Yearly Archives: 2019

SEGA Reveals Gamescom 2019 Line-Up, Which Includes New AAA Title

Two Point Hospital Console News

SEGA revealed their lineup for Gamescom 2019 today, which will give attendees a look at an unannounced AAA game, yet to be revealed to the public. In addition, Catherine: Full Body and Two Point Hospital for console will be available to view, as will the retro-inspired SEGA Mega Drive Mini. All will be available at the Koch Media stand in Hall 9.1, C015. Gamescom 2019 runs from August 20th-24th, 2019, so don’t miss out if you’re there.

SEGA/ATLUS will showcase the beautifully remastered update of the cult classic RPG/puzzle game, Catherine: Full Body – Launches 3 September 2019. Players will get the chance to try the demo which contains cutscenes that provide context to the title’s complex and nuanced narrative. Plus, there will be a playable segment from early in the game, which showcases several gameplay features; such as a variety of puzzles, character interaction/development and more.

Sharing the spotlight is the critically acclaimed Two Point Hospital on PS4, Xbox One, and Switch, developed by Two Point Studios. It’s the ultimate management sim where you play the role of a hospital administrator who must build, cure, and improve in an ever-changing and atypical healthcare environment. Visitors to the stand will be the first in the world to experience Two Point Hospital on consoles by completing the first chapter. Finally, of course the SEGA Mega Drive Mini will be shown off, which is coming to Stores on October 4th (in Europe) and will be available to try, with all 42 games. These will be playable using a GIANT, fully functioning SEGA Mega Drive controller!

Dark Envoy Announced from Event Horizon

Inspired by the Divinity series, XCOM, FTL, Mass Effect and Dragon Age, Dark Envoy is an upcoming non-linear cRPG from Event Horizon. The Human Empire seeks dominance against the Old Races, and dark technology will clash against magic in Dark Envoy. This war is terrifying in scope, and the defeated will be wiped completely from the pages of history.

Against this backdrop, Kaela and Kiros aspire to repair their parents’ broken airship in order to travel the world, seeking whatever dungeons, challenges, and riches may come their way. They’ll learn how to fight, build friendships and forge alliances as they travel in search of ancient relics and forgotten places. The journey begins in blood and tragedy, and your choices can reshape your life in this world, and perhaps even the world itself.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Non-linear RPG with turn-based combat accompanied by a real-time pre-combat phase where tactics and party power are equally important.
  • Player choices impact the world: it can be destroyed or saved, and the stories that unfold will lead to multiple endings reflecting the characters’ personalities and decisions.
  • Co-written by Michael Chatfield, an Amazon Top 100 Science Fiction / Fantasy writer.
  • 15 unique character classes to discover – with the ability to mix skill trees – including some rare classes which can only be found in remote locations or through chained quests.
  • Combat animations recorded using the studio’s own mocap and a kung-fu master acting out various fighting styles.
  • Can be played solo, two-player co-op, as well as a new mode called Player vs World where Player 2 acts as the final boss seeking to destroy Player 1 before they become too powerful.
  • High-replayability factor due to a large pool of quests and world events. One cannot uncover all of the content in a single playthrough.

Grandia HD Collection Launches on Switch in August

Grandia HD Collection

GungHo Online Entertainment revealed the release date for the Nintendo Switch edition of Grandia HD Collection, which drops in August. Releasing on August 16th, 2019 for the Switch, the PC release will follow at a later date. Additionally, Grandia II Anniversary Edition (which is sold separately) will be renamed to Grandia II HD Remaster for the PC. These classics have been updated with enhanced visuals, and handheld support for the Nintendo Switch, as well as gamepad/keyboard support for Steam. Two games that changed the landscape of RPGs forever will be available with HD graphics for the first time. Japanese audio will be available at a later date, but not at the time of release.

