Ghostlight Announces Mary Skelter 2 for PC in 2022!

BRAINTREE, UK – 17/12/2021 - Ghostlight has today announced that they will be bringing Mary Skelter 2, the sequel to Compile Heart’s dark fairy tale dungeon crawler, Mary Skelter, to PC in 2022.

What must you sacrifice to escape fate? Find out in this nightmarish dungeon-crawling RPG! The Nightmare continues in Mary Skelter 2! In this first-person dungeon crawler, play as fairytale-inspired characters called Blood Maidens, each with deeply customizable character-specific classes. Balance between power and madness in turn-based battles with a blood-fueled transformation system and escape a living prison while indestructible Nightmares give chase in real-time.

The Jail - a living prison that feeds on the humans trapped within its confines. The Jail appeared a number of years ago with the caving of the city around it.

Now twisted creatures known as Marchens and treacherous Nightmares roam its halls. Otsuu and Little Mermaid are a part of a group of humans known as "Dawn" attempting to survive these horrors. They succeed in saving Alice and a young man named Jack on one mission. However, on their return back to base, Alice goes mad and begins attacking those around her. Alice strikes Jack, who was trying to protect Otsuu and Little Mermaid, knocking them down a chasm. Later, Otsuu and Little Mermaid awaken from the fall only to find Jack on the verge of death...

And so begins our tale of escape from fate, led by a group of girls seeking sanctuary in this mad world, and of the young man who would transform into madness itself - a Nightmare.

Mary Skelter 2 revisits the previous game by including the full remake of Mary Skelter: Nightmares. Improvements made in the remake have been reflected in Mary Skelter 2, for an even more intense experience!

●     Overcome the fury and the bloodbath of battles!

●     Use the Madness of Massacre Mode and Blood Skelter Mode to turn the tides of Battle!

●     Use the Job System to change your abilities and your style!

●     Use your blood abilities to overcome fiendish traps and solve cunning puzzles! Reviews for Mary Skelter 2 have been fantastic too, with Cubed3 saying: “With Mary Skelter 2, Compile Heart has shown that they can deliver a phenomenal DRPG. Every aspect of this entry has been refined to a near-flawless level.” Meanwhile, Digitally Downloaded said: “It's the sequel to one of the most original and memorable dungeon crawlers in recent memory, and that too makes it one of the most original and memorable dungeon crawlers in recent memory.” RPGamer has this to add: “...Mary Skelter 2 gets a hearty recommendation.”

Established in 2004, Ghostlight specializes in bringing the best in Japanese gaming to the PAL region. Ghostlight has released numerous JRPGs such as the Agarest series, Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, and multiple entries in the Shin Megami Tensei series, including Devil Survivor Overclocked and Persona 3 Portable. Ghostlight has recently released Lost Dimension, Sorcery Saga: Curse of the Curry God, and Mary Skelter: Nightmares on PC, and Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force on Nintendo Switch as well as titles from Acquire’s respected Way of the Samurai series. http://www.ghostlight.uk.com/

Article by: Susan N.

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Aspire: Ina's Tale Is Out on Steam, Epic Games Store, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox!

17 December 2021 – Warsaw, Poland + Porto Alegre, Brazil | Untold Tales and Wondernaut Studio have released the evocative yet delicately twisted Aspire: Ina’s Tale. The game is out now on Steam, Epic Games Store, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox.

Website: https://aspireinastale.com/

Trapped in perpetual slumber inside the cruel Tower that feeds off the dreams of its victims, one prisoner awakes. Lost inside the Tower’s inner chambers, the heroine Ina must now search for a way out. Along the way, she’ll traverse marvelous scenery, meet enigmatic characters, solve intuitive puzzles, and conquer platforming sequences as she comes closer to her goal - but farther from innocence.

RELEASE TIMES

●     Xbox One: Midnight local time

●     Nintendo: EU: 3:00 pm CET

●     Nintendo US: 9:00 am PST

●     STEAM: 7pm CET / 10:00 AM PST

FEATURES:

EXPLORE A LIVING TOWER: Get lost in a mystical side-scrolling adventure through beautiful sprawling levels, each with their own distinct feel. Every region presents its own peculiarities to unravel.

ENGAGING STORY: Ina's dreams shape reality while the Tower feeds. Hopes and imagination satiate its hunger. How are the two connected?

