Archive - 2019

Transport Fever 2 Launch Trailer

AMSTERDAM – Dec. 11, 2019 – Good Shepherd Entertainment and developer Urban Games have released Transport Fever 2, the next great Tycoon Simulation game from the makers of Transport Fever and Train Fever. Create elaborate transport routes and infrastructure over land, sea and air to build a transportation empire that rivals the ages!

Transport Fever 2 is available today for Windows PC and Linux via Steam and GOG.com for $39.99. Players who purchase the game before December 18 will receive a 10% launch week discount. Additionally, anyone who owns the original Transport Fever on Steam will automatically receive a special 15% stackable bonus discount (for a combined total 25% discount if you purchase this week).

With more than 170 years of real-world transportation technology at your fingertips, Transport Fever 2 lets you design and master fantastic new worlds with a vastly improved feature set, UI and mod tools:

  • Experience the greatest logistical challenges from 1850 to today across three unique story campaigns featuring voiceovers and cutscenes.
  • Let your creativity run wild through giant sandbox maps in free play mode.
  • Choose from over 200 realistically modeled vehicles from Europe, America and Asia, including trains, buses, streetcars, trucks, aircraft and ships, plus modular stations, airports and harbors.
  • Track and manage your booming empire’s rise with intuitive construction tools and dynamic economy, transportation and city simulation systems.
  • Choose from a diverse array of natural ecosystems, all rendered in exquisite detail.
  • Create and share your own worlds, missions, landscapes, vehicles and more with the in-game map editor and extensive modding tools via Steam Workshop.

For more information, visit https://www.TransportFever2.com, and follow @GoodShepherdEnt and @TransportFever on Twitter.

Holiday Gift Guide 2019: Headphones

Here is our 2019 Holiday Gift Guide showcasing our recommended headphones!

Razer Kraken Ultimate Edition ($129.99)

Corporate Spiel: “MAKE SOUND YOUR WEAPON – Hear the unfair advantage firsthand and be the one to beat with the Razer Kraken Ultimate—a PC gaming headset built for the ultimate competitive gaming experience. With threats lurking all around you, it’s time to go on the offensive and let them know who’s hunting who.”

Our take: Excellent build quality, style, and sound reproduction come together to make this one killer gaming headset.

Official Razer Website

Apple AirPods Pro ($249.00)

Corporate Spiel: “We refined the details of comfort, creating a new class of in-ear headphones with a customizable fit that forms an exceptional seal for Active Noise Cancellation. You’ll feel your music, not your headphones.”

Our Take: Terrific noise canceling and channeling make these earbuds outstanding for any activity. Well worth the increased price point and slightly larger size.

Apple Official Website

Creative SXFI Air ($159.99)

Corporate Spiel: “Experience the magical audio reality of Super X-Fi with the Creative SXFI AIR! This Bluetooth and USB headphone has built-in Super X-Fi technology that provides holographic audio personalized to your own ears for an unbelievable headphone experience that’s as good as the real thing.”

Our Take: The Creative SXFI Air is extremely comfortable and its audio holography has to be heard to be believed. If you are an audiophile, I would definitely recommend them.

Official Creative Website

Wicked Audio Syver True Wireless ($99.99)

Corporate Spiel: “Who says you can’t have it all? Rock out loud or on a more personal level with the speaker + earbud combo of your dreams whenever and wherever you want.”

Our Take: Syver has taken two complimentary products: Wireless earbuds and speaker, and combined them. While neither is outstanding in their own right, together they make for a flexible mobile audio experience that will satisfy the outdoor-folk, dorm-dwellers, and river-rats in your life.

Official Syver Website

LucidSound LS1X Premium Chat Headset ($24.99)

Corporate Spiel: “Lightweight and comfortable, featuring LucidSound proprietary quick-access audio adjustments. No need to search for the volume wheel just reach up and turn up the volume.”

Our Take: LucidSound’s LS1X chat headset is made of good construction and features very good audio quality thanks to its 50mm driver, not to mention decent microphone noise cancellation. In short: It’s a terrific chat headset choice for your Xbox One or PS4.

Official LucidSound Website

The Game Awards Announces The Game Festival

LOS ANGELES (December 11, 2019) – This Thursday get ready to watch, celebrate and now play what’s next from the video game industry. Today The Game Awards founder Geoff Keighley announced The Game Festival, a new digital consumer event concept that ushers in a new era for The Game Awards, which live streams for free across more than 60 global digital networks.