Key Features:

  • Real-time, turn-based action – Experience and employ a unique action bar system for real-time fighting with distinct characters
  • Magic-based combat – Gather Mana Eggs to learn and use magic-based skills, ranging from elemental attacks to character-enhancing magic for defense and offense statistical boosts
  • Illustrious worlds to explore – The vibrant worlds in GRANDIA HD Collection include nostalgic starter cities such as Parm (GRANDIA) and Carbo Village (GRANDIA II) to iconic fields and areas such as The End of the World (GRANDIA) and Valmar’s Moon (GRANDIA II)
  • Gather Skill Points and ATTACK! – Skill Points or Skill Coins can be used to earn incredibly intense moves that make for an extraordinary fighting experience
  • Eclectic Enemy Encounters – The worlds of GRANDIA and GRANDIA II bring forth a plethora of challenging and epic enemies in the wild, as well as main storyline bosses
  • Ear-Indulging, Melodious Compositions – Experience world exploration, momentous battles, and legendary in-game experiences in beautiful harmony with musical compositions from acclaimed Japanese composer Noriyuki Iwadare

GRANDIA HD Collection, GRANDIA HD Remaster (PC), and GRANDIA II HD Remaster (PC) will feature a variety of new and improved features such as:

GRANDIA features:

  • Enhanced details to UI, sprites, and texture art
  • Original cinematic videos receiving visual enhancements
  • Widescreen support and customizable resolutions (only for PC)
  • Steam cards and Achievements (only for PC)
  • Audio: Japanese and English (Japanese to be added at a later date)
  • Language Support: Original English and Japanese plus French and German translation
  • Gamepad and keyboard support with remappable controls (only for PC)

GRANDIA II features:

  • Enhanced details to UI, sprites, and texture art
  • Original cinematic videos receiving visual enhancements
  • Widescreen support and customizable resolutions (only for PC)
  • Audio: Japanese and English (Japanese to be added at a later date)
  • Language Support: Original English and Japanese plus New French and German translation

Enter the Gungeon Receives Physical Nintendo Switch Release

Charming but incredibly difficult shooter/dungeon crawler Enter The Gungeon now officially has a physical release for the Nintendo Switch. Available in North America, courtesy of Nighthawk Interactive, this retail edition comes with all previous DLC, including the final DLC pack, “A Farewell to Arms”, as well as the exclusive “Shotgun Kin” playable skin, the soundtrack, and new collectibles. These include stickers, a Bullet Kin papercraft, and reversible jacket artwork. This retail release runs for 29.99 at a variety of outlets, including Amazon, Best Buy, and Gamestop.

The retail edition of Enter the Gungeon comes packed with content and exclusives, including:

·        Retail Exclusives – The physical version comes equipped with the exclusive “Shotgun Kin” playable skin, reversible jacket artwork, the game’s original soundtrack, limited edition stickers and an exclusive Bullet Kin papercraft.

·        Previously Released Content – Players who pick up the game at retail can battle through all previously released DLC, including the final update, “A Farewell to Arms.”

·        Local Co-op – When the bullet hell becomes too hellish or if there aren’t enough bullets flying around the screen, players can grab a friend for local co-op to crusade through the Gungeon together.

·        The Legendary Gungeon – The constantly-evolving bullet hell fortress blends hand-designed rooms within a procedurally-generated labyrinth bent on destroying all that enter its walls as it continually raises the stakes and the challenges.

·        The Cult of the Gundead – The Gungeon is littered with zealous Cult of the Gundead, disciples of the gun that will stop at nothing to defend their temple. Each enemy type wields unique firing patterns that players will need to learn in order to survive.

·        The Gungeoneers – Several unlikely heroes are at the player’s disposal, each burdened by a deep regret and in search of a way to change their past, no matter the cost. Filled with equal parts courage and desperation, these adventurers won’t hesitate to do what it takes to make it to their goal alive.

·        The Guns – Players discover and unlock scores of unique guns, each with its own unique tactics and ammunition. These guns unleash everything, from the tried-and-true medley of missiles, lasers, and cannonballs to the bizarrely effective volley of rainbows, fish, foam darts, and bees. Yes, bees.

Shortest Trip to Earth Reveals August Launch

After more than five years in development, Interactive Fate and Iceberg Interactive are excited to announce that Shortest Trip to Earth launches in August. August 15th, 2019 is the big day, and it follows the successful Early Access launch. Shortest Trip to Earth is a spaceship simulator that focuses on exploration, ship management, and tactical battle. The story follows a space captain that is traveling home at the end of an intergalactic war. Each ship in Shortest Trip to Earth has an armed crew, nuclear missiles, and of course, a cat.

Warhammer Vermintide 2: Winds of Magic Pre-Orders Begin

Fatshark announced today that the latest expansion for Warhammer: Vermintide 2, called “Winds of Magic” will arrive on August 13th. Pre-orders have begun, and those who do receive instant access to the beta, until the release of August 13th. This first expansion adds a new enemy faction to the game, as a meteor crashes down into the Reikland. Beastmen rush to the epicenter to claim it as a Herdstone, and this has to be stopped at all costs.