MEET THE TOWER DWELLERS: Learn about the other denizens of the Tower as you search for the truth. Uncover their pasts, their memories, and set them free.  

CONTROL SPIRITS: Ina was trapped for a reason, and her powers resonate with the spirits that inhabit the Tower. Use them to manipulate objects, solve puzzles, reveal hidden passages, and navigate the environment to find your way out.

Article by: Susan N.

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Happy Holidays from Chalgyr's Game Room!

With our 2021 gaming and reviewing year having wrapped up this morning, we want to both thank everyone who's stopped by and supported us with their readership as well as wish you a Happy Holiday! Taking at least a good week off, we'll be back at with new content the second week of January.

That said, to not leave you empty handed, the first week of January we are going to be happy to present to you our CGR 2021 GotY Collection spanning the following categories for a week's worth of memories

●     Biggest surprises

●     Biggest disappointments

●     Guilty pleasures

●     GotY runner ups

●     Games of the Year

Thank you all again and we look forward to next year! Happy Holidays!!

- The Chalgyr's Game Room's Staff

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Happy's Humble Burger Farm - XB1 Review

Happy's Humble Burger Farm by developer Scythe Dev Team and publisher tinyBuild—Microsoft Xbox One review written by David with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

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Clocking in for a horrifying simulator of life at minimum wage, we’re exploring restaurant management at Happy’s Humble Burger Farm, a “quiet” restaurant on the edge of town. I’ve spent fifteen years in the food industry now, most of that has been behind the line in the kitchen of a full-service restaurant, but I’ve held my fair share of management and fast food positions as well. I signed up for the game expecting a laugh, the concept was good enough for a chuckle, and I’m always up for some spooky exploration. What I wasn’t prepared for was the exact same stresses I have experienced at actual work.  From an out-of-touch boss that doesn’t care to impossible coworkers and noxious customers, it’s all there.

Waking up to an obnoxious alarm in a dingy apartment with a call from your boss was way too familiar as the game starts in post-tutorial. A large bed fills most of the room, there’s a fair amount of living space in the front, and even a walk-in closet in the bathroom. Not gonna lie, I’ve lived in worse. Toe is a pretty bad neighbor though. Across the hall and one door down lives your coworker and, as the game calls him, your best friend and he opens your door every time he walks past it. You find a recording later that reveals he is 35 years old, and has regressed mentally to the point where he can barely stand there staring at the burgers on the grill as they burn.

Step outside and smell that fresh, New Elysian air. Just, don’t do it through your nose. Your boss reminds you that you do not live in the nice part of town, and that you can’t even take the bus to work, right as you exit the building and see a mess of cop cars and a helicopter surrounding a fiery car crash. Toe seems unfazed though, hands mimicking handlebars as he jogs down the street and into the most ominous street tunnel I’ve ever seen. Luckily, this part of town really likes its burgers, because there are full-on road signs directing you past a series of construction sites, one with a bunch of workers wandering around, to take you to Happy’s Humble Burger Farm.

Full traps outside the place, truck just left outside the back door, trash from the night before still around the lobby, and the creepiest statues of the cartoon characters the restaurant is based around you could expect from a restaurant. Not so creepy once the lights are on, Charlie the Chicken even has a whole beatnik vibe. Do not interact with the farmer. Oh yeah, this was one of those restaurants. I shook my head in real life, ticking off the past jobs I’d never return to if my life depended on it as I started up the grill.

This kitchen is absurd too. All of the patties are kept in the back freezer, you can’t assemble your sandwiches on the board attached to the cooler the toppings are kept in, and you have to go all the way around the whole dressing station to get to your fryers and warming tray from the bagging station. I wanna have a conversation with whoever at corporate organized this nonsense, ‘cause there is no way it came from in-store choices. Drink station and shakes are alright though, easy to fire-and-forget while you fill the rest of the order.

Simplicity is the goal with this menu. Three proteins, five toppings, order it how you want. Do not get orders wrong. It’s fast food though, you don’t have all day. Work smarter, not harder as my boss always said from the office chair. Some handy notes have been added to your employee guide, like “Prepare burger while patty is cooking” and “Do not upset her” Ignore the scrambling naked man along the floor, it’s the twitchy one coming from the bathroom you’ve gotta worry about. He’s a fan of the Poppin’ Pork sandwich and Petey the Pig, and will just explode if you get in his way. Clean up before you leave, and try not to think too hard about where the farmer was standing when you clocked in. Some bricks will smash through a front window to the restaurant as you’re heading out. Someone didn’t like their Salmon Nuggets I guess.

