The Shenmue Saga begins again on August 21st, and to get people up to speed, SEGA has teamed up with the English voice of Ryo Hazuki, Corey Marshall, to deep-dive into the Shenmue I & II lore ahead of time. Ryo Hazuki is a Jiu-Jitsu master-in-training, spending his spare time busting up the bad guys or sparring with his friends. In Shenmue I & II, you’ll use and unlock real Jiu-Jitsu moves that you can level up throughout and transfer between both games – which will come in useful as the enemies become tougher throughout the saga. From hard-hitting fights, to playing full-versions of classic arcade games, Shenmue I & II will also introduce players to the very first Quick Time Events, which Shenmue introduced to the gaming world at large.
Monthly Archives: August 2018
Daemonical – Launch Trailer
Fearem’s asymmetrical horror title, Daemonical is officially live today on Steam for 14.99. It offers a different gameplay option compared to other titles in its genre, as nobody will know who the demon is until the transformation actually occurs. Gameplay is different depending on which side of the battle you are on though and needs to be played out within a specific amount of time. he winning criteria for both – Humans – find 4 ritual parts and bring them back, or run and hide until the morning. Demon – killing 4 remaining humans before morning presents double gameplay value. It’s a do-or-die scenario, where action and inaction can be beneficial or a detriment, depending on what’s going on around you.
- Huge open landscape
- Dense and realistic randomly generated vegetation
- Big number of procedurally generated houses & interest points on the map
- Procedurally generated collectible and ritual part locations
- Each match the map is different
- Realistic time of day
- Real-time weather and amazing atmospheric environment sounds
- Beautiful settings, atmosphere, landscape, environment
- Freedom of choice – make your own horror
- Proximity voice chat – can be used for role-playing
- Realistic characters, character customization
- Party system
- Unity 3d engine
Vampire the Masquerade – 5th Edition Thoughts in Brief
by Jason Parker (Ragachak)
Roleplaying is such a wonderful gift, such a treat for the mind. But there’s more than video game Roleplaying (strange, I know)! A month or so back I received a preview copy of one of my all-time favorite tabletop RPGs, Vampire: the Masquerade: 5th Edition. The group that I play with has used older books, opting to forgo the revision of the White Wolf games (Vampire: the Requiem). There were too many changes not only to the game mechanics but the story that we as a group agreed that we did not agree with. Since I have not had a chance, unfortunately, to sit down and have a few play sessions, I want to focus less on the mechanics and more on the story and the clans. Whereas games like Dungeons and Dragons focus more on the high fantasy style of game, the beauty of Vampire: the Masquerade, is that it’s typically set right in the modern world, the Modern Nights, if you will. This is certainly not a requirement, but the main story for VTM is in the current era.
Never before has this been more relevant, however. One of the things that make it so fascinating is that we are present, in this real life, surrounded by monsters. Monsters in politics, in our homes, in our schools. Rapists, bigots, hate-mongers, racists. Violent criminals, and people using our taxes for their own personal gain. Colluding with powers both foreign and domestic, crooked cops, unfaithful significant others. So many monsters already exist in our world, why delve into a modern fantasy for more supernatural monsters? For me personally, roleplaying is an escape from a world that is unfair, from a childhood that was less than kind. For someone that has dealt with their share of monsters, in a modern fantasy, I can feel significantly less helpless. Your Vampire, in Vampire the Masquerade, whether you want them to be or not, is a monster. You don’t have to be a monster, but if a normal person were to come upon you, you probably are one. I mean, you drink blood, and are undead.
Our own world is crumbling around us it seems, sometimes. Being able to play and interact in a similar world and actually have an impact on it, is what appeals to me in Vampire: the Masquerade. It seems like the Final Nights are upon us, and the apocalypse, known as Gehenna is already coming. It is whispered the most ancient of them, the Antediluvians are waking up, and the Sabbat (the more violent, anti-Masquerade faction, who reject humanity and revel in their monstrous nature). The Sabbat are leaving behind the West and heading to the Middle East, to fight what they believe to be The Gehenna War. Whether it is true or not, remains to be seen, but that is what is being whispered. There seems to be even more of the Thin-Blood than ever before (14th or 15th generation vampires, who do not experience the curse of Caine the way other Kindred might). The typical Vampire is a 13th generation or lower, and the further you get away from The Third Mortal (Caine), the thinner the blood gets, and the less powerful they are. They even seem to have their own type of Thaumaturgy (Blood Magic) in these Final Nights, Thin-Blood Alchemy. Unlike the ritual Blood Magic, this gives them a taste for the Disciplines (powers) of other Kindred, and possibly more. There seems to be way more content for the Thin-Blood characters now, compared to previous editions.
