One of the more interesting games I played at E3 was Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3. It was also probably the biggest named title I played, but the more I've thought about it the more I want to play more. The video above is the demo I was shown and got to play through so check it out and see what to look forward to.
Brand New SFV Character and Gameplay Details Revealed at EVO 2015
Announced at EVO 2015 in Las Vegas, Capcom confirmed the first brand new fighter to join the Street Fighter V roster - the mysterious Necalli! Capcom also confirmed the details of the content plan for Street Fighter V. The initial game purchase will be the only disc or full game download you will ever need to own. For the first time ever, all post-launch gameplay related content will be earnable via gameplay, totally free of charge. Players will also have the option to purchase the content as soon as it’s available if they wish to do so. Any balance and system adjustments will be available for free also. Releasing in Spring 2016, the title will launch with a core roster of 16 characters, including 4 brand new fighters to the Street Fighter universe. Capcom will continually add additional characters, making this the first iteration in the franchise where it’s possible for dedicated players to continue to expand on their gameplay experience without the need to purchase further titles in the series.
About Necalli
Possessing a wide variety of savage and close range attacks, all of Necalli’s moves have been forged through the heat of battle to ensure he’s inflicting maximum pain upon his opponents. Making full use of the Battle System mechanics, Necalli’s V-Skill allows him to pound the ground with both fists, creating an explosion that damages the enemy whereas the powerful V-Trigger allows him to channel a mysterious energy that changes his hair colour and alters his personality for a short period of time. Capcom will be revealing more information on Necalli’s origin and storyline in the coming months so stay tuned for more details.
About Street Fighter V
The legendary fighting franchise returns with Street Fighter V! Stunning visuals depict the next generation of World Warriors in unprecedented detail, while exciting and accessible battle mechanics deliver endless fighting fun that both beginners and veterans can enjoy. Challenge friends online, or compete for fame and glory on the Capcom Pro Tour.
Korrigans: Kingdom Wars, An Epic Fantasy Strategy Game, Is Now Available
Fabulapps, maker of the hugely successful MMORPG Heroic Legends, today announced the launch of its latest fantasy strategy mobile game, Korrigans: Kingdom Wars, on the Apple App Store. In the free-to-play mobile game, players join the ancient people of Brittany, the Korrigans, in the battle to save the kingdom from the evil forces of Onalgar. The game enables players to build their empire, form an alliance and fight in tactical, action-packed real-time battles against terrifying creatures.In Korrigans, up to three players can battle in 3D-rendered arenas together against a creature/boss, in real time and with a turn-based system. In addition, they can train troops to grow an army; enhance heroes' abilities; and conspire against their rivals to forge a clan with friends and defeat fierce creatures in varied arenas. Players can also descend upon adversaries with alliances in raids across the virtual world; all while chatting live with thousands of other players around the real world.
Based in France, Fabulapps was founded by the two-man team of Thomas Pagot and Gildas Quiniou, who also create and develop each title on their own. Their goal with Korrigans was to make a free strategy game that would not only be engaging, but also not pay-to-win like too many games in this genre. This allows players to upgrade buildings and conquer new territories to increase their empire and resources, without having to pay additional funds to get ahead.
“With Korrigans, we decided we didn’t want to sell resources directly; players would have to earn them the hard way so that the game felt as though it had a more even playing field. This was very important to us,” said Pagot. “This game has been a two-year labor of love, and we are proud to say that we definitely thought more about making an awesome fun-to-play game and less about the monetization…though don’t tell our wives.”
Korrigans: Kingdom Wars is available now for free on the Apple App Store at http://bit.ly/1dKhQlh.
Like Korrigans on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/
Players Battle Across New Planets in the “Worlds in Conflict” Expansion for Star Wars: Commander
Disney Interactive and Lucasfilm Ltd. today released “Worlds in Conflict,” the largest update for Star Wars™: Commander since the launch of the game. For nearly a year, Star Wars: Commander has brought storylines, characters and battles to mobile with this strategy game, nearing almost 18 million downloads from fans and gamers across the globe. Now, with a brand new design and Galactic Map, Star Wars: Commander has released the #1 most requested feature to the game, allowing players to relocate to, and battle across several iconic worlds in the Star Wars™ universe, spanning Hoth, Yavin IV, Dandoran and Er’kit in addition to the current planet of Tatooine. Fans will engage in new Planetary Conflicts for PVP victory bonuses and new planetary missions that will be introduced over time.
