Istanbul based indie studio, Rocwise Entertainment, launch Curse of Anabelle Kickstarter.
What to expect…
Fingers trembling at the keyboard, headphone turned up to jump-scare, lights dimmed. The mood is now set, for those brave enough to face the darkness that is Curse of Anabelle. A dark puzzle, horror adventure game that connects players to the mystery of death, spliced with real-world elements of legends and myths, dating back as far as the 10th Century B.C.
Nine-year-old, Anabelle has tragically died on the grounds of Ramsey Mansion. Emily, Anabelle’s very un-dead older sister, begins to receive messages and communications in her dreams prompting the belief that her sister is not only in purgatory, but also in need of help. The dreams persist and intensify, driving Emily toward Ramsey Mansion and its demonic mysteries.
Watch the Kickstarter Trailer
The trailer showcases a dark open world on the Ramsey Mansion grounds, suspenseful audio and, what appears to be, battle-like engagements with a demonic entity. What’s not to love get freaked out about?
Some known features to expect are:
a mysterious storyline based upon real-world legends and myths
unravelling the cursed past of Ramsey Mansion and the Ramsey Lineage
an inventory of mystical arcane books
crafting ancient seals and overcoming malevolent forces with the aid of ancient rituals [ohhhh?]
travel between timelines, discovering secret routes
Curse of Anabelle is in the last stages of development with a Kickstarter set to secure the final funding. Find out more on digital & non-digital rewards for backing on the Curse of AnabelleKickstarter page.
What meshes well with killing tons of zombies? Killing even more zombies, of course! You can never have too much of a good thing; like mixing cake with ice cream, only good things can come from it. This October, from the 24th-28th, Techland and Valve are bringing double trouble with a special Dying LightXLeft 4 Dead 2 Halloween event available on consoles and PC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKSPdrwaUmE
Left 4 Dead 2, which launched 10 years ago, is a classic fast paced FPS that requires mountains of ammo to pour into massive waves of zombies. Dying Light takes a different approach, focusing more on crafting, scavenging, and running in order to stay alive. To make this crossover work well, increased ammo drops and increased amounts of weapons will be added. In addition to those increases, hordes of infected zombies have also been increased, so don’t be afraid to double tap.
The 4 day event will offer challenges to players in order for them to earn powerful gold blueprints for the iconic Left 4 Dead 2 melee weapons: the golf club, the frying pan, and of course, the electric guitar. The best way to kill time while waiting for Dying Light 2 has to be melting zombie faces with tasty jams off the L4D2 6 string.
If you happen to gorge yourself on Trick or Treat candy this weekend and fall into a sugar coma which would cause you to miss this event, don’t fret! The standard version of these blueprints will be available as free DLC when the event concludes, so players can party all weekend and still get their hands on the exclusives. It’s a win/win!
Everyone loves an exclusive. There’s something about having a game come out on your favourite console that you know will only be owned by likeminded gamers, and potentially you, of course. Consoles are sometimes bought purely on the basis of the exclusives that come with them. Adding to the roster of exclusives devoted to the Switch will be Earthfall: Alien Horde and for shooter fans this should be pretty exciting.
We all love the ability to kill aliens right? In most sci-fi games some alien menace is causing trouble and needs dealing with in the most ultimately violent of ways. This is, of course, the case in Earthfall: Alien Horde. We aren’t just talking about a few aliens either, there’s bloody hundreds of the blighters that want swatting and it’s going to be up to you to do it.
You’ll take the role of one of four story-driven characters in this co-operative first-person shooter. You’ll then face off against hordes of alien drones and the inscrutable masters controlling them using advanced weaponry and printable guns.
There will be tonnes to unlock as you fight across sixteen unique locations, including 11 campaign chapters and 5 invasion maps. To keep the content fresh and your adrenaline pumping, the aliens will be procedurally generated, meaning you’ll face something challenging and tense every time you play.
Earthfall fans looking for an upgraded experience should love Earthfall: Alien Horde, which includes all the previous content released for the original game . It’s always nice to get another go at something you already enjoy with loads of extra fun thrown in.
If this sounds like something you want to get your mitts on, pre-orders of Earthfall: Alien Horde are now available. These pre-orders are available from the Nintendo eShop both in North America and here in Europe at $19.99. If you want to get an early feel for what you’re getting yourselves into, just have a peek at the trailer below. The full release of Earthfall: Alien Horde is planned for the end of the week, October 29th, so not long to wait to get your kill on.
Only a few days ago, Paradox Interactive announced Crusader Kings 3 at PDX Con 2019 with a disturbing trailer that only Crusader Kings could get away with. The message was simple: a new and improved sequel to your favorite grand strategy medieval simulator is being released in 2020.
Since then, searches for Crusader Kings 3 info on the internet has yielded very little and some controversial results. But the the reality is that I can’t stop thinking about this game. The hype is real for me. I mean, it presented as much information about the game as Bethesda did for the Elder Scrolls 6 trailer, yet I casually brushed that one off.
