Snatch the Sale of Shin Chan: Shiro and the Coal Town and Shin Chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation Until Nov 7th

October 24, 2024. Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo - Neos Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, Chair of the Board: Masashi Ikeda), a subsidiary of Tecmira Holdings, Inc., is proud to announce the release of "Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town" on Steam for worldwide distribution and on Nintendo Switch in Western markets today at a price of 29.99 USD/EUR and 39.99 USD/EUR respectively. The title will be on sale on Steam for 26.99 USD/EUR from today until November 7, 2024. The game was released in Japan and Asia earlier this year and won the Visual Arts Excellence Award at the CEDEC AWARDS 2024.

A bundle sale will be held on both platforms from the start of sales until November 7, during which time this title and “Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation -The Endless Seven-Day Journey-,” which marks the 3rd anniversary of its release, will be available for purchase at a discounted price of 39.99 USD/EUR on Steam and 49.99 USD/EUR on Nintendo Switch. Additionally, the price of this previous Shin chan title on Steam will be revised from 39.99 USD, 49.99 EUR to 29.99 USD/EUR, matching the price of “Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town.”

EARLY PRESS RECEPTION - 5 PREVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

- "It’s a game that encourages you to slow down and appreciate life without rushing." (Rayan Sayyed, IGN India)

- "Shin Chan: Shiro and the Coal Town expands the exploration of ordinary life into a mysterious and intriguing Coal Town." (Rebecca Phillips, TheGamer)

- "It once again feels like Shin-chan: Shiro and the Coal Town could turn out to be one of those incredibly soothing games." (Jenni Lada, Siliconera)

- "Shiro and the Coal Town’s introduction was constantly giving me something new to appreciate, and it kept the experience fun and engaging." (Justin Mercer, Gamer Escape)

- "I think Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town has a lot to offer; it feels like an odd mix of Animal Crossing and the anime sprinkled with a shot of adventure." (Violet Plata, GameGrin)

Experience a New Adventure in the World of Shin chan

In “Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town,” Shin chan and the Nohara family visit the town of Akita. The game depicts Shin chan's daily life as he and Shiro experience various things while travelling between the two worlds of reality and a mysterious town. The game can be enjoyed by people of all ages and genders, from "Crayon Shin chan" fans to video game fans who want to experience a full-fledged story.

Hiroshi is sent on a sudden business trip to his native Akita. The Nohara family arrives in a small village near Hiroshi's parents' home and rents a traditional Japanese farmhouse. Nestled in this tranquil rural landscape, they begin their carefree and quiet life in the countryside. Shinnosuke's grandfather, Ginnosuke, teaches him the secrets of countryside games such as bug catching and fishing. In the evenings, everyone enjoys sitting around the sunken hearth to savour delicious Akita dishes. In the village, Shinnosuke interacts with farmers and makes new friends. Every day, he enjoys his life to the fullest until…

One morning, Shiro shows up at the house, covered in soot. As a confused Shinnosuke looks on, Shiro suddenly runs away…! Shinnosuke chases after Shiro, and he notices a mysterious train he’s never seen before. Shinnosuke follows after Shiro and accidentally boards this train.

Welcome to Coal Town

The mysterious train stops in a lively and prosperous town that seems to have been frozen in time since the Showa era. In this town, called Coal Town, energetic working class people go about their daily lives. After meeting a mysterious young girl, Shinnosuke becomes friends with these people. And so begins Shinnosuke’s newest adventure…!

Shin chan’s mysterious daily life begins, as he travels between the two worlds: the village in Akita and Coal Town

STEAM version details:

• Target countries: More than 70 countries worldwide.
• Text languages: Japanese, English, Spanish, German, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Korean
• Audio languages: Japanese, Chinese, Cantonese, Korean
• Text and audio can be selected at startup,

Nintendo Switch Western (digital) version details:

• Target countries: More than 40 countries worldwide.
• Text languages: Japanese, English, Spanish, German.
• Audio language: Japanese.

Links of interest:

• Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2699820/
• Official website: https://game.neoscorp.jp/shinchan_coaltown/index_en.html
• Official X (former Twitter): https://twitter.com/shinchan_summer

©USUI YOSHITO/FUTABASHA,SHIN-EI,TV ASAHI,ADK ©Neos Corporation

About Neos Corporation

Neos Corporation is a Japanese game development company that has been in operation since April 19, 2004. The company has released a number of titles over the years, including popular games such as "Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation: The Endless Seven-Day Journey" and more recently "Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town".

About Tecmira Holdings

Founded in 2004 as a content services provider for flip phones, our company has expanded with technological advancements, including smartphones, AI, and IoT. We now operate in three locations in Japan and three overseas. As an IT corporate group, we excel in content, software, and hardware development. Our mission is to continuously grow and explore new possibilities, creating a brighter future. As "TECMIRA," we leverage our refined "Technology" and "Creativity" to work together to help our society to improve.

Article by: Susan N.

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Forever Skies 1.0 Delayed Until Early 2025!

Wroclaw, Poland - 23 October 2024 - Far From Home, the developers behind the sci-fi first-person survival game Forever Skies, have announced that they are moving their 1.0 launch to early 2025.

