Monthly Archives: March 2015

SpeedRunners: Over 600,000 units sold

tinyBuild Games has just annoucned that their flagship title SpeedRunners has now sold more than 600,000 units on Steam Early Access. Over one million play sessions have been reported since the end of 2014 and the development expects many more once the game is fully launched on PC and Xbox One.

Final release for the game is due later this year.

For more info, visit http://tinybuild.com/speedrunners

Dungeons 2: Pre-Purchase Now Live On Steam

Dungeons 2

Prepare for the coming of The Ultimate Evil by dedicating yourself to the almighty Dungeon Lord. Pre-purchase for Dungeons 2 is now live on Steam and offers a 10% discount to loyal followers of darkness who commit themselves early to the cause of the mighty Dungeon Lord. There are also additional pre-order bonuses for digital buyers that will be unlocked depending on the overall number of Steam pre-orders for Dungeons 2 – including a digital soundtrack & art book, the exclusive ‘Morningwood’ DLC and even a copy of the Gold version of the original Dungeons. Check out the Steam store page here for full details – and you can also pre-purchase Dungeons 2 via the Kalypso Launcher for a 15% discount and a digital download of the OST too.

For more info, visit http://www.dungeons-game.com/en/

Warlocks: New Name + New Update

Warlocks

During the first week on Steam the game was selling better than Far Cry 4, Assassins Creed Rogue and This War of Mine. That’s quite a success for One More Level and Frozen District – independent Polish teams working on the title! Gamers enjoy the game massively rewarding it with almost only positive reviews on Steam. On the other hand there were quite some complains about… the game’s title. So with the first update for the game developers decided not only to add several improvements but also change the name from Warlocks into Warlocks vs Shadows.

The decision was made to meet gamers expectations. Players pointed out that the name is a bit too general and with many other things out there having something to do with some kind of ‘warlocks’ (there’s a rock band of that name even!) it was sometimes a bit hard to immediately find information about the game. So to avoid further confusion and to show that gamers’ opinion is important to the team, developers decided to turn Warlocks into Warlocks vs Shadows.

We believe that the new name reflects better what the game really is. – said Radosław Ratusznik, One More Level Producer. You play as one of warlocks, you slay hordes of shadow enemies and you can do it not only in single player but also in a co-op mode. Also there won’t be any better time for this change as the game keeps getting gamers and media attention. So we wanted to use this opportunity and give the game a new name while it’s still in Early Access. – Ratusznik added.

The game is available on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/330270 but only until tomorrow you can buy it 10% off, meaning 12,59 EUR. So go grab it, before the promo ends!

Especially that it’s even more fun to play now, when the new update has been released. Check out the list of changes below:

  • New music for Swamplands added
  • Knockback to Borubar’s club strike added
  • Unready option in online lobby added
  • Nerfed Pyromancer
  • Buffed third boss
  • Increased difficulty with more players in party (monsters hp +50%/player -> +70%/player)
  • Fixed occurances where it was impossible to revive a player
  • Fixed Shamaness’s curse sound effect ignoring sfx volume
  • Fixed second boss rendering in front of player
  • Steam Achievements integration

Fmore more info, visit http://www.omlgames.com/

Izanagi Online: Mobile MMORPG Announced for Closed Beta

Izanagi

ASOBIMO,Inc.has announced that they will be launching English version of the 3D Online RPG (MMORPG) “IZANAGI ONLINE” in April. Along with the official launch, they have launched sign up for closed beta test for Android scheduled to start on March 29.

The company will only be rewarding 5,000 players with an invite. Registration is available on official website. If registered participants are more than 5000, winners are selected by random drawing.
Participants who did not receive invitation, will receive experience boost items. Although beta test is only available for Android, iOS users can register their e-mail address to receive experience boost items and item drop rate boost items.

To celebrate service launch, they’ve also released IZANAGI ONLINE soundtrack.
It is available on iTunes Store. One of the track “Sample Music -Days of Battle-” is available to listen on YouTube.

For more info, visit http://en-official.izanagi.com/

Hounds: The Last Hope – Action TPS Shooter Announced (Europe)

Hounds

Netmarble, Korea’s largest PC and Mobile developer and digital entertainment company and Netmarble EMEA are delighted to announce its first global PC game, Hounds: The Last Hope is coming to Europe as the closed beta begins on Thursday 2nd April.

Delivering next generation gameplay, cutting edge graphics and raucous action, Hounds: The Last Hope offers truly compelling PVE & PVP modes, blending an in-depth story mode with an unrivalled multiplayer experience.

