Yearly Archives: 2015

Gigantic Pulls Roland from Roster

Motiga has announced that big game hunter, Roland, is being removed from the Gigantic roster. Gigantic is a beautiful upcoming third person MOBA that has just entered into a much larger closed beta this week following a huge showing at PAX Prime.

Gigantic Roland Rework

Given the larger playerbase and increased voice of feedback, it became clear that Roland had turned into some sort of odd gadgeteer that didn’t match him visually, nor make for a compelling kit in the very run and gun atmosphere of the game. As such, he has been pulled to undergo a comprehensive redesign featuring visual changes, and a kit overhaul to create someone who better fits into the Gigantic world both lore wise, and gameplay wise.

For full details on the decision, check out the official post on Gigantic’s website.

Camelot Unchained Celebrates “100 Hours of Glory”

During this past weekend’s DragonCon convention, CityState Games made a rare public appearance to showcase their test server for Camelot Unchained to non-backers! This madness was topped by this appearance being the first reveal outside of internal alpha testing of their procedurally generated terrain system, bringing some of the most beautiful (though still a little glitchy) environment in the MMO field. Though CityState even surprised themselves with the event hitting a milestone of 113 hours of continuous server run-time without a single crash.

This terrain system coming out of the gate so strong is exciting news for anyone following development of the sandbox tri-realm PvP MMORPG, Camelot Unchained. Its existence will speed up the development pipeline of crafting a massive believable world, as they can now generate large swaths of land that can be further tweaked into perfection. Various biome creation can be sped up as well to diversify the breaks between regions in the world. But perhaps the biggest hype factor about the system is its real-time nature of editing the world, letting the developers or pre-defined factors like player spells and weather change the landscape around players without the need of downtime or patching.

But enough talk, take a look at the new landscape demos below, along with a new upgraded model for the Arthurian golem!

EVOLAND 2 Review: A Wacky Trip Through Time

By Jason Parker (Ragachak)

 

Evoland II Review

As a child of the 80s, I grew up with some pretty intense, deep, well-written roleplaying games. Some more than others, admittedly; Dragon Warrior, Final Fantasy IV, Chrono Trigger, all with their own merits and idiosyncracies. However I have long-since given up on the notion that the style of deep games with more simplistic art designs were ever coming back, save on cartridge and the occasional disc. Evoland 2 is not a direct successor to Evoland, which was not a commercial success that I’m aware of. Instead, it’s more of a spiritual successor to it, and everything that has come before it. This is a throwback, a shrine to the plethora of great games that came before. While at its core it is a top-down action RPG, a’la Secret of Mana there is much more going on here. This game has quite literally something for just about everyone: A fighting game section, a Bullet Hell section (Galaga, Raiden Trad), platforming side-scrolling action, Professor Leyton and Lufia-esque puzzles! It also calls back to the Chrono Trigger style turn-based RPG; there’s no way you can go wrong here. You do not stick to any one style of game the entire time, and it does not hold your hand, not even a little bit.

Evoland II Review

It’s more than just mixing up game genres, though! This is a tale of time travel, and each world looks a little different. PS2 style graphics, Game Boy (Tutorial), NES, SNES RPGs! It’s a tale of time travel through styles of game and genres, and while it’s a spiritual successor to Evoland, it also definitely feels like a tribute to Chrono Trigger, arguably the greatest time-travel game to be released to the public. It has deep, heart-wrenching moments, and comedic tributes that made me laugh till my face hurt. Evoland 2 is a game I didn’t know I wanted till I saw it. Then I knew I couldn’t live without it. The difficulty can prove ridiculous and scales in really weird places, especially if you are bad at puzzles or platforming. But if you are looking for a challenge, while still being entertained, look no further. Evoland 2 will make you groan and swear, and not a moment later you will be grinning, thinking back fondly to games of your youth. And for gamers who are not familiar with older style video games, think of it as a history lesson in disguise.

Evoland II Review

Evoland’s title is pretty clever in its own way. The theme is Evolution, even if it’s not expressly told in game. One can see it simply by playing the game. Art, Combat, Music, even Comedy are evolving constantly and it is shown succinctly in the game. Comedy acts like Monty Python and the Holy Grail (the Prophet who constantly yells “Ni!” before I knocked the snot out of him in a fighting game mode), the “Number of the Beast,” RE: the Great Destroyer was 42, a throwback to one of my favorite writers of all time, Douglas Adams. But it’s not just comedy. There’s a story here, of Demons versus Humans, of races being obliterated, tragedy and desperation. It has attention to detail that I just don’t see in single player roleplaying games these days. Though this is not to say the game is perfect, not at all; not everyone appreciates nostalgia, and that’s really what this game is: A tribute, a reminder of where we have come from as gamers.