There are already some great write-ups via PC Gamer about CK3 and an excellent YouTube video from Fredda you can check out to gather as much information on it as I have. I think the most exciting aspect is the potential focus on your dynasty and character development. The turning point for me in Crusader Kings 2 was the Way of Life DLC. Adding RPG-lite elements added more investment into your character, who in turn became something more than the other rulers on the map. Now that Paradox is adding 3D modeling with Sims-like genetics ties the whole thing up in a nice little gift to us fans who play for reasons other than conquering the entire map (which we will still attempt anyway).
Apart from increased focus on your character and dynasty, I like the look and feel of the map and UI from the few screenshots on Steam. Content will be somewhere in between the base CK2 game and it completed state after the Holy Fury DLC. There will also be more map to cover, dipping further into Africa and farther east via Asia.
However, as more info becomes available, we’ll check in on how this game is shaping up to be at release. Either way, I am super excited and can’t wait for Paradox to unleash CK3 in 2020.
Personally, I don’t get the Battle Royale genre. I know Fortnight is absolutely massive and PUGB is now a virtual classic but there’s something about that style of gameplay that just doesn’t do it for me. My personal tastes, however, don’t really mean squat and I know there a going to be millions of addicts amongst you looking for a new way to get your kill on. Well how about getting a bit medieval? You’ll be able to do just this with Ran: Lost Islands which has been announced for Steam.
Ran: Lost Islands is coming out of the Jolly Roger game studio and will be entering Early Access on Steam later this year. This is a game of piracy and plunder and if you are to successfully leave the Cursed Islands with a haul of goodies and your life you’re going to need to be a bit skillful and smart. You won’t be the only one looking to cash in on the gold and artifacts hidden beneath the waves. In true battle royale fashion everyone wants the same thing you do and are more than happy to send you to an early grave to get it.
Not in true battle royale fashion this isn’t just a game of gather something lethal before everyone else does and survive. Ran: Lost Islands will see you collecting clues to the artifacts you seek. These items and the clues leading to them are hidden about the islands and not all the treasure will be on dry land, there’s wrecked ships to be explored too. Obviously you’ll need to be able to defend yourself and high level gear is hidden about the place as well, you just have to find it.
The locations you will be exploring in Ran: Lost Islands are diverse and you’ll find the clues you seek at various landmarks dotted about the place. These include, temples, natural caves and the walled city. Different areas will give need for changes in strategy which is always good for versatile, replayable fun.
Wrecked ships mean one big thing that we haven’t seen played with enough in other titles: water. You will be engaging in combat both on land and sea and this will enable you to not only wreck your opponents vessels with cannon-fire but also cut them to shreds via boarding parties in heated melee combat. In addition to this you’ll be able to do battle underwater in an attempt to find that all important treasure.
In Ran: Lost Islands you will be taking the role of a warrior from one of three factions. These are namely The European Empire, Ming Dynasty, and Japanese Shogunate. With this in mind all the weapons and gear you find will be both period and fitting for the character you’re playing. Aside from this you won’t just have other players to worry about. In your hunt you’ll come across the survivors of exotic hunts, wild scavengers in the woods and much bigger, nastier things lurking below the waves. Both skill and strategy are definitely the name of the game here if you’re going to get out alive.
To contradict myself entirely this actually sounds like something I’d consider playing. There seems to be just enough here that’s new, different, and exciting to warrant giving Ran: Lost Islands a punt. If you’re like me when it comes to this genre and you’re a bit unsure I’ll leave you with the announcement trailer. Maybe that’ll be enough to swing you one way or the other. You can also sign up for the closed Beta here and join the discord server if you fancy a chat about the whole affair.
Yes, that’s right; we’re back to our biweekly schedule for the ViveStream. I mixed things up a bit this time; I’ll still be finishing Vader Immortal (at least the parts currently available) on the show, but this time I wanted to take you guys somewhere new. I’d been planning to get my hands on Budget Cuts ever since it wowed me with its demo when the Vive launched, and now that I finally have it, I couldn’t resist sharing it with you guys. You can check out the episode below:
The crowds have rioted and picketed in the streets, disrupting the fabric of society. It seemed like the day was never going to come, but low and behold, High Voltage Software has finally answered the world’s prayers. That’s right, now we can all finally play a videogame as Jesse Eisenberg thanks to the newly released Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip.
In a twin-stick shooter as uninspired as the plot of the films, you can become as a zombie and mindlessly pilot Jesse through hordes of enemies while he quips about rules and waxes poetic about the new world.
Now I know what you’re thinking, “why does this game have two subtitles?” Well my friends, that’s because it’s a spinoff of the upcoming Zombieland: Double Tap , which is coming out just a short 10 years after the first film. However, don’t get up in arms about spoilers just yet, because Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip is only going to take you through events inspired by the movies. So why couldn’t they just avoid the word salad and call it Zombieland: Road Trip? Movie tie-in licensing bucks, baby! It feels like it’s been far too long since we’ve seen a full game release for a movie tie-in and I for one welcome this throwback to a simpler time.