Initially, the game was planned to launch in 1.0 on PC and PlayStation 5 in 2024. However, over the last couple of months, the team began designing and implementing substantial changes to many existing systems. Thus, it was decided that more time would be needed.

The team has, however, confirmed that the highly requested 4-player co-op will still launch on PC Early Access in 2024, with the first beta test planned to start in the coming weeks.

A summary of these major changes are:

• Major Progress Overhaul
• World Will Be Divided into Biomes
• Altitude Will Regain Importance
• Stonger Emphasis On Airship Management
• Adding Dynmaic Random Encounters
• Version 1.0 will launch on PC and PS5 simultaneously in early 2025

The full write up on these changes can be seen in the following Steam blog post:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1641960/view/4505380324428152777

Forever Skies Combat Trailer:

Article by: Susan N.

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MechWarrior 5: Clans - PC Review

MechWarrior 5: Clans by developer and publisher Piranha Games Inc.—PC (Steam) review written by Robert with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

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MechWarrior 5: Clans is developed and published by Piranha Games, Inc. Thank you to Piranha Games for providing a free Steam key for the purpose of this review.  MechWarrior 5: Clans is a return to the Clans of MechWarrior, the first time in 30 years! Lead your Star of MechWarriors in an expansive 30-hour+ campaign across multiple diverse planets and a wide range of mission types. Fans of the franchise will feel right at home in their mechs with MechWarrior 5: Clans as the strategic yet pulse-pounding combat pits you against the enemies of Clan Smoke Jaguar. Highly customizable mechs come to life in stunning quality that only Unreal 5 engine can provide, stomping through destructible environments have never looked so good!

Story-wise, MechWarrior 5 Clans takes no time in getting you acquainted with many of the systems of your mechs. However for as engaging as the prologue might be, I still can't help but feel that Clans could have had a bit more hand-holding with regard to control scheme tutorials and just managing your Star in general. Whereas previous titles in the MechWarrior franchise might've been more sandbox-y and open, Clans takes a tighter turn, sticking to its story beats rather than letting players off the hook in a sandbox galaxy. While I'm a huge fan of sandbox games, especially those that allow you to stomp around in 50 ton mechs, destroying everything in sight, I found that I was quite engaged throughout the 30 or so hour campaign. Sure, there were periods where I was bored or simply wanted to get past a particular mission at all costs (a number of mid-game missions just feel ... mean, more details below). A diligent and good MechWarrior will likely be able to beat the campaign in about 22-23 hours, but the average player will likely take closer to 30 hours; completionists can expect a 40 or so hour campaign which is no slouch. Very few games, FPS games, have campaigns that reach double digits to beat, let along up to 40 hours!

I do think that it's important to point out that balance, especially in these early days, was all over the place. The difficulty spikes are stratospheric in that mid-mission things can go from manageable to game over in a matter of seconds. The first real boss that you come up against, an incredibly nimble flying unit, will likely absolutely demolish what's left of your Star. This leads into the first major problem I had with Clans ... it's brutally hard, but not in the fun way that Elden Ring or Bloodbourne were, but in the "I'm going to be a bully just because I can" style. On Normal you can expect to see 3 to 4 members of your Star (this is what a squad of mechs is called in the Clans for the unaware, whereas Mercenaries call them "Lances") get smoked well before the end of the mission. While that doesn't sound bad, especially given how lenient the repair model is in Clans, it's incredibly craptastic when you realize that the first portion of a mission is the "easy" part ... losing 3/5 of your squad with no reprieve before you need to take on increasingly more and more waves isn't a skill issue, it's a balance one. This wouldn't be such a thorn in MechWarrior's side if it weren't for the fact that not only are missions 35-45 minutes in length but ...

There is no mid-mission autosave, nor can you (at the time of this article's writing) save mid-mission. That means that if you get to the end of a mission, where the difficulty spike is extreme and you lose, that's upwards of 45 minutes just wasted, ergo the "bully" comment. I fully admit that I was switching the difficulty level back and forth constantly before finally just leaving it on Story mode and even then your Star could often get utterly wafflestomped.

Combat balance is my biggest gripe with MechWarrior 5: Clans as it makes the game un-fun. It's hard to enjoy a power fantasy in such a rich universe when all it takes is a couple tanks and a helicopter and your mech is screwed. Melee is relatively useless as if you get that close, you're already dead. I really hope to see Piranha release more regulated balance passes post-launch, but we'll see what the rest of the community says and whether Piranha listens to them.

The missions are only a small portion of Clans, though, and while they are easily the biggest time-sinks in the game, there are plenty of things to do between missions. Which brings my second biggest gripe with MechWarrior 5: Clans, and that's the cutscenes. While I actually enjoyed the story of you and your Star coming up from a bunch of nobodies while you find your place in the galaxy, the cutscenes are just awful. The uncanny valley had me looking away from the screen in discomfort, especially around the mouths. Maybe it's just me, but it almost feels like an AI was used to try to sink the animations of the face to the words, except the AI was a drunken toddler. The only recent game I've seen lately that has had more uncomfortable animation work, was the abomination that is Homeworld 3. The shame is that the drama of the story and the top-tier voice-acting are really truly something to pay attention to... you should just do it by looking away from the screen.

