Indie developers, Red Blue Games, are branching away from the mobile games market and introducing their debut PC/console release – the roguelite brawler, Sparklite.
Check out the retro-inspired adventure game in the new gameplay trailer below:
Saving The World Of Sparklite
Here’s everything we know about the recently announced adventure title:
You play as the intelligent engineer, Ada, and embark on an adventure thrown into a dangerous world filled with vile gremlins out for your head.
Sparklite plays like an old-school, Zelda-inspired adventure game with a dash of roguelite elements, such as procedurally generated content.
These random encounters are caused by land shaking earthquakes that sporadically alter the landscape of each level in the middle of your adventure.
Quests, minigames and a slew of new challenges present itself with every violent earthquake, making for a surprising adventure with new obstacles around every corner.
Ada uses her uncanny engineering skills to invent new guns and gadgets to use at her disposal. Aside from wiping out the many enemies, players will also use her skills and inventions to solve puzzles which challenge the player throughout the adventure.
With only the announcement, a few small details and a short, slick trailer, we can expect to hear more about Sparklite within the next year.
Sparklite is set to release in the Fall of 2019 for the PC, Xbox One, PS4 and the Switch.
In space, everyone can hear you rock out and kill aliens!
It’s always nice to hear of a comeback story, especially within the games industry, and what a comeback story developer Steel Mantis had when releasing Slain.
On its original release, Slain received relatively poor review scores. A committed Steel Mantis hired programmer Thomas Jenns reworked ‘Slain’ into the now ‘Slain: Back From Hell’ and changed what originally was a mediocre game into a cult classic.
Now for the first time working together on a project from the start, Thomas Jenns and Andrew Gilmour are back to rock our socks off again with ‘Valfaris’, a heavy metal action platformer set in space.
The stupendous citadel Valfaris has reappeared in the orbit of a dying sun after disappearing from the galactic charts. Therion, a valiant son of Valfaris returns home to find Valfaris overrun by an ever-growing darkness. Playing as Therion, you must explore the citadel and rid it from its evil – basically, kill everything.
With artist Andrew Gilmour being a heavy metal fan, the game oozes with the iconography associated with that genre of music. From Therion being a badass bulky meathead with long hair who head bangs, demonic monsters, giant guns and backgrounds you’d expect from an Iron Maiden or Yes album cover, everything is loud and over the top.
Andrew’s detailed pixel art style really makes the environments tangible and the characters – even though completely fictional – believable within the context of that world and medium; like 2000 AD comics did with their characters.
Playing the game you can feel the smog and smell the rust. With the demo only lasting 30 minutes I saw external vistas, internal corridors and a junkyard, all of which transitioned naturally and never felt out of place.
And what to say about the gameplay… It’s good, it’s really good. Everything just feels fluid and right, the shooting and the platforming just meld well together, one never outdoing the other. You have a main pistol and a sword, as well as a secondary weapon that acts as a power weapon that uses energy, so you do not abuse them.
Speaking with Matt from Digital Upper Cut (the publisher) explained that you can level your power weapons too by collecting orbs throughout the level. You’ll be wanting to level up those guns because the game is difficult, many a section I find myself dying a fair few times at, especially the Junkyard Goblin boss.
However, credit here goes to the checkpoints and how each checkpoint is in the exact spot just before a difficult section so you ‘just have that one more go feeling’, as Matt put it when talking after my time with the demo “we say it’s a Nintendo difficulty” (he is referring to old skool Nintendo here). Furthermore, I won’t spoil it, but don’t rest so easy, expect surprises.
Matt informed me that the soundtrack has been composed by Curt Victor Bryant from Celtic Frost, with his style of metal really pumping you up for action and it’s the cherry on top of what looks like a brilliant game. The music makes you push into the action like a crazed madman.
Anyone who wants to shoot and slash monsters needs this game – it’s just a hell a lot of fun. It doesn’t take itself seriously and it completely knows what it is.
Playing the game reminded me of those ’90s action games that were full of gore, fast-paced, adrenaline-fuelled action. This is one to watch out for.
Valfaris is scheduled for a 2019 release on PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One.
