PREVIEW / Epic Tavern (PC)

 

Let’s get down to it – this is an interesting mix we have here. Epic Tavern is a tavern and adventuring management simulator RPG currently in Early Access on Steam being developed by Hyperkinetic Studios (based out of Los Angeles, California). The idea to Epic Tavern is that you, the player, run a tavern where adventurers of all types come meandering through your doors looking to quest for riches. Many RPGs have taught us that the local tavern is where one would go to meet like-minded adventurers to gather a party or find a group for an epic quest. The twist here is that you are the tavern owner, but you also want to get in on this adventuring business that is proving quite profitable.

As a management game, you will have to keep your tavern up and running to attract patrons. You have food and drink to sell, and lodgings to provide. Eventually, you will want to upgrade certain aspects of your tavern to improve your amenities and offerings to your customers. However, while you are running the tavern, you are also in the process of recruiting and hiring adventurers to join your adventuring company. This results in Epic Tavern‘s two main phases of gameplay: manage your tavern and manage your adventurers.

 

 

Tavern management is dictated by the time until “last call”, which comes in the shape of Action Points. You’ll have a set number each day to burn through, so there is some strategy involved on how you choose to use them. Offering patrons food, drink, and lodging will require a small amount of AP, but this will in turn improve your relationship with that patron and also add some coin to your bank. Your provisions are not unlimited, so ensuring that you are stocked up will be important. Luckily, if I didn’t have the item that was ordered, there was a quick option to stock that item and serve it immediately, so there wasn’t a penalty for not reviewing your wares (ie, keeping a close eye on your stock) at the start of each day (at least in this version 0.827.5p7h).

As your relationship improves with each adventurer, you’ll eventually be given the option to hire them to your roster. Your initial roster will start off small, but as your tavern levels up, you can increase the number of adventurers under your management. After the tavern management phase comes to a close, you can then send these adventurers out on missions from a list of available quests. These quests are provided by chatting with patrons in the tavern and play out like a mini Dungeons & Dragons campaign, complete with story narrative and roll checks. You can equip party members with items, level up their skills, and assign them to a party to take on a quest. Pending success of their quest objective, your team will return with gold, items, and sometimes, tavern upgrades (this appears to be quest-dependent).

 

 

Each adventurer that you come across has a set of skills, and these skills are the mean by which you will balance out your roster. There are 4 main skills (combat, social, survival, and mind), and each has subsets that can add bonuses to completing a quest. This means that balancing out your team is important for successfully completing your quest objective. What does this mean? One of the first quests that I had executed had assigned the combat skill as the main way to complete the quest objective. My fledgling group of combat-oriented adventurers wandered off to complete the quest, which they successfully did due to their high combat stats. Yet most of them came back gravely wounded, because they had failed survival and mind checks along the way, which in turn affected their ability to fight and complete subsequent quests.

With each coming skill check, your party will roll and combine/multiply their skills to successfully perform the check. Should they fail against an enemy encounter, for example, a party member will likely suffer from a wound, which translates to a debuff that could affect their ability to adventure for several days. Passing the check will usually result in gold or party buffs. The narrative style here is entertaining, and appears to be randomly generated. This should keep you engaged as you watch your party move about the map after the bar closes.

 

 

As we stated earlier, Epic Tavern is currently in Early Access on Steam. I was playing version 0.827.5p7h, and ran into the obvious caveats of a game that is still under development. But the ideas here are solid, and I think that is shows a lot of promise. Personally, I hope that you will be able to have more control over your party as they wander around the map, like finding alternative paths to locate the objective or additional options for critical successes and failures. We will be very interested to see what the final game looks like when it comes out of Early Access, and hope to provide a full review then. Thus far on Steam reviews, it’s generating some good buzz.

The game is currently available on Steam (in Early Access) for $24.99. For more info, visit their homepage @ epictaverngame.com

 

The post PREVIEW / Epic Tavern (PC) appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2x4j7Cu

Things are about to get messy with Splasher

There seems to be an obsession lately with goo. Now there’s absolutely nothing wrong with things getting sticky as Splatoon has so effectively proven. So why don’t we move this concept into the platform genre? This is exactly what’s happening with Splasher, an offering from Playdius and the Splashteam.

Splasher is a arcade/action romp set in a wacky cartoon universe. Arm yourself with your splatter cannon and launch an all out assault on a paint factory. In this quest you’ll need to save the factory’s workers called Splashers from the grip of the evil boss Le Docteur.

The action plays out across 22 fun filled levels and as you progress, the splatter cannon will grant you different colours of paint and an increasing number of gameplay abilities such as sticking to walls, bouncing high into the air or even throwing your less than intelligent foes into their own traps.

This is a game that lends itself to time attacks and speed runs. Those of you looking for perfection will have to learn from your mistakes and find the best paths through the many levels of the gigantic factory. Then you can post your best times on line and share your scores on the leader boards.

Splasher is now available on PS4, Xbox One and of course PC and Mac. A Switch port is in the works but it’s not quite here yet. Nintendo fans will need to watch this space for more news on a future release. If you think you might want to give things a new lick of paint why not head over to your respective stores and add Splasher to your own collection?

 

The post Things are about to get messy with Splasher appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2woM5bM

Atari Reveals More Details About Ataribox Console

 

News out yesterday was that an old video gaming company from back-in-the-day was going to take another stab at launching a new console.  Aptly named the Ataribox, game console maker and game developer ATARI released the news about the new console which they are touting as a device that will bring gaming and more to your living room.

 

 

The launch also signals a return by Atari to creating its own hardware for the first time since they launched the Jaguar, the sixth and last programmable console to be developed under the Atari brand, and released in North America on November 23, 1993.

Atari plans for this new console to be state-of-the-art and offer some pretty sweet tech under the hood.  Processor-wise, it will be powered by an AMD customized processor with Radeon Graphics technology.  Ataribox will offer games and more in an attempt to bring a full PC experience to the TV, offering also streaming, applications, social, browsing, and music.