Despite faults with the uncanny valley, brutally bully-ish difficulty spike, MechWarrior 5: Clans by Piranha Games is still more than worth your time. Challenging, gorgeous, and with a compelling story about self-discovery in a universe where people are genetically bred for warfare, Clans is a frustrating if enjoyable romp through some of the nicest set pieces I've seen in 2024. Major kudos to the dev team for making a compelling reason to bring war to the Inner Sphere!

Score: 7.5 out of 10

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New Anime-Inspired Roguelike Bullet Hell Coming to PC and Nintendo Switch!

Warsaw, Poland - 18 October 2024 - The Knights Unity and Untold Tales have teamed to announce W.A.N.D Project for PC (Steam and GOG) and Nintendo Switch.

W.A.N.D Project is an anime-inspired, fast-paced, roguelike bullet hell with an extremely deep and unique attack crafting system. Players mix and match attack elements to create their own custom powers that allows for 100’s of unforseen combos. 

Take on the role of a magic-wielding Japanese sorceress and concoct game-shattering spells to dodge and decimate waves of alien monstrosities as you defend a futuristic Tokyo.

The game is inspired and created for players who are fans of Vampire Survivors, Brotato, and Death Must Die.

The game was recently featured at the Tokyo Game Show where it made quite a splash while a free Steam demo is also available now. 

Features

• A unique spell-crafting system to create near-unlimited spell combinations
• Multiple magical elements and variants to craft spells from, making no two runs feel the same
• Unlock and play as various new sorceresses, each with their own unique stats and abilities
• Discover and equip powerful new wands, each with their own special powers and enhancements
• Choose between auto-fire or manual aim and fire modes
• Every map changes the gameplay with a different look, enemy types, and objectives
• Super fast and addictive runs
• Plays great on Steam Deck and Switch handheld

Article by: Susan N.

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Memorable Music in Gaming #54

This week we’re all about the Main Theme™. This is the piece of music that perfectly sums up the core of the game in audio form, and is usually oft-repeated from the game’s soundtrack. You may find the main theme playing during trailers, on the game’s main menu screen, as background music on promotional events, and at the very top on their respective Spotify playlists.

Duke Nukem 3D | MS-DOS | Main Theme

If DOOM is Metallica, then Duke Nukem is Megadeth. A bonafide headbanging classic, this is easily among the more iconic tunes from the 90s that never gets old.

There are times I swear I can just hear ol’ Duke spouting his memorable one-liners over the Mustaine-esque bombastic riffs.

Duke Nukem 3D (1996) Theme Music

 

Shadow of the Colossus | PS2 | Main Theme

Even though I’ve only properly played it once, this game has been tattooed in my brain ever since. There isn’t a single moment in the game that doesn’t make you go through a whirlwind of emotions.

This soulful theme is at once a letter to despair and an invitation to a new, hopeful beginning. I love it.

[High Quality] Shadow of the Colossus OST 01 - Prologue

 

Tomb Raider | PS1 | Main Theme

The original Tomb Raider games were something else, weren’t they? I’ve been binge-watching the new series on Netflix… and I very much enjoy the show for what it is. I like how it delves into the more mystical, mythical, and mythological side of the Raider games - not too dissimilar to this theme.

Tomb Raider Main Theme

 

Quake | MS-DOS | Main Theme

There’s only ever been 2 pieces of music that I’ve been jealous of and wish I’d written it. The first is “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits. The cinematic buildup to the legendary riff never fails to give goosebumps. The second is the main theme to Quake.

I’m a massive fan of Trent Reznor, and by extension Nine Inch Nails. Their role in the auditory department of Quake is nothing short of genius. Quake Theme’s first 20% is an epic buildup that at once sets the mood à la garage jam session, while the remaining 80% is pure ambient purgatory.

That’s a compliment.

Quake Theme

 

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind | PC | Main Theme

Sure, Oblivion and Skyrim may rightfully rank high, but Morrowind ain’t no slouch either. This is the definition of embarking on a life-defining, nostalgic quest.

This theme is among the many candidates for the official soundtrack for the early 2000’s era of PC gaming.

Morrowind Theme Song

 

Article by: Hamza

 

  

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Claw Your Way To Victory in Clawball by ARVORE!

October 17, 2024 - ARVORE, the Emmy Award-winning Brazilian studio celebrated for its innovative VR games like Pixel Ripped, is announcing that their brand new VR multiplayer Cat vs Cat Soccer game, Clawball, is arriving today as free game to the Meta Quest Store in Early Access, the game will be available at 10am PT / 7pm CET. To celebrate the spooky Halloween mood, the game will kick off with its first Season Pass, offering unique limited cosmetics, such as ghoul cat, skeleton cat, the good old Jack o’ Lantern head and many more! 

Directed by Ana Ribeiro – the creative force behind Pixel Ripped – Clawball features fast-paced 3v3 soccer matches where players embody cat personas, using their paws (and claws!) to score goals in this exhilarating party sport game.

This is the perfect opportunity to invite friends, jump into the game, have fun, and rack up some sweet XP as you level up the Season Pass together!

JOIN THE CLAWBALL COMMUNITY!!

