Yearly Archives: 2018

Total War: THRONES OF BRITANNIA – Gaelic Cinematic Trailer

There is more than one way to seize victory in Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia. For Flann Sinna, King of the Gaelic Kingdom of Mide, that way is to plot an alliance with the Vikings, which is gambling not only with his life but his kingdom. Players can achieve their ambitions of unification in Thrones of Britannia via the Kingdom Victory Condition. Achieving this victory involves carefully plotting a path through a branching narrative of unique objectives.

Nintendo Switch News – 2/19 – 2/23

PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2 PLUS Launch Trailer _ Switch - YouTube

by Jason Parker (Ragachak)

Good morning, Internet! It’s been kind of a slow Nintendo week, but that by no means it’s been an empty one. As far as physical releases, there’s none, but one that I saw for next week is a remake that was inevitable. I mean come on, it’s been on every single bloody system in the past 10 years I think. A classic came back this week, too! As a younger (much younger) many of my quarters went into the Pac Man line, so it’s only fitting it return with a new Championship edition. There were definitely more digital releases than physical releases here as the month of February starts to wind down, but that’s okay, we still have some news for you today! Let’s get started.

– Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 (2/22): A Pac-Man game exclusive to a console? Madness, I say! But it’s true. Releasing yesterday for 19.99, This Pac-Man title is exclusive to the Switch. It also allows players to team up on a single Switch, swapping out with a single Jon-Con. It features several modes, like Score Attack and Adventure Mode, and I can see it being perfect on the Switch, especially with its ability to play on the go. Two-Player Co-Op mode sounds both exciting and frustrating in equal measures. It’s a beautiful new Pac-Man for generations both old and new.

– Twin Robots: Ultimate Edition (2/23): This is an improved version of the original Twin Robots that came out in 2016 on the Wii-U. A 2.5D platformer where you play little robots that were imprisoned, it’s up to you to find the way out of each level. It does support co-op, and there is a lot of content added to it. New levels, a new OST (by Levi Bond), new secret zones, a graphical update as well as performance updates, and an improved physics system. The stages get harder as you go, and teamwork will be of the utmost importance. As far as I am aware it does not have a physical release either and it is only on the eShop for 6.99.

– Toki Tori 2+ (2/23): Okay, so this is one I had admittedly never heard of, but it’s got a cool, fun concept! Originally on Steam, Toki Tori receives a telepathic call from Five Ancient Frogs, which are conveniently scattered across the countryside. This is a challenging puzzle title, and as the young chicken Toki Tori, it’s up to you to explore this Metroidvania style title, gaining strength as you explore, using your whistle and stomp moves to manipulate creatures and progress forward that way. It also has an in-game Tokidex, where you snap pictures of creatures to complete it. There’s a lot to see and do in this game, and it should find a nice home on the Switch, for an asking price of 9.99. Having been out since July of 2013 on Steam, it has a “Very Positive” rating, which does count for a lot. Brightly colored and featuring a very clever world to get through, Two Tribes has a hit on their hands for the Switch.

Subnautica Review

by Vincent Haoson (Ojogo)

Being a guy who’s been doing a lot of multiplayer and online games, I’ve been balls deep in games that require me to interact with other people no matter how inconvenient it is. So getting into the world of Subnautica is a welcome change of pace for me.

Subnautica Screenshot

Overview

Subnautica follows the adventures of Ryley Robinson. the survivor of the Alterra vessel, Aurora, that crash lands in the planet 4546B. You need to live off the land as you try to piece together what happened and get saved in the process. The game uses the first-person perspective and revolves around trying to survive by creating food and drinks from the resources found in the water-based planet.

Gameplay

The game currently has four game modes that revolve around the survival gameplay mechanic. Freedom, Survival, and Hardcore mode follow the usual survival gameplay with a few tweaks to the formula to provide more of a challenge for players. The creative mode however, removes the survival mechanics so that players can mainly focus on building their bases and exploring the world.

Subnautica Screenshot

As a survival game, Subnautica follows the usual gameplay style where you gather resources either from the flora and fauna in planet 4546B or from the scavenged resources from your ship Aurora. You’ll be creating food, tools, and equipment as you try to get off the planet.

Subnautica moves the story along as you do certain key actions, like seeing certain objects or repairing equipment within your escape pod. This gives off the vibe that while the game does allow free flow gaming just like in a sandbox game, you are still following a fixed storyline that keeps the game interesting as you progress.

Subnautica Screenshot

Visual Spectacle

If you’re going to ask me what would be the game feature that strikes me the most about Subnautica, I’d say the beauty of the world that Unknown Worlds created for planet 4546B.

I love the contrast between the stark surface the planet has, and the rich and visually vibrant underwater landscape you’re in for when you dive into the ocean. The game actually makes me feel like I’m already diving into a real life underwater world with the way the alien fish move and how they are designed. The game looks like those under water filler scenes straight out of television or those diving videos you see online.