 

 

The coolest feature about this new Atari console is the fact that it will be built with an open architecture.  The open nature of the OS will allow players to have the ability to access and play compatible games from other content platforms.  Ataribox will obviously launch with a large back-catalog of Atari classic games, as well as current titles from a range of other games studios.

“With Ataribox, we wanted to create an open system, a killer product where people can game, stream and browse with as much freedom as possible.  Atari games and content will be available as well as games and content from other providers,” said Fred Chesnais, Atari Chief Executive Officer.  “We also wanted to launch Ataribox with our community, and reward our fans with exclusive early access, special editions, and include them as active participants in the product rollout.”

 

 

If you are excited about getting your hands on Atari’s first console in 25 years, you’ll need to head over to Ataribox.com and register.  Then head over to Indiegogo as Ataribox will first be made available via the crowdfunding platform this fall, with a targeted global launch in Spring 2018.  The expected price range will be $249-$299 USD depending on specific editions and memory configurations.

 

 

The post Atari Reveals More Details About Ataribox Console appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2xC0D9h

REVIEW / The Metronomicon: Slay the Dance Floor (X1)

 

Has the following thought ever popped into your brain: “Gee, I sure would like a rhythm-based music game that’s like Amplitude mixed with Dungeons and Dragons!” You are indeed a strange person but it looks like you are not alone! Akupara Games has released its new rhythm RPG title The Metronomicon: Slay the Dance Floor. Combining music, RPG, rhythm, and medieval themes, The Metronomicon mixes various genres to create a unique title that’s a fun time for solo or co-op play, provided you enjoy a bit of RPG grind and have some competence in rhythm-based videogames.

 

Your typical battle against a Big Daddy and Party Bear

 

Metronomicon‘s story begins with four students graduating from The Neon Shield, a university that teaches the rhythmic combat arts. The four students; Violet, Wade, Gwen, and Clark; are your initial playable characters and they study an ancient text called The Metronomicon to harness magical powers and use them to defeat evil. Before being sent on your first mission together, The Grandmaster of the school gives you your final exams, which serve as the game’s tutorial level. After learning the basics; like how to switch between characters, your various magical and physical abilities, and how to hit the various notes on the screen without getting overwhelmed; your characters graduate and are off to explore the world in order to rid the land of monsters.

Right off the bat, you’ll notice Metronomicon‘s art style. The title has a cute and colorful comic-like look, though the game is very scarcely animated and it’s incredibly obvious that Violet and Gwen have the same facial structure. Also, while the game has full voice acting, some of the actors are quite grating and the writing is hokey. That being said, when you are not watching a cutscene and playing an actual level, Metronomicon becomes more pleasant. Each stage sees your party grooving along to whatever song is being played while the enemies that appear to your right do the same. I especially love Clark’s geeky dance moves the most because they remind me of myself at the club, and adore how each enemy that shows up in a given stage has their own rhythm routine. Metronomicon also has a memorable selection of songs that range from bumping club music to guitar shredding rock.

 

In addition to regular foes, Slay the Dance Floor also includes bosses, like this orgasming cyclops spider

 

Controls are simple to grasp: the player can move from character to character with the left or right bumper and play notes by using the d-pad, control stick, or face buttons. Each note is displayed as an arrow facing East, West, North, or South, either by themselves or a combination of two. Personally, I did not like using a controller to play Metronomicon because its default setting using the bumpers to switch characters was too uncomfortable for me. Though the controller is customizable, I loved using my Rock Band 4 guitar instead because using the strum bar to switch players felt intuitive and it was easy to use the first four frets to hit each note.

So what’s the objective of each level? Simple: destroy the enemies or boss until the stage ends without dying (the song in each level always fades out and doesn’t end definitively, which I found to be jarring). Most of your initial team deals either physical or elemental damage to enemies with the exception of Clark, who is the party’s healer. Some enemies have elemental weaknesses that a magic user like Violet can exploit, so you’ll want to cast your spells carefully. Each enemy has a lifebar next to them that depletes as you do damage; once it is empty, a new enemy will pop out for you to dispatch. The party’s lifebar is all shared and is represented as a gauge on the left of the screen. Every world contains a boss stage that is exceedingly tough: boss characters will call out minions to dispatch, as well as mess up your note lane with such lovely modifiers like spinning arrows, distracting characters dancing in the foreground, forced lane changes, and notes disappearing before they hit the marker on the bottom of your character’s lane. FUN.

 

You’ll encounter characters along your journey to add to the party; badass Sara here can both heal AND cast lightning!

 

Conquering each level in Slay the Dance Floor depends entirely on how you use and equip your abilities. Every character starts out with two primary abilities that activate when you hit a certain procession of notes, a secondary ability that activates as long as you keep a consecutive beat, and a passive ability that is always active. Once a primary ability is used in battle, the character that cast it enters a cooldown state, which is your cue to switch to someone else. On each player’s note track is a colored outline: hitting all the notes in the blue outline and switching out casts your first ability, while hitting all the notes in the blue AND red outline automatically casts the second.

Your second ability is always stronger than the first because it requires more notes to activate, so it’s always important to equip them wisely. For example, I’m big on damage/healing my party and less inclined to stun or distract enemies, so I tend to put attacks and spells as my second ability. Later on, you’ll gain a slot for a third primary ability (indicated by a yellow outline) that will cause you to rethink your strategies all over again! Players will also unlock a powerful team attack early on that does massive damage to foes. This attack can only be activated when a circular symbol onscreen fills up and automatically locks onto the character whose track has the most difficult note pattern at the time of deployment. As long as you hit all the notes within a certain time period, you’ll launch a devastating attack. If all of this sounds confusing and hard to visualize, check out this video to get a sense of what I am rattling on about:

 

 

As you play through Metronomicon‘s Adventure Mode, you’ll gain levels and equipment. Equipment, some of which is character-specific and some of which can be used by anyone, will affect your abilities and stats, while leveling up will grant you different abilities. Special equipment can only be found in the game’s Arena, which is a mode where you must complete specific tasks with mandatory characters and equipment you cannot change. You’ll also gain street credits as you progress through the game that will help you rebuild the school and unlock extra goodies.