Day three is where things get extra interesting. The construction site has an accident, and you find a burning crane has smashed the fence in front of the warehouse with all the workers. Your boss told you to not check it out, to leave it to the professionals, but they’re not here, and we’ve got time before our shift. You can just go to work here, pick up another element to the kitchen, add tasks to complete in that limited order time, keeping from upsetting happy. If you’re like me, you can instead fight a gigantic, mutated, biomechanical Petey the Pig who tears explosive hunks of flesh from himself to throw at you as you dodge those twitchy, exploding people and try to make three Poppin’ Pork Sandwiches with all five toppings to throw down Petey’s throat. After which he’ll explode, revealing a very messy tunnel through him to get some lore dumps and things for crafting.

Go to work after, make some money, save your money, you’ll need it. Finish your shift, go home, and find a robot in your closet who reveals that everything is fake, and that the person before you made a bunch of recipes to escape. Something tells me it didn’t work. Maybe it did, and that’s why they’re gone now. I doubt it though. Petey was the easiest of the crew to get past, in my opinion. Charlie is not a Chill Chicken. I’m trapped though, endlessly making burgers for dead-eyed customers and naked floor-crawlers.

The game suffers some drawbacks for the console version. It’s a sim, so it’s button-heavy, and just doesn’t translate smoothly to a controller. The sensitivity settings likewise are a bit lacking for what’s needed to be effective at the game. They have eight color filter options for different visual needs though. If anything though, it increases the stress when it gets real spooky.

Summary

Jumpy, fast, chaotic, and downright creepy; if you want more of the existential dread of managing a fast food restaurant with an extra side of being eaten by horrifying barnyard companions Happy’s Humble Burger Farm delivers.

Score: 8 / 10

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Tactical Roguelike Deckbuilder 'Castle Morihisa' Arriving in 2022!

BEIJING – Dec. 16, 2021 - Castle Morihisa, the tactical roguelike deckbuilder set in a dark fantasy feudal Japan from developer Smokingbear Studio and publisher Thermite Games, arrives on Windows PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch in early 2022.

Following a military decree by the shogunate, Castle Morihisa fell silent. Rumors have it the castle’s lord set his sights on usurping the throne. As unease descends on the land, metsuke Yagyū Munenori calls upon a trusted spy to investigate and report back to the shogunate.

Trek toward the ominous castle as one of four different classes: Monk, Samurai, Onmyoji, and Ninja, each with their own distinct deck of cards. Master the Monk’s Meditation and Mantra systems to stun foes and channel karma to bolster armor. Cut down enemies with the Samurai’s katana, employing Sakura and Retaliation for massive damage. Summon Shikigami spirits and leech life with the Onmyoji’s blood magic. Stalk prey as the Ninja and unleash Mantra Sign, Kunai, and Shuriken skills in devastating combos.

Build a deck from more than 300 cards and fight against enemies inspired by Japanese folklore. Spend action points to deal damage or add armor to mitigate incoming attacks. Concoct card combos to turn the tide of increasingly harrowing battles. Overcome overwhelming odds to earn talent points to unlock game-changing passive abilities and provide an array of viable builds rife for experimentation across multiple runs.

Spend hard-earned coins at the card shop to build out the perfect deck while marching ever closer to Castle Morihisa. Encounter random events, minibosses, and more on an overworld map inspired by classic Ukiyo-e art. Commune with legendary fallen warriors, harnessing their spirits for limited, multi-use powers. Strive to reach Castle Morihisa, but do not fear failure. Each new run features randomly generated encounters for a consistently unpredictable experience.

“Castle Morihisa gracefully combines the challenge of tactical deckbuilders, roguelike mechanics, and Japanese folklore into a highly replayable package,” said Zhenghang Cai, Game Producer, Smokingbear Studios. “With multiple characters, skill systems, and cards to learn and master, Castle Morhisia will challenge players on PC and Switch when it launches early next year!”