Important new features of the “Worlds in Conflict” update include:
- World Relocation – The Planetary Command building, which unlocks at HQ5, allows players to choose from up to four additional worlds to scout out and move to – Yavin 4, Hoth Er’Kit, and Dandoran.
- Galaxy Map - Part of the Planetary Command building, this map of the greater galaxy provides tactical intel on each planet and allows players to circle through and decide which planet to engage battles on.
- Updated Play Menu - This updated menu will surface information relevant to each world, such as friends and squadmates on the planet, conflicts and events, as well as chapter progress.
- Planetary Conflicts - Players compete in PVP tournament-style planetary conflicts on a rotating schedule between the added worlds. Victory bonuses are given to the faction that wins each Conflict.
- PvP Victory Loot Bonus - Placement in a medal tier at the end of a Planetary Conflict rewards loot bonuses. For a number of days after the conflict, earn bonus loot for victories against in PVP.
- Planetary Leaderboards – PVP leaderboards will now allow a player to see their own rank as well as the top 50 Commanders. There will also be Planetary specific leaderboards so players will know their standing on their planet. Players will also now know when they’ve received donated troops, and from whom they were donated.
Players can join the battle for control of the galaxy by downloading the game from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © & ™ Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.
Guild of Dungeoneering Launches to Aspiring Dungeon Masters Everywhere!
Independent developer Gambrinous, in partnership with indie publishing powerhouse Versus Evil, has announced the release of their newest role-playing game (RPG) Guild of Dungeoneering for PC and Mac. The innovative and entertaining new card driven dungeon-crawler combines dungeon building, exploration and combat mechanics with nostalgic ‘hand drawn’ style graphics on graph paper and is now available to buy on Steam and GoG.com for $14.99. Guild of Dungeoneering turns traditional dungeon crawling on its head by putting a new spin on classic game play – rather than controlling a dungeoneer, players build their dungeon around him (or indeed her). Using a random deck of cards, players can expand the dungeon and strategically place loot and monsters to lure their dungeoneer in the direction they want him to go. When their dungeoneer confronts a monster (either willingly or not), battle lines are drawn and the victor will be decided on how cunning a player is with the hand that’s been dealt to them.
"We're incredibly excited to share Guild of Dungeoneering with the world," said Colm Larkin of Gambrinous. "What started as a weekend project has blossomed and become something beautiful. I think the game taps into a pretty unique blend of tabletop and role playing nostalgia. I'm really proud of what we've made and can't wait to see what everyone thinks."
Over time, as players collect enough gold and gain more experience, they will be able to build out their own Guild by adding rooms to attract more-powerful adventurers and unlock better weapons and special cards for their Guild deck all in the name of fame and fortune.
"Guild of Dungeoneering brings to life the dungeon crawler in such a unique, fun way through cards that ooze character," said General Manager Steve Escalante. "Through its nostalgic, hand drawn look, its clever use of music and deep adventures, Guild of Dungeoneering has captured the TCG and Roleplaying gamers in the Versus Evil team. We are so excited you can now all play this wonderful indie title."
For more information about Guild of Dungeoneering, visit www.guildofdungeoneering.com.
SDCC 15: Ken Announced For Street Fighter V
I know this is a bit of a duh, but there's a lot of question marks for Street Fighter V so not really. Also apparently Ken is going to play differently from Ryu which is very interesting since they've always have been pretty similar. From Capcom:
Announced today during the annual Street Fighter panel at San Diego Comic-Con, a new character has joined the exclusive Street Fighter V roster. Ken, the master of the flaming Shoryuken, has just been confirmed and is now playable on the Comic-Con show floor (Capcom booth #215). One of the key protagonists in the legendary Street Fighter series, Ken brings an array of new abilities to Street Fighter V, where his tricky mix-ups and flashy combos have the ability to bewilder opponents and deal huge damage. Ken joins the six previously-announced characters Ryu, Chun-Li, Charlie Nash, M. Bison, Cammy and Birdie, with plenty more new and returning characters still to come.
As a reminder, the first online beta program for Street Fighter V will be exclusive to PlayStation®4 players and will run for five days, starting from July 23 (6pm PDT) in North America/ July 24 (3am CEST) in Europe. In North America, those who pre-order the game through select retailers or through PlayStation™ Network (PSN) will be granted automatic access to the beta. In Europe and Asia, players interested in participating in the beta program can visit www.streetfighter.com and follow the various steps to sign up for a chance to join the fight! Additional beta programs will be taking place throughout the rest of the year and more details will be shared at a later date.
