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Check Out the Full Release of Roguelike Spiritfall by Gentle Giant Today!

Wednesday, February 28th, 2024 - The wait is finally over as Spiritfall, the highly anticipated action roguelike game from Gentle Giant, makes its official debut today. Transitioning from Early Access (92% very positive user reviews) to full release, Spiritfall blends lightning-fast combat, roguelike mechanics, satisfying combos, and an atmospheric music score. Spiritfall invites players to embark on a journey as the Omenforged, a chosen warrior tasked with battling the encroaching blight.
 



The full release of Spiritfall introduces the much-anticipated final region, The Brink, complete with new adversaries and a climactic showdown against a formidable boss. Additionally, players will gain access to all weapons and their enhanced forms, and be challenged by a special boss that hunts them down across the different regions.
 

"We are thrilled to finally share Spiritfall with the world," said Or Avrahamy, co-founder of Gentle Giant. "It's been an incredible journey bringing this game to life, and we're grateful to our dedicated community for their support and feedback throughout development. We can't wait for players to dive into the world of Spiritfall and experience the full game for the first time."

Spiritfall features:

  • A Roguelike with Platform Fighter Elements: Spiritfall seamlessly integrates tight platform fighter combat, nimble movement, and roguelike mechanics. Traverse five dangerous regions and unleash dynamic combos through a procedurally generated map for a unique gameplay experience in every run.

  • Divine Synergies Await: Delve into the Realm Beyond where the Divine Spirits provide powerful blessings that enhance your combat abilities. Discover your favorite abilities among 160+ blessings, explore various synergies, and experiment with unique builds.

  • Grow Stronger from Defeat: Death is but a temporary setback. Reawaken stronger than before at the Sanctum and continue your adventure with a choice from 10 weapons and their many upgrades and enchantments. Equip mighty weapons and master new powers with each rebirth.

  • Fateful Encounters: Engage with enigmatic characters like the Relic Tinkerer, offering powerful relics to alter your strategy, or Yara and her turtle companion Damu, who might provide essential items to extend your journey.
     

Spiritfall launches on Steam today, for $19.99 / €19.00 / £16.75. To celebrate the full release, the game will be 25% off for the week of launch.

 


About Gentle Giant

Gentle Giant was founded in 2020 by industry veterans, Or Avrahamy and Nadav Tenenbaum. They founded Gentle Giant to share their passion with the world and deliver games they believe in into the hands of players everywhere.
 

Follow Spiritfall on social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gentlegiantgms

Discord: https://discord.gg/GfgS8adjsM

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gentlegiantgames



Article by: Susan N.
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Leap Through Obstacles and Puzzles in Wira & Taksa: Against the Master of Gravity!

February 23, 2024 - With RedDeer.Games’ help, two unlikely heroes emerge in the world’s time of need – Wira with the muscle, Taksa with the brain for puzzles. In Wira & Taksa: Against the Master of Gravity players will face the master of gravity himself on Nintendo Switch. They also may see themselves gravitating towards the eShop… Don’t worry everyone, we have this under control.


Wira & Taksa are a very well-oiled, two-person machine. Wira, the strong mallet wielder, has a record of getting rid of enemies biting at his ankles. Taksa, meanwhile, is the speed and brain of the operation – dodging traps and adapting to any and all changes thrown at him (or him thrown at them).

With a team like that, no mountain is too tall to conquer!

Speaking of conquest, all the landscapes that the players will visit are quite deadly. A green forest might look friendly, but the lava-filled location? Nu-uh! To overcome the challenges, working together will be of the essence.

Players can switch between Wira, who can and will squash enemies with his mallet and pure power, and Taksa. They have different sets of skills and do not let anything stand in their way – fleshy or wooden.


Sometimes players can notice a neat little thing floating in the middle of a trapped level. Those are additional lives, which will be of help when one of the heroes falls, but they are limited. Tiny and very angry enemies might not do too much if taken care of, but traps will instantly eliminate the character currently on-screen.

Wira & Taksa: Against the Master of Gravity are here on Nintendo Switch – mastering gravity is one step away!

If you want to be up-to-date with RedDeer.Games projects, visit the official website, Facebook, and Twitter.