Vermintide 2 continues to grow, and challenge the players in new ways. The Winds of Magic expansion will introduce a new enemy, the Beastmen, as well as new game mode, weapons, and leaderboards.” says Martin Wahlund, CEO Fatshark. “We can’t wait to see how we rank up against the players on the leaderboards. Or maybe not?

Winds of Magic features:

  • Beastmen – The New Enemy
  • Dark Omens – New Level
  • Winds – New Game Mode
  • Raised Level Cap
  • New Talents
  • New weapons for all heroes
  • New Difficulty
  • Leaderboards

Final Fantasy IX “Eidolon” Album Review

by Jason Parker (Ragachak)

Eidolon FFIX Review

Eidolon: Music from Final Fantasy IX had to be an absolutely massive undertaking. This is, after all, a 63-track arrangement that pages homage to Nobuo Uematsu’s work in Final Fantasy IX. It’s not just one style of music, either. The Final Battle is a big band jazz number, Roses of May is more like a rock opera, and A Place to Call Home is more like a renaissance-themed arrangement. There are so many different styles, and a wealth of artists, such as the Triforce Quartet, Videri String Quartet, and StringPlayerGamer. There are video game composers who also took part, such as John Robert Matz (For the King) and Robby Duguay (Fossil Hunters). I love Final Fantasy IX, and despite there being several things about the game that makes me want to gnash my teeth in anger, what it did do right was character development and growth. Every character was terrific, and a great many of the bad guys, you actually hated them (or feel sorry for them in some cases). The game asks important questions, and none of the main cast are bland, two-dimensional characters who only exist to project onto (Looking at you, Final Fantasy XII).

“We thought the next Final Fantasy cover album from Materia Collective was long overdue, and we both have a big love for the Final Fantasy IX soundtrack,” comment album producers Emily McMillan and Joe Chen. “As the game focuses so much on character development and connections, we wanted to celebrate those ideas with a theme of collaboration. Each track on EIDOLON is the work of multiple Materia Collective artists working together to develop their interpretations of the classic music of Final Fantasy IX.”

There is no way I can cover all 63 tracks on this album, but I do feel like every single one is worth mentioning. I’ve had this album on my phone for when I’m driving around, blasting it through my stereo, when I’m writing in the morning, or when I’m relaxing, playing Magic: The Gathering Arena. Though my favorites, personally tend to be songs with vocals, because they’re just spellbinding. I do want to point out something that made me laugh. Vamo’Alla Flamenco: A Song to Impress Nobles uses the line at the end, “100 nobles were watching; 100 were impressed” and that’s how I know this is a work of fiction! Come on, you know it went more like “63, 80, 72, 90, 47, 90, 92, 96. . .” but maybe that’s just my experience. It was a nice touch to the song though. I also genuinely loved all four scenes of I Want to Be Your Canary at the end – because that was one of the best parts of this game, having its own damn opera/play.

Eidolon: Music From Final Fantasy IX can be found at all Storefronts. It comes very highly recommended from me.

1. Melodies of Life (Sauraen, Tavian St. James, Triforce Quartet):  While every song on this album is amazing, the best song in the entire game Final Fantasy IX is Melodies of Life, and that’s just how it goes. I don’t make the rules. Tavian St. James does a fantastic job of bringing the lyrics of such timeless Final Fantasy song to life, and it’s certainly one of my favorites of the entire franchise. The Triforce Quartet is excellent as well, and I believe this is my first time being exposed to them. They’re definitely on my must-listen to list. Sauraen’s arrangement of the song is delightful, and this group perfectly captures the emotion in Melodies of Life, which sounds equal parts hopeful and sorrowful. It easily stands up against other arrangements (such as the Distant Worlds album). God, this song was so damn sad but still beautiful. If you buy this album for no other song, make it this one.

2. Court Jesters (Jester Musician, Reyeverie): God, I hate these little bastards. Those creepy, murdering court jesters from Final Fantasy IX. Do you know what this version of the song reminded me of? A Tim Burton movie, and that’s in no way a knock. It sounds like the music you’d get for a creepy advisor or henchman in a big-budget movie. We go from beautiful and haunting, to creepy and unsettling with this one. The transitions, shifting from the click-clack of wooden blocks to represent sneaking, to having the music swell with a percussion and woodwinds? It’s perfect. They easily capture the essence of those damn Jesters, Thorn and Zorn. I hated how they spoke, I hated every dealing with them. But their music was fitting, and Squaresoft kept true to their clown-style characters being unsettling, bordering on murderous and psychotic.

