REVIEW / Shape of the World (PS4)

 

How many times have you had a rough day at work and just came home looking to escape real-life? That’s one of the biggest reasons we all love video games, right? We like the adventures we could never really go on, the badass moves we could never pull off, and the everyday possibility to be a hero. Life likes to knock us down, and this is our escape. But these virtual worlds are sometimes more stressful than the real one. This is where I introduce to you Shape of the World.

 

 

The problem with video games as a relaxation tool is that they’re not always relaxing. Take Overwatch for example; the community is filled with the biggest assholes, but I love the game, so I push myself through it on a nightly basis. I’m sure many other people could relate to that. Call of Duty, Fortnite, PUBG, and countless other games give us the adrenaline rush and good feelings that keep us crawling back. What if for one night though, you needed to relax and not think?

 

 

Shape of the World is not a complex game by any means. There is no story, no real gameplay hook, and no intense multiplayer showdown. According to developer Hollow Tree Games, “immersion, exploration and contemplation form the core of Shape of the World. This is a place to get lost in, a relaxing world for you to spend 1 to 3 hours meandering at your own pace, observing and unwinding.” In other words, it’s just you, some soothing music, and the evolving colorful world.

 

 

The game does what it set out to do, but maybe it does too good a job. I found myself struggling to stay awake through the hour I played. It’s a short game, but even that hour it took me to beat it was too long for the same walking around “gameplay” with a few sprinkles of interacting with stone columns to create a bridge to the next area. From what I gathered the only objective in the game is to constantly follow a path to all of the symbols which will change the color of the world and allow it to evolve further. There are a few collectibles, but nothing worth going out of your way to find. There is nothing hard about the game, save for trying to see through a dark, rainy, mountain area that gave me a migraine. Not very relaxing if it affects you like that.

 

 

In the end, Shape of the World is a very shallow experience. If you are looking for a world to walk around in with no choices to be made, this game is good for a few 15-minute intervals at most. Nothing is exciting about it. It is just a walkthrough a world that changes colors and grows trees. In my opinion, the game is overpriced at $15, so if you are interested, I would wait for it to go on sale. I like what they tried to do, but I feel there are much better artistic, relaxing games out there.

 

 

 

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

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Tetsuya Nomura feels remake of Final Fantasy 7 announced too early

 

Myself and millions of other fans of the Final Fantasy franchise were undoubtedly disappointed when no new news on the Final Fantasy VII remake was revealed during this year’s E3. This was a big event for Square Enix this time around and the fact that they held their own livestream gave me hope that they would release at least a little somethin’ somethin’ to keep us satiated until the next tidbit of information. However, this sadly was not the case.

While no fresh news on the game ever materialized, we have gotten a confession of sorts from game director Tetsuya Nomura, revealing that he thinks the announcement Square Enix was embarking on a task that fans have literally been clamoring for over a decade was probably announced way too early. Given that the announcement was made in the first place, this admission doesn’t bode well for being able to play the game any time in the near future.

 

 

Speaking with the Italian website Multiplayer (via Kingdom Hearts Insider), in regards to the 2015 reveal, Nomura stated, “I am well aware of the fact that we announced it too early, but even in the industry, word was beginning to spread that we were working on the game, so we just decided not to keep it more secret and officially reveal it.”

I don’t want to sound like I am complaining, however, because the fact is we did get some admittedly good reveals during the livestream like a launch date for Nomura’s other even-longer-in-development project, Kingdom Hearts 3, which is slated for release on Jan. 29, 2019. If you haven’t figured it out yet, this probably means that the FFVII remake is definitely out of the concept stage and is being developed in tandem with KH3.

Keeping in the tradition of announcing their projects too early, Nomura also revealed that he thought that the KH3 announcement was made too early, as well. “Deciding when to announce your game to the public is always difficult,” he said. “In our case, we receive pressure from the fans even when we do not announce anything. … People are waiting for new information regardless of whether the game has been announced or not.”

If you have been keeping tabs, E3 2018 was the third straight E3 where Square Enix had nothing to show or say about the Final Fantasy 7 remake. Nomura admitted that he prefers to reveal games that he is working on before rumors or leaks upstage what he and his team are doing. He thinks that being transparent up front about the games that are in the works, as well as the challenges that the team is facing, is better for everyone, even if fans are left waiting for years to play said games.

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Dig or Die set for July release

 

Survival horror … this is something that we’ve heard a lot. Those two little words were the cornerstone of an entire genre of blood-curdling scream-fests.  So let’s switch things up a bit. Survival strategy? Yeah, that sound a little bit different, right? Something that we haven’t seen anywhere near as much. If this is perking your interest, a new surival strategy game is about to hit Steam. See there had to be a tie-in there somewhere, right? The game is called Dig or Die and it’s going to be appearing on your PC screens on July 10th.

Dig or Die is actually a sandbox survival strategy (try saying that three times fast) game. Created by Gaddy Games, Dig or Die was inspired by other titles such as Terraria and Starbound but with a very particular focus being placed on the sandbox game genre. You will be taking the role of an employee of the space exploration agency CRAFT & Co.  Your latest contract has gone awry and left you stranded on a distant planet.

Your objective is to build your base and then in turn find enough resources to craft a spaceship and get off the world. This would be all well and good if the planet wasn’t populated by hordes of monsters who don’t particularly like random strangers crashing on their doorstep and want to eat you. As night falls, your will find yourself doing everything in your power to survive. This will include building defenses such as barricades and turrets in an attempt to turn the tide of angry creatures and maybe get away in one piece.

“Dig or Die has received an incredible feedback from the community since we launched the Early Access. It has now scored an average of 91% positive user reviews out of 2430 total, and has sold over a 160,000 units on Steam. I’m so grateful to all the early adopters. They have made my indie developer dream come true, and I am looking forward to hear back from the fans at launch on July 10th,” says Nicolas Gadenne, founder of Gaddy Games.