ABOUT REDDEER.GAMES

Since 2019, RedDeer.Games (RDG) is an independent developer and publisher of video games. According to “Forbes”, RDG is ranked among the Top50 Polish game producers and has been awarded one of "The Fastest Growing Gamedev Companies in Central Europe". RDG's portfolio contains over 80 unique indie titles, some of which are Sprout Valley, One Night: Burlesque, Little Mouse Encyclopedia, She Wants Me Dead, and Uzzuzzu My Pet - Golf Dash, alongside franchises like The Smurfs, Kayko & Kokosh, as well as The Evil One. RDG releases games on key distribution platforms like Nintendo Switch, Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and iOS. When it comes to plans for 2024, RedDeer.Games will publish Project Downfall and Warhammer 40,000: Dakka Squadron on Nintendo Switch console, as well as their own original project - Tell Me Your Story.
    Article by: Susan N.
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    Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island - Nintendo Switch Review


    Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island by developer and publisher Spike ChunsoftNintendo Switch review written by Richard with a copy provided by the publisher.
     
    Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

    Well folks, it's been a while, but we finally have the next installment of Shiren the Wanderer in the West! Buckle up and get ready for some good old fashioned roguelike fun, because we're about to take an adventure into the wonderful world of RNG and table-flipping frustration. But in a good way. It's time to take a look at Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island.

    Shiren is a series that has been going on for a while now, since 1995 under the Mystery Dungeon umbrella, although it has been a decent while since we've had the last Shiren title. This time araound Shiren will be exploring Serpentcoil Island. While on his travels, Shiren and his talking weasel companion Koppa have arrived in a land facing a serious drought. Unfortunate for the locals, but after Shiren shares some food with them, they tell him the legend of Serpentcoil Island, where a great treasure is hiding. Being the adventurer he is, Shiren heads off to conquer the perils of the island.


    As an amazing adventurer, Shiren manages to make it to the pinnacle of the island, and faces off against the monster guarding the treasure. Here we have some bad news, some good news, and some more bad news. Unfortunately for him, he gets beaten up. On the plus side, anyone who collapses or should otherwise be offed while traversing the island actually just gets sent back to the starting town. More unfortunate, Shiren gets amnesia for some reason, and can no longer remember all the paths he took or how to fight well. He also lost all his stuff and got sent back to level 1.

    And so it is that we come to the heart of the frustratingly entertaining Shiren and Mystery Dungeon titles, the bane of my existence: RNG. Shiren is a more traditional Roguelike title. What this means is that you don't get to keep upgrades, levels, items or what have you. You can't get "better runs" by purchasing extra starting stat points or health or exp boosters. How well a run goes is approximately sixty percent knowing what you're doing and how to deal with things, and forty percent luck. 

    Those who've read some of my other reviews may be aware that me and luck only go together when there is "bad" in front of it. Do you have any idea how awful it is to get ten floors into a run and not get a single shield? Awful. Super bad. I also only ever got one food item. Needless to say, that run ended pretty badly. For those unfamiliar with the genre, here we have a series of floors, all of which are randomly generated, with random item drops you can find and pick up, different enemy amounts and placements, and different traps that can be placed around the floors. Your job is to beat up monsters to earn exp, collect the items needed to complete the dungeon, and make it through each floor until you get the treasure, all while managing your hunger.


    You can explore around the town a bit before setting off, maybe bumming an onigiri off an old man, but then it's time to head into the dungeon. Once in the dungeon, you'll be met with a few things, but you may notice that your minimap only has the "room" you are in currently mapped out. Each floor consists of multiple large areas (rooms) connected by thin paths for you to explore. Gameplay is turn based, so you will take an action and then the enemies take an action. Beating enemies will provide exp which will let you level and get more health, and they may also drop items such as weapons, shields, or scrolls. As you explore more, the rooms get mapped out, although that all gets reset whenever you start a new run.

    In addition to this, you need to manage your health and hunger. If you get hurt, you can either move around or run in place to restore health. There are also items you can use to heal you or increase your max stats. Be careful though, as every action you take will cause you to get hungrier. When the gauge indicating your hunger becomes empty, you'll be in for a real bad time, so make sure you eat things in order to keep your satiety up!

    Now, as you may have picked up on, all weapons and shields (armour) are randomly found in the dungeon. This also includes consumables such as scrolls and edibles, whether they be plant or food. This means it's really hard to plan a run, because you can't be certain of anything. Add to this that the floor layouts are different every time, and the game can be pretty challenging. Don't be like me and hoard items, if you don't use them, you will die, and then you lose them anyway.


    As you take your multiple, or maybe only single if you're both good and/or lucky, trips through Serpentcoil Island, you'll have the chance to interact with the locals and others coming to the island. This could be some pirates with an interesting back story, or perhaps a ninja trying to care for his princess. These side stories are interesting looks into the characters you interact with, and are a good reason to keep going for multiple delves.