ARVORE has an active community of Clawball players on Discord already, where fans can post clips of their most wild and chaotic playthroughs, look for matches to join or simply have fun chatting - you can join here discord.gg/nZUTuEZrG7

In addition to its competitive gameplay, Clawball also offers rich social interaction, allowing players to enjoy a “playground” Lobby full of places to explore and meet fellow players. Customization is a core pillar in Clawball, as players are rewarded with a variety of cosmetics such as headgear, eyewear, and shirts to make their cat-persona truly unique. With new cosmetics being added to the game periodically, players can continuously find fresh ways to express themselves.

"I'm thrilled to present Clawball, ARVORE's first multiplayer VR game. Inspired by our love for chaotic multiplayer games and fueled by our Brazilian roots, Clawball blends competitive spirit with playful feline madness. It all started when our lead programmer, Joao Machado, noticed his movements resembling those of a cat while tinkering with the initial prototype. This sparked a burst of creative inspiration. The best part of developing this game has been our playtest sessions with the whole team, where it's hard to stop playing and get work done. Now, we're excited to finally share that joy with the world. Despite the challenges, creating Clawball has been a blast—we hope you enjoy playing it as much as we do!" - Ana Ribeiro, Game Director.

About ARVORE

ARVORE is an Emmy Award-winning Brazilian XR studio that creates and develops innovative games, interactive narratives and immersive worlds using the latest technologies such as Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality. With acclaimed titles like The Line, YUKI, and the Pixel Ripped series—including “Pixel Ripped 1989,” “Pixel Ripped 1995,” and the latest gem “Pixel Ripped 1978”—the studio has earned prestigious accolades, including the 2020 Primetime Emmy Award, a Lion at the 76th Venice Film Festival, a DICE Award Nomination, and the 2023 Best VR/XR Game Award at the BIG Festival.

Follow ARVORE on Twitter, Instagram, and Threads.

Article by: Susan N.

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30 Birds Releasing in November on Nintendo Switch and PC!

LabParis, October 22nd 2024 - ARTE, RTBF, Ram Ram Games and Business Goose are proud to announce that 30 BIRDS, an adventure game inspired by Persian mythology, will be released on November 28th 2024 on Nintendo Switch and PC/Mac via Steam. The game will be on show at Paris Games Week from October 23th to 27th.

During Paris Games Week, visitors will be able to discover and play 30 Birds on the Jeux Made in France booth. On Wednesday 23 October at 2pm CEST, a livestream will be held on the Jeux Made in France stage with members of the Brussels studio Ram Ram Games, who will be showcasing their creation. 

30 BIRDS is a poetic and comedic game that combines an oriental tale with a thrilling investigation.

Zig, a mysterious detective, wanders through a mystical world of spinning lanterns to find the thirty birds that will enable her to save Simurgh, the missing patron goddess. Along the way, Zig encounters curious characters and colorful challenges. 

In this mesmerizing journey, the player takes on the role of Zig as she navigates through breathtaking landscapes and solves fun and complex puzzles in an attempt to unravel the mystery of Simurgh's disappearance.

The stunning artistic direction of 30 BIRDS was inspired by a trip to Istanbul during which the two creators, Coline Sauvand and Laurent Toulouse, discovered Persian miniatures, a 15th-century pictorial tradition. 

After producing a book in 2014, ‘Le Carnet d'Istanbul’, featuring a story, sketches and revisited Persian miniatures, they wanted to transcribe their experience and use their illustrations to create a video game.

The hand-painted sets in 30 BIRDS create a captivating, enchanted world where 2D and 3D complement each other in a unique way to the rhythm of an original ska-electro soundtrack.

About ARTE 

Founded in 1992, ARTE is a European public cultural television channel and digital network focusing on creation and innovation. Over the past ten years, ARTE has co-produced a number of interactive games such as Type:Rider, Homo Machina, Vectronom, Inua, How to Say Goodbye and To Hell with the Ugly. More information on the official website and the Twitter page of Arte Interactif.

About Ram Ram Games

Coline and Laurent are both passionate about traditional and alternative forms of art. Coline is an author and illustrator and Laurent is a programmer and musician, with a background in philosophy and literature. 

Ram Ram Games develops a combination of playful experiences and immersion in particular cultural universes. 30 Birds was born out of a trip to Istanbul, from which Coline and Laurent returned with an admiration for Persian miniatures and the idea of using them as the starting point for a video game.

About Business Goose

Business Goose is a studio founded by three friends united by their passion for video games. We love everything about video game development and we do everything we can to involve our community throughout the creative process.

In our catalogue, you'll find relaxing games with puzzles and worlds to explore, magical and emotional stories, and also titles with some educational content. We'll soon be adding action-packed games! So get ready!

The two studios began their collaboration in 2022 while exchanging ideas with other people from the world of illustration and game development. 30 Birds is the result of this combination of expertise and talents.

About RTBF iXPé 

RTBF iXPé is the public service media in French-speaking Belgium dedicated to video games, esports and geek culture. Its aim is to inform, educate and entertain audiences about the topics and issues related to these themes. 

RTBF is also committed to supporting Belgian video game development studios through the co-production of ambitious and inspiring projects. As part of this ongoing commitment, RTBF iXPé also aims to catalyse the development of video game-related themes in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.

Article by: Susan N.

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Eden Crafters - PC Preview

Eden Crafters by developer and publisher Osaris Games—PC (Steam) preview written by Valerie with copies provided by the publisher.