The latest free update drop for Killing Floor 2, Halloween Horrors: Monster Masquerade, is officially here, and with it comes plenty of fun and enticing content.
Killing Floor 2 is an online survival co-op game from Tripwire Interactive, pitting players against hordes of undead zed across continental Europe.
With last year’s initial Halloween Horrors content pack, players were introduced to a heap of new additions like weapons, enemies, a brand new map and even the popular Commando Chicken playable character.
This year’s Halloween update brings more goodies to the fight against the outbreak, including:
Players have the chance to hop into an all-new map, Monster Ball – an ancestral castle in the iconic horror town of Transylvania. The grand castle is decked out with plenty of deadly traps, gothic decor and a full guest list of heinous beasts and monsters.
Three exclusive weapons make their appearance in Killing Floor 2, from going full commando with the MKB42, healing your allies with the HZ Medic Assault Rifle/ Grenade Launcher, or taking the vantage point with the FN-Fal sharpshooter rifle.
A gruesome new collection of zed makes your acquaintance in the latest update. Fend off brutal Wereslashers or grotesque Blob Bloats, to menacing Fishpounds in the dark and eerie castle.
Players acting fast can receive limited-time cosmetic content, including an awesome pirate zed outfit and a killer bat outfit.
Halloween Horrors Trailer
Hop into the latest edition of Killing Floor 2 on the PS4, Xbox One and PC for all of these exciting new content items to help you on your horrific co-op quest. The new Halloween Horrors: Monster Masquerade update is available now for no additional charge.
Fans of the beloved Tropico strategy series can gain immediate access to the beta by pre-ordering Tropico 6 from the Kalypso Shop.
Tropico 6 improves on the inspiring formula from the acclaimed strategy series and gives players the option of pre-ordering two editions of the upcoming game to choose from: Standard Edition and El Prez Edition.
Check out the latest beta trailer for Tropico 6 below:
Tropico 6 Details
Here’s everything new with the latest release in the Tropico series:
Players choosing to pre-order the standard edition will receive a 10% discount and the ability to hop into the beta immediately. Those springing for the El Prez Edition will acquire those two benefits, as well as other bonuses like a flashy tourist outfit and a decorative flamingo pond for their suite.
As the leader of your government, players now have the option of ruling an entire archipelago rather than just one island republic. This is sure to divvy up your time between numerous islands and increase the amount of strategy needed to keep the people on your side.
Linking these series of islands together with bridges, tunnels, as well as plenty of other enticing transportation for your citizens. Sending them from one island to another in taxis and cable cars is an all-new feature to keep your reign in power.
Players can join in up to 4 player co-op or competitive matches with the online multiplayer for extended fun with friends.
Send government agents out on raids to bring back all of the worlds riches, or give impressive speeches to keep your citizens following your every word – the choice is yours based on how you wish to rule.
If you’re a first time subscriber to the Kalypso Shop you’ll also gain an extra 15% discount on top of the 10% saved from pre-ordering the game.
With access to an exclusive beta offering a complete tutorial across all four eras (Colonial, World Wars, Cold War and Modern), as well as two full maps to help get players acquainted to running multiple islands at once, reserving customers are in for quite the treat.
Tropico 6 is set to release on PC, PS4 and Xbox One sometime in 2019.
News out of indie developers Juggler Games: the 2D puzzle adventure game, My Memory of Us, has officially become available for pre-order on both Steam and PS4.
A symbolic adventure between two childhood friends takes players across a dreary world set during the second great war, World War II. Fight against the struggles of occupation as two kids from alternating backgrounds do everything they can to stick together.
Below you can find the official gameplay trailer showing off the distinctive art style and game design:
My Memory of Us
Still not sold on My Memory of Us? Here are some key features you’ll find during your adventure:
The surreal take on real-life events showcases a familiar history lesson while managing to create an emotional story tied with powerful gameplay mechanics. Each event in the game is tied to real-life war stories from Warsaw.
Witness two children from two entirely different backgrounds bond and become friends through everything from stressful situations to unapologetic, playful encounters.
Players will have the option of either controlling each of the two children separately, or uniquely navigating both at the same time. Switch between the two with the touch of a button, or utilize special skills tied to each child.
