Monthly Archives: January 2015

Heroes of Rune Launches Closed Alpha

Heroes of Rune Closed Alpha

MijiKai Game Studio has officially launched Closed Alpha for their upcoming browser-based MOBA “Heroes of Rune“:

We’d like to thank all of our fans for the ongoing support that helped carry Heroes of Rune into Closed Alpha! The game has been in development for about one year; evolving from a prototype state into a living breathing colorful world we hope many will come to enjoy. We are still accepting new Alpha Testers and looking forward to everyone’s feedback to help us build an awesome game that will be played for years to come. To register for Closed Alpha, please email info@heroesofrune.com with Subject: Lets Play Heroes of Rune!

Heroes of Rune is an epic new casual game fusing elements of Multiplayer RPG and MOBA style gameplay. Team up with friends for Quests, Raid challenges, engage in fast-paced PvE, PvP combat in an open-world environment. Once you are ready for more action, go head to head with other teams in the Rune Wars.

Rune Wars includes a unique capture & defend gameplay with traditional MOBA objective of destroying the opposing team’s ancient. Unlike other MOBAs, Heroes of Rune will not include lanes or auto-spawning minions. Players have the freedom to roam the environment, hunt various monsters for experience points, collect gold, purchase upgrades, and spawn minions that will follow heroes directly into combat!

Heroes of Rune rewards players with Battle Points for their achievements throughout the game. With Battle Points players unlock additional game content such as new playable characters, and skins, along with earning higher ranks on the leaderboard. Players will also have an option to unlock this content through the purchase of in-game currency, but have no fear! Heroes of Rune will not adopt a pay-to-win model. Heroes of Rune will offer an equally balanced player experience regardless of play style.

Elder Scrolls Online Announces End of Subscriptions

Our prediction articles have come true sooner than expected as Bethesda Softworks has announced a conversion of their first test of the online gaming world, The Elder Scrolls Online, from its original subscription service into a buy to play model. With this announcement comes the reveal that the game is being ported to Xbox One as well as Playstation 4, with launch slated for June 9th, 2015. Bethesda claims these versions will offer all the same endless hours of existing gameplay already present on the PC version.

ElderScrollsOnlineBuyToPlay

The conversion titled The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited will hit PC and Mac players on March 17th. From that point onward, only the initial purchase box price of the game will be required to enter the online realm of Tamriel. Instead of subscriptions, the games continued development will be funded through a new Crown Store offering convenience and customization items, as well as bonus DLC content. Those preferring paying a monthly subscription can enroll in the new ESO Plus program, offering all future DLC content, a monthly allotment of Crowns, and exclusive in-game bonuses.

For further details, be sure to catch an official livestream later today at twitch.tv/zenimaxonlinestudios or visit the FAQ page here.

Start Collecting Followers in Deity Quest – Available Today on Steam

Deity Quest Header Art

Fancy Fish Games, developers of the upcoming  I Can’t Escape: Darkness™,  is pleased to bring the exploration-based battler  Deity Quest™ to PC, Mac, and Linux on Steam on today.

As a young god in the world of Aberos,  Deity Quest™ challenges you to collect 128 unique follower types, then use them in fast-paced 6-on-6 battles to conquer the world and become the Overgod.  Develop your divine magic, explore vast locations, and compete with other deities in your quest to the top!

An early version of  Deity Quest™ became available in 2014; the Steam version features online follower trading, online battles and LAN play, as well as many updated features, Steam Trading Cards, and SteamPlay.

Critics loved Deity Quest in 2014:

“With its clever gameplay, intriguing storyline, and nostalgic visuals  Deity Quest™ is one of those games that immediately commands your attention.”
– Craig Forshey, Super Game Droid

“So, if you do like the Pokemon RPGs then you’re probably going to like  Deity Quest™ as well.”
– Chris Priestman, Pocket Gamer

“We’re excited to introduce this beefed-up, latest and greatest version of  Deity Quest™ to Steam players” says Fancy Fish Games Founder David Maletz.  He adds, “While we wade through the deep, dark depths of wrapping up development on  I Can’t Escape: Darkness™, it’s nice to have the light-hearted distraction of  Deity Quest™ available on so many platforms for so many of our fans.”

The Steam page for  Deity Quest ™ can be found at:  http://store.steampowered.com/app/340330

Fable Legends is coming to PC with Windows 10

Fable Legends

Lionhead Studios are thrilled to announce that Fable Legends will be launching on Windows 10 PC as well as Xbox One later this year.

Cross device gameplay for Fable Legends

Fable Legends will bring both Windows 10 PC and Xbox One players together in the best looking Albion yet. For the first time, Fable fans will be able to play together co-operatively or competitively across devices as Heroes or as the Villain. The choice is yours!

For more info, visit https://www.fablelegends.com/

Brawlhalla Beta Impressions – Smash Bros, is that you?