    One of the best draws of the Shiren games is that every run does feel different thanks to how randomized everything is. On the other hand, the games can be really tough, man. Like, really difficult. As I mentioned earlier, if things don't line up your way, your run can go south really fast. Get dropped into a room full of monsters without anything to deal with them? You're done. Step on a trap that completely screws you over? You're done. There's a lot that can end a run really fast, and it feels really bad sometimes, especially if a run is going well. But perseverance is key, yeah? Keep on trying, and eventually you'll make it. If you really can't, you can also ask others online to recover your body to help out up to three times. Use what you've got!

    This installment of Shiren comes with some pretty interesting locales to traverse, a colourful cast of characters to interact with, and some cute chibi stylized characters to look at and fight. The music is also fitting for the game and areas you explore, and add to the thematic presence of each area you go through.


    Overall, Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is a great new addition to the series. While it can be dishearteningly difficult at times, the sense of accomplishment you get when making a new best run is really worth it. While no new gimmicks or features have been added, this just shows how strong a title the Shiren games can be just by sticking to the basics. Shiren is a shining example of a roguelike, both in nature and in how fun they can be.

    Score: 9 / 10
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    Digital Extremes Celebrates 11 Years of Warframe at PAX East in March!

    LONDON, Ontario - Feb. 23, 2024 - Dante, Digital Extremes’ 56th Warframe, received a full ability showcase in its monthly Devstream today alongside a new mission type reveal,  and more specifics for Warframe Inaros’ rework, among other quality-of-life improvements. Kicking off celebrations for Warframe’s 11th Anniversary, the dev team also detailed plans to celebrate in-person at PAX East next month.




    Highlights from the stream include:

    Warframe Dante, the master of reality’s pages, summons his own Exalted Weapon, the devastating Tome called Noctua, to replace any currently equipped secondary weapon. Cast Light or Dark Verses to increase allies’ max health or draw blood-slashing needles to inflict Slash Damage on nearby enemies. Inspired by classic MMO casters, the pattern of abilities used changes the spell combo’s ultimate finishing ability, Final Verse; either granting allies their own limited run copies of Noctua or summoning Paragrimms, giant owl-like creatures, to fight alongside you.

    Dive into Deep Archimedea, the latest mission type. This is an amalgamation of three different existing mission types that must be played in succession with no breaks. The composition of Deep Archimedea will change every week, offering endless new challenges to overcome for some of the best in-game rewards to date.

    Seek out the new Murmur faction enemy, greedy loot goblin Gruzzling, to steal its bountiful bundle of goodies ripe for your taking. Fresh weapons will also be available to grab in the Entrati Disruption mission, ARMATUS: the melee fist weapon, Ruvox, and the secondary arm-cannon, Onos.

    The living sandstorm Warframe, Inaros, dusts off a fresh rework to obtain a more engaging passive ability, guaranteed status effect triggers, and overall changes to his base kit. Notable changes include separating the Scarab Armor mechanic into its own ability, replacing Devour with an improved Sandstorm touting faster summoning and movement speeds, and, most notably, granting the Scarab Swarm ultimate a chance to summon sandy friendlies into the fray.



    Come join the next Devstream in-person at PAX East to meet the dev team as well as the lead voice of Arthur in the upcoming Warframe: 1999Ben Starr (Final Fantasy XVI). The PAX Edition Devstream will air live on both PAX and Warframe Twitch channels on Friday, March 22 at 3 p.m. ET. There will be more major announcements to look forward to celebrating 11 years of Warframe, including what comes next for the game’s story before things kick back all the way to the ‘90s later this year.

    “It's been over five years since we went to a PAX!” said Megan Everett, Community Director. “Celebrating our 11th Anniversary there feels like the perfect way to reconnect with our Tenno again in-person. We are bringing tons of Dante and 1999 info nuggets to share at our panel and great vibes for our sold-out TennoVIP community event.”

    For more information and future patch notes on all of the changes planned for the Dante Unbound Update in March 2024, please keep an eye on our official news pagesTwitter/XInstagramYouTube, and Twitch accounts.

    About Digital Extremes

    Founded in 1993 by James Schmalz, Digital Extremes ranks as one of the world's top independent video game development studios. Originating with the co-creation of Epic Games' multi-million unit selling Unreal® franchise, including Unreal and Unreal Tournament, Digital Extremes went on to develop Dark Sector®, BioShock® for the PlayStation®3, the BioShock 2 multiplayer campaign, and The Darkness® II. The studio reached critical and commercial success with the free-to-play action game, Warframe®, supporting a global community of 75+ million registered players across all major core gaming platforms. For more information about Digital Extremes, visit www.digitalextremes.com

       

      Article by: Susan N.

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      It’s time to betray and backstab your friends in Solium Infernum

      Political grand strategy game from League of Geeks is now available on PC.