The Game Festival is a first-of-its-kind digital consumer event that brings the magic of hands-on gameplay demos to fans around the world. For 2019, The Game Festival will launch a digital pilot program on Steam. The Game Festival will feature more than a dozen first-look game demos, available to play for a limited 48-hour window before they are removed from Steam.

“Six years ago I bet everything I had to create The Game Awards as a way to celebrate our passion for gaming,” said Geoff Keighley, creator, The Game Awards. “Now feels like the right time to take the next step with The Game Festival, a completely digital approach to the consumer event space. Let’s face it: Not everyone can attend a physical trade show or consumer event. The Game Festival is designed from the ground-up as an event without barriers, extending the benefits of a physical event to the global gaming community that watches The Game Awards.”

As part of the pilot Game Festival on Stream, more than a dozen games are scheduled to be playable. Some of the games that will release free, limited-time demos include:

  • System Shock (Nightdive Studios)
  • Eastward (Pixpil/Chucklefish)
  • Spiritfarer (Thunder Lotus)
  • Moving Out (SMG Studio/Devm Games/Team17)
  • Röki (Polygon Treehouse/United Label)
  • Chicory (Greg Lobanov)
  • Wooden Nickel (Brain&Brain)
  • Haven (The Game Bakers)
  • Heavenly Bodies (2pt Interactive)
  • Acid Knife (Powerhoof)
  • The Drifter (Powerhoof)
  • CARRION (Phobia/Devolver)
  • SkateBIRD (Glass Bottom Games)

Alongside the Festival, Steam will air The Game Awards live in 4K Ultra High Definition, feature The Game Awards Sale, and offer Steam viewers the opportunity to win a Valve Index VR headset and free game drops throughout the live broadcast.

For more information and to stay up to date on the latest The Game Awards announcements, please visit www.thegameawards.com

Vigor Update 1.2: Preppers Trailer

December 11, 2019 – Bohemia Interactive is proud to announce the release of the Update 1.2: Preppers, for Vigor, which is available today. The update reveals the Battle Pass along with its first season: Preppers. We are also bringing Christmas to the Outlands together with Tools, Crafting Boosters, Charity Box Rewards, and much more.

Update 1.2: “Preppers” includes:

  • Battle Pass – Our Outlanders asked for more measurable progression other than the Shelter itself, and we listened. Everyone can receive various exciting rewards for XP — There is also a Premium Battle Pass for everyone who wants to get even more.
  • Season 1: Preppers – The Preppers were ready for humanity to fall, so they represent the elite of all Outlanders. They bring new tools and ways to play. Everyone can become one of them with the brand new Battle Pass!
  • Tools – Tools are a staple in any Prepper’s repertoire. Those bring new exciting ways to play. You can come across these 3:
  • Contact Bomb
  • Transmitter
  • Alarm Trap
  • Crafting Boosters – Tired of waiting? Make the process faster with Crafting Boosters!
  • Charity Box Rewards – If you were one of those who did not see the point of helping the other not-so-lucky Outlanders, these rewards will get you on board.
  • Shooting Range Moving Targets
  • Colour Blind Options
  • New Weapons
  • New Challenge Types
  • Teamkiller looting disabled
  • Weapon Destroying
  • Faster Radiation
  • Christmas Assets

To learn more about Vigor, visit: vigorgame.com

Most Tear-jerking Christmas Commercials

While I stay away from “top” anything lists usually, I thought it would be fun to share some of the most tear-jerking Christmas commercials I have ever seen. Some of them are new – and some are old. Either way, they make my eyes rain. And now, they’ll make yours…. BEWARE, dear reader, there be tears ahead, and it be too late to alter course!

Anzara “Love is A Gift”

Publix “Christmas Morning”

Edeka “2015 Christmas Commercial”

Apple “The Surprise”

Erste “2018 Christmas Ad”

Sainsbury’s “1914”

Xfinity “A Holiday Reunion”

 

OVERPASS Vehicle Trailer Released

Lesquin, November 10, 2019 – Overpass, the new off-road simulation developed by Zordix Racing and published by Bigben, unveils all the licensed vehicles in the game in this new video:

Challenge yourself in the most extreme off-road conditions in the driving seat of the best all-terrain vehicles on the market. The game includes 24 licensed buggies and quads*: 9 ATVs (quads) and 15 UTVs (buggies) from major manufacturers such as Polaris, Yamaha, Arctic Cat and Suzuki for negotiating scree slopes, steep inclines and various obstacles on demanding off-road tracks.