Now that you’re interested (I think), you can pre-order a copy for Steam or PS4 (in EU only) before its official launch on October 9th, 2018. The game is also set to release on Xbox One, however, as of now it’s still under submission.
Brutally fend yourself off against the embodiments of the seven deadly sins in Dark Star Games’ upcoming action game, Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption.
What looks like a byproduct straight out of the popular ‘Souls’ series, Sinner sees players as a gritty soldier, Adam, weighing heavily on his dark and mysterious past.
With the announcement of Sinner heading over to Discord, consoles and later on Steam, comes a barbaric launch trailer showing off various bosses. Check it out below:
A Road To Redemption
Here are some of the key features on the future release of Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption:
Take on the role of Adam and make a journey to become exonerated for his treacherous past littered with sins and loathsome crimes.
Driven along by a stirring soundtrack, players will dive head first into boss battles that manifest from the atrocious seven deadly sins, revealing Adam’s connections with each incarnation.
To mix up the combat system, players must permanently debuff their character before each boss battle by sacrificing a chosen body part. Sinner is meant to drive players insane with the increasingly difficult battles that never seem to let up.
For those who will brave their way through to the end, players will discover new pieces of equipment in New Game+ mode — adding a pinch of replayability.
Headed to the Switch, PS4 and Xbox One on October 18th, 2018 and Steam shortly after. You can follow the game by joining Another Indie’s Discord group here.
This upcoming 2D adventure game grants players a thrilling journey of puzzle-solving and deep narrative between two differing climates personified as partners in love, Rime and Ember.
The announcement comes with a release window of this winter for consoles and PC. Here are all of the details about Degrees of Separation:
Both single player and co-op multiplayer is available for players to explore a unique world brimming with puzzling obstacles highlighting the useful differences uncovered in both Rime and Ember.
In 2-player co-op, players will work together as a team to achieve passage through tons of environmental challenges utilizing the distinct elemental powers of heat and cold.
The game features a powerful mixture of passionate story-driven narrative and inspiring puzzle mechanics between the two co-stars.
Check out an early prototype build from 2014 of Degrees of Separation below:
“The combination of innovative mechanics and powerful narrative is what drew us to this game(…) It’s why we seek out these very important indie titles that have a true story to tell.” – Christina Seelye, CEO of Modus Games
Degrees of Separation is now set to release in February of 2019 on the PS4, Xbox One, Switch and PC. Expect more details, including a trailer, to be revealed in the coming months.
I can honestly say that gamers are some of the most passionate people on the planet. We like what we like, and rarely do we fail to voice our opinions. With the rise of social media, our voices are louder than ever. Because of our strong opinions, we tend not to shy away from a good debate. Casual debates among gamers, however, can become very heated in nature. One of the biggest ongoing debates is the one over physical vs digital games.
Physical games have been around for decades, but a change is on the horizon. Digital gaming is here and it’s here to stay. I’ve noticed over the last few months, I’ve bought more games digitally than I ever have. Games like Fire Pro Wrestling World, Dead Cells and Oddworld: New N Tasty round out my recent digital downloads. I can’t deny how convenient it is to just buy a game from the comfort of my own couch. Kids are growing up in a world where they don’t need to go out and do anything. I literally had to beg my granny to take me to the video store every weekend as a kid.
Digital gaming has also led to the influx of awesome indie games over the past few years. Smaller companies are now able to push their own titles without the need of massive publishers. My stance on digital gaming is positive. I think it fills a lot of voids, but it may come at a cost. Let’s look at digital gaming and how I feel it affects the gaming landscape.
Physical Space
Physical space is an issue when collecting especially with retro gaming enthusiasts. Can you imagine trying to store a complete collection of Sega Genesis or Sega Saturn games for that matter? Going digital allows you to do away with that space to make room for other important things. (As if other things are more important.)
Time Saver
Digital games save you time. You no longer need to drive out to a physical store for a game disc. It even beats having games shipped to you through the mail. Anyone can play their games right away on their favourite console. Sometimes you can even pre-load your games and play at the top of the hour. That’s a sweet deal.