About Street Fighter V The legendary fighting franchise returns with Street Fighter V! Stunning visuals depict the next generation of World Warriors in unprecedented detail, while exciting and accessible battle mechanics deliver endless fighting fun that both beginners and veterans can enjoy. Challenge friends online, or compete for fame and glory on the Capcom Pro Tour.
Street Fighter V will be released exclusively for the PlayStation 4 and PC in Spring 2016. Through a strategic partnership between Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. and Capcom, the next generation Street Fighter experience will offer cross-platform play that will unite fans into a centralized player base for the first time ever. The path to greatness begins here: RISE UP!
Two Man Dutch Developer, Tangrin, Launches KYN on July 28
Tangrin, an indie development studio located in the Netherlands and leading indie game publisher Versus Evil have released a new game trailer for the upcoming action-RPG, Kyn, which will launch on July 28. The trailer gives players a glimpse of the challenges they can expect to face in this Viking-themed adventure as they unravel an unexpected story that will keep them guessing until the very end. Gamers that pre-order the game early will get the exclusive ‘Legendary Fire Master Set’. This pre-order bonus includes a full body armor set with chest guard and leg armor as well as a protective helmet with visor that can be equipped once your body stat reaches 20. Also included is the powerful ‘Eye of the Fire Axe’ that deals extra fire and weapon damage as well as gives you extra attack speed. This two handed axe can be equipped once your body stat has reached 45.
In Kyn gamers will get to control up to six different warriors in their party as they travel through fantasy world inspired by Viking myth and legend. Each warrior can be equipped with specialized skills and abilities depending on their playing style. Throughout their adventure gamers will be able to pick up valuable loot and craft useable items to help take down tough enemy opponents. The game’s modern strategic combat system also allows gamers to slow down time to place their warriors in specific locations for a more tactical approach to taking down the tougher enemies and boss characters.
Kyn can be pre-ordered from: Steam, GOG, Gamers Gate, Direct to Drive, Green Man Gaming and Uplay. For more information about Kyn, visit: http://www.kyn-game.com/ To learn more about Versus Evil visit: http://www.vsevil.net
Disney Interactive Announces North American Release Date for Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition
Disney Interactive today announced that the Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Starter Pack, featuring the Star Wars™ Twilight of the Republic Play Set, will be available in North America on August 30, 2015. The following will also be available at launch:
- Star Wars™ Twilight of the Republic Play Set (Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano figures included) for players who choose to digitally download the Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Software; additional standalone figures (Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi) and Power Disc Pack
- Star Wars Rebels™ figures (Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren, and Zeb Orrelios)
- Star Wars™ Saga Starter Pack
- Disney•Pixar’s Inside Out Play Set (Joy and Anger figures included) and additional standalone figures (Sadness, Disgust and Fear)
- Disney figures (Mickey, Minnie, Mulan, Olaf, Sam Flynn and Quorra)
- Tomorrowland Power Disc Pack
Additional Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Play Sets and figures will be available throughout the fall.
Fans who pre-order a Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Starter Pack at participating retail stores will receive an early copy of the Toy Box Expansion Game, Toy Box Takeover, an action-adventure valued at $19.99, featuring multiplayer gameplay allowing players to use all of their favorite Disney Infinity characters across Star Wars™, Marvel, Disney and Disney•Pixar.
Toy Box Takeover is one of two new Toy Box Expansion Games available to play in Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition. The second will be Toy Box Speedway, a kart-racing game, also set for release this fall. Toy Box Expansion Games unlock additional hours of gameplay inside Toy Box 3.0. Players place a Toy Box Expansion Game Piece on the Disney Infinity Base to unlock pre-built games that instantly take them into the action, mixing and matching characters from across The Walt Disney Company and using unlocked toys and gadgets to complete missions.
Toy Box Expansion Game Overviews:
Toy Box Takeover
When Syndrome gets his hands on Merlin’s magic wand, it’s up to the player to stop him. Using their favorite characters in Disney Infinity, they must battle across multiple worlds, such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Marvel’s Upper Manhattan, The Old West, or The Incredibles Volcano Lair to defeat the bad guys before they ruin the Toy Box forever. Players can complete missions with family and friends via two-player local co-op or four-player online.