Estimated reading time:  9 minutes

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In this open-world game you are challenged with turning a hostile planet into a habitable haven for all of human kind. You have the ability and equipment to temper the climate, and to create a breathable atmosphere! Oh, and on top of all that you get to turn toxic lakes into clean water! Talk about a huge undertaking, but you are given planets where resources can be found to be forged into parts for the machinery to automate your way to bigger buildings and advanced equipment. You start out with two planets to terraform, Ocean World we had in the prologue along with the toxic water planet called Echo Prime. Aetheria comes out later this year, and the rest in 2025.

So, for those of you who have already played Ocean World: Eden Crafters Prologue, let us introduce you to Eden Crafters Early Access! The second planet is our choice for our coop play and the first thing we noticed is how much the landscape resembled the Ocean World with more hills and landmass. Part of the terraforming process on this planet extends to the water where it is toxic, so we have to filter it too. There also isn’t any ‘disaster’ like the huge wave that you have in Ocean World and we are very thankful for that. The main reason being we don’t lose our power grid.

We can’t help but notice just how much this game plays like Planet Crafters and in some parts like Satisfactory. The building parts for our base are a different texture to the ones in Subnautica and Planet Crafter. During our progress in the game we found that crafting some of the automation parts unlocked other parts and building pieces. The material analyzer is a new machine in the game that gives us more unlocks as we discover more resources. You can’t do any of the material research ahead of what is active, nor can you put in the amount already collected so you have more inventory space. We've also noticed that there isn't any visual representation of supplies put into the material analyzer for it to process the next research item.

The starting area is along the coastline of an island. You have a ship with some starting supplies: 2 oxygen capsules, 2 food rations (+50hp), some cement, and the starting tool (which is auto assigned to button 1). You sit in the ship to replenish your oxygen until you grab enough resources to make your starting building. This game also allows you to build from inside your base provided the connecting wall turns green. Since I am the person invited to my son’s game I found that I could not build on a wall of the building that my son had already placed. That is very annoying along with the not being able to use the Ctrl key and left click on a resource to transfer all of it to a container.

Your build menu is called up with the Q key and your inventory with the TAB key. That inventory screen also shows your personal survival equipment and as you progress through research and unlocks you’ll find a few more openings for new survival equipment. The health, energy, and oxygen bars on the bottom left of the screen with a temperature gauge above it lets you know when you are low on health (replenished by food), energy (replenished by power from base building), and oxygen (also replenished from base buildings and oxygen capsules with tanks unlocked later). One gripe here is the fact that using our starting tool drains away the energy (or stamina) where we feel it should be a separate bar to itself. Standing still also replenishes your energy/stamina bar.

One thing my son noted is his building of something out on the water quite a piece away that should have a building distance limit. However, I did get him to use buildings to make a long tunnel to get out to the item to disassemble it for proper placing along the coast. In the above screenshot you can see the poof of disassembling smoke which I found a nice touch. There are no distance markers or features for us to know how far away things are. Satisfactory has a distance limit which is shown by both text warning and the object turning red. Satisfactory also shows the distance to resources on the compass as well as highlighted on the map. Planet Crafters has a 500 meter build limit away from the player.

Crafting in the game is easy enough. The build menu, even with the tabs for the sections of objects to build, we found the recipe pinning very useful. There is the starting workbench and then not long after we can build and use the assembling bench. One big discrepency I noticed in the production assembler machine is the amount of resource boxes for input aren’t even. So, when I was crafting iron beams, there were two slots being used for the plate while only one slot for the rods which has the greater amount needed to produce one iron beam.
 

Another thing we noticed with the crafting process is that the detail will only show the per minute statistic, and only on the build menu screen. It doesn't show on the machine information and resource screen. For analytical minds with detailed strategic planning, my son found that missing stat created a gap in his counts of resources to parts created when accessing the machine menu. For myself, it was cumbersome to constantly pull up the build menu screen to refresh my memory of the per minute stats. My son also noted that there is “no way there’s that much waste” in most of the recipes. That adds to the fact that he found the recipes unrealistic. 

My son and I both love the drone for building! Since we don't use stairs that often at the beginning after unlocking, it helps greatly in placing our power network on top of the building. Later when we tried out using the stairs for inside the base we found out that the block used to fill that area back in didn't quite make it to the edge to seal up the building for your oxygen. That would be hazardous in an extreme environment if one only built the first floor and then placed the stairs.

In building up our automation processes we were annoyed that we could not cross conveyors, nor was there any verticality to create a stream-lined automated production line like in Satisfactory. The ‘spaghetti network’ is real when you view your handiwork and that your network shows up on the map. Is that intentional? We don’t know, but it wasn’t a pleasing sight. There is an object in the game now that we can view the terraforming process in greater detail than the tasks menu. Definitely colorful and detailed when you can pick out the areas that you had already terraformed.

A few more cons to this game. There isn’t an autorun feature, and my son has a problem with the health degradation due to hunger being your health gauge and not a food gauge. The gold and sulphur icons on the map are too close in yellow color to distinguish one from the other at a glance. It takes hovering over the icons to see which is which. Another con is in the second player joining the game. When I joined my son’s game the text of my name blocks the vital stats between the energy and oxygen on his hub.