3. Black Mages at the Black Mage Village (Robby Duguay, Sean Schafianski): The Black Mage Village was really something special in the Final Fantasy franchise. The Black Mages aren’t real, they are puppets, manufactured creatures. Seeing Black Mages trying to actually live was a really fascinating thing. They’re also deadly and powerful though! Sean Schafianski and Robby Duguay do a great job of working together to produce a more metal/rock sound for the Village of Black Mages. But it’s paired with what sounded like a harpsichord to me, which was a nice counterpoint to the awesome guitar shredding. To me, it added the whimsy and fascination that came with the original song, so it was really an enjoyable listen overall.

4. THE ROSE OF MAY: A Rock Opera (Brian Diamond, James C. Hoffman, SonikBuster): THE ROSE OF MAY: A Rock Opera reminded me a great deal of the OCR rendition of Final Fantasy VI’s and that may be the highest compliment I can give. SonikBuster is a part of so many remixes/renditions that I count among my favorites, and this is no exception. Their vocal work is just breathtaking. Plus, who doesn’t love a good rock opera? Not anyone that I want to call a friend. Memories of Life might be my favorite song in Final Fantasy IX but The Rose of May is my favorite song on this album if I had to pick one. The rolling drums, stringed instruments, and powerful guitar paired perfectly with the lyrics and spoken word of THE ROSE OF MAY.

5. The Final Battle (ConSoul, Thomas Kresge): Most “Final Battle” songs seem to get the heavy metal treatment, but Final Fantasy IX’s The Final Battle track gets something different, and honestly pretty amazing. Instead, it’s a Jazz/Big Band feel, and it’s pretty unique among the various songs I’ve listened to over the years here. Part of it is for me, that the Final Battle in Final Fantasy IX wasn’t really that intimidating, so having this song sort of ties it together with how I felt about it. It’s not intimidating, but it is thrilling and exciting. It gets your heel tapping, and the blood pumping. Now all I can see in my head are Final Fantasy characters doing swing dancing or something, and with the IX cast, that’s a hilarious mental image. There aren’t enough Big Band Final Fantasy tracks. I’ve heard some, but there simply aren’t enough. The Final Battle stands out among the rest, and is a great one to listen to, without a doubt.

Omega Zodiac Launches on R2 Games Website

In R2 Games Omega Zodiac, the Goddess Athena has been regarded as a pinnacle for wisdom and justice throughout the world. With that peace broken, she’s the only one who can set things right. However, Athena is weakened so she now needs the assistance of three mighty warriors to prevent the end of the world. In Omega Zodiac, players control a knight, mage or archer, and follow a “Gold Sacred Sets” system. This has them collecting the souls of various constellations and challenge the dangerous Sacred Set Dungeons. This is the only way to acquire sacred armor and grow in power.

Auto-move and auto-battle are available for players that prefer to use these features. In addition, there are PVP and PVE arenas, and battlegrounds to take part in, to see just who is the strongest among the stars. A guild support system is also in the game, to work together with other players. A link to the game can be found here.

“We’re incredibly proud of Omega Zodiac’s art style. The combination of 2D and 3D visuals is unmatched in browser-based MMORPGs,” says the Omega Zodiac team. “We hope players will enjoy battling alongside ancient mythological figures, defeating monsters and beasts, and getting their hands on those epic Gold Sacred Sets!”

Key Features:

⦁ Fight with 9 different combo skills against a variety of enemies.
⦁ Collect star maps and activate Gold Sacred Sets for sacred weapons and enchantments.
⦁ Refine your character’s 5 unique skills with constellations.
⦁ Explore challenging Sacred Set dungeons.
⦁ Engage with the community through guild features, guild cross-battles, and cross-server battles.
⦁ Enjoy single and multiplayer gameplay with PvP and PvE arenas, competitive battlegrounds, and a guild support system.
⦁ Challenge dozens of mighty bosses and hostile Gold Fighters.
⦁ Feast your eyes on Omega Zodiac’s beautiful 2D and 3D graphics and artwork.