Speaking of extra goodies, I was pleasantly surprised with how much content Metronomicon offers. There is a menu option that will allow you to play any DLC songs you have purchased (including a tune from one of my personal indie faves, Read Only Memories), an endless mode that unlocks after you beat the game that stacks various mods against you as you try to accrue battle points, and a co-op mode that can be played either on or offline. Co-op is a wonderful addition because each player can focus on different lanes to stack attacks and spells on top of each other. You can also highlight the same track in case you’re worried your friend might miss a note but this requires a zen-like level of commitment and concentration that very few humans possess.

 

I look so fly in my dance shoes

 

There were some elements of Slay the Dance Floor that hit me on a personal level due to my experience with rhythm games like Rock Band, both good and bad. One big plus in Metronomicon‘s favor is that it required no calibration for latency on my television. I cried tears of joy over this because I spent many a night getting Rock Band‘s latency settings just right. Using my Rock Band 4 guitar was also a godsend, though I wish legacy controllers worked, as well. Not everything Slay the Dance Floor offered clicked with me, however. For one thing, I did not like how enemy attacks were unclear when they were deployed. This vagueness caused confusion when I noticed I had to switch musical tracks or saw notes spin and change direction.

The game also starts off on Easy which was too much of a cakewalk for me because of my rhythm gaming experience. Thankfully, the difficulty can be easily changed before you select a song. Metronomicon also updated a lot during my playthrough which meant I had to wait upwards of fifteen minutes to start playing the title. These updates also caused the game to refuse to start, forcing a manual reboot. This can be due to my Xbox One being a launch model but anyone who has an older system should take note. Lastly, some of the later areas were so tough that it required me to replay older stages and grind my levels up to stand a chance of beating them. Diehard fans of RPGs probably won’t mind this because they are used to it but it’s good to know going into Slay the Dance Floor.

 

The Arena is not for the faint of heart

 

The Metronomicon: Slay the Dance Floor is a good game for fans of rhythm-based music titles. It’s rough around the edges, but when you play on a comfortable difficulty level that corresponds to your skill level, you really get into it and enter an almost hypnotic state where you ignore everything around you, including your friends and loved ones. This is always the mark of enjoyable rhythm gems like Rock Band, Amplitude, and DDR. If you love staying on beat, enjoy managing equipment and strategy, don’t mind some RPG grind, and the possibility you might need to play alone because your friends aren’t as well-versed in the rhythm genre, then give Slay the Dance Floor a chance. I guarantee you’ll have more fun playing it than trying your best to slay an actual dance floor in the club.

 

 

 

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.

The post REVIEW / The Metronomicon: Slay the Dance Floor (X1) appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2xEsHe0

Kevin Hart releases Gold Ambush – get that gold!

 

Alright, alright, alright! Just earlier this month, Kevin Hart had begun his full partnership with StandUp Digital. He has also announced the release of Gold Ambush with Kevin Hart. The free-to-start game is now available in the App Store with micro-transactions.

 

Chemistry within companies?

Originally, Gold Ambush had been without Hart. It is StandUp Digital’s first major release this summer. Mutual connections brought Pinxter Digital and PolyPlay in conjunction with each other. Together, they cooked up the new mobile gaming powerhouse they named StandUp Digital. It is something we would have seen coming in any case. With Pinxter’s personality associations and PolyPlay’s innovative game mechanics, it became quite the recipe. Gold Ambush with Kevin Hart is a vision brought to life. This is made possible through transforming celebrity and brand participation through gaming.

Nearly two-thirds of the population in America are smartphone users. These devices are the crucial way into the online world. Of course, the game isn’t at all limited to the US. However, Kevin Hart did gain his stardom in said country. So it’s only reasonable to expect that it’s the best location to start up in. Pinxter believes that mobile apps incorporate the pivotal gateway in order to link consumers to brand experiences. By teaming up with PolyPlay, the audience are certain that StandUp Digital is in safe hands. This will be due to the quality of apps they release. Prior to this, PolyPlay has created and released games such as Hex and Will Hero which makes an impressive portfolio. This includes Gold Ambush. StandUp Digital isn’t stopping there as it aims to establish an entire mobile gaming empire.

What has Kevin Hart been up to beforehand?

Having sold out an entire football stadium and Madison Square Garden due to his rise to fame, Kevin Hart is recognised everywhere. His comedic reputation continues to grow immensely. It was only a matter of time that he tried out his luck in the gaming side of entertainment. He says this is a “completely different world that I’m now getting educated on.” Here’s hoping that Hart will be able to entertain fans virtually, with as much success as his stand-up. These types of gigs aren’t the only ones that Hart is all about, however. This year, he has starred in the movies Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie and The Upside. This includes the upcoming film Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.

In Hart’s stand-up, he is known for talking about his family. Therefore, it stands to reason for the game to feature himself, his wife Eniko, and their kids Heaven and Hendrix. And they will all be present as playable characters. The game mechanics consist of city-building strategy components and maze-running gameplay combined. The player is able to lay traps and raid other cities for their own resources. This will make your own city stronger and richer. Pinxter highlights that there will be inside jokes thrown in the game. This will be from Hart’s previous and prominent stand-up performances. As an avid fan of Kevin Hart’s work, I am looking forward to the double entendres that I’ll be met with when I play this!

 

Conclusion

Hart’s children love videogames and they are big on Minecraft and Mortal Kombat. This happens to be the inspiration that Hart needed to work with the game developers. This is because he wants to do something that his kids will appreciate. Ultimately, he hopes that other children of other parents will appreciate it, too. It’s gentle on roughness yet ambitious on Hart’s grin in caricature form. This is what the comedian is renowned for in the first place.