Toy Box Speedway
Players can join their favorite Disney, Disney•Pixar, Marvel’s and Star Wars characters and vehicles in an action-packed kart-racer. With nine franchise-themed tracks to choose from – Sugar Rush, Frozen, Tatooine, a classic Star Wars location, San Fransokyo, Agrabah, Monsters Inc., Halloween Town, Gravity Falls or Marvel’s Knowhere – they can choose from three different game modes including Time Trial mode, Race mode and Combat mode. Players put their driving skills to the test as they attack opponents with gadgets and weapons and earn trophies across three challenge cups.
Rated E10+ by the ESRB, the Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Starter Pack available in North America on August 30, 2015 for $64.99, includes the Star Wars™ Twilight of the Republic Play Set, the Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Base, Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker character figures, and a web code card that unlocks content for PC and mobile devices.
Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Video Game and Base are required to play the Toy Box Expansion Games. Toy Box Takeover and Toy Box Speedway will be sold separately at the suggested retail price of $19.99 each later this fall.
All figures and Power Discs from the 1.0 and 2.0 editions of Disney Infinity will be compatible with Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition in the enhanced Toy Box 3.0.
SDCC 15: Capcom Revelas Panels And Booth Info
Capcom will be at San Diego Comic-Con this week (Booth #215, Hall A) with plenty of activities in store for fans including signing sessions, panels with special surprises, playable demos of Capcom’s upcoming games lineup, plus cool collectible merchandise available at the Capcom Store. Playable publicly for the first time at SDCC 2015 will be Resident Evil 0, a newly remastered version of the series’ origin story, and Mega Man Legacy Collection, featuring the 8-bit history of the iconic Blue Bomber. A playable demo of Street Fighter V, the newest entry in the legendary fighting game franchise, will also be available with a roster that features all of the currently announced characters, including the most recently revealed Cammy and Birdie. Other exciting Street Fighter V activities will take place on the tournament stage in the Capcom booth throughout the event. In addition to these three upcoming titles, fans will also be able to check out some of the most recently released Capcom games like the episodic thriller Resident Evil Revelations 2, hit stylish action game Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition and critically acclaimed action RPG Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate.
It wouldn’t be Comic-Con without panels! Two panels are planned for the event, where fans can expect some special surprises. Signing sessions for Street Fighter V with franchise executive producer Yoshinori Ono as well as other special guests will be hosted at the booth at various times throughout the show.
Please see below for additional information and full details can be found on the official Capcom-Unity blog at http://capcom-unity.com/.
PANELS · Street Fighter V Thursday, July 9 from 11:45AM - 12:45PM in Room 6BCF Capcom's Street Fighter experts will share the latest news on Street Fighter V, which will include a special guest appearance from Yoshinori Ono (Executive Producer, Street Fighter franchise). Learn how you can earn big money and everlasting fame by competing in the Capcom Pro Tour culminating in the Capcom Cup Finals later this year. Plus, get a first look at all the must-have Street Fighter licensed goods in store for the rest of the year.
· World of Capcom Thursday, July 9 from 5:00PM - 6:00PM in Room 7AB The Capcom team will share the latest updates on all the new and upcoming Capcom games including Street Fighter V, Resident Evil 0 and more, plus sneak peeks at all the latest Capcom merchandise and licensing products coming your way soon. There will also be some exclusive first-looks and reveals just for SDCC.
Goliath: Motion Comic Trailer Teases a World At War Where Giants Roam
As Comic-Con draws near, we wanted reach out to you with a fantastic motion comic teaser trailer for the recently announced title, Goliath. Published by Viva Media and developed by Whalebox Studio, Goliath is built by a small team with big ideas and talent – and is slated for release on Steam (PC), Mac, and Linux in winter 2016. Goliath explores the concept of survival in a world of giants, dropping players into a world at war where massive monsters roam. Fortunately, players can build giants of their own! Survive and search the world to discover the materials needed to craft tools and weapons, including Goliaths – giant robotic suits that will help even the odds against the enormous creatures that rule the land!
In celebration of Comic-Con, today’s motion comic trailer release teases the title’s art style, mood, setting, and of course, one of the many gigantic Goliath’s players will pilot in this unique approach to survival and action-RPG genres. Along with this teaser trailer, screenshots and artwork are also available at the download link.
For more information about Goliath, please visit the game’s official site, as well as follow the game on Facebook and Twitter.
eigoMANGA Heads To San Diego Comic-Con 2015
July 1, 2015: San Francisco based comic book publisher, eigoMANGA announces its participation at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2015 which is held on July 9 - July 12, 2015 at the San Diego Convention Center. Sakura Pakk 10 Year Anniversary -
eigoMANGA celebrates Sakura Pakk's 10th year in publication with exclusive comics, graphic novels, and give-aways at eigoMANGA's Exhibition Booth #2304. Sakura Pakk is eigoMANGA's shoujo (female-targeted) anthology publication that was first released in 2005.