Subnautica Screenshot

Unknown Worlds was able to masterfully make you feel the claustrophobia of wearing googles for long periods of time. Though maybe that’s just me transferring my weird phobias when I swim with goggles on.

Crafting

Of course, when we’re talking about survival games, crafting is going to be the most important feature, and Subnautica has that in spades. The game allows you to build from the basic resources you can gather from your landing site, and since the game is set in a futuristic setting, the game gives you a PDA as a guide to not just the story and other content, but also a notebook of sorts for your crafting.

Subnautica Screenshot

As a starting point, you can craft the smaller items in your escape pod, the Lifepod 5’s fabricator. The equipment will craft the necessary items taken from the various resources that you have in game. The lifepod also has a medical kit fabricator which generates first-aid kits every thirty minutes.

For the more advanced builds, you need to gather their blueprints and scan for the necessary items before you can manufacture them. You also need to create bigger structures for the other sea-based vehicles that you can eventually create later on in-game.

Crafting in Subnautica is pretty fun and easy to follow. Since this is my first time tackling a first-person perspective survival game, I liked how the builds are easy to follow and the items are pretty much easy to farm. Aside from the visual spectacle that is Subnautica, crafting is its other best feature.

Subnautica Screenshot

Conclusion: Excellent (4.5/5)
One of the best solo immersive experience as of late, crafting is easy to get into and enjoyable. Lack of Multiplayer may turn of certain players.

Subnautica is undoubtedly one of the solo games that I’m more than willing to get back into after the review. It’s visually stunning, and the crafting and building mechanics are really easy to get into and understand. I love that Subnautica tells a complete story with just hints and small tidbits of what happened to the people after Aurora crashed. Unknown Worlds was able to masterfully create better fleshed out characters than some of the bigger AAA titles, and you don’t even see them at all, just hear them through the conversations as you unlock them.

Unknown Worlds was able to create a game that’s captivating but also haunting, because you feel all alone in such a huge world. Since the game is a solo experience through and through, you can really get sucked in the world as you survive and build from the land. I liked that even after finishing the main storyline, you are given challenging options that can really spur you to get back and replay the game.

Subnautica Screenshot

If there’s one thing that I find lacking in Subnautica, it’s the lack of a multiplayer feature. I know it’s pretty ironic for me to say this now especially since I’ve kind of complained at the beginning of the review. But Subnautica is one of those games that would’ve been good not just as a solo game, but also multiplayer as well. With the base creation feature being one of the things that keeps you hooked, it would’ve been nice if you can bring in a friend to either help you farm or brag about the big bad base you created in game. Unknown World’s already closed the door for the multiplayer feature though since they’ve already said they won’t add this in the future. So maybe, we can expect a multiplayer version of Subnautica somewhere down the line. Heck we got Don’t Starve Together didn’t we?

Overall, Subnautica is a great game time sink. If you want a game that you can dedicate your time on playing this is just for you. This game is great for solo players who want to have that solo experience in their titles, it can be soothing in as much as jarring as you get into the deeper, scarier parts of the sea. If you’re a multiplayer gamer though, you should steer clear off this game.

 

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Beta Rolling Out on Steam This Weekend

Independent Developers, Fatshark Games announced today that the anticipated sequel to Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide has reached BETA status. The BETA rolls out this weekend. Anyone who has signed up for the beta should receive a key in the mail shortly if they have not already. The Pre-Order for the PC version is also live with a 10% off discount. The Beta commences at 18:00 CET and signups for accessing the beta can be made at their website.

The demand for keys has been much higher than we ever imagined, and as such we are getting a lot of emails from gamers that haven’t gotten keys. However, anyone that has Pre-Ordered the game will also be able to play the BETA.” says Martin Wahlund, CEO Fatshark.

Launch Trailer Emerges for Past Cure

Winner of multiple awards, from Best Storytelling at White Nights, Public Choice Award at Game Connection 2017 and more, Past Cure sees you play as Ian, a former special ops soldier, unsure of his surroundings, and desperate to make sense of the last few years of his life. A victim of experimentation and torture in prison, Ian’s mind has become fractured. His captors left him scarred with unrelenting nightmares, visions and new unstable and largely unexplainable powers such as time manipulation and telekinesis. You will drift between reality and hallucinogenic states, trying to make sense of things around you and setting out on a path of revenge and discovery.

“We’ve been delighted with the positive response to PAST CURE from gamers around the world, and we’re excited to finally see people playing what has been our passion to create for the last two years,” said Simon Gerdesmann, Phantom 8’s Managing Director. “To achieve what we have as a small, eight-person first-time development studio makes us immensely proud. And, we’re not finished yet; there’s more to come from the PAST CURE universe, as we’ll announce soon.”