      MELBOURNE – February 22, 2024 – League of Geeks, developers of the hugely successful indie strategy game Armello, have officially launched Solium Infernum, a political grand strategy game of subterfuge, intrigue, and betrayal set in Hell. The game is now available on PC via Steam with a temporary 15% discount for $33.99 / €33.14 / £28.47 (price without discount $39.99 / €38.99 / £33.50), opening the gates of Hell to all grand strategy fans. 
       


      In Solium Infernum, players assume the role of one of Hell’s eight great Archfiends. They must outwit and outmanoeuvre their rivals to claim the vacant Infernal Throne through the mastery of devious political and military strategy. With a wealth of tactics awaiting their disposal, players have to bluff, backstab, and sow betrayal on their path to victory.

      The game boasts diverse multiplayer modes, accommodating both time-strapped players and those seeking extended strategic encounters. Asynchronous multiplayer matches support up to six players with turns taken across several days or weeks and requiring just a few minutes to play every day. For strategy fans favouring immediate action, real-time multiplayer is also available.
       

      Discover more about Solium Infernum in this in-depth gameplay trailer.

      Alongside the multiplayer modes, Solium Infernum offers Chronicles, all-new single-player narrative-driven challenges that explore Hell’s intricate politics, as well as unlimited hours of play thanks to the single-player Skirmish mode

      "Solium Infernum's development was driven by our desire to resurrect the strategy genre’s amost infamous multiplayer experience. Whether players have a few minutes daily or prefer longer, uninterrupted sessions, our asynchronous multiplayer adapts to any playstyle.

      said Trent Kusters, Co-Founder and Studio Director of League of Geeks.

      "We’re looking forward to seeing a whole new generation of players plotting, backstabbing, and betraying friends to become the ultimate ruler of Hell".
      Solium Infernum is now available on PC via Steam. For more information, please visit the game’s official Steam page.
       

      About League of Geeks

      League of Geeks is an independent video game studio based in Melbourne, Australia. Specializing in approachable strategy games with an eye-catching aesthetic, League of Geeks’ debut title, Armello, has surpassed six million players on PC, consoles, and mobile since its launch in 2015.  League of Geeks just launched Solium Infernum. For more information, visit the official website.  

       

      Article by: Susan N.


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      Forever Skies Partners with PlayStation and Will Debut on PS5 and PC This Year!




        Article by: Susan N.
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        Former AAA Devs Attain Creative Freedom in 100% Employee Owned Fun Dog Studios

        Studios first game trailer will debut at IGN Fan Fest on February 21

        OLYMPIA, WA – February 20, 2024 – Fun Dog Studios, an independent studio formed by key figures on the development of huge games like Horizon: Zero Dawn, DOOM Eternal, Killzone, Hawken, The Witcher 3, Mass Effect and more, today announced they have come together to form this new venture. The studio is one-hundred-percent employee owned, fully creatively independent, and committed to defying convention, challenging players, and taking big risks. 

        Learn more about the studio from this mysterious spaceman who is definitely not voiced by Fun Dog Studios CEO Miles Williams. 

        The studio’s first game, The Forever Winter, is a tactical survival-horror shooter where squads must fight to survive under the shadow of terrifying and gargantuan war machines. A trailer will debut at the upcoming IGN Fan Fest, on February 21.

        “This is personal to us. We've worked on some of the most successful games ever, and miss the days when the industry flourished with new experimentation, new stories, new gameplay, and new voices; so we formed our own company where we could be free to do that,” said Miles Williams, CEO and Creative Director of Fun Dog Studios. “As independents we’re free to forge our own path to make games we all can’t wait to play ourselves. We’re not chasing the hot new trend, we’re trying to bring back things that we’ve felt the industry has lost. Think new IP, less plastic.”

        Formed in 2022, Fun Dog Studios has grown to 30 full-time game developers and is fully remote. From a design perspective, Fun Dog Studios believes gaming needs to be harder to be fun, worth your time and your money. They’re not here to make games for everyone, and refuse  to make their games easier or water down our vision of “fear becoming fun.” Because no one tells stories about beating the boss on their first try.

        For assets, see here. For more information on Fun Dog Studios and The Forever Winter, visit https://www.fundogstudios.com/. Follow the studio on InstagramYouTube, and LinkedIn

        For updates on The Forever Winter, join the Discord.


        About Fun Dog Studios

        Fun Dog is a minority-owned new game development studio, established by a group of experienced AAA game developers with backgrounds as senior leaders in some of the best games published over the last 10 years. Committed to defying convention, challenging players, and taking big risks, their goal is to build worlds that captivate, terrify, and inspire with stories that contemplate the turbulence of the current times.