Rule 49: Never give the game company rights to your likeness
Let’s not get too distracted from the main point here; the fact of the matter is that we can finally play as Jesse Eisenberg in all of his awkward, stuttering glory. Sure, the game may not feature the actual voice cast of the film and the character models may need you to squint to be able to recognize the famous actors’ likeness, but they’re close enough! No other game on the market right now can fill the raw Eisenberg quota like Zombieland: The Double Tap – The Roadchip: The Squeakquel.
Jesse Eisenberg: Slayer of over 10,000 men. Yet he hungers for more.
If you want in on this action, which I know you do, you just need to grab your console of choice or your PC and unwaveringly hand over 40 of your hard earned dollars. That’s right, this non-stop Jesse Eisenberg thrill ride comes at a steep cost. 40 dollars of your money, which you could spend on food or rent or possibly a competent game, could be spent appreciating true art. My family shall weep without food for the week, but they can fend for themselves because Eisenberg is all the family I need.
Mutazione is more of an experience than a videogame. Sure, you run around an island and interact with its inhabitants, but it’s their stories that form the crux of the title. This type of game is both a detriment and a plus. Where Mutazione falters with its gameplay, it shines with its narrative. Thankfully, that’s enough to make it worthy of a playthrough.
Be one with the island’s fauna
Gamers are thrust into Mutazione as a 15-year-old girl named Kai. She sails off to the island that is the game’s namesake to visit her grandpa, Nonno, who is dying. Once there, she encounters a community of mutated beings who survived a meteor that hit over 100 years ago. Using the knowledge she gains from these creatures regarding Mutazione’s plant life, Kai sets out to heal her ailing relative.
One area Mutazione absolutely nails is the sense of a tightknit community. There are only a handful of dwellers, but after spending time with each one, Kai gets to know their personalities and daily routines. She keeps notes in a journal detailing her interactions, with clear instructions on who she is supposed to see and when. However, I found myself running back and forth between areas I didn’t even need to be in just to talk with someone or other. Each denizen of Mutazione has a fascinating life worth exploring, and it is to the game’s credit that I couldn’t help being a part of their world.
Be one with the island’s flora
If Mutazione’s population is one of the title’s main aspects, its botany is the other. Early on, Kai will receive a book that is Nonno’s notes on the island’s flora. Finding seeds throughout the many locations will not only help Kai heal her grandpa but also Mutazione as a whole. Throughout her time on the island, Kai will learn how to grow various gardens using a variety of melodies. These yards have unique moods that must be heard to harvest Mutazione’s unique plants effectively.
What I enjoyed most about Mutazione‘s gardening feature was the sense I was helping a member of the community. Truth be told, the actual planting of seeds and helping them grow through song wasn’t special; just a few button presses and waiting was key to a successful harvest. After picking a particular plant, though, one felt a sense of accomplishment because it helped an inhabitant’s mood. Everyone in Mutazione experiences a range of emotions: anger, fear, regret, sadness, etc. Being able to help them get in touch with these feelings and understand them stirred my heart. I even got a little emotional at certain points!
What was missing
As much as I enjoyed Kai’s visit with the occupants of Mutazione, there are some drawbacks. For one, getting from place to place takes a long time. Even though Kai’s default movement is a jog (why there is a walk option is beyond me), it took ages to get from point A to point B. While your current objective is always clear, I liked to see what was happening with every person on the island. A fast travel option would have done wonders. This is a clear example of a narrative strength that is hindered by gameplay.
The conversations in Mutazione have some slight issues. The dialogue itself is topnotch and it’s always clear when you can talk to someone and if doing so will advance time. However, there were instances where a new dialogue prompt would pop up immediately after I had a discussion with a friend, sometimes more than once. It would have been better to fade in and out to indicate the passing of a few minutes instead of having me initiate a new chat (there are points where this happens, too, which is why not having this as the default is so perplexing). Also, the title saves constantly. As in, you have to be careful with your exchanges because if you accidentally leave a discussion before finding out some interesting information, you have to start the whole game over to see what you missed.
An adventure that sticks with you
Regardless of its blemishes, Mutazione is an unforgettable experience. The game oozes personality, from seeing animals eating in the foreground and background, to witnessing characters animatedly conversing with one another, to the excellent music and sound design. While it may look cute from the outside, the title is surprisingly deep and dark, dealing with a range of issues and emotions that are not easy to tackle. Mutazione manages to deal with them healthily, though, and gamers will learn valuable lessons if they see Kai through her escapades.
This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.
Pokemon Go, the hit mobile game that absorbed everyone’s summer of 2016, is still going strong. In Niantic’s successful efforts to keep the game fresh, Pokemon Go has seen a swath of updates and events adding exclusive Pokemon and challenges to sustain the AR GPS tracking game. Starting on October 17th and running until November 1st, the Halloween season will infect the world of Go and give players a real treat.