The Early Access version of the game currently has a multitude of assets. These include a dynamic combat system. The first point about this is that the devs are staying on topic. This is a sci-fi-themed game. This means battles with laser guns; not swords, magic or any other randomness. This is of course good as it all helps with authenticity. Secondly, you can proceed at your own pace and only fight stronger monsters when you’re ready. Not being mobbed by new stuff is always good but don’t expect this to be a walk in the park. Your foes have brains and will always seek the best way through your defenses. This being said … just because something is at your level (whatever that might be) doesn’t mean it’s going to be a repetitive, grindy cakewalk.

As I mentioned earlier, this is a Terraria-esque game and of course building is involved. The building mechanics, however, don’t require a Masters with Honours from Yale just to get a feel for what it’s like. You dig for minerals, harvest your ingredients and kill bosses to build better stuff, and this isn’t new. What is new is that your inventory is bottomless, the gathering process is quick and most importantly all of the recipes you’ve uncovered are displayed and easily viewed. This is a massively big deal. There’s nothing worse than having to have a wiki open all of the time just to build basic items.  While we’re still on the subject of building: your items are necessary. This is a heavily guarded fortress you’re building, not a resort for monsters. You won’t find a list of flowerpots and tapestries here. Items are things like turrets, which are, of course, important for survival.

Just as the finer details are important with building so too are they with the world. Your planet is procedurally generated and concentrates on real-time simulation of the environment and things like physics, water cycle and lighting. Plants also act as plants should in that if the right conditions are met, they grow and prosper. This means that you aren’t just randomly farming things but you’ll have to think about what you’re doing if you’re going to make the ecology work for you.

The release version will be taking everything I’ve just mentioned and adding three new modes including Under the Sea and Sky World. If you don’t want to start on terra firma, you don’t have to. You can play with the water-physics engine to your heart’s content having been started beneath the waves, or if that doesn’t float your boat, a world of flying islands might just do the trick. Random events are also being added including earthquakes, meteor showers, heat waves and more.

If you like building games this one looks very interesting, indeed. What I’m seeing is that this isn’t a title that’s trying to be complicated for complication’s sake. This is a case of the devil being in the detail. They’ve done the hardest part in making the world make sense. All you have to do is enjoy the fun of surviving and making that world your own. The fact that this is also a sandbox means that you aren’t being pressured into moving at a certain speed or forced to follow a certain set of overbearing rules. If you like this sort of game, Dig or Die might well be worth a punt come July.

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Sony announces PlayStation Hits: 15 great games at a great price

 

If you are looking for a great deal on videogames, Sony just made your job a lot easier. Back by popular demand, Sony has unveiled its new PlayStation Hits line-up of gaming’s most entertaining titles.

From award-winning epics to family friendly favorites, PlayStation Hits offers an awesome lineup of games for the low, low price of $19.99 USD (MSRP) each on PlayStation Store and select retailers across the U.S. if you prefer to have a physical copy.

In Canada, PlayStation Hits games will range in price, starting at $19.99 CAD (MSRP) each at participating retailers and PS Store.

So that you will be able to spot these awesome games at a glance, PlayStation Hits games will come in red packaging instead of the usual blue, and in the PS Store the games will have red banners that’ll make it easy for you to identify which games are part of the PlayStation Hits lineup.

 

 

The games in this line, which include PS4 exclusives such as Sucker Punch’s PS4 launch title Infamous: Second Son and titles like Sega’s fan favorite’s Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza 0, will be available for just $19.99 each starting June 28. In Canada, select titles will be available soon, so check out the Canadian PlayStation Hits page for details.

Here’s the full list of PlayStation Hits games that will debut next week in the U.S.:

• Battlefield 4
• Bloodborne
• Doom
• DriveClub
• Infamous: Second Son
• Killzone: Shadow Fall
• The Last of Us Remastered
• LittleBigPlanet 3
• Metal Gear Solid 5: The Definitive Experience
• Project CARS
• Ratchet & Clank
• Street Fighter 5
• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
• Yakuza 0
• Yakuza Kiwami

Sony says that they will continue to add to the PlayStation Hits lineup on a regular basis, so check out the PlayStation website to keep up to date with the latest releases. What games do you want Sony to add to the PlayStation Hits line?

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Rise of Insanity – Scare yourself silly on Xbox One

 

If you’re a fan of Silent Hill, you’ll love Rise of Insanity. It’s a first-person horror experience that leans heavily on the genre’s most gut-wrenching offerings; drawing from The Shining and The Exorcist, you’ll be diving head-first down a rabbit hole of mental disturbance. Red Limb Studios are the team behind the scares, and they are proud to announce that their game is now available on the Xbox One. Here’s a suitably chilling trailer for you to enjoy:

According to Krzysztof Sopata of (Red Limb Studio fame), Rise of Insanity looks to “represent mental illness in some original ways.” The player will step into the shoes of Dr Stephen Dowell, a psychologist whose latest patient is exhibiting some worryingly contradictory symptoms. The doctor’s murky personal life will become clearer the further you slip into the dark corridors of the asylum, as will the relevance of the psychological anomaly in the chair. Oh, and judging by the screenshots, it seems as though we’re visiting 1970s America.

Puzzle solving will play a central role, as will keeping your wits about you; the game is VR ready, and as such will make you jump on a frustratingly regular basis. Rise of Insanity‘s trailer shows off some hellish dreamscapes and grounded dialogue, subtly hinting at professional voice-work and (mostly) decent graphics. Since I’m a massive pansy, however, it is unlikely that I’ll ever be able to experience these technical milestones first-hand.

With a very positive rating on Steam, Rise of Insanity looks as though it offers a simple, visceral horror experience. As a result, I’ll be steering well clear; if horror is your cup of tea, however, Rise of Insanity is out now (without VR support) on Xbox One. If you’re the kind of lunatic who enjoys being terrified in virtual reality, the game has been out on Steam for a few months now: it costs GBP £7.19, and the store page is right here. There are plans for a Switch release in Q3 2018, and a PS4 one at some point after that.