        For more information on Fun Dog Studios and The Forever Winter, visit https://www.fundogstudios.com/. Follow the studio on InstagramYouTube, and LinkedIn.  

         

        Article by: Susan N.


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        Gunvolt Records Cychronicle - PC(Steam) Review

        Gunvolt Records Cychronicles by developer and publisher Inti CreatesPC(Steam) review written by Richard with a copy provided by the publisher. 
         
        Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
        It's time to take the next step in the Gunvolt series, Gunvolt Records Cychronicle! Coming in with a spin-off game we take a step away from the action adventure style to dip our toes into a rhythm game! Featuring a selection of tracks from the games from different in-game singers, it's time to take a look at what Cychronicle has to offer.


        So, first up I should let ya know there is no plot going on here, it's just rhythm game. Second, you should be playing this game with a controller. You'll have a list of tracks to choose from and various difficulties, and then you hit buttons and move thumbsticks to the beat. If you haven't played a rhythm game before, essentially what happens is buttons and "command prompts" flow down the screen and you have to match the timing. In this instance, buttons correspond to buttons on either side of the controller (I used the shoulder buttons), with some being held buttons, and thumbstick commands, where you point the thumbsticks in a direction indicated, and then rotate them in time with the command prompt, or flick them in the direction indicated. 

        The Gunvolt series has always had really good music, so it's nice to see a sort of compilation of some of the tracks from the series. That being said, there are only 15 tracks in the base game, making it feel a little lacking in content. Furthermore, the controls can feel a little off at times. While the timing is good, the thumbstick commands can be a little sensitive to your directional input. The speed at which you rotate is also unknown unless you've played the song before, meaning sometimes you miss the timing just because you don't know how fast the rotate will go.


        While you're playing through the song tracks there are two different background scenes that can play: action from the games, or a sort of 3D concert featuring whatever "muse" the song is being sung by. This is more of a personal thing, but I found the gameplay snippets from the other gunvolt games could be a little distracting at first, whereas the 3D model concerts took away my attention less.

        Overall, Cychronicle is incredibly basic in what it offers. There is a concert mode where you play the songs, and a music player mode where you can listen to the tracks. One cool note is that while the song is playing, you can see the lyrics highlighted as the song plays, kind of like a karaoke mode but where the lyrics are still sung. Honestly, for a 20$ Canadian game, 15$ American it's...maybe a little disappointing. That being said, you could probably buy the official soundtrack and have it end up costing around the same price, so it is what it is, I suppose.


        Gunvolt Records Cychronicle is a fun title, but one that is very niche in it's implementation. With only 15 tracks in the base game, although the DLC will add more, and a rather restricted amount of available game modes, Cychronicle will probably only appeal to a rather narrow audience. That being said, if you're a fan of the Gunvolt series, or just looking for a new rhythm title, then Gunvolt Records Cychronicle may just be the title for you.

        Score: 7.5 / 10
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        S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl releases on September 5, 2024

        KYIV, UKRAINE — 16, January 2024: Moving from the previously announced Q1 2024 release window, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl now has a final release date of September 5, 2024.

        The atmosphere campfire clip to support the news can be found here:

        While there is absolutely no way to make another delay sound less dim, we decided to be clear about our reasons to postpone the game for the sake of yet another wave of polishing.

        During Gamescom 2023, GSC Game World decided to show a small part of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 to the players publicly for the first time ever. This one-time initiative then transformed into a journey from one event to another across Poland, France, Brazil, Singapore and other countries. Thousands of players were able to play the game themselves and give the much-needed direct feedback afterwards.

        Two key points emerged from that.

        The first one was: it absolutely felt and played like a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game, which basically summed up both the key intention and the main inspiration for the project from the very beginning. The second one was: on the technical side of things, the game apparently needed more time in the oven. 

        Throughout the frankly challenging development process, time was of the team's main essence. Seeing the scope of polishing and understanding the limits of the players’ patience, GSC was absolutely dedicated to releasing the game in Q1 2024. That, however, doesn’t change the fact that at the beginning of this year, certain technical imperfections still hold S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 below the expected standards for the final experience the fans are waiting for. 

        This extended journey to the release will be supported with much more content from the game to be shared later this year.

        The war in Ukraine continues. GSC Game World has been supporting our home country in all the ways we can. For those willing to do the same, we recommend following a link to the official charity fund of Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine himself:

        https://u24.gov.ua/

        Featuring a huge, borderless open-world and a non-linear story, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl releases on PC and Xbox Series X/S on September 5, 2024. The game will be available on Game Pass day one, and pre-orders are opened on our website, as well as on Steam and GOG.