With different challenges to overcome on varied terrain, you must choose your strategy and a vehicle based on its strengths in the race ahead. Adapt your driving style and acceleration, try out all the vehicle options, and plot the best route to try and win the race – local or online.

Overpass™ will be available on PlayStation 4TM, Xbox One, PC on Epic Games Store the 27th of February 2020 and later on Nintendo Switch™.

* 23 of the 24 vehicles in the game are officially licensed.

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries Out Now

VANCOUVER (Dec. 10, 2019) – Almost 20 years since the last single player MechWarrior game hit pilot’s PCs, MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries from Piranha Games is now available for download on the Epic Games Store ($49.99 standard, $59.99 collectors edition.) Store link: https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/product/mechwarrior-5/home

Additionally, the full suite of short stories leading up to the events in MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries have been released, and now an anthology collection of all eight is available: https://mw5mercs.com/novellas. The new and original series is penned by Randall N. Bills, author of over half a dozen novels, and whose led the publication of hundreds of sourcebooks and rulebooks set within the BattleTech and MechWarrior universe over the past two decades. (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com.)

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries marks the return of the series’ mission-focused campaign structure, allowing pilots to call the shots while leading either AI-controlled allies or up to three friends through optional co-op into dangerous contracts. Unit leaders will decide which risky missions to accept, where their priorities lie across the Inner Sphere’s volatile conflict zones, as well as how to best utilize the resources earned from their dances with death.

Featuring expansively destructible environments, pilots can tear through structures while swatting helicopters out of the sky and reducing rival pilots’ rides to scrap. Strategize in the moments in-between battles in the Mech Bay with mission recovery and choose your pre-deployment loadouts to maximize your chances of glory on the battlefield. Whether you play solo or team up via co-op with friends, MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is all about risk, reward, and consequence.

To lock onto the latest with MechWarrior, pre-order MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries (https://mw5mercs.com/), visit the MechWarrior Online website (https://mwomercs.com/), and follow Piranha Games on Twitter through @PiranhaGames (https://twitter.com/piranhagames) and @MechWarriorF2P (https://twitter.com/Mechwarriorf2p).

Remastered Resident Evil 3 Announced

Dec. 10, 2019 – Today on PlayStation’s State of Play broadcast, Capcom celebrated the 20th anniversary of the survival horror classic Resident Evil™ 3: Nemesis by unveiling a completely reimagined Resident Evil™ 3. On the heels of the award-winning Resident Evil™ 2, this highly demanded follow-up in the 94 million unit selling franchise once again utilizes Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine to complete the Raccoon City story arc. Resident Evil 3 stars Jill Valentine – one of video games’ most iconic heroines – as she escapes from a crumbling Raccoon City while being pursued by the unrelenting bioweapon Nemesis. Players can also participate in previously untold Umbrella experiments on the outskirts of Raccoon City in the included online asymmetrical multiplayer game Resident Evil™ Resistance, previously known as the working title Project Resistance. Resident Evil 3 will be available on PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X and Steam on April 3, 2020.

Resident Evil 3 is set amidst the nightmarish outbreak of the T-virus, a biological weapon developed by the pharmaceutical company Umbrella Corporation. The game marks the debut of Nemesis – a towering humanoid bioweapon designed for both brutality and high-functioning intelligence – whose dogged hunt of S.T.A.R.S. member Jill Valentine made him an icon of the Resident Evil™ series. Armed with an arsenal of high-powered weaponry and wrapped in a black suit to hide his mutilated features, Nemesis will maim, pulverize or destroy any obstacle on the path to his target.

Jill’s harrowing escape takes place in the panic-stricken hours leading up to and following the events of the acclaimed best-selling Resident Evil 2. Intense combat and puzzle solving combine to deliver the heart-pounding final chapter of Raccoon City’s collapse. The horrific settings from the original game and new content come to life as never before with RE Engine, previously utilized to create the acclaimed Resident Evil™ 7 biohazard, Resident Evil 2 and Devil May Cry™ 5 with high-definition graphics and modernized gameplay mechanics.