 

 

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Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice set for 2019

 

Cringe-worthy gory deaths. The inability to survive for more than five seconds. Being eaten by something twice your size or told to “Git Good” by a masochistic crowd of elitist players. Are any of these things ringing a bell and connecting to a certain set of unforgiving, nightmarishly difficult games? Oh they are? Good. We’re on the same page when I’m telling you that our old mates of FromSoftware are bringing us something new next year. Is this going to be another kick to the nads for every half decent gamer out there? We certainly hope so. The game in question is Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. This new story from Fromsoftware who are in partnership with Activision is set for early next year.

As is evidenced by the very Japanese sounding name, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is set in the era of 1500s Sengoku Japan. This is a nice, bloody, brutal period to be sending us to and as such we are being launched into a tale of life and death conflict. In the game’s single-player mode, you will take on the role of a hard-hearted warrior in your quest to save your master, a young lord, and exact harsh revenge on your arch nemesis. As Sekiro or The one-armed wolf you will experience many ways to strategically approach conflict and deal with your enemies.

“Collaborating with Activision on Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has been a very exciting experience for us,” said Hidetaka Miyazaki, president and game designer at FromSoftware. “With Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice many FromSoftware team members, including myself, are thrilled to be exploring themes of Sengoku Japan and ninja for the first time. We can’t wait for everyone to discover what’s in store for the game.”

Fans of FromSoftware’s previous works will find familiarity in this third person action title with RPG elements. This is a game where combat reigns supreme and players will enjoy combining new features such as vertical traversal, with visceral head-to-head battle to fulfill their destiny in a vast world filled with beautiful vistas, enormous castles, bizarre weaponry and fearsome enemies.

“From Dark Souls to Bloodborne, FromSoftware has established a level of excellence that stands by itself in our industry, and we are increadibly honored to work with them in bringing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice to fans worldwide,” said Steve Young, Chief Revenue Officer at Activision. “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice will not only add a new and exciting genre to Activision’s portfolio, but will also give players and experience that’s unlike any other FromSoftware game to date.”

For those of you interested in this new title, you’ll be able to get your hands on a copy towards the beginning of 2019 for the family of Xbox One devices (including the Xbox One X), PS4, PS4 Pro and of course PC via Steam. Those of you that can’t wait and need to get your orders in now absolutely can. Pre-orders are available from selected retailers at the suggested price of $59.99.

So there you have it. FromSoftware are doing something new. I don’t by any means think this is a departure from what we have grown to know and love about this company. I very much doubt they will be dropping the difficulty curve as this is something that has made them absolutely legendary. It’s just going to be ninjas and Japanese monstrosities stomping your teeth in instead of hideous mutant nightmares. I haven’t actually played the Souls series; not because I don’t like it, but because I have far more fun watching other people prevail righteously or getting absolutely massacred. This being said, I might have to break that little promise to myself and give this one a go. If you’re very much like me, maybe it would be worth you considering doing the same.

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Last of Us II kiss scene shows epic graphics by Naughty Dog

 

Intimate Emotions By Naughty Dog

Naughty Dog has done it again, people. Although game graphics continue to improve, depicting intimacy in a human has still been a barrier for many developers. More often than not, when things get steamy, it tends to miss emotions and look very static. But in the new trailer for The Last of Us Part II, Naughty Dog delivered a master class in intimate interaction and animation. The most amazing thing was how much attention the studio put into the smallest elements. Watch the 11 minute gameplay trailer below!

 

 

New Gameplay Trailer Analysis

In the early moments of the new trailer, take a look at Ellie’s facial expressions. Notice the way her eyebrows raise and lower, bites her lips, how small strands of her hair sway with no forced flow. It’s even more captivating for the ways she isn’t sculpted perfectly; her face is slightly dirty with a light perspiration forming, and her hair is slightly matted and frizzy, just like anyone’s hair would be in a crowded area with people dancing.

Look deep at how each character looks at each other; it’s almost as if there’s a real human being acting out these scenes in a movie, not just pixels. Then, when Ellie and the woman (Dana) kiss, look at the way Ellie’s lips pucker hesitantly and then lock with the other woman. The shock is present, then followed with the craning of their necks and a full kiss ensues.

Fans of the series are revving at what a remarkable thing Naughty Dog has done to capture something so astounding. These minor details are easy to miss at first glance because they are so natural to us in real life; they look the way people are suppose to look in these moments – awkward and slightly excited for what’s to come. Many games are still trying to figure out how to make these emotions happen within pixels, but when it happens the player creates an instant connection to the character.

Behind The Scenes

Turns out, making a scene this good required a ton of work. During E3, Director of the game, Neil Druckmann, explained that the studio could only shoot eight people at a single time. This particular kiss scene was shot over the span of 8 days. To capture Ellie’s deep expressions, Druckmann said that Naughty Dog developed more advanced facial capture. Check out the video panel below from E3 to learn more about the behind the scenes!

 

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Dragon Ball FighterZ is heading to Nintendo Switch

 

Saiyan battles are heading to Nintendo’s portable console system.

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe have just announced that Dragon Ball FighterZ is heading to Nintendo Switch in 2018. It combines classic 2.5D fighting game dynamics with the Dragon Ball universe.

Dragon Ball is one of the most popular and iconic anime franchises and has been enjoyed by millions around the world since its debut in 1984. It’s one of the most merchandised anime based series ever, with a whole host of toys and other items being released.

The game was developed with Arc System Works, the legendary developer of classic Japanese 2D fighting titles like Guilty Gear and BlazBlue. They’ve taken the signature action-packed and explosive gameplay and combined it with the portability of Nintendo’s flagship device.

Dragon Ball FighterZ will feature easy-to-play JoyCon controls while also providing support for Nintendo Switch Pro Controller for serious and competitive play.

