Yearly Archives: 2019

Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-a-Fide Edition Coming to Switch in July

Golem Entertainment and 612 Games announced today that their 17-BIT Nintendo Switch edition of Skulls of the Shogun is coming in July 2019. Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-A-Fide Edition hits the Nintendo eShop on July 11th, for 19.99, and fans can pre-purchase it on the eShop with a 50% discount, from now until the launch date.

Skulls of the Shogun is a fast-paced turn-based strategy game, where players enter the Samurai Afterlife and join forces with Ghost-Samurai Warriors, animal monks, and Samurai Generals on the way to capture the Skulls of the Shogun. Set in Feudal Japan, Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-A-Fide Edition sees players take on the role of the recently deceased General Akamoto, Japan’s mightiest Samurai General who is stabbed in the back by an unknown assailant on the eve of his greatest battle. Now, it’s time to work, by commanding Akamoto and his army through four regions of the Samurai afterlife.

Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland Review

by Andrew Skelton (Outfoxed)

I know what you’re thinking.  “Another Atelier game?  There was one released just a few months ago!”  Well, first of all, that was a spin-off title, and secondly, the series has become an annual tradition at this point, with each game usually a part of a trilogy of interconnected titles.  Well, Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland is slightly different, in that it’s actually the fourth game of the Arland series, which also happens to be one of the (former) trilogies most beloved by fans.  The question most fans would have in this situation is how does it fare against its predecessors? Are we going to see familiar faces, or is this a whole new experience?

Atelier Lulua Screenshot

The protagonist in Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland is Elumerulia Frixell, daughter of renowned alchemist Rorolina Frixell, who starred in her own game, Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland.  Like most heroines of Atelier games, Lulua (as she goes by with friends, acquaintances, strangers, pretty much everyone she meets, it seems) is a budding young alchemist seeking to follow in her mother’s footsteps.  Of course, her mother is in high demand, so Lulua trains under another Arland veteran, Piana. One day, a strange book appears before Lulua, one that only she can read. This book also happens to help her alchemy truly push forward.

The controls for Atelier Lulua are fairly simple.  You have your action button, which interacts with objects, talks to people, etc.  You can also swing your weapon, which is useful in getting the jump on enemies, as well as gathering certain items.  You can also jump, though I found almost no use for that in the game whatsoever. All in all, though, the controls are responsive and intuitive, even if I found myself accessing the wrong menu constantly — for whatever reason I transposed the system and character menu buttons in my head.

Atelier Lulua Screenshot

Meanwhile, combat in the game is what I’d refer to as pseudo-ATB.  While turn-based, your character’s position in battle can be seen on a bar on the upper portion of the screen, along with your enemies.  Actions push you back a varying degree on this bar, so you might be able to squeeze in multiple actions before an enemy can act. To further manipulate the gauge in your favor, you can utilize repeated skills (and item usage for your alchemists) to eventually stun an enemy, which forces them to skip their next turn.  Just be careful with this, because attacking an enemy that’s stunned before their turn occurs will remove the stun, and they’ll be free to attack, leaving you with a feeling of disappointment that you didn’t get to capitalize on their weakness.

One of my favorite aspects of Atelier games is its collection aspect.  Every field and dungeon in the game has loads of collection points to gather from.  Some do require specialized tools like bug nets or fishing poles to be able to use, but most are just ripe to take with Lulua’s two hands.  You’ll need plenty of them too, because the main way you’re going to succeed in the game is through item synthesis. In as simple of terms as I can manage, it revolves around using items you’ve gathered in specific recipes in specific quantities to create items, weapons, armor, and much more.  These items can then have additional traits put into them, based on whether or not the ingredients you used can pass their own traits onto the item you’re creating. Not to mention the fact there is an elemental system which rewards you for building items with higher elemental modifiers.

Atelier Lulua Screenshot

It does sound a bit complex, I’ll admit, but I also found it vastly easier to create items compared to playing item Tetris in Atelier Lydie & Suelle, for example.  It’s much more straight-forward, easier to understand, but still allows for a high amount of customization for everything you create. For example, your first bug net might only have the ability to catch more or better quality insects with what you have available at the time you get the recipe, but as you get better quality items and materials with different modifiers, you might be able to craft a net that can do both, and at a much greater capacity than your original.  It’s extremely helpful to go back from time to time to see if you can improve certain tools you made earlier in the game, thanks to this system.

The cast of characters in the game is about as colorful as the game itself is, too.  Lulua herself is hopelessly optimistic, and hopelessly obsessed with curry. Her best friend Eva works at the orphanage they were raised in, and uses a cannon as a weapon, because why not?  Piana is stern and strict, but also possessed of a kind heart and a willingness to teach, even she fails to realize she does nothing to help clean and organize. Every character has their quirks, even the variety of NPCs you’ll meet along the way.  It makes the game world feel that much more vibrant and alive, even if veterans to the franchise have seen a good number of them before.

