Period: Cube ~Shackles of Amadeus~ Releases Spring 2017 on PS Vita

Aksys Games and Idea Factory proudly announce that Period: Cube  ~Shackles of Amadeus~ will release Spring 2017 in North America and Europe for the PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system! In search of your older brother’s whereabouts, you join the online RPG, ‘Arcadia’ in hope of discovering clues. Having lost consciousness after being drawn into a mysterious light, you wake up within the game’s fantasy world! Confused and shaken by your strange yet familiar surroundings, you learn that the only way to escape this world of life-or-death is to clear the game. As the game world begins to crumble and fall apart, you'll have to rely on your expanding powers for survival!

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Valkyrie Drive: Bhikkhuni - PS Vita Review

Valkyrie Drive Boob, er, BHIKKHUNI, is something akin to the fanservice equivalent of a 3D fighter combined with a hack and slash with platform elements. Bhikkhuni definitely won’t appeal to everyone, especially given the, er, “well-endowed” cast, but contrary to my expectations, the gameplay is solid, the soundtrack is good, and the plot isn’t as flimsy as I was expecting. Bhikkhuni is very similar to Senran Kagura Estival or Shinovi Versus, except with more focus on gameplay in stages, as opposed to the predominantly PvP style combat in a style of over the top Japanese animation and cleavage. No, seriously, the smallest bust size is 87.

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Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls Coming to PS4 in Summer 2017

Danganronpa continues to find its way onto the PlayStation 4 next year!

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Killing Floor 2 - PC Review

Zeds to the left of me, Zeds to the right and here I am stuck in the middle with… where did everyone go? Successor to the multiplayer-centric Killing Floor, Killing Floor 2 has just released from its Early Access for party based mayhem which will see anywhere from one to six players join forces in order to survive the onslaught of genetic abominations as they come at the survivors in waves. Quick disclaimer that if you are looking for a single player and narrative experience? You won’t find it here. If you’re looking for pure multiplayer shootouts with a class based system to play with friends? This should meet all of those needs.

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Mythic Battles: Pantheon Announces Conan Board Game Crossover

We were a bit slow getting this one out due to the holiday, but we have some days left to act if this sounds as good to you as it does to us.

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New Retro Arcade: Neon - PC / VR Review

New Retro Arcade: Neon mashes together a lot of genres and ideas into a very cool overall experience. This is not the deepest of games - in fact it is more of a collection of games, but as someone who grew up an arcade rat, this title is pretty solid as a non-VR experience that I enjoyed more as a virtual reality one.

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Happy Thanksgiving Weekend

To all of our readers, US and otherwise, we wish you a fantastic upcoming weekend!

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Tyranny - PC Review

Tyranny has been on my radar for quite some time now. See, I rabidly follow Paradox as they publish some of my favorite games (Sengoku, Pillars of Eternity, Crusader Kings, Cities: Skylines, to name a few) so when they started sending out news about Obsidian's Tyranny I was both excited and a bit concerned. See, it is not often that a game can really hold true to casting you into the shoes of the "bad guy" without falling into the atypical hero fantasy; most games that follow a similar concept end up being hero-games in the long run. With Tyranny you could, with some creative mind-bending, see that it has a hero complex, but it is really all about being the bad guy, and dealing with those consequences. With some of the best writing outside of full-blown novels, Tyranny is an experience to behold, even for those of us that suffer hero complexes in real life.

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Death by Degrees - Retro Reflections

I would expect a game with Nina Williams from the Tekken fighting series to be a beat’em up. However, “Death by degrees” is an action adventure where you explore a big ship, find items, open locks and avoid laser beams. There is also a lot of fighting but the control system is strange. You press the right analogue stick to kick to any direction while the face buttons are used for opening a map, interacting with the environment and running.

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Two Operation games to be excited for in 2017

Not 'Operation' as in the old board game where you stick a pair of tweezers into some poor unfortunate sap's body and get startled by a buzzing sound. No, this is a Steam release of a very enjoyable dungeon crawler we had played on the Vita previously and it's upcoming sequel.

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Xanadu Next - PC Review

Xanadu Next is an RPG from over a decade ago that released on PCs and the N-Gage over in Japan while only now seeing a worldwide localized release. While it shows its age a bit in regards to graphics and character designs (which gives it an awesome retro feel by today’s standards), it was interesting to try something different from Nihon Falcom which is known for both the Ys series and the Legend of Heroes (Trails in the Sky and of Trails of Cold Steel).