The biggest addition to Niantic’s game is the timed exclusive pokemon decked out in Halloween costumes of other Pokemon. Bulbasaur will be wearing a Shedinja disguise, Pikachu will turn the tables and dress as Mimikyu, Squirtle will be haunting raids in a Yamask costume, and Charmander will be paying tribute to another of the original 151 with a Cubone outfit. There’s even a slightly increased rate for these exclusives to make an appearance in their shiny forms, if you’re really lucky.
Cool costumes aren’t the only additions in this event; players will also get a chance to catch more ghost and dark type Pokemon as they get their chance to come out and play in the spooky season. The dastardly Team Go Rocket will also have a wider variety of Pokemon to battle and free from their clutches. This event will also mark the first time that the legendary pitch-black Pokemon Darkrai will make an appearance via raids. Throughout the whole event players will also get their trick or treat haul by earning double the amount of candy from catching, trading, or hatching eggs.
Pokemon Go may have seen a dip in the player base after its initial boom that swept the mobile market, but Niantic has been giving plenty of reasons to come back to the game. Since the 2016 launch, the game has grown to include an additional 4 generations of Pokemon, special in-game research challenges, daily challenges and rewards, community events, Pokemon trades and battles, and a whole Team Rocket organization. Compared to the old days of the launch game, where you’d walk several miles to catch a couple of commons, the game has expanded and made the experience much richer for casual and die hard fans alike. There’s never been a better time to get into Pokemon Go than now.
The upcoming Pokemon games will take up a pretty good bite out of your memory card.
Can you believe that we are just one month out from the release of a mainline Pokemon game on the Switch? It seems like it has been forever since the Switch has launched and feels like it’s been even longer waiting to be able to catch ’em all on Nintendo’s most popular handheld to date. Pokemon Sword and Shield will be Game Freaks’ Gen 8 offering and reports from Pokemon fansite Serebii has let slip that download cards for the games have begun to pop up in Japanese game stores. The cool thing is that they just happen to reveal the games’ file size as well as the names of some popular Pokemon that will be making an appearance in the new games.
Quite surprisingly, the cards state that the games will each launch at a whopping 10.3 GB. I know what you are thinking, that’s not so big considering the astronomical sizes that most triple-A games launch at in today’s gaming market. Just to give you a little perspective, however, last year’s Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee weighed in at less than half of that at 4.2 GB. This hefty weight will put Pokemon Sword and Shield in the category of two of the largest first-party games to date.
In addition, it was also confirmed that the cards reveal that Pokemon Sword and Shield will feature Gen 5 Psychic-type Gothita and its evolved forms, as well as the Fire/Dragon turtle, Turtonator, from Pokemon Sun and Moon. Game Freak and Nintendo are keeping the exact total amount of Pokemon that will be featured in the games pretty close to their vests but we do know that at least 250 Pokemon have been confirmed to date.
Pokemon Sword and Shield launche on the Nintendo Switch November 15.
Razer Games and 34BigThings’ premier first person goat-based shooter, Goat of Duty, is about to escape the clutches of Steam Early Access and get a full official release date. In a roadmap that outlines Goat of Duty’s path from now till the big launch date of January 16th, 2020, there are several important content updates on the way before then.
In the first stop of the roadmap, October 11th, Goat of Duty will be given a new map and mode. The new mode, MarkhorTag, has one character control the Markhor goat while a team of others tries to hunt them down and kill them, thus making the killer the new Markhor. Just like a childhood game of tag, but with at least twice the number of goats and possibly thrice the amount of murder, depending on your childhood.
This content update is also accompanied by a 40% discount through the weekend, October 12th-14th. The next stop on the roadmap comes on November 15th when the competitive update hits and adds leaderboards and private matches so you can be the best goat you can be. Then in the final stop before the full launch on December 20th, Goat of Duty brings some holiday cheer with the Christmas update adding in yet another mode and map.
Behind the fancy content updates, the announcement of this roadmap will also bring several quality of life updates to the game. These will include some increased controller sensitivity options, better optimization of CPU performance, and smarter goat AI just to name a few. Goat of Duty is a fast-paced bleat filled adventure that is growing rapidly in anticipation of the full launch. If you want to get on the goat on goat action, the time is now, as after the full launch the price of the game will move up to $14.99.
October means it’s time for Battlefest for the loyal Battlefield fans across the globe. For players of the latest in the series, Battlefield 5, that means all new exclusive skins and weapons tied to timed challenges for players to flex their skills. However, Battlefest is not just a treat for existing players of the game, as Battlefield 5 will be hosting a free weekend event every weekend for the rest of this month, allowing new players to access certain game modes at certain times.
The first test drive is on October 10th-13th and allows free weekend players to test the waters on Rush mode. Rush is a classic Battlefield mode that sees players planting and disarming explosives in objective-based games. This trial will also let free weekend players try out the Operation Underground map that was released earlier this month.