The game allows you to play as your favourite Dragon Ball character, no matter your skill level. 3v3 battle mechanics give you an epic, action-packed feel to the game while the combination of 2D visuals and advanced 3D character models will give you the visual thrill associated with the fast-paced series.

To get the best out of the game, players will need to train and master more than one fighter and style. Only then will you be able to take out the competition.

Dragon Ball FighterZ for Nintendo Switch will be playable at the BANDAI NAMCO E3 booth (1647) in the South Hall at the Los Angeles Convention Centre and also in the Nintendo Booth in the West Hall.

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Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition announced

 

Tales of Vesperia has returned with Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition, announced for all home consoles and PC at this year’s E3.

The beloved RPG has just celebrated its 10th anniversary with additional content for the west. Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition includes upscaled screen resolution, characters, events, and costumes never released outside Japan. The original English version of the game was only released on Xbox 360. An expanded port was released on PS3 in Japan, but not in the west.

Experience the original story of Yuri Lowell, a resident in the Lower Quarter of Zaphias and former Imperial Knight, as he accepts a mission to retrieve a stolen Blastia Core used to regulate his neighbourhood’s water supply. This mission spirals into a series of events that leads to Yuri befriending a colourful cast of characters, travelling to exotic locations, and being pushed into the middle of a nefarious plot that threatens destruction of the entire planet.

Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition features two new fully playable party members for the west: Patty Fleur, a young pirate searching for her lost memories, as well as Yuri’s rival and best friend, Flynn Scifo. The new edition of the game will also include additional scenarios and locations that will be all-new for players in the west. It will also include a specialised version of the TALES OF series’ Linear Motion Battle System for combat. Players control a single party member in real-time combat while the other three party members are controlled by a customised set of A.I. commands. Characters can be swapped between at any time during battle and can perform physical and Mystic Artes attacks.

Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition is due to release in winter.

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E3 2018: Kingdom Hearts III PS4 Pro coming

 

PS4 Pro Exclusive

Square Enix announced a limited edition PS4 Pro themed after showcasing Kingdom Hearts III at E3 yesterday. Along with the confirmation of a Pirates of the Caribbean & Frozen world in KHIII, Square Enix showcased the limited edition PS4 Pro!

Square Enix also confirmed a PS4-exclusive bundle, which will bring together Kingdom Hearts I.5 + II.5, Kingdom Hearts II.8: Final Chapter Prologue, and Kingdom Hearts III, seemingly included with the limited edition PS4 Pro.

Release Date Confirmed

Ahead of E3 2018, Square Enix finally confirmed Kingdom Hearts III‘s release date, with a release planned for January 29, 2019  (FINALLY).

Square Enix also revealed a collector’s edition of Kingdom Hearts III during E3 2018. 

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Ubisoft details Tom Clancy’s The Division 2

 

Attendees at this year’s Microsoft Xbox Press Conference yesterday were treated to a first look at Ubisoft’s next entry into the Tom Clancy’s The Division franchise. However, the folks over at Ubisoft saved the juicy bits for their own press conference that took place earlier today.

 

 

The awesome video above goes into great detail about what you will be able to expect from Tom Clancy’s The Division 2. This new game is set seven months after a deadly virus was released in New York City, and will bring players into a fractured and collapsing Washington D.C. The world is on the brink, its people living through the biggest crisis ever faced in human history.

As veteran Division agents, players are the last hope against the complete fall of society as enemy factions vie for control of the city. If Washington DC is lost, the entire nation falls.

Developed on an updated version of the Snowdrop Engine, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 will be releasing worldwide on March 15, 2019, on the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One, and also PS4 and PC.

If you would like to get your hands on the game early and help Ubisoft craft an enjoyable experience, you can register for beta access now for a chance to play at http://thedivisiongame.com/beta.

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E3 2018: The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit ties to Life is Strange 2

 

 

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit

 

 

Dontnod fans were pleased to find out that a new game called The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit was announced at Microsoft’s E3 conference yesterday.

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit is a standalone story in the Life is Strange universe. This narrative experience stars Chris, a ten-year old boy with a big imagination.

As seen in the trailer below, Chris will actually become part of a supernatural experience not unlike what he’s always imagined in his head. The story of Captain Spirit will have links to the upcoming story of Life is Strange 2.

 

It’s apparent right off the bat that he has a very vivid imagination, creating and narrating a scenario. We are even led to believe that he’s about to move his toy spaceship with some kind of psychic force. Was it real or a figment of his imagination? Check out the trailer now!

 

 

A self-contained narrative experience

Captain Spirit is Chris’ alternative persona which incorporates a handful of powers–and the game revolves around Chris’ Saturday morning as he spends time role-playing and completing superhero quests. This is where the player comes in. The player is given tasks to complete. With costume creation, vanquishing a scary beast, and exploring in an intergalactic rocket, you’ll never run out of fun!

 

The interactions of this game compare very closely to Life is Strange – there are numerous objects you can interact with as you move through the game. Some interactions depict fun, sadness, etc. The most interesting part about this game is that some interactions have references to Life is Strange.  A majority of interactions help you understand Chris’ imagination and adventures.

Using your imaginative superpowers to overcome fear, defeat monsters, and perform heroic deeds shows that this game really brings your childhood back to life through Chris.

Get it June 26th for FREE

The game is completely free, coming to PC, PS4, and Xbox One on June 26. Developer Dontnod promises many secrets in this self-contained experience, enough to warrant several play-throughs.

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REVIEW / The Swords Of Ditto (PC)

 

If Majora’s Mask was reimagined as a traditional, 2D Zelda title, and then someone at Nintendo decided to slap on some visuals reminiscent of American Saturday morning cartoons and remove the time rewinding mechanic, then that’s where you’d find developer Onebitbeyond’s dungeon crawler. The Swords of Ditto is a roguelite action RPG that creates a unique adventure for each new hero of legend in the relentless fight against evil. And The Swords of Ditto is also unbearably adorable.