Shipping and Handling
For game companies, it’s in their best interest to avoid shipping and packing costs. Companies can save costs on discs, cases, inserts, and the shipping for millions of copies at a time.
Blocks Resale Market
The resale market has long been an issue for video game companies. Places such as Gamestop allow gamers to buy and sell games while the game companies see none of those profits. Going digital can change that outlook while changing the entire resale landscape. Who knows, companies could create their own digital exchange program in the future.
It’s Unlimited
With games being digital, who wants to worry about something being out of stock? Stock problems are non-existent in the digital world.
But…
You Buy it, you Own it Forever
As of right now, there is no way to sell back a digital game. For people who choose to buy this way, you own that game forever. You can’t transfer, share, or sell that game to anyone else. Often, it’s the trade value from old games that add to the sales of brand new games. Think wisely before making that $60 purchase online.
Internet is Needed
To install digital games, you need to have an internet connection. Not only do you need internet but, it needs to be fast enough to handle a large download. The Internet is a common luxury in 2018, but there is still a population out there without it. This population would be out of the equation.
Servers
I cringed at Microsoft when they first announced the “always online” aspect for the Xbox One. They made things right although games are becoming increasingly dependent on their online connections. Games such as Fortnite, PUBG and even the upcoming Call of Duty Blackout need online connections to even start the game. What happens if a company decides to pull the plug on their game? Suddenly, our games are gone, and we have no control over it.
What Special Edition?
Out goes the special editions and in comes the Deluxe Digital Editions. Special Editions come with physical items that you can either display or keep for collecting purposes. Deluxe Digital Edition games come with extra digital goodies in the form of a code. This may be added bonuses such as skins, weapons, or in-game currency, etc. This could mean no more Fall Out Pip-Boy Editions.
Gaming is once again going through changes but, as gamers, we roll with the punches. Regarding physical vs digital, I stand firmly in the middle. I believe in preserving video game history with physical items. At the same time, I believe in decreasing the footprint of unnecessary games.
I imagine that 10 years from now this will probably be a non-issue among us. Let’s just hope that there is still a market for these old physical game cases for us old folks.
Like it or not, we’re almost at that time of year and no, I don’t mean the big ‘C’ word either (although it’s getting towards that time as well). I am, of course, talking about the silly season. Come September the gaming calendar starts to get a little crazy and it all too quickly becomes week-after-week of big titles vying for time in your console/PC. It’s not a bad situation per se, but finding the time, and money, for all these can be very tricky. Moving away from indies just for a second, we’ve had Spider-Man swing into action and we’re on the verge of seeing Forza Horizon 4, Red Dead Redemption 2, Fallout 76, Battlefield and Call of Duty launch imminently.
But whilst we’re about to see a massive surge of new titles head our way, we’re seeing a growing back-catalogue of games being made readily available to us at the same time. The Xbox Game Pass service offered by Microsoft brings not only old, but new games as well which is something we haven’t seen before in the games industry. This subscription-based service, priced at £7.99 per month, could well be the killer blow that Microsoft needed as they now look on towards their future and inevitable One successor. That, however, depends on what you’re looking for in a console…
What do I mean by this? Well, let’s think of this from a business perspective and where Microsoft is heading over the coming years. They are clearly aiming for the Xbox to be a singular ecosystem, something where you can access any game, anywhere at any time. From their brief mention at E3 this year, it could be rather exciting if they can manage this successfully. In trying to achieve this, they can offer a complete package where you can access all your Xbox content in one place, using one system and under one (or more) subscriptions.
Xbox Game Pass
Now from a business perspective, this makes complete sense, but looking at it from a consumer perspective this also makes perfect sense too. Think of it this way; you’re new to gaming, or you’re introducing someone new to gaming and they want a console. You can buy one that needs you to buy games from the get-go to tide you over. Or, with an Xbox, you can buy the console and get a Game Pass subscription, and have access to a shed-load of games off the bat. With all first-party titles coming to the service too, it’s a no-brainer for anyone with an Xbox already so it can easily entice newcomers too.