By Michael Sagoe (mikedot)

 

With the upcoming release of Dead or Alive 5: Last Round, the recent announcement that Street Fighter 5 will be heading to the PC and the possibility of the new Killer Instinct game receiving a PC port, it’s become more and more clear that the PC platform is now becoming a stable platform for the once scarce fighting game genre. Fighting games of all shapes and sizes have now become playable on this PC, but one type of fighting game in particular has yet to be seen until now.

If you have ever played a little known fighting game called “Super Smash Bros” (and if you haven’t: Shame on you!), then you may be interested in this new title known as “Brawlhalla”, a Super Smash Bros. style fighting game that’s currently available on Steam’s Early Access program. While this game borrows heavily from Smash, it features unique heroes based off of fantasy myth and legends, character customization, online multiplayer and more. All well and good, but the real question on my mind was whether or not the gameplay was unique enough to stand on its own.


In the game’s current beta form, it features an arcade mode, local and online multiplayer for up to four players and a tutorial mode. It also features an item mall where you can purchase all sorts of cosmetic items for your characters using real currency. As with any new fighting game, I instantly went straight for the training mode and was introduced to these 12 “different” characters, including Bodvar the Viking Warrior, Cassidy the Cowgirl Gunslinger, Hattori the Samurai Swordsman and many others. However, I use the word “different” very loosely here, because later on as I played the game, I found out that each of the characters weren’t so different from each other.

So, for those that have played Smash Bros before, the game’s control scheme and mechanics are strikingly similar: Using a keyboard set up, players use the WASD keys to move and jump in any direction, along with holding any directional key + J or K key to perform different light/heavy attacks. And just like in Smash Bros, pressing and holding an attack button lets players perform powerful smash attacks that will send opponents flying.

It also supports two other control schemes including keyboard + mouse and gamepad. In order to get a more down home experience, I decided to go with the gamepad option, and for the most part, the controls feel nice and responsive.  While screwing around in the tutorial, I tried to use every kind of technique I could think of from playing Brawl and Smash 4, just to see if any of those skills would transfer over. It was easy for me to get used to Brawlhalla’s combat, but there was some differences that I caught onto, like the fact that recoveries are far easier to perform than in any smash bros. game, as players can not only perform double jumps, but up to three upward aerial attacks AND a directional air dodge in order to get back onto stage. As cool as this may be, being able to recover this easily takes out some of tense and gratifying moments when players manage to jump back onto a stage when they thought they weren’t going to make it.

After several minutes of training, I decided to play through the game’s arcade mode, which consists of a very straightforward tournament bracket. Defeat a bunch of CPU opponents in 4-man bouts and fight your way to the top. I played through arcade battles several times to get a better feel for the ebb and flow of combat, and I would have to say that battles in Brawlhalla are a bit more reactive than smash, which I feel is a good thing. Frustrating tactics from Smash Bros such as ledge-guarding are much easier to deal with and taking opponents out with a single smash attack is just as satisfying. It’s just too bad that the characters aren’t very distinguishable from each other, as each character must use two out of six different weapon types, including long sword, spear, hammer, rocket lance, dual dagger and dual pistols.

These characters do not have much in the way of unique movesets, except for one heavy ground attack, so each sword user plays the same as every other sword user, every hammer user plays the same as every other hammer user, etc.  This is one of the biggest issues that I had with the game, as there’s a distinct lack of variety, and the gameplay quickly becomes stale because of it. I’m really hoping that since this is only a beta, each character will start to gain more unique movesets from each other as development continues.

The combat is also more item-based than Super Smash Bros, as players must pick up random weapon drops on the battlefield in order to gain their primary attacks. Otherwise, they’ll have to fight with plain old punches and kicks, which do not perform a lot of damage or have much range. However, one interesting thing about item usage in Brawlhalla is that there is no animation delay when picking items up. With that in mind, it was very possible for me to throw an item and pick it up on the rebound, allowing me to create some very interesting combos. There’s something really satisfying about knocking an enemy back a short distance, throwing my weapon at them, picking it up while it’s in midair and then closing the gap in order to finish them off with a devastating smash attack.

Lastly, I jumped into the game’s online mode to test my skills against a few live players. At the time i tested things out, online mode didn’t contain any online lobbies or leaderboards or anything like that. Simply pick your character and let the game find a match. Once you’re in, the matches seem to play out fairly responsive, with very little lag hiccups. This could possibly be due to the fact that my current location was very close to the server’s location, but regardless, playing online felt the same as playing offline. I got a lot of enjoyment out of competition against others, and it generally felt nice being able to chat after each and every match and take in all the praise (or rage) that players would give me.

Overall, my experience with Brawlhalla was generally positive, but I am very concerned with the game’s current state of replay value and variety. If they plan to diversify the characters a bit more, as well as add more items, weapons and improve online functionality a bit, then I can see this game become a smash hit… pun intended.

The game is currently available in a closed beta, but new users can sign up simply by dropping their email on the official website.