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Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 - 3DS Review

Gunvolt is back, and yet again, the strange Copen is the omnipresent thorn in his side. Fueled by his usual hatred for all Adepts, Copen is actually a playable character this time around.

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A Rose in the Twilight is Headed to North America and Europe in Spring 2017 for PS Vita and Steam

Another great-looking NIS America game has some information and a trailer to be shared out with us.

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Azure Striker Gunvolt - PC Review

After a long line of Mega Man games on handheld systems, Inti Creates proves themselves to
be the masters of the genre once more, this time with a new IP, Azure Striker Gunvolt.  ASG is about as Mega Man Zero/ZX as Mighty No. 9 is Mega Man, and while it does invite some comments about niche specialties or one-trick-pony syndrome, it is tried, proven, and still every bit as successful a formulae as it has ever been.

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Super Dungeon Bros - PS4 Review

When first firing up Super Dungeon Bros, I was immediately reminded of Gauntlet, one of my favorite old arcade games of all time. This looks like a more cartoonish, playful and possibly even more entertaining version of that formula. The problem is, once you strip away the charmingly cute exterior, Super Dungeon Bros is a decidedly average experience that does a few things right but has a few things wrong with it as well.

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Cladun Returns: This is Sengoku! Arriving in North America and Europe in Spring 2017 for PS4, PS Vita, and Steam

I know PY has already made his interest in this title known to our team. Not only do we have a little more information on the game, but a trailer as well.

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Sid Meier’s Civilization VI with Wake Up Dead Nitro - Beeps and Beers

It has been a few weeks since my last Beeps and Beers post - largely because we have been in 'busy season'. So many games come out in the fall and it can be tough to keep our heads above water as we try to follow all of the news and review as many games in a timely fashion as possible. One of those titles that slipped by us without a review was Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, but I have spent a good deal of time playing it on nights where I decided sleep was optional. Fall has arrived in force here in Michigan and as the weather has cooled my choice of beers has moved on from the early fall pumpkin, amber and Oktoberfest styles to the darker, richer stouts and porters, including Wake Up Dead Nitro, a Russian imperial stout by Left Hand Brewing.

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Memorable Music in Gaming #31

This edition of Memorable Music in Gaming has a very PC-heavy slant. Including one title that shows up twice with different songs.

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Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja STORM 4 expansion announced

Fans of the Naruto series will no doubt enjoy this bit of news about the expansion.

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SENRAN KAGURA Bon Appétit! - Full Course - PC Review

SENRAN KAGURA Bon Appétit! - Full Course is part of a rather interesting world that usually features fighting games, but this spin-off of the series is a rhythm based title. I honestly had no idea what to expect here, as variant games like this can be incredibly hit and miss, but I'm happy to say that my time spent with this one was enjoyable more often than not.

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Dark Cloud 2 - PS4 Review

Two years after Dark Cloud was released, Dark Cloud 2 came into being as Level-5’s second title. Other than keeping with certain elements of what made Dark Cloud what it was such as randomly generating town floors, town building simulations, weapon upgrades and degradation, Dark Cloud 2 was an entirely different experience. Set in a Steampunked setting and having nothing to do with the first, the Noble Maximilian and the Royalty from the future Monica band together in order to save that future from an Evil Emperor that would destroy it through the past which is Max’s present. It works.

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First Contact Entertainment Announces Sci-Fi VR Game 'ROM: Extraction'

Vive and Oculus owners will have a new virtual reality title to check out soon.

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Dark Cloud - PS4 Review

While we could debate backwards compatibility all day and until some of us are blue in the face because we’ve been holding our breaths for so long, the idea of PS2 games upscaled onto the PS4 with trophy support may be as good as we get. There are PS1 and PS2 classics for the PS3 and the Vita but it’s not the same as being able to take out the case for the game you want to play from two generations ago and insert its disk it into the most current generation.

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Siegecraft Commander - PC Preview

I am personally somewhat hit and miss on the real-time strategy genre, but one subset favorite of mine has been tower defense. Siegecraft Commander shifts things around a bit, creating a blur that is something more than tower defense yet not entirely what you would expect from RTS titles either. The current results are incredibly promising for fans of either genre.

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Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea announced

We enjoyed our time with this game when it first released and now Koei Tecmo has some news for us on the mobile front as well.

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Earth's Dawn - PS4 Review

Pushed to the brink of extinction after only a few days, Humanity had very little options left against the strength of an invading alien horde that could not be reasoned with. Outnumbered and outgunned, they did what it needed to survive even if it meant giving up what made them human in the first place. Gene splicing alien DNA into armor and then fusing those into soldiers willing to become something more in order to save their planet, those that survived the process now have a chance to push back against the aliens and take back what was theirs.