This is a major change and an interesting one, for players that might want a more gritty, dark roleplaying experience, without wild, insane powers of the lower generation vampires. The Thin-Bloods do not age like Vampires and straddle the line between the day and night lives. Should they diabelerize a vampire of the 13th generation (or lower, potentially), they will join the clan they stole a life from, and become a member of the 13th generation. It’s been said that the Camarilla has dangled this in front of the Thin-Blooded caitiff (since basically all Thin-Bloods are clanless; I have not come across any 14th generation Ventrue, for example) to get them to do their bidding without resorting to more permanent or violent means. Should that Thin-Blood wish, they can track down their sire and slay them (or try to) to reject the “curse” and go back to being a mortal being again. Now, this is a fascinating update to the Vampire: the Masquerade gameplay. Sure, there are still lots of D10 (10-sided dice) to roll, and many of the checks and requirements of these seem to be a little on the high side (lots of minimum 6s), this version I was reading was the Alpha test.
There are little changes here and there, such as clan weaknesses. One I noticed right away (since I have played quite a few Tremere in my day), that Tremere is no longer one step closer to a Blood Bond than most. When a Vampire is Blood Bound, a powerful, mystic bond is in place. Accepting the Vitae/Blood from another Vampire is seen as an acknowledgment of their superiority or mastery over you. In the earlier editions, Tremere underwent an initiation/ritual where they consumed the blood of the seven elders of their clan. This put them just a little closer to being Blood Bound to someone above them. The Tremere are no longer defined by the Blood Bond. In fact, they can no longer Blood Bond other Kindred, though they themselves can still be Bound to others. They can bind mortal sand ghouls, but in order to do so, the blood must be consumed more times than normal. Not all weaknesses/banes were changed though. The Ventrue remain the same. They were my first choice to read through since the Blue Bloods was my first clan. I am disappointed the clan sections no longer contain what one clan thinks of another (stereotyping them) because they were interesting reads.
Final Nights (Thoughts): This is a huge step in the right direction after Vampire: the Requiem. There are still some holdovers from that setting that I don’t agree with (the Potence Discipline’s working is a fine example of that), but the same dark story is here, only moving forward, slowly. That’s the way it should be though. It’s been said time and again that Vampire: the Masquerade caters to people who want to kill, towards racists, skinheads, bigots, and other less desirable types of people. But that’s utter nonsense. Those kinds of people are already going to do what they want. Sure, there’s death in VTM. A lot of it, honestly. But it’s how you deal with these deaths, what they mean, and the story wrapped around it that matters. Just because you’re playing a Monster, doesn’t mean you’re going to become a Monster, or that you should be one away from the game. That’s been the accusation leveled at D&D for decades though, thanks to a few people who cannot distinguish fiction from reality. VTM 5th Edition is a gorgeous, dark story and for those craving something different, or a return to the Nights, definitely should.
The Sinking City
Developed by Frogwares games and published by Bigben studios, The Sinking City is coming March 21st of 2019 to PC, XB1, and PS4.
Features:
Horror: Nobody did horror like Lovecraft, and Frogwares have stayed true to the dark scribe’s macabre works, bringing them to Oakmont, Massachusetts.
Investigation: Find clues in everything, without the game pointing them out like a giant billboard. You’ll truly have to use your wits to solve the mystery of the sinister flood plaguing this town.
Open World: Traverse flooded streets any way you wish, but beware what lies beneath the surface of the murky waters of Oakmont.
Babylon’s Fall
Square Enix and PlatinumGames have given us little real information about their upcoming collaborative effort, but we got one heck of a trailer out of them.
Keep an eye out right here for more information. When we’ve got it, you’ll have it!
Path of Motus Review
By Terris Harned (NWOrpheus)
“Stop.”
“No.”
“Can’t”
“Failure.”
Some people argue words have no power. Others argue that the pen is mightier than the sword. In The Path of Motus, words do indeed have power: the power to destroy. Taking control of the titular goblin, Motus, you set forth from your village on a journey of self discovery and perseverance.
For generations your village has been surrounded by a forest. Other goblins have set off into the forest, but inevitably they return, having succumbed to the challenges they’ve faced. Armed with a magic paintbrush that he inherited from his father, Motus is determined that he will be the first from his village to see what lies beyond. In order to do this, though, he’ll need your help.
Bullies abound along the path whose words can also harm. “Hey,” they’ll shout, or “Nope,” and their words are projected towards you. If they connect with you they’ll force you to respawn a short ways back and try again. You can choose to dodge their words, or use your own to defend yourself.
Sometimes you can even dodge the confrontation altogether, and doing so will reward you with a “high road” award. Taking the high road is often quite difficult, but it does feel quite satisfying when you do!
These aren’t the only challenges you’ll face along the way either. From time to time you’ll come to a gulf that you cannot cross, or a block that hinders your progress. During these times you’ll pull out your trusty paintbrush and solve a puzzle to remove the blocks, or build a bridge, before you continue on.