Castle Morihisa will launch on Windows PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch in early 2022 for $14.99/€12.49, with English, Japanese, French, German, Russian, Spanish, and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)- language support. A free demo is available to download on Steam.

For more information, please visit the official Steam page, join the Discord community, and follow Thermite Games on Twitter.

About Thermite Games

Thermite Games is a Beijing-based publisher comprised of industry veterans. Formed in 2020, Thermite Games specializes in bringing indie games and premium content to players across the globe.

For more information, please visit the official Thermite Games Twitter page.

Article by: Susan N.

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'Aliisha: The Oblivion Of Twin Goddesses' Is Coming To Nintendo Switch In Spring 2022!

PQube (London, UK) - December 15th, 2021 - PQube, developer UNDERSCORE, and co-developer Joy Brick Inc. are excited to reveal that vibrant and stunning fantasy adventure 'Aliisha: The Oblivion Of Twin Goddesses' is coming to Nintendo Switch in Spring 2022 with both digital and physical releases!

●     Prepare for an emotional journey as you unravel the mystery of the two twins, Lisha and Aisha

●     Control Lisha's AI robot AMBU to accompany Aisha in her journey

●     Explore a stunning 3D world either alone, or with a friend

●     Introducing a unique local co-op mode, where one player controls Aisha with the Joy-Con controller on the TV, and the other plays as Lisha with the Nintendo Switch system in handheld mode

●     Built specifically around the unique hardware features of the Nintendo Switch system, use the Joy-Con controller and HD Rumble to operate devices in the story

●     Multiple endings based on your choices and progression throughout the game

●     Two unique musical scores for each sister that combine for a beautiful soundtrack

●     Read an interview with the developers here, with thanks to our friends at Rice Digital

Check out the 'Aliisha: The Oblivion Of Twin Goddesses' Announcement trailer:

Meet The Twins

Meet Lisha and Aisha, average twin girls on the first glace but as you peek behind the façade you realize, there is something distinguishing themselves from those around them: Lisha has been born nearly incapable to perceive emotions or affections, while Aisha has the inability to feel pain.

Stumbling across an abandoned temple told by an ancient folklore tale, the sisters decide to explore and find answers. Get ready to go on an adventure with Aisha and AMBU and solve the riddle around the souls of twins.

A Unique Co-op Experience

Offering you a unique gameplay experience, 'Aliisha: The Oblivion Of Twin Goddesses' is playable either alone or with a friend. With its intriguing co-op mode, each character is controlled in their own distinctive way requiring you to work together to combine the twin’s abilities.

Play as adventurous Aisha or rational Lisha and her sidekick AMBU, an AI emotions-collector, as you try to discover the game's mysteries. Control Aisha by using the Joy-Con controller on the TV, while the other player commands Lisha's AI Robot using the Nintendo Switch system in handheld mode.

An Emotional Journey Only Available On Nintendo Switch!

Built specifically around the unique hardware features of the Nintendo Switch system, 'Aliisha: The Oblivion Of Twin Goddesses' is an emotional journey into the unknown with distinctive and surprising gameplay.

Experiment by swapping characters while playing alone - or bring a friend along for the adventure and tackle the temple together!

Collector's Edition Available To Pre-Order Now!

The 'Aliisha: The Oblivion Of Twin Goddesses' Collector's Edition is available to pre-order now through our friends at Funstock! This edition of the game includes:

●     Physical Version Of The Game

●     Set Of 4 Art Cards (A6 size)

●     126 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle (100x148mm when complete)

●     Test Tube Packaging For Jigsaw Puzzle

●     52 Page Art Book

●     Collector's Edition Box

'Aliisha: The Oblivion Of Twin Goddesses' Will Release on Nintendo Switch In Spring 2022!

For updates on 'Aliisha: The Oblivion Of Twin Goddesses', follow the game on Instagram, Facebook and visit the official website at http://aliishathegame.com/

For more information and the latest news from PQube, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, Instagram and our official website: http://pqube.co.uk/

Article by: Susan N.

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Resistance Games and Firesquid Game Announce Ambitious Strategy Game 'Great Houses of Calderia'

Paris / France / December 15th, 2021 – New Franco-Swedish publisher, Firesquid Games, and Finnish developer, Resistance Games, have now officially announced Great Houses of Calderia, an ambitious grand strategy game that invites would-be rulers to claim their own birthright while maintaining deep and complex bonds with family and bordering houses.

