Game developer Gamious has announced that the 11th August is the day when their multiplayer 3-on-3 racer, Team Racing League, is released on Steam.
In the game, you’ll have to master a plethora of skills with your team on the track. You can connect with your teammates’ vehicle to improve their overall speed, and can support them with extra boosts.
The “Co-Driver” can also create roadblocks which sabotage your opponents’ race. Interacting with your fellow teammates is the key to crossing the finish line first. Say goodbye to your friends…
Team Racing League costs $9.99/£6.99/€9.99 and you can check it out here:
I’m stuck in a rut. A lull as it were. My enthusiasm and passion for the industry are being taken over by my darker and more cynical side. I feel like there’s an ongoing battle between the Jedi and Sith raging in my mind with no indication as to who will win. The reason? The optimist within wants to get excited about new titles whereas the pessimist (maybe realist) can’t help but think ‘Don’t believe the hype’.
I refer to my most recent gaming experience with Horizon: Zero Dawn. A bad game? No, definitely not. A great game? Some might argue so, but not me. It was good, but nothing more. It had been on my radar long before release and I jumped in a month or two post launch. The logic being that I would wait until I had finished other games to dedicate the time to it.
But after all the hype, all the rave reviews, I was left wanting more. Much more. Here lies the problem; there’s so much hype in the media coverage of the industry these days that I think it does more harm than good. The element of surprise is gone, there are too many leaks, inside stories and previews for our own good.
Imagine how good it would be if we went back a few years when we relied on print media and games conferences to come round for our latest news and previews. Games could sneak up on you, hearing nothing about them until the last minute and it was already on the shelves. Sadly those days are long behind us.
The result is very damaging I find. The majority of my games are rented as I’ve been burnt all too many times recently with games falling short of the mark. I live by the mantra ‘Under promise and over deliver’ but that doesn’t sell games sadly. Masses of hype and promises that turn out to be false ship units and get people talking, which is sad.
Looking forward, I couldn’t honestly say what game I was excited about in 2017. I will play a lot of those that are coming out, but I just try not to get my hopes up for them to be dashed once I’ve committed to buying them. The sad thing is that PR and marketing teams just want to see dollar/pound signs in gamers eyes, the focus on money and not quality.
My closing thoughts look on to Destiny 2 and how much I’ve seen on that of late. Remember the first one? So do I; I played the Beta and had pretty much played the whole base game. That was a midnight launch that I truly regretted. Will 2 be better? For all those excited fans out there, I hope so…
Originally released all the way back in 2014 on the PC, The Sims 4 is finally making its way over to consoles. The last Sims title to release on consoles was The Sims 3: Pets and that was all the way back in 2011. So, let’s get you guys caught up on all of The Sims 4 announcements.
The Sims 4 will arrive on Xbox One and PS4 on November 17th.
This version of the game will include the base game and most of the DLC for the PC version.
EA says fans should expect future game updates and content releases.
You can sample the game a week early through EA Access on Xbox One.
A pre-order bonus was announced called “Perfect Patio Stuff Pack.” Which is set to include bonus outdoor decor for your living space.
The “Deluxe Party Edition” was also announced. This version will come with the pre-order bonus and extra content. Additionally, this version will release three days earlier than the standard edition, (November 14th).
Lastly, EA released a trailer for the new console version. (Which you can see below)
What do you guys think about The Sims 4 finally being released on consoles? Is it too late? Or just about the right time? Let me know in the comments below.
Upcoming Indie racer, Astral Traveler, blends high-speed arcade style racing action with space combat, and it wants you to be fast.
You’ll journey through five different nebulas, sliding between obstacles, leaping between platforms, shooting down deadly foes and phasing through energy barriers for extra bursts of speed. Sound fun?
The game’s designer Kevin Giguere said:
“Astral Traveler is a tough challenge, but also immensely rewarding for gamers. It’s such a frenetic experience, trying to find that perfect line amidst the chaos, all to shave off those precious milliseconds off the timer. There’s really nothing like it.”
Developers Dragon Slumber and Brainoid joined forces to bring this racing experience to life. Impressively, a Twitch audience has also been following the ongoing development live from the start.
Astral Traveler will be available on September 13th on Steam and other digital platforms.
Puzzle platformers are most commonly played with the side view, run and jump gameplay mechanics left behind from the early ages of the video game legacy. South African game developers, Skobbejak Games, gives gamers a chance to dive into the genre with the less common first-person approach to a surreal, puzzle platforming adventure, Tyd wag vir Niemand, or as translated into English from the original Afrikaans language – Time Waits for Nobody.
What’s going on here then?
Receiving a message from an unspecified agency, you’re instructed to find and rescue the long-lost science team located somewhere in the frozen tundra of Antarctica. Upon arrival of the massive machine you’re sent to discover, the scientists are nowhere to be found, as the overall feeling of desolation sets in. The radio signal between you and HQ becomes non-existent, and now you’re left inside of this strange machine you know nothing about, equipped with an unusual device with unimagined powers.