The second trial of Battlefest will take place October 17th-20th and shifts focus on the larger infantry-based mode Conquest. Conquest is a staple of the Battlefield series, pitting up to 64 players against each other as two sides try to take control of key points on the map. This weekend will have a limited set of maps available with the aforementioned Operation Underground map with Rotterdam, Devastation, Marita, and Arras in tow.
The final trial of the month will take place on October 24th-27th and offer up the largest multiplayer mode available with Grand Operations. This mode is intended to show multi-day skirmishes in an online mode, with different phases and maps to battle across before determining the winner of the battle. This gives a new experience with every game and offers a robust slice of the game.
All of the progress free weekend players accrue over these weekends will apply should they decide to purchase the game at any point. The mode selections are classics and will offer the best at-a-glance view of what Battlefield 5 is at its core. However, it would have been nice to be able to check out the Battle Royale mode, Firestorm, as that has received a lot of hype before the game was released and would likely attract a lot of trial players. More about Battlefield 5 and its game modes can be found at the official website.
Bethesda and id Software have announced via their official Facebook account that Doom Eternal, the upcoming follow up to Doom (2016), has been pushed out of 2019 to a March 20th, 2020 release date.
In their official post, id Software stressed the importance that polish and speed have in their gaming philosophy and have made the tough decision to miss the holiday season release window. This is an admirable move in this day and age of online updates, where a dev would be half-expected to launch a sloppy product to hit deadlines and then tune it up later. I applaud id Software for making a conscious decision to debut with their best possible product at launch.
To express their gratitude for fans patiently waiting for Doom Eternal, id Software is adding in some juicy bonuses that are sure to entice. An all new mode called Invasion will be added to the game that allows you to hop into another players game as a demon and wreak havoc on the Doom Slayer. Also added as a pre-order bonus is the classic Doom 64 which will be made playable on the Doom Eternal release date and available on all platforms.
These additions are more than enough to sweeten the pot and greatly appreciated, especially considering it was a move of good faith that id didn’t even need to make. There’s a lot to be said about the character of the developer that would willingly make the call to miss out on a marketable release window for the sake of a higher quality game and it’s a welcome change that I hope more developers take note of. I know that some fans may be upset to wait the additional four months, but my wallet and I are glad I can push back the purchase of Doom Eternal till after the holiday season.
I want you to pause and re-read that headline again. Capcom, one of the most influential game developers of the past 30+ years, creators of mega franchises like Street Fighter and Resident Evil, has just had its sales record smashed. Monster Hunter World, which was released in January of 2018, has broken 14 million sales shortly after the release of its major DLC, Iceborne, as reported by the official Twitter page.
Monster Hunter has always been one of Capcom’s more niche franchises, especially in North America, as the entries from PS2 to 3DS had carved out some modest success. The franchise’s previous top seller was Monster Hunter Freedom 3 on the PSP with 4.9 Million in sales. Monster Hunter’s previous sales are certainly nothing to scoff at, but they’ve not exactly made the brand a household name.
Monster Hunter World offers up many beautiful areas to slay wildlife.
That is until World and its newcomer friendly attitude. Previous games in the series could be seen as having a steep learning curve that pushes away incoming players to the series. In World, the mechanics are laid out in an accessible manner, there are guides readily available, and the ease of matchmaking online make taking down your first monsters a blast any level of gamer can enjoy.
This type of accessibility has helped propel Monster Hunter World to the very top of the sales charts for Capcom. Technically, Street Fighter 2 and all of its remakes and ports combined have sold more than Monster Hunter World’s 14 million. When it comes to just a base game’s performance, World has been an excellent sales performer and with the addition of the IceborneDLC and many more to come, World is providing all of the gigantic monster slaying you could dream of.
The Blackout Club should be an awesome game. I wanted it to be after watching the trailer. After playing through the creepy-as-hell, Stranger Things-esque prologue I was sure this was going to be a slam dunk of a hit. And then the rest of the game happened and I walked away feeling a little let down.
TBC is a co-op horror game where you take control of a teenage inhabitant of an American town that is suffering from an evil presence. Kids are going missing, parents are sleep-walking and there are weird sounds under the ground. All is not lost though. A team of young people have had enough of these motherflippin’ things going on in their motherflippin’ town and they want answers.
They set up shop in an abandoned rail carriage (of course) and carry out various missions around town without being caught by the sleepwalking parents using mainly stealth but also whatever they need to when stuff hits the fan. Oh, and there is something evil lurking around, waiting for you to take one step too far and then it’s coming for you. And you can only see it by closing your eyes. Yikes.
When this evil thing (The Shape) comes for you, it’ll suck your cognitive reasoning out of you and leave you like one of the adult sleepwalkers until someone rescues you. Which is a shame if you’re playing alone, because there is no-one to rescue you. And it’s also a shame when playing co-op with random players who don’t care about you in team games.