When we are running around we were constantly getting stuck on the terrain voxels. The time it takes to build up the terrrain takes away from the build time for our base and the terraforming process. Later we get access to a vehicle that can smooth out the terrain, and if you’re not careful, take down a mountain! Also, one glitch with the steamroller where it dipped into the ground or popped a wheely happened if I wasn’t holding down the left mouse button to ‘smooth’ the terrain. That made it hard to line myself up to smooth out a slope. 

I get that same glitch with the rover when travelling over uneven terrain. It's almost forgiving in not getting stuck, but damned annoying when trying to steer!

Flying the ship was a challenge for me in the prologue and now in the early access game I found that challenge remains. The controls are W for accelerate, A & D for left & right directions, moving mouse changes your view, and S for landing. I am unsure whether or not S is also used to slow my flight as each press just brought me down lower to land. Oh, and get ready for takeoff with the SPACE BAR! 

While flying at such a fast speed, it makes it very hard to line up to set down on the landing pad. Sure, I could use the controller to call it back to the landing pad, but that isn't the point when I want to land where I had put the pad in line with the production I was going to take ingots/parts for my next project.

All in all the game feels very relaxed, and you can build and move at your own pace. There are no time limits to anything (except maybe not enough power or water for machinery to run) even at night. 

So, while we continue on with our coop game, we leave you with happy thoughts that things are going to improve and more stuff for you to accomplish. We are having a great time with expanding our power grid for the next phase of advanced machinery to build more stuff in our efforts to terraform this planet! Echo One, do you copy? I couldn't resist!

 

Score: N/A 

Update: Since we're still going strong playing our coop game, I thought I'd let y'all know that I am having a whale of a time with my jetpack I finally built for myself! A heck of a lot easier than flying either of our ships we have. I had made an extra large landing pad *laughs* just so I can line myself up to land the cargo ship.

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Don't Be Afraid 2 By Eneida Games and Untold Tales is Out Now on Steam and GoG!

Warsaw, Poland - 14 October 2024 - Cat-astrophe, Eneida Games and Untold Tales have announced today that Don’t Be Afraid 2 will launch on Steam and GOG on Monday, October 28th, 2024.

Don’t Be Afraid 2 is a first-person, psychological horror mystery and a direct sequel to the 2020 Don’t Be Afraid which sold very well for the developers. DBA2 will continue the tale of the original protagonist David, plunging him into a fresh, blood-curdling mystery as he tries to cope with terrible trauma from his childhood.

Relive the darkest moments of David’s life while exploring the horrific locations, gathering clues about his past, and solving puzzles left behind by the deranged murderer toying with his life.

Dont Be Afraid 2 New Gameplay and Release Date Trailer: 

 

Game Key Features

• A captivating mix of story, horror and puzzle elements
• Several terrifying escape rooms, each with different challenges and themes
• Gripping story that blurs the boundaries between dreams and reality
• Disturbing drawings, notes and documents that reveal the unpleasant truth
• Two unique endings

Article by: Susan N.

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Ahro - PC(Steam) Review

Ahro by developer and publisher Oeh Interactive and publisher Nakana.io—PC(Steam) review written by Richard with a copy provided by the publisher.

 
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

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Ahro is an interesting introspective on what it's like to deal with anxiety and/or depression portrayed in a 2D adventure style gameplay. Exploring against a timer that keeps ticking until your next breakdown, Ahro explores for the sake of finding a remedy to his condition, and you can help him.

The story of Ahro revolves around a man named Ahro, who begins experiencing breakdowns. After some testing, he finds out that the local herbal medicine store has a drug that helps prevent the breakdowns, albeit with limited success. Unfortunately the herbal medicine isn't really cutting it, so Ahro decides to go on a journey to find a legendary medicine to cure his breakdowns.

Ahro sets off to complete his new task. To do so, you must help him find pieces of a relic type object in each stage, piece it together at an altar, and then make your way to the end of the stage. Ahro is still at risk of having a breakdown however, so you need to also collect circular herbs along the way to help prevent his breakdown. If you can't make it, you need to help Ahro suppress his breakdown, whether through using an item you can find, or through doing a bit of a minigame to prevent the breakdown. 

Along the way you can zoom in a little to examine certain parts of the environment. This will either give you a helpful item, a hint, a supportive message, or give you a bit of the game's background. My only complaint about this is that the lore is hidden behind QR codes. A bit of a bold move, and one I can say definitely causes me to have some gripes. I would've much preferred to read the lore as I got it, not have to whip out my phone and finagle the scanner to catch the code, and then read through it on my phone.

The gameplay of Ahro consists of walking back and forth, examining areas with a sparkle, while trying to find the piece of the relic you need. As you explore, you will also come across some prayer altars. When you interact with these, Ahro will meditate, and a floating triangle will pop out. You can use this triangle to float around, explore areas you can't reach by walking, and warp to other altars. You need to be careful though, as you only have a limited amount of time to do this before you're sucked back to the altar you left from. 

Collecting more relic fragments increases the time you have in triangle/soul mode, so later areas have a sort of prerequisite of finding enough fragments, and in the right order, in order to get through the stage. There are also items to collect that can help you in various ways. Some will allow you to save your game at the relic temple, some prevent a breakdown, and some add points of interest to your map, indicating where you should look for relic fragments.