 

 

The game focuses on your battle against the evil witch Mormo. You are an amazing, randomly generated warrior, ready to take her down once and for all. Or at least, you would be, if the witch didn’t kick your ass in an instant. Flash forward 100 years and you wake up in bed as a new character. You quickly run off to the grave of the fallen hero, grab the sword placed there and voila, you’ve gained the powers of Ditto. But this time around, you only have four days to triumph over Mormo.

 

 

This establishes the game’s flow pretty quickly; grab the sword, explore the world for items and loot, fight Mormo, die, repeat. What makes this challenging is the rougelite elements and endless opportunities to get sidetracked. Your main objective, which are to destroy crystal “anchors” to weaken Mormo’s power and find Toys (magical items) that can help you along the way. But because the world layout and dungeon layout where you will find these anchors are all randomly generated, you will inevitably run across a number of interesting side quests that can make you lose track of time, in a good way.

 

 

Combat in Ditto is straightforward, but the addition of rolling and items that let you customize your basic abilities keeps things fresh. Landing a melee attack refills a magic gauge that powers special weapons. My personal favorite is The Foot, which literally drops a giant foot from the sky to stun enemies. It’s this mix of wacky items and the visual charm that makes me think Ditto was built around the concept of a child playing with his toys in a sandbox, fighting against imaginary creatures and exploring an amazing world only they can see.

 

 

Speaking of, the world will grow more or less dilapidated based on your success or failure. Even if you’ve died ten times in a row, the residents of Ditto still seem to live on with a relatively cheery disposition, which helps to offset the rather grim and dreary world you create when you fail. And you will fail quite often.

 

 

All the charm and creativity on display won’t save you from The Swords of Ditto‘s somewhat nebulous weapon hitboxes and occasionally punishing RNG. But if you’re looking for a fun and quirky adventure game that also offers some solid couch co-op moments, then don’t let that stop you. The Swords of Ditto is a refreshing glass of water during the summer games drought and offers a solid top-down adventure experience.

 

 

 

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

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REVIEW / Murderous Pursuits (PS4)

 

You may be familiar with the card game Mafia; this party and sleepover staple ruined many a nascent friendship and budding romance by setting you against everyone else in the group and putting the worst liar of the bunch at a disadvantage. It’s an attractive kind of game – competitively deceitful, occasionally collaborative, with the thrilling possibility of betrayal – which explains why iterations of Mafia have popped up across different forms of media ever since. Enter the NPCamoflauge (a term coined by RockPaperShotgun columnist Matt Cox) games like Assassin’s Creed, Spy Party, and yes, Murderous Pursuits, that require the player to blend in with the AI-driven characters in order to accomplish or prevent the completion of a specific goal for another party.

 

 

Murderous Pursuits sets the player against a host of other murderous psychopaths, all seeking the favor of the mysterious Mr. X. Set on the time-traveling steampunk-style airship the H.M.C.S. Brittanic, currently exploring the Jurassic on a voyage of celebrating Queen Victoria’s Jubilee, the colorful cast of characters, called Hunters, must kill or be killed in order to gain a place Mr. X’s right hand before he put into motion his plan to hijack the ship.

This includes a Fulani tracker, a Sikh prince, a British pickpocket, a Japanese assassin, and a handful of Victorian era tropes with a dash of homicidal tendencies. Each one has a unique design, and a lot of effort seems to have been put into their backgrounds, costumes, taunts, and animations. Each comes with unlockable skins, rewards for reaching higher levels. Although the player can equip two special abilities for the duration of the match, neither the selection nor the enhancement of these abilities are affected by the choice of character.

 

 

The abilities either improve the bonuses to Favor, the points given for each successful assassination, or your chances for foiling the other characters’ plans for killing you. Each has a recharge period of about eighty seconds, so don’t plan on relying too much on any of them to keep you alive or to help you identify your Quarry (target).

The mechanics you can use to help you identify Quarry from innocent passenger are a tracker at the top of the screen that lights up green based on when you are pointed toward your target, along with simple “floor above”/“floor below”/“same floor” text display for multi-level maps (most of them). This is not over-explained in the simple 11-page “How to Play” guide that serves as the game’s only tutorial, but becomes more helpful the more you play. You also occasionally get a helpful green target symbol floating on the screen to show which direction your Quarry is moving. However, without the Reveal ability equipped, you may try to kill the wrong character, which loses you points and causes instant “Exposure”.

 

 

A word about Exposure. Mr. X seems to value discretion in his murderers, so he gives more Favour to those who can kill without calling attention to themselves. A meter at the bottom of the screen shows how much you have “exposed” yourself at a given time (scale of 0 – EXPOSED! to 5 – inconspicuous) , which can be remedied by standing in the marked vignette spaces, which cause your player to take on some NPC behaviors- eating, observing the airships engines or artwork depending on the map, engaging in conversation, etc. They will also act suitably horrified if they witness a murder, or shame any player that attempts to murder the wrong person.

Once you have reached zero, or complete exposure, you are at risk of whatever Hunter is looking for you finding you. You also risk whatever Quarry you are pursuing being able to earn Favor by using certain abilities like Counter against you. Abilities like Disguise immediately remedy this, or you can take refuge in a vignette until your meter is refilled. You can track the Hunters pursuing you similarly to the way you track your Quarry, but you are only notified that by a symbol underneath your Quarry tracker how many of the Hunters are nearby, and occasionally their symbol also appear on the screen.

 

 

The game offers Practice modes versus AI (can you pretend to be an NPC so well that the computer can’t find you?), a Quick Play mode that will pair you with other players and fill in the blank spaces with bots, and a Private Party mode with a newly introduced feature that allows you to easily invite your Friends through Steam without have to use Server names and passwords. My husband and I had a ton of fun trying out the Private Party mode with the latest updates. I have to admit, I was easy for him to find… because the actual NPCs didn’t get stuck in corners as often as I did. My mouse is kinda sticky, so sue me!