Underworld Ascendant: New Kickstarter for Underworld Series

Underworld

The legendary developer of titles such as Thief, System Shock and the original Underworld Ultima games announces a Kickstarter campaign for Underworld Ascendant, a spiritual success to the Underworld franchise.

Paul Neurath, formerly of Looking Glass fame, formed Otherside Entertainment, which is a small development team. They are taking Underworld Ascendant to Kickstarter on February 4, 2015 to get fans involved in the game’s development and raise a portion of the funds needed to create the game. The newest incarnation of the franchise will retain the distinctive fantasy RPG gameplay of the originals.

For more info, visit http://www.underworldascendant.com/

Combat Monsters: Now Available On Steam

Combat Monsters

Rubicon’s biggest game yet, Combat Monsters, is available on Steam right nowCombining elements from collectible card games with grid-based tactics provides a competitive experience that appeals to new players and experienced strategists alike.

Cross-platform solo and competitive matches play out on a hexagonal board with 132 monsters, 42 spells and plenty of other surprises manifesting as full 3D models for a more cinematic experience.

Rubicon are an established studio with a BAFTA nominated portable strategy series (Great Little War Game, Great Big War Game, etc.) The customisable decks and global matchmaking in Combat Monsters expand upon that history by allowing for endless variations and challenges with up to six players.

Combat Monsters has already seen success on iOS and Android with positive reviews including 4/5 stars from 148 Apps, 91% from Apps Zoom as well as being commended as “Magic the Gathering meets Battle Chess in one hell of a game” by Tech Raptor.

For more info, visit http://www.rubicondev.com/combatmonsters/index.php

Forsaken World: Freedom Falls Launches Feb. 4

Forskane

Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a leading publisher of free-to-play MMORPGs, announced the latest expansion for Forsaken World: Freedom Falls – launching on Feb. 4. The newest expansion introduces a new playable race and class while also transforming the world of Eyrda to bring improvements to players’ experience.

Following an invasion from the Storm Legion that resulted in the occupation of Freedom Harbor, the gods of Eyrda created the Land of Origination – this new land acts as a safe haven for adventurers as they begin their quest to recapture their conquered homelands. All the chaos in the world has also drawn the attention of the deceptive new Demon race, and the trident-wielding and debuff-focused Tormentor class bringing additional player options.

Forsaken World: Freedom Falls also brings a new high level progression path known as “Apotheosis” that challenges players to join the ranks of the gods of Forsaken World. In addition to the Land of Origination, the expansion also introduce the Polar Borderlands region – a brand-new zone for players to explore in their quest to fight off the Storm Legion.

For more info, visit http://www.arcgames.com/en/games/forsaken-world

Dragon Ball Xenoverse: Season Pass Details Revealed

DB Xenoverse

In our last DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE update we found out that Mira and Towa managed to get their hands on numerous characters from the DRAGON BALL Z universe and turn them into ‘Villainous’ foes; and today, this list just got longer with the addition of Gotenks, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, Androids and even the Great Apes! Additionally we’ve discovered that Vegeta has been made to join the Ginyu Army and Nappa will be able to transform into a Great Ape! What’s driving this madness? Is it possible that Mira & Towa are taking orders issued by an even more powerful foe…?

Today, Bandai Namco is also excited to announce that fans looking to add more explosive content to their DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE experience will be pleased that BANDAI NAMCO Games and DIMPS are working on three post launch DLC packs adding even more characters, costumes, and mission to the world of DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE. These DLC packs will be offered either through a Season Pass (containing all three DLC packs) at a discounted price of $24.99 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and STEAM or as individual DLC packs for $9.99 each. The first DLC pack is expected to release in March 2015; more details pertaining to specific release dates will be coming soon.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s included in the Season Pass/DLC content packs:

DLC Pack 1 (Available in March 2015):

  • 3 playable characters: GT Goku, Pan & GT Trunks
  • 4 Time Patrol quests
  • 12 Quests
  • 15 Special Moves for the players’ avatars,such as Final Shine Attack, Power Pole combos and Spirit Ball
  • 5 Additional costumes

DLC Pack 2

  • Exclusive Playable Characters, Quests, Special moves and costumes. More details to come!

DLC Pack 3

  • Jaco the Space Patroller playable character, Turtle Hermit set (sunglasses, Turtle Hermit’s Shell, Turtle Hermit’s Beard, Turtle Hermit’s Aloha Shirt) and highly exclusive content!

Bandai Namco is also pleased to announce that Omega Shenron and Gogeta SS4! are joining the already humongous DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE cast!

New DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE assets can be found on the BANDAI NAMCO Games America Press FTP site (link below). You’ll find the new assets in the DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE/Screen shots/Season Pass Annouce_1-21_15 folder.

DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE will be available in the Americas for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft on February 24th and through STEAM® on February 27th. Stay tuned for more info on DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE as it becomes available.

For more info, visit http://www.dragonballxenoverse.com/en/