I will admit there are a few moments where I got frustrated when I just couldn't find a fragment I needed to extend my "flight time" in order to reach a different altar, or in the second to last stage where they give you a task near the end that I was distinctly unhappy with. The first issue is a combination of me being a little dumb and some areas that are slightly hidden. The second issue? It was manageable, but I think if the task requirement was lessened a little bit, I wouldn't have been quite so frustrated with it. Although perhaps that's what the developer was aiming for? A frustrating experience to contextualize how dealing with anxiety feels?

Ahro is presented in a sort of minimalist style, with both the graphics and soundtrack being rather barebones. This feels more like a design decision rather than a lack of resources however, as it adds a sort of anxious undercurrent to the game, befitting of it's theme in dealing with anxiety. As you get closer to a breakdown, dark clouds will also form around Ahro, lending to the feeling of being rushed or hurried.

While this title may be very simplistic in it's presentation and gameplay, there is something to be said about having more in simplicity. With the focus being more on the journey rather than "fancy textures", your attention is drawn to your dwindling time limit as you try and complete each stage. Ahro does a very good job at delivering a message and experience.

Overall Ahro is an interesting title focused on the effects of anxiety and how it can be dealt with and mitigated. While rather short, taking me just under three hours total at the time of writing including completing the game, it was a pretty entertaining experience. While Ahro is an extremely niche title, it hits a lot of the checkpoints you should aim for in game design. While I can't really give a blanket recommendation, Ahro is definitely worth your attention to see if it fits in your niche, albeit it more of an experience than a game per se.

Score: 7 / 10

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Try the Border Pioneer Demo by Yogscast Games Right Now!

Bristol, United Kingdom — October 10, 2024 | Yogscast Games is delighted to announce that Border Pioneer will be joining Steam. Blending city building with RTS gameplay and tower defence, Border Pioneer asks players to build their own kingdom and then shield it from all manner of carnage.

Creating a pixel paradise can be stressful. There’s where to put the castle, which bushes should reside by the lake, and, oh yes, how to tackle the ​​relentless mass gathering of murderous bandits waiting eagerly to burn everything to the ground. 

Each month this rampaging horde will trample over the world they have created and it's up to players to plan their town’s layout for war and peace as they transform a barren world into a bustling paradise.

Players can check out the demo for this town building/RTS indie treat today by heading over to the Steam page here. Keep up to date with this medieval murder sim on X, Instagram, and TikTok.

About Yogscast Games

Yogscast Games was established in 2017, with a simple goal: to work with small teams to develop and publish games which are as fun to watch as they are to play. Its most recent releases have included poker-powered deckbuilding game ‘Aces & Adventures’, the wickedly amoral ‘Trolley Problem, Inc.’ and the wildly successful restaurant management roguelike ‘PlateUp!’ which recently passed 1.5m Steam units sold.

About Yahzj Games

Yahzj Games is a solo developer who has experience in a few fields before making Border Pioneer, including photography, programming, post editing, graphic design, as well as modding Starcraft and Warcraft maps. Their dream was to make their own game and inspiration struck when they saw a new game engine they decided to make Border Pioneer.

Article by: Susan N.

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Check Out Yogscast Games New Game Demo of Stray Path on Steam Releasing in 2025!

Bristol,  United Kingdom — October 10, 2024 | There’s plenty out there, but Stray Path asks players to abandon convention and take a chance on an all-new indie experience, perfectly blending FreeCell mechanics with roguelike gameplay in an ever-evolving world.

From the publisher behind hit blackjack roguelike Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers comes a fantasy roguelike sporting a Slay the Spire and Solitaire gameplay loop that players might find hard to put down.

Brimming with endless possibilities, no two runs will ever be the same. Starting out with a choice of adventurer and over 100 pieces of equipment with which to make their way in a randomly generated world, choice is everything in Stray Path. Will players evade confrontation or become combat veterans? Will they opt for a defensive style or go all-in with devastating attacks? The combinations are truly endless.

Check out the demo on Steam and to keep up to date with Stray Path, head over to the Steam page or follow Yogscast Games on X, Instagram, and TikTok.

About Yogscast Games

Yogscast Games was established in 2017, with a simple goal: to work with small teams to develop and publish games which are as fun to watch as they are to play. Its most recent releases have included poker-powered deckbuilding game ‘Aces & Adventures’, the wickedly amoral ‘Trolley Problem, Inc.’ and the wildly successful restaurant management roguelike ‘PlateUp!’ which recently passed 1.5m Steam units sold.

About chx games

Zhong Chaowei is a 31-year-old solo developer. Previously working on multiple mobile titles, he decided to take the plunge into indie development one year ago, as he began developing Stray Path as a passion project. 

Article by: Susan N.

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Tactical RPG Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch Releasing in Early Access on November 5th!

El Segundo, California– October 10, 2024 | Today, Kakao Games and Ocean Drive Studio are delighted to announce that Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch will be launching into Early Access on November 5. 

Spin-off to the beloved Lost Eidolons, this tactical RPG takes the genre one step further by incorporating roguelike elements for a truly unique experience. Players will embark on a quest to uncover their memories and regain what was lost. Inspired by cRPGs of yesteryear, players will be battling against hordes of the dead on their quest across this forsaken island.