But honestly, the camera control for Murderous Pursuits is far from the worst I’ve encountered and it fairly intuitive. As for hubs, he gave himself away because he had a tendency to pause a little too long after every kill- there’s a moment where you see a pop up telling you which weapon will get you the best Favour bonus on your next Quarry, but… NPCs are never still. It was honestly infuriating and really fun seeing what we were right and wrong about when we were trying to find each other.

 

 

A lot of the chatter on Blazing Griffin’s news posts and on other reviews points out some bug fixes and improvements that could take an interesting, pretty okay game to a unique classic. One commenter on their Cinco de Mayo update (boy am I glad they didn’t try to actually add those skins to the game) wrote: “We need more maps, characters and abilities. This game could be awesome. please do not leave it die. [sic]”

Murderous Pursuits has received Mostly Positive reviews on Steam, and it really has a great design. Every map has such amazing attention to detail, from huge picture windows looking out on active volcanoes, massive engines, art galleries, to the confetti littering the floor of the music hall, it’s often hard to keep your mind on the task at hand. I am definitely among those that hope that Blazing Griffin continues to add on to their fascinating universe… not just so that my husband and I can keep murdering each other.

 

 

 

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

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POGs AR is bringing the 90s to your mobile

 

I remember the 90s well. TV was something you could watch without suffering from brain death, phones made phone calls (literally just calls), the console wars was a thing, and for the majority of it I was at high school. Being at high school, I very clearly remember the list of things you’d have taken off you if you where caught with them. For a relatively small period of time among the ever growing heap of contraband items were POGs. What’s a POG, I here you say? They were these little disk shaped things which were immensely collectible and with which you could play against your mates in an attempt at relieving them of their own prized collections. Think marbles but a lot more colourful. Surprisingly I didn’t just decide to come and spout my childhood memories all over the place. The POG craze may well be coming back in POGs AR.

With the support of a recently Indiegogo campaign, Compton Technology will be bringing that classic “milk cap” game back into the present and giving it an Augmented Reality twist. POGs AR is set to appear on your iOS and Android devices this coming September. What makes it even cooler is that this is being planned as a free to play game. It will also be the first mobile game to be officially licensed by the World POG Federation.

So what can we expect from the game? This title will be taking all of the slamming, flipping, and fun of the original game and turning it up a notch so you can expect all of the fiercely addictive player vs player action that made POG so popular. Let’s remember that this is POGs AR, the Augmented Reality aspect of the game will let you scan real world items and unlock new content in the game. You will also be able to play for real-world prizes, including rare POGs from some of your favourite companies.

This is a game for collectors and we can really see this coming through with POGs AR. You can expand your collection in a variety of different ways. I’ve already mentioned two of these but in addition you can also win POGs for your collection by beating other players. Simply logging in will give you free POG tubes every day without even playing a match. This is also a social game so if you don’t want to beat your friends favourite POGs out of them you can just trade them together and expand your collection the nice way. You know, the one that doesn’t involve you losing your best friends in the process.

“POGs blend two things that people love to do – compete and collect. But in POGs you play for keeps and must risk losing some of your collection to expand it, so the excitement and intensity increases as you play,” said Sam Park, Director of Compton Technology. “By going digital and applying modern technology like AR to the original concept, we’re creating a game community and collectible ecosystem that I believe can be even bigger than the original.”

If you want to back this project you can do it here. In doing so, you’ll get a load of cool backer perks including a limited edition physical slammer which can be scanned into the game using Augmented Reality, elite in-game content, a customer designed in-game POG character, a horde of in-game currency and pre-release beta access. For the rest of us we’ll just have to wait until September to see if this is as good as it very well could be.

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VR fishing game Catch & Release now available for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift

Get our your motion controllers and your headsets; it’s time to go fishing. Specifically, it’s time to go fishing in VR with Catch & Release, a game for the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive that dropped today. It’s the first VR project for METRICMINDS, a company that focuses on animation for video games. Even if you haven’t heard of them, you’ve seen their work in games like Horizon: Zero Dawn and Dying Light to name just a couple. 

Rather than a realistic simulation, Catch & Release is meant to be peaceful and welcoming. METRICMINDS has put a lot of work into making the setting look beautiful; it’s a serene place, but still full of details. The gameplay can be described in a similar way: while peaceful free fishing is main attraction, there are challenges and other features to keep you busy. This includes different equipment for your outing and secrets to discover.

Catch & Release might be a good candidate for the TVGB ViveStream; this less serious and realistic take on fishing should work a lot better in VR than the more simulation-based fishing games I’ve tried. If you’re ready to try your luck, Catch & Release is available now on Steam and the Oculus Store for $19.99. Now we just have to see which is more immersive: this, or the Toy-Con Fishing Rod…

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Grab your tissues and get ready to ugly cry: The Walking Dead’s Final Season arrives August 14th

 

I’ll admit I’ve not played a Telltale The Walking Dead game in about five years, but that’s not due to a lack of interest. My distancing myself from the series had nothing to do with the game, which was expertly crafted, fun and intriguing in a way I’d never expected. No, I stopped playing because, at the end of the first season, I was reduced to a blubbering, snotty, inconsolable mess on my living room couch, unable to explain to my confused roommates (whose experience with videogames begins and ends with Candy Crush) why I was so upset. I think I managed to choke out a broken “Lee,” declaring in a crestfallen whimper that “Clem’s all alone,” but ultimately, they couldn’t possibly understand the breadth of what I was feeling. On one hand, they’d never experienced an emotionally compelling videogame and as such had no frame of reference, and on the other, they’d not spent the last week playing as Lee, the criminal with a heart of gold who was thrust headlong into parenthood, tasked with caring for and raising the young Clementine the best he could manage at world’s end.