The post Kevin Hart releases Gold Ambush – get that gold! appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2y5J192

Arrow Heads sets its sights on Steam

As we all know multiplayer games can be an awful lot of fun. They can also be some of the most rage inducing creations out there. What better way to lose your temper than one bad dice roll in a certain game involving a certain plumber that we all know well? Regardless of all the frustration these games can bring us something always pulls us back. The simple fact is that regardless of what irks us about a multi-player title fun always wins out. In this particular case a wee spell of archery is in order in a brand new addition to the competitive genre called Arrow Heads.

Arrow Heads is a creation of Canadian Oddbird Studios. It’s Avian themed, (kinda fitting for the studio really,) and invites you to sling a variety arrows and other objects at up to four of your friends in a frantic, isometric,  game of archery.

“We’ve been looking forward to this day since we first started development of Arrow Heads as game design students,” said Benjamin Scott, Co-Founder of Oddbird. “We’re thrilled that Arrow Heads is now available on Steam and that everyone has a chance to experience the game’s silliness and crazy chaotic moments. We hope that people will have as much fun playing the game with their family and friends as we did working on it.”

Whether you’re trying to turn online players into feathered pin-cushions or going up against waves of enemies with a mate on the couch you will be handed an unlimited number of arrows and dropped into a series of unpredictable and dangerous environments. There’s a bunch of unlockable content and hundreds of customisable options to ensure your bouts behind the bow don’t get stale. Bored with arrows? Not to worry. Why not shoot some fish or … weaponised unicorns? (yes is just typed that, no it’s not an error.) Whatever your choice of arsenal there’s plenty there to keep you coming back for more.

Arrow Heads is definitely making an impact in more ways than one. The game has already received some pretty awesome recognition by winning Best Overall Game and Artistic Achievement at the 2016 Level Up Showcase. In addition to this, Arrow Heads also won the 2016 ESAC Student Game Competition and was semi-finalist in the 2016 Adobe Design Achievement Awards.

If this title sound like it might be right up your street you can find it now over on Steam at a cost of $14.99. For console fans reading this, you can expect to be able to grab your own copy next year when this title will be released for PS4 and Xbox One.

The post Arrow Heads sets its sights on Steam appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2xFUdIh

Rocket League is going Autumnal in new update

 

Another day, another Rocket League update. After a successful 2 year anniversary, the guys behind the hugely popular car football game made several nods in the direction of streamlining their game for the competitive scene – the Rocket League eSports crowd is growing by the day, after all, and the ranked game modes remain equally popular. These nods have since become definite movements, and as the Autumn Update draws near, so too does the promise of some much-needed adjustments to the Rocket League base game.

Oh, and some cool new stuff.

Cool New Stuff

Let’s get the new seasonal content out of the way first, shall we? The latest Rocket League update is introducing a brand new arena, a brand new battle-car, and a ton of brand new cosmetic items, to be unlocked while playing. The new arena is called Farmstead, and it looks a little like this:

You’ll be able to storm this barn on Casual, Competitive and Private matches for what the website describes as a “limited time.” Whether that means the arena really is seasonal, and will be removed come winter, remains to be seen. I’ll get onto the new limited-time Events in a bit.

For now though, let’s take a look at the new battle-car. It’s called the Jager 619 RS, and it looks like a Porsh-uh:

This battle-car is available in the new Accelerator crate, alongside a pearlescent paint job, popcorn goal explosion, ‘Hot Rocks’ trail, ‘Power-Shot’ boost, and new ‘Chrono’ animated wheels. If you want to see just how these new items look, check out the official site here. We’re also being treated to over 90 new cosmetic items, from toppers to animated boosts, which can be unlocked as in the old days, simply by playing the game.

Mrs. Avocado, on a car (doh).

Moving on to the completely unprecedented additions and changes to Rocket League, we’ll start with the new Banners. Acting as a reward to be dished out at the end of Competitive Season 5, the latest cosmetic item is a decal that backdrops your gamer tag during goal replays, post-game celebrations, and at the main menu. There are a bunch of standard Banners, too, presumably as a part of those 90 new cosmetic items. Again, if you want to see how these look, head on over to the official site.

N’aww. Cute sound, or car engine?

Then there are the new limited-time Events. As of this Autumn Update, expect to see new stuff drop with increasing frequency, in events that will occur over a predetermined period of time (duh). During these events, you’ll be able to grab the new Decryptor, a pass that unlocks one crate for free.

Pinwheel. I can’t find even a terrible pin for this one. Pun. I mean pun.

The Competitive Scene

But wait, I hear you cry. What about all that “streamlining for the competitive scene” stuff? Keep your shirt on. Rocket League now features a shiny new Director Mode, for spectators who want a little cinematographic indulgence. It features an advanced AI that automatically tracks the most relevant player at any given moment, and can predict the future to find the best angles for shots and saves. Imagine if that sort of tech got into the wrong hands…

Ahem. The team at Psyonix have also responded to calls for a LAN option on PC, to allow players to host larger tournaments or just have a laugh with more than 1 other local player at once. You might even notice that the news board on the right hand side of the main menu looks a little different, too.

All of this pales into insignificance, however, in light of the fact that Rocket League now has transparent goalposts. Ever struggled to gauge where that incoming cross will land? Perhaps you’ve been sitting deep in the goal mouth, unsure whether you should launch a counter because you can’t physically see the damn ball? Struggle no longer, friend, because those enormous great Rocket League goalposts are now totally see-through.

But wait, there’s more. The unanimously-detested non-standard arenas that are Starbase ARC and Wasteland have had an overhaul like Neo Tokyo not so long ago, and now feature a rectangular shape without walls that curve like Satan’s cheekbones (you know what I mean). As a special treat, we’re also being offered 3 new arena variants – DFH Stadium (day), Mannfield (snowy), and Champion’s Field (day).  Expect to see these revamped arenas in Exhibition, Private, and Ranked game modes.

I’ve also heard rumour that the battle-cars are receiving a stat-standardisation makeover, but until I’m certain, I promise nothing. Otherwise, that about covers it: the Autumn Update for Psyonix’s Rocket League will drop on console and PC on September 28th.