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HyperX Cloud Stinger Gaming Headset - Hardware Review

Near on two years ago Kingston took a risk and released the HyperX Cloud lineup and it paid off in a big way. Providing some of the best headsets money can buy, Kingston has firmly cemented itself as a premiere, yet affordable, peripherals manufacturer. Two years after the initial release we have the HyperX Stinger headset, an affordable entry-level headset for budget-minded gamers who are looking for excellence without having to shovel over piles of hard-earned money. The Stinger is without a doubt the best headset you can buy under $100 USD.

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New Titles from IFI's 3rd Annual Press Event

Lots of upcoming goodies from Idea Factory - let's take a look at these.

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Titanfall 2 - Xbox One Review

Titanfall 2 is the kind of game that is very hard for fans of fast-paced shooters to put down. I was a fan of the original game, but kudos to Respawn Entertainment for taking a good formula and improving upon it in almost every meaningful way.

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Vtin Rocker Bluetooth Speaker - Hardware Review

As I was incredibly impressed with the Vtin Punker Bluetooth speaker I approached the Vtin Rocker 10W waterproof speaker with gusto as the Punker really changed my opinion on wireless speaker technology. While I am not overly impressed with the Rocker when I compare it to the Punker, it is an excellent and affordable Bluetooth speaker.

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Seven years of Chalgyr's Game Room

This is the tail end of 'the busy season' here for gamers. There are still some releases forthcoming of course, but by and large the majority of the rush is behind us as the holiday season fast approaches. I'm going to take a moment out of our busy posting schedule lately just to thank all of you who come to this site to read what we write - the entire CGR staff appreciates that you choose to spend part of your day here.

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Memorable Music in Gaming #30

For this edition of Memorable Music in Gaming, I tried to pull inspiration from a handful of different places. Horror, strategy and RPGs make up the bulk of what I reflected on here. Horror in particular was a big part of the theme for me since we just recently experienced Halloween, and I've been playing a number of horror games in recent weeks as a result.

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TOMOKO I-500 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Hardware Review

I am generally considered a little guy; coming in at a little under 5 feet 6 inches of pure awesomeness, I do not take up a lot of space. Now contrary to popular belief, smaller folks like me tend to need lots of room and while I like lots of space around me, there is a certain part of me that secretly giggles with glee when the equipment I use also has a small footprint. Enter the TOMOKO I-500 tenkey-less, water resistant Blue Switch mechanical gaming keyboard. It is tiny, and thus, glorius. With a desktop footprint smaller than most modern mouse pads, the I-500 is the perfect traveling companion for on-the-go gamers or people that simply like to annoy the cubicle farm with the amazing "clickity-clack" of the Blue Switch, anti-ghosting keys.

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Dishonored 2 | Official Launch Trailer

Dishonored 2 recently released a new trailer that fans of the upcoming game are no doubt going to be interested in.

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TOMOKO 7200 DPI Gaming Mouse - Hardware Review

There is an incredible array of gaming mice available, from the uber-affordable TOMOKO 7200DPI gaming mouse I am reviewing today, to the costlier brand names like Logitech's G502 or Mionix's NAOS 8200. Really, selecting a mouse for your gaming or computing needs these days can be daunting and the wide range of options out there may lead to buyer paralysis. TOMOKO's T-60 "Mad spider Redemption" gaming mouse aims to give you the best of all worlds; ergonomics, performance, price. Where is excels at price, and thus leads to some of the best performance for the price, there are plenty of more comfortable mice for marginally more money.

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Vtin 20W Waterproof Outdoor Speaker - Hardware Review

My personal experience with wireless speakers began, and ended, back in 2006-2007. I had been working at an upscale home theater company in Orlando, Florida where I was wildly spoiled by the likes of Bang & Olufsen, Martin Logan, DefTec, and a number of premiere home audio providers and at the same time, flat panel televisions were becoming all the rage.

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Zero Escape: The Nonary Games Releases Spring 2017 on PS4 and Vita

Simply put, Zero Escape is awesome - and so is this announcement.

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Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour - PS4 Review

A Crisp and Reliable Royal-ass-kicking.