Matthew Mercer Appearance And Autograph Signing -
eigoMANGA is pleased to host voice actor Matthew Mercer, best known for his role as Levi from the anime, "Attack On Titan". He will make an appearance and sign autographs at eigoMANGA's Exhibition Booth #2304 on Saturdayfrom 2pm - 3pm.
eigoMANGA Presents: Showcasing The Best In Korean Comics -
A team of Korean comic book artists and editors showcase the latest and greatest trends in Korean comics and animation. They will also showcase recent and upcoming productions on some of today's hottest comics. eigoMANGA's Showcasing The Best In Korean Comics is scheduled for Friday, July 10, 7:30 pm - 8:30pm at Room 26AB.
eigoMANGA Presents: Manga Tutorials For Kids -
eigoMANGA's team of manga artists and animators will teach kids of all ages tutorials on manga illustrations and storytelling. eigoMANGA's Manga Tutorials For Kids is scheduled for Sunday, July 12, 2:00 pm - 3:00pm at Room 30CDE.
'Vanguard Princess' (Upcoming 2015) Release -
eigoMANGA plans to release an upcoming 2015 version of 'Vanguard Princess' and invites attendees to demo the beta version at eigoMANGA's Exhibition Booth #2304. 'Vanguard Princess' is a 2D fighting game that features an all-female cast each with their own unique fighting style. 'Vanguard Princess' is also a 10 time best-selling PC game for Amazon.
GungHo Online Entertainment Comes to Anime Expo
Fans of Puzzle & Dragons looking to prove themselves as the best players in Southern California will have their time to shine!GungHo Online Entertainment America (GOEA) will be attending Anime Expo with a competitive version of the popular mobile game - Puzzle & Dragons Challenge. Players will have five minutes to complete a high-level dungeon with a pre-built team of powerful monsters and achieve the best score. In addition to Puzzle & Dragons Challenge, GOEA will be showcasing a variety of different games for fans to demo on the show floor. These include the recently released Puzzle & Dragons Z, the eccentric side-scrolling puzzle-platformer Dokuro,and independent studio Camouflaj's epic stealth-action story adventure République.Fans are welcome to check out GungHo's booth at #1811 in the exhibition hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 2-5.
More information on GungHo's Anime Expo lineup can be found below:
PUZZLE & DRAGONS CHALLENGE Platform: iOS and Android App Rating: 4+ Availability: N/A
Puzzle & Dragons Challenge is a special competitive version of the classic Puzzle & Dragons game. Players are given a pre-built team of powerful monsters and are challenged to defeat a special dungeon within the time limit; they will also be scored on performance based on completion speed, number of turns taken and the maximum average combo of chains reached.
PUZZLE & DRAGONS Z Platform: Nintendo 3DS App Rating: E Availability: Now Available
In Puzzle & Dragons Z, battle the five powerful sky dragons to rebuild the world and customize a team with a plethora of different monsters. Allies gained have the chance to evolve into more advanced forms and learn powerful new skills.
DOKURO Platform: PlayStation®Vita,iOS, Android, and PC App Rating: 4+ Availability: Now Available
A recipient of numerous industry awards, including being named among IGN's "Best PS Vita Puzzle Games" of 2012 and Just Push Start's "Original Game of the Year" for 2012, Dokuro enables players to manipulate an environment, transforming its diminutive protagonist between two forms - a nimble skeleton and a dashing prince - to solve a variety of puzzles in order to help an innocent princess escape the Dark Lord's fortress.
RÉPUBLIQUE Platform: iOS, Android, Amazon, and PC ESRB: T Availability: Now Available (Episodes 1-3)
République is a thrilling and topical stealth-action game that explores the perils of government surveillance in the Internet Age. Players assist Hope, a desperate young woman struggling to escape from a secret, Orwellian state. Communicating using a stolen phone, Hope contacts the player and asks them to hack into the nation's surveillance system, assume control, and guide her out of the clutches of the omnipresent Overseer. Developed by the industry veterans of Camouflaj (Metal Gear Solid 4, Halo 4, Red Dead Redemption), République is released episodically with the final two episodes due in late 2015.
For information on GungHo Online Entertainment America, visit www.gunghoonline.com. For more information on Camouflaj and République, visit www.camouflaj.com.
