques. Now players can churn butter, plow fields using their horse, and so much more. There’s new wildlife to tame in Bulls, Turkeys, and Cattle, and 27 new crops to grow (Pumpkins, Lemons, Watermelon, et cetera). There are also new objects to craft and new building additions. There are now barn building kits, stable/stall kit building pieces, silos, ramps, wind pointers, livestock fencing, barn/stable building kits and more.
New farming equipment and elements include animal plows, crop plots for growing fields, seeds, raised garden beds, a scarecrow that keeps wildlife away from crop/food source, field rows (crop plot grid system), a compost bin that turns spoiled food to turn into fertilizer, butter churn, a self- pumping water trough, pitchfork,
To celebrate this root-tootin update, Outlaws of the Old West will also be 25% off for a limited time (11.25).
Killer Queen Black is a strategic eight-player arcade platformer from LIquid Bit and BumbleBear Games and is coming to the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo Switch edition arrives this Summer, and in the Fall for the Xbox One and is priced at 29.99. The Nintendo Switch and Xbox retail editions include exclusive Killer Queen Black-themed controller skins. Pre-orders are currently available for both platforms through GameStop (Switch, Xbox), Amazon (Switch, Xbox) and Best Buy (Switch, Xbox), and coming soon to Target.
Killer Queen Black is inspired by the arcade esport phenomenon Killer Queen, and harkens back to its roots with a Glam Rock-inspired 16-bit pixel art style and 80s metal tunes to go along with it. Players battle for the hive online in two teams of four (Gold versus Blue), comprised of one Queen and three Workers and can face opponents from other platforms with full cross-play across Nintendo Switch, PC, and Xbox One.
Killer Queen Black introduces the new Black team, recognizable by their special, glowing outfits. Any team that faces and triumphs over the Black team dethrones them and takes their place on the stream. These relentless competitions will be constantly streamed online to spotlight skilled gameplay and keep the buzz going around the coveted Black team position.
The Killer Queen Black physical edition includes:
· Cross-Platform Multiplayer – Fast-paced and reactive multiplayer awaits two teams of four players each to compete across six different maps. Complete cross-platform functionality enables Nintendo Switch, PC and Xbox One players to team up and battle it out as they aspire to ascend the ranks and become the dreaded Black team;
· Three Victory Conditions – A match ends once one team has won three times, and wins can be achieved in three ways. Workers can earn an Economic Victory by collecting berries on the battlefield and bringing them back to their home base. Soldiers and Queens can claim a Military Victory by slaying the opposing team’s Queen three times. And, sometimes slow and steady wins the race with the Snail Victory, which players can earn by slowly riding the snail waiting in the middle of each map back to base;
· Three Game Modes – Quick Matches are ready for those eager to leap into the fray, Ranked for those who want to rise to the top, while Custom games offer a private sandbox for players to invite friends or play with AI.
· Exclusive Controller Skins – Players can flaunt their dedication to becoming the Black team with exclusive themed Nintendo Switch Joy-Con and Xbox Wireless Controller skins, made of top 3M vinyl skin material with precision fit and is easy to apply and remove.
Stellaris: Ancient Relics is the next story pack for the Paradox Interactive title, and it brings content you can really dig into. Ancient Relics arrives on June 4th for 9.99, and will add two new Precursors to investigate, forgotten Relics to explore, and treasures to unearth. Uncover the ruins of long-dead civilizations in Relic Worlds to piece together the story of their rise and eventual downfall. Excavate their derelict cities and ships to unearth the truth, discover powerful relics and harness them for your own empire’s ambitions.
Stellaris: Ancient Relics includes:
Bloober Team’s latest masterpiece, Layers of Fear 2 arrives today, and is led by the voice acting of iconic horror actor Tony Todd. It’s available now on Playstation 4, Xbox One and Steam.
“The anticipation is killing us as we’re on the verge of bringing you the sequel to our most successful game – Layers of Fear 2. It will be an uncanny experience for the players and we’re seriously counting hours to read and see what they think of it. It’s a sum of extremely hard work, vision and passion of the development team here in Bloober, but also the sweat and blood (horror, right?!) of Gun, who proved to be the best of the best with supporting us.” said Rafał Basaj, Brand Manager at Bloober Team. “I hope you all enjoy this madness trip of artistry, self-discovery and fear. Please enjoy the game!”
“When we partnered with Bloober Team over a year ago, we knew they had something special in Layers of Fear 2,” said Ismael Vicens, Senior Producer at Gun Media. “Our shared love of horror coupled with their craftsmanship gave all of us the passion, confidence, and drive needed to make this experience as terror-filled and impressive as we knew it could be. It’s been an honor to work with Bloober Team and help them present horror fans with their next masterpiece.”