        Feel free to follow our social channels to get the new info about the game as it comes out:

         

        Website: https://www.stalker2.com/

        Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialstalker/

        Twitter: https://twitter.com/stalker_thegame

        YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GSCGameWorldOfficial

        Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stalker2_thegame/

        Discord: https://discord.gg/stalker


        About S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

        S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a brand-new entry in the legendary series, enjoyed by millions of players worldwide. 

        The unique combination of first-person shooter, immersive sim, and horror is back. With unprecedented scale, advanced graphics, freedom of choices, and the thickest atmosphere of a deadly adventure, it’s going to be the ultimate S.T.A.L.K.E.R. experience.

        Welcome to The Zone — an area of exclusion around the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Full of radiation, mutants, and anomalies, it keeps drawing adventurers from beyond the perimeter.

        Bounty hunters dwell deep into the Zone, driven by its treasures and mysteries. These people are known as stalkers.

        Are you ready to become one of them?


        About GSC Game World

        GSC Game World is a Ukrainian video game development company based in Kyiv. Founded in 1995, it is best known for the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Cossacks game series. The studio is currently developing the next big entry in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise.

         

        Article by: Susan N.

        Mylène
        S.M. Carrière
        Izzy

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        Blue Brain Games Announces The House of Tesla

        A brand new adventure from the creators of The House of Da Vinci coming to PC, Consoles and Mobile.

        Bratislava, Slovakia - 25th January, 2024. Global developer and publisher Blue Brain Games is thrilled to announce The House of Tesla, an exciting new adventure game from the creators of the best-selling multiplatform 3D puzzle trilogy The House of Da Vinci

        The House of Tesla will be released on PC via Steam in late 2024, with consoles and iOS and Android devices to follow. 

        Journey through a brand new adventure filled with handcrafted puzzles, hauntingly beautiful locations and challenges for your brain’s grey matter. Explore the world through the eyes of one of the most famous inventors, the father of electricity, the man behind alternating current, the science wizard, Nikola Tesla.

        Following the huge success and positive reception of our adventure title The House of Da Vinci, we are excited to finally reveal our new project with The House of Tesla.” Commented Martin Pavelek at Blue Brain Games. “By utilising all of our development experience and the valuable feedback from our community, we are creating a thrilling new adventure that will transport fans into a world of science and mystery. We can’t wait to share more on The House of Tesla and invite you to come on this fascinating journey with us.” 

        Watch the announcement trailer for The House of Tesla here

        About The House of Tesla 

        Science brings mysteries toward the light one by one, strips them of their secrets and makes them part of something greater. It is true that some myths are rooted too deeply, are too resilient and even seem to have a mind of their own as they resist men of science trying to shine the light of understanding. But in the end, science and mystery are anything but anathema to each other. On one stormy night a person was brought into this world. A child of both darkness and light, full of mysteries and full of scientific curiosity, just starting to build a myth of their own.

        Explore the eerie abandoned industrial buildings of Nikola Tesla’s most ambitious facility in Wardenclyffe, which was meant to become an important city where the future is today, and every societal process is improved upon by the principles of free wireless electrical energy. 

        Through the eyes of the man himself you’ll watch the important moments that lead to the construction and later to the fall of the famous Wardenclyffe Tower, and slowly uncover the mystery that left you stranded among deserted machines.

        Key features  

        • Test your skill with challenging new handcrafted puzzles.  

        • Fresh locations based on real-life places and plans of the enigmatic Nikola Tesla. 

        • Mysterious story from our take on the Progressive’s Era America. 

        • A new dynamic approach to storytelling using flashbacks into the past. 

        • Use a device that allows you to see and influence the flow of electricity. 


        The House of Tesla is scheduled to release for PC via Steam in late 2024. Fans can Wishlist the game on Steam now. Releases for consoles and iOS and Android devices will follow the PC launch.


        Follow The House of Tesla’s development journey on the official community channels Twitter / Facebook / YouTube / Instagram / www.bluebraingames.com 

         

        Article by: Susan N.



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        Try the Demo for Ready Steady Ship! Until February 19th!

        8 February 2024, Wroclaw, Poland + Vilnus, Lithuania | Untold Tales and solo developer Martynas Cibulis have teamed up on Ready, Stead, Ship!, a chaotic couch co-op delight party game where players will use various tools and equipment to rebuild the most convoluted and questionably designed factory conveyor belts.

        A new Steam demo has just been released today ahead of time for the Steam Remote Play Together Festival that will run from February 12th to February 19th.

        While Ready, Steady, Ship! is best played in 2 players co-op with a friend, an entire single-player campaign with stages tweaked or totally redesigned to be completed on your own is also included.