Complementing the action-packed single player campaign is Resident Evil Resistance, an asymmetrical 4 vs. 1 multiplayer game originally unveiled as a working title at Tokyo Game Show earlier this year. As the Mastermind behind the scenes, players can assume the role of key Resident Evil characters like Annette Birkin in a series of deadly experiments. Manipulate the environment and wield a deck of cards to place vicious creatures, set traps and weaponized security cameras to snare hapless Survivors. A first for the franchise, Masterminds can even directly control elite bioweapons like G-Birkin and Tyrant. In turn, four Survivors must effectively work together, making the most of a variety of weapons and each player’s unique special abilities, to stand a chance of escaping the experiment before time runs out.

North American console players will also be able to purchase a Resident Evil 3 Collector’s Edition. This premium package contains a physical copy of Resident Evil 3, a high quality Jill Valentine figure, printed artbook, a Raccoon City map wall poster and a digital Resident Evil 3 soundtrack. Those who pre-order will also receive the exclusive Classic Costume Pack that features the original design for Jill Valentine and hairstyle for Carlos Oliveira.

The Elder Scrolls: Blades Gets Major Overhaul

December 10, 2019 – Update 1.5 is now live for The Elder Scrolls: Blades and with it comes huge changes and community-requested features. The arena is now open for all players, bringing with it PvP, guilds and the opportunity to visit other players’ towns to buy and sell goods with guildmates. A major loot overhaul also lands with update 1.5 and revamps how players earn loot, including the removal of all chest timers.

Check out the new trailer here, showcasing all changes in Update 1.5:

· Arena mode PvP is here – Instantly available for everyone, Arena mode allows players to battle one-on-one against others for loot and glory once they reach level 5. Each victory in the best-of-three battles will help players advance up the in-game leaderboards

· Major Loot Overhaul – Update 1.5 brings with it the removal of Chest timers, one of the most highly-requested changes. All rarity levels of chests will now open immediately, and players will no longer have to wait to see what’s inside. The update also offers increased loot from enemies as well as a boss fight at the end of every job that will provide players with greater rewards than usual upon their defeat

· Build your guild – In addition to Arena mode, players can now experience Blades with friends through the brand-new guild system. Create guilds to trade items with guildmates, visit their towns and represent them by making a name for yourself in the arena

· Holiday Content – Finally, update 1.5 spreads holiday cheer to players with a new winter theme for towns along with holiday decorations, special bundles and discounts in the store through December

For more information on The Elder Scrolls: Blades, check out elderscrolls.com.

Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind DLC Announced for February

LOS ANGELES (Dec. 10, 2019) – SQUARE ENIX® invites Keyblade wielders to dive back into the journey with Sora and friends in the KINGDOM HEARTS III Re Mind DLC*coming to the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system on January 23, 2020 and Xbox One family of devices on February 25, 2020.

For players who have completed KINGDOM HEARTS III, the Re Mind DLC provides a new playable episode as Sora adventures to make his way back to his friends and discovers truths that he has never before imagined. The new Re Mind trailer gives players a first look at the FINAL FANTASY® characters set to appear in the DLC, showcasing a glimpse of fan-favorite Aerith from FINAL FANTASY VII. The new Re Mind DLC trailer can be viewed on YouTube:

In Re Mind, players will be able to take on multiple boss battles, a Limitcut and Secret Episode, a new greeting mode, slideshow features and a new “Premium Menu” mode that includes diverse difficulty settings and gameplay challenges.

Additionally, a free patch update** (Version 1.07) is set to be released in January for all KINGDOM HEARTS III players which includes a main story update, new abilities and a new form for Sora along with the addition of Keyblades, “Oathkeeper” and “Oblivion”. Players will also be able to utilize expanded sharing features from January.

KINGDOM HEARTS III is rated E10+ by the ESRB and is available now for the PlayStation®4 system and Xbox One. Fans can pre-order the KINGDOM HEARTS III Re Mind DLC package (priced at $29.99) or KINGDOM HEARTS III Re Mind + Concert Video package (priced at $39.99), which includes all KINGDOM HEARTS III Re Mind content as well as footage from the KINGDOM HEARTS – World of Tres – Orchestra concert recorded in Osaka, Japan on November 30th, 2019.

Pre-orders are open now at https://www.kingdomhearts.com/3/us/dlc/.