Monthly Archives: November 2017

Total War Rome II Returns To Antiquity With Empire Divided

EmpireDividedLogo.png _ Powered By Box

Total War: Rome II is receiving a new update in “Empire Divided”! It’s a crisis of the third century, where inept, useless emperors and usurpers all vie for the power of the Roman Throne. On November 30th, players can tackle one of ten playable factions, with Barbarians and Eastern Empires ready to exploit your every weakness. Also in this is the free Power & Politics patch, which overhauls ROME II’s political system to make a more subtle, interesting experience with far-reaching consequences.

Full details on Empire Divided, plus info on how ROME II players can gain entry to the Power & Politics open beta, can be found in the Empire Divided Q&A.

Prime Arena ‘Demo Version’ Available on Steam

Prime Arena Game Profile Banner

A free demo of Prime Arena is now on Steam, as Nival is going with a “Try Before You Buy’ strategy! It contains three heroes with different abilities and unlimited access to the game in general. Being able to experience the game first without paying anything, and being able to suggest improvements that might get you to purchase the game is a solid idea and a great way to get feedback on the title. Some games need to be experienced first, and simply watching videos or demos won’t do them justice. In this way, players can size up the game and figure out what they’d like to see in it. You can do this right now on Steam, at this link!

Dodgeball Rising Coming to Steam Early Access

Are you ready for the ultimate six-player showdown, where only the strongest will survive? Dodgeball Rising gives you just that! Samurai, Ninja and Sushi Chefs settle their conflicts in the most honorable, noble way possible! No, not in a duel .. in Dodgeball! On December 14th, 2017, Happinet is bringing Dodgeball Rising to Steam Early Access! It’s set in the Edo Period, during the ban of swords and dueling is in full effect. So what are people to do to settle their dispute? Dodgeball. That’s right. The classic school-yard sport will never be the same! A variety of 11 characters, each with their own stats, play styles and skills await, and will feature offline and online multiplayer for up to six players!

‘Hardware’ Review: Atari Speakerhat

Atari Speakerhat Review - The Hat

This hat. I LOVE this hat.

by Jason Parker (Ragachak)

So, we have been trying to break into doing more hardware reviews, but this one is kind of special. I’m a person afflicted with chronic migraines and serious hearing loss in my left ear. So audio stuff is typically far out of my purview because I can’t hear in stereo. Then I heard about the Atari Speakerhat. Yes, that’s a real thing. No, I’m not making it up. It’s less a “hat” and more “amazing audio technology”. I was admittedly a little skeptical about it because I had concerns. Would I be able to hear it okay? Would it be heavy to wear on my head? So I feel like I’m the best person to review it. This probably won’t be a super in-depth review, but I do want you guys to know that I love it. The way it works is that it has a pair of speakers in the bill of the cap, which does have a bit of protection versus the elements. I wouldn’t wear it in a torrential downpour, in the snow or something, but it would likely be fine to wear on your head if it’s sprinkling. After all, it is Bluetooth tech and High-Quality audio, so you would not want to potentially ruin it. I also love that this particular hat is branded with the Japanese Atari logo from Bladerunner 2049. This is significant as it’s officially licensed, and in the film, Atari is one of the only major companies still around. It’s topical, and I also love Bladerunner. Kudos to them!

Atari Speakerhat 2

So you pair it with your phone, and you’re ready to go! Press the button, sync it up and you’re all set. It has a micro-USB cable to hook up to it to charge it, but it does have a pretty good battery life. I have to say, it’s very comfortable. I expected it to be far heavier on my head than it was. So I did a few tests, and wore it for a few hours, listening to a variety of music and volumes to see how I liked it. I didn’t have to have my volume all the way up to hear it which is a godsend for me. From Blind Guardian to Aesop Rock, it has plenty of speaker power for anyone. But you can crank it up and it there isn’t any distortion or issue. The concept behind the hat is having “technology hiding in plain sight”. It does just that too! There are no wires or cables, and it isn’t immediately obvious that it’s a speaker hat, unless they can look under the brim of it. Though it does come with a microphone if you want to issue commands or have a phone conversation in your car/wherever. They come in four styles (mine is the Bladerunner 2049 limited edition) but there’s also Fuji Blackout and two “Atari” logo hats. There are more on the way based on other Atari IPs (Sword Quest? Please?).