        The demo gives players access to 9 stages from the single-player campaign and 9 stages from the co-op campaign.


        Game Features:


        Multiple Tools, Various Solutions

        As you progress you’ll be given all manner of tools, equipment, and conveyor parts to overcome obstacles. Forklifts, cranes, springboard conveyor belts, packing foam dispensers, the list goes on and on

        The Factory Keeps Getting Weirder

        From acid pools, space vacuums to rooftop gaps to clear, or just outright chaos on the floor. As you progress, the factory will throw tougher challenges at you with more complex conveyor belt builds.

        2 Player Couch Co-op Delight

        Grab a buddy and get this line moving double time! NOTE: This game supports local couch co-op on consoles only and Steam Remote Play Together via PC. There is no dedicated online multiplayer mode. The game also has a dedicated single-player campaign.

        Easy and Responsive Controls

        Ready, Steady, Ship! is built around responsive yet simple controls, so almost anyone can quickly and easily join the fun.


        Article by: Susan N.

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        Earth Defense Force 6 from D3PUBLISHER Now Arriving in Summer 2024

        The Fight For All Humanity is Coming…Just a Bit Later

        D3Publisher Inc., a leading Japanese games publisher, has announced that Earth Defense Force 6, the latest entry in the popular action-shooter series, will now be released for PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, and PC via Steam in summer 2024 for Western audiences. Previously announced for a spring launch window, developer SANDLOT and publisher D3PUBLISHER have decided to extend the launch window to add finishing touches and finalize preparations for its Western launch.


        For additional information on Earth Defense Force 6, please visit the official website, follow the game on X (formerly Twitter), the community page on Steam, and D3PUBLISHER Inc. to keep up with upcoming content and news.

        ###

        Article by: Susan N.



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        The Touhou Empires - PC Preview


        The Touhou Empires by developer Neetpia and publisher Phoenixx Inc.—PC(Steam) preview written by Richard with a copy provided by the publisher. 
         
        Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
        Attention all fairies! You have your marching orders, it's time to fight off our attackers! Get in there and beat them up! Demolish their barracks! Steal their snacks! Ok, maybe not that last one, but this is war, so war is what you're gonna get!

        The Touhou Empires is another one of those cool Touhou fangames you've probably seen floating around. This time it's in the flavour of Age of Empires, if the title is anything to go by. Well, a pretty simplified version of it, at least at the moment. Perhaps a less complicated Starcraft may be a better comparison? Either way, a base management and army building and conquest style game.


        As in pretty much all Touhou titles, whether spin-off, fan made, or official, our story starts out with an incident affecting the realm of Gensokyo. A bunch of weapons start falling from the sky, raining destruction upon Gensokyo. While the residents of Gensokyo are almost all superpowered spirits, demons, or supernatural creatures and don't really have an issue, their buildings don't fare much better. To add to matters, the local fairies that pick up the weapons suddenly get a ridiculous power boost, as well as innate knowledge on how to use the tools.

        No, seriously, the fairies in the Touhou universe are, like, the butt end of almost every joke. They're weak, usually low intelligence, and are kind of like the "common mob" type enemies. Now though? Now they are cavalry units, lancers, archers, scouts, and guardians. They can contend with the other forces in Gensokyo with the help of the weapons, as well as building facilities super fast. Here we have how The Touhou Empires functions: a base building "conquer your opponent" real time strategy style game. 


        Like in most games in this genre, you will need to harvest resources in order to create buildings, which allows you to create and upgrade troops. You will then march your troops off to war with your opponent, or opponents. Destroy their structures, defeat their generals, and win over your foes. Those of you who've played either the Starcraft or Age of Empires games will probably understand where this is going.

        Touhou Empires, in it's current state, is a simplified version of some of the more popular real time strategy games currently out there. This isn't to say it won't end up growing a lot more, especially considering there are almost daily updates to the early build demo version, but it actually might work kind of nicely for getting new players into the genre. Touhou Empire has a playable tutorial section, a multiplayer, and a story mode, and yeah, the story also has a tutorial built in and is prettty good both in story content and in tutorial quality.


        Now, let's talk a bit about your available units. You have your unique units, who have different skills that can be used, but the fairies acting as the bulk of your forces actually have a rock paper scissors aspect in the current build. Archers beat Lancers, Lancers beat Cavalry, Cavalry beats Archers. Lancers are also good against structures. You have three resources to manage: wine, faith, and wood. Wine also has a beer looking symbol, so if you play the demo, just be aware of that if it hasn't been changed. You need to build structures to upgrade your units, build units to fight for you, and upgrade your base level, and all of these require certain amounts of resources.