Missions you get sent on could be something as simple as following a trail of blood, or any number of other things. You’ll often be wandering around trying not to get caught, or investigating what’s going on below ground (referred to as The Maze). Sounds great, and it should be, but here’s where the problems start.
Firstly, it doesn’t keep up the creepiness of the opening prologue. Had it done that, I would have been much more entertained and gushing about the game’s quality. The minute it goes co-op you lose some of the tense atmosphere.
Arguably it’s biggest problem though is the repetitive nature of the missions. How many times can you put up recruitment posters for the club while trying to avoid sleepwalking parents? How many times can The Shape come after you without it getting a bit dull?
All in all, the biggest impression I took from the game is that it’s fun in short bursts but I wouldn’t want to play it all day long. It seems to suffer from not knowing exactly what type of game it wants to be; tense thriller or fun co-op and it doesn’t do a good enough job of being either for it to be considered a great. Which is so unsatisfying after the promise of that amazing and oh-so-creepy prologue.
This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.
Esports are a rapidly growing industry. It seems like every month there are new stories breaking of teenage kids winning huge prize pools from their masterful skills in a game. With the marketability of esports skyrocketing, more and more venues open up and spread the sport to wider reaches. A new league is coming early next year with the rise of the eSports Pro League, which is planned to extend the esports culture to the mobile gaming space.
eSports Pro League is planning on being more than just a platform for tournaments; the plan is for the ESPL to be an all new type of esports network as well. The ESPL network is going to be a very open and interactive format with an accessible ecosystem for brands, players, teams, and media. Relying heavily upon social interaction may seem like a risky gamble, but ESPL is offering something that makes the platform incredibly enticing. That is that you, the fan, can be an ESPL player.
Utilizing a hybrid mix of online and in-person tournaments in 16 different countries, ESPL is paving the way for fans to become participants in what they call a Bedroom-to-Champion pathway. There’s not many sports leagues out there that offer that level of fan interactivity. With the growth of esports, naturally everyone that’s had a passion for videogames is going to think they can hack it, so the competition is sure to be as fierce as it is abundant. Based off of this information alone, it’s easy to see that the ESPL is going to be a hive of gamers battling for their chance to turn pro.
While mobile might be the main platform of the new league, there will also be some opportunities for PC and console based events, as well. However, at this time there have not been any announcements of what specific games will be played in the fledgling esports league. More information will become available as the start of the first season, which runs February 2020-December 2020, draws near. The official website of the eSports Pro League will be the go to source for any breaking news on the newest league on the scene.
Nintendo’s foray into the mobile gaming sphere has been a less than spectacular journey considering the companies immense pedigree. Starting in 2016 with the release of their first app, the social network Miitomo (Remember Miitomo? Neither did anyone else), Nintendo has steadily grown their smartphone development skills and have delivered more experiences that fall in line with what consumers want. The download number in subsequent releases have shown this growth and with their latest title, Mario Kart Tour, Nintendo has hit it big.
Within the first week of its life, Mario Kart Tour has hit over 90 million unique downloads. To give more context, Nintendo’s other apps have performed far under that mark. Animal Crossing Pocket Camp, Nintendo’s previous fastest growing app, had set the week one download record at 14 million before Mario Kart Tour demolished those numbers easily. Super Mario Run and Fire Emblem Heroes trailed close behind with 13 million and 8 million downloads, respectively. The aforementioned Miitomo had 1.5 million downloads in the same time frame.
Mario Kart Tour has been making a splash and delivering a gameplay experience more comparable to its console counterparts than the previous app entries from Nintendo franchises. This directly translates to the revenue the game has been raking in with its free-to-start payment model; pulling in a solid $12.7 million in revenue in its first week. This would equal out to an average of roughly $0.14 spent per unique user.
Nintendo has a strong foothold in the mobile market, and their games reach massive downloads quickly with the benefit of the brand recognition provided. However, Nintendo still seems to find faults with their pricing models and can never seem to get the turnaround on buyers that they project. Super Mario Run, which offered a different pricing model with a free level and the rest locked behind a paywall, never even got close to the expected 10% conversion rate Nintendo projected. This isn’t to say Nintendo’s mobile efforts are in vain; as they seem to get a large user base without breaking a sweat, it’s only a matter of time before they find the formula to turn these downloads into purchases.
I do like a good puzzle game and this is exactly why Creature in the Well took my fancy. We’ll obviously be going into the game in more depth but in a nutshell it’s brilliant … if you don’t mind a bit of finger cramp. “Cramped fingers!” I hear you say. “Why would we want those?” Well this isn’t just a puzzler it’s a pin-brawler and that involves skill and accuracy and lots of clicking … and therefore, cramp!
So what’s a pin-brawler then? For this to make sense we need to go back a step and tell you a wee bit about Creature in the Well‘s plot. You will be taking the roll of the last Bot-C. You’re basically a caretaker of sorts, or at least you were until something horrible happened and you were disabled.