With 9 playable characters, from a weathered mercenary to a prideful scholar, players will fall in love with this ragtag team of misfits inadvertently tasked with saving the world. No playthrough is quite the same, thanks to a mix of session-based upgrades and choice-driven encounters that will shape the world at the behest of a mysterious witch. Can she truly be trusted or is this deal as cursed as this wretched isle?

But players won’t have to wait until November 5 for their first taste of what Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch has to offer. The brand new demo featuring the entire first of the game’s three acts, 200+ skills and hundreds of upgrades is available on Steam right now and throughout Steam Next Fest! Discover what awaits on this cursed island today!

About Kakao Games

Founded in 2016, Kakao Games is a leading publisher of online and mobile games, responsible for releasing titles including Pearl Abyss's Black Desert Online (serviced in North America and Europe until early 2021), KRAFTON’s PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (serviced in Korea), XLGAMES's ArcheAge (service in North America, Europe and Oceania), Nimble Neuron's Survival MOBA Eternal Return (serviced in North America, Europe and Oceania), Kong Studios' Guardian Tales (serviced in North America, Europe, Latin America and Oceania), and Nineark's Eversoul (serviced in North America and Europe).

About Ocean Drive Studio

Ocean Drive Studio, a subsidiary of Kakao Games, is a company dedicated to developing and servicing games that resonate with global fans who love the same genres that their developers know and are passionate about. The studio gained attention with the release of its first game, the turn-based tactical RPG Lost Eidolons, on Steam, PS5, and Xbox. Building on this success, they are working on the second game in the same genre, Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch, as well as other titles including the roguelite shooter Section 13, the physics-based sandbox survival game God Save Birmingham, and an action RPG based on the IP Sword Master Youngest Son. Ocean Drive Studio aims to deliver unique and engaging gaming experience to gamers around the world through these diverse game genres. 

Article by: Susan N.

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Burden of Command Coming Out in 2025!

October 14th, 2024 | Can you be a leader of men? This is the quintessential question that Burden of Command is asking. 

Burden of Command is an emotionally authentic tactical leadership RPG. You’re a company Captain in the historical Cottonbalers. Fighting psychology as much as bullets, you must build respect, trust, and battlefield experience to bring your brothers safely home. It's an interactive "Band of Brothers"!

Features:

• Master the Psychology of the Battlefield - Demoralize the enemy, inspire your men. Build trust and respect to overcome their natural fear of death. All based on painstaking study of real combat psychology.
• Realistic WWII tactical leadership - learn to suppress the enemy, flank them, and finish them. Good tactics earn you trust, and respect, and an enemy surrender. Bad tactics earn death for your men.
• Life and death decisions - get a soldier killed, lose them forever (permadeath). Your choices, their consequences.
• A leadership RPG - guide your men through personal crises and combat stress. How you treat them affects their Mindsets. Mindsets change how they speak and think, and how they perform on the battlefield. Lead well, and forge a brotherhood willing to follow you to hell and back.
• The Burden of Command - Lead your unit through a narrative-driven campaign of 18 turn-based, tactical battles. When will you risk their lives for the mission, or withdraw to preserve them?
• Face the same decisions they did - Painstakingly recreated historical battlefields and forces from period accounts, satellite imagery, period maps, and aerial reconnaissance. Military historian Professor John McManus, official chronicler of the Cottonbalers regiment we follow, playtests and advises us.

Facebook – www.facebook.com/burdenofcommand/

Twitter – www.twitter.com/BurdenOfCommand

YouTube – Official channel of Burden of Command

Industry Recognition

“...Aiming to be an Interactive Band of Brothers”

- Forbes

“Burden of Command is a tactical RPG that aims to capture the personal experiences of war [...] there's a strong commitment to historical authenticity”

- PC Gamer

“…designed to show players the complexity of leading people into battle […] it might offer a level of realism rarely seen in such games."

- Stars and Stripes

“Burden of Command is in a class by itself. I know of no other game that brings history to life with more accuracy and immediacy. Highest recommendation!”

- Dr. John C. McManus, Curator’s Distinguished Professor of US Military History

“The sweet spot for games with narrative is the place where writing meets design. Burden of Command plants its flag right at the heart of this sweet spot.”

- Alexis Kennedy (Dragon Age, Stellaris, Fallen London, Sunless Sea, Cultist Simulator)

“It's like Band of Brothers and XCom had a baby.”

- Task & Purpose

“But I’ve never come across a game that sounds quite like Burden of Command before.”

- PC PowerPlay

“I am incredibly excited for games like Burden of Command. [...] This looks to be the type of game that focuses more on the feeling it leaves you with than anything else, and that has me excited…”

- Destructoid

“I simply cannot wait for this. It’s going to be a masterpiece.”

- Dark World Gaming

“Burden of Command says it all in the name – it’s the first World War 2 game I’ve ever experienced where the emotional struggle comes from the top and bleeds right down into the trenches.”

- Chris Avellone (Torment, KOTOR 2, Fallout 2/New Vegas, Divinity)

Green Tree Games LLC

We're a small indie driven by our passion for the drama that is history. We bring to bear an unusual combination of military, classical art, psychology, and AI experience. That being said, most of us are doing this in our free time working from locations across the globe. We'll need your help getting this right.

Article by: Susan N.

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