They couldn’t understand that the agony I felt in that moment wasn’t because a character in a videogame I was playing died. The reason I felt his loss so intimately was because I was wholly invested in Lee’s commitment to Clem, and the understanding that now all she had to rely on to stay alive were the things I’d taught her. Lee died holding on to the hope that he’d done enough to prepare her for life on her own in an apocalyptic America torn asunder by undead cannibals, knowing that there was nothing more he could do and understanding the odds were stacked against her. And in that moment, I felt all of that as acutely as if I were Lee himself. Telltale’s The Walking Dead had managed to blow my expectations out of the water, delivering me a captivating, emotionally evocative experience fraught with choices that felt substantial, relationships that felt authentic and companions that felt multifaceted and really, truly human.

In short, it made me feel things.

The reason I never returned to the series could then be compared to someone who, after experiencing a car accident, is suddenly afraid of driving. The first season of Telltale’s The Walking Dead burned me, and I was afraid to go back. Now bear in mind, this was when I was in my early twenties, when I still thought emotions were nasty, inconvenient things and that the pinnacle of the human experience was to float around in the ether of apathy, bouncing from one distraction to the next. I didn’t want something to emotionally compel me; I just wanted a good time.

Now that I am an older, wiser 27-year-old (yes, I’m being facetious, don’t @ me bro), one who is not convinced that emotions are the devil and who can appreciate, and actively seeks out movies, books and videogames that give me “the feels,” I’m starting to think a return to the world of Lee and Clementine is in order. And after watching the trailer for The Final Season, I believe that as the series seemingly comes full circle, now is the perfect time to do so.

Telltale Games and Skybound Entertainment has announced that episode one of The Walking Dead: The Final Season will be coming to PC, PS4 and Xbox One August 14th, with a Nintendo Switch release slated for later this year. Pre-orders are available starting June 8th, with Telltale offering a slew of bonuses for getting the jump on it, ranging from immediate access to The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series Collection for PS4 and Xbox One players. This collection includes all 19 episodes from the previous seasons, so that players new and old can revisit each step of Clementine’s unconventional, harrowing journey to adulthood, complete with all the major decisions and cast of characters she meets along the way.

PC players shouldn’t feel left out, either. If you pre-order on Steam, GOG, GamersGate or the Humble Store, you’ll get yourself 10% off the retail price of $19.99 USD. And for those of you pre-ordering through the Microsoft store for Windows 10, you’ll receive the first season of The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series for immediate play. All pre-order offers expire on August 14th, so you have plenty of time to take advantage of these awesome deals, and to get caught up on/revisit the previous installments before diving into the final season.

Telltale’s not messing around this time folks; they really want this game to be as accessible as possible right from the get go. As such, The Final Season will contain a full French, German, Latin-American Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese dub, available for download the day the game launches. In addition, there will be French, German, Latin-American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian, Russian, and both traditional and simplified Chinese subs available as well.

Now a young woman, it seems that this time round Clementine will be thrust into a situation resembling the one Lee found himself in years prior: taking care of an orphaned child and trying to raise them right, while simultaneously keeping them both alive at the end of the world. With young AJ’s life in her hands, Clem must find a way to juggle leadership and survival, and I don’t doubt memories of Lee will be what guides her through. Telltale has turned tugging at your heartstrings into a bonafide art, and with the similarities drawn between Clementine’s situation in the final season, and her experiences with Lee in the first, I get the feeling that anyone playing this game should grab the tissues and get ready to ugly cry, ’cause it’s gonna be a doozy.

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Atari VCS now available for pre-sale

 

Well, this is something I didn’t think I’d be saying any time soon. Atari have a new console coming out called the Atari VCS. That even felt strange to type. Okay, this might not be news to all of you so I don’t want any “we already knew that, get out from under your rock” comments, but from someone who definitely hadn’t heard this info it’s all pretty bloody cool. The Atari was one of the first consoles I ever owned. I remember how simple it was. It also came with cartridge games when virtually everything else was on tape. Commodore and Spectrum owners had to watch brain bleeding coloured lines moving up and down the screen while they waited for games to load. Not with the Atari. You plugged your game in, switched it on, and off you went. The games weren’t a patch on later generations, obviously, but it was all pretty hot stuff for the time.

So the Atari VCS has just become available for pre-sale over on Indigogo. The console currently has two models for would be buyers to choose from. These comprise of the Atari VCS Day One Collectors Edition which has a cool, retro-inspired real-wood front and the sleek looking Atari VCS Onyx that boasts a glossy black face and searing “Atari Red” illuminated Fuji logo. The Day One Collectors Edition is exclusive to Indigogo and only for a limited time. This model will set you back a cool $299.00 (US) but if you don’t have that kind of money kicking about the Onyx is coming in at $199.00, also for a limited time. Atari have re-imagined their classic joystick which is available alongside their modern controller in selected packages or for stand-alone purchase. Initial VCS orders are planned to ship mid next year.

This console is a homage to the past but this certainly doesn’t make it a relic. The VCS is a modern piece of kit which offers a customizable entertainment experience for the home. This is all obviously a big nod to a classic, gone but not forgotten era, and as such each console will come with the Atari Vault collection. This package features over a hundred games for you to enjoy including Breakout, Centipede and Missile Command, to name but a few.

Interestingly the Atari VCS features a unique open platform, where users can access a Linux “sandbox” to add their own software and customize their system. Additionally Atari VCS will have universal peripheral connectivity to work with other PC input devices such as bluetooth and USB game controllers, mouse and keyboard, webcams, microphone, external speakers and headphones. See what I said about this not being a relic? There’s some really cutting edge stuff going on in that little box.

“We are happy with the progress we are making on Atari VCS and thrilled that fans finally have a chance to reserve the first ones,” said Michael Arzt, Atari COO of Connected Devices. “Atari VCS will give fans a lot of freedom to game, stream, connect and customize their experience like never before. The entire Atari team is working hard to deliver this unique platform and can’t wait for fans to get their hands on it. We’ll have exciting reveals and announcements between now and then so stay tuned!”