Evoland II Review

The changing of game styles might bother some people; I can see why that might be the case. Not everyone is good at/enjoys fighting games, even if it is only a few scenes. Others might hit a brick wall when faced with the top-down bullet hell, where you face off against a good four or five bosses, and steady, infuriating waves of bullets, screaming at your character to move faster or more precisely in all directions. But he’s the silent protagonist, the everyman, accused of being a hero, a pirate, the Great Destroyer. He doesn’t complain, no matter what wacky situation he was pitted against, though the player might. If you aren’t good at puzzles, the Library will drive you insane, and there are no hints to solving the puzzles required to move forward. That’s one of the biggest drawbacks to Evoland 2: It will force you to play styles of games you might not have played/aren’t interested in, and it’s not optional. In this way it is also unique, not letting the player get too comfortable in one style of game mode before switching to the other. It’s the heart and soul of what an RPG ought to be though. It’s got an intriguing story and is far less linear than its predecessor. But Evoland 2 will try its hardest to get you as the player out of your comfort zone; it even calls to mobile puzzle games and 2 shooters.

Evoland II Review

As you progress through the game and travel through time, you will see how this world you are on changes and evolves; you do not travel to other worlds that I have seen, but you do get to see how villages, castles, and caverns change as eras in the world pass you by; in a way, it really makes you think about the world around you, how our own planet has changed as Earth has turned its way around the Sun. You are not alone in this strange land though: The Protagonist has three allies who join him throughout time periods, and each has their own special power they bring to the world around them. You do not play as them but summon them to use their powers in a plethora of ways akin to an advanced version of utilizing Pokemon HM abilities. Fina strikes forward and can hit switches (to and fro, denying physics), Menos (who I renamed Manos in a humorous callback to Manos, the Hands of Fate) drops down or shoots forward and punches the snot out of hard-shelled enemies, bricks, blocks and flying creatures. Velvet, the one I just acquired, is very much like Lara Croft, an explorer. She shoots blasts of ice to freeze and break obstacles, and is the source of knowledge on the Magi, which we as players are trying to understand so maybe we can return home. And save the world. That’s a part of it too, I suppose.

 

Evoland II Review

Tale As Old As Bytes: 4/5 (Great)

This game probably won’t be for everyone, I understand that. But it’s really got a lot of different things going on all at once, provided with balance and flair. Evoland 2 is unique in a whole mountain of ways, and though as of this writing I’m not finished, I don’t plan on stopping where I am. I love the descriptions you acquire throughout the game, and the snark and sass that the game has in general! It’s funny and many of these moments really poke fun at the gaming industry at large.

It’s a terrific, fun game and it’s got clever humor, throwbacks to past games, solid gameplay and is overall just fun. This is what roleplaying games ought to be: Fun, while still telling a tale that keeps the player enthralled. Sure, the gameplay style swaps can be jarring for players who aren’t expecting it/want just one style of rpg, I don’t think it would be such a negative that it will push it away. Shiro Studios put together something magical here, and I hope everyone who plays it will grin as wide as I did at the tribute to the roots of gaming, as well as gaming technology.

Evoland II Bottom Tier

Do you want more Evoland 2? Need a little more convincing? Then come check out the Let’s Play/Review of Evoland 2 by myself and Colton of “Bottom Tier”! Like what we’re doing? Like, follow, subscribe!

 

Graphics: 4/5

Even the NES and Gameboy inspired graphics were glorious; clean sprites, everything visually made sense, and were true tributes to what their roots were. Even in the Fighting Mode, where The Protagonist battles The Prophet, who does a fluid Raging Demon (Akuma, from Street Fighter) and changes into Oni (another “form” of Akuma), that really brought it home for me. It might not be Fallout 4 style graphics, but it doesn’t need them to tell the story.

 

Controls: 4/5

For the most part, I loved the controls. My personal grievance comes from how awkward the controls were on a PS4 controller. I do not know if it is different on an Xbox One controller, but I got over it and learned how to get the game moving. The fighting game motions were smooth, and the Bullet Hell controlled well enough to weave through pixels. The platforming sections, which were in abundance while challenging, were not because the controls were bad.

 

Features/Gameplay: 4/5
There are so many different styles of game here that it’s about a dozen games in one, with a concrete story that doesn’t waver. The puzzles range from “Tricky/Challenging” to “Sonofamotherasdfasdflh!!!”, and even though some frustrated me, I appreciate the challenge and being made to think outside of the box.

 

Sound/Music: 4/5

The soundtrack while mostly original does have some snippets here and there that made me think of other games, from the Lufia series, to Zelda and Metroid. I love the music in this game as much as I do the art style, and in some cases found myself whistling some of the overworld music.