Atari Speakerhat - The Box

This box is amazing. It’s still displayed in my office.

All told, I love this hat. And I hate wearing hats. The audio is crystal clear, I could get my audio from games, Youtube, phone calls, whatever on it. It’s got full Bluetooth compatibility, so there are tons of things you can sync it up to and enjoy quality sound if you want to change up how you listen to music. I cannot stress enough how cool it looks, how comfortable it is, and how clear the audio is for me. As someone who can only hear in one ear, I found I actually hear better wearing it, than I do my headphones. I also have to say, I love the collectible box it came in. A very sharp hardware style box with the Atari logo on it. Normally boxes just go in the trash, but this one is heavy, sturdy, and deserves to be displayed in a public place. Frankly, I’m glad to see that Atari is making such a strong comeback in the technology world. Between this and the Ataribox, they’re putting out some truly impressive work! I grew up in the 80s (born in 81), and even though I did not have an Atari 2600 (I went right to the NES). Despite that, Atari has always been a big part of my life, and when I saw things sort of drop off with the Jaguar, I was disappointed. I won’t lie. But I do feel that Atari’s making a comeback. The standard hat is 129, and the Bladerunner Hat is 139, and can both be purchased at this link.

5/5, would recommend to anyone.

Mystic Melee Preview

by Andrew Skelton (Outfoxed)

 

My skills at action platformers have decayed over the years.  That’s something I’ve had to admit to myself, and now you all know, too.  That being said, there’s a certain satisfaction that I — along with many others — feel when they clear a stage that had been frustrating them.  Mystic Melee, by one man developer Ben Hopkins, seeks to grasp that classic notion of, “One more try!” with its blend of platforming and combat.  Featuring local and online multiplayer reminiscent of games like Super Smash Bros. might also be a bonus.  Having been granted an early access copy of the game, let’s take a look into the spell tome to see how Mystic Melee holds up.

Mystic Melee Screenshot

Are You A Wizard?

To get the most out of Mystic Melee, I highly recommend you play with a controller.  While there are keyboard controls, the game just feels much better with a gamepad of some sort.  Thankfully, either way you play, the bindings are fully customizable, which helps every gamer feel comfortable.

In addition to your basic commands like jump and attack, Mystic Melee also focuses heavily on dodging.  Do keep in mind, however, you have to use the specific key to dodge in a specific direction, rather that simply utilizing a dodge command.  There are also various spells you get during your playthrough, which range from utility to damage.  You can hold only two of these at a time, though you can always drop one and pick up another if needs be.

Mystic Melee Screenshot

Book Learning

The first few levels of the campaign serve as the game’s tutorial, and it serves teaching the basic functions quite well.  It even touches on some more advanced techniques that will be important such as down-jumping and sliding.  All in all, it does serve its purpose well, letting players get a good feel for the game.

What it does not do, however, is prepare you for the different characters you’ll be playing as.  You’ll be limited to the first character, Gale, until you clear the other stages of the main game before you can bring them into the tutorial.  It would have been nice if I could have practiced with some of the other characters before being thrown into their respective stages and expected to know how they function.

Mystic Melee Screenshot

I Wanna Cast Magic Missile

At its core, the campaign of Mystic Melee is an action platformer.  The game shoves you in the role of various wizards, and you have to protect the world from the designs of an ancient evil.  Pretty cliche, sure, but it works.  As I mentioned before, each of the four characters has a completely different skillset, and finding out how each of their attacks works is tantamount to getting through each of their difficult stages.  Personally, the hardest thing to get used to the fact every character’s basic attack is completely different in their physics.  Gale, for example, is a simple forward, backward rhythm to his attacks, but the second character, Amaya, has a neutral first, and a forward momentum to her second.

