If you’re a Mega Man fan who’s cranky that Kenji Inafune’s “homage” Mighty No. 9 has been delayed until next year, you might want to poke your mouse over to Steam pronto and check out 20XX, the upcoming 2D side-scrolling rogue-like platformer from Batterystaple Games currently in Early Access on Steam. That alpha version will soon be getting boosted up to beta status next Tuesday, but what’s here is very playable and well on the way to being an instant classic any MM fan would love. 20XX is a mash-up of familiar gameplay with rogue-like randomness to the levels and lots of loot to collect. It’s also old-school tough, great looking and a ton of fun to play.
And sooner than you think, although paradoxically a wee bit late for some who wanted it to arrive last year. Anyway, Dragon’s Dogma on PS3 and Xbox 360 was a great surprise hit for Capcom back in 2012, and less than a year later the Dark Arisen expansion added all-new content on a disc or as DLC that also changed up the main game with a few fixes. PC gamers have been screaming to the skies for Capcom to get this one-two punch of fantasy action/RPG greatness out on Windows and those wishes will be granted come January 2016. Continue reading →
If you got rid of your PS3 when you got your PS4, you may want it back for at least one more exclusive of note. General Director Toshihiro Nagoshi and Producer Masayoshi Yokoyama are back with two more in-depth “making of” videos for Sega’s upcoming western release of Yakuza 5. Despite its age (the Japanese version shipped back in 2012), the game looks quite spectacular on the aging PS3 hardware and is finally coming to North America later this year as a digital only PSN release.
While the game may be well-aged to some out there, according to the press release it’s looking to be the most feature-packed English version of any in the series:
Yakuza 5 features more mini-games than previous titles, a modified battle system as well as enhanced customizations and interactions in the signature hostess bars of the franchise. In addition to these features, Yakuza 5 also introduces “Another Drama” which is a series of side stories that focus on each protagonist in-depth and are separate from the main story of the game.
In addition, Sega is making a tempting offer to those who pre-order the game with a 15% discount off the $39.99 price plus the free Yakuza 5 XMB theme below:
You’d think Nagoshi and Yokoyama should be singing “We Built This City” at this point, but instead they just happily chat more about the game and what players can expect:
It’s great to see Sega keeping the Yakuza flame going despite the lengthy wait between releases. Hopefully fans will be on board with the digital-only version and snap it up once it’s released.
Until a few minutes ago I’d never heard of NYC-based Golden Ruby Games. Now I want to be their best friend or something like that. The indie developer’s upcoming PC (and hopefully console bound soon) Extreme Exorcism is yet another one of those inspired “retro” games that looks to give fans of both single player and co-op games something to grin about. While this teaser trailer is way too short, it certainly made me smile and want to see more:
The gameplay seems straightforward, but EE’s AI happens to be programmed to repeat the controller moves you’ve made to dispatch each enemy when the next one appears. This means even “perfect” players who can clear the initial few maps will soon
find themselves dealing with enemies that are as good as they are in higher numbers. The longer it takes you to dispatch that next ghost, the harder it becomes to get rid of the next one. I’m gathering the game will drop enemies onto maps one at a time at first, as it’s going to be a rage-fest for players who let themselves get overwhelmed when things get trickier.
Anyway, a handful of screens below. Keep an eye peeled for this one as it’s still in development and there’s no concrete release date. As far as publishers go, Ripstone Games is getting it out and I’m hoping we see a PS4 and Vita version with the possibility of a Wii U port down the road. As usual, we shall see.
When last we ventured into the land of Western Calatia (a few weeks ago), ever-questing hero Link had just died at the hands of a boss, but upon his revival was wondering when he’d see more of the rather well-made fan game he was starring in, The Legend of Zelda: Sword of Moria. Actually, the game’s creator, Jessica Brown has been busy working on it in between her writing for a few gaming sites and other things like life in general. So it’s a case of her own patience and persistence overcoming any sort of burnout and boredom that tends to set in when working on something for such a long period of time. My experience with the last couple of demo builds has been nothing but total fun because here’s a case of someone who’s dedicated to making a game that’s worthy of the Zelda lineage and canon while not rushing it out just to say it’s “finished”.
That map above seems as if it’s huge (and it is indeed!). And as note, it’s not a nice vacation spot because it’s got monsters that will keep Link from enjoying his stay by constantly trying to kill him. But it also seems likely that it’s not the entire game world Brown has planned for the final release. Excellent. Even more excellent, she’s just posted a nifty article over at Zero Friction that details some of her thoughts on developer fatigue and how to deal with it. If you follow the fan game scene (whether it be ROM translation efforts or full-on games being created from scratch), you know many projects flame out and vanish or move from person to person sometimes for years until they disappear for good or actually get completed. brown touches on that and more as she lays out some ideas on how her game may or may not be chapter-based along with some other stuff I’ll let you get to on your own.
As in expect to PREPARE TO DIE a lot more than before thanks to FromSoftware’s latest entry in its not at all casual RPG franchise. Not at all for the weak-kneed player who wants some hand-holds and footholds through its gloomy and deadly dungeons, the Souls series packs in death by everything from environmental hazards to many enemy types looking to kick your frightened ass all over those environments. I tend to play these games just to survive the experience and not be a speed-running expert at them. But I know of some extremely talented players who relish the challenge of making double time through the maps as they face danger head on and die a lot as a learning process.