Fantasy eSports Platform AlphaDraft Adds Hearthstone Support, Sponsors Key Hearthstone and Dota 2 Tournaments
AlphaDraft - the premier daily fantasy sports platform that seamlessly blends the highly popular worlds of eSports, live streaming and fantasy sports contests - is proud to today announce the addition of Blizzard Entertainment’s Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft to its list of supported daily fantasy eSports titles. AlphaDraft today also announces two key eSports tournament partnerships, both beginning on July 1, 2015: The first with Team Archon (whose team member Firebat won the Hearthstone BlizzCon World Championships 2014) for the upcoming Archon Team League Championships. The second with competitive eSports platform FACEIT and eSports channel/producer Beyond the Summit for their Dota 2 America’s Cup Tournament.
Joining eSports fans of League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, and SMITE, AlphaDraft members will now be able to take part in fantasy contests for the highly popular Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft.
“With the addition of Blizzard’s Hearthstone, we continue to lead the fantasy eSports industry by supporting the most popular eSports titles as part of our rapidly expanding offering to fans,” said AlphaDraft CEO Todd Peterson. “It’s part of AlphaDraft's continuing strategy for exponential growth, and we have absolutely no plans to slow down.”
“The Archon Team League showcases some of today’s top performers in eSports and signals AlphaDraft’s support of and appreciation for the fans of Blizzard’s Hearthstone,” added AlphaDraft’s Director of eSports Robert Del Papa. “Meanwhile, FACEIT and Beyond the Summit are leaders in the Dota 2tournament scene and tangibly demonstrate the high caliber of partners and strategic relationships that AlphaDraft will continue to seek out and attract.”
With an incredible prize pool of $250,000 - matching only that of Hearthstone’s largest recorded prize pool previously set by Blizzard’s own 2014 BlizzCon World Championship - The Archon Team League Championships will feature a full-fledged team-based tournament structure. With a robust scoring system that tracks individual player points based on damage, minion kills and mana usage, every detail of the Hearthstone tournament will have an effect on player fantasy stats.
The Archon Team League Championships span seven weeks, followed by a redemption challenge, a special caster’s cup, two weeks of post-season and the Grand Final. It will feature twenty-four of the top Hearthstone pros from eight sensational teams, including Team Archon, Cloud 9, Nihilum, Team Celestial, Team Liquid, Tempo Storm, Value Town and FORSENBOYS. Matches will be streamed live on Twitch at twitch.tv/amazhs (or within the AlphaDraft portal athttp://www.alphadraft.com) every Wednesday and Thursday starting at 10 a.m. (PDT) / 1 p.m. (EDT).
In related news, AlphaDraft and leading competitive eSports platform FACEIT, along with eSports channel and Dota 2 tournament producer Beyond the Summit, will today begin their partnership for the Dota 2 America’s Cup Tournament. It begins July 1, 2015 and runs until July 19, 2015, where the Grand Final will be held at 2 p.m. (PDT) / 5 p.m. (EDT). Live broadcasts will stream on Twitch attwitch.tv/beyondthesummit (or within the AlphaDraft portal athttp://www.alphadraft.com).
Whispering Willows Brings Classic Adventure Gameplay to PlayStation Platforms
LOOT Interactive is pleased to announce the launch of its first summer 2015 title, Whispering Willows, for PlayStation 4 and Vita. Available today, the PlayStation edition of this award winning horror-themed graphical adventure/puzzle game has been digitally remastered at 60 frames per second/1080p resolution. Born from a successful Kickstarter and developed by Night Light Interactive, Whispering Willows takes players on an adventure as the young and brave Elena Elkhorn who must solve the mystery of her missing father by exploring the haunted Willows mansion. Along the way, Elena gathers clues, meets a cast of unforgettable ghostly characters and uses her magical amulet to take spirit form and commune with the souls of the departed.
“Whispering Willows is a captivating adventure that embodies the kind of memorable, challenging gameplay we want LOOT to become known for,” said David Sterling, managing director of LOOT Interactive. “We love the original gameplay, hand-painted artwork and compelling story that Whispering Willows offers and we’re thrilled to kick off LOOT Interactive’s summer release schedule with such a unique title.”
Whispering Willows is available today as a two-way cross-buy for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita. Included with purchase is a limited edition, Whispering Willows dynamic PlayStation 4 theme for $12.49 ($9.99 for PlayStation Plus members.) The dynamic theme is also sold separately at $3.99.