After being transported to a world where physics and time don’t apply to the everyday norm, you find yourself in the midst of uncovering the ability to slow down time drastically in favour of your need and want to escape this paranormal world. The only way that seems viable is to endure the timeless world and make your way through the turbulent and puzzling unknown.
It’s pretty abstract.
The gameplay of Tyd wag vir Niemand is simple and vague but leaves a biting feeling of rewarding frustrations amidst dream-like level designs. Simple puzzles quickly turn into confusions based off the appropriately vague level descriptions. When thrust into an unknowing world, one is left without the most important tips to succeed; the same goes for the world of Niemand.
As the game’s story progresses, specific information becomes known in the vaguely familiar worlds. The project to restore Earth to its original form – before the great catastrophe – is centred in the real world outside of this mysterious dimension, but somehow this world and the one you know are connected. These dimensions serve as personal and distinct memories from your character’s past. What they have to do with restoring the Earth is another mystery that lies in the depths of Niemand.
This could be tricky.
Whether platforms are rising up and down, shifting side to side, rotating in circular motions, rolling frantically, rapidly shifting pipes to walk across or focusing your camera precisely on target for a designated time period, the ability to slow time around you is the key element to passing through these puzzled worlds. Some pose simple, obvious solutions, while some levels require a lot of thought, patience, as well as plenty of trial and error to solve this meticulous paradox.
The sounds of Tyd wag vir Niemand are minimal, but what you do hear provides the necessary ingredients for an immersive playthrough. With a frantic score plucking away at every nerve, the game does a great job of directing the player and placing a driving sense of urgency as time is slowed. A specific amount of seconds is set when you slow time, acknowledged by a slow chiming “tick” which increases in speed, in turn signalling the ability is soon to deactivate. Guided by the sounds and songs of the game, the player is sure to feel a true sense of exploration, thought and tranquillity along the path of the mysterious dimensions.
At the centre of it all is time.
A unique puzzle platforming experience set in an interesting and mysterious world provides Tyd wag vir Niemand with an authentic and original game design. Frustrating gameplay mechanics are soon easily adapted to and the curiosity of what this world is and why you were transported here keep your attention throughout the short indie game. Skobbejak Games delivers an astounding experience filled with head-scratching puzzles and mechanics, within a surreal world for gamers to enjoy and explore in Tyd wag vir Niemand.
A “pre-alpha” (early development) build of Fantasy Strike, the fighting game for everyone from beginners to fighting game pros, will be available for free this weekend.
Developed by Sirlin Games, the studio responsible for SuperStreet Fighter II Turbo HD Remix,Fantasy Strike will launch for PS4 and PC in late 2018.
The free period will take place worldwide beginning on July 28th at 11am PT, and will end on July 30th at 11:59pm PT. The playable build will be posted here once the free weekend begins.
It’s quite generous too, giving you access to eight playable characters and four stages. There’s also online play supporting cross-play between PC and Mac gamers, a local versus mode, a training mode and an arcade mode.
Watch the game in action to see if it’s your type of thing:
Vostok Inc. the dual-stick shooter developed by Nosebleed Interactive and published by BadLand Games Publishing, launches today for PS4 and PC on Steam.
You’re going to love this: in Vostok Inc. you play as a greedy, space-capitalist with the ultimate goal to get filthy, stinking, rich. Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a shooter if there weren’t enemies to blast on the way to untold riches.
You’ll encounter a variety of different alien races (each with their own agenda) with assets ready for “liquidation.” Each dead enemy, defeated boss, and vanquished environmental hazard drops loot, making every encounter, of course, a ripe business opportunity. Once you’ve collected enough cash it’s time to land on planets and start mining, terraforming and colonising.
Once the “Moolah” (yes) starts flowing, you’ll be able to upgrade your ship weapons and augmentations. Increase profits even further by finding and recruiting managers, consultants, and executives scattered throughout the galaxy.
You can watch the launch trailer here:
Vostok Inc. is €14.99/ $14.99/ £10.99 on PS4 and PC, with the Xbox One and PS Vita versions following up shortly afterwards.
Developer Akupara Games has announced that their upcoming rhythm-RPG, The Metronomicon: Slay the Dance Floor (I do anyway), launches for PS4 on August 29th, and for Xbox One on August 30th.
In The Metronomicon: Slay the Dance Floor you take control of a party of eight masters of the “Rhythmic Combat Arts” to wage musical war against a multitude of dance-mongering fiends.
You can control up to four heroes at a time as they cast powerful spells, buff their teammates, and beat down enemies on the dance floor. The success of your heroes depends on your rhythm skills, so if you want to survive, you’ve got to dance!
The Metronomicon: STDF will be available as a digital download on both platforms for $19.99. You can watch the humorous trailer below for a taster of what to expect.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is the fourth adventure in the distinguished Shantae series. In case you haven’t been following them, the games are platformers featuring the protagonist Shantae and her habitual hair-whipping attack. She’s half-genie, which allows her to transform into a variety of animals, and she can cast magic spells to banish her enemies. Whimsical and polished, the series is an exemplar of top indie gaming. So, I’m pleased to say that the developer WayForward largely maintains this.