The post Rocket League is going Autumnal in new update appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2wg8PuA

REVIEW / Pankapu (PS4)

 

Another day, another platformer. It’s difficult to reinvent the wheel when developing this genre. However, I do appreciate more nuanced layers in these kinds of games. Pankapu, a new 2D action/platformer, takes on this challenge by presenting an interesting two-story structure and wonderful aesthetic. However, it falls victim to underdeveloped mechanics and questionable level design. These things detract from what could have been a more memorable platforming experience.

 

Story

The title happens to be a narrative-driven one. The narrative switches between two settings, reality and dreams. The story line of reality bases itself on a boy named Djaha’rell. Apparently suffering from some tormented life, Djaha’rell prefers to escape to the land of dreams…Omnia. Narrated to him by his father, Omnia becomes the setting for the second story line. This is where we are introduced to Pankapu “the Dreamkeeper.” Pankapu must defeat the nightmares (Hya’Nagi) that plague Omnia and restore peace to the realm.

I thought this two-story structure was an interesting setup for this type of game. It added some intrigue to the worlds these characters inhabit. I also appreciated how this game did not waste too much time with lore and background info. It tosses you into the environment rather quickly. With platformers, I definitely like to get into the action right away, and Pankapu delivers this from the get-go.

The story itself was so-so. The objective is easily understood and I determined to progress further. I also appreciate how the story is told as a fable, allowing the developers be more creative and fantastical in their world building. On the other hand, the dream world did not tie into reality enough for me to buy-in to the conflict. I was hoping consequences from Omnia would reflect in some way to the reality of Djaha’rell. A missed opportunity to keep me invested into the story throughout the game.

 

Design

My favorite feature about this game is how aesthetically pleasing it is. The pristine digital artwork that went into Pankapu is evident throughout. I adore the lighthearted character design. Pankapu is a fierce looking warrior by the standards of the world in which he exists. The supporting cast of characters share that same feeling of light and fun. Even the enemies are mainly just blobs with eyes. Although they represent nightmares, the darkness doesn’t feel as threatening. Comparable to the goombas from Super Mario, from which this game draws inspiration, the Hya’Nagi seem much less lethal than they may actually be.

In addition, these creative creatures exist in a vibrant world of dreams. The art style is truly shown off in this respect. Vivid backgrounds and contrasting colors accent just how much effort went into this phase of the game. Colors even played a role in the gameplay itself. Each different color aegis signifies a different specialty Pankapu may equip himself with. Red = warrior, green = archer, and blue = mage. Taking a strong aspect of the game design and implementing it into the gameplay was a genius decision by the developer. As I see it, this game knew what it had and accentuated it to distract from where it falls short.

 

Gameplay

I’ll be honest. I am not the biggest fan of platformers. However, I refuse to let my bias influence my opinions of this particular game. Every gaming experience is different, and I always go into a new one with an open mind. I have expressed how Pankapu provides intrigue with story structure and game design, but it just wasn’t enough for me to get over the frustrations of the gameplay.

The controls are somewhat responsive, but not precise enough for a platformer. For this genre, they need to be as tight as possible in order to succeed through the difficult levels. I think the developer decided to incorporate a light and “floaty” control mechanic to match the aesthetic of the game. Perhaps a courteous design choice, but it took away from the actual gameplay and my enjoyment of the game.

The level design is Crash Bandicoot levels of hard. In a sense, you must learn exactly how to control Pankapu in every situation. The level design involves a lot of timing and control in order to progress. It may take several tries before you can reach the next checkpoint (which are scattered sporadically and inconsistently). I understand making a game difficult as to provide a challenge. However, the ends don’t justify the means for me in this scenario. As I stated earlier, the story did not present high enough stakes for me to buy-in to the conflict. I didn’t care much for any reward awaiting me at the end. In the end, I feel the difficulty of getting through each level was fleeting.

 

Conclusion

First, let me say how I admire an indie developer like Two of a Kind for relying on the gaming community to help them with projects through crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter. This truly shows how proactive the gaming community is. Supporting smaller developers to get their hard work noticed and appreciated is important. Unfortunately, Pankapu‘s great potential is stymied by the gameplay mechanics. It’s unfortunate because I was genuinely intrigued from the outset. It has a few things going for it. If you prefer more lighthearted games with beautiful scenery, then of course I would recommend it. For me, I simply lost the opportunity to be fully invested in this game. I became too distracted from the gameplay, and it took me out of any possible immersive experience I was hoping for.  However, if you are a sucker for platformers, give this game a chance. The developers undoubtedly put a lot of heart into this project and it shows.

 

 

 

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.

The post REVIEW / Pankapu (PS4) appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2wgFXT0

REVIEW / Antiquia Lost (PS4)

 

If you play a lot of role-playing games on your mobile device, you’re probably familiar with KEMCO. The publisher is known for various RPG Maker-like games for iOS and Android devices, and even a few consoles releases. Usually I have reservations for mobile RPGs, especially ones that look like they were made by RPG Maker, as they tend to have low-quality graphics, reused sprites and animation, and an overall bland story. However, KEMCO surprised me with its recent port of Antiquia Lost for the PS4 and PS Vita. From looking at previews and image stills, I was predicting that the game would be very mundane. (I mean, it is a port of a mobile game.) However, after playing it, I saw how deep it gets past the surface.

 

 

Let’s start with the story. In Antiquia Lost, the world of Edelstein is inhabited by three major races: the human-like Fai, the gel-like Ruta, and the feline-like Eeth. We follow the story of Bine, a Fai who crosses path with Lunaria, a mixed-race Fai and Ruta who also happens to be linked to royalty. Being royalty isn’t so great in Edelstein at the moment, however, since many royal figures are going missing. When Lunaria asks Bine to accompany her to the capital, they both embark on an adventure to uncover the mystery of the world.