Am I doing this as a means of promoting the Xbox over other consoles? No, I am far beyond such immaturity. In fact, I’m doing it as an exercise of hope and wishful thinking that this may become the future of gaming. Remote access and digital downloads are clearly the way to go moving forward, so imagine being able to turn on your Switch or PS4 where you have access to a massive catalogue of old and new games almost instantly. If this were bundled into the cost of PSN or Switch Online for example, then I’d be more than happy with that.
Whilst many may moan that most games on offer are older and don’t offer anything new, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that at all. Looking backwards allows us to move forward, as long as the value is there.
Hang onto your hats and take to the streets in the latest high-speed futuristic street racer. Created by racing gurus from the Burnout series and Split/Second, indie racerRGX Showdown bursts its way onto stores everywhere – today.
RGX Showdown Brings The Heat
From The Walking Dead to The Wolf Among Us, Telltale Games has presented inspiring fictional narratives in the form of episodic seasons.
RGX Showdown may be indie developers Shortround Games‘ debut release, but the small team of veterans are eager to have players engaging in the action at blistering speeds and competing in an online competition.
Take a look at the full throttle trailer showcasing the intense speed found in RGX Showdown below:
The rapid racer comes fully equipped with loads of appealing features, such as:
Fast online races between two racers both competing for the top time will have players quickly engaging in one race after another. Races typically last less than a minute, leaving players at a constant high-velocity pace within a myriad of races.
Earn cosmetic decals and paint jobs from completing various events scattered across the vibrant RGX universe.
Race between international tournaments that change every hour to make your way to the top. Always have a chance at victory with new winners claiming the podium every hour which offers up unique rewards.
Players aren’t limited to rewards by winning only, as RGX offers plenty of event points – win or lose – to alleviate any would-be headaches from tedious progression.
Unlock new Champion Cars by racing your way through the numerous vehicle classes and swiping a few high-octane victories as you speed through fast highways, weave in and out of traffic and burst around gripping curves.
You can download RGX Showdown on the PS4 and Xbox One starting today, September 18th, 2018, for the budget price of £7.99/$9.99.
Capcom has teased Ace Attorney fans by saying the panel at the Tokyo Game Show this year is something they will definitely want to see.
Ace Attorney News Inbound
The panel for the sublime legal series will be held on Saturday the 22nd of September from 16.00 JST (3.00 EDT, 00.00 PDT, 8.00 in the morning BST) and will last for around 40 minutes. Capcom said the panel is simply:
“Unmissable for Ace Attorney fans.”
What’s more, Ace Attorney series producer Motohide Eshiro and game designer Shinsuke Kodama will indeed be attending.
Motohide Eshiro.
With 40 minutes to play with, Capcom will most likely bring some goodies along. Those goodies are expected to be the first six games in HD, across two compilations, serving as an introduction to those unfamiliar with the series, followed by what sounds like Ace Attorney 7.
Nintendo Direct’s featured a terrific one-two last night, starting with the unexpected announcement of Luigi’s Mansion 3 and ending with the insidious Tom Nook rather effectively revealing Animal Crossing for Switch.
Between these two points, games like Diablo 3: Eternal Collection, Game Freak’s new RPG, simply called Town, Yoshi’s Crafted World, Starlink: Battle for Atlas and Daemon X Machina all impressed. That wasn’t the problem.
The Nintendo Switch Online service launches next week, September 19th in the UK, and this was the company’s chance to really sell it to us, to convince the sceptics. Unfortunately, as some might have expected, Nintendo proved once again that their understanding of the online space is limited — to say the least.
Come on now.
The Direct, essentially, gave us a few new details on the basic features. Firstly, it’ll cost £17.99 a year or £3.49 a month and for that:
You can play games online.
You’ll be able to play NES games each month. NES games are added every month.
You can back up your save data to the cloud.
The smartphone app enables voice chat.
There are exclusive offers for members
So, let’s examine each of these:
It’ll cost £17.99 a year, or £3.49 a month
That’s a good price. Xbox Live comes in at £39.99 and PS Plus at £49.99 for a year. But…
You can play games online
Nintendo has taken its time to launch the service, so, by removing something people have already grown accustomed to — playing games like Splatoon 2 and Mario Tennis Aces online for free — they are almost always going to feel cheated unless value is added elsewhere. Does the extra cost improve the online gameplay with better servers, for example? We don’t know and we should do by now.