Set to hit Steam Early Access in 2022, Great Houses of Calderia is Crusader Kings III meets Game of Thrones. Run your house and interact with your family to successfully form diplomatic relations with neighboring houses. It’s up to you to secure your family’s future and secure your legacy: will your family’s rule be remembered as a beloved dynasty or an eerie distant memory as an age of tyranny? The choice is yours.

Players take on the role of one of the many great houses of Calderia. It’s more than just ruling as a leader, but maintaining an entire family full of unique characters that can act of their own volition during your reign, bringing dynamism and immersion to the game. The stakes are high when it comes to sending your family across the land of Calderia, as based on their actions, they can cause ripples in forged alliances.

Great Houses of Calderia will support mods on release, allowing the community to forge their own stories centered around its unique world. Players are encouraged to share their unique experiences and tell their own stories for a focused, highly replayable experience, allowing users to have fun managing their own dynasties.

Great Houses of Calderia can be wishlisted now on Steam, and would-be rulers can begin building their legacies when the game enters Early Access in the first half of 2022. While you wait, be sure to join the official Discord server to talk with the developers and other users to share the vision of your legacy. What kind of ruler will you be?

Key Features:

●     Real-time tactical resources management system gives players strategic control in both battles and social conflicts

●     Organize trade agreements and send delegations to your competing houses

●     Define the traditions of your family over generations and gain unique advantages and weaknesses

●     Appoint your family members to key tasks in your delegations to trade, spy, negotiate and lead your armies. Organize marriages and secure your succession

●     Key characters have their own personality shaped by the events they will face impacting their willingness and ability to serve you right

●     Hundreds of unique events with important decisions to take in order to tackle a wide range of situations from diplomacy to war to the personal journey of family members

●     Assign key characters to oversee productions of a Fiefdom to specialize your economy to gain competitive advantage

●     Discover the fantastic land of Calderia and solve its legends and myths

●     Create your own unique stories with native mod support available at launch

Article by: Susan N.

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Wartales - PC Preview

Wartales by developer Shiro Games and publisher Shiro Unlimited—PC (Steam) review written by Hayden with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

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Wartales by Shiro Games and Shiro Unlimited is an evolution of classic isometric RPGs. Billed by the developer as “an open world RPG in which you lead a group of mercenaries in their search for wealth across a massive medieval universe”, this is one early access game where that is exactly what the player will get. From the zoomed in isometric combat view where players can micro-manage every character and action to the zoomed out party-as-tiny-sprites worldview, anyone who has played other isometric RPGs (Pathfinder, Pillars of Eternity, Tyranny, Icewind Dale, etc.) will quickly feel right with the way Wartales presents its world.

Taking on the role of a band of mercenaries, players are challenged to survive, grow their group and explore the world. From collecting harvestable resources on the world map for sale to fulfilling combat contracts to theft or raiding merchants, the player needs to choose (and keep) a steady income stream in order to pay their troops. Failure to pay or provide other necessities and comforts will create unhappiness in the band, eventually leading to troops leaving. The game provides a bit of pushback against large parties by having each member of the troop provide a small happiness malus, leading to a cap of around 10 troops unless the player goes hunting for specific traits that sidestep this in their recruiting. Given the need to micromanage every character’s movement and actions during combat, this is really quite sufficient, as larger groups take ever longer to get through each combat round.

Wartales nails quite a few elements of the classic isometric RPG in its core design, and the core game feels quite polished for an Early Access title. Movement, iconography and actions on the world map are clear and intuitive, and there is a sense the world is inhabited with merchant caravans, bandit groups and others moving about. Towns are handled as a halfway level between world movement and combat - zoomed in enough that you can see the buildings and select specific locations, but clear of sprite movement and character micromanagement.

Selecting particular locations (either in a town or finding them out in the world) brings the player into a third level of detail - a fairly static, 3d-like tableau where individual characters or crates and objects can be interacted with. This is what you’ll see when you find a marketplace, forge, or enter a mine - mousing around to see what highlights as interactable and what is just window dressing. Many of these locations contain mini-games for the player - mining and forging are two that are introduced early in the game, and give the player a measure of control over the quality of their output.