Of course, speed, accuracy and learning each enemy’s strengths and weaknesses is a huge key to enjoying the ride. That said, the geniuses at FromSoft have packed the series with everything from AI that follows you relentlessly to enemies and bosses that are bigger than the areas they try to kill you in and seemingly indestructible to novice players. Nope, nothing casual at all here, kids. In fact, there’s a terrifying element to all the games that borders on horror in some areas, but I’m not calling this a “horror” game series by any means. Just a note that if you’re not playing with a tiny bit of fright creeping into your bones, you’re a better man or woman than I. Anyway, DSIII is coming in 2016. Prepare to… yeah, you know.
Atlus and Vanillaware are teaming up to bring a very beefed-up HD version of 2007’s PlayStation 2 classic action game/RPG hybrid Odin Sphere out for the PS4, PS3 and Vita sometime in 2016. Take a gander at this gorgeous key art and set those calendars for whenever the game ships out next year:
Atlus has even made this upcoming release an educational experience in at least one way. Leifthrasir is pronounced “LAYV-thra-sheer,” and that weird-looking “d” in the poster above isn’t a “d” at all, but a thorn þ, meaning you’ve learned something useful and Nordic today! Hmmm. hopefully that weird letter turns out alright in the actual post.
Change the Fate of the World When the End of Days Draws Near in Odin Sphere Leifthrasir
The Perfected HD Project from ATLUS and Vanillaware Remakes the 2007 Original
IRVINE, Calif. – July 23, 2015 – Vanillaware, the team behind the hit side-scrolling title Dragon’s Crown is working on a new authentic HD project with ATLUS to recreate and perfect Odin Sphere – the 2D action RPG with Norse Mythology roots. Told in five tales from the perspectives of five unique protagonists, Odin Sphere Leifthrasir expresses the original game with glorious HD graphics in Vanillaware’s renowned style, expanded worlds with new monsters, fully voiced story scenes, and a fine-tuned refreshing combat and RPG system to perfect the gameplay. Odin Sphere Leifthrasir will be available as a physical and digital release for the PlayStation®4, PlayStation®3, PlayStation®Vita in 2016 in North America.
You probably want some screenshots to ogle that feature some of that new HD art, correct? Well then, here you go:
Lovely. I now have at least ONE game I can look forward to at some point in 2016 and thankfully it’s supporting old and newer Sony consoles.
Skyhill intrigues me greatly because I missed out on the Indiegogo hype train for it last year when it was a rougher project that showed some major promise and got a lot of attention thanks to a few folks writing it up as a must-play experience. Naturally, Steam came a-calling and after going through the Greenlight process, that old build has since been scrapped and completely redone in Unity with the results seen above. Russian developers Mandragora have made their game a nicer-looking and more polished experience that’s destined to gain even more fans once it’s completed. To me, this looks like the arcade classic Elevator Action meets Silent Hill and Fallout… um, without the elevators, of course.
“What’s it all about?”, you ask. Well, let the official site tell you a bit (with a little rewrite assistance from yours truly):
Three months have passed since the end of World War III. Three months from the end of the world. One of the survivors, hiding in the penthouse in most expensive hotel of the city from from the scourge of biological weapons outside needs to find his way down to salvation. He must search for food and water to survive; find and use better weapons to fight mad mutants and more in the randomly generated world of Skyhill, where each walk-through is unique.
Yep, that sounds like a fine old time to me. In real life, of course. I’d just eat a big meal of whatever is left from that last room service trip, roll over and take a long nap. In Skyhill, you’re in survival mode as soon as you step outside that pricey penthouse. Anyway, this one’s going to be watched here until it’s ready for prime time. In the meantime, I guess it’s a lot of Knitted Deer while I’m waiting. That game needs to come to Steam as well.
Until today I hadn’t heard of Montreal-based indie developer Tribute Games or Curses ‘N Chaos (headed to the PS4, PS3 and PS Vita soon). Thanks to my inbox poking me in the eye with the game’s latest trailer above (Ow.), I’m now all over this one like duck feathers on a duck. Here’s a synopsis for you now that I have you in my clutches:
SMASH MONSTERS, ESCAPE DEATH!
CURSED! When brawny bounty hunters Leo and Lea are cursed by Algarr the Wizard King, they’re swarmed by all manners of creatures and monsters! Alchemist Allison knows one way to get rid of the curse: The Elixir of Life! But the only way to get the Elixir’s ingredients? SMASH ALL THE MONSTERS!
Hey, look! I found another cool trailer (It followed me home, Ma! Can I keep it?):
As you can see from the those two nice slices of game footage, the game screams NOSTALGIA in big blocky neon letters and everything from the lovely and well animated pixel art to the sound effects just plain WORK. The game is an arcade style scrolling brawler with plenty of cute but deadly monsters to kill and what looks like some challenging boss fights. Players can expect some classic couch co-op action along with online play for those of you who want to hop on the internet and make a few new annoying friends you’ll never meet in real life. Or you can avoid getting an elbow to the head from that “friend” who likes to distract you when he or she pops over for a visit and any game you play turns into an actual fight for survival.
Anyway, some gamers are tired of these bit-crazy retro games, but those are more than likely gamers who think “good graphics” circa whatever will blow up their PC’s 3D cards make a game worth buying. Foo to that. Curses ‘N Chaos will probably make some of those folks bust a controller over their collective kneecap because it’ll be too tricky for them to complete. Or perhaps some small amount of respect should be given to indie developers like Tribute that make games that keep the flames from the past burning and unforgotten? That’s a big, fat “Yep” from me. More on this one in a bit.
Hey, Kabam! You just made me want to play a Star Wars game. Reading up on Uncle George trying to rewrite movie history has of late almost put me off wanting to go near anything new owner Disney intends to do with the franchise. Any SW fan worth his salt knows Han shot first, grrrr! That said, I’m still not a 100 percent tablet, mobile or broswer-based MMO convert just yet… Continue reading →
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 