Launching alongside the closed beta are elements which customise and evolve your experience over time, including an action house, weapon modifiers, and an economy system designed to build and support a vibrant community, delivering new content regularly.

Ozan Aydemir, Netmarble EMEA Global Marketing Director commented “Already popular with millions of fans across Asia, Hounds: The Last Hope is our biggest game to-date, and one we’re delighted to bring it to Europe in the coming months.” He continued, “With a strong story mode, PVP & Co-op, the closed beta for Hounds: The Last Hope will deliver an incredible experience for gamers, and we’re excited to see their reaction when the beta begins on April 2nd.”

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

SkySaga Alpha Preview

By Andy Skelton (Outfoxed)

 

Voxel based games are nothing new any more. There, I’ve let the elephant out of the room so there’s no further discussion required. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with one if it offers a good time. Radiant Worlds is seeking to do just that with SkySaga. I had a chance to test the alpha version of the game to answer one simple question: does it provide a wonderful experience, or will it crumble under the might of voxel-based giants?

Skysaga Airship

Scales, Tails, and … Males?

Creating a character in SkySaga is a simple matter of choosing a race (between human, lizard, and cat), your favorite color, and using a few customizations such as skin tone, eye color, and hair style. I chose to play a cat, because the game’s art style really lends itself to the race. Currently, names are reserved on the SkySaga website, but I would imagine you’ll have the ability to name the characters in game at a later date.

Sky Saga Profile Setup

Upon crash landing on a floating island (how many games can have that as their opening?!), you’re then tasked with gathering items to make a base of operations. The tutorials provided really help with the early style of play, but later character advancement may leave you scratching your head a bit. Still, SkySaga guides you all the way up until your first unaided adventure, giving you plenty of freedom afterwards.

Sky Saga Tutorial

Wanderlust Has No Blocks

First and foremost, SkySaga is all about exploration. The game wants you to wander around. New treasures and crafting recipes can only be found in chests scattered amongst the random worlds you adventure in. It’s not all exploration, though; plenty of bandits want your stuff, and the local carnivores (I saw plenty of wolves and even a bear) might find you a tasty treat if you’re unwary. Luckily, you’ll have some means of defense when you go through the tutorial, even if it’s just a pickaxe.

Sky Saga Exploration

One of the most impressive things for me was how dark the nights were. If you weren’t carrying a torch, you only had a very limited view, and had to rely on points of light in the distance to guide yourself with. Thankfully, carrying a torch in either hand emits light, unlike some other popular voxel-based games. Additionally, seeing plenty of terrain types that flowed naturally into each other was a joy, like snow capped mountains leading down into more hilly terrain, and then into more of a flatland style area. I’m not sure if this was just my own experience, but if it’s intentional, praise must be given for such thoughtful implementation.

Sky Saga Torch

Blacksmithing Is So Metal

Quests in SkySaga should be recognizable to most MMO players. What may not be so understood, however, is all the quests for each path are self-driven. This is one of the places where the tutorial fell flat, in my opinion. It directs you to where they are, but then fails to show you how to track them (it’s a button next to the task, by the way). You start out with five different paths, and as you complete the tasks in them, you gain experience. As you gain experience in the paths, you gain new skills, and even the ability to craft new items. You’re also not locked into running a single path, so feel free to track any and all paths equally.

Sky Saga Questing

Crafting, as expected, is a huge part of SkySaga. Weapons, armor, new crafting stations, portal keys (used to go on adventures), base decorations, and several other items can be crafted. The crafting stations even go so far as to tell you what parts you need to make the specific items, and even then, it’s nebulous. For example, if an item calls for metal ore, it doesn’t care what type of metal; iron and gold will create the same item, but the appearance will use whatever metal you did.

Sky Saga Forge

Final Thoughts

With its colorful design, very smooth gameplay, and variety of content, SkySaga is an example of a voxel-based MMO heading in the right direction. Crafting feels important, and yet is also kept simple. You’ve quite a bit of freedom to build a base entirely how you see fit. The game even has its own camera, which is a lot of fun to try and snap the coolest of shots. It’s not without some problems though. Crafting certain things — armor especially — is incredibly resource intensive, almost unnecessarily so. Some of the tasks the game provide can be downright frustrating; I went through five different maps trying to find ice voxels to finish an explorer quest with no luck.