Combat in Wartales follows tried-and-true recipes that have worked before, and they still work here without feeling dated. Every character is individually controlled by the player, with available actions and abilities determined by a combination of their equipment and base class. Turn order is represented by a series of icons always visible in the bottom left of the combat UI, showing how many characters the player can use before the next enemy (or NPC Ally in some cases) acts.

A nice extra that Wartales uses here is that the icon for the enemies shows either the specific portrait of who is going to act and highlights them on the map for the player to see on selection ahead of time, or in the case of special “champion” (aka boss) units will show what ability will be used and gives a tooltip description of the effect. These allow for attentive players to plan their own actions around predictions of enemy actions - killing/disabling/debuffing enemies before their turn, using terrain to block LOS, avoiding upcoming charge-up attacks and similar tactics. Combat maps in Wartales use a variety of palettes to illustrate biome, and include both terrain that affects pathing/LOS as well as hazards like ground-based traps and benefits like old spears that can be scooped up for a one-off free ranged attack.

If there is an area that Wartales is weak in right now, it is how it handles pathing on the zoomed out world map. Pathing on this map is very much clicking a point and the party sprite will try to move in a straight line towards it - which means that it can get caught on terrain and the player will then have to point-by-point guide them around to a safe path. Similarly, there are skills that the party can learn that increase movement speeds on roads, but no way lock the party to actually use these, so it's back to point-by-point clicking to keep the group following the curving roads through the world.

Finally, there isn’t any way (or if there is, it isn’t clearly presented to the player) to set up waypoints or similar routing, so you can’t just set up multiple points to approximate the road and let it go - you have to click each point in turn in front of the party, as they get close. A bit tiresome if you really want to take advantage of the ability you spent time to learn, but really quite a minor irritant in terms of the overall gameplay. I should note that the in-combat pathing doesn’t seem to suffer from this weakness, with the game able to automatically handle movement paths that curve around objects and enemies without trouble.

Summary

Overall, Wartales is an enjoyable take on a medieval setting, presented in a hybrid isometric RPG form. Clean, easy-to-understand icons and visuals make jumping into the game fairly quick and intuitive if you have done any gaming previously, and a short-term official roadmap (released on Reddit) gives clarity on where the developers are going to be further fleshing out the game. Overall quite polished for just having entered Early Access, the only fault I can find with this title is a bit of weakness in pathing on its world map - a very minor complaint for a game at this stage of the development cycle.

Score: N/A

In a world of games that get 70-80% review scores due to unfinished or buggy content at release, Wartales is headed solidly for the 90’s if developer Shiro Games can maintain the level of quality they have shown so far.

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Destiny 2 - Bungie 30th Anniversary Pack

Destiny 2: Bungie 30th Anniversary Pack by developer and publisher Bungie—PC (Steam) review written by Robert with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

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Aimed to celebrate the vaunted developer’s 30^th anniversary, Bungie’s Destiny 2: 30^th Anniversary Pack tastefully leans into that nostalgic feeling for better days… and it works. Even though I have been especially critical of Bungie’s decisions in the past, from botched releases to partnering with enemy megacorp #1, Bungie’s given me plenty of reasons to be skeptical of their choices. However, Bungie has also consistently wowed me with their connection to their gamers… feedback is taken wholeheartedly by Bungie, reviewed, iterated upon, and then they actually implement the changes based on said feedback. That is huge in this industry as too often gamers are taken advantage of and it’s nice to see that, though there may be internal struggles going on, there’s still a consumer-friendly (read: gamer-friendly) relationship with its fanbase.

Weird as it may seem to say given my position on them being more consumer-friendly than other studios of their size and pedigree, the 30^th Anniversary Pack for Destiny 2 is well worth the $25 USD ($30 CAD for those on the team up in the Canadian north) that it costs on Steam. Sure, you’re essentially paying for cosmetics and a single 3-person dungeon run, which might seem anti-consumer but the way that Bungie approached their 30^th anniversary is why I’m so enamored with them.

Gallerhjorn, the exceptionally sharp-looking armor set (serious props here because I really, really don’t like Destiny’s aesthetic design language at all), a run through Xur’s Loot Cave, as well as a number of other in-game rewards and events all tie in to an experience that isn’t just celebrating Bungie – It’s celebrating gamers. From the wicked fun gameshow-like dungeon to the plethora of Easter Eggs, to the introduction of a handful of weapons from a number of Bungie’s beloved classics (Halo being front and center there) and that is actually what prompted me to give Destiny 2 a spin again as it had been a while since I last played (Editor's Note (PY): You and me both...).