Motus sets out as a mere 6 year old goblin, but as you progress through the game he’ll grow into a teenager, and then an adult. You’ll also see signs of those who have gone before; namely, Motus’ father, who initially tried to talk him out of setting out, and coming to work on the farm instead.
All in all, the game is a good deal of fun. The early challenges are very basic, but I feel this is just to introduce you to the mechanics in a sort of working tutorial. As you progress some of them are downright frustrating. At one point I kept falling, over and over again, and as I did the game began taunting me. “Just quit the game,” it suggested, “Go do something else, you’re bad at this.” To be honest, it started to get to me, and I almost did as it pressured. I managed to get through it though and boy was it satisfying!
There’s not really too much more I can say about The Path of Motus without spoiling a great deal. The Path of Motus has a message that needs to be experienced first hand. We live in a world where the same people who have decried empathy to be weakness suggest that others should act with more civility. We need to open our hearts and think about what we say, and question how those words might affect the person we direct them at.
I will say that the music and sound play an integral part of The Path of Motus and you absolutely must play with the volume turned on. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Final Rating: Great (4.5/5)
Fallout 76 – Vault-Tec Presents: Let’s Work With Others! (Multiplayer Video)
You Will Emerge! In this new land we’re forging, it’s imperative that we learn to work together! Today we learn a little more about Fallout 76 in today’s Vault-Tec guide episode, entitled “Let’s Work With Others: The Art of Cooperation”!
Tanglewood Released Today on Steam and SEGA Mega Drive Cartridge
Turns out the SEGA Mega Drive is alive and well! Tanglewood releases today not only on Steam, but on a SEGA cartridge, complete with old-school box. British independent games studio, Big Evil Corporation released their debut game, a puzzle-platformer, Tanglewood. It’s an authentic 16-bit adventure for Steam, which is available for 17.99. The cartridge version can be found here for 54.00 pounds. Tanglewood was inspired by the SEGA’s classic sidescrollers from Virgin, such as The Lion King and Aladdin, mixed with a certain Blue Hedgehog.
The player controls the fox-like Nymn, who is lost in the dark and dangerous wilds of the Tanglewood. Nymn is desperate to return to his family pack and must survive being hunted by several dangerous beasts. Other creatures, however, will assist Nymn, providing color-changing power-ups to help him on his journey home. Expect chases, puzzles, tricks, and traps, demanding boss fights and many surprises along the way.
Unlike older games, the Mega Drive version of Tanglewood is playable on PAL, NTSC and NTSC-J consoles. The Steam version of the game includes the Mega Drive ROM file, allowing flash cartridge owners to play it on original SEGA hardware.
“My aim for Tanglewood was to create it in the same way as my favourite games from my childhood,” says Phillips. “This idea has been brewing since I was nine years old – the kid in me has long wanted to see my very own Mega Drive box on a store shelf!
The Unexpendables are Back with Jagged Alliance: Rage!
We all age, and it’s always a steady slow decline. But while the heart gets weaker, the knees might ache, there’s still a job to do. Sometimes you just have to clock in, ignite a rebellion, overthrow a dictator or just kill some bad guys. That’s what the mercenaries of Jagged Alliance have been doing these past 20 years. And now Ivan Dolvich, Helmut “Grunty” Grunther, Kyle “Shadow” Simmons and the other infamous fighters have a mission again when they’re stranded behind enemy lines: survive! Jagged Alliance: Rage! is currently in development for PC, Playstation 4, and the Xbox One consoles, and is aiming at a Fall 2018 release. The price is scheduled to be 19.99 on PC and 29.99 on consoles. The name of the game is to survive, with only a few allies and a whole island ruled by a drug kingpin who wants you dead, and has a crazed army that is willing to do just that.
Jagged Alliance: Rage! is the first game to be published by HandyGames, the latest family member of the THQ Nordic network. HandyGames will act as an independent publisher, focussing on small and mid-sized projects or 3rd-party indie games.
The Features:
• 2 Player online co-op mode
• Deep turn-based tactical gameplay mixed with adventure elements
• Choose a variety of tactics ranging from stealth to brute force
• Strong character personalities with own skills, desires and personal conflicts
• Rage skills: Unique character abilities that get more powerful over the course of the battle
• Powerful Commanders coordinate enemy troops on the battlefields
• Face terrifying experimental drugs and use them to manipulate your enemies
Dark Souls: Remastered for Nintendo Switch Receives Release Date
Bandai Namco has officially confirmed the release date for both Dark Souls: Remastered on the Nintendo Switch and the Solaire of Astora amiibo. Both will arrive on October 19th, 2018, and an online Network Test will be scheduled prior to its release, more info on that will be available soon. With the unique portable capabilities of the Nintendo Switch, players will be able to experience the “Souls” challenge anywhere they want, from decrepit towns, deserted castles, and much more. Adapting to the challenges ahead is key to success in the Dark Souls franchise, and having it in a portable format is sure to be exciting.