        Now, I won't claim to be all that good at these types of games, but I do find them pretty fun. Touhou Empires, in it's current state, is pretty basic but has a nice feeling to it. The gameplay and progression feels pretty reasonable, the units aren't overly complicated to get to know and use, and everything is there for you, whether it is in the tutorials or control manual. Like a hot key to select all idle units. That's really handy.

        Currently the graphics aren't really anything to write home about, but they certainly aren't bad. Apart from the wine/beer mug symbol mix-up, you can tell what everything is and what's going on. Character interactions are interesting and line up with how the characters normally act in the main series, and it's a neat little adventure away from either the normal fare for these kinds of Touhou spin-off titles. There are different maps currently, although team selection is rather minimal, but it seems like more will be implemented in the future. Also, the up to six player battle map is always nice to see, whether you play with other humans or against CPUs.


        After a first look at The Touhou Empires I have to say I'm liking the direction it's taking. I really look forward to the direction this ends up taking, but it certainly has laid the groundwork for all the important aspects. Here's hoping they keep up their production, and we might be seeing a really nice RTS in the future!

        Score: N/A
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        Explore a Dark Mansion and Unravel a Mystery in the New Game 'CLeM'

        Haarlem, The Netherlands, February 6th, 2024 - Dive into the unsettling embrace of CLeM, available now on Steam and Nintendo Switch! A strange voice in a dark mansion calls out to you, beckoning you to untangle the many mysteries that await, and the time for answers is now! Published by Iceberg Interactive (Strange Horticulture, Still There) and crafted by Mango Protocol ("Agatha Knife, MechaNika"), CLeM is your gateway to a chilling world of mystery and adventure. As a peculiar ragdoll stitched with secrets, you'll navigate through intricate puzzles to discover the many mysteries contained within the desolate house you find yourself within. Discover CLeM’s sinister world in the brand-new launch trailer!


        CleM’s 
        dark tale delivers a “puzzlevania” experience that sees players explore and re-explore an everchanging mansion as they solve puzzles and piece together a story that explores themes of manipulation, forgiveness, and redemption. Vital to your progress will be the ability to craft alchemic toys from items you scavenge throughout the house. These magical trinkets will not only allow you to unveil hidden secrets and reclaim items from the past but also grant you the power to access previously inaccessible areas as you retrace your journey through the many rooms within the mansion.

        Your journey in CLeM may start in a dark, cold basement, but you’ll soon be exploring environments ranging from vibrant tropical greenhouses to grandiose studies, and each new location is packed with carefully constructed details and interactable elements to uncover. All of this is presented through a distinct hand-drawn art style that offers a distinctly unsettling aesthetic without compromising the player’s ability to recognise on-screen elements they can interact with.

         

        Scribbles for your notebook:

        • Unmask the chilling secrets that this dark adventure holds

        • Overcome puzzles and experience strong narrative elements in this “puzzlevania”

        • Craft magical toys and find hidden secrets, uncover items from the past and explore previously inaccessible areas in the mansion

        • Decide which of two fates will be yours in this narrative-driven adventure mystery

         

        Twists and turns await in every room of CLeM’s mansion, and players on PC and Nintendo Switch can dive into this enigmatic adventure right now! CLeM is now available on Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, and Nintendo Switch for $15.99/€15.79/£13.49, and a free prologue is also available that allows players to experience the early moments of this adventure. More news on CLeM can be found on X (AKA Twitter), TikTokFacebookInstagram, and Youtube, or visit the official website for more information. Embrace the unknown. Embrace the questions that lie ahead. Embrace CLeM.

         
        About Mango Protocol

         

        Mango Protocol is an independent video game studio located in Barcelona, Spain. Since 2013 the studio has been crafting a series of narrative-driven, genre-spanning games with dark stories and twisted characters called Psychotic Adventures. CLeM is the fourth game in the series, following the studio’s three previous releases: MechaNika, Agatha Knife and Colossus Down.


        About Iceberg Interactive 


        ​Iceberg Interactive is an independent video game publisher founded in 2009 by an international group of game industry veterans. Located in Haarlem, The Netherlands, and staffed with avid gamers, Iceberg works closely with an assembly of game developers worldwide, both midsize and indie. Known for many hit franchises, including Killing Floor 2, Maneater, and Circle Empires, the company has enjoyed recent success with PC titles such as Strange Horticulture, Blazing Sails, Chivalry 2, Land of the Vikings, Mahokenshi, Lunacy: Saint Rhodes and King of Retail. Iceberg Interactive has many exciting games coming up, including Hellbreach: Vegas (PC), CLeM (PC), and Minicology (PC). To learn more, please visit www.iceberg-games.com

        Article by: Susan N.
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