By “a while” I mean, the last time I played Destiny 2 would have been the second week in September, 2017 a week after it released. I went in to Destiny 2 hoping against hope that Bungie had learned lessoned and implemented changes to prevent another Destiny 1-launch style experience. While better I felt just as betrayed as I did when Destiny 1 initially released, so I put the franchise down and didn’t expect to get back into it. Then I saw the Anniversary Pack and just… perhaps it came at just the right time; right around the holidays when seasonal depression is at it’s heaviest, so I was looking for something comfortable and was utterly floored when it was this pack that I landed on.

As I said, I thought I was done with the franchise, but seeing Gallerhjorn and the various “Bungie Day Events” just hit me at the right time. So here we are- 35 or so hours later and I’m legitimately shocked. Not only did I find myself enjoying the entire experience, but there was a certain newness to the nostalgia that I felt- it was exciting because it was uncharted territory, but it was comfortable because of the nostalgia (or, if you look at it in a different way… because Bungie’s respect, appreciation, and devotion come through on nearly every aspect of the Anniversary Pack) that was so perfectly timed. I think the best way to put is that it’s like being able to experience something you’ve already experienced, but experience it again for the first time.

Though we traditionally score our reviews, given the aim and design of the 30^th Anniversary Pack, it’s difficult to come up with an individual score, in part because it’s not a true DLC / Expansion; it is, instead, an elaborate celebration within Destiny 2 that shows Bungie listens, cares, and may even truly appreciate the people that rose them (Bungie) to the celebrated status that they enjoy today. Though they have their internal struggles, some of which there is no excuse for, it is important to recognize that they are, and continue to be, a world-class development studio in a world where consumer-friendly integrity is fleeting at best.

Summary

While I could slap an arbitrary score on the Anniversary Pack (it’d be a solid 8), I think it’s more important to note that rather than a score, I wholeheartedly recommend that you pick up the Destiny 2: Bungie 30^th Anniversary Pack – it is worth the time and if you take it slow enough your first go around, you’ll see who it is that Bungie is truly celebrating here.

Here’s to another 30 years

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Redout 2 is Racing to All Platforms in 2022 from Developer 34BigThings and Publisher Saber Interactive

TORINO, Italy – Dec. 13, 2021 – 34BigThings has announced Redout 2, the fastest anti-gravity (AG) racing game in the universe. Published by Saber Interactive, this sequel to the award-winning Redout is coming to PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in 2022.

Redout 2 is the next generation of the hit series where racing through the dystopian wastelands of Earth is one of the galaxy’s most popular sports. A tribute to classic AG racing legends like Wipeout and F-Zero, Redout 2 carries on this legacy with lightning-fast speed, adrenaline, and action combined with stunning visuals and audio. Reach impossible speeds in exhilarating futuristic races across an expansive single-player campaign and competitive online multiplayer featuring in-depth controls, robust hovership ship customization, and a killer original soundtrack.

Key Features:

●     Speed & Control: With blazing-fast speeds of over 1,000 km/h and an intuitive driving system, Redout 2 is a blast to pick up and play, but truly rewarding for any who can master its super-high skill ceiling.

●     Extensive Career Mode: Fly through hundreds of events across 36 unique racetracks - all of which are reversible! From Arena Races and Time Attacks to Last Man Standing and intense Boss Races, dart past the competition and dominate the finish line.

●     Competitive Multiplayer: Take on rivals in intense online multiplayer. Dive into fresh challenges with regularly added custom content and seasons featuring bonus aesthetic rewards.

●     Comprehensive Customization: Choose from 12 distinct chassis and fully customize your own hovership with an incredible selection of propulsors, stabilizers, rudders, intercoolers, flaps, magnets, wings, spoilers, rocket engines, paints and more!

●     Experience an original futuristic soundtrack from leading electronic artists like the legendary Giorgio Moroder and acclaimed talents such as Zardonic and Dance with the Dead, with tracks seamlessly and dynamically mixed based on real-time race data.

●     Create and share your best high-speed moments with Redout 2’s Photo Mode.