Key PAST CURE Game Play Features:

A Story-Driven Supernatural Thriller – PAST CURE is a cinematic, story-driven experience where the player follows the struggle of a broken man searching for the missing pieces of his mind. With intense cutscenes and intriguing story items throughout the levels, the players can unravel a story that will keep them guessing until the end.

Action vs. Stealth – Be bold and engage your enemies with time-bending gun battles and brutal jaw crunching combos. Or pick the stealthy approach where evasion tactics and slick stealth takedowns allow you to outsmart your enemies in silence. Choose the right approach to each situation as there are pros and cons to each playing style.

Mind-Bending Abilities – Unleash the unlocked power of Ian’s mind against those who unlocked it. To truly master the PAST CURE experience, players must utilize time manipulation and astral projection to gain an edge on opponents and overcome obstacles.

Dreams vs. Reality – Ian’s mind is torn between the gritty real world and the nightmarish horror of his dreams. PAST CURE contrasts between the cold, brutal combat orientated levels of the real world, to the more puzzle solving and survival gameplay in the abstract dreamworlds.

New Valnir Rok Update Adds Female Vikings, Horse Mounts and More

Valnir Rok - Alpha 3 Update

The latest update from Valnir Rok developer Rok Entertainment is “Alpha 3”. With it comes the ability to play as female Vikings, tame and ride horses, farm the land for food and other resources, as well as build mystic totems to ask for blessings by the Viking gods of Valnir Island. Heroic deeds and great battles await in this online sandbox survival RPG inspired by Norse mythology, and now male and female Vikings and work towards success and survival.

Key Features to the update include:
  • Female Viking Models: No longer will boys get to have all the bloody, pilfering fun!
  • Horse Mounts: Tame and ride horses to quest in distant areas and charge into battle to intimidate foes.
  • Farming: Till the land, plant seeds, and tend to your crops to use as food, materials to craft, and valuable medicinal herbs.
  • New Hairstyles & Facial Tattoos: Choose from new hairstyle options as well as unique facial tattoos for your character.
  • Totem System: Build beautiful totem structures, give offerings to your gods and ask for blessings to slow decay periods and other beneficial in-game effects.

Ivy and Zasalamel Return to the Stage of History in SOULCALIBUR VI

Over twenty years of Soulcalibur franchise means there are a lot of fan-favorite characters to consider bringing back to the Stage of History. Today, two more were revealed in Ivy and Zasalamel! Ivy returns to destroy all who challenge her. Born into an aristocratic English family and thanks to her father’s obsession with alchemy and immortality gained by obtaining the Soul Blade drove him to an early grave. Her mother passed soon after and thus began her journey to destroy which brought despair to her family – The Soul Blade.

Zasalamel, born into a clan called the Guardians of the Spirit Sword, has always been an excellent warrior. While his fighting skills were second-to-none, his arrogance drove him to a clan rule which ended with both his arms being broken and him being banished from his clan. Ever defiant, Zasalamel began studying ancient arts in the hope of discovering the secrets to reincarnation, but with everlasting life, a heavy price must be paid… Watch as Zasalamel destroys all who dare challenge him

GameStore Brings Capcom’s MegaMan to GameStore for Android

Screenshot_2016-10-06-18-09-25

GameStore, a mobile game subscription service for Android, is proud to bring one of Capcom’s most famous heroes to their service. Six classic Mega Man games will come to the GameStore service, offering safe, simple, accessible mobile games to their users. Starting today, GameStore customers will have access to the following titles:

  • Mega Man® Mobile – Stop the evil Dr. Wily™ in this classic for the ages!
  • Mega Man® 2 Mobile – He’s back! Only Mega Man can stop Dr. Wily when he resurfaces to threaten the world again!
  • Mega Man® 3 Mobile – Uncharted planets, unhinged robots, Mega Man must set a course for space to resolve this unexplained crisis.
  • Mega Man® 4 Mobile – Introducing an all-new threat to the world, Mega Man must do battle with Dr. Cossack!
  • Mega Man® 5 Mobile – As robots’ cause chaos in the city, Mega Man must discover how Proto Man is involved!
  • Mega Man® 6 Mobile – The Global Robot Alliance is formed, but the enigmatic Mr.X™ appears to put a stop to this newfound peace!

This series joins recently announced classics from Bandai Namco already available on GameStore, and is constantly expanding its catalog of new and retro games, available to play on or offline for a low monthly fee. More information can be found at this website.

“Those who appreciate classic gaming know that Mega Man is a peerless series of games which offer challenge [sic], thrills and timeless adventure. We couldn’t be happier that GameStore is now home to these gems.” said Mike Steup, President and CEO of snakebyte group. When we announced GameStore, we promised to bring a continuous series of prestigious mobile titles to the service, which we believe delivers unrivaled value and choice for Android gamers. Today’s announcement continues to demonstrate our commitment to GameStore and we look forward to seeing the service expand yet further in the months ahead.”