Strike Vector EX Debuts Console Features
Indie game studio RageQuit Corporation revealed today its new console features and upgrades for Strike Vector EX, the fully-loaded aerial-combat game coming to PlayStation®4 and Xbox One in Fall 2015. The revamped console version delivers a new story-driven single-player campaign complete with characters, cut scenes, and deadly AI. Strike Vector EX also adds new console-based controls designed for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. What’s more, players will never get stuck in an empty server as the lifelike AI opponents will auto populate until real-life players enter into the action to take their place. This ensures thatStrike Vector EX pilots will have an exciting and competitive aerial-combat online experience.
Powered by the Unreal Engine 4, Strike Vector EX is a competitive first-person aerial-combat game that hosts dizzying dogfights with battle-heavy aircraft. Bursting with customizable mech-inspired ships, Strike Vector EX disrupts the air combat genre through a combination of precision mechanics, imaginative vehicle designs, and stunning, fast-paced multiplayer fights.
RageQuit Corporation’s debut Xbox One and PS4™ game has been fine-tuned to provide instant feedback and tight console controls for players to light each other up amidst futuristic, industrial structures. Players gear up their ships with a vast array of weapons and equipment to deploy specific strategies for each mission (paired with personal, bada$$ styles) and to engage in frenetic online multiplayer skirmishes.
For more on RageQuit Corporation, head to its Website (www.strikevector.net), like it on Facebook, follow it on Twitter, and check it out on YouTube and Twitch.TV.
E3 2015: Hollowpoint
Because I saw a lot of smaller game company’s titles at this year’s E3 I was able to notice a trend; random map generation. Perhaps that’s too simple, basically developers figured out how to add to their game’s replay value without killing themselves creating levels. That’s the case with Hollowpoint that has a ton of maps and basically can switch out segments depending on what mission you’re on. You can essentially see the same part of a map from a different angle and rarely will you run into the same load out as something you played before.
The game itself is a 2D action shooter. Think Contra or better yet Shadow Complex, but with far more 3D interaction. I know you’re thinking, “3D on a 2D shooter…” well it works because the controls are fluid and allow for easy aiming and I say that as someone who played on a PC and as someone who doesn’t play PC games all that often.
The big thing with Hollowpoint is customization and unlocks. There’s real money, fake money and different credits for different things. You can customize your “Hollowpoint”, what they call the characters in the game. You can customize their gun, their coloring and equipment and power ups. Half of my demo time was actually spent covering what you could customize and how to go about those customizations and what they would add to the gameplay. Let's just say you can spend a lot of time on this and not be bored.
Because you’re taking missions and not playing a story you will run into a variety of mission types, but the game actually changes during play which is sure to make the game play very different each time you load up.
You can also play with up to four players which is crazy sounding! I played with just two people and it was already pretty nuts on the screen, but I can imagine four people is one hell of an experience.
The game is coming out sometime this year (I believe they said it was basically done at the time) and will be on the PS4 and Steam. Yet another PS4 title that I saw and really enjoyed. If you’re a fan of 2D shooters, then you’ll want to check this one out. Just don’t get stuck customizing the content more than playing the game.
E3 2015: Pillars of Eternity: The White March – Part I
Hands down I was probably the worst choice for checking out this game. I have never played Pillars of Eternity and didn’t realize that it was an expansion pack that I was seeing rather than a new title. That said I still understood what this expansion pack means for the game, but my excitement for it wasn’t nearly as high as it was for the people who actually played the game. The gist is that The White March is going to add a lot to the Pillars franchise and the developers are going to make a lot of the improvements bleed over into the original game. Even though that doesn’t affect me, the fact that they’re doing that for free for people who have the first game shows that this developer actually cares about their community.
On that note there’s the “Part I” to address. Yes, there’s going to be a “Part II”, but the developers didn’t want to make fans wait in limbo forever while they finished both parts so they decided to split it. They said because of this they were actually able to work faster and get more done in a shorter time. Again, the fact that it wasn’t a money grab shows that the developers are really aware of their fan base.
As for the game itself it’s heavily influenced by Icewind Dale and has new dungeons and fortresses to explore and raid. The level cap has increased and the characters can have multi-class talents. That seemed to make the biggest impact as it could really change-up your gameplay style. There was also a lot of improvement done to the party AI, having played similar games in the past I could tell that they put a lot of thought into the AI and it seemed incredibly easy and intuitive. Hopefully other game developers catch on because worked very well with this style of RPG.