Skysaga Portal

It goes without saying that a lot of the frustrations might be ironed out in later testing phases. After all, alpha testing is quite early in the developmental stages. SkySaga still has quite a bit of charm to it though, and really does offer something for almost every type of gamer, including PvP (which I sadly did not get a chance to experience). In its current state, SkySaga is definitely worth getting interested in. With the further polish future updates bring, it will be all the more enjoyable.

Etherium: Release Date Set for March 25th

Etherium

Etherium, the explosive sci-fi RTS from Tindalos Interactive, gets a new trailer as it approaches launch day, on March 25. Only two days left to benefit from the 10% discount offered to pre-orders and to immediately access the multiplayer beta! Watch the Vectides, Intar, and Consortium pit it out for the galaxy’s waning resources in this fast-paced real-time strategy title from the developers of Stellar Impact.

Launching among a thin crowd of RTS titles, Etherium offers unique gameplay mechanics such as a dynamic weather system affecting the gameplay, and a host of faction-specific abilities and units to take to war. Conquer various maps across different planets in multiplayer, or take to the galaxy in Conquest mode to secure the six gestation planets – home to the mysterious organic power source known as Etherium.

Do you want to find out more? Then watch the live stream on Twitch on Wednesday, March 25. Etherium’s developers will also be with Focus Home Interactive to answer your questions. They go live on Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. CET / 1:15 p.m. EST / 10:15 a.m. PST.

In Etherium, manage your resources, build outposts to extend your control over the map, and crush your enemy under an army composed of a great variety of units: infantry, tanks, aircraft, and gigantic colossi of war; real machines of destruction! You will also use scientific research to develop a tech tree enabling you to unlock new units and upgrades, access new structures to develop your colony and to use new special skills.

Etherium launches Wednesday, March 25, and pre-order players can play the beta right now with a 10% pre-order discount.

For more info, visit http://etherium-thegame.com/

Global Strike: Bomb Defusal Mode Now Available

Global Strike

A new game mode is now available for Global Strike. In the Bomb Defusal mode, layouts with strategies are more important than skills and cooperation. Even a small mistake in map knowledge can lead to failure.

Bomb Defusal Map
Global Strike currently has four Bomb Defusal maps: Twilight Castle, Oriental Town, Abandoned Factory and Desert. The Bomb Defusal map is complicated with tricky roads, lots of secret passages, blocks and covers which are convenient for players to attack and hide.

Bomb Defusal Mode
The Bomb Defusal mode has two factions: Attackers (T), whose targets are to kill all opponents or place the C4 bomb and Defenders (CT), whose targets are to kill all attackers or dismantle the C4 bomb. Players will be unable to revive immediately in battle until one round is complete.

Bomb Defusal Settings
The C4 bomb must be owned before placing it in the explosion area. At the start of the game, one character from the T side will receive the C4 bomb randomly. C4 can be picked up when this character dies or quits. Since players cannot revive immediately in one round, it is important to protect teammates while placing the C4 bomb successfully.

After placing the C4 at the explosion site successfully, the bomb will detonate after 35 seconds. During this period, opponents can disarm it. So Stay Alert!

Bomb Defusal Notes

  • Attackers should work together and leave one behind to stop the opponents in Bomb Defusal mode. Defenders should have 2 members stay at A and B locations respectively. Acting together can help you to establish a superior position.
  • When attacking, if an opponent doesn’t notice you, let the opponent pass before shooting and make sure no one else is behind the opponent. Otherwise, you might be killed by opponents lagging behind.
  • As a bomber, make sure there are teammates around to protect you when placing the C4; do not place the C4 individually or you might be killed and the C4 will be dismantled. You are at a disadvantage if the C4 is in opponents’ hands.

The fun of the Bomb Defusal is its uncertainty. The C4’s random appearance and complex maps provide players many possibilities. We just provide a platform and modes for you to play. How to play? Play what? It depends on you!

For more info, visit http://strike.game321.com.

Tree of Savior: Squire and Centurion Class Introduced

Tree of Savior

The official Tree of Savior blog has just released a new blog that introduces two new classes. They are Squire and Centurion from the swordsman class. This article is a translated article of the official Nexon Korean blog.

Squire is a supportive class in Rank 5 of the Swordsman line. Squire does not have combat skills, however a Squire can arrest monsters and limit its movements. Centurion opens so-called Formation by ordering “Call-Up”.  The people who want to participate Formation pass their controls to Centurion.

For more info, visit http://treeofsaviorgame.com/news/1449/new-class-introduction-squire-and-centurion/