Atari aren’t doing all of this on their own. They have partnered with some pretty big names to bring us this new offering. These include AMD who are providing the Atari VCS custom processor with Radeon Graphics technology and Power A who are developing the classic joystick and modern controller. The system will also support 4K resolution, HDR and 60FPS content, onboard and expandable cloud-storage options and a ton of other very modern specs.

So there you have it. If you want to back the project (and why shouldn’t you) you can do this over at the Indigogo page here. You can also learn more about the project and get your orders in using this link if you so choose. As a massive fan of all things retro I may well need to dip my hand into my own pocket and join you. Some of the games this is coming with are absolute legends for us older gaming types but it’s all those extras that make the VCS potentially well worth shouting about. Atari are coming out swinging with this one and the result looks like it could be very promising indeed.

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Help Quinn survive and keep his sanity in STAY, available now on Xbox One

 

If you’ve been holding out for indie-adventure game STAY to make its console debut, now’s the time to pick it up! Available now on Xbox One, players can pick up this pixel-art thriller at a 20% discount world-wide until June 6th.

From developer Appnormals Team and publisher PQube, STAY has been receiving rave reviews since its PC launch on May 16th, the consensus seemingly that this game is uniquely engaging in a way that pits morals against logic. You play as a stranger on one end of a chat room, whose words and decisions can mean the difference between life and death for Quinn, a young man who has been kidnapped and is locked away alone. As his only connection to the outside world, everything you say has immeasurable impact as you guide him through the harrowing circumstances he finds himself in, attempting to help him escape remotely.

STAY boasts over 24 chapters and multiple endings, all hinging on the choices you make and the conversations you have with Quinn. With seemingly tons of replay value, the story is told through bits and pieces uncovered through your chats, and through the relationship and trust you forge. Quinn is in emotional turmoil, trauma egging on his every nerve, so to ensure his escape players must be careful not to push him away, lest you lose out on the story or worse, his life.

The coolest feature by far, the one that had me purchasing STAY myself immediately after reading about it, is that this game plays out in real-time. Whenever you step away from the game or go silent, you are leaving Quinn by himself, at the hands of whatever monstrosity has him locked up, which can severely impact your game. This ticking clock time crunch ups the stakes, helping to further invest players in the perilous position both Quinn and the player are in.

For those Xbox One players with a love for thrillers and quirky survival games, to whom STAY sounds right in your wheelhouse, be sure to take advantage of their 20% off deal from now until June 6th. And if you don’t have an Xbox One, but would still like to to get your hands on STAY, it’s available on Steam as well for $11.99USD/13.49CAD.

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REVIEW / Juicy Realm (PC)

 

In today’s current gaming landscape, it’s not unheard of for a small team to come together to make something that pops off the screen; something that truly impresses you in the way a large developer can. When I say this, I’m talking about developers like SpaceCan Games and their first PC game Juicy Realm. SpaceCan Games is a simple two man team consisting of app developer Tyreal Han and artist/composer biboX. Juicy Realm is a twinstick shooter roguelike that pits human against fruit in a zesty dystopia.

 

 

In Juicy Realm, players pick one of four fruit hunters each with their own stats, gear, and special ability. This fruit hunter is then taken across several procedurally generated boards, taking down enemies such as grape attack dogs, apple shotgunners, avocado bombers, and so much more. The enemy design and variety is really one of the games best features and gives each board a unique challenge.

The art and effects of Juicy Realm practically pop off the screen and would not look out of place in a Saturday morning cartoon. The vibrant colors and fluid movement gives the world a more genuine feel and is a real treat to experience firsthand. Each area has a crafted aesthetic and suits the type of jolly, fruity dystopian future that the game so easily captures and plays off.

 

 

Eventually, after passing through enough these areas and small enemies, the player will come to a boss fight. Such as a gigantic watermelon, or a cake covered in knives that also shoots lasers. These bosses are a spectacle and have a unique, fun designs. However, there are only a small number of bosses that make an appearance and they seem to be in the same order every run. This puts a damper on the variety the game could potentially offer. It also makes the roguelike qualities feel significantly less roguelike in their predictability.

In addition to each boss being in order, each boss has their own “zone”. Meaning that each boss has a type of terrain in the areas leading up to it; a forests, desert, snowstorm, and so on. Each type of terrain is artistically well done and feels amazing in its own right, but it leads back into the lack of variety fault that is really off putting in a roguelike. In the hours I put into Juicy Realm, I felt like I was going over the same areas in the same basic order over and over and over again.

 

 

The combat in the game did little to alleviate the feeling of monotony. While there is a wide assortment of wonderfully irreverent weapons, such as a rubber chicken that bawks with each swing or a keyboard gun appropriately titled the GG, they all ultimately feel the same. Every weapon can be sorted into one of two categories, melee or gun, and they all control the same with only slight stat changes differentiating them. There’s also collectable money from enemies that can be exchanged for ammo, food, or other slight stat boosts, but they played so little into the overall gameplay that it doesn’t serve any purpose.

While the lack of variety is a bit of a disappointment, it fits the game as the length of Juicy Realm is incredibly short. After finding a good balance of your personal skill and the right difficulty, a single run of the game can be completed in under 2 hours. You can always choose a different character to do a run with or up the difficulty, but ultimately the experience will be the same. To alleviate some of the monotony in the level design, you can play Juicy Realm with a friend which makes the game significantly easier and injects some fun that co-op modes can always seem to illicit.

 

 

As far as roguelikes go, Juicy Realm doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel. It quickly establishes itself with its striking art style and fresh premise, but fizzles out rather quickly. In broad strokes, Juicy Realm knows what it wants to be and what it wants to accomplish, but somewhere in between the lines those philosophies are lost. The game is far too linear and lacks too much in the variety department to be a true roguelike. Items and equipment are abundant, but feel too similar to really make a difference in a run. In short bursts, Juicy Realm scratches the itch, but in an extended session an average player will wish for more.

 

 

 

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

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