Overall the game looks wonderful and while I’m not the demographic for it I still liked what I heard and think that fans of the franchise are going to be pleased with the upcoming expansion. That said look for it later this year.
E3 2015: Loot Interactive – Whispering Willows
The final game I played from Loot Interactive was Whispering Willows. It’s a horror themed adventure puzzle game. Kind of a point and click style of puzzle, but with more interaction and control. The first thing to point out is that the art style is wonderful for this game. It’s a lot of fun to just look at. The story is that of Elena Elkhorn; she heads out to Willows Mansion to find her father and along the way discovers that she can communicate with the souls of the dead. This is how the puzzle part is different because there are things that you’ll have to do as a spirit and in your flesh. The animation on Elena when she leaves her body was very cool. There were also segments in which her spirit becomes just a glowing ball of light in order to fit through sections of the level.
The story is very rich. All of the ghosts you encounter seem to have intricate stories that may or may not be helpful. The environments are hand-painted 2D backgrounds which again are great and add to the atmosphere of the gameplay.
Now I don’t know if there are any boo, gotcha moments in the game. The ghosts I encountered were friendly, but the developers warn that not every spirit is friendly and that death can come for you at any moment. The sound scape is legit and adds to the atmosphere as well. I was listening to it on some decent headphones and it really adds to the gameplay.
If you like adventure mystery games, then this is the game for you. Clearly a lot of time has been put into it and it’s not just a load the room solve the mystery type of game. You have to navigate your way throughout the game and as I found you can get stuck if you’re not paying attention.
The game is actually out next week on the 30th and is a 2-way cross buy for the PS4 and PS Vita. Let me tell ya… PS4 and PS Vita have a lot of titles coming up that I want to play and this is one of them. They did also announce that its heading to other platforms as well so keep an eye out.
E3 2015: Loot Interactive – Back to Bed
Another Loot Interactive game I checked out was called Back to Bed. Frankly fun puzzle games will win me over every time and much like Velocibox, I had to pull myself away from this game so that I wouldn’t just play it all day. It was addictive to say the least. The basically idea is that you play the subconscious of our sleepwalking man. You must guide him back to bed so that he doesn’t die. To do so you have to place objects in his path and pay attention to which direction it will send him to navigate him to bed. The world though is very surreal and inspired by the works of M.C. Escher, Salvador Dali and René Magritte. They’re very open about that inspiration because when you see the levels that’s all you’ll see. Even if you’re unfamiliar with the artists themselves you’ll look at the game design and think, “I’ve seen that somewhere before…”
There’s not much else to say about the game. The controls were polished and since it’s on a grid it’s not like they needed to be that complex. It’s beautiful to look at and frankly I look forward to playing through the game in its entirety.
It’s coming out for the PS3, PS4 and PS Vita this summer as well so if you have any of those systems I would definitely encourage you to check it out if this puzzle game sounds like fun to you. Again, I need to go price Vita’s so that I can play this when it’s out.
E3 2015: Loot Interactive – Velocibox
While at E3 I checked out three games coming out from Loot Interactive. The last one was actually Velocibox, but it’s the first one I want to talk about. The easiest way to describe this game is to call it an endless runner. Which is good because without that it’s really hard to make this game sound interesting without making yourself sound kind of dumb. If you don’t know what an endless runner is it’s basically the control of a character (or in this case a block) that you navigate through dangers in an attempt to memorize the pattern of the level in order to succeed. In Velocibox you actually need to pick up six boxes to pass the level and it moves quick as fuck.
Before playing I was told that I wouldn’t last five seconds and damn if they weren’t right… I did last four seconds though so I will pat myself on the back for that. I instantly became addicted to the game, which is a good and bad thing. It’s bad because it became the only thing I wanted to play and I don’t think anyone would have been cool with me hogging it all day.
There’s a variety of ways to get through the level. You can move with the D-Pad left or right or up and down with the bumpers. You need both in my short experience with the game.
The game is simple looking. It’s intentionally minimalistic with just solid colors and sterile white walls to navigate. Frankly you’ll be paying more attention to what you’re doing and less attention to what it looks like, but I liked the minimalistic look.
The game is going to be for PS4 and PS Vita and really either sound like a good platform for it. I’m actually thinking of buying a Vita just to play this game unless it makes its way on the Xbox One as well. All in all, this was my game of E3. Simple as it may seem, it was complex and lived up to the hype that it had and more importantly it left me wanting more… like right now. It’ll be out sometime soon so I need to stop writing this and start pricing Vitas.