Atelier Lulua Screenshot

Progression wise, I noticed you seem to gain levels a lot faster in Lulua than in previous Atelier games.  Levels never really mattered much, however, since it’s all about what skills you’ve put on your equipment and what items your alchemists can use.  Still, I was pretty shocked to see the rapid development of each character in terms of levels, especially as 10 hours into the game you’re still using your default weapons, and a minor upgrade here and there for your armor.  I also found relatively few accessories along the way, mostly from the gem shop in the starting town. I know the options do open up significantly later on, mind, but giving new players little choice in their equipment can turn many people away.  Thankfully, your party’s HP and SP are refilled every time you return to town, meaning you’re free to utilize most of your special abilities to get through battles faster.

 

Final Verdict:  Good (3/5)

On the whole, I did enjoy Atelier Lulua, and especially on the Nintendo Switch, given the grab and go nature of the console.  That being said, it does have some major problems. For me, the color palette seems very washed out compared to previous entries (especially compared to Nelke).  The game’s story is charming, but simplistic at times and convoluted at others. I ran across several grammatical and spelling errors littered across the game as I played it.  Little things, for sure, but they all added up pretty quickly. Items ranged from weak and pointless (the starting attack item, Craft, for example, does less damage than one of the components you use for it — albeit Craft has an area-of-effect), to obscenely strong if you can get the right modifiers early.  There’s also the issue of locking story-line significant characters behind DLC, and the idea of three season passes for a game that’s in a series that’s on an annual release schedule, and niche to boot. That’s not to say the game’s without its charm though. The characters are quirky, adorable, relatable, and warm.  Item synthesis feels much more rewarding. Veterans of the franchise will probably have already picked up the game, but if you’re on the fence about things, it might be wise to wait for a sale or a complete edition.

Note: A game key was provided for review purposes.

Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland Screenshots

Summer Catchers Hits Steam in July 2019

Originally shown off during the Kinda Funny Showcase at E3, Summer Catchers announced that it will hit Steam on July 16th, 2019. Players control a young girl named Chu, who lives in the frozen north, and has never seen summer. She often dreams of oceans, mountains, and the world outside of the snow. With her wooden car, she will travel to distant lands to meet strange creatures who help or hinder her.  The journey won’t be easy, but by equipping the right tools at the right time, this adventure can be overcome.

The game is a mix of narrative adventure and “endless” runner as each level has Chu completing tasks for various companions while she drives along the various countrysides. Each level is “endless” in a sense where you traverse the terrain using various tools for your car like battering rams, speed boosters and more to go as long as you can.

Key Features:

  • A unique arcade game that mixes racing, story, rhythm and puzzle elements all into one
  • Uncover all the mysteries and events of this beautiful pixel art world
  • Unlock unique abilities and upgrade your car to ride in style
  • Replay the game to discover all hidden corners secrets the fast traveller might have missed 

Rune II – Loki’s Ages of Ragnarok Trailer

Rune Ii shows off a new trailer today, wherein Loki, the trickster god has figured out how to control the flow of time. He’s now able to continuously reset Ragnarok, creating a perpetual cycle of chaos and death. Everlasting night, unending blizzards, cities filled with fire, it’s up to Midgard’s chosen savior to finish what even the gods could not.

For a first look at Loki’s Age of Night, one of the many Ages of Ragnarok you’ll face during your quest in RUNE II, join Human Head at their Twitch  on June 28th, 2019 at 3 PM CST (1 PM PST), where they will hold a Rune Classic Giveaway and AMA Event.

SolSeraph Announces July 2019 Release by SEGA

SolSeraph is the latest title from ACE Team and will be coming to PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam on July 10th, 2019. Available for 14.99, and will put players into the shoes of an almighty divinity, tasked with rebuilding civilization while also protecting people from the threat of mythical demons and other monsters. Though Chaos was driven out, the Younger Gods would have none of it and continued to torment humanity. So it’s up to you to put things right again.

SolSeraph Features:

  • Restore Humanity Back to Prosperity–Balancing side-scrolling action and top-down strategy elements, carefully guide each tribe from the clouds above in order to help expand their territory and dispel the dark fog that shrouds their lands. Once each of the creatures’ lairs has been exposed, you must take the role of Helios to fight the monsters head-on.
  • Take the Fight to the Enemy–Armed with his sword, shield, and magical archery, Helios will need to confront a range of enemies including goblins, beastmen, bat riders, and more on his way to facing the Younger God that controls them. Defeating these challenging foes will grant Helios new magical powers such as healing herbs and ice shards.
  • Protect the Homeland–Help each tribe determine how to shape their village by utilizing a range of different units, from houses and farms to support the growing population, to building warrior barracks and archer towers to defend themselves against the waves of monster attacks.
  • Help from the Highest Powers–Yuzo Koshiro, the legend behind many classic video game soundtracks, has composed the opening theme to SolSeraph. Additionally, acclaimed writer Jonas Kyrazes (The Talos PrincipleThe Sea Will Claim Everything) has lent his talents to craft the game’s compelling narrative.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar Begins Mobile Pre-Registration

The turn-based RPG based on the best-selling “Battle Chasers” series by Joe Madureira is coming to mobile in August – Battle Chasers: Night War! Pre-Registration/Pre-Order has begun on both Google Play and the App Store and will offer 30 hours of single-player campaign action, dungeon crawling, crafting, exploration and more. It is a 9.99 premium game and will have no in-game ads, purchases or gambling. Pre-Orders for Google Play are here and on this link for the App Store.