Like most gamers with a lifetime of virtual experiences, my current opinion of games played during my childhood and overconfident teenage years is often aggrandized by nostalgia. Playing these classic titles in the present day arouses sweet memories and emotions specific to the awe and wonder of my first play-through, so even if a game has aged like a rock star who’s spent his best crowd-surfing years cleansing and exfoliating his face with innumerable breasts caked in cocaine residue, I’d probably still enjoy and adore the title for the pleasure it gifted me with during those formative years.

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Ape Escape 2 - Retro Reflections

I am not a fan of platform games although I admired Bubble Bobble on the arcades and was very good at Snow Bros. I have played Rayman, Ratchet and Clank and Crash Bandicoot but none of these games made me love the genre. Ape Escape 2 didn’t make a difference either, however, it is the most joyful, original platform game I have played.

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First-person space survival game Hellion revealed

Zero Gravity today revealed that their upcoming PC first-person action multiplayer space survival game Hellion will be playable for the first time to consumer and trade visitors attending the Reboot InfoGamer Conference 2016, the fifth annual edition of the rapidly expanding games show that takes place in Zagreb, Croatia from November 8th to 13th.

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Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - Mac Review

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided delivers with an awesome combination of action and roleplaying elements. Some mechanics work better than others, with systems like hacking becoming somewhat repetitive while others such as augmentations providing some real ownership over how you play the game. The end result is a title that feels like it is the second part of a bigger trilogy and fans of Deus Ex should find plenty to like with this release.

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Getting started with Simulation Racing - Gaming Thoughts

In my experience, if you ask just about any serious sim racer how they got started, you’ll typically find they’ll be glad to relate the story behind what it was that got them strapped into the world of virtual racing. For me, it was a friend that had both actual track time racing midgets earlier in his life and past sim racing experience, whom desired to convert an old racing arcade cabinet into a new age racing simulator. I saw firsthand both how easy it is to monetarily invest in this hobby greatly as well as how it can potentially be quite easy to get started with only a minimal investment as well. If you’re on the fence about becoming a virtual sim racer, let’s see if we can get you properly strapped in without a fuss.

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EVP horror game Sylvio is coming to PS4 and XBox One

Quite some time ago, I had a chance to review the horror game Sylvio, and I generally came away impressed with its atmospheric tension. It makes sense that the title is finally releasing on consoles, where its control scheme should be a natural fit.

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King's Quest Chapter 5: The Good Knight - PS4 Review

With the final chapter of this charming tale in the books, I can safely say that while King's Quest Chapter 5: The Good Knight is not the best episode in the series, it does provide a satisfying conclusion to Graham's adventures.

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Trillion: God of Destruction - PC Review

Dark, gritty and willing to take chances, Trillion: God of Destruction is an interesting strategy/RPG hybrid that sometimes struggles to find an identity but still serves up a memorable experience. Trillion won't be for everyone, but fans of JRPG or strategy games should give this one a chance.

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Combat styles and pre-order bonus info for Berserk and the Band of the Hawk

Wield a Variety of Empowering Weapons and Cut Down Demonic Apostles in Action-Packed Battle Sequences That Bring ‘Berserk’ to Life

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BlazeRush - PC / VR Review

BlazeRush offers some incredibly frantic racing action that is a blast with multiplayer. The environments are inventive and the overall gameplay is exciting. While virtual reality is certainly a welcome addition to the game, BlazeRush is a good time even without the Oculus Rift. There enough modes and options to keep you coming back for more and the simple yet effect control scheme is indeed an addicting one.

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FATED: The Silent Oath - PC / VR Review

FATED: The Silent Oath is an interesting experience that shows virtual reality can be more than shock scares or first person thrill rides. That being said, the adventure is short and there are enough rough edges that detract from the overall experience which I enjoyed, but not without some compromise.

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Through the Woods - PC Review

Through the Woods nails creepy atmosphere and has an interesting story that draws on Norse mythology - something that gives it a unique feeling. However, sometimes finicky mechanics and some other rough edges dampen the experience and hold the game back from ever reaching its potential. That is a shame because Through the Woods presents several missed opportunities where the development team executed on some things very well, while other less effective aspects of the presentation hurt the experience as a whole.

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Space Wars: 100+ Ships, 1000s of Crew Build Combinations for Early Access

There is a sizeable new update for Space Wars that fans of the Early Access title should be interested in.

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BlazBlue: Central Fiction - PS4 Review

BlazBlue: Central Fiction is an excellent addition to the long-running 2D fighting franchise. The complex combat systems are back, rewarding players willing to put the time into mastering the game's mechanics. If this is indeed the final chapter in the series, it is going out on an incredibly high note.

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