Along the way, Bine and Lunaria will be accompanied by the Eeth, Jade, and the Ruta, Safira. One of the gameplay elements in Antiquia Lost is that the races have each of their own unique attributes. While the Fai is more balanced of the three, the Eeth are physical powerhouses and the Ruta is unaffected by physical attacks but are vulnerable to magic. Also, if you haven’t noticed yet, the races are aligned with the three main elements in the game: Fai with fire, Eeth with earth, and Ruta with water. The alignments allow those races to gain magic of their respective elements.

 

 

If you are wondering how Lunaria’s affected with these attributes by being a half breed, then you’ve asked the right question. Firstly, she acquires magic from all elements with earth magic being the slowest of the three (since she technically does not have Eeth blood). Secondly, she doesn’t level up like the rest of the team or like your traditional RPGs with experience points. Rather, she gains boosts on her statistics when she eats gems.

The gems, by the way, are accessories that the characters would put on to gain temporary boosts. For those who are thinking on spending their hard-earned money on accessories to level her up, there’s actually a silver lining; every time you win a battle, there’s a chance for Lunaria to find a gem to automatically eat. Overall though, even if you don’t feed Lunaria a single gem, she averages out with the same stats as your leveled-up team. If you do decide to feed her plenty of gems regularly, that’s when she can be overpowered.

 

 

Overpowering the rest of your team isn’t a big feat either. Since Antiquia Lost is a port of a mobile game, then you know there are these things called in-app purchases. However, KEMCO circumvents these (since you are paying way more for this version of the game than the mobile one) by giving you the premium currencies – Pandora tickets and diamonds – after completing a set amount of battles.

If you grind a lot, you’re bound to get plenty of these items. Pandora tickets are used for a chance to gain enhanced weapons. Diamonds, on the other hand, can be used for more than just chances on enhanced weapons; you can purchase accessories that gives you experience and gold multipliers as well as permanent stat boosters.

 

 

In fact, after a couple of hours grinding away and purchasing the multiplier items, I was rocking an overpowered team that was dispatching enemies left and right on highest difficulty level (i.e., Hell). Even bosses were so easy to defeat. The other gameplay aspect of Antiquia Lost that is pretty cool is the skill-leveling system. While it’s not innovative, skills do gain experience after using it and after gaining enough, they level up. Leveled-up skills do more damage and cost less magic points to use.

The system creates that dynamic that even though the most powerful skills won’t be available until later in the game, the skills you get earlier on can be as powerful as those latent ones if used very often. It also lets you be more comfortable in using the same skills that may be your favorite or aligns with your strategy. I for one like Lunaria’s health-draining skill as well as Safira’s magic-absorption skill, since it allows me to not rely on recovery items at all.

 

 

One of the aspects of Antiquia Lost I was disappointed on is how it does not have a cloud-save feature. It is a cross-buy, however, so you will get the PS4 and Vita versions for one price. The only thing is, if you play it on one system, you might as well finish it on the same one. Personally, I’d lean more on playing this for the Vita, since there’s really no difference in the two versions. Besides, let me remind you again that this is a port of a mobile game, and this is one of those RPGs that is perfect for playing on-the-go.

 

 

 

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.

The post REVIEW / Antiquia Lost (PS4) appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2xqVp1K

Minecraft Better Together update out on most devices

 

It’s about time for Minecraft to show how much better the game is when playing with others. The “Better Together” update is the crossplay update that was announced at E3 earlier this year.

As of now, Xbox One, Windows 10, Mobile, and VR users will all be able to join into worlds with each other and play the blocky sandbox game. Nintendo Switch will be getting the update this winter as some beta testing still needs to be done on that platform. So far Sony does not want to include the PS4 and Vita in the gathering, but Microsoft has said they are in ongoing talks to bring it there, so you can keep your hopes up.

With this update, players on all the above platforms (except Xbox) can also share invite links to Realms, which is the area of the game that lets your world stay active even when no one is on and anyone can join at anytime. The host of the world does not need to be on. Xbox will be getting this feature soon.

Along with the crossplay feature, the update brings a ton of new content, tweaks, and bug fixes that you can check out on the Minecraft website here.

As a guy who has put hundreds of hours into Minecraft, but not much in the last couple years, I am pretty excited to give this a try. There is a very real chance that this could pull me back into the game, especially since it means I can play on my Xbox and be playing with my daughter on her phone while she is at her mom’s house. Even though it is a game that came out years ago, Minecraft is still evolving. I have to say, I did not expect it, but I am kind of excited for this.

You can check out Gameinformer’s post on the update here.

The post Minecraft Better Together update out on most devices appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2wD3ba8

Twickles rolls onto Steam September 28th

 

Of the many genres of gaming, puzzle games have to be some of my absolute favourites. When they’re done right, these games can be a good five minute time killer or a three hour session in the making, depending on how you’re feeling. The best puzzle games can turn that five minutes into three hours without you even knowing it. Hoping to join the pantheon of puzzling greats is Twickles, a curious little maze game that will be readying itself to confound us as of the end of this month.

Developed by the German team Neox Studios, Twickles will be appearing on Steam from September 28th at a cost of $6.99 but what can we expect from it? Well, Twickles is a maze game of sorts with a minimalist aesthetic. You are asked to navigate your ball around an increasingly complex series of labyrinths. What makes this more than your average maze is that you’ll need to rotate pieces of the labyrinth and sometimes its entire structure to meet your goal.

This is the sort of game that is going to be a perfectionist’s dream. Completing each level is one thing; doing this with the perfect number of moves and attaining all of the trophies is something entirely different. Replaying the same level to get that perfect score is bound to coax that “one more round” feeling that puzzle fans love so much. With 75 hand crafted levels to ace that should keep players going for quite a bit. The game is also broken into five overall parts and each will add a new element to play just to stop things getting stale.

I wouldn’t mind having a crack at this one myself, actually. Keep the old eyes peeled for some more coverage in the future. If you’re planning on joining me just keep watch for its arrival next week.