 


 

12 is Better Than 6 Launches Kickstarter

12 is Better Than 6 Launches Kickstarter news header

Ink Stains Games have launched their Kickstarter campaign for the hotly anticipated top-down shooter, 12 is Better Than 6.

North America, 1873, is a lawless, cruel land. A wrongly incarcerated man is attempting to escape prison to wreak havoc on those who sought to do wrong against him and exact his revenge.

After being approved on Steam Greenlight, in only four days, the team is ready to take the game to Kickstarter to secure the funding needed to complete 12 is Better Than 6. To help make this happen, there is a special Crazy Early Bird tier where backers who act fast can pledge to get the game for only £2|$3!

“Bringing 12 is Better Than 6 to Kickstarter is going to be an exciting journey for us!” said Anton Grischenko, lead programmer at Ink Stains Games. “Our game’s a lovingly crafted homage to the Western movies and action games that we grew up with, and we’re keen to share our passion with our fans and backers.”

To be judged by 12 means that you get to go to court, where you’ll be judged by a jury of 12 people who will ultimately decide upon your fate.

To be carried by 6 is to be dead. Why? You see, it is common for 6 people to carry a coffin (3 people on each side) to and from the hearse.

Our hero would rather kill someone and go to jail for it than be killed and have to be buried.

  • Unique shooting mechanics – you will need to cock the revolver after each shot
  • Challenging difficulty – player’s reflexes and abilities will be tested to the limit. Bullets are deadly, and enemies rarely miss
  • Hand-drawn visuals – drawn by hand on pen and paper, to provide a truly unique visual experience
  • Choose your play style – stealth or all guns blazing, it’s up to you
  • Authenticity – the game is set in real places, complete with sleazy saloons, Native American colonies, and traveling caravans
  • Weaponry – only the greatest weapons of the period are used in game. Winchesters, revolvers, double barreled-shotguns and even Gatling guns

Total War Battles: KINGDOM launches in Canada and Sweden on iPad

Total War Battles: KINGDOM launches in Canada and Sweden on iPad news header

Total War Battles: KINGDOM is a challenging free-to-download, persistent-world strategy game, which launches on iPad for the first time in Canada and Sweden.

In Total War Battles: KINGDOM, shape your lands to transform the wilderness into a powerful and productive Kingdom. Manage your Kingdom’s economy, build castles and towns, grow your population and expand your territory. Raise powerful armies and go head to head with other players or AI enemies in large scale real-time battles.

For those eager to get theirs hands on Total War Battles: KINGDOM prior to wider release, the game is also currently in Open Beta on PC and is available now to download for free from Steam. With one persistent world, players will be able to continue their campaign across multiple devices, at home, work or out and about.

Intended to be the perfect slice of Total War gaming on the go, the launch of the iPad version in Canada and Sweden signals the start of the tablet launches for Total War Battles: KINGDOM.

The game is currently available for 4th generation iPad, iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 2 and iPad mini 3, and will be coming to other countries soon with other tablet versions, Mac and mobile versions coming in the near future.

Blowfish Studios to Simultaneous Release Gunscape in January 2016

Blowfish Studios to Simultaneous Release Gunscape in January 2016 news header

Blowfish Studios will deliver the world’s first game which shares user-created content across Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Wii U, PC, Mac, and Linux when they release Gunscape, a first-person shooter and world building hybrid, in January 2016.

The PC and Xbox One releases were originally scheduled for September 2015, but will now launch simultaneously with PlayStation 4 and Wii U to achieve this ambitious cross-platform goal.

Gunscape empowers players to create their own experiences. Featuring weapons, environments, enemies and player models inspired by classic first-person shooters,
Gunscape provides all of the tools necessary to create intricate single player or cooperative campaign missions, as well as multiplayer maps with several different modes.

Those missions and maps can then be uploaded and shared through a simple and intuitive interface that not only shows newest and most popular maps, but also features a curated list of some of the best user-created maps available.

Gamers who prefer to focus solely on blasting enemies into sweet bloody messes can conquer campaigns as well as competitive multiplayer maps created by both Blowfish Studios and other players. All campaigns and multiplayer maps, including the ones made by the developer, were made using the same in-game tools players can use.

Gunscape will offer online multiplayer that supports up to 20 players or local multiplayer with split-screen supporting up to four players on PlayStation 4 and eight players on PC and Xbox One.

“Our goal is to develop a first-person shooter that’s fun to play and empowers players to create their own levels, which can be shared and enjoyed by as many people as possible,” said Benjamin Lee, CEO of Blowfish Studios. “By delivering the world’s first user-created content sharing system that ubiquitously works with all the major consoles and PC, we will achieve just that.”