You wake to find yourself in the desert near the town of Mirage which is surrounded by a permanent sand-storm. The storm is so bad that the inhabitants don’t believe anything else exists outside their home. You get the impression from the off that The Creature is very happy keeping it this way. You’re introduced to this being pretty much immediately but you don’t know a great deal about it other than it’s keeping a close eye on the village and that it doesn’t like intruders in its mountain.
This is one of the simpler puzzles, they get a lot more complex.
You need to go into the mountain an switch back on all the machinery that’s laying dormant there. You’ll do this by using charged energy balls to hit targets, knock out bumpers and deactivate turrets. All this will grant you the energy needed to open doors and move through the maze of rooms in the complex. Each area of the mountain belongs to a particular sub-system required for the machine to function. Each area also has it’s own puzzles that will need to be solved if you are to progress.
Speaking of puzzles, something I like about the game is that a new zone doesn’t necessarily mean a totally unknown challenge. The difficulty builds by introducing new hazards as you go. So for example … you’ll start with basic bumpers, then turrets are added, then bumpers that fire energy beams and so on. Each new area adds something different and this means that a definite difficulty curve is established. The game gets harder without throwing you anything so new that you don’t know what you’re doing.
Each monolith is a level. You decide how you tackle them.
Completing puzzle rooms earns you energy. You’ll need this to open doors around the complex and different doors require different amounts of power. Energy is something that should be treated as a currency. You’ll not only need it to re-power the machine but also upgrade your Bot.
Although I wouldn’t call Creature in the Well a metroidvania style game as such it certainly has that feel. Not all of the puzzles need to be solved to allow progression and some are certainly more difficult than others. You get the sense that going back when you’re stronger is sometimes a better idea than just battering away at the same thing and not getting anywhere . You’ll find bot cores as you go and use these to upgrade yourself. Being faster, more accurate and having more life is an absolute bonus when trying to complete the different areas. Some puzzle rooms will open secret passages too which might yield some very useful gear.
You upgrade your Bot here. You just need the cores and the energy to level yourself.
The levels don’t need to be completed in any exact order. After the first level you can choose which way round you’d like to complete the zones and they open in steps a bit like a tree. After the first zone you get a choice of two, then five and so on. All levels on each tier need completing before you move on but the choice of order is yours. This is really important in later stages as some zones are definitely harder going than others if you’re ill equipped or skilled. Being able to dart out of one into another is a big help in progression.
Your main antagonist is The Creature and the boss battles you’ll find yourself in are different and fun. You’ll have to remember what you’ve learned in the zone you’ve just completed as you’ll be facing similar puzzles as part of that end arena. You’ll find yourself on an elevator and the battle is in steps. When you complete one set of puzzles the elevator will go up a level and you’ll get a different set to complete. These battles are also a bit unique because on top of the usual mayhem of everything trying to blast you to bits you have the Creature interfering in it’s own insidious ways.
Creature in the Well is full of secrets. Think you can find them all?
This is a game of skill more than anything and definitely one of multi-tasking. Each puzzle has it’s own hazards and standing in the wrong place can be deadly. I was doing very well on one for instance until an unexpected pair of bumpers popped out of the ground and I was standing in an energy beam … then I wasn’t standing anywhere.
So that’s a bit of an overview of the story and what you’re doing. Now let’s have a bit of a think about nuts and bolts … and a few of my general misgivings. First off I think some form of in-level save would be nice. The game autosaves as you unlock new areas so you can go back to them with ease, which is good but it doesn’t let you save your position. When you die you get unceremoniously grabbed by the creature and dumped back in town. This means trecking back to wherever you were killed from the start of that zone. This doesn’t effect the gameplay or the fun it’s just a bit of a pain in the rear if you’re struggling a being killed a lot. I’m not asking for the ability to save at the drop of a hat but an unlockable save point that you need to find would be handy.
You’re always being watched
My second gripe is that your aim doesn’t always feel fluid. There are weapons that you’ll find with various abilities that help this immensely but too often you feel that you should be on target and miss what you’re going for by inches. When there are a lot of things that are trying to kill you your accuracy is paramount and I’m not sure it’s always there. This could of course be blamed on lack of player skill but I don’t necessarily believe this is the entire cause of the issue.
Creature in the Well looks great and the story is really well written. You pick up information as you go which adds to overall feel and creates atmosphere. The fact that there really isn’t any narrator and a lot of the plot comes in written scraps that you’ll have to look for adds to an air of mystery which is definitely welcome. Incidentally … you might be wondering why this title is called Creature in the Well and not Creature in the Mountain. When you’re in the town you’ll find a well and you can see the Creature peering out from it’s depths. This is also where you’re dropped when getting booted out of the mountain after you die. There is method to the madness here.
The controls are fine with the exception of the aiming issues I mentioned earlier. You aim with the mouse so this could actually be part of the problem, it only takes the slightest wrong movement and you’re suddenly way off your mark. Other than this everything controls really well so no complaints there.