As you progress through the levels, you earn a combo by collecting glowing mana (red squares) and defeating enemies, all without being hit.  These levels are also timed, and you’re then graded based on how well you performed in both categories.  Therein lies the true replayability of these stages — trying to S rank everything will take a lot of skill.  There are also mystic mana nodes hidden on each stage.  Retrieving these often takes quite a bit more skill than anything else in the stage, and should likely be saved until you understand the level design and character physics.

Mystic Melee Screenshot

Sage Fright

The campaign mode of the game does feature a fairly linear progression.  You clear one stage, you move on to the next.  At the end of each character arc there’s a boss you must overcome, too.  It is quite simplistic in approach, but it does make sense for a game like this.  Plus each subsequent stage seems to build on the previous, or introduce something new to overcome, helping to keep things fresh.

Unfortunately, during the current version of Early Access, the last two stages are unavailable, meaning I can’t experience the other characters in their stages proper.  While they can be played in the game’s online and local multiplayer modes, it would be nice to see what the characters were capable of first.

Mystic Melee Screenshot

Last Mage Standing

Mystic Melee offers two different forms of multiplayer action.  Arena mode allows you and up to three others engage in fast-paced brawls.  The best part about the mode is the flexibility in team making too.  Want a free-for-all fight?  Have everyone on different teams.  2v2?  3v1?  Both are definitely within the realm of possibility!  Don’t have three friends willing to play with you?  Test your skills against bots in this mode!  Given the nature of the tutorial, this may be the best way to learn all four characters.

Online mode is like arena mode, however you’ll be competing against others across the globe instead of your friends.  It’s unknown currently if there will be any sort of matchmaking services available, but given the game’s scope, there may be no need for it either — the game is actually fairly easy to get into and understand.

Mystic Melee Screenshot

Final Thoughts

One of the most important things in any Early Access title is the willingness of the developers to take criticism and respond in kind.  The developer, Ben Hopkins, has been nothing but professional in his dealings with critique, so far as I’ve seen.  After reading the discussions page on Steam, Ben shows a willingness to explain development designs, and accepts where his game can be improved.  I’m always enthused when small studios like this are this tolerant and open to their community’s suggestions.

That being said, Mystic Melee may not appeal to everyone, and that’s okay.  Fans of moderately challenging platformers will certainly enjoy the campaign mode, and arguably it can find a very interesting niche in the speedrunning community with the time trial nature of each stage.  While multiplayer is a bit lacking at the moment, there is definitely much more to come from Mystic Melee.  I’m looking forward to seeing how things pan out from here.

Mystic Melee Screenshots:

Huge Raiders of the Broken Planet Changes coming in ‘Eternal Soldier’ Campaign

What was once known as the “Prologue” of Raiders of the Broken Planet is now known as the Eternal Soldier Campaign! It’s free, contains two missions, the single-player tutorial “First Blood” and the first 4 vs. 1 multiplayer mission (Hanging by a Thread). With full access to the games’ features, players who download the free Eternal Soldier Starter Campaign will be able to use gold, faction points, and character points to unlock new characters, build weapons from blueprints, unlock Faction and Character Cards and unveil pieces of lore from the world of Raiders of the Broken Planet! The renaming from Prologue to Eternal Soldier, they wish to re-emphasize the importance of the campaign, which serves as the base for which other campaigns will be built from.

“We have avoided naming the Eternal Soldier Campaign a demo, as it is not a gameplay section extracted from the premium campaign,” said Enric Álvarez, Co-Owner of MercurySteam. “It is a free group of missions including all the game’s features that can be fully enjoyed, before the customer can decide if he or she wants to invest €/$/£9.99 on a premium campaign.”

Players who want more can purchase additional campaigns, each of which contains four missions! These occur in parallel, each with their own characters and factions. Alien Myths is available now and the next (Wardog Fury) will launch by year’s end.

ARK: Survival Evolved Launches Today on Xbox One X

Today, Studio Wildcard announced that ARK: Survival Evolved is now available as a launch title for the Xbox One X from Microsoft! A free update for Xbox players, ARK on Xbox One X takes full advantage of the new system’s overall power, with HDR visuals, 1440p high-res, greater draw distances and enhanced visuals, and more. Xbox players can look forward to quicker load times, and is arguably the most advanced version of the game yet!