You’ll be able to play NES games each month. More NES games are added every month.
Cool? I find it hard to believe, considering the duration the service has been worked on since the Switch’s launch, that NES games are all Nintendo can offer here. The idea of playing ‘80s games with added netcode is novel but hugely insignificant in this day and age. Nintendo has the option to create a low-cost Netflix-style service with access to an incredible library of games across the SNES, N64, GameCube, Wii etc. Few could do that, and yet here we are.
What’s more, you’ll need to connect at least every week in order to guarantee access to these NES games — even if your subscription is a long way from expiring. It’s just not practical for travel at all. PS4 and Xbox let you play offline as long as the games are downloaded first.
You can back up your save data to the cloud
A welcome, modern addition in line with PS Plus and Xbox Live… that is, until Nintendo revealed that not all games could be backed up. The reasoning behind this? Fundamentally, they don’t want people to cheat in games like Dark Souls or Pokémon. Scratching your head like me? Take Splatoon 2, Nintendo stores the save data locally instead of online, meaning cheaters do and will prosper with a backup feature. Separating the single player and multiplayer save data in games like Splatoon 2 is the easy fix here.
What’s more, Nintendo will not keep your cloud save data if your online plan runs out. These are kept for six months after a user’s subscription lapses on PS4. Xbox goes one better and keeps them indefinitely.
The smartphone app enables voice chat
You need a companion smartphone app for voice chat. It’s awkward and overly complex. Enough said really.
There are exclusive offers for members
Sounds good, like discounts on games? What are they? ‘We’ll have more to announce in the future’. But it launches next week, shouldn’t some offers be ready to announce? ‘Here are some NES Controllers’.
The Online Proposition
I feel like the Nintendo Direct, instead of selling the online service, reinforced the idea that it offers little of value, and that’s probably why it’s cheap. In that case, what’s the point of it other than for a quick monetary boost?
Let’s alternatively, pretend, that Nintendo offered the following service:
You can play games online with more robust servers – for those that want a premium online experience.
You’ll be able to play a selection of NES, SNES, N64 and GameCube games each month with online added in. Achievements for these titles are an optional extra that can be enabled.
You can back up your save data to the cloud for all games. Cloud data is stored indefinitely.
The smartphone app has been deleted from history. You can talk to friends via the console itself. Friend codes have also been deleted from history.
Custom themes, menu music and folders are available as part of the service.
There are exclusive offers for members, including discounts on games and a free Switch game every month.
Does all of that sound entirely unreasonable, given the time they had? I personally don’t believe so. They could even raise the price to reflect this — most would pay a little bit more for it, I would think. I’m aware that all of this could be added in the future without much difficulty, but I get the feeling we’ll be waiting an awfully long time. And they’ve had plenty.
Wise Yet Strangely Naive
The truth is: I’m not even particularly bothered by online services in general. When I get chance, I spend a great deal of time playing deep single player games, or games locally with others. It’s more the fact the offering from Nintendo is so uncharacteristically poor when compared to their usual workmanship.
I imagine Nintendo to be a master artisan when designing games; inspiring, bold, passionate perfectionists that are almost peerless in their craft. It’s telling that the video they presented to us, with the use of Mario characters to explain the online service, was, on a creative level at least, the best part; Bowser and his son playing together, Lakitu being the literal cloud save data:
The Switch itself is a smart portable, a cool slice of tech for console quality gaming out and about. It’s a great proposition and the sales show people are engaged with it. When it comes to online infrastructure, however, I imagine Nintendo as a bumbling, misplaced clown that has lost the ability to make people laugh. Genuinely speaking, I don’t understand why they find it so hard to get right. It’s like the department for online services at Nintendo is from a different company altogether, with computers still running Windows XP.
The internet is an entitled, odd place. It has its daily, often wild rants, the mutterings or cries of ‘I want this’, things are either absolutely terrible or absolutely amazing. There’s no real logic or sense of balance. I could digress. In a nutshell: this piece shouldn’t come across as one of those — I’m just stating it would be really quite nice to see an online service worthy of Nintendo’s name.