All in all this is a clever, innovative take on the action genre. The pinball elements are the core of the game, not a throw away idea that’s been implemented as a gimmick. The fact that you won’t solve every puzzle on your first run adds replayability and you know that as you upgrade your Bot some of those puzzles are going to get easier. It’s worth trying to complete everything to unlock all the secrets. With this being said the game could also probably be completed relatively quickly by a skillful player just wanting to follow the main story without all the hidden bits.
Action fans amongst you looking for a bit of a change should definitely give Creature in the Well a try. It’s a really clever puzzle, pinball, dungeon-crawling hybrid that really needs to be played to be understood properly. I don’t actually feel like I’ve done the game justice here, seeing is definitely believing in this instance.
This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.
Just in time for the TVGB Vivestream’s triumphant return, VR rhythm combat gameDrums of Waris now available on Steam and the Oculus Store. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill rhythm game, though; you play as a towering orc, rampaging across the land with a weaponized set of drums. It sounds like just the right kind of madness for virtual reality. It comes with an interesting pedigree as well; the creator is one Alan Flores, who led the design of a number ofGuitar HeroandTony Hawkgames. Just be warned that you won’t find quite so much variety in the music here;Drums of Waris all about metal, for better or worse. The score was written by Game Castro, and there are additional songs from metal bands Warbringer and Exmortus.
We’ll have a full review and/or Vivestream episode up soon, but if you want to try it yourself in the meantime, the game is marked down to $9.74 on both storefronts at the moment. You only have a week, though, before the price increases to $14.99. I’m not really into metal, but I’m interested to check it out myself. You can check out the trailer below:
October is truly a spooky time filled with all kinds of ghouls, ghosts, and horror movies making an appearance all over the place. Sony is getting in on that action and showing their love for the slasher genre as they hack the price of their Playstation Now service in half.
Ok, maybe it’s just a coincidence and has nothing to do with October’s spooky season, but it’s a very exciting move, nonetheless. In an effort that will keep it competitive with Xbox’s Game Pass service, Playstation Now will currently be available at $9.99 a month; a serious reduction from the previous $19.99 a month. This price cut puts Playstation Now in a much more attractive light for a lot of gamers that may have been on the fence before, which is a major boost to Sony as the subscription service was already giving them substantial returns at the old price point.
Sony’s business model with Playstation Now going forward is to provide new marquee titles for a limited time and add new titles to the service every month. In October, Playstation Now is adding the massive hits Grand Theft Auto V, God of War, Infamous: Second Son, and Uncharted 4. These 4 titles, like all of the others on the service, can be streamed or downloaded onto the console and are available from today until January 2nd, 2020.
Obviously, the limited time windows on the marquee games aren’t ideal. It would be nice to have those games available outside of the time frame allotted, especially ones like GTA V , which has a robust and ongoing online mode. However, the business sense is reasonable as the rotation of games allows for the service to provide such big name titles for $9.99 a month, which makes Playstation Now a fantastic way to try out first party Sony exclusives.
As time goes on the Atari console comeback is inching closer and closer to a reality with the impending release of the Atari VCS. It seems like just yesterday Atari announced their triumphant return and the world collectively responded, “really?” However, as more and more details churn out from the developer of the console, it seems they’re making a sincere effort to make a run at the console market. The latest of this news is the announcement of a partnership with retro game streaming service Antstream Arcade to provide an exclusive library of games to the Atari VCS.
Antstream is bringing an aptly titled “Atari Edition” to their subscription service which will offer the largest collection of Atari titles ever available on one device, including some that have never been available for streaming before. Antstream has announced that these will be both enhanced and untouched “pure” editions of the classic titles. The enhanced editions will contain additional features such as multiplayer options and in-app challenges with Antstream.
At launch there will be 50 games available right out of the box, with a 30 day free trial of Antstream’s service. More games are planned to be added in over time and options to continue the Antstream service on your Atari VCS for either $9.99 a month or $95.88 a year, which would total to $7.99 a month. As of right now, Atari and Antstream have confirmed Adventure, Night Driver, Pong, Tempest 2000, and Yars Revenge, as well as the previously released Atari collections that have appeared on Playstation 4, Xbox One, and Steam.
The addition of all of these classic Atari games onto the VCS is obviously a good sign for the aspiring console, but one can’t help but feel they’re still fighting an uphill battle. There is a market for nostalgia and retro gaming, but that market is fairly niche and may not be receptive to the subscription based modeling of the service. The VCS has also announced some other interesting aspects such as being able to load up your own OS onto the device; a feature that Sony faced a lawsuit for after removing from their Playstation 3 console. Everything we’ve seen about the VCS screams that it’s not for audiences that aren’t nostalgic for the Atari 2600 or into the modding scene. However, Atari is still promising that the VCS is going to offer “All-new games” in addition to the classics; let’s just hope they pack some juicy reveals into the coming months to make this console more marketable.
You can read more about the Atari VCS and its list of features at their official website.