Across 6 levels (and a hub world), Half-Genie Hero shows its quality through clever level design, varied environments, stunningly beautiful visuals and its beloved and jaunty characters. The problem is there’s not enough of it. Coming in at 6-8 hours on a standard playthrough, the game is a fleeting experience that leaves you wanting more. A few tricky areas aside, it also feels like an easier ride compared to the previous entries. The levels are more streamlined and it’s undoubtedly more linear in its approach too. That’s why I recommend Shantae veterans start it on the tougher “Hardcore” mode available from the off, as it adds a greater challenge that keeps you playing for longer.
The bosses are easier than they appear.
The progression system in Half-Genie Hero is classic Metroidvania, as in you need to acquire abilities that allow you to explore previously closed off areas. It’s all about unlocking “Dances” that transform you into endearing animals. My personal favourite of these was the Mouse Dance that enables you to enter and solve small mazes to come out on the other side in a new location. Other notable mentions include the Spider Dance, allowing you to grapple to ceilings and the Harpy Dance which grants you the awesome power of flight. The most challenging aspect of the game is knowing how and where to unlock the Dances and their subsequent upgrades, called “Relics”, to progress things along. WayForward has accounted for this with hints that are available from the hub world, although you may still find yourself lost and wandering at certain points.
The presentation in Half-Genie Hero is absolutely top-notch. The hand-drawn visuals this time around replace the pixel art used in the older games, but the result is quite brilliant. At times it looks like a comic book coming alive to greet you. It also helps that the Switch’s 720p screen has a knack for making colours pop. To back these sumptuous visuals up is a soundtrack once again provided by the talented Jake Kaufman (Mighty Switch Force, Shovel Knight). Kaufman is a master with chiptune-style synthesizers and his work shines through here once again. Expect infectious melodies that lodge themselves in your head over and over again.
Meta…
I found myself equally impressed by the use of the Switch’s HD Rumble feature by WayForward. In fact, it’s one of the best implementations of the technology thus far, enhancing the gameplay with haptic feedback that feels appropriate to in-game actions. For those that haven’t tried HD Rumble out yet: for example, when I jump into the water as Shantae, I experience sensations that make me feel like I’m moving around in it. It’s something I’d like to see more developers utilise because, although it’s not fundamental, it definitely increases your connection with the game when it’s executed properly.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a fine video game, there’s no doubt about that. Lovingly crafted, it’s a pleasure to the senses while it lasts. The platforming is smart, the visuals and soundtrack are sublime, and most importantly, it’s fun. The game’s excellence is only dimmed by its short length, linearity and lack of challenge.
Since the reveal at E3, there has been a steady stream of news coming out for the anime based fighting game Dragon Ball FighterZ. Let’s catch you guys up.
Takeaways:
Trunks has been announced as a playable character.
Along with the announcement of Trunks, Bandai Namco released a new trailer for the game showing off the new character (which you can see below.)
Two more characters were announced with the reveal of Piccolo and Krillin.
A closed beta will be launching at some point this year according to developer Arc System Works and publisher Bandai Namco.
The sign ups for the closed beta will begin on July 26th!
The beta will feature nine playable characters in Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Cell, Freiza, Buu, Trunks, Piccolo and Krillin.
The beta will be released for PS4 and Xbox One (no mention of a PC beta at the moment).
What do you guys think about all the new announcements for DragonBall FighterZ? Will you guys be signing up for the beta? Why or why not?
Romaine calm, it’s almost thyme… Overcooked: Special Edition is launching on Switch this Thursday, the 27th July.
Takeaways:
Overcooked: Special Edition includes the Overcooked base game plus The Lost Morsel and Festive Seasoning additional content.
The Switch version allows you to take the Overcooked experience anywhere.
It features HD Rumble, adding a new element to the cooking chaos.
There are 44 campaign levels which can be played solo or in couch co-op with up to 4 players.
And 22 different chefs to play as. Choose a human, racoon, dinosaur, French bulldog, robot or even a reindeer…
Overcooked: Special Edition will be available to download for the Switch for £15.99/$19.99/€19.99. You can watch the shortest trailer (seriously) for the game below.
Huey Games is bringing upcoming point and click adventure, The Mystery of Woolley Mountain, to PC, Mac and mobile devices in 2018.
Developed by Lightfoot Bros, The Mystery of Woolley Mountain is a brand new otherworldly adventure game designed for all ages. Players will explore a surreal and fantastical world as a group of renegade time-travelling audio scientists who are on a quest to save kidnapped children from a malevolent witch – never a good thing!
Backed by adventure gaming legend Ron Gilbert (Monkey Island), the game boasts a rich storyline, quirky characters, colourful cartoony visuals and some cracking music.
Rob Hewson CEO & Creative Director at Huey Games, said:
“We’re all huge fans of adventure games here, so naturally we’re over the moon to be collaborating with Lightfoot Bros on Woolley. It’s a completely charming, funny adventure that I really think people are going to fall in love with.”