Redout 2 is available to wishlist now on Steam. For the latest updates on the game, visit the official website, and follow along on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Discord.

About 34BigThings

Established in 2013, 34BigThings is a leading Italian developer for premium games across PC, console, and mobile devices which uses cutting-edge technology to create innovative, genre-leading games that receive critical acclaim and capture the imagination of gamers around the world. The studio has released over 10 premium games topping charts on most gaming platforms. 34BigThings joined Saber Interactive in November 2020.

For more information, visit www.34BigThings.com, and follow the studio on Twitter.

About Saber Interactive

An Embracer Group company headquartered in the U.S., Saber Interactive is a worldwide publisher and developer operating across 19 studios in the Americas and Europe, including Saber development offices in Russia, Spain, Belarus, Sweden, and Portugal. Creating games for all major platforms based on both original and licensed IPs, Saber’s titles include World War Z with over 15 million players worldwide (built on the proprietary Swarm Engine™), SnowRunner, the NBA Playgrounds franchise, and the upcoming Evil Dead: The Game. Founded in 2001, Saber is known for two decades of development partnerships with AAA publishers, producing The Witcher III for Nintendo Switch and next-gen consoles, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Crysis Remastered, Quake Champions, and many others.

Article by: Susan N.

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Midgar Studio Working with Dear Villagers to Release Edge of Eternity on Consoles in 2022

Nimes, France (Dec. 10, 2021) - Indie developer Midgar Studio, working in partnership with publisher Dear Villagers, has announced the console release date of their hit JRPG Edge Of Eternity. The game, which launched on PC this June, will be out on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One on Feb. 10, 2022.

It was also announced that Edge of Eternity will be coming to Nintendo Switch as a cloud version. Edge of Eternity - Cloud Version will land on Feb. 23, 2022.

The console versions will benefit from all current and upcoming updates and fixes the PC version receives. Moreover, all console versions and PC will get a Japanese voiceover update on Feb. 10, 2022.

In a world torn asunder, the people of Heryon pursue a desperate war against a mysterious invader. As this conflict opposing magic and technology grows to cataclysmic proportions, a new threat emerges from the battlefield. Wage epic turn-based battles as you follow Daryon and Selene in their quest to find a cure to the all-consuming Corrosion and save the world of Heryon.

Edge Of Eternity is developed by a small indie team based in the south of France. The game was made possible by over 4,000 fans who supported the game via a successful Kickstarter campaign. The crowdfunding was so successful that Midgar Studio was able to work with the legendary JRPG composer of Chrono Trigger Yasunori Mitsuda.

“Bringing this JRPG world to life has been a tremendous labor of love,” said Jeremy Zeler, founder of Midgar Studio. “I look forward to delivering this experience to the console players who have been so patient with our team. I think it’ll be worth the wait!”

About Edge Of Eternity:

●     A Deep & Strategic Combat System: Outwit your enemies in epic turn-based tactical combat: use the environment to lure them into devious traps, outsmart and outflank them to inflict massive damage. Craft your gear and inset it with powerful crystals to unlock unique combinations of skills and power-ups.

●     A Cast of Charismatic Characters: Meet a cast of larger-than-life companions, each with their own unique personalities and attributes. Discover their dreams, flaws, hopes and torments as you experience and share many special moments together.

●     A Gorgeous World to Discover: Journey through Heryon’s unique and ethereal environments, and unearth its most ancient secrets.

●     A Stunning Soundtrack from the Composer of Chrono Trigger & Xenoblade Chronicles: Heryon is brought to life by a sublime soundtrack from industry legend and composer of Chrono Trigger & Xenoblade Chronicles, Yasunori Mitsuda

About Midgar Studio

Midgar Studio is a small French independent development studio created in 2008 and composed of thirteen video game enthusiasts. The studio is located in Nîmes in the south of France and specializes in hardcore games especially on PC and consoles.

About Dear Villagers

Dear Villagers is a publishing label of Plug In Digital. It’s a place where talented studios can unleash their creativity and focus on bringing unique single-player experiences to players on PC and console, experiences that will stay with them long after the credits roll. Dear Villager’s line-up includes the award-winning The Forgotten City, The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk, ScourgeBringer, and Edge Of Eternity.

Article by: Susan N.

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