The post Twickles rolls onto Steam September 28th appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2hkIKHX

REVIEW / Community Inc. (PC)

 

It’s been a rough few months for Community Inc. developers T4 Interactive. Their village-builder simulation title hit Steam in August, but was met with a muted response after finicky mechanics and tedious gameplay got the better of their reviews page. Unfortunately, the rough seas haven’t turned into plain sailing. Community Inc. is still plagued by the very same intricacies that it thrives on, which is what makes defining its worth so very difficult.

 

 

As the overseeing force of a new civilization, you have a mere 30 days to transform the wasteland you find yourself in into a thriving city of trade, diplomacy, and civilian gratification. Of course, you won’t be doing any of the work yourself. You have Lings for that. Lings are your workers, the pawns you move to construct your city for you. Unfortunately it seems these workers have the same amount of artificial intelligence as literal chess pawns.

The fundamental flaw with Community Inc. is the significance it places on the role of the Lings combined with a fatal case of spreading a mechanic too thin. Without direct command, Lings will simply wander around the pile of dust you want to transform into a thriving community. This is all well and good for the first couple of workers you employ. However, as you begin bringing more employees into the mix, things start to get hectic.

 

 

This would all be praise if Community Inc. was a game based on chaos management, but it’s not. Community Inc. is a tactical strategy village building simulation, not a tower defense title. Unfortunately with the tactless AI and monotonous gameplay Community Inc. manages to be neither what it aspires to be or what it sometimes comes across as.

In theory, though, it works. This is what makes playing Community Inc. so devastating. On paper, the title has enough genre-breaking mechanics, strategies, and elements to conquer the charts. Take, for example, the Ling specialization features; once you hire workers, it’s up to you what they get to work to. Choose a Ling to specialize as a tree farmer and they can build significant skill in that area, bringing you better results and shorter work times. Lings come with distinct personalities, needs, wants, attributes, and skills.

 

 

In theory, they work. In theory, they can change the game. In practice, the whole feature is begging to be streamlined. The fundamental issue here, is Lings often look exactly the same. Wearing the same clothes, same hairstyles, same colors, managing all these needs, wants, and professional attributes becomes more like a part time spreadsheet balancing job. There’s a reason village sims rarely provide this number of workers with this level of characterization. T4 Interactive took on the challenge gallantly but ultimately did not deliver in this regard.

It’s not just Lings you need to interact with, however. There are neighboring races waiting to either trade or wage war with your civilization. The name of the game here is diplomacy, unfortunately, however it’s as far from political tact as possible. What initially impresses with complex relational systems inevitably yields to simple, arbitrary decision branches. Help one race and another will automatically hate you no matter your previous relationship. If one race loves you another will hate you because of it. There is no middle ground and no real depth to these interactions to the extent that they merely play the extraneous part of annoying pop up every few minutes.

 

 

Community Inc. feels like a rushed attempt to create something new with certain disregard for the consequences of sweeping statements. If it were an early access release, I could understand and even forgive some of the game’s many issues, but it is not an early access release. T4 Interactive rushed out to try and revolutionize a genre but left their basic design guidebook at home.

 

 

 

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.

The post REVIEW / Community Inc. (PC) appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2hjHvcj

Light Fall is coming to Nintendo Switch

 

In Light Fall for the Nintendo Switch, you can explore the land of eternal night from the palm of your hand. Bishop Games have announced the Nintendo Switch version of the immersive 2D platformer for release in March 2018. Light Fall will also be available for PC, Mac, PS4 and Xbox One, as previously announced. The first playable build of the game on Nintendo Switch will be shown at Tokyo Game Show 2017 from 21 – 24 September 2017.

In Light Fall, players complete platforming challenges by harnessing the power of the Shadow Core, a magical box at their feet that can be summoned any time to propel yourself into the air. You also have a companion and narrator, Stryx the Night Owl, to help you explore the forgotten world of Numbra where darkness prevails over light. Together you set off on a quest to save Numbra’s inhabitants and uncover a mysterious past. Through the Lumar Plain, the Marshlands of Sorrow and Vipera’s Forest, players will encounter many outlandish characters, be it friend or foe. Only the strongest will survive.

Key Features:
The Ultimate Freedom: Control the Shadow Core, a magical box beneath your feet that can be used and controlled at will, to propel yourself into the air and move across the land at your own pace. With the Shadow Core, you become the master of your surroundings and create your own path.

An Immersive Journey: Immerse yourself in Light Fall’s strange universe where darkness prevails over the light. Joining you in this adventure, Stryx the old and grumpy owl, will act as your sidekick and in-game narrator. Depending on his mood, he will either offer useful advice or bluntly mock your failures.

A Vast World to Explore: With the Shadow Core in hand, reach new heights and explore every nook and cranny of Numbra. Wander through the Lunar Plain, the Marshlands of Sorrows, the Vipera’s Forest and the Unknown Depths, where shortcuts, alternative paths, hidden collectibles and easter eggs await you in large numbers.

Speedrun Competition: Quench your thirst for competition in the Speedrun Game Mode. Compete with players worldwide and compare your fastest times with theirs on the online leaderboard.

 

Light Fall will be available on all platforms, including the Nintendo Switch, in March 2018.

The post Light Fall is coming to Nintendo Switch appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2yq9KtP

REVIEW / Arizona Sunshine (PSVR)

 

For the past few months my PlayStation VR has collected dust sitting next to my PlayStation 4. I’m not sure if that’s because I don’t want to take the time to set everything up or if there just aren’t any PSVR games that I want to play. What I do know is that with all the buzz around Arizona Sunshine since it’s launch on the HTC Vive, I could not wait for the PSVR port of the game.

 

 

Arizona Sunshine is a zombie-thriller made for VR. While that genre may seem over used the past 10 or so years, Arizona Sunshine has something special that kept me intrigued the entire time. You play as a man (unnamed) who wakes up in an Arizona river valley that is littered with beer cans. From there your adventure begins as you explore your surroundings, kill zombies, and eventually find a radio that has a weak signal, allowing you to faintly hear another human’s voice.

 

 

The story as a whole exceeds anything I’ve played on my PSVR to date (although I’ve not yet played Resident Evil 7). From the moment you find the radio signal, it is filled with mystery and excitement as you track down the source. While short, the story was both exciting and intriguing. That’s not to mention the fact that the entire thing is playable in Co-op. Co-op is one my favorite ways to play games so this was a huge plus for the game. Being a zombie game, Arizona Sunshine has its fair share of jump-scares and creepy scenes which I very much both appreciated and hated.

 

 

Mechanically Arizona Sunshine plays just about as good as any VR game can play on the PlayStation 4. I found little to no problems at all when it came to tracking my motions. Also, I did not feel even slightly sick a single time, despite having played 4 hours straight one night. While aiming down the sights of a gun there are no problems for me.There are some people having problems with this, but it may be that they have not calibrated their systems properly. The weapons all feel very natural to use with the Move controllers. My favorite weapon in the game is easily the sniper rifle. Using both hands to hold the gun up and also looking through the scope felt so natural that hopefully there is a  sniper simulator come to PSVR in the near future.

 

 

Aside from being able to play the game cooperatively, the team over at Vertigo Games added a horde mode. This was one of the weaker points of the game. While the mechanics and weapons all play nicely, the maps for horde were very small and restricting. You and your team are essentially trapped in a small bunker while waves of zombies attack. This mode would benefit greatly by adding larger maps.

 

 

Overall Arizona Sunshine is a great buy for anyone looking to play a good story on their PSVR. Hell, if you also have a friend with a headset I’d strongly recommend you both pick this up. Horde maps aside, Arizona Sunshine may be one of the better games available for the PlayStation VR.

 

 

 

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.

The post REVIEW / Arizona Sunshine (PSVR) appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2xlyUvj

REVIEW / ARK: Survival Evolved (PS4)

 

Steam’s Early Access is a dimly lit labyrinth where some games emerge victorious, and some perish to never be seen again. When a game announces that they have bested the proverbial Minotaur, expectations are naturally pretty high. When you think about the implications of a game spending years in Early Access, being play tested by hundreds of thousands of what are essentially beta testers, the game in its finished state should be a refined experience. The keyword being should. Studio Wildcard has officially released their grand, dinosaur-based survival game ARK: Survival Evolved on consoles after roughly 3 years in Early Access, but as a new player you would never guess it was a finished product.

 

Welcome to Jurassic Park

 

ARK is a primarily multiplayer-focused game that emphasizes battling and taming dinosaurs; this is the main gameplay element separating it from contemporaries such as Rust or DayZ. PvE servers allow you to team up with other tribes of players to engage the dinos and build a community, while PvP adds in the element of tribal warfare to keep you on your toes. You technically could play ARK on your own offline or in a PvE server, but unless you are prepared for an ungodly amount of grind time that would not be advised. I spent 30+ hours playing solo in PvE and it was a long tale of boredom, with flashes of greatness flaring up like oil flames in a burning pan, before ultimately ending in heartache.

The most obvious gripes can be made about how under-par the game is on a technical and graphical level. The PS4 version suffers from terrible, choppy frame rate issues, constant screen tearing, pop-in textures everywhere, cluttered and unreliable servers, downright ugly character models, idiotic enemy AI, enemy attacks clipping through walls that lead to unfair deaths. I lost a lot of items and progress due to dinosaurs clipping through the walls of my base and killing me while I was logged out of the game. Despite ARK showing brief glimpses of brilliance, the jankiness of Early Access is still very much present in this supposed release build.

 

Hopefully no humans in real life are built like ARK cavemen

 

When I started up ARK, I had a tough time finding a server that wasn’t packed to capacity or didn’t have a terrible ping that caused massive amounts of lag. I eventually was able to get into one that was just shy of the player cap, but once I started that I found another issue was in the game’s construction restraints. You aren’t allowed to build structures near other players’ structures, which were all over the place.

I had to run around blind, dying repeatedly to dinosaur attacks, before finding a clearing to plant my base. I finally built a small safety shack and logged out for the night, but when I tried to log back in my server was at capacity and would not let me in for the entire day. This was beyond infuriating and felt like it stalled out my progress.

 

My very first structure

 

When you do get into a server, one of the very first things that you’ll notice about ARK is that the game doesn’t help you learn the systems at all; it’s all trial and error. In a sense, I can appreciate this hands-off approach when it comes to simple things such as resource collection or crafting, even taming dinosaurs was pretty easy to work out. However in a finished game with as many complex systems as ARK I would greatly appreciate just having the option to at least learn how the game works without having to resort to going through forums online.

For example, the tribe system is not explained at all in game. You just see that people are in tribes and can invite you to join in as well; seems simple enough on the surface. However what is not explained is that tribes have a community XP share as well as a complete communist set-up, where in as soon as you join a tribe all of your structures are forfeit to the tribe. Remember earlier when I said my 30+ hours ended in heart ache? This is because I had spent days building up a base on my own, capturing dinosaurs and crafting a castle I could call home. I decided to try joining a tribe when I learned about the XP share, but I lost everything. My days of work, my home, were all forfeit to a tribe of people I didn’t know. It’s the first time in the modern age of auto saves that I lost virtually all of my progress in a game and it crushed me so hard I couldn’t go on.

 

 

However, all of these negatives aren’t to say that ARK, is a complete failure. The main draw of the game is clearly the dinosaurs and the element of exploration; which is something that the game does fairly well. Your character levels and progresses at a steady rate from caveman tools to advanced weaponry, letting you branch out further and further into the world. The worlds feel gigantic and are genuinely fun to explore. The dinos bring a constant looming threat to the exploration with the chance of a raptor or T-Rex on your tail if you aren’t careful in your journey. If you’re a real dinosaur aficionado this single element is certainly more than strong enough to sell you on the game despite the faults. Even still, it’s understandable that a lot of players, especially completely new players, will have trouble looking past those issues.

 

 

 

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.

The post REVIEW / ARK: Survival Evolved (PS4) appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2fgPZjx